Black-throated Thrush at Whipsnade ( lifer )

With no news of the Whipsnade Thrush on Thursday we thought we had lost our chance of a good lifer not far from home.
With all the election stuff on the television on Friday we never took a lot of notice of bird news until later in the day when we saw that the bird had been seen on & off all day, it's now to late to go, so we decide to just get up & go on Saturday morning in the hope that it had stayed around.
As we pull into the car park lots of birding pals are heading towards the Zoo entrance.

After the Zoo fee is payed we head down to the pig enclosure & another lifer is ticked within minutes.The Black-throated Thrush is first seen in a well stocked berry bush & then drops down into the pig pen for a few minutes before flying off over the cafe calling as it went before landing on top of a large tree with a  bare branch at the top of it giving great scope views before flying a long way out of sight.
It's a grey old day & now for the next hour the rain gets heavy, so the crowd head for cover.
Brian breaks cover as the rain starts to ease off & head off over a foot bridge & gives us a call to inform us that he had relocated the bird,Jimmy & I pass on the information to the now large group of birders some had not seen the bird yet so a mad chase is on as they all scramble over the bridge & are all rewarded as Brian still has the bird in view. It's in a distant berry bush but  did drop down to drink
from a distant puddle for a short time before going out of sight not to be seen again for the time we stayed here.We spend a couple of hours  watching the Zoo animals before heading off for home after a nice twitch with many birding  friends.

The Black-throated Thrush

Just a few of the zoo animals as we walked around

White Rhino

Wolverine

A Red Panda

Brian's 300th year tick at last.plus 3 ticks for me.

It was a long time coming but we were both with Brian to congratulate him on ticking he's first 300 year ticks today.
The bird was a Siberian Stonechat that we went to Hollesley Marshes to find. We drive down by the prison & park in the reserve car park,it's a wet muddy walk that takes us 20 minutes or so before we spot the target bird flitting about in the reeds not far away from us & we get great views as was fitting for a milestone bird.
It's off to Waxham for the Red-breasted Flycatcher but on arrival we meet a fellow birder who tells us the bird had not been seen at all today & he & fellow birders had been searching for a few hours without any sign. we decide not to waste any time looking as we had already dipped on the way at Winterton  where we thought it would be rude not to have a look for the  Eagle Owl as we are so close we didn't find it but had to have a look.
On to Buckenham now after a tip off as where to look for the Taiga Bean Geese.
The car is parked by the railway crossing & we find the Taiga Geese a long way away just after we cross the crossing, 3 Geese are seen in the far corner of the field along the railway line.
A two tick day turns into three when on the way home in the Brecks we finally get to see a male Golden Pheasant after we had looked a few times before & failed to see any.
So a really good day getting 3 year ticks for both Jimmy & I & a big day for Brian with his 300 up.

The 300th Bird

The Siberian Stonechat

Glossy Ibis at Thornham.

After a horrible drive that took us nearly 3 hours with road closures & rain, we arrive at Thornham in Norfolk  in search of the Ibis reported yesterday.
It only takes us 5 minutes after we leave the car park before we find the target bird for a year tick for all three of us.
The Glossy Ibis is feeding not to far away but it is a a shame that the weather is nasty & the light is bad but it's another good year tick.
We head off towards Holkham in search of the flock of Pink footed Geese in the hope that the Lesser-white fronted Goose was still with them.
On the way we stop off for another look at the Rough-legged Buzzard that we saw last week.
We pull up to find Graham & Geoff already have the Buzzard in view so no work needed as we scope the bird in a distant tree.
The next 3 hours are spent searching for the White-front. A large flock of Pink foot are seen & followed by us but although we saw them land we can't get near enough to scope them.
A Black-throated Diver is reported in the channel by the car park at Wells so it's off to have a look, but when we get there we find it's a Red-throated diver but still nice to see up close.
So a funny sort of day with all of us just getting the one year tick leaving Brian one short of the 300 year ticks that will be the first for him.

Little Bittern & only 20 minutes from home.

What a really lucky tick. A text from Brian around 2 o'clock See's us picking him up & flying up the A10 to Amwell  for the Little Bittern that had been reported a couple of times on bird news.
We arrive without hitting any traffic & head for the view point, only 2 birders here but they point us in the right direction.It's a longer walk then we anticipated but not to long & we are soon standing with a small group & put onto the Bittern the other side of the river sitting in a tree above a large concrete block.
We get a great view as it sat in the tree,but we soon realise how lucky we have been when after 5 minutes the bird drops down from the tree & then flies up & away out of view not to return for the next hour that we stayed looking for it.
The only down side of the trip was really bad traffic coming away from Amwell & then only a mile from home in Buckhurst hill it takes us over an hour to reach my house because the traffic lights had gone on the blink.
But a small price to pay for another really good year tick. Year total now up to ( 276 ).

The Amwell Little  Bittern

The Little Bittern

Isabelline Wheatear. at Cley.

We have a limited time to visit Cley in Norfolk today,with Brian needing to be home by lunch time.
So we arrive at Arnold's marsh around first light in search of the Isabelline Wheatear.
Only a few birders about on a really cold windy morning,it takes us a good hour of searching before the target bird shows.
At first it is seen sitting on a fence post but not for long as it flies off to sit on the ridge over looking the sea.
Great scope views as it sits out in good light,then it's off again & does the same pattern over the next hour that we watch it.
As we found the Wheatear fairly quickly we have enough time to head to Wells to get really great flight views of a Rough - legged Buzzard, we don't need this for a tick but always worth giving up some time to watch these fabulous birds.
So a short visit but a really enjoyable one.

Isabelline Wheatear

Rough - legged Buzzard

Eastern yellow Wagtail ( lifer ) pending

A late mid morning decision to head up to Walberswick in Suffolk after news comes through that the Eastern yellow Wagtail had been ID'd from sound recordings & had been seen today.
We make really good time & arrive around 1 o'clock, we park in the free car park & set off on the 2 mile walk along the beach till we find a group of birders,the Wagtail had flown off but the group think it will return as that seems to be it's pattern.
After an hour the bird did indeed return along with a group of Snow Buntings & 2 or 3 Western yellow Wagtail. The bird showed really well & we had no trouble in picking out the Eastern Yellow Wagtail to give us all a good lifer tick.
So a good decision to make the trip even if it didn't feel like it as we trudged along the beach but we got well rewarded for our effort.

Eastern yellow Wagtail

Hit & miss 3 year ticks in Yorkshire

It takes us over 4 hours before we pull up just along the road past the car park of the Crown & Anchor pub in Kilnsea East Yorkshire.
We join a small group of birders who inform us that a Pallas's Warbler was showing very well.

Pallas's Warbler Kilnsea

Jimmy & I missed out a few weeks ago when Brian was the only one to see the Pallas's at Thornham Point Titchwell,this time all 3 of us get some cracking views of one, it's a good year tick & a good start to the day.
News comes that a Lapland Bunting has been seen along the foreshore. we set off to find it & do just that when we hear & then get good flight views of the Bunting as it mingles with a flock of Yellow Hammers & Reed Buntings & a Twite.
Next we head on to Spurn to look for the Bluethroat that has been about for a week or so.
We are told it has not been seen today but give it a try anyway.
It was not a long walk just past the sea watch hide,we spend an hour looking but it's not to be today but we do get to see a single Snow Bunting that shows just a few feet away.
On the walk back to the car a Woodcock flies up for a nice view.
Jimmy informs us that a Hume's leaf Warbler has been seen 5 minutes away.
A small crowd was present on arrival at Peter's Lane Easington & we have a real bonus year tick as the Hume's puts on a grand display for us. While here a Merlin hunts right over our heads for another good showing.

Hume's leaf Warbler Easington

Snow Bunting at Spurn

Snow Bunting at Spurn

Couple of ticks in Kent

This morning we head off to Kent looking for a few year ticks. First up it's Stodmarsh NNR. We look out of the Reedbed hide & find the place full of Teal & Greylag Geese but there's no sign of any Bean Geese that we were hoping to add to the year list.
A Water Rail kept us entertained for half an hour before we see a group of Geese flying over the hide & two off them are the target Bean Geese, they fly out of sight so we think they have flown a long way off so we  hop in the car to head off to Dungeness, as we drive up the exit road the Geese are seen on the field, so it's out of the car to get a good view of the two Bean Geese amongst all the Greylags. A few photos taken before it's on to Dunge.

A Sabine's Gull is the target bird here & on arrival we are told that the bird was showing well from the second hide along the beach.
A small group were looking but we are told that the bird had not been seen for some time,so we set about scanning all the Gulls flying around the patch but it's not looking good.
A few birders headed off & the mood was not good when out of the blue Brian calls out to Jimmy to confirm that he had found it & we are all on another year tick.
We put it out on the pager so those that had left could get back to see the bird as we knew one of them needed it for a lifer.
With nothing reported that we need the boys decide to head off to Cuckmere Haven which is 50 miles away as they need a Grey Phalarope for a year tick.
Not far off Eastbourne the place is packed with day trippers & the fields are all waterlogged.
After a walk off maybe a mile we find a small pool of water & the Phalarope is showing really well & only 20 yards away so good photos taken.
So with the boys getting 3 year ticks & myself getting 2 it's a milestone for all of us as we all pass our highest ever year totals Brian 290, Jimmy 272 & myself 268 so well pleased with that with another couple of months to go it looks good for a nice year total.

 Grey Phalarope, Cuckmere Haven

The Stodmarsh Tunra Bean Goose

Sabine's Gull at Dungeness

Again the Sabine's Gull

Red eyed Vireo + Great Snipe in Yorkshire ( Lifers )

The three of us head off to Titchwell just to get out birding for the day. Arriving around 8 am it's a horrible day dull & wet.
We walk around & soon find a year tick when we find a Yellow-browed Warbler & also meet up with Graham J & he & friends were going to Yorkshire for the Red eyed Vireo, that puts the idea in our heads & after a short talk we decide to head there ourselves.
It's about 3 hours from where we are in Norfolk & the journey is hampered with the weather & road closures in Hull don't help us.
It is now past 1 o'clock as we park up in Easington,we could see a group not far away & when we join them we get lucky as the Vireo settles on an  Elderberry bush in front of us to give great quick views.
Over the next 3 hours the bird follows the same pattern returning every 20 minutes or so.
While standing around we see a few more Yellow-browed Warblers & Jimmy & I get lucky when we get a late tick when a Pied Flycatcher shows.
Around 4 0'clock news starts to break that a Great Snipe had been found at Beacon Lane Kilnsea.
We soon joined in the rush to head there ,it's only a few minutes away by car & we are soon parked up & walking with many others up the lane towards the sea.
Half way up the lane a large group had stopped & after getting as high up on the hill as we could we get our second lifer of the day.
The Great Snipe was hard to see in the long grass but once you got onto it with the scope it was a good view of it.
Now for the long 4 hour drive home to Essex softened in the knowledge of a good days birding with 2 lifers & another 2 year ticks on top.

The Great Snipe Kilnsea

Part of the crowd at the Snipe twitch

The Red eyed Vireo at Easington

American golden Plover at Oare

The boys need Grey Phalarope for a year tick, so we head to Birchington in Kent near Margate in the hope the one seen there has stayed for another day.
It's under 2 hours to get there so not bad.It's not too bad weather wise & we arrive to find a few birders already there.
The tide is out & there has been no sign of the bird,so we spread out & scan for the next 2 hours without any sign of it,the tide comes in but it is a no show.
We give up & head off to Oare as the American golden Plover has been reported again.
The boys have already ticked this bird but I still need it for a year tick.
We arrive & I have my tick within minutes as a lot of people have the Plover in view & I get great views when we get get onto it.
It was really easy to pick the bird out from the group of Golden Plover that it was with, being smaller darker & a nice bright eye stripe to set it apart from the others.

The American Plover

Side on at back

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler at Farlington Marshes

On Saturday around lunch time Brian calls have we seen that a lifer had been seen in Hampshire but he couldn't go till Sunday, so we arrange to meet at 5 am & get a trouble free run down the A3 to Portsmouth.
As we pull into the car park the pager tells us the bird had been seen & 5 minutes later we meet up with the Moreton brothers & they put us onto the bird to give us all a nice lifer.
The Olivaceous Warbler showed well as it fed on bushes around where we first saw it.
We spend a couple of hours with the bird getting some great views of it.
Off now to Warsash where a Bluethroat had been seen .
We have dipped at this place before & it proved to be the case again when we give up after getting no sign of it & some birders had been looking for over 4 hours one being Graham J & he had given up so we followed & left to travel to Pulborough Brooks for the Red-necked Phalarope.
On arrival we are told it's a long walk down to Jupps view platform,it's a fair old walk but we find the Phalarope as soon as we arrive so the long walk well worth it for another year tick.
So 5 year ticks one a lifer in the last week is not bad.

The Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Again ( nice bird )

Spurn Barred Warbler plus Grey Phalarope.

A short break in Yorkshire with my wife Jean

allowed me to pay a few early morning visits to the Spurn sea watching hide.
It was a very pleasant experience indeed with some really nice birders to pass the time with, but unfortunately on all 3 days I was there nothing very much passed through & I never got any ticks on the sea, but on the first day while sitting on the bench in front of the hide word spread that a Barred Warbler had been seen,everybody moved off to see it & I followed thinking it would be a long walk but was pleasantly surprised to find it was only 20 yards away at the Warren at the back of the sea hide.It was showing well to give me a nice year tick.
I had to wait till Thursday around tea time when Brian sent me a text saying a Grey Phalarope had turned up on the sea at Spurn,so only being 3 miles away at the time I shoot off & find the bird with ease just along the beach from the hide, so a good year tick.
With the break over I head for home but take a detour to Blacktoft sands in the hope of picking up a tick as a Spotted Crake had been about for a few days.
I have to walk to the third hide & after 10 minutes or so the Crake walks out of the channel to show very well in the scope but a long way off.

 seen from the Warren

Holland Haven for 2 Wrynecks.

A text from Brian tells us a Wryneck had been reported at Holland Haven park. 20 minutes later we are heading up the A 12 towards Clacton.
We had dipped one on Monday when we shot over to Hornchurch country park after one had been reported there, but when we got there it didn't look right & apart from topping up the sun tan we got nothing out of the trip.
The trip is not to far 60 miles or so. We park in the car park & see a few people over looking the Dell that is by the toilet block, so things looking good but it took another 90 minutes before we got a first sighting of the Wryneck.
It is just a quick glimpse in flight to give us another year tick.
We spend another two hours here & get rewarded when the bird kept flying down to feed on some steps & looked at home till a lady needed to use the steps as it lead to the toilets & that sent the bird flying away.
Before we head for home we get to see the bird fly back to the trees by the steps & as we scan we spot another Wryneck sitting just a matter of inches away, I don't remember ever seeing two together before so a real bonus.

One of the Wrynecks

Just about spot the second Wryneck

Return to Frampton for Buff-breasted Sandpiper.

The three of us drove up the A1 on Thursday to Frampton RSPB in Lincolnshire,we put in a 5 hour shift looking for the Buff-breasted Sandpiper but it is all in vain with no sighting of the bird the whole time we were there.
Of course as soon as we get near home it appears  on the pager as showing from where we had been looking for it.
So we have a talk & decide to try again on Saturday.
We set out at 5 am for the 2 hour  or so drive to look again. I have only seen one Buff-breasted before so it would be great to get a good view of this one. Parking at the bottom car park ,we are soon on the hill scanning over the large scrape, it's more or less the same as Thursday when we see Wood & curlew Sandpipers loads of Spoonbills plus hundreds of Godwits & Dunlin  & the most Ringed Plover I have ever seen, but still no sign of the target bird. Brian does spot the long staying Dowitcher not needed for a tick always nice to see one.
We spread out with Brian doing the walking round to the hide on the other side of the scrape with birders looking from the sea wall.
After an hour more of no sighting I look up & see people starting to run along to join a group on the sea wall,always a good sign so we phone Brian & head up there to join them.
Sure enough on arrival we find they have the bird in sight.
It's hard to find at first but up goes the shout it's out in the open & that's it we have another year tick & after a while we all get much better views than the last one I saw.
With Brian finding a Whinchat that he needed it turns out to be a good decision to come back.

Brian's distant record shoot of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper.

2 Days sea watching at Porthgwarra Cornwall.

On Thursday afternoon the call comes from Brian we are off to Cornwall & we will leave at 10.30 & drive through the night, that turns out to be a slow drive due to rain storms making driving very difficult.
As it turns out we arrive just after 5 am at Porthgwarra & head up the stairs along the short coastal path to where a group of birders had already gathered at the view point amongst the large rocks used for some shelter from the wind that was blowing around 50 miles per hour in a southerly direction.
We find a space to set up & spend the next six hours looking out over the Pinnacles & that was a good point for us to pick up any shout that went up from more experienced sea watchers such a great help.
It's a slow start but things pick up when Manx Shearwater  fly past in good numbers followed by a lifer for me when we see a few Sooty Shearwater then Balearic Shearwarter follow in good numbers.  The rain gave us a good soaking from time to time.But with some good company around us along with faces we knew it was a pleasant experience.
I pick up another year tick with a single Arctic Skua,the boys already had this. Bonxies also seen but we would have liked a few more ticks but not to be today, maybe tomorrow.
A walk along the the coast looking for Cornish Chough is a waste of time with the rain & wind not helping. So a quick trip round the coast at Lizard point & Kynance Cove where we get no joy.
We spend the night in a travel lodge & set off just before 5 am for another session.
It is not a great day with hardly anything going past so after 5 hours we head off but we do manage to find a needed Chough.
On the way home we call in at Labrador Bay where we get another year tick when we find several Cirl Buntings flying down from the bushes to feed, so a good trip with one lifer & a few year ticks.
A good look at Stonehenge on the way home breaks the long journey home.

                                     

                                       

The view point

Beautiful Porthgwarra

Shags at Lizard Point

Cirl Bunting

Stonehenge

Another three year ticks.

Up in the lakes for my Grand daughter's wedding gives me the chance to pick up a couple of year ticks.
I pick up Red Grouse with ease the first few seen were on the A 66 heading into Durham & then before heading for home I see many more on the road from Brough Kirkby Stephen to Middleton-in-Teesdale,such a beautiful place to watch them.
Running along side the Inn that was home while staying in the Lakes is a very fast running stream that is ideal for Dippers & Grey Wagtails.
Many were seen over the time spent here. Heading back home on the A1 I stop off   at Fairburn ings
just outside of Leeds at Castleford.
The reserve is good for Willow Tit & I need one for a year tick after missing out when the boys got one earlier in the year.
The luck is in when watching the feeders, Willow Tits come in to feed & I hear the birds calling to make sure of what I was seeing.
Once back home Jimmy & I meet up with Brian & head off to Norfolk to look for a Pectoral Sandpiper.
We are parked up at Cley just after 7 am & find the Pectoral after a scan as it is found among several Wood Sandpipers,Common Sand,Green Sandpiper,Ruff plus many more usual stuff so a a real good find.
So a great wedding weekend with all the family in the Lake district at a wonderful location & to pick up 2 year ticks while there a real bonus.
And then to spend the day in Norfolk with the boys & to take a look at the Wells north pools for the first time, what a great place this is going to be for bird watching in the future.

Wood Sandpiper

Red Grouse

After the lull back with a bang.

We have not been out birding  since June so the ticks had dried up. But come Saturday the three of us set off to put that right.
Not sure if to go to Frampton for the White-rumped Sandpiper or Titchwell for the Semipalmated Sandpiper, decision taken on route was to head to Titchwell.
The freshmarsh is packed with Avocet,  Godwits, Dunlin, Knot,Ruff, and a good sprinkling of Spotted Redshanks along with around 15 Spoonbill.
We put the time in searching for the Sandpiper but have no luck so it's off to try our luck at Frampton wishing that we had headed there instead.
As we pull up at the bottom car park it's out of the car & our luck is in as we get onto the White-rumped Sandpiper to get the ticks rolling again. We met up with some birders from Stoke who are around the same number on Bubo as us and they put us onto a Little Stint down by the visitor centre for tick number 2 and it's always nice to put a face to the names. While here we get a good view of the Long-billed Dowitcher it's not needed for a tick but a cracking bird in summer plumage.
When we are nearly home news comes out that the Sandpiper had been found at Titchwell and that is a bit upsetting after the time we put in to seeing it, so we make up our minds to head back on Sunday.
We set of at 5.30am and as we near the reserve news came out that the Semi P had been found but when on the reserve it turns out to be a Common Sandpiper ( shame ).
So we head round to Parrinder hide & settle down for a long watch. While in the hide we meet up with Gordon Hamlet who's book steered us round on our first visit to Scotland a few years ago & it was worth every penny, so really nice to meet him & his lady & spend over two hours talking with him.
Then bingo the flock of Dublin got spooked and when they came back down we spot the Semipalmated with them, it may have been with them all the time but many birders had been looking since first light without luck so who knows, just grateful to have got another tick along with the Curlew Sandpiper for another year tick, so 4 ticks feels good after not getting any for July.
Now feeling very upbeat we are going to drive over to G Yarmouth and try our luck at Breydon Water for a lifer for Jimmy & I as the Pacific Golden Plover is still around.
Parking at the rugby club we set off on the very long walk down to the pumping station.
We are walking at a fair old pace when Brian stops us to say he's spotted a Swallowtail Butterfly,who would of expected that, This slowed us down as we got the cameras out & even better as Jimmy had never seen one so a real bonus.
The pump house still looked a long way off even after 30 minutes walking but with the sweat pouring of us we headed on, my face was the colour of a beetroot but after another 20 minutes walking we arrive to find a few birders with scopes on the bird & within seconds we have another lifer so the walk is forgotten about till we have to return.The luck was really with us this time as the Plover was standing on a pile of horse dung and we had a great side on look at it before it settled back down again as it had been doing most of the time the other fellows had been here watching it.
So what a great two days 5 ticks one being a lifer & meeting some very nice people. sometimes we think we must be mad to do all this but what a great reward for the effort we put in.

White-rumped Sandpiper

Dowitcher

The Long-billed Dowitcher

The unexpected Swallowtail

The Pacific golden Plover sitting on the horse manure.