Last Sunday 15th December, during the late afternoon, news broke that a juvenile Ivory Gull had been found at Patrington Haven on the Humber Estuary, East Yorkshire. What a blow, as yet another Ivory Gull was seemingly tantalising me, especially having dipped the two in Northumberland a couple of weeks ago, I was begining to think I would never catch up with this high arctic gull.

Due to work commitments, there was no way of me getting to see this bird until the forthcoming weekend and even then it would have to be Sunday. Fortunately, a few fish had been put out for the bird and this act certainly seemed to help keep the bird in the general area for this past week. So we set off this morning, 22nd December 2013, at around 6:30am, arriving on site at around 09:15 to a disappointing scene – no sign of any Ivory Gull. A fair size crowd had gathered at the water pumping station, had the bird gone? Surely not – A good half an hour passed, when a sharp-eyed birder managed to pick it out way across the Humber towards Spurn & Sammies Point. It was a distant speck through binoculars, but through the scope, one could clearly see that this distant gull was our bird. Amazingly the Ivory Gull flew along the Humber and then turned towards us, across the massive area of salt marsh and within a few minutes, it was over the pumping station and down on the ground right in front of the gathered crowd. Absolutely bloody fantastic..!!! – my fourth British Ivory Gull.

A bird of the extreme high areas of the arctic, the Ivory Gull ranges further north than any other bird. Living on fish, carcasses and locally, the kills and droppings of Polar Bear, the nearest population to the UK would be Eastern Greenland. The juvenile/1st winter birds are unmistakeable, being all white with a dusky dirty face, black tips to the primaries, tail feathers and outer wing coverts. Overall varying intensity of dark spots across the upper wing and less so on head and body. Short black legs, a pale bluish base to the bill with a pale yellowish bill tip and a vivid black eye.

A stunning bird and what a way to round off the year. Year list moves to 261.

Above seven images – Juv /1st winter Ivory Gull – Patrington Haven, Humber Estuary, East Yorkshire – 22nd December 2013 – Tony Davison©.

Saturday 7th December not 1 but 2 Ivory Gulls were seen together at Seahouses in Northumberland. An extremely rare event in Britain and one that was too good to miss, so Sunday Glyn, Richard and myself set off in the hope that we might see just one of these superb arctic gulls. On arrival at Seahouses there were plenty of other birders with the same idea but unfortunately the day was a disappointment to all concerned, as there wasn't a sniff of an Ivory Gull anywhere.

We spent most of the day at Seahouses Harbour, over looking The Farne Islands, Bamburgh Castle and distant Lindisfarne , watching Long-tailed Duck, Eider, a few divers, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Purple Sandpiper and plenty of gulls. A consolation prize was 6 Waxwings on our way back south at Felton. So I'm going to bore you to tears now with photos of Gulls and Oystercatcher and a record shot of the Waxwings.

Lindisfarne, Northumberland from Seahouses – Tony Davison©

Above 6 images – Juv / 1st winter Great Black-backed Gull – Seahouses, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

2nd winter Great Black-backed Gull – Seahouses, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

Above 3 images – Adult winter Great Black-backed Gull – Seahouses, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

Adult & Fourth winter Great Black-backed Gull – Seahouses, Northumberland – Tony Davison© 

Above 3 images – Adult winter Great Black-backed Gull – Seahouses, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

4th winter Great Black-backed Gull – Seahouses, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

Above 3 images – 1st winter Herring Gull – Seahouses, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

Above 7 images – Adult winter Herring Gull – Seahouses, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

Above 6 images – Oystercatcher – Seahouses, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

Common Eider – drake – Amble, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

Waxwing – Felton near Beadnall, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

Bamburgh Castle from Seahouses, Northumberland – Tony Davison©

 

A cracking weekend – Saturday 23rd November, Glyn, Richard and myself decided to head off to Norfolk and try for the small flock of Parrot Crossbills that had been frequenting the Car Park of Holt Country Park. Our arrival was impeccable, as we pulled into the car park, bright sunshine, blue sky and nine Parrot Crossbill performing. No arguments with these birds, straight from Scandinavia or Northern Russia, big billed and a brute of a crossbill. A nice mixture of males, immature males and females, showed well for at least 45 minutes as they were feeding in oaks and pine trees around the car park area. We then set-off to Holkham  and the coast. Good numbers of Pink-footed Geese were in fields along Lady Annes Drive and I discovered a juvenile Gannet sat down in the grass on the edge of the flock of Geese. Eventually the bird took flight and the whole flock of Pink-footed Geese erupted, a most spectacular sight.

Heading out across the Gap towards the sea the weather was horrid, so we high-tailed it back to the car for some shelter until the rain had passed over. Eventually we made it to the shore line and scanned the large flock of Common Scoter off shore. Several Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Diver, a single drake Red-breasted Merganser and several Eider were also on the sea. Unfortuantely we couldn't find any Velvet Scoter. On the way to Titchwell we stopped to scan the fields near Holkham Fresh Marsh and I eventually located 6 White-fronted Geese, my first for the year, as was  four  Grey Partridge at Choseley. Lots of birds coming into roost at Titchwell but sadly no Hen Harrier or Short-eared Owl.

Sunday 24th up at 4:30am and my wife and I made our way to the far tip of Pembrokeshire, to St.Brides near Marloes, for a Western  Orphean Warbler that had been spending the last 2 weeks feeding in a local's garden. The 250 miles  took exactly 4 hours and by 9:30am I was watching the bird, after an agonising journey of not knowing if the bird was there or not as Mobiles & Pagers don't seem to work very well in this neck of the woods! I had previously put off the trip several times and eventually decided to "bite the bullet". Western Orphean Warbler was a new bird for Britain for me, so I'm glad I made the effort. The bird had an obvious well rehearsed circuit and showed very well every 30 minutes or so but trying to photograph it, well I found extremely difficult. Any how I managed a few record shots. Along with 10 or so Red-billed Chough at Wooltack Point, we had an excellent day and my wife enjoyed her third major twitch!!  The year list hits 259 and my British Life List moves on very close now to the magic 500. (According to the pager on 25th November 2013 – the bird was not seen!!!!!)

Above six Images – Parrot Crossbill – Holt CP, Norfolk – 23rd November 2013 – Tony Davison©

Gannet – Juvenile – Lady Anne's Drive, Holkham, Norfolk – 23rd November 2013 – Tony Davison©

Above two images – Pink-footed Goose – Lady Anne's Drive, Holkham, Norfolk – 23rd November 2013 – Tony Davison©

  

Above seven images – Western Orphean Warbler – St. Brides, Pembrokeshire, Wales – 24th November 2013 –  Tony Davison©

Above two images – Red-billed Chough – Wooltack Point, Marloes, Pembrokeshire, Wales – 24th November 2013 – Tony Davison©

 

An immature/female type Pied Wheatear was discovered and identified at Collingham Gravel Pits, near Newark, Nottinghamshire, on Saturday 9th November 2013. News came out late on Saturday evening. Yet another rare vagrant to grace the Midlands and hot on the heels of last weekends Dusky Warbler. Pied Wheatear is a vagrant from Eastern Europe and the desert areas of the Middle East, with immatures and females being notoriously difficult to identify. Fortunately the bird was still present this morning (Sunday 10th November) and in superb autumn sunshine, eventually, early on, gave good but rather distant views. Only occasionaly coming anywhere near close enough for a half decent record photograph. Some people seemed to be more lucky in the afternoon.

Black-eared Wheatear is recognised as being the confusion species in Britain, as both types can show some similarities in plumage and tail pattern. The immature/female type Pied is a more "Greyer" toned bird with pale fringes to the cold grey-brown upperparts, giving a "Scaly" appearance to the mantle. The greyish toned pink-brown breast-band is thinly spread across the upper-breast and throat, this also enhances the birds "smokey" appearance. The head and bill has a somewhat "Stonechat Like" appearance which gives Pied a distinctive "Jizz" and looks less like a typical Wheatear. A small thin bill, black alula and dark wings, contrasting with the general greyness of the upperparts is apparent. Note the black "T" shape to the tail and white bars with black extending partly up the tail. Pied also shows a large and prominent gleaming white rump and appearing long winged and long tailed.

Also at the pits – Adult Yellow-legged Gull; 2 redshank; 1 Green Sandpiper; a few teal, Wigeon, Pochard and Tufted Duck and lots of Cormorants, also a Peregrine overhead.

On our way home we stopped off at Lowdham for the immature Glossy Ibis – Year List moves on to 253.

Above two images – Immature/female type Pied Wheatear – Collingham, Notts – 10th Nov 2013 – Tony Davison©

Above two images – Immature Glossy Ibis – Lowdham, Notts – 10th Nov 2013 – Tony Davison©

 

 

My annual birding week to the Isles of Scilly this October, was to be my 28th year in succession. Unfortunately it turned out to be one of the worst weeks I can remember for seeing and finding rare birds. It didn't help that very few birders were on the islands on what has been traditionally recognised as THE week and very few semi-rare birds to look at, let alone any major vagrants. A mixed bag of weather with wind directions mainly from the south, made little difference. Best vagrant bird of the week was a North American Sora Rail on the Great Pool on Tresco and a self-found Water Pipit was my bird of the week, a rare species for the islands. So with  little in the way of rarities to photograph, I took advantage of other opportunities that passed me by.

Highlights were a Sora on Tresco; Spotted Crake and Jack Snipe at Lower Moors on St. Mary's; Garganey on Tresco; 12 Yellow-browed Warblers; Short-toed Lark on St.Agnes; 2 Rose-coloured Starling (1 on St.Agnes & 1 on St.Mary's); 2 1st winter Mediterranean Gull on St.Mary's; 3 Black Redstart; Subalpine Warbler at Longstones, St.Mary's; Water Pipit at Borough Farm, St.Mary's and a fly-over Ring Ouzel, Garrison, St.Mary's. I managed to move my year list on to 250.

  

Above two images – Sora Rail – Great Pool, Tresco, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison (Heavily Cropped)

Above two images – Spotted Crake – Lower Moors, St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Yellow-browed Warbler – Covean, St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison 

Rose-coloured Starling – Juvenile – Warner's Cove, St. Agnes, isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Subalpine Warbler – Longstones, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison (Only managed this heavily cropped record shot)

Above two images – Dawn over Porthcressa Bay, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – Tony Davison

Lower Moors, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – Tony Davison

Above three images – Kingfisher – note red base to bill indicating a female – Lower Moors, St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Greenshank – Lower Moors, St.Mary's, Ilses of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Little Grebe – Lower Moors, St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Above two images – The Nags Head, Castella Down, St.Agnes, Isles of Scilly – Tony Davison

Town Beach, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Above three images – Turnstone – Town Beach, St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Above two images – Adult Great Black-backed Gull – Town Beach, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Adult Herring Gull – Town Beach, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

1st year Herring Gull – Porthcressa, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Morning Point, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Blackbird – male – Morning Point, St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 –  Tony Davison

Wire Weed – Buzza Rock, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – Tony Davison

Earth Star – Great Pool, Tresco, Isles of Scilly – Tony Davison

Oxalis pes-coprae (Bermuda Buttercup) – St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – Tony Davison

The Dragon of Holy Vale – St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – Tony Davison

Above two images – Moorhen – Newford Ducvk Pond, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Above two images – House Sparrow – male – St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Above two images – Northern Wheatear – Porthmellon Beach, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Teal – female – Shooter's Pool, Lower Moors, St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Pied Wagtail – (note grey flanks & black rump) – Porthmellon Beach, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly – 19th – 25th Oct 2013 – Tony Davison

Cromwell's Castle, Tresco, Isles of Scilly – Tony Davison

Homeward Bound – The Scillonian leaves St.Mary's in a Howling Gale and a heavy swell – Tony Davison

Painted Lady – An influx to the islands during our week – Tresco, Isles of Scilly – Tony Davison ( Bright orange individuals)