23/10/2022 Marshside RSPB, Southport

Lesser Yellowlegs: So today I convinced Dawn to bring Autumn and come with me to Marshside, sold off the back of a nice morning out after the rain and a walk with our wellies on. 

The baby loved it as she jumped and slashed around in the muddy puddles along the top of the bank overlooking inner Crossens and I was happy  togging the rare American vagrant. 

 

This rare vagrant breeds from western Alaska and Canada east to western Quebec and spends its winters on the coasts from southern California and Virginia southward through Central and South America. 

Their preferred habitats include coastal mudflats and lagoons, inland lakes, ponds, rivers, sewage works, and flooded grasslands. Not that dissimilar to what Marshside has to offer.

The bird spent most of its time on the nearside bank where the water had retreated exposing a small area off mud. Although it did from time to find get spooked by dog walkers and their companions but often returned. 

The bird showed exceptionaly well, although the predator fencing around the border of inner Crossens made it very difficult to photograph the bird. 

A great morning out spent with a great local bird, and a nice walk with the family. 

22/10/2022 Spurn, East Riding of Yorkshire

Red-flanked Bluetail: After seeing the photos and reports coming out of Spurn one the last few days I was keen to go have as try myself, so when Carl got in touch offering a lift with Kris I could't say no. 

We arrived shortly after sunrise and and our main plan was to connect with a Pallas's leaf warbler and the bluetails that have been around for a few days.

Bluetails breed in Siberia and usually overwinter in south east Asia but a small number come to western Europe each year.

We saw both bluetails, the first near Vicars Lane which were were lucky enough it see it get rung, a fanatics experience to see one in the hand. 

Firecrest: The other bird had been foraging in a ditch at the back of a Easington playing fields. This bird was remarkable, bluetails were once a very soughtafter, very rare bird but are now now basically annual visitors to the UK, although only in small numbers

We dipped the Chalk Bank Pallas's but picked a lovely little firecrest. Closely related goldcrests these are the UK's smallest birds, they are tiny creatures that are slightly smaller even than a wren.

Black Redstart: We also spent some time with a large crowed at the church in Easington as we waited for the OBP to drop in, a tricky bird and one we failed to see. Although we did get a nice black-red in the grounds of the church, our second one of the day after finding one at the south side of the breach. 

Pallas's Leaf Warbler: Another extremely tricky bird that we did mange to connect with was the Pallas's along Vicars Lane. A small, short-tailed and extremely active warbler with well-marked plumage. Has well-defined pale median crownstripe.

A great day out overall, with some fantastic eastern birds and some great company. 
 

18/10/2022 Hest Bank, Lancashire

Turtle Dove: This absurdly showy first-winter bird has been feeding on the foreshore track for a number of days now. The bird was not shy at all, leaping out of the way of dog walkers and trotting around cyclists and pedestrians that where using the grassy track along the foreshore. 

The village of Hest Bank is a stunning areas set between Morecambe and Carnforth, with its grassy foreshore and a sandy beach it has views onto the saltmarshes and mudflats of Morecambe Bay, which is notorious for its sinking sands, mud-filled gullies and fast-moving tides.

I was stunned to how tame this bird actually was, you could literally walk right up to it and pet it!

It seems very vulnerable with all the dog walks about. I didn't see it fly so perhaps it injured, although it appears t be in good health with pristine feathers, walking and feeding well.

Turtle dove are the fastest declining UK bird and our only migratory pigeons species, these two things are unfortunately linked as its where they over winter in areas of Europe and further the issues occur. 

  

Habitat loss here is defiantly a factor in their decline however birds on migration have long been subject to strong hunting pressure as they pass through the Mediterranean countries. Today only Malta has a legal spring shooting season for these doves but they are still shot illegally elsewhere.

Lets hope this usually brave bird doesn't get attacked by a dog or picked off by a predator and soon continues its migration. 

14/10/2022 Bryher, Isles of Scilly

Blackburnian Warbler: This is the first time this  American bird has been seen in England, with only three previous records all of which are in Scotland and typically on inaccessible islands like Fair Isle and St Kilder, Bryher in Scilly is much more easier to get to. 

So I was quick to make plans and go!

Well I say easy. I left the house at 1am before collecting Kristian and driving through the night down to Penzance to board the Scillonian which ferried us for three hours to St Mary's. A quick jump onto a smaller boat and a short ride over to Bryher. 

And once we saw the bird and repeated the joined back but in reverse we didn't get home until 2am, a long day indeed!

The bird showed well after a short wait as it foraged high in the Elm trees. The biggest issue was getting in the right position and navigating the c300 twitchers who also made the journey over to see the bird. 

The Blackburnian warbler doesn't get its name from the lower league northern football team Blackburn, but is one of the few birds names after a woman, Anna Blackburne (1726 – 1793) who was an English naturalist. 

Despite the long car journey and this was one of my best twitches, not only was it for a stunning American warbler but there was plenty of familiar faces, laughs and chats to be had. 

 

13/10/2022 Hay-a-Park Gravel Pit, Knaresborough

Red-necked Grebe: Working in East Yorkshire I found myself heading over to Hay-a-Park near Harrogate. 

A large, flooded former gravel pit that has several smaller lagoons, with reedbeds, grassland and scrub, a nice little place. 

The bird was out of view when I arrived along the eastern side of the main lake and it took me some time to relocate it, not being familiar with the site held me back a bit as it was tricky to find the public right of ways.

In winter plumage it is similar to a great crested grebe but has a thicker neck, and a stout dark bill with a yellow base. It has a brown body, a black crown with whitish cheeks and, in summer, a red neck and breast.
 

Shetland 2022

Lanceolated Warbler: Autumn migration in Shetland is one of the ornithological highlights of the birding calendar! And part of the year I have really been looking forward to. 

Myself, six top birders and friends booked the trip last year. A group which included Patrick Earth, Gary Edwards, Damian Young, Ian Iggo, Rob Black and Dylan Edwards. 

Swainson's Thrush: We stayed in a really nice cottage near Eshaness, on the north western side of the island, overlooking a beautiful little bay filled with harbour seals and even otters! 

Day one, we woke up to a pretty nice day on Shetland, clear, warm and calm. We decided to head over to Yell and then on to Unst. We soon connected with the Swainson's on Yell. A small American thrush who was sheltering in a garden of a cottage off the main road.  

Bluethroat: From here we took the next ferry to Unit and joined a waiting crowd hoping to see the bluethroat which was first found in the garden of Alan Conlin's beautiful birders B&B at Haroldswick Bay.

We didn't have to wait long before it jumped out of the rose scrub and on to a post. 

Ortolan Bunting: We dodged a few light showers as the weather changed and picked up twite and brambling in Haroldswick Bay's driveway before heading to Valyie where we scanned and worked over the hedgerows, the beach and scattered trees for a recently reported Ortolan, a new bird for me, and one I was keen to pick up.

Eventually Iggo found the bird as it flew in and landed close by. Although I was a little further up the track scanning through some scrub with Patrick, we heard an audible nod coming from behind us. 

When we turned round we were thrilled to see the small moustached bunting bird foraging in the middle of the track. 

Ortolan buntings are scarce passage visitor to the UK, typically during spring and autumn as birds make their way to tropical African areas to spend the winter. 

Unfortunately these birds have long been considered a delicacy in France. It is now against the law to sell these birds, but not to eat them.

The bird was pretty jumpy and mobile and didn't really give itself up as easy as I was hoping. Still this was my first new lifer of the trip and bird I've been longing to see. A great way to end our first day here.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail: Day two saw us waking up to a wet and blustery morning, with rolling clouds and showers. The night before a message broke that a Siberian thrush was photographed on Yell so we were up on Yell for first light, unfortunately it felt like this information was suppressed for a time. So when the swelling crowds on Yell realised the bird was long gone there was much disappointment. 

We headed back to the mainland and saw an OPB which gave us the run around before connecting with an eastern yellow wagtail that was in a residential garden on the mainland. 

Felt like a bit of a slow bird day, but we had some lovely cake at a local community centre and good laughs throughout the day.

Pechora Pipit: Day three's undoubted highlight was the Pechora pipit found by Jake Gearty and Drew Lyness who arrived on Shetland early that day. The bird was found not that far away from our cottage in an iris bed at Hillswick. Well done lads, top work.

Yellow-browed Warbler: We were buzzing despite the Pechora's not being easy wasn't easy to pick up it did show on occasion and we all needed it, another lifer of the trip. 

These are known as one of the Shetland Big Five, so we were definitely thrilled to have connected with one. 

Lanceolated Warbler: Day four brought us another one of the Shetland Big Five, this time a Locustella warbler, a Lancy! 

These small old world warblers of genus Locustella are small passerines that breed from northern Russia, through northern Asia to Japan, the  migrate south and spend their winter in south east Asia.

But, every so often they come across and get blown on to Shetland. This bird was was found towards the end of the day in a small clump of iris and soft rush at Wester Quarff on the mainland. 

When we arrived there were about 15 birders positioned carefully and at an appropriate viewing distance, I did hear that it came quite crowded after we left and there were some issues caused. 

The bird was foraging along a damp ditch, periodically coming out into full view and peering out from behind the rush. 

My third tick of the trip and a real Shetland speciality, with the majority of the records coming from Fair Isle so to get a showy mainland bird was a real treat. 

Snow Bunting: The Shetland Big Five consist of Lancy, Siberian rubythraot, Pechora pipit, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (aka PG tips) and Siberian thrush. So having bagged two of the five already we were celebrating in the local curry house having a few beers. 

Day five started with an otter from our cottages window, as well a rain, lots of rain!

The winds over night were particularly heavy and over the last few days had turned from an easterly direction to a strong westerly. 

We started off at the the Eshaness Lighthouse were we picked up a trio of snow bunting. Later in the week there were over 40 snow bunts seen in this area and we also picked one up on a trip up Ronas Hill. 

Snow Buntings: The weather changes so quickly up here, one minute its dark and overcast with rollin could and rain, the next it's sunny and mild. I was forever too warm with too many layers on. 

This part of the island is lovely, the lighthouse is on the north west coast of mainland Shetland perched atop some of the most dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery in the UK. The area is one of the top attractions for visitors and locals alike with breathtaking open views in every direction and the some great Shetland scenery.

Yellow-rumped Warbler: Later that day news broke of a yellow-dumped warbler (aka Myrtle warbler) and American warbler and only my 2nd UK bird after the 2014 Durham bird, so with some haste we headed over there. 

The bird was tricky to see upon arriving, the gathering crowds tried their best not to block the road and were curious to the neighbouring farmer and were pacing enough to allow the bird to forge normally. 

We went back the next day and the bird was showing even better as the winds eased, the bird even dropped onto the leaf litter and began foraging on the deck juts a few feet away from us, we were astonished. 

The bird was very confiding and didn't seemed fussed about the torrent of machine gun camera shutters sounding off as it foraged in the leaf litter. 

Smart looking birds, who in their native north America prefer conifer woodland and edges of wooded scrub areas, but being one of the most widespread American warblers they are found almost everywhere. 

Homeyer's Great Grey Shrike: The day ended back at Hillswick, as its pretty close to our cottage were often stoped here either in the mornings or evening to check out the waders in the short grazed fields and the area close to the iris beds. 

It is in this area that the great grey shrike made its home, it was here from the day we arrived. Some folk were getting pretty excited over this bird as if its confirmed, and its looks likely it would come from the 'homeyeri' race and if so it would be a possible first for the UK.

Yellow-browed Warbler: Day seven and this was our final day on Shetland and news broke of another Myrtle warbler in the small valley as the first one, this one being a more strikingly marked individual I was keen to go right away. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler: However living in a democracy we decided to do some birding at Kergord Woods to try and find something good, we managed a couple of YBW's and a black cap. Not much to write home about. 

So we moved on to the 2nd Myrtle warbler of the week! And now I was under a time limit, we were due to fly off around 4 o'clock. 

after wading through a boggy field we eventually made it to the bird, where also Paul Baker was, the bird showed extremely well is only for a short time (which is all I had) and it was nice to say my fair well's to Paul before heading to the airport. 

Now this is where our trip take a turn for the worse as unbeknown to me, as I was watching films on my I pad sat in my seat on the plane ready to go that a Least bittern was found not far from the airport. A LEAST BITTERN, A FSRT FOR THE UK!!!

 

Mealy Redpoll: It was only during the flight when Dylan am walking down the aisle toward me looking glum and said 'Least bittern' my face dropped, we had just missed it by minutes before taking off. 

Paul Baker's partner Charlie was taking a stroll around the beach when she stumbled upon it and txted Paul who rushed over and confirm the ID. 

King Eider: We were thrilled for Paul and Charlie, these type of finds are what dreams are made of and we were quick to drop them a call in the airport to congratulate them. 

As for the bittern unfortunately its passed away in the night, after it was taken into care. I won't comment on here about the type of care the bird received and the reasons why it was picked or the box. But the set of circumstances are questionable.  

Barred Warbler: Shetland was superb, four lifers for me and a couple of extra for the rest of the crew and some really good memories, ww will be back next year.