Studying Warblers in Wales
Studying Warblers in Wales
Warbler ID days with The Biggest Twitch
Sedge Warbler showing off nicely!
We booked the date for one of our special birding days, focusing on getting up close and personal with warblers in order to nail the finer points of identification of these sometimes tricky birds in the field. But unfortunately we couldn't book the weather - it may have been bright, but oh boy was it windy. Not the ideal conditions for encouraging small passerines to perch out in the open to be observed. None-the-less, we had an extremely successful day out in the field, enjoying a great number of birds.
Sedge Warbler shows off the back view
We compared Sedge and Reed Warblers in the reed beds at RSPB Conwy - one species showing off nicely for the camera, the other being easy enough to see but proving rather tricky to get a clear photo of, as you can see. As least this gave us the chance to concentrate on comparing the songs of both these birds.
Reed Warbler keeping out of the wind!
We also were lucky enough to have extremely good views of the usually skulking Lesser Whitethroat as it perched out on the edge of a bush, singing at full voice. However, this made us feel so confident that we started to get the camera ready for a photo. No sooner had we said the word 'camera', it disappeared back into the vegetation, leaving us with just a patchwork view of the bird.
Lesser Whitethroat hiding - did someone say 'Camera'?
Further up the Conwy valley, we had the perfect opportunity to look at the singer and compare the song of Blackcap vs Garden Warbler, the former being rather scratchier while the latter is much more melodious. In an area of woodland, we had the chance to compare Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, and soaked up views of Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts here. We even found a sheltered spot to enjoy our picnic lunch and study the packs of Warbler ID photos that we'd prepared.
Picnic lunch out of the wind
All in all, it was a great day out in and around the Conwy valley, and we enjoyed some great birding, recording a very satisfying bird list for the day. But next time, please can someone turn the wind off?!
Studying the finer points of warbler ID!
If you'd like more information about our birding day trips, check out our page
Guided Birdwatching Trips in North Wales for details of our forthcoming fixed departure tours, or email us on
info@thebiggesttwitch.com to arrange a date for a custom tour to suit you.