Whilst driving back to the yard at work (in the passenger seat!) I spotted roughly 10 Waxwings perched at the top of a tree in the Longspring car park (Watford). Was just about to say pull in there to the driver when they took off and flew east. As yet they’ve not been spotted again.
Then on the way home just as I passed Kings Langley FC a flock of about 100 Ring-necked Parakeet flew east low over my car.
News broke late Friday of a drake American Wigeon sat in front of the hide at Wilstone Reservoir mid morning. This was the first record in Herts since the late 1980’s! Sadly a host of misfortune saw that news didn’t get out until just before sunset. With this news I arrived at the hide before sunrise to join my fellow early risers but despite giving it a couple of hours and visiting all four reservoirs and College Lake there was no sign. My first dip of the year.
Consolation came in the form of adding Green Sandpiper (4) and a pair of Red-crested Pochard to the year list.
I was off work for the week and so I’d arranged to head up on the Wednesday to Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire to see a potential 2nd for Britain in the shape of a 1st Winter Male Red-headed Bunting with Brendon Fagan but he had to cancel until the Sunday which as it turned out was a very good thing as on the Thursday a Two-barred Greenish Warbler was found there.
Sunday arrived and along with Brendon and Ricky Flesher we headed up and thankfully arrived just as the rain started to dry up. As news of he bunting wasn’t good we headed straight to the Motorway hedge. A female Brambling was the first good bird of the day but it quickly got better as my first ever TWO-BARRED GREENISH WARBLER suddenly appeared and showed well in the set aside.
As there was plenty to see we soon left and after a quick look at some Tree Sparrows we joined a group looking over the cliff edge into some brambles. Before we saw our target bird I heard the familiar trill of a Waxwing as it flew over but it remained a heard only. Shortly after the Pallas’s Warbler flicked into view showing its lovely lemon rump.
Positive news on the bunting came through so we walked along the cliff top in the mud. A Woodcock flew in off the sea and briefly landed on the golf course. A minute or so later a Swift flew into view along the cliffs. Through the bins it looked good for Pallid Swift and sure enough it was soon confirmed as one soon after.
An excellent day all round and amazingly my 3rd multiple tick day of the year.
Another year had passed and so it was time to head down to the SW. My first stop was Caradan Hill near Bodmin. Here I wandered around dodging various animal 💩 for over an hour not seeing my intended target and so I headed back to the car when I bumped into another birder saying it’d just been found. So a hard trudge up the steep hill towards one of the quarries and we came across a small group of birders staring intently at a small Hawthorn tree. In it was just my 2nd ever Lesser Grey Shrike.
I had just over an hour to spare before I had to be at the airport for my flight so I decided to try for the female Black and White Warbler that’d been trapped and ringed at Nanjizal Valley a couple of days earlier and had been released at nearby Polgigga. The small group of trees on the map didn’t look much but in reality it’d be tricky to re find with 100 birders but there were only 3 of us there! As expected there was no sign of the warbler but 3 Firecrest were a nice consolation prize.
I arrived at the airport with lovely sunshine and blue skies but was then brought back to earth when I was informed that there was very thick fog on Scilly and flights were delayed. My 11am flight was cancelled about 20 minutes after it was due to go and so I thought it’d be Monday before I would get over but I went to speak with the lady at check in and said I just need one seat. She went into the office and came back out and said there’s one at 5pm so I said I’ll have it. Just 6 hours to wait 😩😂.
By the time I arrived I had about 30 minutes of daylight left so headed to Porthcressa where 2 Greenshank were the highlight. But it was good to be back.
I started the day at Lower Moors hoping to see a Jack Snipe but I failed in that quest but I did see the female Pintail.
Today I paid only my 2nd ever visit to St.Martin’s hoping to see both Rustic Bunting and Arctic Warbler. My first and only visit had been back in 2002 when I managed to tick Citrine Wagtail from the boat as it fed on Higher Town beach! A couple of hours staring into a field at Perpitch saw everyone fail to see the Bunting despite it being their first thing. As I walked past the warbler twitch it hadn’t been seen for a couple of hours so I decided to get the first boat back to St.Mary’s which of course meant the warbler was seen soon after! A quiet day.
When stood watching the Black-winged Kite in Suffolk if someone had said to me within the next 7 weeks you’ll have been to Scilly and Cleveland and seen both Red-footed + Brown Booby I’d have called them mad.
If at the Brown Booby someone had said in 13 days time you’ll have seen 3 American wood Warbler species I’d have called the men in white coats! 🤪
But that’s exactly what happened in this year of quality birds.
It all started on 20th September when ex-hurricane Lee swept in from the Atlantic and dropped a Blackburnian Warbler in Co.Kerry then 2 Cliff Swallows (Scilly + Co.Clare) followed by Alder Flycatcher on Skolkholm but the best was saved until last when a Magnolia Warbler was found at St.Govan’s Head in Pembrokeshire by Toby Phelps!
The 21st produced goodies such as Bobolink, 2 Black and White Warbler, Bay-Breasted Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, and Baltimore Oriole. Unfolding was the best few days in British birding history for American birds.
Plans were hatched on the 22nd to head to Pembrokeshire for the Magnolia Warbler the next day and a slice of luck saw me book 3 tickets for the boat over to Ramsey Island for the chance at another mega Warbler.
A Reed Warbler in the hedge on the north side was an unusual sight and from the hide I quickly located the 2 Garganey a 1st winter bird and an eclipse male. 6 Common Sandpiper were also noted from the hide 2 Swift were still hanging around alongside 20+ House Martin. In the orchard I had 2 brief views of my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year. In cemetery corner a juvenile Willow Warbler was with a mobile tit flock. 2 Hobby were near the hide and I noted around 20 Chiffchaff from around the reservoir.
The only other thing of note was my first ever Hertfordshire Small Heath butterfly
Whilst carrying out some work in the park ready for green flag award judging I popped to the van back in the yard to get something out the back when I counted no fewer than 48 birds flying through between trees. The flock was mainly Blue Tits but with a reasonable number of Greats with the odd Goldcrest too. Later on I first heard then picked out 3 Crossbill as they headed high NE over the tennis court area.
When George Moreton asked if I wanted to join him for a days birding in Norfolk showing an American birder the delights of British birds I said yes. It helped that I was on annual leave for the week already! George’s brother Matt joined us and at 4.20am we set off but not after I’d added Tawny Owl to the year list.
We picked up Liz Jaffin who we found out wasn’t technically American having been born and raised over here but she’d only started birding when she moved to America and so had no real experience of any of our feathered friends.
Our first stop was Cavenham Heath where before we even got out of the car we had a Woodlark perched on the wires. Once out of the car we were treated to singing Woodlark and Cuckoo and out on the heath 4 adult Stone Curlews with 2 well grown chicks.
