Waxwings! - 19.12.23

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.

Tring - 18.11.23

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. 

CANVASBACK - 2.11.23

Canvasback (front left bird) photo courtesy of Shaun Ferguson

2023 the year that keeps on giving delivered again when news broke of a drake Canvasback at Abberton Reservoir in Essex. It was 21 years since the last record so it was going to be popular and so myself and Matt Moreton headed down to get to the causeway for dawn and nab a parking space. As it was when we arrived we were the 2nd vehicle to park up, the first being George who’d made his own way down!

We started scanning for the Pochard flock and as we did around 200 of them flew over and landed but despite grilling them our quarry wasn’t in there. A Great White Egret was followed by 3 flyby Cattle Egret  and 2 Littles. 7 Egyptian Geese flew over and a juvenile Great Northern Diver was seen distantly. 

The 3 of us decided to see if we could get further around the reservoir so wandered off but to no avail. As we walked back towards the now 70+ birders they all started running. The bird had been found from the viewing platform at nearby Billets Farm. Trying to run in wellies with a sore Achilles wasn’t possible and so I was the last one to arrive. I set my scope up and found the flock of Pochard but trying to pick out the bird was proving difficult given viewing conditions and distance but thankfully the bird decided to help us all out by moving to the front and left hand end of the flock so it was easier to see it’s big black ski slope of a bill and slightly paler body allowing us to get CANVASBACK on our lists. After maybe a minute of viewing the flock moved out of view. Due to me needing to be back home for many hours of DIY we headed off home which was a good move as it went missing for a few hours until it was found from the other causeway. 

Fingers crossed for another 1-2 surprises before the end of the year.

 

What A Day! - 29.10.23

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. 

Red-headed Bunting

We arrived at the hide and waited for a good 45 minutes before we had a couple of brief views of my first ever RED-HEADED BUNTING. After it disappeared again I picked up a female Hen Harrier as it flew over and as soon as we stopped watching it I got onto the bunting again and there it sat in full view for a good 10 minutes. A Peregrine flew over as we headed back to the car but the day wasn’t over as back at the brambles we had brief but good views of only my 2nd ever Dusky Warbler. 

An excellent day all round and amazingly my 3rd multiple tick day of the year.

Cornwall - 6.10.23

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.

 

Lesser Grey Shrike

Marazion awaited and upon arrival the bird had disappeared from the field adjacent to the holiday camp so I went for a look over the reserve but saw nothing more exciting than 3 Little Egrets. I scanned over the field and saw the bird had returned so I shot over and watched only my 3rd ever Woodchat Shrike a nice juvenile. 

Woodchat Shrike

The Hayle Estuary was the final site before dinner but other than an adult Mediterranean Gull it was quiet. Though a Clouded Yellow flying over the centre of the estuary was a weird sight!

Cornwall + Scilly - 7.10.23

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. 

Scilly - 8.10.23

Redstart

My first full day on the islands got off to a frustrating flier. I wandered the short distance from my digs up to Peninnis hoping to see the male Redstart that had been found the day before and as I approached its favoured field I noticed half a dozen birders all looking in my direction and pointing to me that it was perched on a gate. As soon as I lifted my bins it flew across the track and vanished.

I walked along the start of the Peninnis farm trail track to scan the field it’d headed towards and after a couple of minutes a bird flicked up onto the top of the hedge then flew to the corner of the field. I got it in my bins and noted it was a bunting sp. I got it in my scope and was amazed to see it was a Little Bunting! It sat there motionless but constantly calling for the next 20-30 seconds before it flicked over the hedge and promptly vanished never to be seen again. I put the news out on the radio and despite people arriving within a minute everyone left buntingless. A few minutes later the Redstart appeared and showed well.

Rose-coloured Starling

As time was ticking by and I had a boat to catch I walked down to Porthcressa beach where after a few minutes someone picked out the juvenile Rose-coloured Starling stood alone distantly on a rooftop. Popplestone Fields on Bryher was my next destination. For those who don’t recognise the name it’s where last years Blackburnian Warbler was but this year I was after a different, less stunning but still nice warbler. A good 10 minutes elapsed before someone picked it up and we all eventually had great views of only my 2nd Melodious Warbler and a Scilly tick to boot. 

Melodious Warbler 

A female Merlin flew over as we were watching the warbler and further along the island we had ridiculous views of a juvenile Dotterel as it fed amongst the stunted vegetation. 

Dotterel

Samson Hill was my next port of call where despite giving it a good go I failed to connect with the Red-backed Shrike in the horse paddock nor the Barred Warbler on the other side of the hill. Though I did manage to find a very brief Wryneck whilst dipping the warbler! Thankfully the Wryneck did show to others the following day. 

I finished the day back on Peninnis with another/same female Merlin and 73 Cory’s Shearwater past the headland.

Scilly - 9.10.23

 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.

Pintail with Teal

Up at Peninnis the stunning male Black Redstart showed well perched near the top of the lighthouse and at Carreg Dhu I had 2 vocal and showy Firecrest.

Black Redstart

News of 2 Richard’s Pipits showing in a field south of the entrance track to Carn Vean tearoom had me walking up to Pelistry but when I was a couple of minutes away they took flight and thankfully flew over my head calling before landing in the field to the north of the track. Good views of my first multiple sighting of this species were had as well a Black Redstart.

Richard’s Pipit

Just up the road at Maypole a Wryneck was sat in a field but flew up to the hedge as soon as it saw someone looking at it. I revisited Lower Moors where this time I was successful in seeing the 2 Jack Snipe from the screen and hide.

Wryneck

At the far end of Carreg Dhu was a field covered in plastic sheeting and at the front edge was a Glossy Ibis that had probably never seen humans before as it performed to about 10 feet away! In fact us birders had to move back to be able to focus on it for photos! 

Glossy Ibis

As my stomach was rumbling I headed back to my digs to get freshened up before heading out for dinner but just gone 6pm a Great White Egret that’d been around for a day or two had been seen flying over Porthcressa Bay and landed in trees on the Garrison. I grabbed my gear and power walked down there and thankfully got onto the bird for a couple of minutes before it headed off over town. A nice Scilly tick to end the day.

Great White Egret

At the log the 3rd Banded Nycteolone moth for Britain had been brought along for photos and became the rarest thing I saw all week!

Banded Nycteoline

Scilly - 10.10.23

With my new found sea legs thanks to Phenergan tablets I decided to join the days pelagic hoping for a mega rare seabird. Sadly that didn’t materialise but I did managed 3 Scilly ticks. A 2nd year Pomarine Skua hung around for a few minutes and became my 200th species of the year. My 8th adult Sabine’s Gull of the year was the 2nd tick followed by the rarest bird in terms of Scilly listing that I saw all week when a 1st winter Caspian Gull was picked out and almost followed us back to the island. This was just the 5th record for the islands. 

Other highlights were a whopping 500+ Cory’s and 350+ Great Shearwaters, 2 Grey Phalarope, Puffin, 9 Sooty Shearwater and a Red-throated Diver off of Watermill Cove.

Pomarine Skua

A raft of Cory’s + Great Shearwaters

Grey Phalaropes

Caspian Gull

Back on dry land and I found a Spotted Flycatcher perched atop a tree adjacent to Old Town churchyard.

Scilly - 11.10.23

A fairly quiet day was interspersed with the odd good bird. The Great White Egret flew over me at Porth Hellick Pool, 2 Black Redstart were still at Pelistry and a year tick Pink-footed Goose was in a random field near Normandy.

Pink-footed Goose

Tolls island held 3 Whimbrel and the summer plumaged Red-throated Diver was still off of Watermill Cove with a fly over Peregrine. The only Yellow-browed Warbler of the week was heard at Higher Moors and a Ruff at Porthloo was another year tick. Another Black Redstart was on Porth Mellon beach and when walking to dinner a couple of Golden Plover were heard calling from the darkness. At the log Ralph Parkes brought along a whopping Convulvulous Hawkmoth for people to see.

Red-throated Diver

Convulvulous Hawkmoth

 

Scilly - 12.10.23

 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.

Scilly - 13.10.23

Pallid Harrier

The morning started dry and in some style. News of a possible Pallid Harrier broke from St.Martin’s but soon went cold but as I was walking past the entrance to Old Town churchyard the radio burst into life saying that the now confirmed harrier was over Lower Moors. I quickly joined a handful of birders in the Standing Stones field but here was no sign. Once again the radio announced its presence perched in trees opposite the ISBG hide. A quick walk and I got into position at the end of the viewing screen and had fantastic views of the juvenile female Pallid Harrier as it sat preening before flying off towards town after 5 minutes. My 6th Scilly tick of the week!

Just north of the hide a confused Willow Warbler was singing.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

 

I then decided to head up to the airport where after getting soaked I managed to pick out the juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper feeding just to the left of the runway and a single Wheatear. Another Wheatear was near Giant’s Castle alongside a very tame Snow Bunting. I had a quick 10 minute sea watch and noted 300+ Cory’s and 50+ Great Shearwaters past as well as 10 Sooty’s.

Snow Bunting

After more of the bunting I noticed a small group of people huddled around staring at the floor. I checked the WhatsApp news and realised they were all staring at a Crimson Speckled Moth! This African/Mediterranean migrant was one of my most wanted moths in this country so I shot over to join them and laid eyes on the stunning white, black and crimson moth perched in some gorse. Apparently it’d been seen to fly in off the sea! 

Crimson Speckled Moth

After having my fill of the moth I headed up towards Porth Hellick aiming for a slice of lemon drizzle cake at Longstones! At the entrance to PH Down I heard a call that superficially sounded like a Chiffchaff however when it perched up in full view the penny dropped and I realised I was looking at a Siberian Chiffchaff. Up at Normandy I bumped into Charlie Wilkins and whilst having a chat a Lesser Redpoll flew over calling. The rain then started falling again but even heavier. By the time I’d reached Pelistry I was totally soaked through and even finding a brief female Redstart didn’t help. After a much needed cuppa and cake I wandered through Lower Moors hoping to catch a view of a Glossy Ibis is as it was flying over but I only managed 3 House Martin. Down at Old Town I jammed in on the lingering Wryneck before it vanished and with it came the end of my week.

The week saw 120 species seen which included 6 Scilly ticks and 21 year ticks. Roll on next year.