After Dave Cleal and Adam Bassett had combined to discover two Dartford Warblers at Stoke Common two days ago, I was fairly keen to see them in case their stay was a short one. My daughter Katherine, who is staying with us over half term, was also keen to see one, as they don't occur in her current county of residence (Lancashire). So off we went to Stoke Common with two grandchildren in tow. Not the best combination for finding a skulking bird!
Several birders had tried to find them and found it difficult, but having been given directions on the last known locations from Dave Ferguson and Graham Smith we were soon in the right area in roughly the middle of the common. I had heard from Adam that they were associating with two Stonechats, so when we located the Stonechats we started to scan for the Dartfords. We were fortunate to hear a call from a Dartford and a couple of notes of song. A while later we caught a glimpse of a male Dartford as is flew low over some thick vegetation in order to keep up with a Stonechat. Then almost immediately we saw another bird which turned out to be a female. This bird stayed fairly close for some time but was in thick vegetation and almost impossible to see let alone photograph. I eventually managed record shots of both birds.
We eventually gave up as the youngest member of or group was getting impatient and moved to the western end of the common to where what was potentially a third bird had been heard. We were very fortunate in that we saw a Dartford in flight crossing the path we were on. It perched some distance away allowing me to digiscope it. It seems to a be a juvenile bird. That of course raises the question of possible breeding here. However it is late in the season and it is my belief that this bird was probably raised elsewhere and came here as part of normal post-breeding dispersal.
We can only hope they stay here for the long term as it was 2003 that they were last known to have bred here.
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| A very distant view of one of the Stonechats. These were surprisingly elusive. |
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| Dartford Warbler - male. Well Hidden! |
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| Female |
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| Female leaving the same bush as above and showing proximity to a Stonechat. |
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| Dartford Warbler - Female |
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| Probable juvenile. |
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