Spernal STW - Cetti's Warbler

A tip off from Neil convinced me to make a return visit to Spernal sewage works. He had heard a Cetti's Warbler their over the weekend. The directions suggested that my previous visit had been to completely the wrong side of the site.

This time I walked along the River Arrow from the south. It was very muddy, and was on the "wrong" side of the Arrow, but there was no alternative if I wanted to view the reedbed and pool (who knew?) inside the site. So Tuesday proved very difficult; my camera ran out of battery almost as soon as I started birding. I did at least hear the Cetti's Warbler when it gave two bursts of song during the hour I was there.

Other good birds were a small party of Mandarin, a Chiffchaff, about 19 Teal, and a Little Egret. a small flock of Meadow Pipits also kept me interested.

This morning in sunnier and stiller conditions, and with the battery now recharged, I returned. This time I walked down the river from Studley church. A substantial flock of Fieldfares and Starlings, with smaller numbers of Redwings had me scoping straight away.

Ironically, despite the better conditions I recorded neither the warbler nor the egret. The area is very popular with dog-walkers so disturbance may have accounted for the lack of the latter. I also didn't see a Stonechat which Mark had photographed.

What I did see were eight Mandarins which I inadvertently flushed from the river, and managed a shot of three of them as they flew back.

Mandarins

I also found two Chiffchaffs and several Goldcrests flycatching in the riverside vegetation.

Chiffchaff (zoom in to see the flies)

So this place has a lot going for it, the potential for some decent birds. It is also very hard to work, and therefore frustrating.

I will probably stick to Morton Bagot.