The one that nearly got away. There was a tweet at around 2:40pm to say that there was a Radde's Warbler in the pool area at the back of Bumpers Lane. Talk about drop everything. Well I did literally and within seconds I was out the back garden and up Bumpers Lane. Unfortunately I had misinterpreted the location and after several frantic minutes gave up looking. I did however come across several Stonechat again.
Stonechat
And another
One of dozens of Robins on the island.
A Dunnock
I had to be in Weymouth at 3:45pm to look at a boat that Dawn and I were thinking off buying and by the time I'd finished it was gone 5:00pm. However though, I now knew the exact location, which was actually to the right of the Quarry Road which leads you up to Broadcroft Quarry. Its a route I walk most days with Benji and Ted and the pools are the ones with Pampas Grass around it.
By the time I arrived there were several people around the corner of the pool on the other side of the brambles. As no one had seen it for awhile I opted to stand by the pool and sure enough I heard it call. Its not a bird I've heard before, but I just knew that it was something different and half-guessed that it must be it. I called the others over and sure enough out of the back of the reed bed it popped up, up onto a Gorse Bush and then into the Buddleia.
It seemed to be doing a bit of a loop and twice afterwards it would call and head for the pampas Grass and then back into the buddleia via the reed bed.
Martin Cade turned up with his microphone and hopefully he managed to record this interesting warbler that originates from Siberia.
More here on Wikipedia and an extract from their page: "Radde's Warbler breeds in southern parts of Central and Eastern Siberia as far east as Korea and Manchuria. It is a migratory species and spends the winter in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. In its breeding range, Radde's warbler is found in open deciduous woodlands with some undergrowth and bushy woodland margins, often near water. In its winter quarters it occupies the fringes of forests, thick scrub and bushy places near woodland.[3] Like most Old World warblers, this small passerine bird is insectivorous."
Martin Cade attempts to record the Radde's Warbler from the pool area.
Just in case Martin wasn't able to record it calling here's one courtesy of Xeno-canto Click Here
And before I forget I also had a Water Rail here as well.