Three tick's in Hertfordshire

We get a call from Brian, Fancy going for the Yellow-browed Warbler at St Alban's in the park by the Cathedral.

We have a real problem paying for the car park it costs us 30 minutes of birding time, a couple of birders tell us they have just seen the Warbler and point us in the right direction to find it.

After we sorted paying for the car park we walked down the river to near the bridge and started searching, after an hour we did not find it.

We get talking to a fellow named Rupert and he was the birder that first reported the bird, after a while of looking, he finds the bird and puts us onto it.

Loads of views of the Warbler but the light is not too bright.

After we had seen enough of the Yellow-browed we headed up the road to the Cathedral and it was not too hard to get a view of the Black Redstart as it came onto the broken window by a black grill on the end of the building for an easy year tick.

A Peregrine is sitting on the roof and always nice to see.

It's only 7 miles to Lemsford Springs and with the frozen weather, we think a Jack Snipe may have come to the running water for food. The warden was at the gate because indeed a Jack Snipe had been seen and a few birders had beaten us there and he was letting a few people in at a time. By the time we got our stuff out of the car, it was our turn to head down to the second hide to find a few people in there, we were told where the Snipe had been seen, about an hour ago and it was a fair wait before we get a view of the bobbing bird.

So a short trip to Hertfordshire gets us three more year ticks. total up to 127-year ticks.

The Yellow-browed Warbler.

 

Great Day in Norfolk Birding.

Jimmy and I meet with Brian at 5.30 on a cold morning to set off to Norfolk. A Glaucous Gull

has been seen on Old Hunstan Beach. Two& a half hours later we parked just off the beach near the golf club and took the path up to the beach in search of the dead seal where the Gull had been seen feeding.

Brian had wellies on so he got over the water before us and got a quick view of the Gull before it flew off not to be seen for another two hours. We got our sighting of it when we spotted it standing with a few Oystercatchers near the water's edge about 60 yards away from the seal for an excellent view of it. 

Shorelark was next on the list and we found three, not too far away up the beach, A couple of birders we met told us that they had just seen a flock of them a long way down the beach, so maybe about 8 in total.

While here we added to our year list with a large flock of Turnstones, Sandling, Fulmar, knot, and a Peregrine Falcon that landed on the beach near the dead seal.

Bar-tailed Godwit,Red-breasted Merganser, and a flyover of Pink-footed Goose plus Brent Goose. so a good addition to the list.

A short ride to Stiffkey for the Glossy Ibis. Parked up in the car park by the Red Lion pub and a walk across the road to sport the Ibis within minutes, so back in the car it's off up the road to Holkham stopping on the way at the gate to tick White-fronted Goose and then off to park in Lady Ann's drive where we speak to a fellow who asked us if the bird he had in his scope was the Long-billed Dowitcher, and how lucky is that when Brian confirms it is indeed the bird another good year tick plus Snipe seen while there.

Off now to Titchwell on the walk up to the beach Jimmy and I hear and then see Bearded Tit. A fellow birder tells us that a Tawny Owl was in a tree with Ivy just around the boardwalk, so that's where we head, the tree is easily found as a board is in place to tell us where it is, so an easy tick. An escaped Black-winged Stilt is seen as a Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Grey Plover, Avocet, and Common and Velvet Scoter.

Off home now and on the way we spot a large flock of Whooper Swan in a field somewhere also Red-legged Partridge seen. A really lovely day birding with the boys adding 28-year ticks taking the year total to 124.

Glaucous Gull

Peregrine

Long-billed Dowitcher

Abberton, Copthall, KGV res, Bramfield, Watercress NR.

We love to get out on New Year's Day to start a new bird count, but this year it's horrible weather, so we decide to wait until the second day before we go.

With the uncertain weather, we only head to Abberton as that is in Essex and only an hour away from home. We get some nice ticks the best being 4 Bewick's Swans, Scaup, Smew, Goosander, and a bonus tick when we sport the long-staying Canvasback.

Nice to see John P and we meet a new face who tells us about a place called Copthall we have never been there and he meets us there to show us where to head for the best views.

Just a small area to park the car we had to wait till someone moved.

We took a short walk around a field where we set the scopes up, it's not long before we saw a Short-eared Owl, it was perched on a bare bush. It took off to fly around the area to be joined by another Shortie to give us a real show always so nice to watch Owls.

Then a Merlin is seen sitting on a post always a good bird to spot. We are told that Hen Harrier is often seen here, we didn't stay that long so never saw any that's a shame.

 A really nice place that we will go back to.

On the 3rd it's off to our local KGV reservoir where we tick a Black-throated Diver and a Great-northern Diver. As always nice to meet up with Harry.

On the 4th it's off to see Hawfinch at Bramfield church, we see 3 as soon as we arrive and get to see one feeding on the ground amongst the leaves, a Songthursh also seen. A bonus when here in the bus shelter across the road is filled with books to swap with over people so grabbed a couple for Jean and will bring some to replace next time up this way.

Just 14 miles away is a really lovely little nature reserve Watercress NR, so of course that's where we headed off to. Again not too many parking places as it sits just behind a small row of houses and residents rightly so fill most of the road.

In an hour or so we spent here we saw Redpoll, Siskin, Nuthatch, and Water Rail, and to round the trip off a beautiful male Bullfinch was seen flying around the bushes and then came to the feeders.

Total up till now 96 .

American yellow Warbler, to see the old year out. ( Lifer )

We hoped the Yellow Warbler would hang around until the three of us could find the time to head off to see it.

So on the 27th Dec, we met up with Brian and set off to New Hythe in Kent, it's not a long journey, and on arrival, we parked and took the path to join around 200 birders already here.

We stood around for over four hours and I spoke to the boys about giving it up, we agreed to give it another half hour. time;s nearly up when the whole group started to move down the path at pace as someone had heard it. 

I took up a good spot and saw the target bird on a bush next to a large red container, it only sat there for a couple of minutes before flying up and over the container and heading back up to the Alder trees where we had all been standing for so long, it flicked about the trees and gave the very large crowd now numbing over 400 a short view of it. So well worth the time spent and a good day meeting loads of people we see from time to time on our trips.

Not able to get any photos of the bird but this is a small part of the massive crowd.

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Lapland Bunting at Staines res + Dowitcher at Rainham.

 We have found it hard to get any birding in lately, Brian has been very busy with his in-laws and we had the bad news that his mother-in-law had passed away a couple of days ago. We had a short trip to our local reserve at Rainham Marshes where a Long-billed Dowitcher had been seen. Brian was at his son's house when the bird was reported that is only 10 minutes away from the reserve, so he popped in to get a year tick,  

We find out that this is a first for Rainham, so we meet up the day after and head there to get the year tick as well, It was very easy to see as it was only down the ramp from the visitor center on Purfleet Scrape. It was really nice to meet up with Marko while here.

We then walk along the Thames path and get another year tick when we see a Water Pipit, so a good little trip.

Brian popped in to see us this morning after dealing with all the stuff that he has to deal with at the moment. We decided to get a break with a short trip to Staines reservoir as a Lapland Bunting had been reported and we needed it for a year tick.  On arrival, we park on the grass verge and take the short walk up the ramp we see a few birders and walk up to them and the Bunting is there only a few yards away, a lovely little bird and not at all bothered about us being there. We also see a couple of Black-neck Grebe not needed for a tick but nice to see them.   

The Lapland Bunting

Long-billed Dowitcher

3 Lifers + 4 ticks in East Yorkshire.

We all wanted to head up to Bempton after a lifer was found there a few days ago, so we jumped at the chance to go when Brian found time, and I had no commitments. It's a 3am start. and we arrived at Bempton Cliffs around 7ish, a crowd had already gathered and we just walked around the corner to join them. A birder had a Thermal imager and he told me he had the Pale-legged Leaf Warbler in the bush in front of us, I got a quick view of the bird, it's a lifer for all of us. Over the next 2 hours, we all got good views of the bird but it was very active and it was dark in the bush so trying to get good photos was not going to happen, but was well worth the trip to see this first reported live one in Britain.  

While here we get a year tick a Yellow-browed Warbler plus not needed for a tick but Tree Sparrows were everywhere. 

Jimmy has dipped a couple of times with Icterine Warbler so with one being reported at Flamborough and only just down the road, we shoot off to find it. 

The bird is reported just behind the Viking Hotel Holmes Gut. As soon as we arrive we get a year tick when a Red-breasted Flycatcher is spotted. 

A short walk down to a closed-off bridge where a small group tells us the bird had not been seen for a few hours, so not looking good, Jimmy thinks it is another dip for him, then Brian who had walked off sends a call to say he has the Icterine in sight, we head up to him at speed, Jimmy a bit faster than me. 

The bird gave us really great views and another lifer ticked for both of us. 

40 miles away another lifer is reported at Spurn. So off we head to search for an Arctic Warbler. It has been seen at the Discovery Centre car park. Not a lot of birders here and it is not looking good, so once again Brian walks off and it's not long before we get the call he has found it around the back of the center. Everyone follows us and the Arctic is showing really well and was not disturbed by us being there, so cameras click away.

Down the road by the trap nets, we see a Spotted Flycatcher and a year tick when a Barred Warbler flew out of the trap and up the hedge row. 

Just up the road at Kilnsea Wetlands we pay a quick a quick visit and spot an American Wigeon for another year tick. 

Off home now as it's a 4-hour drive we leave sooner than we really wanted to and when we get home we find out we could have had a few more ticks but that's life. Still, we had a cracking day and got 7-year ticks 3 of which were lifers for Jimmy and me, Brian only got 

one lifer but what a good one.

Red-Breasted Flycatcher

Arctic Warbler

Icterine Warbler

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Blue house farm, Temminck's Stint plus 2 more ticks

Brian visited Blue House Farm a few days ago and had a great time there.    

So when he asked us if we wanted to go with him for a return visit, we jumped at the chance to get an afternoon out birding.

The farm is in Essex and only an hour away from home, I had never been there before, and I found that hard to believe, and I thought I would recognize it when we got there but I had never been there.

We got the car parked in a tiny car park but the upside it was free.

A walk of about a mile across a couple of fields before we reached the small hide that had a few birders in there, a friendly lot that made room for us to start looking for the Temminck's.

As luck would have it the bird was just a few feet away on a small island so a good year tick within minutes of arrival. a cracking little bird, so small when looking at other birds around it.

We spend about 4 hours in the hide with some good company and pick up two more year ticks when we spot 3 Wood Sandpipers and 3 Curlew Sandpipers to get the year list moving after not getting out in recent weeks.

We were told the water level was on the way down by a local named Dave, so we got lucky

when we also see 9 Spoonbills, 2 Greenshank, 4 Common Sandpiper, 6 Ringed Plover, loads of Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Ruff, and 16 Snipe plus Avocet and Marsh Harrier that put the Spoonbills up in the air for good views. A really pleasant afternoon and not far away from home and I'm sure we will visit again.