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Less than ten years after their return, 113 pairs were recorded in Suffolk in 2005, including 36 pairs on RSPB reserves on the coast. This compares with 77 pairs in 2003 and 91 pairs in 2004.

The core of the population is around the RSPB Minsmere nature reserve, Dunwich Heath and Westleton Heath National Nature Reserve, which is managed partly by the RSPB and partly by English Nature.

Other breeding pairs have been found as far away as the Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserves at Sutton and Hollesley Commons to the south, and Walberswick Common to the north.

Unlike most warblers, which are summer visitors to Britain, the Dartford warbler is a resident species. Being insect eaters, they are vulnerable to prolonged cold weather, and it's thought that the recent mild winters have helped their increase in Suffolk, as more young birds can survive the winter.

Unless there's a series of exceptionally cold winters, Dartford warblers should now remain safely established on the Suffolk coast.

RSPB Minsmere nature reserve

Dartford warblers are heathland specialists. They require a mixture of mature heather and gorse 鈥� both European gorse and western gorse. Recent conservation work carried out by the Suffolk Sandlings group has helped to improve the quality of the heathland habitat on the Suffolk coast.

RSPB Suffolk Coast Area Manager Rob Macklin says, 鈥淒artford warblers are lovely little birds, very distinctive with their long, frequently cocked tail and red eye ring.听 Their increasing numbers are a superb reward for the hard work that conservationists have done in managing the Sandlings heaths. They certainly seem to be here to stay now.鈥�

This work has been carried out through the Tomorrow鈥檚 Heathland Heritage programme, which was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Additional funding has been provided by DEFRA through their Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Countryside Stewardship agri-environment schemes.