http://www.birdguides.com/birdwatch Birdwatch•October 2017 29
OCTOBER’S TARGET BIRD
O
nce thought to be almost
impossible to identify in
the eld, this species has
gone from being a mega-rarity to
a scarce migrant in a very short
period of time. Easily mistaken for
other closely related Acrocephalus
warblers, good views or a clear
song phrase are needed to clinch
its identi cation.
Blyth’s Reed Warbler breeds
mainly in Russia and Ukraine,
with its recent westward
expansion taking it as far as
Finland, Sweden and Estonia.
A small population is found in
northern Afghanistan and Iran.
It winters largely in the southern
and eastern Indian Subcontinent
and Myanmar.
The rst British record was on
Fair Isle in September 1910, while
the rst spring sighting at Spurn
Point, East Yorkshire, on 28 May
1984 was only the fourth record.
After this it began to appear
more regularly, and this change in
fortune occurred as the species’
breeding range expanded in the
north and west of Europe, fuelling
the increasing number of spring
overshoots reaching Britain, as
well as more autumn records. ItSTEVE YOUNG (WWW.BIRDSONFILM.COM)SHETLAND is the most regular place to encounter this species,
especially in spring or summer. In England, the east coast from
Northumberland down to north Norfolk is a likely area, with a
fair chance on Scilly. Check coastal bushes, not necessarily near
water. The locations listed below have had several records.England- Northumberland: St Mary’s Island (NZ 352755)
- East Yorkshire: Spurn Point (TA 420148)
- Norfolk: Wells Woods (TF 880452) and the north Norfolk coast
- Scilly: St Mary’s (SV 915110) and other islands
Scotland- Shetland: Quendale (HU 371133); Fair Isle (HZ 221723)
- Orkney: North Ronaldsay (HY 785560)
WHERE TO WATCH BIRDS
was removed from the rarities list
in 2015.
A large proportion of records
have been in the Northern Isles,
especially Shetland. In England,
most have been seen in coastal
areas of Northumberland,
Yorkshire, Norfolk and Scilly.
Inland records are rare, but recent
singing spring birds were seen in
Greater London and Essex (2014)
and East Sussex (2016). Numbers
can vary widely. In 2012 there
were 19 autumn records and one
in spring, while in 2014 there
were 19 spring records and only
ve in autumn. In general, autumn
numbers still outweigh spring
ones, but this could change.
Spring birds are seen in Britain
from mid-May to late June, with
a peak from the last week of
May to mid-June. In autumn, they
appear from mid-August to late
November, with a peak from late
September to mid-October. In
2014 one singing bird established
a territory on Arran, North
Ayrshire, for more than two weeks,
and it may be that this species
will one day even breed here.
It is most closely related to
Large-billed Reed Warbler, butBlyth’s Reed Warbler
An autumn trip to Scilly could
produce Blyth’s Reed Warbler.FIND YOUR OWN
SHETLANDBlyth’s Reed Warbler
FIND YOUR OWN
i- For reports of Blyth’s Reed
Warbler in Britain and Ireland,
see http://www.birdguides.com.
VISIT WWW.BIRDGUIDES.COM FOR TIPS ON FINDING MANY MORE TARGET BIRDS
STEVE YOUNG (WWW.BIRDSONFILM.COM)
Blyth’s Reed Warbler
Where
to watch
birdsto watch
birdsis also close to both Marsh
and Reed Warblers. At the very
western edge of its range it may
rarely pair with either of these
two sister species, as documented
in The Netherlands and Finland,
where hybrids with Marsh Warbler
have been observed.How to see
Like many Acrocephalus warblers
it can be dif cult to see, and
patience may be needed to
con rm identi cation visually. Inspring, a singing bird is more easy
to pick out and identify. Spring
birds may establish a territory for
a short time and some autumn
birds have been known to stay for
several days. Check BirdGuides
regularly and act quickly for the
best chance. ■1710 p29 W2W Target bird Blyth's Reed Warbler v3.indd 29 08/09/2017 11:57:11