With heavy rain and cold winds persisting down here in Lanjaron, the Birdwatchalpujarras team are on stand-by waiting for a break in the weather...with a bit of time on our hands we thought we could take a closer look at another of our local characters, the Sardinian Warbler.

Very much a warbler of  the south of Europe, the Sardinian is a year-long resident across most of Iberia and the Mediterranean region: it's very rare north of its usual range. Like many of its close relatives in the Sylvia genus, this species appears compact, long-tailed and rather "big-headed". The clean white throat and deep black cap of the male gives the bird quite a striking, handsome appearance...and even on the grey  headed, browner female the red eye-ring is a distinct feature.

The Sardinian Warbler favours open woodland, dense thickets and rocky scrubland...typical views may be little more than a frustrating glimpse of a small bird with a long, "twitchy" tail, rapidly disappearing into cover in a bush, often not to be seen again. It will however also frequent gardens, orchards and olive groves and this toleration of human habitation has actually made it a familiar sight in and around the village over the last year.

Indeed, a glance back at the Sightings table for 2009 shows we saw this species throughout the season, and have "ticked" it every month since we started keeping records. Lively and perky, the "Sardie" has become a real favourite. Over time you get used to its ways, and while often displaying the characteristic wariness of its group it can also seem more curious than shy and with a bit of patience great views can usually be had without too much effort. Its scolding, "tchek....tchek" calls and churring rattling song have for me become part of the soundtrack of living here now. I've spent countless moments staring into bushes and fruit trees as a Sardie chatters loudly but invisibly only yards away...take a step closer and the bird darts away, as its bouncy, flitting flight takes it to the next clump of cover. They always seem to give just enough to keep you entertained however, and for me there's no doubt about it...this terrific little warbler has given us hours of enjoyment.

Warblers are not always the easiest of photographic subjects...Kiersten has certainly put the work in however and its great to have some images posted here. Note how the black cap descends below the eye, and the contrasting clear white of the throat. That, together with the "jaunty" longer tail and slightly "angular" head are all useful pointers in distinguishing this attractive bird from another closely related local species, the Blackcap.

Hope you enjoy the photos while we sit out the rain...as soon as things improve we'll be out and about again, so keep checking the reports over the coming days...the bad weather can't last for ever!