18/10/2020 Stiffkey, North Norfolk

Rufus Bush Robin:  This awesome Autumn keeps on delivering, this time a bird that hasn't been seen in the UK for over 40 years! 

This bird goes by many names including rufous scrub robin, rufous bush chat, rufous bush robin and even rufous warbler.

Whatever you want to call it this bird was a total magnet for twitchers. Of which there was a lot of talk about the current Covid restrictions. Let me set things straight if you live in Tier 1 or Tier 2 there are no travel restrictions and you allowed to travel long distances for birding/twitching. You are not breaking the guidance or law if you do so.

Also the local police were on site offering advice and keeping an eye on the large crowd of which in the most part was socially distance and where this wasn't possible people wore face coverings, again as advised by the current Covid guidance.  

If you have a problem with anyone traveling to see a rare bird who has kept to the government's Covid guidelines I suggest you keep it to yourself.

Anyway back to the bird. it was showing on and off between foraging in the suaeda and occasionally perching up. Thrilled to have seen it.  

Stay safe everyone. 

16/10/2020 Trow Quarry, South Shields

Taiga Flycatcher: Formerly considered a subspecies of the red-breasted flycatcher, very similar in appearance. There are a few subtle differences one being its bill, Taiga's have an almost completely dark bill. In comparison, the bill colour of a red-breasted fly is variable and can range from completely dark (like Taiga) to partly pale.   

With this in mind there are some doubts surrounding the species of this bird in some quarters. But DNA from the bird along with sonogram recording of its call have all been taken so hopefully there will be a definitive answer given soon to put all the naysayers to bed! 

The bird originates from eastern Europe, Russia and Siberia and winters in south east Asia and China.  

This individual had settled in a old quarry along the prom in South Shields, favoring the steep rocky cliff and dense scrub areas at the foot of the cliff. 

Luckily I was scheduled to work on a site that was located 30 minutes away from here. Nice when these planets align and these golden opportunities come up.

After work I went down to South Gare to see the short-toed lark, a tricky little blighter it was pretty distant and hard to pick up amongst the stocky, shingle bank.  

09/10/2020 The Isles of Scilly

Swainson's Thrush: A Swainson’s thrush, classed as “mega rare” in the UK, landed on St mary's last week, having taken a wrong turn. Instead of being in jungle it found itself several thousand miles off course in a autumnal Scilly field.

Scilly's was not only playing host to this mega rare bird, but the day before Patrick and I decided to change our plans for Shetland a black a white warbler was found on Trecso. A few phone calls later and a and we had rearranged to travel down to the Scilly's instead. 

Unfortunately our luck didn't hold out as the black and white warbler didn't buck the trend and was a one day bird. Still the helicopter ride ver was pretty cool. 

Lapland Bunting: Although we missed the black and white warbler we struck lucky, very lucky incat with the Swainson's as previously while one was found on St Marys its was elusive and very few people connected with it. 

On our second day there was a report of a very showy Swainson's on Bryher. After missing the fisrt boat acreos we were on the next one and rewarded with some crippling views. of the bird. 

Patrick and I were made up, connecting with this bird reinforced pour last minute decision to change plans. 

Snow Bunting: There were a few migrants on the islands and I was pleased to find a snow bunting in the same area as the American golden plover on Tresco. 

I've been to the Scilly's a few times but this was my fisrt time I had a chance to travel to some of its other islands other than St marys. I really enjoyed getting a feel for the place from St Martins, to Tresco and getting to know them a little better. 

Red-eyed Vireo: Another bird that was responsible for our last minute change of plans was this REV, another American scarcity that I have yet to have caught up with, despite missing the Spurn bird the bay it left.   

Here again Patrick and I struick lucky. The REV was on St Martins and during its time here it had been a extremely difficult bid to pin down. The frustrating thing was after I took this image I was accused of tape lurng the bird, not a big issue in my mind, but still something that I did not do and there was no evidence from the bloke who was throwing about the accusations.  

Yellow-browed Warbler: I think he was just bitter, that he was unable to use his own field craft skills and common sense to see the bird.  

The following day there was a big fall of YBW, with reports from across the islands. We found six birds ranging from Telegraph road, Lower Moors and the area near the dump clump.    

Although there were many YBW all over the place they still proved difficult to photograph. I wanted better then these images, but I guess that's the way it goes sometimes. 

This was a great trip overall with two new ticks and a solid supporting cast, plenty of beers and good company. 

04/10/2020 Collingham, West Yorkshire

Hoopoe: I've maybe seen around 4 or 5 hoopoe in the UK during my birding years, but I've never seen one like this before. This bird was remarkably tame and not at all camera shy!

Just how I like my birds!






The last time i saw a hoopoe in the Uk was only back in May this year and it too was an urban bird, but was much more shy and prone to disturbance than this individual.

Hoopoes breed across most of Europe, except Scandinavia, favouring open country and clumps of old trees including pollard willows, meadows orchards and olive plantations. Almost all migrate in autumn - usually at night - to winter in Africa, south of Sahara.

So to see one hopping around a residential estate seemingly not bothered by the dog walker, joggers, families doing the school run and the gang of toggers with their large lens's is very odd indeed.

But like i said the bird wasn't bothered, I was literally sitting on the opposite side of the kerb while the bird trundled along in front of me.

This chap was happy foraging along the roadside and pavements using its long slender curved bill to search for food from between the cracks and crevices of the road and even between the cracks of the block paved driveways.

There is no bird that I know which has such a pull with birders and toggers then a hoopoe.  Famous for its pinkish plumage, downturned bill and bizarre headdress hoppe are certainly charismatic birds.

I heard later on in the morning that the bird eventually moved on to the nearby cricket pitch but  was still very obliging.

A must see, especially if you need hoopoe on your list, it might be a long while before you see one at such close quarters.

20/09/2020 The Great Orme, Llandudno

Dotterel: I think I have a new favorite place, Llandudno that is home to the Great Orme with its whitewashed coastal apartments and hotels, its long stretches of  Victorian and Edwardian high streets  and pier it really is a splendid place to spend the afternoon.

Llandudno is also home to the Great Orme a huge lump of limestone, a mini mountain that jets out into the Irish sea. and it's the special location that pulls in these marvelous bird as they stop to rest and fuel up during their migration. 

It's a annual birding event for any North West birder as the Great Ormes location has the power to pull in these smart looking scarce migratory waders from their breeding grounds on their way to over winter in North Africa before returning this way next spring.

There were also reports of a Lapland bunting in the same area as the dotterel, on the limestone pathments but I had no luck in relocating it, perhaps the many dog walkers and sunday day trippers pushed it off?

This individual is a juvenile, a striking bird indeed but when it come to the adult females  well they just can't compare as they are dressed in rather splendid finary. 

Dotterel are famous for being confiding little birds that aren't camera shy, but I've never had one walk right up to me before!

Bonkers!

20/09/2020 Warham Greens, Norfolk

Brown Shrike: A nice consultation tick after cancelling my trip to Tiree to see the yellow-billed flycatcher.

The reason being, the uncertainty once the news came through that n further access to the garden (where the bird was showing) was granted and another message from the residents requesting birders don't make the journey up. The lads I was going with all decided to cancel.

Obviously I was frustrated,  all that planning and preying and money paid gone!

My frustration soon turn to anger as  more and more birders made the trip across and more and more news came out that the bird was still there and you didn't need access to the garden to view it. I guess I'm not going to see every mega or see every first for the UK, I'm just thankful I get invited to these mega twitches.

So to cheer myself up I decided to go for the brown shrike in Norfolk, a bird that typically turns up on Scottish islands and can be hard to catch up with.

These migratory shrikes, like most are known to perhs upright on branches, shrubs and trees and this bird didn't disappoint in that respect.




The brown shrike breeds across central and eastern Asia, and spends the winter in India, SE Asia and Indonesia. And is a very rare vagrant to UK shores and this bird is in fact Norfolks second ever brown shrike.

A lovely consolation bird.

12/09/2020 Redcar Tarn, West Yorkshire

Franklin's Gull: I was sitting in Nando's with Dawn, the baby and a very nice veggie bean burger when I saw the Franklin's gull  ping up on my phone. After it was found yesterday in Bradford it had now been relocated up at Redcar Tarn.

So that was it, after quickly scoffing our lunch and then cleaning up after the baby we shot off towards the M65 with hopes of seeing the bird.

It was showing well in a hseep field at the back of the Tarn before it flew on to the water itself.

Franklin's gulls are not frequent visitors to the UK they are a long-distance migrants that spend their summer on the northern Great Plains and central Canada, and winter primarily in the Southern Hemisphere along the western South America coast.

So to see one so close to home is pretty special indeed.

The bird gets its name from the Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and was originally named Franklin's Rosy Gull for its rosy-colored breast and belly. 









Hale Lighthouse - Friday Afternoon 

Sabine's Gull:  It's been a really good week for gulls picking up this smart juvenile Sabs gull only half an hour down the road at Hale Lighthouse ad now this franklin's gull an hour or so up the road.

I couldn't resist a second visit to Hale Lighthouse yesterday afternoon having a bit more time and investing it in the bird I was able to get some better shots of the bird.

The bird was still feeding in the slurry rich stubble field and seemed to spend less time on the Mersey itself.

A good couple of days birding. I love a good gull.

10/09/2020 Hale Lighthouse, Cheshire

Sabine's Gull: These are really smart gulls, they are a little bit smaller than our more common black-headed Gull. Adult summer Sabine's Gulls have a black head, legs and bill, the latter having a yellow tip. The back is dark grey contrasting with the white underparts. 

However juveniles appear quite different to adults, with dusky brown head and neck and a neatly scaled grey-brown coloured back, while the tail has a broad black band at the tip. On the wing, the dark grey of the adult is replaced by brown.

Sabs are typically associated with north-westerly gales and autumn storms, so it was strange to have one not only feeding on insects within a recently slurry spread stubble field but was found on a day were there was no strong winds or storms. 

The finder was Ian Igglesden a Hale veteran who puts a lot of effort in down there. I can't say Hale is one of my favorite places, maybe it's just because I've never had much luck down here?

The bird spent much of its time roosting on the Mersey estuary, periodically coming back to the same stubble field to forage.  

I hope it stick around a while, I wouldn't mind another try at nailing some decent images.