Fan-tailed Warbler photographed at Claire Mare [CLA] on 0/8/2004 Photo: © Jamie Hooper (visit site)

The first record for Guernsey was recorded on New Year’s Day 2000 in the reeds at La Claire Mare. It was feeding with Chiffchaffs but its skulking nature meant that only a handful of birders managed to see it properly. What was presumably the same bird was trapped in a mist net in the same reedbed on 24th April 2000, and was thought to be a female bird.

This first record was quickly followed up by a second bird on 11th August 2003, also at La Claire Mare. This male bird delighted in buzzing round the whole reserve, dancing in the air above the reeds whilst singing its unusual “zitting” song. It too was trapped and could be watched daily until 20th.

Another (but different) singing male was again found at La Claire Mare on 30 July 2004 and was present along with a female bird until 31 August (and possibly to the end of October. Both were trapped for ringing.

Zitting Cisticolas have bred on Jersey and possibly on Alderney and hopes were high that they would colonise Guernsey. However despite the small flurry of records no birds were recorded between 2005 and 2007 and it seems that any attempt at colonisation has failed.