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1 March 2026 Hoom's

In late March 1995, I didn't see my first Hume's Warbler. One had been wintering in Great Yarmouth cemetery, and as my university term came to an end, I finally got my act together one Sunday morning to twitch it by bus. Unfortunately, I was oblivious to the clocks having gone forward overnight, so turned up at the bus station an hour too late for the only bus of the day. Error. No Hume's for me. Indeed, it would take me another eight years to tick Hume's Warbler - at Sizewell in Suffolk. I've seen plenty more since (and found one last autumn), but only a couple of others in Suffolk, so I was happy to volunteer to pick my daughter up from a party just north of Lowestoft this morning.

With more time and better light, I would have nailed it photographically - but the images here are nevertheless the best I've taken of this lovely species.

The bird was occasionally very vocal, and the last I had of it today was as it vocalised from trees on the west side of Lowestoft Town Cricket Club pitch. Which reminds me, it's Norfolk over50s nets tonight, so I had better start limbering up...

The Denes Oval/Sparrow's Nest Park area has hosted a Hume's for quite a few weeks now. I got on the bird immediately, and had some very nice views for the next hour - indeed, it was the showiest Hume's I've seen.