2nd Jan – a typically quiet start to the year revealed the presence of 30 Mandarins at Connaught Water, Epping Forest, Essex along with an exotic array of other wildfowl including a drake Red-crested Pochard, a Barnacle Goose and a drake Cinnamon Teal.
3rd Jan – my first true day’s birding of 2005 produced the over-wintering drake Lesser Scaup at Scotney GP, East Sussex where it eventually showed remarkably well in amongst the large group of Pochard and a pair of Greater Scaup. A female Marsh Harrier flew through the area whilst, nearby, 3 Tundra Bean Geese and both wild swan species were present on Dengemarsh, Kent. Dungeness RSPB Reserve produced an avian feast with huge numbers of winter wildfowl including 13 (including 3 drakes) Smew whilst a Slavonian Grebe was also noted from the Scott Hide. A Rough-legged Buzzard eluded me at Harty Ferry, Kent late afternoon although the local Corn Buntings were some compensation.
5th Jan – with such an enviable cast and always a good day of winter birding, Norfolk started off in fine form with good views of a Marsh Tit at Sculthorpe Fen followed by the obliging Coue’s Arctic Redpoll at Titchwell alongside its scarce and common cousins respectively – a Mealy Redpoll and a Lesser Redpoll. The nearby saltmarsh provided ample views of a couple of adult Black Brants whilst other highlights included 5 Velvet Scoter on the sea and a Bearded Tit in the reedbed near Island Hide. A further Black Brant behaved impeccably adjacent to Lady Anne’s Drive, Holkham, Norfolk whilst the long-staying 1st-winter Lesser Yellowlegs showed very well in its usual channel by the seawall near Stiffkey Fen. With light fast fading, a couple of Merlin and a pair of Hen Harrier performed admirably just prior to dusk.
7th Jan – after an overnight drive, the 1st-winter Laughing Gull was easily located with other gulls on the beach at Carnoustie, Fife just after first light before later relocating to the adjacent golf course. This was remarkably the first Laughing Gull I had seen in the British Isles since the Norfolk adult at Titchwell in May 1998 (and my fifth in total). A drake Green-winged Teal showed at mid range at Vane Farm RSPB, Perth and Kinross whilst an adult and a first-winter Iceland Gull were found in the gull roost at Strathclyde Loch, Clyde in the evening.
9th Jan – a brief search of the Laddingford area, Kent failed to produce any sightings of the Northern Grey Shrike.
15th Jan – the second trip of the year to Norfolk in as many weeks started off with a confiding Black Redstart obliged at Harpley and a stubble field opposite the barns at Choseley held 5 Lapland Buntings, 60+ Snow Buntings and 30 Brambling. The Coue’s Arctic Redpoll showed itself once again at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk whilst eventually, after much scouring of the area, the impressive immature White-tailed Eagle showed itself in flight south-east of Fring village as it flew in the direction of Anmer. There was no sign of the first-winter white morph Snow Goose in the roost at Holkham, Norfolk although a presumed hybrid Ross’/Pinkfoot was present.
16th Jan – after a short wait with an expectant crowd, the male Pine Bunting performed on the top of a hedge adjacent to New Farm, Wadborough, Worcs at 8.40am. Although slightly distant, this was only my second of this species in the British Isles (following a male near Sheffield in March 1996). Nearby one Siberian Chiffchaff showed well (although I again failed in my quest to hear it call) at Upton-upon-Severn Sewage Farm, Worcs along with an unseasonable Willow Warbler and a couple of Blackcaps. Fourteen Red Kites were noted on the way home along the M40.
23rd Jan – there was no sign of the Grey Phalarope at Ibsley Water, Hants early morning though a couple of Green Sandpipers were recorded, whilst nearby a Dartford Warbler was located in the gorse adjacent to the car park at Black Gutter, Hants. Heading east, the presumed 2nd winter Kumlien’s Gull showed well on the lagoon at Titchfield Haven, Hants – an interesting individual (appearing more advanced than your typical Iceland Gull in January) showing a pale iris and pale pink/yellow bill with a prominent black subterminal band. There was no real evidence of a strong tail band although the outer primary webs were wedged with dark coffee pigmentation. Nearby, the usual adult Ring-billed Gull was noted on Haslar Creek, Hants whilst an adult Mediterranean Gull was also present. Late afternoon at Broadmarsh slipway, Langstone harbour, Hants produced a single Black-necked Grebe and an adult Mediterranean Gull.
30th Jan – the early morning did not reveal the over-wintering Dusky Warbler at Kessingland and it was therefore decided to travel to North Norfolk in the hope of locating some winterers that I had not seen on my previous couple of trips. On arrival at Holkham, the 1st-winter white morph Lesser Snow Goose was present west of Lady Anne’s Drive with a load of Pinkfeet whilst an immature Spoonbill graced the flood at the extreme west end of Holkham Pines and the Black Brant was still present in fields immediately adjacent to Lady Anne’s Drive. Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk produced a roosting Woodcock near the visitor centre, the Black-winged Stilt on the brackish marsh and an adult and a second-winter Mediterranean Gull on the beach late afternoon.
5th Feb – the first big trip of the year had me leaving work really excited on a Friday night. Those of you who know me well will realise how expectant I was with the prospects of a full weekend gulling in Scotland! The start to Saturday morning did not disappoint – at first light 4 (adult, third-winter and 2 first-winter) Iceland Gulls were present in the small harbour at Helmsdale, Highland whilst a scenic stop at Latheronweel, Highland produced loads of Black Guillemots and Long-tailed Ducks. Loch Sarclet, Highland held a drake Ring-necked Duck whilst roadside fields just south of Wick produced a 1st-winter Iceland Gull. Armed with the usual loaf of bread, 4 (2 second-winters and 2 first-winters) Iceland Gulls entertained us in Wick harbour along with a remarkably close Great Northern Diver and 10 Purple Sandpipers. Nearby, the annually returning drake American Wigeon showed well with a small Eurasian Wigeon flock on the River Wick just upstream of Somerfield in Wick town. It was in the Thurso and Scrabster area where the best numbers of gulls were present – a couple of hours produced 10 Iceland Gulls (including 2 superb adults) and at least 4 first-winter Glaucous Gulls. Heading south a male Hen Harrier drifted across the A9 north of Spittal whilst, after tucking into a decent curry in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, a first-winter Glaucous Gull was found roosting in the harbour at Fraserburgh under floodlit conditions.
6th Feb – after an early, well deserved fried breakfast, we stepped out of our Bed and Breakfast and 10 Waxwings flew over the east side of Fraserburgh calling, whilst the nearby harbour produced an adult Iceland Gull and 2 Glaucous Gulls. Heading slightly south, the environs of Peterhead harbour heralded that visitor from the Arctic – a superbly rosy flushed adult winter Ross’ Gull (only my 4th ever) hovering amongst trawlers and showing to ten yards amongst Black-headed Gulls. A couple of 1st-winter Iceland Gulls and 3 (a third-winter and 2 first-winters) Glaucous Gulls provided supporting cast for the main prize at Peterhead. With impeccable timing, our drive home coincided with the gull roost at Strathclyde Loch, Clyde where we managed to record 4 further Iceland Gulls (adult and 3 first-winters).
12th Feb – continuing the gull theme of the previous weekend, though somewhat closer to home, a third-winter Caspian Gull was found on the River Thames at Woolwich Ferry just prior to midday before flying upriver. Nearby at Rainham, Essex 2 Water Pipits were present near the stone barges and a second-winter Western Yellow-legged Gull was noted on the river adjacent to the tip.
13th Feb – a drake Smew graced Connaught Water, Epping Forest, Essex whilst 20 Mandarins were also present on this wooded pond.
19th Feb – after failure a couple of weeks ago, another trip up the A12 to Kessingland, Suffolk on a crisp winter day provided excellent views of a typically vocal Dusky Warbler (my 7th in the British Isles) as it hopped around in the vegetation to the north of the last set of steps. 40 Snow Buntings were noted on the beach at Kessingland, Suffolk whilst 23 Mediterranean Gulls were typically confiding at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and 4 Common Cranes were seen in flight at Horsey, Norfolk mid morning. Heading away from the coast and to the Brecks, 2 male Golden Pheasants showed well at Wayland Wood, Norfolk and nearby 4 Hawfinches were noted at Lynford Arboretum along with a flyover Crossbill. After locating a small flock of 4 Woodlarks at Mayday Farm, Suffolk the day ended with the regular wintering Northern Grey Shrike on Weather Heath, Elveden, Suffolk.
20th Feb – a couple of Water Pipits were again present at Rainham Marsh, Essex whilst after a long search I eventually located a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Hockley Woods, Essex.
27th Feb – the winter freeze was well underway and a Kingfisher was making the most of John Pegden’s garden pond in Catford, London. Raw winds provided a paucity of activity in the Dungeness, Kent area although a Firecrest in the moat and a Slavonian Grebe on the New Excavations proved some reward for our journey.
5th March – no sign of the Grey Phalarope at Lade GP, Kent although a Bittern at Castle Water, Rye Harbour, East Sussex provided ample reward for the afternoon out in the cold.
6th March – the drake White-headed Duck showed well amongst large concentrations of Ruddy Ducks at Broadwater GP, London mid morning. An excellent early afternoon visit to Tyttenhanger GP, Herts provided views of a couple of Jack Snipe in the boggy area below the farm as well as a Green Sandpiper and at least 11 Tree Sparrows in the general area.
12th March – rarely a winter goes by without me spending at least a winter weekend in the Irish Republic. This year was no exception and, after an early morning start in order to catch our flights from Birmingham, we arrived at Farnborough Lakes, Warwicks to be rather nonplussed by the apparent first-winter female Lesser Scaup. Much has been debated about this individual although I can safely say that this is the most interesting of the 19 (including 5 females) Lesser Scaups I have seen in the British Isles. A drumming Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the main estate grounds proved excellent value. After flying to a windswept Knock airport thorough searching of the Barnatra area, County Mayo did not reveal the hoped for Thayer’s/Kumlien’s Gull although 4 first-winter Iceland Gulls were located. A decent evening in a local bar proved good value and I once again splashed out on a B&B on The Mullet (those who know me will be asking why I didn’t do the usual night in the car?).
13th March – on arrival at the sheepfield just west of Barnatra, County Mayo the target bird was present along with 7 first-winter Iceland Gulls (and no other gulls!). Having only seen the adult Thayer’s Gull in County Donegal in March 1998, I had no field experience of juvenile birds and hence was fairly interested in this bird’s appearance. Elsewhere this bird has been described as showing many features akin to a first-winter Thayer’s yet the advanced stage of moult (i.e. the bird appeared to be exhibiting total first-winter plumage with no retained juvenile feathering) was certainly at odds with a classic for the aforementioned species. Anyway, after an informative sighting, we journeyed through the spectacular Mayo landscape and ended up in the lovely setting of Keel Lough, Achill Island where the drake Black Duck showed fairly well with a few Mallards. After an encounter with the local constabulary (apparently my overtaking was deemed ‘ridiculous’ but I still managed to evade any further reprimand), we failed in our attempt to locate the Ferruginous Duck at Coole Lough, County Galway. The last hours of the day proved fruitful with stunning views of the adult Forster’s Tern at Nimmo’s Pier, Galway whilst other birds here included an adult Ring-billed Gull, 3 first-winter Glaucous Gulls, 5 Iceland Gulls, 3 Sandwich Terns, 6 Little Gulls and a Black-throated Diver. Finally a big thank you to Garry Bagnell who proved to be an excellent target for my many windups and harsh comments throughout the weekend.
19th March – a female Black Redstart and 3 Wheatears in the gully at Dengemarsh late afternoon proved that spring was just around the corner.
20th March – late March and a bit of east or south-east is the prime time for the location of White-spotted Bluethroat and today was the day with an exceptionally confiding male present mid afternoon at Landguard, Suffolk. At least 3 Black Redstarts and a male Wheatear were also present and a brief stop at the Layer Breton causeway, Abberton Reservoir, Essex on the way home produced the drake Ferruginous Duck and a pair of Smew.
25th March – my earliest ever Yellow Wagtail showed well on the causeway at Staines Reservoir, Surrey alongside a couple of White Wagtails, a Water Pipit and many Pied Wagtails.
27th March – there was no sign of the Hoopoe at Cefn Cribwr, Glamorgan early morning although an early Willow Warbler was singing from the allotments south of the White Lion pub. A male Goshawk showed for a prolonged period, albeit distantly, from the watchpoint at New Fancy View, Gloucs early afternoon.
28th March – the summer plumaged Red-necked Grebe was easily located at Stanwick GP, Northants in the murk of the morning and, after following detailed directions, I was able to find the roosting Long-eared Owl as it did its best to conceal itself in the middle of a willow. On the way home, a stop at Wilstone Reservoir, Tring provided me with a taste of spring in the form of a House Martin, a couple of Swallows and many Sand Martins.
2nd April – there I was on a Saturday morning standing with every other prick and his dog at Shugborough Hall, Staffs only hours before I was meant to fly to Casablanca. I was there ruing my mistake of not going the previous afternoon as there was no sign of the Belted Kingfisher. The rest is history… I flew to Morocco that afternoon and had a fantastic trip (see my trip report) and was gladly informed of its relocation in Scotland whilst I was standing at a Saharan oasis. However, it decided to do the off before my return and hence I will be the first one there for the next one…
2nd – 10th April – Morocco (see my separate trip report)
17th April – an excellent start to the morning was provided by immaculate views of a reeling Savi’s Warbler as it perched from an isolated bush from dawn until at least 7am. Additionally, other birds included Cuckoo, Common Tern, a drake Garganey and both Reed and Sedge Warblers.
23rd April – after a lengthy stay in bed, I eventually journeyed out to Staines Reservoir, Surrey where a drake Green-winged Teal performed at mid distance with a small group of Teal on the west side of the South Basin. As well as the regular Common Terns, I was treated to a group of 5 Arctic Terns flying north-east through the reservoir mid afternoon. Never feeling ‘quite right’ about the Titchwell individual, I am always impartial to a look at a vagrant Black-winged Stilt and this year was no exception, especially considering the dearth of records in the last 10 years. So it was then that I drove the short distance through the Surrey ‘commuter belt’ and found myself at Pulborough Brooks RSPB, West Sussex where the adult Black-winged Stilt was showing impeccably late afternoon from the West Mead Hide. Events were livened up by the presence of a Nightingale as well as a lone Wheatear.
24th April – late April, from my limited experience, seems to be a fairly dynamic time of year at Staines Reservoir, Surrey and with this in mind I spent the afternoon wandering around the place. The drake Green-winged Teal was still present on the south basin whilst 3 adult summer Little Gulls were a delight, along with a couple of Little Ringed Plovers on the tern islands on the north basin whilst 150 Swifts patrolled the skies.
30th April – this was the first weekend day where I actually felt that spring had arrived. The skies were blue and a decent southerly airflow was present across the southern half of the country. By early afternoon, a small trip (3) of Dotterel were showing intermittently in a pea field at Burnthouse Lane GP, Berks in addition to 4 Whimbrel, a Yellow Wagtail, a couple of Whinchats and a Wheatear in the same field. A single Stone Curlew was located on typical chalk habitat whilst the evening was spent searching for a Great Reed Warbler at Frensham Great Pond, Surrey in vain.
1st May – ideal conditions for a seawatch at Dungeness, Kent were forecast and so we journeyed down there. On arrival, a flock of 6 Pomarine Skuas drifted east and these were followed over the next hour or so by a further 9 individuals including most at relatively close range. Other seabird movement included 4 Arctic Skuas, 3 Little Terns and 200 Common Scoter east. Trudging through the trapping area, it was evident that a large fall of Sylvia warblers had occurred and amongst the many Whitethroats we located a Garden Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat whilst a Hobby and Yellow Wagtail flew over. After gaining excellent views of a couple of Ring Ousels just before the Long Pits, we turned back towards the observatory where our car was… half an hour later we were summoned back to the Long Pits where John Archer had located a male Subalpine Warbler that proved somewhat elusive in bushes at the north end of the Long Pits. If only we had walked those couple of hundred extra yards… although probably the best Grasshopper Warbler I’ve ever seen was reeling like mad and showing extremely well from elder bushes near the new car park by the ARC pit. The enthusiasm from the morning kept us going for the rest of the day although visits to Bockhill Farm, St. Margaret’s, Kent and Oare Marshes, Kent revealed nothing of any particular note.
2nd May – the adult Whiskered Tern showed well mid to late morning over the Lakenheath and Hockwold Flashes complex, Norfolk/Suffolk with a small group of Common Terns. A pair of Golden Orioles showed well together in the 1st poplar plantation adjacent to the riverbank whilst 6 Hobbies patrolled the skies and at least 3 Grasshopper Warblers reeled from the area. A short journey revealed a Stone Curlew on a Suffolk heath whilst 2 Woodlarks showed well at Mayday Farm, Suffolk early afternoon.
7th May – another Saturday morning trip to Dungeness, Kent produced another quality sighting in the form of a Gull-billed Tern as it hawked over the New Diggings and occasionally roosted on the sand spit viewable from the new hide. A drake Garganey showed briefly on the ARC Pit whilst 2 1st-summer Little Gulls and 6 Whimbrel were present on Dengemarsh, Kent.
8th May – if yesterday was not enough, I decided to return to the Dungeness, Kent area and first port of call was Dengemarsh where the adult Temminck’s Stint was located from the road. A couple of 1st-summer Little Gulls were also present along with about a dozen Whimbrel and an adult summer Bar-tailed Godwit. Passerines appeared few and far between although a Spotted Flycatcher performed admirably from spindly bushes adjacent to the Christmas Dell hide on the reserve itself and, nearby, the Gull-billed Tern once again showed very well on New Diggings mid afternoon.
14th May – as it often the case, when you least expect it, the evening’s plan needed to be changed with imminent effect. My girlfriend had continually asked me to put the Friday evening aside as she had arranged for us to meet with some University friends – me, being me, gave her the usual response of ‘I’ll be there unless there’s a quality bird on the offering’. As it was, I had to blow my plans as that quality bird had indeed turned up and, as soon as I’d finished work, started driving (or at least got driven) north. We arrived at dawn at Meikle Loch, Aberdeenshire and in the hazy morning light the drake Barrow’s Goldeneye was watched from 4.10am until 5.20am when it flew towards the Ythan Estuary. In really atmospheric surroundings, this ‘beefy Bucephala’ was regularly seen to drop its head in courtship, presumably responding to the immature drake Goldeneyes that surrounded it. Needless to say, a bird such as this was doubtless to bring some familiar faces whom ‘only go for birds they need’ and, with the incompetence associated with the true twitcher, one of the most notable idiots of the aforementioned genre suddenly was claiming a Ring-necked Duck! After some persuasion, despite it being rung into the information services, I let them know that I’d actually been watching the bird for a minute or so beforehand and had come to the conclusion that it was the regular hybrid drake Ring-necked x Tufted Duck drake that had been present on and off in Aberdeenshire for the previous couple of years. Anyway, it was nice to see that Corn Buntings appeared to be doing well on the farmland adjacent to the loch and a small skein of Pinkfeet flew over. Heading south slightly, the Barrow’s Goldeneye was seen again on the Ythan Estuary exhibiting, at the time worryingly so, a nice green sheen to the head whilst a search at Blackdog, Aberdeenshire failed to produce the 1st-summer drake King Eider although a large flock of Scoter showed well. One of the advantages of Spring is the almost endless hours of daylight and, with this in mind, we drove south where late afternoon and early evening we found ourselves (somewhat bleary eyed) at Burnham Norton, Norfolk. The Stilt Sandpiper showed at medium range on the lagoon just inland of the seawall, where a drake Garganey was also present, whilst just east of here a female Woodchat showed extremely well on fenceposts adjacent to the footpath.
15th May – after yesterday’s excerpts, a brief lie in felt deserved although I was conscious to make the most of the good birding that was available within easy reach of my London home. Awaking to the news that the Broad-billed Sandpiper had once again been present early morning at Cliffe, Kent, I set off east from Central London. On arrival, it was obvious that I had mistimed the tides and hence the target bird was not present from the viewing mound. 3 Wood Sandpipers were immediately apparent as they associated together on mud adjacent to the viewing mound and a couple of Ruff and Greenshank plus 3 Garganey were also present. After a brief sojourn to view a Black-necked Grebe, I returned to the viewing mound and was exceptionally fortunate to find 3 Temminck’s Stints that flew in together from a south-easterly direction. Time had progressed to late afternoon and the light was terrible looking south from the viewing mound but, with a slightly reduced heat haze, the Broad-billed Sandpiper was found in amongst a distant flock of 200 Dunlin that had congregated on the lagoon. After a thoroughly satisfying day in the field at one site, with little driving for a change, I arrived back home in the cooling evening and found myself somewhat regretting my over exposure to the sun’s rays.
21st May – an overnight drive saw us at first light in God’s county – Cheshire. Renowned for winter gulls, Moore NR, Cheshire was the unlikely location for a Black Kite that had roosted overnight and was visible at 5.30am in the morning as it flew north from the woodland near the tip. Other birds noted in the area early morning included at least 1 Willow Tit by the new feeding station as well as a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Cuckoo and a Spotted Flycatcher. Moving to the south-east of the county, at Tegg’s Nose CP, a glorious Wood Warbler uttered its ‘spinning penny’ melody whilst a couple of pairs of Pied Flycatchers eventually obliged. Pride of place, in this excellent deciduous woodland, was a couple of Tawny Owls flying around and perching in broad daylight, whilst Spotted Flycatcher, a Garden Warbler and a couple of Blackcaps were also noted. Then, the dulcet sound of the ‘Mega alert’ interrupted the serene proceedings… and I masterminded what was an extremely swift drive south along the M6 and the A14. We arrived at a sun baked Landguard, Suffolk early afternoon and the Trumpeter Finch duly obliged although remained fairly inactive throughout. A fairly drab individual, most probably a first-summer male, it favoured the shingle area near the seawatching hide and on a couple of occasions uttered the characteristic ‘toy trumpet’ note. After enjoying a well earned McDonald’s, where a bit of value was to be had by one of our team being forced to make conversation with ‘one of life’s born winners’, we headed home via Willington GP, Bedfordshire. At this latter site, in blustery conditions, the male Great Reed Warbler performed well in the reeds whilst hundreds of Sand Martins, a couple of Turtle Doves and a Cuckoo were also recorded.
22nd May – after the events of the previous day, I was in optimistic mood as I headed down the M3 in search of a Whiskered Tern – alas, though, there was no sign of this bird at Fleet Pond nor Tundry Pond, Hants. A visit to Chobham Common, Surrey where I noted a Tree Pipit, was abruptly ended by the news that the Whiskered Tern had been located on King George VI Reservoir, Staines, Surrey. Along with many Swifts and a couple of 1st summer Little Gulls, the target bird was seen on arrival and showed very well on the east side of the basin mid afternoon.
24th May – after the typical struggle through south-east London, and a slightly earlier work finish than usual, I arrived at Cliffe Pools, Kent to be greeted by a roosting Terek Sandpiper early evening as it showed at mid-range from the viewing mound. Hastily driving east, the Trumpeter Finch showed extremely well in the late evening sun on the grassy slope adjacent to the beach at Tankerton, Kent – much duller than the Landguard bird lacking a peachy flush to the rump and indistinct reddish edgings to the tertials. A desperado last knock-ins search at Worth Marshes, Kent failed to produce the Cattle Egret that had been seen there earlier in the day.
27th May – heading out of London on a Friday evening is not always the best idea but, after the usual struggle, I ended up at a site in west Kent where a male Nightjar performed well and churred fairly constantly in the twilight.
28th May – in blustery conditions, there was no sign of the Terek Sandpiper at Cliffe, Kent early morning and, with news of a Collared Pratincole in Cambridgeshire, we headed north. On arrival at Wicken Fen, Cambs mid morning it was evident that the target bird had flown before we arrived. Wanting to make the most out of the day, we headed towards Norfolk and the raptor watchpoint at Great Ryburgh, Norfolk. After a couple of hours waiting, with the bonus interlude of an untagged Red Kite and at least 8 Hobbies, a Honey Buzzard eventually showed at decent range over the woodland. One of Britain’s worst kept secrets, a pair of Montagu’s Harriers, performed well over arable fields late afternoon whilst an evening at Titchwell, Norfolk produced 3 Garganey, 7 1st summer Little Gulls, a couple of Little Terns and at least 10 Sanderling amongst the Dunlin flock.
29th May – having failed yesterday, the Collared Pratincole had been relocated on the freshmarsh to the west of the windmill at Cley, Norfolk. This bird performed fairly well early evening, with the prominent white trailing edge to its secondaries discernible in addition to the chestnut axillaries and underwing coverts. A Garganey was also located here whilst nearby, a 2nd summer Western Yellow-legged Gull was present on Pat’s Pool, Cley although there was no sign of the Purple Heron. A late evening visit to Salthouse Heath, Norfolk produced ‘heard only’ records of Nightjar and Nightingale.
4th June – after gleaning some decent information on recent Lady Amherst’s Pheasant sightings, we searched an area from dawn but had no luck. On this note, we headed south-west from the Northern Home Counties towards Devon. A male Cirl Bunting showed well on arrival at a site near Exeter, Devon whilst a pretty immaculate Woodchat showed very well in sycamores on the seaward side of Lower Ley, Slapton and 500+ Swifts squealed overhead. The adult White-rumped Sandpiper showed well late afternoon from the hide at Bowling Green Marsh, Devon in amongst 25 or so Dunlin whilst a Whimbrel, a Pintail and c.150 Black-tailed Godwits were also present. An evening visit to Exmouth seafront, Devon did not produce the hoped for Roseate Terns although at least 100 Kittiwakes and 40+ Gannets were present here.
5th June – I decided to have a bit of a lie in this morning, and hence did not reach Cliffe Pools, Kent until late morning where the female Woodchat showed at mid distance on bushes beyond the 2nd viewing mound. A fairly drab bird, particularly compared to yesterday’s individual, with a flecked forehead and neat chevrons on off-white flanks. In a moment of madness and realising that Kent was somewhat dry of activity, I decided to go down to Stanpit Marsh, Dorset where a Spotted Sandpiper had been found. On my arrival at Crouch Hill, this summer plumaged ‘spotty’ individual hugged the under cliff of the saltmarsh, feeding on flies as it did so, though was somewhat distant in the poor weather.
11th June – I awoke to a text message alerting me to the fact that another Trumpeter Finch had been found. Like the second bird that I saw earlier this Spring, its chosen county was Kent and so after a quick episode of getting ready, I headed off out and down the A2 and M20 in the direction of Dungeness, Kent. Favouring sea cabbage and gardens between the old lighthouse and the coastguards, this was a much more ‘rosy flushed’ individual and was certainly the best looking of this species to grace the British Isles this spring. The rest of the day was spent in the field, albeit somewhat unproductively, with Pegwell Bay producing a sole Whimbrel, Oare Marshes producing even less and a Spotted Flycatcher being the highlight of a windy evening at Knole Park, Kent.
12th June – during the previous evening, news had filtered out (via the analysis of photographs), that a Woodchat in Somerset exhibited the salient characters of the form badius. Having not seen this subspecies/form in the British Isles, I ventured west along the M4 early morning and arrived at Uphill near Weston-super-Mare, Somerset mid morning where the ‘Balearic’ Woodchat was still present, perching on a hawthorn hedge immediately adjacent to the River Axe. Probably a first-summer, exhibiting brown primaries and a dark grey mantle, this individual showed absolutely no pale primary bases at rest although the bases to the primaries on the right wing were pale in flight. The underparts were white and it certainly seemed to possess a more bulbous bill than typical nominate race birds (although this is subjective), with a restricted amount of black on the forehead and on the feathers surrounding the base of the bill. On the way home, the regular drake Ring-necked Duck showed well on the square lagoon at Avonmouth, Somerset early afternoon.
18th June – after arriving in the middle of the night at West Charleton Marsh, Devon I decided to make the most of a mild night and gained a fitful night’s sleep on the bench at the bottom of the road. After an hour or so in the hide, the male Black-headed Wagtail was located at 7.10 am and performed at mid distance for the next twenty minutes or so. This was the first potential feldegg I had seen in the British Isles since the controversial ‘asymmetric’ individual at Maylandsea, Essex in June 1999 but was no way near as close as the stunning male at Conwy RSPB Reserve, Conwy that I witnessed in May 1998. A male Cirl Bunting showed at mid distance as it sang from a hawthorn hedge adjacent to the hide, whilst 9 Little Egrets were present at West Charleton early morning. Heading north, a stop at Yarner Wood near Bovey Tracey, Devon provided excellent views of 2 Wood Warblers whilst in Somerset, 2 White Storks performed well late afternoon in a hay meadow near Othery mid afternoon.
19th June – an adult Western Yellow-legged Gull was present on the mud adjacent to the esplanade at Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex mid afternoon.
25th June – the previous week had been unbearably warm in the southern half of the British Isles but, in typical weekend form, it had subsided and a search for Honey Buzzards in south-east England produced no sightings. On this note, I headed off towards Rye Harbour, East Sussex and was rewarded with excellent views of an adult Roseate Tern (with metal rings on both legs) in front of the Guy Crittall Hide. Additionally, at least 25 Mediterranean Gulls were also present on the Ternery Pool but nearby, there was no sign of the Black-winged Stilt at Dengemarsh, Kent that had been present midweek although 3 Green Sandpipers and an Avocet were appreciated.
3rd July – having had to attend a wedding the previous day, I was extremely keen to get out and do a little bit of birding today. And, with a Collared Pratincole within 20 miles of my Central London house, Rainham Marshes, London/Essex was the obvious location. The bird showed fairly well mid afternoon on the pool at the north end of the reserve mid afternoon and 4 Greenshank were also present here.
6th July – no sign of the all dark-mantled Sterna tern (reported as a Bridled) seen yesterday from dawn until at least mid morning at Ynys Feirig, Rhosneigr, Anglesey although many Arctic Terns were present as were a few Manx Shearwaters offshore. Nearby at South Stack RSPB Reserve, 6 Chough showed very well by the top car park whilst a handful of Puffins were noted on the cliffs opposite Ellen’s Tower.
9th July – with the events of 7th July in Central London as well as an unprofessional ‘leave it til the weekend approach’, I journeyed up to Anglesey on a Friday night fully conscious that I could be in store for one of the birds of the year. After a night of nervously pacing up and down Amlwch’s small harbour, daylight dawned upon us and the boatman’s activity commenced. After significant confusion and the realisation that the boatman had double booked, we boarded the first boat out of the harbour in the direction of The Skerries, Anglesey. It was a great morning and the light was perfect for viewing the many auks that skirted past the boat, although the highlight of the trip out was a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver that flew directly over. However, the serenity of the trip became somewhat stifled after a couple of hours at The Skerries where, despite the tern activity, there was no sign of the target bird. Two hours became four, and despite the fact that at least two adult Roseate Terns were seen, things were beginning to look a little desperate as we returned to Amlwch. With the boatman going out again as soon as we got back, the ‘weekenders’ that had gathered in the harbour had now dwindled to a handful of the more determined soles. As always, my team has a never say die attitude and it was decided that we would have a few hours away from the open sea, scour Cemlyn, and then go out again at 6pm. Cemlyn proved very quiet and there was still no sign of the target bird the incoming party on our boat arrived back at the harbour. Once again, we pulled up at the oh so familiar ‘landing area’ on the Skerries, rather forlorn, and started scanning half-heartedly again through the tern colony. I scanned a few times, then at 6.50pm… double take… and yelped like a banshee ‘I’ve f**king got it, flying right in front of the lighthouse…’ and there we all had a marvellous adult Sooty Tern. In flight, it looked sizeable and displayed the typically obvious dark primary wedge to the underwing and a noticeable black trailing edge to the secondaries. When seen at close range, as we did between 7.45pm and 8pm, the fairly prominent white outer tail feathers were noted and, when on the deck, a thin dark line was noted to run through its lores to expose a fairly prominent white forehead. With such relief and elation, we headed back to the harbour thoroughly exhausted before recuperating enough to have a celebratory sherbet in Bangor on the way home to London.
16th July – with the previous weekend’s excitement, a quiet walk around Polhill Bank, Kent was in order. In addition to a couple of Marsh Tits, butterflies included Comma, Wall, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, both Small and Large Skippers and Speckled Wood.
17th – 24th July – Na’ama Bay and Sharm el Sheikh, EGYPT. After the incidents of the 7th July in London, a relatively pleasant holiday with my girlfriend (bar the locals hassling me continually before I lost my temper on one of them) deteriorated into another scene of carnage thanks to another bombing! We were both in The States when September 11th occurred, both in London on 7th July so… please e-mail me so I can let you know where I’m off on holiday so as you can plan your trip elsewhere. On a more positive note, I targeted a few species for this trip with the highlights including Sooty Falcon, Sooty Gull, White-eyed Gull, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse, Sinai Rosefinch, White-cheeked Tern and Scrub Warbler (of the race inquieta). A brief trip report will eventually be produced…
30th July – a quick trip home to sort a few bits and bobs out meant that I could reacquaint myself with Frodsham where on No6 Tank an adult Little Stint was present amongst c.200 Dunlin.
31st July – the adult summer Cattle Egret was seen very well mid afternoon in a cattle field at Hinchingbrooke Country Park, Huntingdon, Cambs although the fact that viewing was actually on the A14 slipway made for a rather unpleasant ordeal so I headed off pretty swiftly to Fen Drayton. On arrival, I was somewhat surprised to find a huge number of Aythya ducks on Ferry lagoon where, after a bit of searching, I located the eclipse drake Ferruginous Duck. Although I remained on site for a further hour, it remained pretty inactive and only raised its head briefly on a handful of occasions.
6th August – with return wader passage already in full swing, a visit to Cliffe Pools RSPB, Kent revealed very little except a Green Sandpiper, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover as well as the usual mob of Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits.
7th August – never actually having seen the Ukrainian ringed Caspian Gull at Southwold, I journeyed up there for the afternoon… returning still not seeing the Ukrainian ringed 2nd summer Caspian Gull (despite some horrific claims from other observers). I did, however, enjoy a 1st summer Western Yellow-legged Gull.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
9th October – the morning was spent in the confines of Glasgow airport and, after speaking to Angus Murray, there was the realisation that we would not need to ‘splash the cash’ this time around as there had been no sign of the first-winter Rose-breasted Grosbeak on Barra. Wanting to at least get a little bit of birding done, we headed south to Anthorn, Cumbria to see whether the 1st-summer American Golden Plover was still present – it wasn’t although a couple of hundred Golden Plovers gave us something to scan through. Further south, at Frodsham No6, Cheshire a Ruff was the highlight.
10th October – rising after a comfortable night in the car at Exeter services, we journeyed the short distance to Newton Abbot, Devon. After the customary McDonald’s breakfast and a short wait, the 1st-winter Squacco Heron showed in exemplary fashion on the small pond at Courtenay Park after flying in at 9.24am. Upon leaving the site, fairly certain that I would never see a Squacco so well again, we journeyed south-west and into the deteriorating weather. First stop was Nanquidno where a male Subalpine Warbler had been found earlier in the morning but, despite searching, there was no sign of this bird although a couple of Choughs were some consolation. The weather again deteriorated and, on the moor at Porthgwarra, Cornwall it was more a case of questioning one’s sanity as opposed to being disappointing in failing to locate the Siberian Stonechat. However, a couple of Firecrests were present in the pittisporum hedges by the Coastguard cottages.
11th October – after a decent night’s sleep in the car at Drift, Cornwall, I ventured back to Porthgwarra and headed up through 60 foot cover, where I noted a Firecrest, to the coastguard cottages but alas there was again no sign of the Siberian Stonechat in poor weather. With the weather deteriorating, and fearing a wash out in Cornwall, we decided to head east to Portland, Dorset. On arrival at Reap Lane the Arctic Warbler was located in sycamores by the chicken pens. A typically stout individual, it proved elusive for the next hour or so, before showing pretty constantly where scope views were obtained. In the same area Black Redstart, Wheatear and a couple of Chiffchaffs were noted. As the afternoon progressed, so the weather declined and in the final hour of daylight a poor Pallas’ Warbler was sheltering from the elements in an isolated tamarisk in the lighthouse garden at the tip of The Bill.
15th October – After over-sleeping for an hour (and a big thank you for waiting other team members!), we eventually arrived at Grafham Water, Cambs where the 1st-winter White-rumped Sandpiper was located on arrival as it favoured the first bay north of Marlow car park with 6 Dunlin. Amazingly this was the first juvenile or first-winter of this species that I have observed in the British Isles despite the fact I’d recorded 9 adult White-rumped Sandpipers over here. There was action further north, and after enduring a sluggish A1, we arrived at the car park at Torness power station, Lothian where the Paddyfield Warbler was showing very well on arrival. Spending much of its time on the ground beneath bushes, it was good to be able to re-familiarize myself with the field characteristics of the eastern vagrant as my only two previous sightings of this species were of the Lea Valley, Essex individual in October 1999 and the November 1996 occurrence at Long Rock Pool, Marazion, Cornwall. 2 Yellow-browed Warblers were vocal and showy as they favoured the area of small saplings immediately adjacent to the power station, whilst 3 Bramblings flew over. Nearby at St.Abb’s Head, we were treated to some excellent birding with at least 3 Yellow-browed Warblers being present mid afternoon in the sallows and adjacent sycamore trees at the south end of Mire Loch in amongst numerous Goldcrests. Birds were absolutely everywhere, with hundreds of thrushes whistling over (mainly Blackbirds and Redwings) and Bramblings were evident by their presence. Other birds noted here included a couple of Chiffchaffs whilst, hearing what appeared to be a Coal Tit, we were then treated to immaculate views of a ringed Continental Coal Tit exhibiting all the salient characters of this race. Being rather nonplussed with the fact that although we had found all the Yellow-browed Warblers for ourselves at St.Abb’s, we could not legitimately claim them as ‘finds’ in the purest sense as there had been at least 7 reported in the area earlier in the morning. With this in mind, I orchestrated a last hour raid on the burn at Burnmouth, Borders and after a quiet first 15 minutes that distinctive disyllabic note sounded from an isolated elm opposite the Kirk and, in no time at all, I had found my own Yellow-browed Warbler for the day. A further individual was vocal from within the burn shortly afterwards but appeared somewhat elusive, whilst throughout our time here impressive numbers of Redwings and Blackbirds appeared to be piling in from the sea at a continual rate. After impressive fish and chips, chosen by one of us due to the talent behind the counter, we retired to a Seahouses pub where I was rather taken aback by the quality of Farne Islands Bitter… that was, until the dulcet ‘Mega-alert’ sounded.
16th October – after a long and arduous drive from Northumberland, we arrived in the early hours at Hunstanton, Norfolk pretty shattered. Awaking to a bright morning, we ambled through the dunes near the Le Strange Arms hotel and, after an hour or so, a mad rush occurred with the news that the American Kestrel had been re-found in the pine belt adjacent to the hotel. Needless to say, the rest is history… a nice bird with a distinctive green metal ring on its left leg. Several Bramblings were also noted here, as was a small flock in the cliff top wood at Trimingham, Norfolk whilst a pleasant couple of hours early afternoon at Waxham, Norfolk revealed yet more Bramblings and tons of Goldcrests but little else.
22nd October – after a couple of hours searching, the Cattle Egret was located by the entrance track to Elmley RSPB Reserve before flying high south in the direction of the reserve proper. By the car park, a Ring Ouzel was located with a couple of Blackbirds whilst several Marsh Harriers quartered the saltmarsh and 3 Grey Partridges showed well.
23rd October – with negative news on a Black-throated Thrush (the initial report was enough to get me out of bed), a return to the Isle of Sheppey seemed the best option. Immediately, the Cattle Egret was located on in the fields adjacent to the entrance track at Elmley RSPB Reserve, Kent and showed considerably better than the previous day. A visit to the pub at Harty Ferry produced 30 Dark-bellied Brents but no sign of the Black Brant reported the previous day. Walking around the Warden Point area, Sheppey, Kent there was little of interest with just a few Goldcrests providing limited entertainment. Heading west and then north over the Thames, the 1st-winter White-rumped Sandpiper showed decently at East Tilbury, Essex mid afternoon in amongst a throng of Dunlin – this was presumed to have been the Cambs bird that had disappeared overnight but, comparing the moult of the Essex bird with photos of the Cambs bird taken on 22nd October, it was evident that this individual was in a much more advanced stage of moult with the majority of its upperparts moulted to fresh grey 1st-winter feathering. A couple of adult Western Yellow-legged Gulls (the first Yellow-legged Gulls I’d seen since the BOU split) were also present on the foreshore, as was a Little Stint.
29th October – standing on the balcony of my flat in Borough, London, along with a steady movement of finches over, a Hawfinch headed north east at 10.05am. Nearby, birding around Surrey Quays and Millwall produced little of interest.
30th October – with the two people who most regularly accompany me heading to Cork for the day in order to see Chimney Swift (I managed to see the Rame bird in October 1999), I headed off to Norfolk with my girlfriend. After a couple of hours searching, I located the adult American Golden Plover in amongst a flock of c.500 Golden Plovers adjacent to the B1156 just SE of Langham – a typical adult moulting out of summer plumage and the first of this species that I’d seen since the one I found at West Griminish, Outer Hebrides last September. Nearby at Salthouse, Norfolk a Richard’s Pipit showed at mid distance but, as is often the case in North Norfolk, I had to leave earlier than I’d have liked due to crowd incompetence (with Skylarks). Anyway, after a hearty lunch, we headed back via Ely… need I say more. No prizes for guessing that it wasn’t the fact that my girlfriend was desperate to visit Oliver Cromwell’s house that drew us to this town. 60 of the suspects were located by The Maltings!
5th November – after an uneventful drive down, punctuated by a stop at Penzance Tesco to buy a couple of loaves of bread at 4 in the morning, we awoke to the cry of gulls at daybreak. The first scan of Tolcarne beach, Penzance, Cornwall produced 2 Grey Phalaropes together in the surf as well as a late juvenile Arctic Tern. After half an hour or so, the second-winter Laughing Gull (bird 1) was easily located on the grass adjacent to the seafront – dark primaries and a hint of dark in the tail rendered this a second-year bird. Nearby, a Grey Phalarope appeared mobile at Marazion, Cornwall – initially seen to fly over the pines at the back of the reserve, then settling briefly on the sea at 9.15am. The fields between Higher Bosistow and Lower Bosistow Farms, near Polgigga, Cornwall yielded an immaculate adult Laughing Gull (bird 2) mid morning whilst a couple of Chough flew north here. Heading just north of Land’s End a further 2 Grey Phalaropes were present in Sennen Cove, Cornwall whilst an adult and 1st-winter Med Gull were also present here and an adult Gannet appeared stranded (potentially with a broken wing) at the north end of the cove. In breezy conditions, we quickly located a fairly pale juvenile Rose-coloured Starling on the council estate in Sennen itself and a female Black Redstart was also sheltering from the elements in the same location. Even though it had been erratic the previous couple of days, we felt that the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall was well worth a shout at low tide in order to locate the first-winter Franklin’s Gull. Alas, it was not to be, and birds here included a re-acquaintance with the annually returning drake Green-winged Teal, a couple of Spoonbills, 3 Greenshank and a Spotted Redshank. In two minds whether to go up to the Gannel or down to Helston, we eventually chose the latter – a decision we rued immensely by the poor birding we experienced combined with a certain phone called that told us what was at the former site… at least we knew where we would be in the morning!
6th November – after waking up in the luxury of a B&B for the first time this autumn (my favoured place to sleep has always been the car, despite being rumoured to be the wealthiest birder in Britain per LGRE), we headed the half mile or so down the hill to the Gannel Estuary, Newquay for first light. Many gulls were milling around and I noted a 2nd winter Little Gull and a couple of 1st winter Mediterranean Gulls in the gloom. With breakfast due, we thought an en-route stop at the boating lake may be worth a shout and, low and behold, with only about 10 other gulls present, there was the second-winter Laughing Gull ( bird 3) sitting in the water at point blank range at 8.20am. After a decent breakfast, though the mushrooms appeared to be of the tinned variety, we happily noted the second-winter Laugher again and then headed towards the ploughed fields south of the town where the previous day a second-winter Franklin’s Gull had been seen. An hour or so later, with a second-winter Little Gull and a first-winter Med Gull the rewards, we decided to re-visit the boating lake. Driving up, we could see a Laugher on the post, and then as we got slightly nearer a simultaneous ‘F**king hell, it’s got immature coverts’ revealed that we’d just found a first-winter Laughing Gull (bird 4). Within a few seconds, we noted the presence of both birds – Marc Read then jumped out of my car and, in obligatory fashion, managed to capture both birds individually and then both birds in the same photo – superb. With the hunt going on for that other dark mantled larid, after a couple of hours of searching, I located the Franklin’s Gull at 2.30 pm flying over a ploughed field just west of the A3075 a couple of miles south of Newquay, in amongst a large gathering of Black-headed Gulls. In flight, slight grey notching on the tail was the only sign of immaturity on this blunt-winged gull. After watching the bird for 20 minutes or so, it then headed off in the direction of the estuary and at 3pm the bird flew in and landed immediately in front of us on the exposed mud. On the deck, the tertial step showed a couple of dark notches, further suggesting the ageing as a second-winter as opposed to an adult. Happy with the weekend, we drove off east and, to round things off, headed to Davidstow airfield, Cornwall where a first-winter Grey Phalarope showed extremely well in the crisp evening light on a puddle adjacent to the control tower.
12th November – after the long drive up from London, punctuated by a decent couple of hours sleep at my folk’s place in Chester, we arrived at the rather scenic location of Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey at dawn. After a brief wait the 1st winter Green Heron was located on the saltmarsh just east of the rusty boat and proceeded to show itself well intermittently, often hiding in inaccessible channels, for the next couple of hours or so. At least 8 Little Egrets were also seen and a Brambling and a Redpoll both flew north at this site. With the target bird seen well, we decided to head towards Bangor and search for a breakfast – after locating a Morrison’s in the town centre, we were rewarded with a decidedly average breakfast and probably the most stupid, ‘care in the community-type’ staff member who was unable to work out how to use the cash till! Anyway, on we proceeded to Llanfairfechan, Conwy where the regular adult drake Black Scoter was viewable on arrival at mid distance. In overcast conditions, the bill was not quite as prominent as on a sunny day, but the extensive nature of the ‘apricot’ bulge was noted on this lone individual. Other birds noted at Llanfairfechan included a small flock of Eider, a fair few Red-throated Divers and a flock of Common Scoter. Frustratingly having missed the Cornish individual earlier this autumn, and with my only global experience of the species being the 2 on Scilly in October 1999, the news of an Upland Sandpiper in Somerset was viewed positively. After a swift drive down the M6 and M5, we arrived at Kingston Seymour, Somerset and on arrival this prehistoric beast was performing well. As those of you who know me well will verify, waders are my favourite bird family and this species rates as one of the best – the intricately barred tail, lateral crown stripe, bulging eye and slightly decurved bill combined with the ‘bobbing’ manner and infrequent dashing made this a worthwhile afternoon sojourn to view this bird. A late Wheatear was also noteworthy at Kingston Seymour, Somerset as it favoured the same field as the sandpiper.
13th November – after a night with very little sleep, I joined the pre-dawn masses that had gathered on the cliff just to the east of Cromer, Norfolk. After a short wait, the Little Swift was located roosting on the cliff immediately under where observers had been watching it the previous evening. Its change in roosting location was undoubtedly due to the shift in wind direction from south-west to due north overnight and, as a consequence, its original spot would have been somewhat over exposed. Just before 8am, the bird took off and the first few seconds of viewing were excellent until it quickly gained height and was lost as it drifted off south-west. With an offensive amount of people present here, it was an easy decision to make and head south towards Dungeness, Kent. After the obligatory stop at the Barton Mills ‘greasy spoon’, news of a Desert Wheatear and most noticeably a report of a Grey-cheeked Thrush in Hertfordshire had us thinking. After a couple of investigative phone calls, it was obvious that a trip to Great Wood Country Park, Herts may well pay off. After a short while searching, and a couple of tantalising glimpses of a Catharus sp, I eventually obtained excellent views of a Grey-cheeked Thrush within an hour’s drive of my Central London home. This was absolutely unbelievable, and the initial crowd of birders were truly excellent in their fieldcraft and behaviour. What was to follow, so I believe, was an absolute carve up. Is it just me getting cynical over the years or do the ‘new’ birders of the twenty first century have no idea how to behave when trying to locate a species? Fieldcraft appears to be about as novel as a Peter Crouch goal these days…
19th November – after a successful trip a couple of weeks ago, I decided to return to Cornwall with my girlfriend. After a crisp walk around Lizard Point and to St. Michael’s Mount, I arrived at Newlyn harbour shortly after midday to find that there were no Laughing Gulls present. With this, I headed off to Drift Reservoir, Cornwall and immediately located an adult Laughing Gull on the railings at the south end of the reservoir – it then flew on to the reservoir itself, exhibiting the pearl white wingtips diagnostic of this age. Additionally, a first-winter drake Lesser Scaup was also present – my girlfriend then commented that this was not that special as she’d seen one here before. I informed her that this individual was the first one I had seen at Drift since 2000 as well! Heading off west, Sennen Cove was uneventful bar the numerous surfers, and we then headed east towards Falmouth, Cornwall. At the seaward end of Swanpool, a second-winter Laughing Gull performed impressively as it came to bread and sat in the car park – so much so that recognisable images using an instamatic camera were taken. An adult Mediterranean Gull also resided on the pool itself late afternoon.
20th November – after a morning in Bude unsuccessfully hoping for a dark-backed larid, and early afternoon spent at Clovelly, I was treated to excellent views of a really dusky shawled second-winter Laughing Gull at Bideford Quay, Devon mid afternoon. In the excellent mid afternoon light, the bird showed at mid distance on the mud a couple of hundred yards north of the road bridge before coming much closer and circling over my head.
27th November – the afternoon was spent on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent in raw conditions. Shortly after arrival the Rough-legged Buzzard showed at mid distance in its favoured spot from the raptor watchpoint at Harty Ferry whilst other birds included a couple of Hen Harriers, several Marsh Harriers, 2 Common Buzzards whilst a most welcome, overdue ‘year tick’ included a quartering Short-eared Owl late afternoon.
Early December – after just becoming focused on my imminent trip to Israel, news of a new British bird for me (and the first since the Sooty Tern) filtered out from Shetland and momentarily shifted my focus. After a fairly straightforward process, I drove up to Blackpool overnight and in rapid time, we arrived at Tingwall airport shortly after 9am. Within no time at all, after a couple of ‘wrong turns’, we arrived at the Bressay ferry terminal in Lerwick and were immediately rewarded with outstanding views of the Brunnich’s Guillemot. It was an extremely active, ‘dark-throated’ individual and at times would disappear below the surface of the water for up to a minute on to relocate itself 50 yards from where it had initially dived. In every sense of the phrase, this was a neat ‘black-and-white’ bird with crisp unstreaked white flanks contrasting with its black upperparts. At close range, an indentation of a ‘bridle’ could be noted behind the eye and extending onto the ear-coverts, and the diagnostic obvious gape line set on a stubby, broad-tipped bill was immediately apparent at close range. Also present in Lerwick harbour were a ‘typical northern fare’, including Black Guillemots, Razorbills and Long-tailed Ducks. After a quick stop off at the Co-op, we headed north and after a little bit of searching the adult White-billed Diver was located at mid distance off the church near Kirkabister, Shetland along with 3 Great Northern Divers. Heading back south, it was disappointing to find the Mousa Sound Eider flock extremely distant and, although a peachy Eider with a black belly was noted, I left the site just wishing that viewing had been somewhat closer. However, a small flock of Twite and a couple of Purple Sandpipers were most obliging and rounded off a decent day in the field.
3rd – 11th December – Israel (trip report to come…) although highlights included 24 new WP birds (using www.netfugl.dk taxonomy) – Oriental Skylark, Nubian Nightjar, Long-billed Pipit, Namaqua Dove, Arabian Warbler, McQueen’s Bustard amongst others.
17th December – on a bright and frosty morning, I headed out relatively leisurely to Rainham Marshes RSPB Reserve, Essex/London and on arrival was greeted with decent views of the 1st-winter Sociable Plover in amongst the near Lapwing flock. Although being probably the most inactive bird around, it was eventually flushed by a Peregrine and showed well in flight. Also present on the reserve were a couple of Stonechats. The rest of the day, unfortunately, had to be spent at a nearby shopping centre…
18th December – it may only be me, but after yesterday’s shopping exploits, I felt more drained than an overnight drive to Cornwall! Anyway I was keen to get out and after rising mid morning, I headed straight out to New Hythe GP, Kent where the female Ferruginous Duck and female Long-tailed Duck were easily located on Brooklands Pit. With last weeks Israeli large white-headed gulls still in my somewhat ‘confused’ head, I decided to spend an afternoon at Dungeness ARC Pit, Kent where exceptional numbers of cachinnans had been reported earlier in the week. Despite my best efforts (along with the Dungeness gull guru), we could not locate any birds and the best that I mustered were a couple of adult Western Yellow-legged Gulls. A pair of Goosander was also of note.
24th December – back up in Cheshire for Christmas, I decided to have an hour or so looking for a Ring-billed Gull that had been seen the previous day at Gresford Flash, Wrexham. There was no sign of this bird during my visit, although an adult Western Yellow-legged Gull in amongst a group of Lesser Black-backed Gulls was a surprise and made the journey out worthwhile.
26th December – resisting the temptation to go out on Christmas day as I have done on previous years, I travelled up to West Kirby/Red Rocks, Wirral and after a bit of searching on the saltmarsh, I located the overwintering Richard’s Pipit. Initially, it flew from the saltmarsh to the adjacent golf course uttering its diagnostic and rather shrill ‘tshreet’ call before relocating back onto the saltmarsh and performing admirably on the deck. Also present were a couple of Stonechats as well as a few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits.
27th December – although the south-west had missed out on the overnight snow flurries that had fell further east, this was without doubt the coldest day of the year in my experience as I stepped out from the warmth of my car shortly after first light on the Somerset levels. In no time at all, the male Black-throated Thrush was located in a rough field immediately adjacent to Hook Bridge, Stoke St. Gregory, Somerset feeding in amongst a mixed flock of Fieldfares and Redwings. Initially, it was extremely elusive but then showed out in the open mid morning pulling out earthworms from the frozen ground. This was my 6th Black-throated Thrush in the British Isles but remarkably the first this century (after two in 1996, one in 1997, one in 1998 and one in 1999). Other birds noted here included a couple of Bewick’s Swans and 3 Raven over.
