Hemel - 5.9.22

 2 Raven flew south directly over the house this afternoon cronking as they went. Even my youngest was looking up seeing what was making the noise!

Wilstone - 4.9.22

 

Great White Egret

  

Another visit to Wilstone but this one was slightly more productive than the last. 3 Garganey were seen from the jetty and a Great White Egret was showing from the hide. Otherwise similar waders from last week.

Birthday Birding - 30.8.22

Another birthday had arrived (my 47th) and so I headed up for a wander around Wilstone Reservoir. I arrived to find the car park open but the step fenced off due to works on the reservoirs banks. In fact he entire north and east banks were closed so I parked at cemetery corner and walked to the hide along the dry canal side. Once at the hide I noted 3 Hobby, 4 Green Sandpiper, 3 Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, 11 Little Egret, 40 odd Pied Wagtail and a fly over Peregrine. The only year tick were 3 Greenshank. Despite scanning I didn’t see any of the 3 Garganey nor the Great White Egret seen earlier.

2 Tick Day! - 26.8.22

Turkestan Shrike

 At the end of June a shrike was found at Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire which when pinned down was identified as the UK’s 8th Turkestan/Red-tailed Shrike. Numerous weekends went by when I thought about going up but illness, injury, heat and general lethargy got in the way! Fast forward to the end of August and the bird was still present. It was only when another bird I needed was found up the coast that I finally pulled my finger out and headed north. 

I left home around 4am and was on site at 8.30am. A group of Tree Sparrow in the car park was a nice year tick and after a quick power walk up the coast path I joined a couple of other birders in a sheep field and there showing down to 20 feet was my first ever TURKESTAN SHRIKE. A lovely showy adult male sat motionless as it eyed up bugs in the grass. On occasion it flew down and grabbed something and ate it back in the bush. This was its 61st day in residence and it’s 62nd day was it’s last. Skin of the teeth! A quick scan out to sea added a single Shag to my year list.

Greater Sand Plover

Back at the car I set the sat nav for Redcar in Cleveland and despite being stuck behind numerous caravans I arrived just under 2 hours later and parked up. The ticket machine didn’t accept notes or cards so I had to download an app and pay that way. But the app didn’t offer me a way to pay so I thought sod it and went and joined the group of birders down on the beach. Just 40-50 feet away was my first ever GREATER SAND PLOVER. It was busy feeding amongst the seaweed oblivious to us all along with Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Sanderling which were all embarrassing year ticks! I managed some nice photos before I had to get back to the car in case I got a parking ticket! It was a welcome relief to see this bird as the only previous one I could’ve had a chance at seeing was at Snettisham RSPB for 2 days back in 2004. Unfortunately for the entirety of its stay I had severe food poisoning that I’d picked up at my cousins kids christening from some dodgy chicken! 

Norfolk - 21.8.22

The previous couple of days at Winterton Dunes had held an Icterine Warbler and 2 Wryneck both of which would be Norfolk ticks. Also present were up to 30 Pied Flycatchers so I due to a very uncomfortable bed I got up and went to see if I could see any of them. As it was apart from a brief show of  one of the Wryneck after I’d left I saw none of the 3 species. I did add Sandwich Tern and Common Scoter to the year list but apart from a small mixed group of warblers it was very quiet.

A trip out for lunch near Horsey did see a Little Owl perched on top of a telegraph pole though.

Norfolk - 20.8.22

Bee-eaters

Due to covid I’d not seen my dad since Christmas 2019 so with time off work I decided to go up to Norfolk and see him along with my family. But of course we didn’t go straight there as there were birds to see! We headed to Trimingham just south of Cromer where in a small sand quarry Bee-eaters had decided to nest. Two nest holes were created and the predicted date for any young to fledge was slap bang around when we were to due to visit.

On the drive up I spotted a Raven flying over the A1 near Stevenage. 

 

On arrival I expected to get straight onto them but as it was it took just over two hours for them to return. While I was waiting I noted 3 Swift a couple of Red Kite and a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull which was a nice year tick. I was actually in the car with the engine running when I suddenly heard them calling so I rushed back to the viewpoint and was treated to views of 5 adults and 2 of the already fledged juveniles. These were the first I’d seen in the UK since the breeding pair in Co.Durham 20 years ago!

Once we’d have our fill we headed towards Caister. We had a spot of lunch and I picked up a dead Pied Flycatcher from Guy Oxborough who’d found it dead in his garden the day before and had kindly kept it in his freezer for me to collect for my growing collection!

As the kids played on the beach I noted 3 adult winter Mediterranean Gulls over the sea. We arrived a bit later than planned at my dads but had a great catch-up and a lovely Chinese for dinner.