Last week I was in the USA on a birding holiday, watching plenty of Yellow-rumped Warblers (Myrtle), many down to several feet. Little did I know at the time that I would be watching one in the UK within a few days of arriving back home. To-day Sunday 16th February 2014 I connected with my 500th bird for Britain – a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) on view at the small village of High Shincliffe, near Durham in the NE of England. My thanks go to Barrie Staley for doing the driving and for his company during the day. So, a personal milestone achieved, a bit of an anti-climax really but I'm glad it was an American Wood Warbler that became my 500th bird. To see any American passerine in Britain is always a real thrill. Photographing the bird this morning was very difficult as it spent most of the time in and amongst dense branches and was wrong side of the brilliant sunshine. Anyhow I managed a record shot of my celebratory bird. A visit to Hartlepool Headland and to Saltholme Pools got us both a few year ticks and rounded off the day. Plenty of Purple Sandpipers at Hartlepool and several Eider and Red-throated Diver at sea. The Year List moves on to 99.
Better get stuck-in to the hundereds of photos I took in the states last week – watch this space for the next POST.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) – High Shincliffe, Durham, Co. Durham – Tony Davison©
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) – Stone Island, Cape May, New Jersey, USA – February 2014 – Tony Davison©
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) – Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May, New Jersey, USA – February 2014 – Tony Davison©
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) – Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May, New Jersey, USA – February 2014 – Tony Davison©
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) male – Cape May, New Jersey, USA – February 2014 – Tony Davison©
Well done.