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Nature’s master mimic – the Marsh Warbler

Being of a rather analytical nature, i.e. a complete nerd, I have a large workbook which contains all my bird records cut in every way you can possibly imagine. For those familiar with the brilliant dark comedy, what we do in the shadows, you will know and love Colin Robinson, the emotion vampire. He basically sucks the life force out of his victims by boring them to death. I’m pretty sure, however, that  I could give Colin a good run for his money in explaining my birding workbook to any potential victims!

 

Anyway, back on topic, I have analysed my new UK life ticks by month over the past ten years or so. Perhaps surprisingly the top month is not October or May, its June with a rather amazing average of 2.8. Looking at the individual records this is driven by very lost late megas, Turkestan Shrike, River Warbler, Red-necked Stint and Asian Desert Warbler to name but a few. With high weather systems largely settled over the UK so far, June 2023 has been very quiet in this regard. What we have had is much larger numbers of scarce passage migrants than usual with numbers of Red-backed Shrikes and Marsh Warblers said by some observers to be the best for ten years.

 

Marsh Warbler sits in that well populated category of seen badly in my UK list, an issue that I decided to try and resolve on Thursday this week. I had two choices for birds to visit in Stoke or Yeovil. I opted for the Yeovil one which was 30 minutes further away but of which there had been some good photos.

 

After an early morning dog walk and a 2 hour drive extended by a coffee break I arrived at the designated car park on the outskirts of Yeovil and made my way through a pleasant country park down to the viewing point, a broadwalk on the banks of the river Yeo. There were perhaps 5 other birders present who straight away helped me get on the Marsh Warbler singing its heart out at the back of the Reed bed and just like that I had my best ever views of this little brown jobbie.

 

The history of Marsh Warblers epitomises the man driven decline of almost all UK birds. Back in the 1980’s they were scarce but regular breeders in England with a small breeding population just down the road from me in Pershore. Sadly, they are now essentially lost to the UK as a breeding bird breeding only in in the middle latitudes of Europe and western Asia, although it is said to be increasing its range into Scandinavia and Northwest Russia , presumably driven by climate change. They are strongly migratory wintering mainly in south-east Africa, from Cape Province north to Zambia and Malawi.

 

In appearance they are very similar to our common Reed Warbler, almost the definition of a little brown jobbie. When they open their mouths, however, the difference soon becomes obvious and very startling, they are supreme mimics of other birds! I’ve read that the Marsh Warbler will incorporate on average  a truly staggering 75 bird songs into its own. These are a combination of ones heard in the UK and on migration in Africa.

 

After maybe 5 minutes the Yeovil Marsh Warbler disappeared into the reeds and despite me putting in a six hour stint in the hot summer sun, he never sang from an exposed position again and I was limited to a number of flight views.  His elusiveness was, however, more than compensated by the shear depth and breadth of its mimicry.  Other birders were using the Merlin phone app to try and identify the mimicked species and we certainly heard …

 

  • ·      Blackbird (Song and alarm call)
  • ·      Chaffinch
  • ·      Blackcap
  • ·      Bluethroat
  • ·      Quail
  • ·      Nightjar
  • ·      Bee eater
  • ·      Common Whitethroat
  • ·      Ring-necked Parakeet
  • ·      Reed Warbler

 

 

There was also quite a lot we did not recognise, presumably these were African birds. Why, you might reasonably ask, has this mimicry evolved. This is probably because this ability signals greater biological fitness, which increases the likelihood that their offspring will survive. For whatever reason, the Marsh Warbler’s mimicry is truly one of natures great experiences and, if you get a chance, I would strongly recommend that you hear it for yourself, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

 

 

 Footnote – my blogs are posted with sometimes rather imaginative spelling and grammar due to my extreme dyslexia!    

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