River Warbler - lifer - eventually

We all have our bogey birds. I still have lots. But luckily I can take one of my list - River Warbler. But the saga begins a long time back - about 4 years ago I think.

I was still an active ringer at the time and together with my son we left early one morning to do some ringing on the farm Buffelsdrift. On the way to the meeting point my son fell sick and I had to return home and as my wife was at work that day could not return for the ringing session. A few hours later I got a call from the ringers - they caught a River Warbler!! With my son still not feeling well there was no chance of going to see it.....

The following year (I think) the bird club visited Wolfhuiskraal and there on the Zaagkuildrift road we sat for hours under the trees listening to this bird's characteristic call. But still no luck seeing it.

The next summer I visited Rust de Winter - again a single bird was calling as if his life depends on it. But seeing it - no way. Twice I returned to the same spot - still no luck.

So with not much hope I returned this week to Buffelsdrift to try my luck again - the same place I missed the species a few years ago. The story begins very similar to the previous years - three individuals were heard and we quickly moved closer to a spot where the bird was seen earlier in the week. Now I must state here, that I have rather strict "rules" as to how well I must see a bird in order to tick it for my life list. I want to see most of the identification features of a bird before ticking it and while trying to do so have already missed a few species in the process. But driving to Buffelsdrift I decided to make an exception this time - even if I see the bird for 5 seconds I am going to tick it. Forget about seeing the distinctive undertail patterns etc. I paid my dues on this one!!! And that is exactly what happened - I saw it - no distinctive features but believe me - I saw it! Somehow I expected a smallish warbler so was surprised by its size and "thick" tail. Really a great feeling to see it after so many years and hours of trying.

Now I am prepared to bet you a few rand that next year I will see this species calling in every tree, it always works like that with me and bogey birds!!

But somehow seeing this bird has made me more intrigued with it - where do they go during the day, where are they the rest of the summer, what do they eat etc. We still have so much to learn - don't we?