A quick run out, hoping to view the Barred Warbler through the rain showers, actually worked out. It hadn't been seen for a while when we arrived, but Chris checked a little further up the lane and having seen what we thought was the bird flit across the lane, we eventually managed to get on to it in one of the magnificent Spindle berry, Euonymus europaeus bushes along that stretch of road. The plant looks quite exotic with its vibrant colour and four-lobed fruits, so unlike our other native shrubs. It was the perfect perch for the stunning, stocky warbler on a dull winter’s day.
As for the Barred Warbler, it just goes to show, even in what's been somewhat less than a classic autumn, you can never tell what's about. This is a really late date for Barred Warbler.
