BLACK-WINGED KITE!! - 21.7.23

Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite has been spreading north from it’s Mediterranean breeding areas for a few years and is even breeding as close as Calais in northern France so it was predicted that we’d soon be graced with one on our shores. In April one was reported from Suffolk but seen from a moving car and not seen again despite the driver turning around to go back and have a look. A couple of days later it finally happened when one was filmed hovering over a field in Powys of all places! This bird was almost a on a dead straight line to the west from the Suffolk report so potentially the same bird? Unfortunately it only showed to the two finders and we all thought we’d missed our chance. 

Fast forward to 17th July and late in the evening the mega alert went off with reports of one having been seen well near Hickling in Norfolk. Those who could get the day off work/retired were on site before dawn the next day and were eventually rewarded with distant views but then better views were had near Horsey windmill. Not long after it flew north being seen flying over the Bee-eater breeding site (3 birds had returned to breed again) near Trimingham and that was it for the day. 

To peoples relief it was back at Horsey again on the mornings of 19 + 20th before again flying off. With this news I booked the day off work but that evening Craig Holden broke the news that he’d found a Black-winged Kite on his patch near Felixstowe Ferry in Suffolk some 50 odd miles to the south and it was seen to roost. 

I was up at 2am and headed east joining the line of birders at 4.50am to be told it was on view perched in a bush. I got it in the scope and laid eyes on my first ever BLACK-WINGED KITE. Around 5.15am it took flight heading east stopping occasionally hovering then dropped out of view behind a mound in the field. George and Matt Moreton were on their way and didn’t like the news when I told them! Luckily for them and some latecomers it was quickly re found perched in a dead tree showing down to 20 yards or so. 

The stunning mix of white, grey and black shone in the sun and its piercing red eyes were stunning. Whilst watching it a couple of Bittern got up and flew past us and I heard a single call of a Quail over the chatter of the birders. After a couple of hours the other two had to leave for work so I headed off for home at the same time. 

Photos of the bird in flight showed it to be the same bird as in Norfolk and so was still the 2nd record for Britain. I arrived home about 9.30am had a celebratory cup of tea and a short sleep!

Norfolk - 23.5.23

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.

Cuckoo

Tree Pipit

Goshawk

It was then onto nearby Santon Downham where we had great views of a Cuckoo and after a bit of a search I managed to find 2 Tree Pipit displaying. We then headed back to the car and as we passed the few houses I shouted Sparrowhawk as one flew over but as soon as I said it I thought that’s flying a bit different and was a tad chunky. George got his bins on it and shouted Goshawk and for a few seconds we had great views of a male Goshawk as it was upsetting all the local birds. Liz managed to get some great photos considering the brief time it was on show.

Fulmars

We then headed north towards Snettisham. We parked in the beach car park and immediately heard the purring of Turtle Doves. Over the next 20 minutes or so we heard at least 3 birds and had great views of one display flying. 

Wood Sandpipers

We pushed onto our next destination Thornham Harbour. We parked up and spoke to a birder who was leaving. He said the single Wood Sandpiper and 2 Little Stint were still showing so we walked along the sea wall and quickly got onto the Wood Sand. As I was watching it the others were saying it’d just walked out of view but I was still watching it. As suspected there were in fact 2 birds! As for the Little Stints they’d managed to vanish in the 2 minutes between chatting to the birder and getting there. Also seen were 4 LRP’s and a couple of stunning summer plumaged Grey Plover.

Temminck’s Stint

Spoonbill

It was then onto Titchwell RSPB. The first good bird here was while we were still in the car park when I picked up a large raptor flying overhead. Once I got bins onto it I identified it as a Honey Buzzard! Out on 

the marshes I found a couple of 1st summer Little Gulls and 2 GW Egret. I was scanning looking for a Temminck’s Stint and as luck would have it it flew through my view and landed in front of the hide so we walked around where we got my best ever view of this species. An adult Spoonbill was also seen from the hide and amazingly it was awake! On the way back to the car a crowd gathered and in the reeds some Bearded Tits were showing very well and the main target for Liz was accomplished.

Cley’s East Bank was our penultimate stop of the day. Here we had a surprise of 3 fly over Whimbrel and some showy Marsh Harriers.

Our last stop was a quick one back in Hertfordshire at Sandon hoping to hear a Quail or two. No joy there but a male Yellow Wagtail and at least 6 singing Corn Bunting were noted. The last species of the day were the 2 Peregrines on the BT building on Hemel Hempstead’s famous Magic Roundabout.

An excellent day out finished with 115 species seen of which personally 16 were year ticks.

Minsmere - 21.5.23

 It’d been many years since I’d joined a coach trip with the Watford RSPB group so when a day at probably my favourite reserve was on offer I’d signed up to go.

It was strangely quiet birdwise although the group total was 105 species I only managed 80. The usual cacophony of Black-headed Gulls was sadly dimmed due to bird flu and Mediterranean Gulls had all but vanished with just 1 bird seen. 

A total of 9 year ticks were had with the highlight 2 Cranes that I picked up calling as they flew over the west hide towards Lucky Pool/Sluice area. 

Not 1 but 2 First’s For Britain! - 6.5.23

 

Grey-headed Lapwing

Just before Christmas last year the first Stejneger’s Scoter for Britain was found lingering off Lothian allowing some twitchers to get it on their lists but it soon disappeared leaving many disappointed. Just before the patch challenge took place it was re found off of Lower Largo in Fife in with an enormous number of other scoters presumably pushed towards land by the easterly winds

I did mention to my wife about going for it at the weekend but she wasn’t too pleased with me going birding again after being out most of last weekend! As it was on arrival at Wilstone on the bank holiday Monday I was alerted to yet another first for Britain having been found in Northumberland.

Stejneger’s Scoter

Again I broached the subject and I think the thought of having me at home being miserable because I couldn’t go for them was enough for her to give me permission! So I packed up the car and at about 11pm Friday night I headed north. A Barn Owl flew over the car near Retford,Notts and I finally arrived at High Newton by-the-sea just before 6am and as I was getting my gear together Mark Leitch drove into the car park. He’d arrived just too late the night before to see it so had come back this morning for another go. Unfortunately overnight thick fog had enveloped the area and so we had to wait about a while for it to clear enough before the magic words rang out. “I’ve got it” and sure enough through the gloom we all managed to get onto our first ever GREY-HEADED LAPWING. Slowly the fog cleared enough to get good views but as you can see from my photos it was still a bit gloomy. This species had turned up in Europe back in 2019 and as it had been spreading westwards from it Far Eastern range it had been touted as a possible addition to our lists. After 20 minutes or so of watching it I headed back to the car for the next leg of my journey.

The next stop was Lower Largo about 2.5 hours north. Again the traffic was kind and I arrived in good time and found a car park. Another birder from the Lapwing had arrived at the same time so we walked down to the Crusoe Hotel to join a dozen or so birders already on site. One of them was Dan Pointon who kindly let us look through his scope at it and within 10 seconds I was laying my eyes on my second first for Britain by 9.13am! A drake STEJNEGER’S SCOTER!

I set my scope up and found it myself with its ‘horn’ protruding from its pinky/yellow bill but it could quite easily vanish and take a while to re find it again. It was part of a scoter spectacular which included over 600 Velvet Scoters (I’d only seen 94 in my 39 years of birding!) many Common Scoters and at the far end of the beach I had only my second ever White-winged Scoter (there has been up to 3-4 of these present!) which was near to a pair of Surf Scoters. I’d only previously seen 3 female/juvenile birds before so it was nice to finally see a drake. After my fill of scoters I scanned the bay and noted year ticks of Kittiwake, Shag, Sandwich and Arctic Terns, Guillemot, Razorbill and Eider. And Matt Eade kindly showed me 2 summer plumaged Long-tailed Ducks through his scope which from memory were my first summer birds. 

Happy with my mornings birding I got in the car and headed for home. I arrived back with 887 miles on the clock and 2 more birds on the life list and a further 14 on the year list.

Thank you to my lovely understanding wife for letting me go though I’m sure she’ll get her own back soon!

Tring etc - 1.5.23

 The final day of the challenge was here but it was quite clear that I wasn’t going to win this year as there was no mud around for any waders to drop in and a lack of any movement/decent weather for things to be moving. That said just before I left home I received a text from Ian Williams saying he’d just found a pair of Whinchat at Rushy Meadow. This was his first at the reservoirs for roughly 10 years and would be my  first on patch. 

Whinchat

Upon arrival I headed round to Rushy Meadow and quite quickly got onto the female Whinchat. It took another minute or so before I laid eyes on the stunning male. I can’t remember the last time I saw a spring male with its glorious orange frontage. Ian joined me and while trying to get a photo he said what’s that? I looked up and there was a Marsh Harrier flying above the trees with a Red Kite. Ian managed some photos before it dropped behind the trees. We headed to the hide in the hope it’d appear again but after an hour or so there was no sign so I went back for more Whinchat action.

Wheatear

As I was watching them James Reader turned up to look at them (nice to finally meet you James) so I got them in my scope for him as they’d flown to the far end of the hedge. Other birders turned up and whilst trying to find them again I found a Wheatear in the same hedge. This was my first here for a few years. 

I finished the weekend on 85 species which is 5 less than last year and I was a whopping 25 points behind the eventual winner Phil Ball at Amwell and Rye Meads. Thanks again to all the organisers for an enjoyable weekend. 

Tring etc - 30.4.23

 A quieter day than yesterday with a few new birds for the weekend list but just a House Martin for the year list. A Kingfisher that flew past the hide at Wilstone was noteworthy as they had been notable by their absence so far this year.

Tring etc - 29.4.23

 It was the Herts bird club patch challenge competition weekend and after winning it last year I was keen to retain my crown so I was up at 4am and on site just before 5. 

Cuckoo

The walk around Wilstone saw my first Cuckoo, Swift, Lesser and Common Whitethroat and 3 Common Sandpipers.

Terrapin

At Marsworth I added Reed Warbler to the year list and on Tringford I noted a Terrapin!

Pitstone Quarry held a pair of Little Ringed Plover and a Phylloscopus Warbler than was singing both Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler!

Mediterranean Gulls

Even though College Lake isn’t in Herts I still popped in to see the pair of Mediterranean Gulls for the other patchwork challenge I’m taking part in.

Watford Firecrest - 28.4.23

 It was mid morning and I was cutting some grass in one of Watford’s 17 award winning green flag parks getting ready for judging when even though with the mower running and I had ear defenders on I thought to myself I’m sure I can hear a Firecrest singing. As it was my mower then ran out of petrol and with the silence I confirmed that yes I was hearing one. It was obviously annoyed at my presence as it came out into the open singing its head off trying to make me go away! This was the 5th Firecrest I’ve found while at work plus another while on the way to work.

Tring, College Lake And Pitstone - 9.4.23

Willow Warbler

Shelduck

Common Tern

 After the excitement of the day before I was up early to put some chocolate eggs in the garden on behalf of the Easter bunny for the kids to find once they’d woken up. I arrived at Wilstone at 7am and while putting my boots on a Yellow Wagtail flew east. A walk round added a pair of Shelduck, Mandarin, Treecreeper, six Swallow, a handful of Sand Martin, pair of Bullfinch and a late Fieldfare. 

At Marsworth were another two Mandarin, two Sedge Warbler, 2 Common Tern and a screeching Water Rail.

Tringford was quiet and back full of water but a Lesser Redpoll flew over the hide.

College Lake held another/the same pair of Shelduck and a couple of Willow Warbler.

Pitstone Quarry failed to produce any LRP but there was a single Redshank.

ALPINE SWIFT Garden Mega! - 8.4.23

 As the weather continued to be reasonable I decided to weed the shrub beds in the back garden as I’d been lazy last year and not bothered. Four hours in and only a couple of Linnet going over I suddenly heard the raucous calls of Black-headed Gulls. As I’d not had one over the garden for a few weeks I looked up and saw twenty birds circling around. 

Presumably non breeding birds I thought I’d better check them through the bins just in case the group contained something better like a Mediterranean Gull.  I walked up to the patio to get my bins and looked through them but they were all BH Gulls.  But while watching them I picked up a bird behind them flying fast and erratically and my initial thought was it was going to be one of the towns Peregrines hunting but it then dawned on me it that I was watching an Alpine Swift!! The characteristic deep powerful wing beats and large white breast patch were clearly noted. I watched it for around a minute as it zoomed about but as it was heading away towards Hemel town centre I then lost it behind my neighbour’s house and frustratingly didn’t pick it up again from the other side.

This was my second self found Alpine Swift for Herts (though the first one wasn’t accepted, not that that bothered me!) and my first in the UK for twenty years after seeing one at Minsmere back in 2003. I’m not sure I’ll beat that as a garden tick but if I do it’ll be some bird!

Four Swallow flew north while trying to see it again but alas that was it.