We spent a few days in North Norfolk during late November, which turned out to be well worth while. I managed to see 94 species during our 4 days. Staying at Blakeney, proved to be a good choice as there was an Isabelline Wheatear available at the end of the East Bank.
Holkham produced 5 Shore Lark and on the sea 4 Red-necked Grebe, along with the usual sea duck, Common Scoter and Eider and several Great Northern & Red-throated Divers.
A sea watch at Cley Coastguards on 25th November produced a Black Guillemot, a Pomarine Skua, a Great Northern Diver and a Purple Sandpiper.
Late afternoon at Stiffkey and several Hen Harrier, including a grey male, small numbers of Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and a Barn Owl.
On our final morning heading off home, I was at Titchwell when news broke of a Brunnich’s Guillemot in Wells Harbour. I arrived at around 12:30am managing to get reasonable scope views of it, along with a few record shots, as it was resting on a distant sand bar. Unfortunately the poor thing died of exhaustion later in the afternoon. This was a long overdue British tick for me but a rather sad end to a super bird, having travelled miles of course from the high arctic.
Isabelline Wheatear – East Bank, CleyIsabelline Wheatear – East Bank, CleyBrunnich’s Guillemot – Wells HarbourBrunnich’s Guillemot – Wells HarbourShore Lark – Holkham – one of five birds presentPink-footed Goose – Holkham, Lady Anne’s DrivePink-footed Geese – Holkham – one of Norfolks winter spectacles
Two Caspian Gulls were at Attenborough NR, Nottinghamshire, during late November. Giving excellent views from one of the hides overlooking Clifton Pit, as they fed on Spiny-cheek Crayfish. A superb Jay gave me a great photo opportunity, a difficult bird to photograph.
On the 20th November I discovered the 2nd record of Great White Egret for Staunton Harold Reservoir. Still present on 22nd November.
On 21st November I visited Swithland Reservoir in Leicestershire. Two 1st winter Scaup had been present for several days, giving some reasonable photo opportunities.
On 1st November I decided to pay another visit to the RSPB reserve at Blacktoft Sands, in Yorkshire. The White-tailed Plover was still being faithful to the site and seemed to have lost its will to migrate.
On the 1st November it performed very well in front of the Xerox Hide, allowing me to obtain some of the best photographs I’ve been able to take of this vagrant wader from eastern Europe. I had only seen one previous White-tailed Plover in Britain, a bird that was found at Caerleverock, Dumfries & Galloway in 2007.
As I write this post, it was still present on 3rd December, but no sign on the 5th & 6th December having arrived in August. So maybe finally it has decided to move on having spent just over 4 months at Blacktoft.
A Hoopoe recently took up residence on the grass lawns in front of the main IBM Offices in Warwick city. An extremely unusual location, but it stayed very faithful to the area for around 9 days. I managed to see it on the 30th October 2021 and it was very settled and confiding, until a large crowd had assembled when it moved more distantly and closer to the end of the grassy area. It was feeding on Cockchafer grubs and regularly raised its crest when it appeared to be alarmed or excited.
A species from southern Europe and the Mediterranean region, the Hoopoe often gets displaced on migration during periods of high pressure, usually in spring and autumn, overshooting farther north than normal. So this bird was well out of its normal migration route to Africa for the winter.
On the 16th October 2021 a Two-barred Greenish Warbler was discovered in the Canal Hedge at Spurn, Yorkshire. I had previously seen this phyllosc species in October 2017 at St Aldhelm’s Head area in Dorset, so wasn’t really too bothered to drive across to Spurn.
I soon changed my mind when I saw the views that this bird was giving and so decided to go for it on 20th October. I arrived on site in pouring rain but as the rain eased I soon had excellent views of this little leaf warbler. After taking a series of photographs, I decided to head for the nearby cafe to dry off and have a bacon butte and a cuppa.
Later the sun came out and so I decide to try for the warbler again. The bird appeared to have moved location as there was nobody about at the earlier site. I decide to walk to the Canal hide, to try my luck for a Jack Snipe and as I made my way towards the track to the hide, I noticed a small bird flitting in the hedge. Good grief, it was the Two-barred Greenish Warbler right in front of me. I watched it all on my own for several minutes before it flicked over the hedge and disappeared. Later it had returned to the original location.
On my way home I stopped off at Kilnsea Wetlands Reserve and had a fly-over Lapland Bunting, a fitting end to my day at Spurn.
The Two-barred Greenish Warbler in the Hedge down the track towards Canal Scrape Hide.
Whilst I was on Shetland, news came out that a Long-toed Stint had been discovered at the RSPB reserve at St.Aidan’s, near Leeds in Yorkshire, on the afternoon of Friday the 8th October. It was originally identified as a Temminck’s Stint, then a Least Sandpiper, before finally being nailed as a Long-toed Stint. A mega rare wader that breeds in Siberia and winters mainly in southeast Asia, with smaller numbers in India and Australia. There have only been two previously accepted records in Britain, the first in Cornwall in 1970. Needless to say there was a huge crowd of birders on site on Saturday 9th October.
Fortunately, the bird did the right thing and stayed faithful to St.Aidan’s long enough for Dave N, Dave S and myself to see it on our return journey from Shetland, on the 13th October. A long awaited wader for many British listers. I had previously seen Long-toed Stint in Mongolia during a trip I made in 2019, but to see one in Britain was a dream come true.
A difficult bird to photograph properly as it was never really that close enough for the cameras.
Long-toed Stint – St.Aidan’s, Yorkshire – note the short tail-end appearance and quiet dumpy body.Long-toed Stint – St.Aidan’s, Yorkshire – note streaked flanks and dark centres to upper body feathersLong-toed Stint – St.Aidan’s, Yorkshire – note pale yellow long legs and long toes. Size difference with Dunlin
I made my annual visit to Shetland for the first time since 2019 and Lockdown. It was good to get back to these magical isles. We stayed on Unst, at our normal croft at Northdale, from 6th October to 12th October.
A fairly quiet trip in terms of rare birds, but we did manage to see the following as highlights:-
Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Yellowlegs at Loch of Strathbeg, Aberdeenshire on 5th October; King Eider at Girlsta, White-billed Diver at Brettabister, N.Nesting Bay, Woodchat Shrike at Aith – all on Shetland Mainland, Great White Egret at Mid Yell, Barred Warbler at Blatersound, Unst, Siberian Chiffchaff at Skaw, Unst, Bluethroat at Quoy Quarry, Unst, up to 3 Long-tailed Duck at Norwick, Unst, 11 Snow Bunting at Lamba Ness, Unst, Yellow-browed Warbler at Halligarth, Unst, Glaucous Gull at Baltersound, Unst, 2 Sooty Shearwater at Lamba Ness, Unst and Slavonian Grebe at Baltersound Unst.
Some good numbers of Brambling had arrived and a scattering of Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Several Wheatear and Redstart and single Whinchat, Pied Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler were the only common migrants of note. We tallied 84 species during the week. In addition we had several excellent encounters with Otter and managed to see the northern lights twice.
A small wader was discovered at the gravel pit complex at Misson, Nottinghamshire. On 25th September it was initially identified as a Red-necked Stint. I went to see it on 26th September and never felt it was quite right for a RNS. After viewing numerous photos and closer scrutiny of the bird, it was re-identified on 26th September as a Little Stint. What was more interesting was this “Blue Morph” Little Egret that was feeding in amongst 6 Great White Egrets, a single Cattle Egret and numerous Little Egret.
The Little Stint that was initially thought to be a Red-necked Stint.Little Egret – a “Blue Morph”Great White EgretCattle EgretLittle Egret
On the 18th September I decide to pay another visit to the RSPB reserve at Blacktoft Sands to try my luck again with the White-tailed Lapwing. There was also a Bluethroat on site which was an added bonus. Unfortunately the White-tailed Lapwing spent most of its time distantly, on a small island viewable from Townend Hide. I managed a couple of flight shots, and one reasonable image of it resting. Other birds of note were a number of Shoveler, a single Spotted Redshank, 3 Little Egret, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, c30 Ruff, c 10 Green Sandpiper, several Snipe and a fly by Marsh Harrier.
On the 9th of September an adult Green Warbler was trapped and ringed at Buckton, Yorkshire. This bird represented the 9th record for Britain and the first twitchable one on the British mainland. We were driving back from our weeks holiday in Cornwall on the 10th and so the 11th would be my first opportunity to twitch it.
I made arrangements with Alan Shaw to go on the Saturday morning on first news, working on the basis that it would remain there all day if still on site. Sure enough it was and we set off around 07:45 arriving at Bempton Cliffs at around 10am. A short walk to Buckton and a wait of several hours before it put in an appearance. Although a little distant, for the assembled crowd, this rare asian phyllosc showed well, briefly and long enough to get a few record shots and to view all the salient features.
It reminded me of a Wood Warbler with a delicate wing bar. A relatively recent split from Greenish and Two-barred Greenish Warblers, sightings of Green Warbler in Britain have been confined to the outer islands, with the exception of one at Church Cove on the Lizard in Cornwall, in June 2019.
Note the overall green appearance with a lemon yellow flush to the face, throat upper breast and supercilium. White under-tail coverts and under belly. A very fine single whitish wing bar on the greater wing coverts.
