Reported: Reed Warbler at Marston STW 31/12/2014

Andrew Chick · **Posted:** Wed Dec 31, 2014 5:52 pm

Reported: Reed Warbler at Marston STW 31/12/2014

Images on twitter at https://twitter.com/SpadgeBirder/status ... 77/photo/1

Alex Lees · **Posted:** Wed Dec 31, 2014 6:31 pm

Kudos to Dave Roberts for a crazy find: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/eurasian-r ... ge-reedbed

edit + video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDaq2zV ... e=youtu.be

Graham Catley · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:20 pm **Posts:** 1667

Are people certain everything else has been excluded? Are there any more photos?

James Siddle · **Joined:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:40 am **Posts:** 289

Appears to have only one emargination (P3) but hard to tell

James

Alex Lees · **Posted:** Fri Jan 02, 2015 11:02 am

Hi Graham, all

See http://www.lincsbirders.org/2014/12/31/ ... d-warbler/ can't help but feel short changed but not really any mileage in it given that P3 emargination ˜ level with secondary tips & P2 = P4. Although there's always fuscus if you're desperate, maybe Alan or Keith can catch it and save any shed feathers/droppings*, I could have caught it by hand with a hat though, so not sure how well its doing and whether it would even survive handling. It was very visible so 'presumably' not new in. Maybe frozen out of a wintering attempt elsewhere.

Alex

*If it is still there and someone does see it drop any DNA then do get a sample and I can send it to the team in Aberdeen.

Andrew Chick · **Posted:** Sun Jan 04, 2015 12:32 pm

Spent the morning at Marston STW looking at the over wintering reed warbler.....

While watching it, it LOST a tail feather..... AND try as I might it was impossible to locate (sorry Alex!). I wonder if it's starting it's moult???

Finally, it called once, a sharp "chhakk" - sounded very like a reed warbler (sorry no sound recording kit)

Also saw..

Mute Swan 2
Greylag Goose c130
Mallard 12
Red-legged Partridge 5
Pheasant 2
Buzzard 1
Water Rail 8
Moorhen 1
Curlew 5
Black-headed Gull c220
Common Gull 2
Green Woodpecker 1
Magpie 2
Jackdaw 5
Carrion Crow 1
Blue Tit 3
Skylark 3
Cetti's Warbler 1
Reed Warbler 1
Wren 20
Starling 8
Blackbird 1
Fieldfare 10
Redwing 5
Robin 1
Stonechat 2
Dunnock 1
Pied Wagtail 6
Chaffinch 5
Bullfinch 2
Greenfinch 2
Linnet 20
Goldfinch 2
Reed Bunting 12

Andrew Chick · **Posted:** Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:17 pm

Youtube clip from 04.01.15

Note: one of the tail feathers drops out halfway through (!), listen to the water rails and note the ice at the end...

The screen size is quite small, press the youtube link (bottom right-hand corner) to see it full size.

Phil Hyde · **Posted:** Sun Jan 04, 2015 10:50 pm

Thats a very damaged tail Andy with what looks like at least 2 new feathers growing. Lost / damaged tail feathers can be grown/ replaced at any time. Be interesting to see its state of wing moult (normally complete by now in birds wintering in Africa) in the hand - did the wing look fresh ? couldn't quite make it out from the video. Perhaps it suffered trauma to its tail in the autumn which stopped it migrating ? Was it finding anything to eat ?!
Happy New Year

Phil

Andrew Chick · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2015 9:52 am

The bird had discovered a small pile of meal worm.... I also saw it eat a number of very small inverts (if you look in the video, the bird is seen eating one of the meal worms).

The reed bed at Marston STW is full of wrens (which must be eating something). And, remember that the water is at a higher temperature due to the fact it has just come out of the 'sewage treatment works' (the scrape was frozen, but the reed bed edge wasn't and free flowing) so if anywhere is going to support inverts at this time of year, this is the best place...

Andy Sharp · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2015 11:33 am

What a great photo Andrew

Andrew Chick · **Posted:** Tue Jan 06, 2015 5:02 pm

No sign today...

Recorded the following....

Gadwall 22
Teal 38
Mallard 19
Red-legged Partridge 5
Pheasant 2
Little Grebe 2
Water Rail 10
Moorhen 1
Golden Plover 22
Black-headed Gull 20
Woodpigeon 4
Magpie 1
Jackdaw 40
Carrion Crow 2
Goldcrest 1
Blue Tit 1
Great Tit 2
Wren 4
Blackbird 2
Fieldfare 3
Robin 1
Dunnock 1
Pied Wagtail 2
Chaffinch 5
Bullfinch 2
Linnet 25
Reed Bunting 10

Phil Hyde · **Posted:** Tue Jan 06, 2015 7:55 pm

But one of the news services says...:-

Reed Warbler, Marston Sewage Works, near orange plastic fencing late a/noon showing well NG32 2HR SK895428.....

David Morison · **Posted:** Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:01 pm

Reed Warbler still feeding well by the orange site fencing today.

Andy Sims · **Posted:** Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:48 pm

The Reed Warbler was still present and feeding and showing well this morning. Meal worms courtesy of Dave Roberts.
Also seen 1 Cetti's Warbler, 6 Water Rails, 2 Grey Wagtails & 19 Curlew

With Dave Roberts & "Spadge"

Russell Hayes · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2015 5:25 pm

Reed Warbler still present today
Cetti's & Water Rail heard

The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Reported: Reed Warbler at Marston STW 31/12/2014

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