Josh Jones' Birding Pages

2007 Birding Diary

2007 was, on the whole, a pretty pleasing year. I had over 20 British ticks, which was fairly good going. Highlights included Pacific Diver and American Robin in Yorkshire, the Cornish weekend in March (Gyr, White-billed Diver etc), Barrow's Goldeneye, White-tailed Plover and Bufflehead in Scotland, and of course some cracking autumn birds - Blackpoll Warbler on Scilly, the Brown Flycatcher and then Mourning Dove in County Galway. With the highs came the lows, and two of the worst moments were dipping the Glaucous-winged Gull in pouring rain in Wales (and then again in London in April!), and then travelling all the way to Sula Sgeir only to find it covered in fog and lacking an albatross!

I also had a pretty successful year for finding rare and scarce birds, with the highlights being American Wigeon, Gull-billed Tern, Lesser Yellowlegs, American Golden Plover and Great Grey Shrike.

January 1^st

The first day of 2007 was spent in North Norfolk with Kit Day. Weather was bright and sunny, but very windy and so passerine action was slow. Still, some good birds were seen.

 

07:30 en-route to Snettisham: remarkably, my first bird of 2007 was Pink-footed Goose, as two flew over the road in half-light as we approached Holme-next-the-Sea. A Common Buzzard flew over the car just north of Snettisham village.

07:55 Snettisham RSPB: Highlights included female Greater Scaup, drake Smew and a drake Red-breasted Merganser on the pits.

08:45 Wolferton Triangle: nothing of note aside a ‘black’ Pheasant.

09:00 Hunstanton Cliffs: From here the usual species were noted plus Fulmar, Razorbills, Guillemots and about 7 Long-tailed Ducks.

09:30 Thornham Harbour: from the car park we noted a flock of 30 Twite and a male Stonechat.

10:00 Titchwell RSPB: The freshmarsh produced very little aside Avocets. A Black Brant was located in the dark-bellied Brent Goose flock. The sea was alive, with large numbers of auks, Red-throated Divers and Common Scoter just offshore. In addition, we added Velvet Scoter, Eider, Little Gull, Kittiwakes and a Red-necked Grebe to the year list. A Water Rail was showing well on the saltmarsh, and Bearded Tits also showed well in the reedbed.

12:20 Wells-next-the-Sea: In a sugar beet field around 3 miles south of Wells, we recorded two Tundra Bean Geese, an immature Whooper Swan, a Barnacle Goose, and a leucistic Pink-footed Goose amongst the thousands of geese present.

13:00 Holkham: as we drove by Lady Anne’s Drive, we could see a small flock of European White-fronted Geese from the car. A Bullfinch was also noted by the drive.

15:00 Cley Coastguards: a group of 7 Shorelarks showed well approximately 100 metres west of the coastguards. A female Red-breasted Merganser flew west. Our first Egyptian Goose of the year was by beach road.

15:20 Salthouse: we failed to locate the flock of Snow Buntings that had been present earlier in the day, but our first Pied Wagtail of 2007 was noted.

15:25 Cley NWT: we waited in vain for the Black-eared Kite to fly in to roost. However, at least 4 Marsh Harriers were slight consolation.

>>No. of species seen in 2007: 106

 

 

January 2^nd

Kit Day and I headed for the Lincolnshire coast, in the hope of catching up with the wintering Red-breasted Geese. It was cold, windy and overcast, with occasional drizzle at times.

 

08:45 Baston & Langtoft Pits: at least two Red-crested Pochards were noted on the old wader scrape early morning.

08:50 Deeping Fen: a Grey Heron (my first of 2007) was seen in the cross drain.

09:00 Deeping Lakes NR: a Green Woodpecker was seen from the car park.

09:10 Deeping Highbank: a single Bewick’s Swan was located amongst 8 Whooper and at least 100 Mute Swans in an oilseed rape field on the southern side of the river. Our first Lesser Black-backed Gulls of the year were also noted.

10:20 B1192, Langrick: a Sparrowhawk flew in front of the car.

11:20 Donna Nook: from the seal watch points, we noted 3 Snow Buntings and at least 80 Twite, although we failed to locate the reported Lapland Bunting.

12:20 Saltfleet area: despite our efforts, there was no sign of the two Red-breasted Geese on the saltmarsh at Saltfleet or Howden’s Pullover. A Merlin was of little consolation.

15:00 Gibraltar Point: we could not locate the first-winter drake Ring-necked Duck that had been seen earlier in the day on Jackson’s Marsh. A Whooper Swan was noted on Tennyson’s Sands, and two all-black drake Tufted Ducks were seen.

>>No. of species seen: 115

 

 

January 3^rd

15:35 Bourne: my first Grey Wagtail of 2007 flew over the Grammar School calling (116).

 

 

January 4^th

15:55 Tallington Pits: it was pleasant to record at least 14 Goosanders (117) come in to roost by 16:20, especially as it has been such a poor winter so far for the species locally. In hedges opposite, my first six Corn Buntings of 2007 (118) were present with a flock of Yellowhammers and Chaffinches.

 

 

January 5^th

15:30 Baston & Langtoft Pits: a Jack Snipe (119) was flushed from the meadow late afternoon.

 

 

January 6^th

My third available day for birding, I did a bit of patching in the morning and then visited Hoveringham Gravel Pits in Nottinghamshire early afternoon, on the way to watch Derby vs. Wrexham in the FA Cup.

 

09:30 Baston & Langtoft Pits: a successful venture out produced singing Cetti’s Warbler, Green Sandpiper, Woodcock, Tree Sparrow, Treecreeper and Chiffchaff for the year.

13:00 Hoveringham Pits: I walked the whole western side of the Railway Pit, and was pleasantly surprised to come across a pair of Willow Tits calling and showing well on the southern side of the small wood by the railway – I was later informed by a local that they are often seen here. The main reason for my visit was eventually located at the northern end of the pits. The drake American Wigeon was finally found at distance with at least 200 Wigeon. There were also 6 Goosanders (2 drakes) present.

>>No. of species seen: 127

 

 

January 7^th

Mum and I headed in to Northants and Rutland early afternoon in order to catch up with some common birds for the year.

 

01:00 Langtoft: a Tawny Owl called from our garden in the early hours.

12:45 Burghley Park: 7 Goosanders were on the lake, but there were no Mandarins.

13:15 A43: in the Wakerley and Blatherwycke area we recorded at least 11 Red Kites.

13:20 Blatherwycke Lake: around the lake there were 3 Shelducks, a large flock of aythyas and 5 Mandarins, including 3 drakes.

13:35 Wakerley Great Wood: in the wood I recorded my first Marsh Tits, Jay and Nuthatch of the year.

14:00 Rutland Water: a single Great Northern Diver was located off the dam. Birds on the Egleton reserve included several Goosanders, Little Stint, Ruff, Chiffchaff, several Ruddy Ducks, Kingfisher and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. A Black-necked Grebe was also noted, and 3 Common Buzzards flew over the A606.

>>No. of species seen: 141

 

 

January 10^th

15:30 Deeping Highbank: an early finish at school allowed a quick drive along the Highbank, where both Short-eared (142) and Little Owls (143) were encountered. The Short-eared was just west of Crowland Water Tower, while the Little Owl was perched on a barn towards Deeping St. Nicholas.

 

 

January 12^th

16:15 CEGB Reservoir: encouraged by reports of white-winged gulls in Cambridgeshire, I decided to visit CEGB Reservoir in Peterborough to see if anything of interest came in to roost. In the next twenty minutes, two Yellow-legged Gulls (adult & first-winter) and two adult Mediterranean Gulls (144) arrived to roost amongst large numbers of the commoner species.

 

 

January 13^th

Dad and I decided to stay locally, with a particular focus being on the gulls in the Dogsthorpe and Eye area.

 

13:00 Dogsthorpe Star Pit: on arrival it was clear there were good numbers of gulls loafing on the pit, but sadly there was nothing out of the ordinary. However, while watching them a Blackcap called regularly in the hawthorns behind us (145). There were also good numbers of thrushes, especially Redwings.

13:35 Tanholt Pit: three Grey Partridges were seen along the approach road (146). There were also good numbers of gulls loafing on the pit at Tanholt, reflecting the large numbers of birds that were loafing and flying around the general area. After a couple of minutes of scanning, I picked up on an immature Iceland Gull (147) amongst the commoner species. It lingered only long enough for me to obtain some shaky video footage before it flew off with other gulls in the direction of Dogsthorpe.

14:30 Eldernell: the wind had picked up, and so we decided against battling the breeze along the bank to Lord’s Holt, so I simply scanned from the car. On the far side of the washes was a large flock of wild swans (mostly Bewick’s, but a few Whoopers also).

15:00 Dogsthorpe area: a flock of large gulls had settled in fields on the southern side of the tip, but despite searching the Iceland Gull did not reappear. A first-winter Yellow-legged Gull was some consolation.

 

 

January 14^th

Today saw another day of local birding, with a morning trip to Rutland Water and then a quick walk around the local patch late afternoon.

 

09:45 Rutland Water: after a lot of searching, I finally found a female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (148) at the eastern end of Barnsdale Wood. Also seen were Marsh Tits, Nuthatches, a very showy male Bullfinch and three very vocal Great Spotted Woodpeckers, which continued to call to each other and drum intermittently. A flock of 60+ Bramblings (149) were easily located feeding in beech trees by the Barnsdale Garden Centre turn-off along Barnsdale Avenue. The Black-necked Grebe was showing well close inshore in the north arm, about 300 metres east of the warden’s cottage.

15:20 Baston & Langtoft Pits: a walk around this afternoon produced at least 3 Siskins (150), a pair of Smew, 3 Shovelers and a Barn Owl.

 

 

January 20^th

An afternoon dedicated to local gulling, as with last Saturday.

 

14:30 Dogsthorpe Star Pit: large numbers of small gulls were present, but there was nothing of interest. A dying adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was a grim sight.

15:00 Tanholt Pit: there were no gulls present, but remarkably I managed to flush a Bittern (151) from reeds by the path. It flew towards the first pit but I could not relocate it. Little else was noted aside a Bullfinch.

15:50 CEGB Reservoir: huge numbers of small gulls were present, but there were far fewer large gulls than my last visit the previous week. Nevertheless, I picked up a stunning adult Caspian Gull and three Yellow-legged Gulls (two adults and a second-winter).

 

 

January 21^st

Today was spent in North Lincolnshire once again, in the hope of having some better luck with some of the wintering species than on the 2^nd.

 

10:15 B1192, Langrick: a flock of at least 100 Pink-footed Geese flew north.

11:20 Tetney: just to the south of the village, a Green Sandpiper was noted in a roadside drain.

11:30 Horseshoe Point: a long walk south from the car park was in order to obtain excellent views of the two adult Red-breasted Geese (152) as they grazed the saltmarsh with a small flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese. There was also an adult Pale-bellied Brent in the flock. As I walked back to the car, a large flock of Skylarks flew over, and landed in the nearby field. My suspicions were confirmed, with two Lapland Buntings (153) mixed in with the flock – I thought I had heard one call as they flew over.

12:45 Covenham Reservoir: a scan of the reservoir revealed the wintering Slavonian Grebe (154), despite disturbance from windsurfers.

13:45 Gibraltar Point: the first-winter drake Ring-necked Duck (155) was showing well on Tennyson’s Sands, and spent most of its time preening – perhaps not surprising considering its incredibly rapid moult in to a more adult-like plumage over the past couple of weeks. A real bonus came in the shape of a Water Pipit which flew in and landed on the scrapes in front of the hide, calling frequently (156).

 

 

January 28^th

Despite a late start, mum and I headed to northwest Norfolk for the afternoon.

 

13:30 Thornham Harbour: while walking towards the flooded field just to the west of the harbour, the regular flock of c20 Twite flew by. On the field itself, the first-winter Lesser Yellowlegs (157) was showing well as it fed with a few Redshanks. Light on the birds was poor, so we soon left.

14:00 Hunstanton Cliffs: a seawatch revealed several Red-throated Divers, a Black-throated Diver west (158), and two Kittiwakes. What was probably the same Black-throated Diver then flew back east five minutes later. In addition to this, several Fulmars were in the vicinity.

14:30 Snettisham RSPB: after around fifteen minutes of searching mid-afternoon, the Black Kite of the Central Asian subspecies lineatus (159) was located showing well over fields just north of the pumping station. Other birds of prey in the area included a superb male Hen Harrier (160), a Common Buzzard and a Barn Owl.

16:00 Wolferton Triangle: any hopes of connecting with Golden Pheasants were dashed by a remarkably high level of vehicular activity in the area, so we gave up and headed home.

 

 

January 30^th

Kit Day and I headed north up the A1 to Yorkshire for the day.

 

08:30 Farnham Pits: we joined the fair-sized crowd by the road and immediately saw the PACIFIC DIVER at distance, on the sailing pit. Despite the long range, it was fairly easy to note its small size and dark flanks. After hearing access was to be arranged later in the day, we wasted no time in leaving the site and heading towards Bingley, and were only briefly delayed by our first displaying male Sparrowhawk of the year.

09:15 Huby: a Red Kite was seen by the road, with a Peregrine seen a little further on.

10:10 Bingley: the American Robin (161) was showing on arrival the waste ground next to Primrose Bank. I quickly grew impatient of it sitting in the middle of a bush, so headed down to the sewage works. Within five minutes or so, the Firecrest (162) showed well but briefly in gardens by the Leeds – Liverpool Canal. I headed back up to the robin which then proceeded to give superb views to around 20 metres.

12:15 Farnham Pits: we decided to pay the extortionate £10 per vehicle entry fee, but it proved to be a wise manoeuvre – the Pacific Diver went on to show to less than 40 metres, giving excellent views of all the notable features, especially the complete chin strap on this occasion. A small party of Siskins also flew over.

 

 

 

 

 

February

 

 

 

 February 2^nd

15:50 Baston & Langtoft Pits: my first proper after-school visit to the pits (now the days are lengthening) produced an excellent Mealy Redpoll (163). It was my first of the species in a very poor winter for redpolls, and a total surprise. Species also seen included a redhead Smew, two Goosanders, five Redshanks and at least seven Lesser Redpolls.

 

 

February 3^rd

08:40 Lynford Arboretum: in the paddocks, there were at least at least 7 active Hawfinches (164), alongside good numbers of commoner finches and winter thrushes.

09:10 Wayland Wood: eventually, a male Golden Pheasant (165) began to call towards the northern end of the wood, but refused to show itself. A singing Lesser Redpoll, good numbers of Marsh Tits and other woodland species provided some additional interest.

10:00 Wretham: an Egyptian Goose was in a roadside paddock.

10:30 Olley’s Farm: an hour at the site failed to produce any Goshawks, but decent consolation was provided by at least 7 Woodlarks (166), several flyover Common Crossbills (167) and the regular escaped Red-tailed Hawk.

12:20 Santon Downham: a brief look in the area failed to produce the mobile and elusive Great Grey Shrike.

 

 

February 24^th

13:00 Baston & Langtoft Pits: an unusual female wigeon proved to be a female American Wigeon, and was seen intermittently in to March. It showed a range of features, including different structure, white axillaries, and a white bar on the upperwing.

 

 

 

 

 

March

 

 

 

 March 3^rd

Along with Bob Titman, Roger Teasdale and Will Bowell, I headed to Cornwall in order to try and see at least some of the excellent species wintering within the county.

 

08:30 Bodmin Moor: a Raven (168) was seen from the A30 somewhere near Colliford Lake.

09:20 Hayle Estuary: on arrival at Copperhouse Creek, the adult White-billed Diver (169) was seen exceptionally well (down to 5 metres) as it hunted flatfish in the shallow creek by co-op. We moved around to the causeway, where the juvenile Spotted Sandpiper (170) was showing well, and in the distance a first-winter Franklin’s Gull (171) was loafing with other gulls – completing a memorable 15 minutes! A few Shags (172) were also seen loafing.

10:00 Penzance: despite trying, our team failed to locate the Yellow-browed Warbler in the vicinity of the boating lake, but several Purple Sandpipers (173) were some consolation by the swimming pool

11:00 Lelant: the Eastern Lesser Whitethroat (174) of the form halimodendri was showing well along The Saltings in scrub and gardens – it was a particularly pale and sandy-looking individual. A male Blackcap was also seen. From Lelant railway station, much better views were obtained of the Franklin’s Gull, as well as an adult Mediterranean Gull which lacked feet. A Greenshank (175) was also seen from here.

12:00 Copperhouse Creek: we returned to the White-billed Diver, which was showing even better than before and allowed for wonderful photo opportunities as it fed and preened in the creek upriver of co-op.

14:00 Newquay: we joined a number of birders searching in vain for the Dusky Warbler in the garden of 47 Trevean Way. An adult Peregrine flew over, but there was little else on offer – it was a beautiful and warm afternoon however.

16:00 Stepper Point: arriving late afternoon with plenty of light to spare, we walked out to the point and sat down, scanning the surrounding estuary and hills. An adult Great Northern Diver was located just offshore, but the target bird did not arrive until dusk. Just when it seemed like a dip was on the cards, the first-winter white-morph Gyr (176) arrived to roost in the quarry, but flew off soon after. Poor flight views were all that was to be had, and Roger had missed the bird. Therefore, an early-morning visit in the predicted offensive weather conditions was necessary. Nevertheless, several pints in Padstow with fellow birders ensured spirits were extremely high.

 

 

March 4^th

Starting off near Padstow, we then headed to south Wales in the appalling weather conditions.

 

06:00 Stepper Point: in the absolutely atrocious weather conditions, there was initially no sign of the Gyr until it flew in and landed on a wall near the coastguards, and afforded excellent views to all in the rain. We returned to our B&B to dry out and eat some breakfast. Shortly after, we began the long drive to Carmarthenshire.

14:30 Ferryside: amongst the showers, searches for the Glaucous-winged Gull drew a blank, much to our frustration. This first for Britain had been relatively reliable for the two previous days, but much to our misfortune, it did not show again. It was reported late on in the evening but did not reappear. We arrived home in south Lincolnshire just after 23:00, with 995 miles on the clock – a weekend of real mixed fortunes!!

 

 

March 7^th

16:30 Baston & Langtoft Pits: my first Sand Martin (177) of 2007 flew through early evening.

 

 

March 10^th

Although not birding, a school geography trip to North Yorkshire proved fruitful for year ticks.

 

11:00 North York Moors: species seen included Red Grouse (178), Dipper (179), and Eurasian Curlews back on breeding turf.

 

 

March 17^th

Today, mum and I travelled to northeast Essex in the hope of hearing Siberian Chiffchaff in song.

 

09:30 Newport: on arrival at the sewage works along Water Lane, it became clear large numbers of Chiffchaffs were present – at least 10 birds must have been seen throughout the morning in the vicinity. Eventually at around 11:00, the Siberian Chiffchaff gave itself up in the wood on the northeast side, showing well. The only thing wrong with its plumage was perhaps the extent of green fringing to the wing coverts, but otherwise plumage looked spot on. Frustratingly, it did not sing in the two hours spent on site, but had been before and was heard again after my visit. Nevertheless, it was my first Siberian Chiffchaff in the British Isles. Also around were a pair of Buzzards and a pair of Grey Wagtails.

13:30 Maxey Pits: along with 3 Dunlin, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Redshanks and a Ringed Plover, my first Little Ringed Plover (180) of 2007 was noted from Etton Road.

 

 

March 23^rd

16:00 Baston & Langtoft Pits: I was most surprised to discover a single Waxwing (181) with a mixed thrush and Starling flock. There were also at least 35 Sand Martins present.

 

 

March 25^th

Today I ventured to northwest Norfolk with Ray & Will Bowell, and Mike Weedon.

 

08:00 Blackborough End: the tip held very few gulls, so we quickly gave up. Nearby fields gave excellent views of a pair of hunting Barn Owls, and also a pair of Grey Partridges.

08:50 Dersingham: scanning from the cliff produced the lineatus Black Kite, showing well but distantly alongside an untagged Red Kite. Very little else was noted save a few Siskins and Sparrowhawks.

11:00 Choseley Drying Barns: a half-hour search eventually revealed the female-type Black Redstart (182) in the hedgerow by the car park. There were also a number of Corn Buntings around the barns.

12:15 Titchwell RSPB: the drake Green-winged Teal (183) was located with ease on the freshmarsh, loosely associating with a small party of Shoveler but mainly on its own. There were also two (1^st-winter and 2^nd-winter) Little Gulls in the vicinity.

15:15 Lynn Point: the two adult Red-breasted Geese, which I had previously seen in Lincolnshire in January, were showing well (but distantly) on the banks of the River Ouse with many hundreds of Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

17:00 Baston & Langtoft Pits: a vocal Common Sandpiper (184) was a surprise on Slurry Pit.

 

 

March 27^th

16:35 Baston & Langtoft Pits: a Northern Wheatear (185) on the New Workings was my first of the year. A male White Wagtail was also present.

 

 

March 29^th

16:50 Baston & Langtoft Pits: a single Swallow (186) was with at least 100 Sand Martins over the Ocean.

 

 

 

March 31^st

Today mum and I headed to the Brecks, before relocating to Bedfordshire.

 

08:20 Grime’s Graves: a brisk walk to the visitor centre revealed the wintering Great Grey Shrike (187) on the southern side of the clearing, near the sheep enclosure. Also in the vicinity were a few Siskins and two displaying Eurasian Curlews.

08:50 Olley’s Farm: in the first half hour of my visit, very little was seen aside a single Sparrowhawk and a few Woodlarks. Just after Kit Day arrived at around 09:30, an excellent Goshawk (188) drifted over pines on the northern side of the clearing, allowing superb views to be obtained.

10:25 nr Mildenhall: Kit and I quickly located two Stone Curlews (189) at a traditional site, along with several Eurasian Curlews and vast numbers of Rabbits.

12:30 Brogborough Lake: on arrival, a number of birders were standing around doing very little, and things did not look promising. However, the Red-rumped Swallow (190) finally appeared at around 13:10, flying low over the SW corner of the lake before lingering above the road, giving excellent views. There was very little else present on the lake aside a large raft of Goldeneye, and a Chiffchaff sang from nearby scrub.

16:45 Baston & Langtoft Pits: migrant numbers had increased, with 2 White Wagtails, 3 Green Sandpipers, 150 Sand Martins and the highlight - a pair of Garganey (191). They flew over the Slurry Pit and appeared to land on the old wader scrape, but I could not relocate them.

 

 

 

April

 

 

 

 

 April 4^th

Mum and I headed east on the short journey to West Norfolk early afternoon.

 

14:45 Heacham South Beach: a number of birders were simply standing around when I arrived by the green hut mid-afternoon. I decided to search the area, but found little more than a few Linnets and Reed Buntings. Eventually, the female Serin (192) flew in and landed in the thicket. A few more brief flight views were obtained before the bird flew and sat in a clump of isolated hawthorns on the other side of the river, eventually giving good views for the next 10 minutes or so. Also in the vicinity was a female-type Black Redstart.

 

 

April 5^th

11:00 Baston & Langtoft Pits: my first Willow Warbler (193) of the year was calling and showing by the old wader scrape.

 

 

April 9^th

Dad and I journeyed to London on a pleasantly warm day.

 

13:30 Hornchurch: at Harrow Lodge Park, the drake Ferruginous Duck (194) performed down to 15 metres amongst 50 Tufted Ducks. The bird has been alternating between this site and nearby Dagenham Chase, and was unringed, fully-winged and considerably more wary than the Tufted Ducks it was associating with. For example, it does not come to bread unlike the Tufties. Also seen in the park were 3 Ruddy Ducks and a singing Chiffchaff.

15:50 Grafham Water: despite searching, we could not locate the immature Glaucous Gull that had showed all day on the reservoir or in the nearby ploughed field at Marlow car park. A singing Willow Warbler was some consolation.

 

 

April 10^th

Team Bowell, consisting of Marc Read, Kit Day and I, headed north to Scotland in hope of seeing the rare and scarce species currently residing in the country.

 

07:55 Torness Power Station: the main reason of our brief visit was for Kit to show us where he had seen Paddyfield Warbler in 2004, which was typically gripping. However, a bonus was seeing my first Gannets (195)  of 2007 streaming past just offshore.

08:45 Edinburgh: the first-winter drake Lesser Scaup (196) was seen with ease on St. Margaret’s Loch, and showed to around 15 metres with around 30 Tufted Ducks. It was therefore no surprise that we spent a considerable amount of time photographing it as it came to bread.

12:45 Loch Venachar: the Barrow’s Goldeneye (197) was seen at distance from the Sailing Club as it actively fed. It then flew east down the loch, and presently showed well on the southern side. In the vicinity, we noted several Siskins and a few Oystercatchers. In the general area, we also had a Hooded Crow (198) and a small flock of Pink-footed Geese.

17:00 Kelton: following the Goldeneye success, we headed south towards Dumfries & Galloway, and hopefully Lesser Canada Geese. We found large numbers (perhaps 5000) of Barnacle Geese just north of Kelton village, with smaller numbers of Pink-footed Geese. Eventually, I located the Taverner’s Canada Goose (199) on the eastern side of the river. I managed to get fairly close, and obtained some half-decent images of it until it was flushed by a woman walking across the marsh.

 

The final part of the day was spent heading south to Lancashire, where we had a few pints before retiring to the car to sleep at Warton Bank.

 

 

April 11^th

The morning was spent in Lancashire, before relocating to Derbyshire then home.

 

06:40 Warton Bank: Kit located the Glossy Ibis (200) with relative ease to the east of the car park at first light. It then promptly disappeared and we waited another half an hour before it finally showed to Marc, who hadn’t seen it. There was very little else of note here aside a number of Little Egrets, and so we headed off to Marshside.

08:25 Marshside RSPB: the drake Green-winged Teal was seen on arrival but spent most of its time asleep. There wasn’t a lot else on view, aside an Avocet nest complete with a single egg, a few Black-tailed Godwits, and a Swallow through.

11:00 Crosby Marine Park: there was very little on show aside 81 Little Gulls.

13:30 Swadlincote: after reports came through saying it was showing “well”, a detour for the drake Ring-necked Duck was inevitable. Sure enough, it was showing very well on what was little more than a pond. Several Swallows also flew through while we watched the bird, and up to three Little Ringed Plovers displayed on nearby wasteland.

 

We then returned home to Lincolnshire mid-evening. The journey was interrupted by news of a mega in Powys – Kit and I quickly made plans for the next morning, although sadly Marc had work and would not be able to join us. It had been an excellent couple of days – some superb birds were seen, and two lifers made it all the more worthwhile.

 

 

April 12^th

Kit Day and I headed off early morning from Lincolnshire towards Wales.

 

07:30 Shrewsbury services: there had not been any news on the male Blue Rock Thrush present all afternoon yesterday in Powys, so we quickly made the decision to head north rather than south, and wait on news at our chosen site.

08:45 World’s End: a minimum of 16 male Black Grouse (201) were seen and heard lekking on the western side of the valley, although surprisingly we did not see any females. A quality supporting cast of 2 Red Grouse, a pair of Hen Harriers and Crossbills calling in nearby woods was also noted. There was no sign of the thrush, so we decided to stay in the area.

10:45 Horseshoe Pass: I walked up to the quarry, where I located a male Ring Ouzel (202) calling and occasionally giving a burst of sub-song. It was nice to see one back on breeding territory. Also around were a couple of Red Grouse and several Wheatears.

14:50 Eyebrook Reservoir: although there was no sign of the Green-winged Teal mid-afternoon in atrocious heat haze, there were at least two Little Ringed Plovers and a female Goosander.

15:35 Rutland Water: two Ospreys (203) were seen in the South Arm, and a Common Tern (204) was over Lagoon I. A few Tree Sparrows were present on the feeders, as were two very fat Brown Rats.

 

 

April 13^th

06:20 Baston & Langtoft Pits: a male Ring Ouzel was seen by the moat until around 06:25, when it disappeared. A Corn Bunting was also singing here.

13:20 Maxey Pits: a male Yellow Wagtail (205) flew around the pit, and at least 8 Little Ringed Plovers and 9 Ringed Plovers were also counted.

 

 

 

April 14^th

11:45 Langtoft: it was pleasing to see that the breeding House Martins (206) had returned to East End, with at least two calling over our house.

 

 

April 16^th

18:30 Baston & Langtoft Pits: a singing Nightingale (207) was noted amongst a small fall of summer migrants, which included 2 male Wheatears.

 

 

April 17^th

17:45 Baston & Langtoft Pits: yesterday’s two Wheatears were still on the New Workings, as was a Green Sandpiper. A Lesser Whitethroat sang near ARC Pit, and a Reed Warbler (208) gave a few bursts of subsong on private land.

 

 

April 18^th

13:45 Baston & Langtoft Pits: clear skies and a light northerly initially had me thinking today’s visit would be a waste of time. However, a superb female Ring Ouzel spent an hour around the old wader scrape and was typically mobile. Four Common Terns were the first of the year at the site, and were joined briefly by an excellent Arctic Tern (209). The Green Sandpiper was still present.

 

 

April 19^th

The recent Glaucous-winged Gull reappeared yesterday in London and so, along with Will Bowell, we made our way towards the capital.

 

09:00 Wraysbury: around the village we noted many Ring-necked Parakeets (210) as they noisily flew overhead.

11:00 Beddington: the Glaucous-winged Gull had been seen on the tip adjacent to Beddington Sewage Farm yesterday afternoon, and so this seemed a likely place for it to turn up again. Nevertheless, our efforts were not rewarded, and the only ringed gull we had was a Herring! A male Marsh Harrier flying NW at extremely high altitude was probably the best bird seen.

16:00 Cross Ness LNR: despite our efforts, we failed to locate the wintering Grey Phalarope that had been seen on the Thames foreshore and by the outflow. Small compensation was provided by a second calendar-year Little Gull on the river, but the result here really summed up a simply dreadful day.

 

 

April 20^th

09:00 Baston & Langtoft Pits: Cuckoo (211) and Garden Warbler (212) were new for the year; a lone Golden Plover was a Grummit’s Scrape, and a Common Sandpiper on the New Workings.

 

April 21^st

10:00 Baston & Langtoft Pits: two more birds new for the year in a brief visit this morning; a Sedge Warbler (213) was singing from the reedbed, and two Swifts (214) were over the Ocean.

 

 

April 22^nd

15:50 Rutland Water: amongst the large numbers of Common Terns present on Lagoon 1, I enjoyed my first Black (215) and Little Terns (216) of the year – the Black Tern being a particularly impressive beast in full summer dress.

16:45 Baston & Langtoft Pits: I was most surprised to find a Wood Warbler (217) singing by the drained pit late afternoon. There were also several Reed and Sedge Warblers, as well as 2 Nightingales in subsong.

 

 

April 23^rd

17:00 Baston & Langtoft Pits: a Whitethroat (218) sang by Grummit’s Scrape, and there were also 3 Garden Warblers singing.

 

 

April 24^th

18:30 Baston & Langtoft Pits: an adult Little Gull was present this evening, as well as my first Turtle Dove (219) of the year.

 

 

April 28^th

Mum and I headed for central Norfolk.

 

07:20 Deeping Highbank: just northeast of the entrance to Deeping Lakes NR, a female Whinchat (220) and a male Greenland Wheatear were present on the fence by the roadside.

09:10 Colney: the male Iberian Chiffchaff (221) was heard singing immediately upon arrival by the hospital, and proceeded to show well until 10:30 when we left. It sang like a ‘classic’ Iberian bird, and looked almost more Willow Warbler-like than a Common Chiffchaff, supporting longer wings and tail, a prominent supercilium, pale bare parts and a warm green-yellow tinge to the face. A Lesser Whitethroat also sang in the vicinity.

11:00 Scoulton area: following phenomenal news about 12 miles west of Colney, we headed to the area to search for the adult Egyptian Vulture reportedly seen there early morning. Needless to say, there was no sign, and the only bird of interest was a singing Lesser Whitethroat. We made the decision to head back towards home, hopefully via seeing Montagu’s Harrier.

13:45 South Lincolnshire: a female Montagu’s Harrier (222) was seen briefly, and several Little Egrets were in the area.

 

 

April 29^th

A search in North Norfolk throughout the afternoon once again failed to reveal the Egyptian Vulture, following reports of it over Warham early afternoon.

 

 

April 30^th

08:10 Baston & Langtoft Pits: 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshanks, a Whimbrel (223) and a Common Sandpiper were new in this morning.

20:00 Baston & Langtoft Pits: the Whimbrel was long gone, but the other waders were still present, and a Dunlin was new in. Four Arctic Terns arrived at 20:29.

 

 

 

 

May

 

 

 

 

May 3^rd

10:55 Bourne Grammar School: a school tick for me today, in the form of a Grasshopper Warbler (224) reeling in scrub just to the south of the playing field!

 

 

May 5^th