Radde's to the rescue!

On Sunday 4th October, Eastern Mange started to set in... a condition where you don't know where to go first to twitch eastern goodies. The Rustic was still around but thick dark cloud and heavy rain meant I would defer further homage until later. The Booted was still at Sizewell so I drove down there parked just by the village and walked up with Matthew S joining others where rather fortuitously, the "Booted" had just been refound in front of the sycamores in front of Sizewell A. It was raining steadily, so I took my glasses off (can't see so well without them!) and started taking pictures of the warbler which was busy feeding mainly making its way in the front fronds of the sycamores. Later when I looked at the pics (in the dry) it was obviously it was not a Booted but a Garden Warbler! Next stop was Souhwold Camp site and walking into the south- east corner, Matthew and I almost immediately heard then saw 2 & then 3 fabulous Firecrests which showed reasonably well, a Goldcrest was also seen, Matthew said he had the Radded's Warbler and I got a back view showing the rusty undertails coverts then the creamy supercilia. All in all a rather big heavish looking warbler. Later it flew and perched in dead Alexander right in front of us for a milli- second then flew right. Later on it was seen further right by a bank where good views were seen albeit always on the move and joining Chris L we saw again amongst the Alexander and then briefly perched up 5 feet up in a pine. Driving back to Lowestoft I was keen to do some local patch birding (sadly the Rustic had departed flying south at 8.30am earlier) and walking past Warren House Wood, a House Martin flew overhead and south, around 3 Chiff- Chaffs seen by the Shrike bushes further north and looking around the NE corner of the wwood, I again failed to see the tame Brambling. But fortunately I found another Brambling (which was quite wary feeding along the green area just south of the wood at the western end, I walked on my knees and it allowed an approach only to 15 metres, but it fed onstantly first in a dip and then it flew to the edge of the wood, before again flying down and feeding. It was only when I got back home that a further example of camera blindness occurred I hadn't noticed it didn't have a tail, it was (to quote Rob H) a rudderless Brambling!