Gary Howard's birds and wildlife

When Paul Matson rang me on Thursday and said he was thinking of going for the Marmora's Warbler in Gwent I had to admit that as I'd seen the Sizewell bird I hadn't even considered it. Paul said that it was about a 3 hour drive from him in Sussex and he was keen to go so we hatched a plan to go and I suggested starting at Nagshead RSPB reserve in the Forest of Dean.

We left deepest darkest Sussex around 03.00 and got to Nagshead soon after 05.30.  Now woodland birding can be difficult stuff and I was a bit worried that we were past the peak for song, especially for pied fly and wood warbler. After an hour we'd had neither, not a peep, and I was beginning to wonder if we hadn't got it badly wrong! Then Paul found a female Lesser-Spotted Woodpecker and a few minutes later a superb male Wood Warbler was in full display overhead in a magnificent stand of beeches. We'd only heard brief calls from Pied Flycatchers until a female showed well along the access road as we strolled out.

We left Nagshead soon after 07.30 and less than an hour later we were on moorland at Blorenge near Abergavenny. The Marmora's Warbler was on view quite soon after we arrived, singing from the top of an isolated holly bush fairly distantly. Thereafter it was often on view but mostly quite distant  with one or two exceptions when it popped up quite close but sadly not in good light for photos. Around 50 or so people were present to enjoy this hugely rare bird. We had Tree Pipit, Cuckoo and a superb male Whinchat in the area.

moorland at Blorenge

We spent the rest of the morning driving slowly north through the Brecon Beacons up a minor road through Llanthony to Hay on Wye. Despite our best efforts we saw very little, the streams just yielding Grey Wagtails and on the slopes the odd Wheatear. With an England match on early evening we called time soon after noon and headed home.

Breacon Beacons nr Llanthony.