*Cetti’s Warbler, Barrow Upper Lodge 6 November 2020*

BARROW UPPER LODGE DELIVERED A COUPLE OF SHOCKS, first of all the first Bearded Reedling in East Lancs since 1981 on 4 November and then a Cetti’s Warbler on 5 November. I was surprised news of the reedling did not get out until after dark when a good number of us could have seen it but thankfully Mark Breaks was super quick with the Cetti’s Warbler, allowing me to connect with it via a visit to the post office in Clitheroe a couple of hours later. I’d been thinking of this one in Ribchester, given they are regular at Brockholes just a few miles downstream but it was a nice surprise today nevertheless. New birds for me in ELOC nowadays are few and far between. It was also nice to catch up with John Metcalf at the lodge. I recall Bill Aspin describing him as an ‘Ornithological Cyborg’ in about 2005, owing to his uncanny ability to latch onto good birds here. Even John needs Bearded Reedling for East Lancs and he has probably seen more birds in the ELOC recording area than anyone. Barrow Upper Lodge last hosted Bearded Reedling back in 1978, it is slowly returning to nature now that the fishery closed down and has fallen into dereliction. Its banks are becoming overgrown and much less disturbed so it looks a good bet for Water Rail and bittern now too! I went back again on 6 November and spent some more time watching, well mostly waiting around for, the Cetti’s Warbler.

Cetti’s Warbler was first recorded in the UK as recently as 1961, in Hampshire and then bred for the first time in 1972, in Kent. It has continued to go from strength to strength and by 1996 there were as many as 574 singing males in 26 counties. It has continued to increase since then. There has only been a handful of records in East Lancs but maybe it is about to follow Little Egret and become a regular sight and sound along our waterways? That would be nice!

ELOC CETTI'S WARBLER