Many people around the UK and elsewhere make use of the impressive range of bird watching binoculars now available. A number of such individuals recently made their way to Lowestoft after receiving word that a trio of rare birds was in the area. Indeed, according to a report in the Norfolk Eastern Daily Press, around 100 people headed to the town with their binoculars.
They were all eager to spot the three Hume’s Leaf Warblers, which are rare in the UK and normally live in open forest, woodland and scrub.
The creatures were seen at Dip Farm Golf Course and it is thought that the birds flew into the area after being blown off course as they were migrating from their breeding grounds in mountain ranges that stretch from Mongolia to north eastern Afghanistan to their winter home in India and the Himalayas.
There was particular excitement because only two of the animals had been spotted in Suffolk before.
Among those who headed to the location in a bid to see the creatures was Robert Wincup. As well as taking his binoculars, he also used a camera and managed to capture impressive photos of the birds.
He remarked: “Hume’s Leaf Warblers are like London buses. After years of patiently waiting, three come along at once. We are all hoping we do not have to wait long for the next time.”
Meanwhile, fellow enthusiast and nature columnist Colin Jacobs also saw the creatures. About the birds, he said: “They are very, very rare over here. There have been about a hundred birdwatchers from Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge and further away in Lowestoft trying to spot them. Seeing one is like getting a life ticket for a birdwatcher.”
Hume’s Leaf Warblers have greenish upperparts and are off-white on their undersides, with yellow stripes on the sides of their heads and across their wings.