Amwell - 19.10.14

Having spent a week in the SW and clocking up 9 Yellow-Browed Warbler the last thing I expected the day after getting home was to be rushing out the door for was another one! Having missed a tweet from Barry Reed saying he'd found a YBW at Amwell I then received a call from Mike Ilett telling me about it. I was on site as quickly as possible but then had to find my way to the private area the bird was on. Thanks to Brendan Glynn who was at the spot I eventually found myself there along with Joan Thompson but not the bird which had gone silent and sodded off. I hung around for another 20 minutes or so before Joan got a call from Mike saying a 2nd bird had been found near the viewpoint! I told the others and ran back to the path before fast walking ensued up to the picnic area. Mike was in position and quite quickly I got onto the bird as it flicked around in the adjacent bushes. 10 YBW in 10 days and this one my first in Hertfordshire. Both birds were reported over the next couple of days and so seen by many county birders. Only 4 had been seen in Herts before so to have two at one site on one day is quite remarkable! A quick scan from the viewpoint saw a male Stonechat, Little Egret and a calling Cetti's Warbler.