Savis' Warbler Shenanigans

It only took four trips not to see a Savi's Warbler.  While Thorpe Marshes, just on the outskirts of Norwich, is a lovely place with plenty of wildlife to enjoy, the Savi's was an agonising prospect having been seen and heard almost daily for a period of around ten days.

It all started while unsuccessfully attempting to connect with a female Red-footed Falcon at Fen Drayton GPs on the 13th June.  It was a gloriously warm and sunny day but it appeared that I had missed the bird by around 15 minutes.  I did lock onto two small high flying raptors in amongst hundreds of insect-gorging black-headed gull high over Ferry Lagoon but they were sufficiently distant to preclude certain identification.

The Savi's was reported shortly after and in a moment of madness I headed off.  I then became obsessed.  I visited on the 13th (far too late into the day), the 14th (didn't stay late enough), the 19th (arrived 07:30 half an hour too late when it was seen - it then reeled briefly at around 8:30am but didn't show) and finally the 20th (staying till after dusk but without sight nor sound).  And that was that.

As mentioned, it's a really great site with plenty of interesting wildlife.  These Norfolk Hawker were the first I had ever encountered, that were plentiful around the marsh.

The site also held at least four reeling Grasshopper Warbler.

Also observed during my time there were hobby, cuckoo, kingfisher, and all the common warblers.