Caspian Tern - Acre Nook Sand Quarry, Cheshire, 26th July 2013

Caspian Tern, Acre Nook Sand Quarry, Chelford - Friday 26th July 2013

I got some very satisfying views of the Caspian Tern in Cheshire on the evening of Friday 26th July. I nearly got better views of it in Staffordshire, at Rudyard Reservoir, where it had been all day, but it flew strongly NW just five minutes before I arrived...

The bird had roosted at Acre Nook Sand Quarry on the previous two nights, some 11 miles to the NW in Cheshire. So after trying to explain how to get there to a satnav-less fellow latecomer, I said "Follow me!" and set off.

The traipsing through unfamiliar territory after a tick, in convey, in fading light, in desperation, is one of the joys of twitching. If you connect at the end of it, of course.

And, yes, the Caspo had arrived before we did. It was sat amongst a gull roost of Lesser Black-backed, Common, and Black-headed Gulls, with Lapwing, Curlew and Starlings too. And, boy, did the tern stick out?! It was a bulky, muscular thing, dwarfing the BHGs and Common Gulls, looking similar in size to the LBBGs.

The key feature was that bill. A massive orange-red carrot, visible with the naked eye, even at distance in poor light. The black cap had a white/speckled area at the front, suggesting a young bird. It flew a couple of times, allowing us to appreciate the size and strength of the bird. Very impressive.

It had a good wash and preen, and I got some crappy record shots (handheld digiscoped with my iPhone) as it loafed. A worthwhile trip for a cracking bird.

Size comparison: Lesser Black-backed Gull (left) with Caspian Tern

Before seeing this one, I was starting to get worried that Caspian Tern was becoming a bogey bird for me. I've never dipped one, just not seen the ones I should have...

I was in the car park at Welney WWT in July 2009 when news of a Caspo on the reserve came through. Unfortunately, I was just leaving (with White-rumped Sandpiper "in the bag", thank you very much), not arriving. I could have gone back, if I wasn't with my family, who had had their fill of the reserve and wanted to get home. I'd had my allotted time and my wife was in no mood to give me any more...

More recently, a Caspian Tern flew over twitchers watching the Rock Thrush at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire in April. Meanwhile, I was on a training course in Manchester, thus missing *two* much-wanted birds... So there was double the joy when seeing this beauty in Cheshire.

Blogs about terns always provide an opportunity for a pun or three in the title, but I resisted… Well, until the last paragraph. One good tern deserves another (apt, after seeing the Bridled Tern earlier this month), or Terned out nice again, or Look what's terned up now! (they are lame. though), or maybe Tern on, tune in, dip out (not appropriate in this case, fortunately - with apologies to Timothy Leary), or Tern, Tern, Tern (perhaps most apt, as it's a song by The Byrds, although I think I need a third tern tick before using that one).

Birding the Latitude Festival 2013?

Kraftwerk, Latitude Festival 2013, Southwold, Suffolk - 20th July 2103

Well, no, but I bet you’d achieve quite a list if you tried. Latitude Festival is staged at Henham Park, Southwold: only a 30-mitute bike ride to the birding site of Minsmere, and even closer to Dunwich and Westleton Heaths, Corporation Marshes at Warberwick, and the coast at Southwold. Good birding pedigree.

I did see a few Wood Pigeons flying over the site on the Saturday we were there, and my 8-year-daughter called out a Red Kite only to find it was a high-soaring Herring Gull (good shout all the same). I was only there for one thing, and it wasn’t the birds. It was Kraftwerk. But more of that later…

Comma, Little Waldingfield, Suffolk - Friday 19th July 2013

We (me and the family) stayed the weekend at Little Waldingfield, near Sudbury in Suffolk. Lovely place. The weather was hot and sunny, so I spent Friday outside, en famille, walking and kind-of looking at wildlife. Sparrowhawk was the bird of the morning, high over the village, but the insects were more rewarding. Nothing rare, just common species, and all really enjoyable to see in a rural setting on a hot summer's day: Red-tailed Bumblebee, Soldier Beetle, Seven-spot Ladybird, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White, Comma, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Large Skipper, and a possible Southern (or Norfolk) Hawker.

Probable Wood Pigeon egg, Little Waldingfield, Suffolk - Friday 19th July 2013

 

Soldier Beetles, Little Waldingfield, Suffolk - Friday 19th July 2013

It was so hot by the afternoon we needed to dip our kids in some open water. We weren’t near the coast, but the River Stour at Bures on the Suffolk/Essex border was perfect.

Common Blue Damselfly, Bures, Suffolk - Friday 19th July 2013

Blue-tailed Damselfly, Bures, Suffolk - Friday 19th July 2013

Banded Demoiselle, Bures, Suffolk - Friday 19th July 2013

Mute Swans, Bures, Suffolk - Friday 19th July 2013

Later we went to Flatford Mill – hone to a Field Studies Centre, and somewhere I have considered studying for a while. This place is idyllic…

The Hay Wain, Flatford Mill, Suffolk - Friday 19th July 2013

 

Black-tailed Skimmer, Flatford Mill, Suffolk - Friday 19th July 2013

As for Latitude Festival itself, we were only there as day visitors so I can’t vouch for the weekend as a whole. But, the Saturday we were there was great. Most of our time was spent entertaining the kids (I’ve got quite a graze on my arm from one of my trips down the helter skelter), but we did see a couple of bands. I enjoyed Hot Chip, on just before Kraftwerk, with their so-uncool-we’re-cool vibe. Perfect for the mix of punter at the festival (sort of youngsters who’ve raided their parents’ record collections and parents with a lifetime of obscure gigs under their belts). 

We spotted Neon Neon were performing with the National Theatre Wales, and so quickly joined the queue (my wife has a Gruff Rhys fetish). The show - Praxis Makes Perfect - was excellent. It was the story of the millionaire communist publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, his battles with Soviet Russia, his friendship with Fidel Castro, and ultimately his death in Italy trying to blow up a pylon. All a bit bonkers and great.

Luke gets into the Kraftwerk vibe

I’ve liked Kraftwerk since I was a kid, when my older brother used to play their albums over his home-made, in-house radio station (which had an audience of two: me and my mum). I still remember like it was yesterday going to Boots in Ashton-under-Lyne with my pocket money to buy Kraftwerk’s Computer Love / The Model double A-side.

As with all things Kraftwerk, the show was immaculate: the synthesised tones pure and sweet, the 3D visuals simple yet striking, the songs pristine moments of understated pop. So much of their set sounded fresh and new, yet was presented in the same form as it was in the 70s and 80s. To say they influenced modern electronic music is a severe understatement: they drew up such a perfect blueprint that few have strayed from it since.

The Robots, Numbers, Computer World, Home Computer, Computer Love, The Man-Machine, Spacelab (complete with a 3D Skylab coming out of the screen to loads of cheering), The Model, Neon Lights… What can I say? Perfection.

Due to tired kids, we had to leave partway through Autobahn, hearing Tour de France in the distance as we made our way to the car park. I could have watched and listened to them all night. Respect to Latitude for putting them on.

Ham Wall RSPB and Shapwick Heath NNR - Sunday 7th July 2013

Many birders have been waiting patiently, and hopefully, for the breeding Little Bitterns at Ham Wall RSPB to begin feeding flights for their young. The reason being the birds are an absolute bugger to see unless they're flying around. In fact, at the time of writing, breeding hasn't been confirmed - it's just assumed because flights have begun.

News of the birds' presence on the reserve was released weeks ago, apparently because the grapevine was already buzzing about it. Staff had seen a male and female and a further male had turned up later. Little Bitterns had attempted to breed here for the last couple of years, but there are still plenty of birders who had seen them - myself and Secret Twitcher included.

We set off early enough from West Yorkshire to be on site by 08:30. Following up the grid reference on BirdGuides (ST444395), we headed west from the car park, onto Shapwick Heath NNR. Wrong. There was hardly a soul here and other who arrived with us had gone east. Still, we had a quick look around - a nice reserve, with insects a speciality. We decided to head back here later, before heading home.

View from the Little Bittern viewpoint at Ham Wall RSPB, Sunday 7th July 2013,  with Glastonbury Tor in the distance.

The Little Bittern "viewpoint" (basically a place on the reserve trial where the foliage is low enough to see across the reedbed) was already well populated when we arrived. There had been some flights before we'd arrived, but lucky they weren't the last. There was a early flight, but it wasn't easy to get on to. After 20 minutes of waiting and searching, I got some decent views - enough to clearly show the difference between the male (basically black and white, with a red bill) and female (more brown and black). The birds looked small for bitterns, but a Black-headed Gull was the only other birth to compare with. The wings flapped at quite a rate, not what you'd expect from a member of the heron/egret family. The way they carried themselves was interesting too: with little or no tail, and a long, thick neck, they looked very front-heavy. The neck seemed to almost droop under its own weight.

There were several flights, low across the reeds, from a particular area going out away from us to the right, then back again. Having said that, there was no reliable pattern, probably due to there being two males. The male(s) performed the best, with one briefly perching up in a sallow. My best and most prolonged view was of a male flying from the back of the reed bed to the presumed nesting area, heading straight at me.

 We'd had our fill and set off to look around the rest of Ham Wall. The main path is a former railway track, which also runs through Shapwick Heath. Bird-wise, it was relatively quiet, as befits mid-July; but there was still plenty of interest. The best was probably my first Green Sandpiper of the year, to the north of the track. Common Tern and Hobby are always nice to see too. Lapwings seemed to be doing well here. Blackcap and Garden Warbler were singing all along the wooded trackside, Amy with the odd Chiffchaff and Cetti's Warbler.

By the roadside at the end of the reserve we found dead badger (in good condition). Always a sad sight, and unfortunately the only sight I've ever had of these creatures. Thanks to those greedy, bloodthirsty bastards Owen Paterson and Richard Benyon, we'll all be less likely to see one alive in future. To help stop the cull, please add your name to the petition here.

 Badger, Ham Wall RSPB - Sunday 7th July 2013

Close up of Badger claw

I’m a total dude when it comes to insects (some might say I'm a total dude when it comes to birds too, and they may have a point), but I'm trying to get to grips with butterflies, moths and dragonflies this year. Well, at least get a bit better. Both Ham Wall and Shpwick Heath gave us opportunities to test our ID skills.

 Banded Snail, Ham Wall RSPB - Sunday 7th July 2013

Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were everywhere, with scores of them along the paths. Where there were nettles we would find the black, silver-spangled caterpillars of the Peacock butterfly. We could see where the caterpillars were up ahead, form the waiting Carrion Crows on the path. For some reason many of the caterpillars were making suicidal dashes across the tracks.

Peacock butterfly larva, Ham Wall RSPB - Sunday 7th July 2013

There were a few Meadow Brown and Large White too, and smaller numbers of Ringlet and Speckled Wood. The butterfly highlight was a bright yellow Brimstone in a glade on Shapwick Heath. Understandably, there weren't so many moths around, though I did manage a photo of this distinctive Barred Straw:

Barred Straw, Ham Wall RSPB - Sunday 7th July 2013

Ham Wall clearly is a great reserve for dragonflies, and we were obviously here on a good day. Shame my ID skills aren’t up to much. We did see Brown Hawker, Emerald Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, and probably Common Hawker and Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Azure Damselfly, Ham Wall RSPB - Sunday 7th July 2013

On Shpwick Heath we came across on of the several Great White Egrets seen recently, showing well. On the same pool were some 27+ Black-tailed Godwits.

Great White Egret, Shapwick Heath NNR - Sunday 7th July 2013

I struggled a bit in the car up the M5/M6 on the way home, as the sunshine blared through the window (as most of the rest of the UK was in the grip of Murray Mania). A top day out, spoilt only by me forgetting to bring my cap - it was one warm day.

Bridled Tern: Looks like I was one of the lucky ones…

I managed a weekday, post-work trip to the Farnes last week, with Secret Twitcher, for the Bridled Tern on Inner Farne. We did well getting there with plenty of light left, given it’s a three-hour journey to Seahouses from my house.

The weather worsened as we headed up the A1, and was we were greeted by filthy rain by the time we got to the harbour. Our mood wasn’t helped by the fact the bird hadn’t been seen since around 2pm, but we were here now, so we had to give it a go. It had returned to roost on Inner Farne around 8pm the two previous nights, so there was still time.

I bumped into Chris Bromley, who seems to get everywhere thanks to his granddad and his mum Angie. Successfully twitching Baikal Teal, Dusky Thrush, Roller, Greenish Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Pacific Swift, White-throated Needletail and more in the last two months is taking the concept of “mum’s taxi” a bit far! Good on her – she deserves a medal (or at least a certificate from the UK400 Club).

We travelled over on Serenity II from Farne Islands Boat Tours, skippered by Andrew Douglas. Serenity II is a catamaran, so we were there within 20 minutes. Loads of birds on the trip over: Herring Gull, Great Blacked-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Kittiwake, Shag, Gannet, Fulmar, Guillemot, the odd Razorbill, and large numbers of Puffin, Eider, Arctic Tern, and Sandwich Tern as we approached Inner Farne. Picking out Common Terns wasn’t easy from the boat as it bounced around the swell in the rain, but I came across a couple while scanning the terns on the island.

There was a crowd of around 60 forlorn-looking birders on the quay as we arrived. None of these had seen the bird, and their boat was due soon… The conditions were poor, with rain on your bins and scope within seconds. We scanned the terns coming into to roost on the rocks – mostly Arctics with some Sarnies. Most of the birds overhead were breeding adults bringing food to their chicks further up the island. A few waders around too: Turnstone, Knot, Oystercatchers and Ringed Plover.

The Glad Tidings arrived to pick up around half the birders who’d had enough after a 5-hour vigil without seeing the Bridled Tern. Some were very reluctant to go… The boat pulled away and we continued our search from the slipway, when a shout came up form one of the wardens – “It’s here, in the roost!”. I rushed over to stand behind him and tried to pick out the bird to no avail. The Glad Tidings was called back (the shouting causing some of the terns to take flight, which worried me because the BT might fly off).

No one could pick out the bird, and the warden’s initial certainty seemed to be waning. He found the bird he was looking at again, but decided it was Sandwich Tern stood behind some seaweed… Birders were just now disembarking from the Glad Tidings, only to be told not to bother. Apologies from the warden and glum faces all round…

The rain was not abating – my boots were overflowing with water, and I was really starting to feel uncomfortable, but I was here and really wanted to find this bird. At around 19:50, just as the Glad Tidings was reaching Seahouses I imagine, another waterproof-clad warden piped up to tell us they were cold and wet and wanted us to leave in the next ten minutes. The call went out to Andrew on the Serenity II in the bay to come in. We had ten minutes to get this bird. I immediately started to grill everything on the rocks to the north quay again.

We were running out of time. The warden was still talking about boats tomorrow morning, when a very dark-winged bird suddenly flew in right in front of me, banking to the right. I looked like a Manx Shearwater with a long tail or something. “Wha..?!” I said to myself, as I realised what I looking at. “It’s there!” shouted a more quick-witted birder stood to my right. “It’s here! It’s here!” I joined in, pointing furiously.

Oh, the joy, the relief, that spread through the group. The Bridled Tern swooped around the bay in sync with a Sandwich Tern, the slate grey/brown wings really sticking out amongst all the white and pale-grey wings. This was a big tern and a real beauty. It had long, pointed wings, with a long tail, a thick black bill, and those cool go-faster eye stripes. A very nice bird.

Eventually it landed on the rocks to the south, and we all go decent views while it was on the deck. I don’t think many photographers got great shots, the rain increasing as the light faded. It flew up again before landing again, but the bird melted into the flock and I couldn’t relocate it – I never managed to get it in my scope.

I grinned the entire trip back to Seahouses, despite being drenched and my jeans plastered to my legs feeling like kelp on a muddy beach. A great twitch.

Inner Farne from Serenity II as we left the island - grinning all the way.

The Bridled Tern has been terrorising birders around the North East ever since. It was seen randomly on Inner Farne again the following day, for brief moments, Since then it’s been seen all over the shop – Cresswell, East Chevington, back and forth, then down to Saltholme and back. It was almost certainly roosting on Coquet Island during this time, where landing is prohibited. As I write, a Bridled Tern was seen passing Flambourgh Head, heading south. Heads up at Spurn. And Gib Point, Holme, Blakeney, Cley, Sheringaham…

Icky Melody

I’ve dipped a couple of Icterine Warblers in my time, and so when the chance came for a settled one in Broom Wood, off Tiln Lane, Nottinghamshire (an hour from my house), it seemed rude not try for it…

I arrived (for my first visit…) on Friday evening (21st June), being told by birders leaving the site that it was singing and showing occasionally. I spent two hours on site as the bird made the odd rattle and squeak from deep cover, but didn’t show (for me) at all. The nearest I came to seeing it was it moving in some sallow late on in poor light.

Identifying warblers by their song or calls alone has always been a test for me. It’s not that I don’t know their calls (although that’s true of the rarer ones, of course), it’s that I often can’t actually hear them. My hearing is rubbish. But I could hear something from this bird, and it didn’t sound like the full song.

Other –better – birders, with better hearing, were muttering that they hadn’t heard it sing properly; but at that time no one was suggesting a mis-identification… So I sloped off home, putting this down as another Icky dip.

I awoke of Saturday morning to find that other (better) birders had been questioning the ID, and it was now being called as a Melodious Warbler. I had no chance to going at all on Saturday, and could only get there on Sunday if I missed helping with the dawn WeBS count at Rodley NR.

Well, I ducked out of the WeBS, and headed back to Notts, arriving before 7am. What a difference 36 hours makes. The bird showed almost immediately, singing its heart out – and continued to do so, on and off, for the next 90 minutes.

The shortish primary projection of Melodious was plain to see, as were the browny-green upperparts, but an obvious pale panel in the wing still suggested Icterine. Overall, the bird didn’t seem as big as I though Ickies were meant to be – a notion backed up by other birders I spoke to.  The head didn’t seem as angular or the bill as big as I’d expect on an Icky, and (from photos of the bird) the legs are clearly brown. The underparts were a lovely Mediterranean yellow…

It even showed well enough for me to take some phone-scoped shots with my new iPhone 5:

 

 

Melodious Warbler, Tiln Lane, Retford, Nottinghamshire - Sunday 23rd June 2013

The best thing (for me) was that he was pumping out his song loud and clear. There’s a lot going on in that song: all sorts of warbles, zizzes, rattles and scratches. The higher, thinner notes of Icterine did seem to be lacking. All in all, a really great learning experience.

It must be said that the birders who had first seen the bird and called it an Icky hadn’t had brilliant views, maybe hadn’t heard the song so well – and to top it off, I’d heard the bird had responded to tapes of an Icky! Respect is due for simply finding such a skulking and misleading bird in such dense habitat.

Road Tripping

It seems most of Britain had great weather during the half-term holiday 25th May – 2nd June 2013, except just about all the places I visited during that time. Yes, rather a week of quality time at home with the kids, I chose to squeeze in with good friends Mike and Chris, plus young Chris, Lee (yes, him again), Craig, Paul, Tia, and Andy to try and see as many species as possible in the UK in nine days. Depending how you look at it, that’s nine days of freedom, camaraderie, banter, and the Great British countryside, or nine days I'll never get back. I’ve still not decided which it was…

As on the trip three weeks earlier, I met with Mike and Chris in Falkirk on the Friday evening. Day 1 started with ten Black Grouse on Braco Moor.

Black Grouse lekking, Braco Moor, Perth & Kinross - Saturday 25th May 2013

 We have a winner!

Plenty of Whinchat around, plus the expected Common Gull, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Snipe, Curlew, Willow Warbler, etc. We made our way to Loch of Lowes, getting some better views of Whinchat, Common Whitethroat, and Garden Warbler on route, and more Black and Red Grouse. House Martins seem to be doing okay here.

The Osprey nest at Loch of the Lowes was occupied, but they weren’t giving their best views while I was in the hide. Better was around the feeding station: smart Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and Yellowhammer the highlights.

Our plan was to catch the ferry to Lochmaddy (North Uist) from Uig (Skye) at midday. But we’d left it late and had to dash across country to get to the terminal in time. We hadn’t booked tickets, which meant for an anxious wait to see if they’d let us on (this kind of unavoidable drama is usual for trips with Lee!). We spent our time scanning the harbour: Black Guillemot, Razorbill, lots of Shag, and a double-figure group of Red-breasted Merganser washing in the shallows. The weather wasn’t too bad, overcast and chilly, but okay. Word was the weather on North Uist was poor, which didn’t help our chances of seeing any eagles or the much-wanted Snowy Owl.

We were allowed on board, and spent the trip sea-watching as it became gradually colder: a large numbers of Puffin, Razorbill and Guillemot, a few Arctic Tern, Fulmar and Kittiwake, the odd Great Skua, and a Manx Shearwater.

We took the northern road around North Uist, going via Solas. At Grenitote a Glaucous Gull landed in front of us as we were watching Little Tern, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Shoveler, and a female Hen Harrier pass through. It had started raining and was getting worse, so headed off to Balranald, further west.

We parked at the sea-watching site and Lee lead us over a hill to a lochan where a Cackling Goose was swimming around, happy as Larry in glorious isolation. This was the Cackling Goose (or Richardson’s Canada Goose) I’d spent hours looking for in early March. Result!

Richardson's Canada Goose, Balranald, North Uist - Sunday 26th May 2013

There were lots of Eider and a fantastic Great Northern Diver close in on the sea, with three Little Gull riding the wind with other gulls. Further down the beach we saw a bird I was already acquainted with: a young male Harlequin Duck.

Also on the reserve: Whooper Swan, Shelduck, Snipe, Sanderling, more Bar-tails, Twite, Corn Bunting, and a couple of passing Pomarine Skua picked out by Craig. Balranald was a different reserve to the one I visited just a few weeks earlier. So nice we came back the following morning…

 Sunrise at Lochmaddy, North Uist - Sunday 26th May 2013

Day 2 and we were back at Balranald listening for Corncrake. We heard them ok, but got no views. We did get to get on to a Ruff, hidden in the long grass, thanks to a fellow birder letting us look through his scope (all adding to the trip list). The weather was much better now, allowing me to take some shots of the goose and to do some sea-watching. Craig and Lee got on to a distant skua heading north – very, very long-tailed, with long, thin wings, a slight tern-like action, and a meandering rather than direct flight: a Long-tailed Skua. Excellent, two lifers in two days.

 Balranald RSPB, North Uist - Sunday 26th May 2013

Corn Bunting, Balranald, North Uist - Sunday 26th May 2013

The group’s focus (or rather Lee’s focus) seemed to be more on Corncrake than Snowy Owl, which wound me up somewhat. But, the views we had of a Corncrake stood on a dry stone wall perked me up. We made some cursory attempts at the Snowy Owl (which, with hindsight, probably had left overnight), finding only Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Sanderling, etc, between the machair and the sea.

We had a date with the ferry, and while in the car park I picked up some distant raptors. One really struck me as different – a White-tailed Eagle. It circled and drifted in our direction, eventually passing low directly over our heads, looking like a floorboard with a bird strapped to it. An awesome sight.

Lochmaddy-Uig ferry

I enjoyed the boat trip back to Skye, picking out Manx Shearwater, and large numbers of Arctic Tern among the other sea birds, and Buzzard and a pair of Raven over Uig harbour.

We spent the morning touring Skye, the highlight being a group of Mealy Redpoll coming to feeder in a garden on the north of the island (near where we saw some last year). Making our way over to Grantown-on-Spey for the night – Black-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe on lochs on route.

Day 3 – Another 5am meet and more great views of the rogue Capercaillie in Abernethy Forest (the same chap as three weeks earlier). It was lekking close to the road, allowing the photographers to get some great shots.

Capercaillie, Abernethy Forest, Highland - Monday 27th May 2013

 

  Who says photographers always want to get too close?

Beetle, Abernethy Forest, Highland - Monday 27th May 2013

 Wood Ant nest, Abernethy Forest, Highland - Monday 27th May 2013

After breakfast we headed back towards Loch Garten RSPB, getting Dipper on the Spey. We all had some good views of Osprey and Crested Tit, then the photographers in the group wanted more Caper action, so went back for seconds. According to the video I’ve seen, someone may have got a little too close for comfort – though it was the bird approaching him, rather than the other way round!

The rest of the day was spent in the Aviemore area, getting some nice Osprey views and adding Goldeneye to the trip list.

 Osprey, Aviemore - Monday 27th May 2013

We started Day 4 with a lie-in, meeting at 6am and heading to Anagach Forest. Craig picked up a Pine Martin, but most of couldn’t get on to it. The weather was a bit cold and overcast, which probably led to it being a quiet session for birds: singing Tree Pipit, Redstart, Mistle Thrush, and Willow Warbler where the highlights, among all the Chaffinches.

After brekkie some us headed up Sneachda from Cairngorms Ski Centre, looking for Ptarmigan. Although I’d seen these really well three weeks earlier, I’d never pass up the chance to see them again – I mean, these are a real Scottish speciality and we (Englanders) don’t get chance to see them at home. I’m glad I did go too: we had some great views. We couldn’t go too far because the weather up top was bad, but the area just below the snow line and mist was best for Ptarmigan anyhow. We had some nice Red Grouse on the way up and down too, and a pair of Ring Ouzel carrying food by the car park.

 Ptarmigan, Ben MacDui, Aviemore, Highland - Tuesday 28th May 2013

 Time to turn back...

On the way down..

We spent the afternoon at the upper end of Findhorn Valley. This is a traditional site for Golden Eagle, and we weren’t disappointed, with one flying right over us, shortly after being mobbed by a Peregrine. A few Buzzards around too for a handy size comparison.

Then we started heading south, and called it at one of my favourite sites: Killiecrankie near Pitlochry. It was lovely warm evening now, and we walked further along the River Garry than we have in recent visits. My birding sense was switched on (for once on this trip), and I managed to find us a Spotted Flycatcher feeding over the river, before picking out a female Pied Flycatcher after we’d heard a male singing nearby. A couple of Wood Warbler were singing their awesome song too. I got chatting to some other birders and they helped me find a pair of Dipper feeding three recently fledged chicks, and tell us about some nearby Osprey. Garden Warbler, Pied and Grey Wagtails on the river, Great Spotted Woodpeckers… excellent site. Well worth calling in if you’re passing during the spring/summer.

We went past Bonskeid House, a former YMCA centre where I’d stayed with my mum in the summer of 1979. Brought back loads of memories of walks, bird watching and eating chocolate... It reminded me just how ace my mum was and how much I still miss her after all these years.

We ended the day at Musselburgh, adding Common and Velvet Scoter, Sandwich Tern and Grey Plover to the trip list. We had a heated debate in the car park of the Premier Inn at Musselburgh (it was full), during which I drank Peroni in the bar. We decided to split up for the night (Mike’s car to Falkirk and Lee’s to Berwick-on-Tweed)…

Wednesday (Day 5) and we started the day trying to see the terns on Coquet Island from the mainland. It’s doable, but not in strong winds with gusts and heavy rain. I nearly got hit in the face by a Fulmar, which – while great – illustrates the type of weather we were up against.

We knocked about Druridge Bay for a while, seeing Spoonbill and Common Terns (no doubt nesting on Coquet Island) feeding at Hauxley NWT, and a nice pair of Stonechat and Sedge Warbler at East Chevington. We called at Seaton Common in Cleveland (near Saltholme RSPB) for a Great White Egret (and got the bonus of a brief Yellow Wagtail), but the weather wasn’t improving so we headed south… to Lakenheath Fen in Suffolk.

The prize here was Savi’s Warbler and we were treated to some good views of it in lovely weather as it sang in the reeds about 20 metres away. While easy to see with the scope, it was very difficult to digiscope, so my best photo is pretty crap. It was nice to compare the Savi’s song with a Grasshopper Warbler singing nearby. The former sounding like a tiny motor, the latter being a smoother, thinner noise, like a freewheeling bike.

Savi's Warbler, Lakenheath RSPB, Suffolk - Wednesday 29th May 2013

There were lots of Groppers dotted around the reserve, as were Sedge and Reed Warblers. I lost count of the number of Cetti’s Warbler and Cuckoo I heard. A bonus was a Common Crane in a field across the river (in Norfolk).

We had our latest start - 7am - on Thursday (Day 6), not surprising after that long drive on Wednesday. The bad weather had caught up with us and we headed back to Lakenheath in the rain. We had more good views of Savi’s and Grasshopper Warblers, and Common Crane, and a low-flying Bittern. Nearby we had our first Grey Partridge of the trip, before calling in at Weeting NWT for a Stone Curlew after a 10 minute wait (we didn’t have to wait all day like I did for my first here in 2008).

We headed north to Titchwell Marsh on the Norfolk coast, seeing our first Red-legged Partridge of the trip on the way. We arrive at 10am, no bad, given the late start. Titchwell rarely disappoints, and this was another enjoyable visit. Highlights and new birds for the trip were Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets (they’re taking over), Little Egret (taking til now to get one), Garganey, Teal (again, taken us all week before we came across these), Red-crested Pochard, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Mediterranean Gull (three beautiful adults flying low over), and Little Gull (wonderful views of adults and sub-adults – such a great bird to watch). The Little Stint we thought we had turned out to be a Sanderling – think there were some crossed wires there.

The weather turned cooler in the afternoon, as we went in search of Montagu’s Harrier. We were not disappointed. After the warm up acts of Red Kite, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Hobby, and a pair of Marsh Harriers exchanging a rabbit mid-air, the male Monty flew in. He hunted over the field for a short while before coming to rest on a farm track. The female joined him soon after. A real highlight of the trip. Watching a Lesser Whitethroat carrying food to a nearby hedge for the hour we were there was a nice bonus.

We had Greylags and Egyptian Geese at Holkham as we headed to Kelling Heath for Woodlark and Turtle Dove. We checked in to our various B&Bs in Sheringham and had a great Thai meal, arranged as ever by Chris M. I was a bit tipsy when we were out looking for Nightingale, but we (the group in Mike’s car) did get a brief glimpse after we all had heard one sing.

Friday 31st May (Day 7) was an even later start – 8am. The sea mist was covering the whole of the North Norfolk Coast, so there was no rush. It was cold when we did eventually venture out into Sheringham Country Park, but we managed some lovely views of Firecrest and Nuthatch. We failed to see the summering Pick-foot and Whitefronts at Holkham again, as we headed for a second stab at Titchwell. Today’s target was Temminck’s Stint. The weather improved and we were getting some heat haze when watching the tiny stint. Little Ringed Plover was another addition.

News came through of a Short-toed Lark on Blakeney Point, a life for most of us and a year tick for all. Parking at Cley coastguards we set off on the yomp to the Marrams as fast as we could. Every birder we met coming back said they’d dipped it, but there were Wryneck and Black Redstart about. We soldiered on and found the lovely female Black Redstart in the blue boat.

Blakeney Point, Norfolk - Friday 31st May 2013

We tried in vain to see one of the Wryneck (although I did see a brown, woodpecker-shaped bird glide into some Suaeda in the area one had been seen, which was almost certainly a Wryneck, but not enough for a positive ID). I enjoyed watching the Little and Sandwich Terns, but as the sun beat down and I rued bringing my coat, I started taking a closer look at the plants.

Red-tailed Bumblebee on Common Birds-foot Trefoil - Blakeney Point

 Sea Campion - Blakeney Point

 Sea Campion - Blakeney Point

 Sea Kale - Blakeney Point

Thrift (Sea Pink) - Blakeney Point

Thrift (Sea Pink) - Blakeney Point

Whelk egg sacs - Blakeney Point

We had started to trudge back when a call came from Brian Bland, the be-sandled birder we’d bumped into a few time in Norfolk. The Short-toed Lark was there on the shingle, just over the cordon protecting the Little Tern nests! Result! We all got good views, with the photographers getting a couple of shots off, before it flew high west along the point, where we lost it in the glare of the sun. A really interesting bird - very pale upperparts, making it difficult to see against the shingle. The unmarked breast was a key feature too, though we didn’t have long to study it. It ran in short bursts, allowing us quick stationary views, then flew off before any other birders could get a look.

Well now, that cheered us up, and we headed to Burnham Overy Staithe for a beautiful male Red-backed Shrike with a Barn Owl hunting behind in the sunshine. At Holkham, our last site of the day, were two Greenshank and two Whimbrel calling as they flew over from the south heading straight out over Holkham Pines.

We stayed in Sheringham again, though this time at the YHA – basic but cheap, just what we needed. Day 8 started at 7am, and we soon scored a local Dartford Warbler. We didn’t have much time before news broke of a White-spotted Bluethroat at nearby Cley. We piled down the East Bank and had nice scope views of a male singing from the willows out in the reeds to the west. The white area in the blue feathers on the throat were clear to see as the bird sing its heart out.

Watching the Bluethroat from the East Bank, Cley, Norfolk - a cold Saturday 1st June 2013

Sculthorpe NR was the next destination – a nice reserve, one of my favourites in Norfolk. We were after Marsh Tit, a speciality here. We all added Bullfinch to our trip lists first, before heading out to the Marsh Hide, overlooking the reedbed. The Marsh Harriers entertained us until a Marsh Tit showed up, right on cue. This is where we said goodbye to Chris M – no point in him going off south when we were so close to his house. Top bloke.

Marsh Harrier sculpture - Sculthorpe, Norfolk

 Cowslip - Sculthorpe, Norfolk

   Greater Stitchwort - Sculthorpe, Norfolk

   Red Campion - Sculthorpe, Norfolk

Our last call in Norfolk was Abbey Farm, Flitcham, for Little Owl, before Welney WWT in Cambridgeshire for Whooper Swan (after I’d fallen off a gate – not the first time). We then headed for Berry Fen RSPB. The quarry here was Pectoral Sandpiper, which simply eluded us for ages. A pair of Garganey was a nice find, and it was only as we were leaving that I chanced upon a small wader among some sleeping duck – the Pectoral Sandpiper.

 

Pectoral Sandpiper, Berry Fen RSPB - Saturday 1st June 2013

We tried for a nearby Red-footed Falcon, but could only pick out distant Hobbies, so we headed south. The two cars became separated, which meant we (in Mike’s car) didn’t get the feral Barnacle Geese off the A1 – this did not unduly bother us! In London, the Ring-necked Parakeet is an easy bird to see and hear, but we had the bonus (if you can call it that) of seeing breeding Monk Parakeets. These are the same species I see regularly on trips to Barcelona, but it was novel to see them, and their nests, in London. Couldn’t manage a photo of one, unfortunately.

 

Monk Parakeet nests, Greater London - Saturday 1st June 2013



Breeding Black-necked Grebe are always nice to see, so to see a dozen on a reservoir was real treat. No Rudy Duck around though… Last call of the day was Chobham Common NNR. Woodcock were everywhere. We heard a distant Cuckoo and then a close Nightjar. It flew past us and landed in a tree. Despite some serious eyeballing, we couldn’t actually see it in the tree until it flew out again. Another successful day, rounded off my a margarita at Mike’s house – cheers for letting us stay Mike.

Chobham Common, Surrey - Saturday 1st June 2013

The last day (Day 9) started with a Kingfisher twitch in west London somewhere (yes, I know). I didn’t get on to it as it flew, but told everyone I did, so they didn’t have to hang around. Cracking birds, but we were now just trying to get the trip list up. We headed for the New Forest, in glorious weather. Perfect for Honey Buzzard and Goshawk, and so it proved. We had up to four Honey Buzzard, with two males performing wing quivering displays! One of the three (or more?) Goshawk was right over our heads at one point. The bulk of the bird and the fluffed out white undertail coverts were so obvious.

We wandered around the forest for a while, getting great views of a singing male Redstart and Wood Warbler. A Green Woodpecker nearly flew into my face while I was taking a discrete tinkle in the woods too…

This is where we had to split up – young Chris needed to be in the north west by the end of the day, and I needed to be further north, so while the others went in search of Hawfinch, Mike, Andy, young Chris and I went to Coombe Hill near Tewksbury for a female Red-necked Phalarope (don’t laugh at my photo, it was distant in some serious heat haze!).

   Red-necked Phalarope, Coombe Hill NR, Gloucestershire - Sunday 2nd June 2013

Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, and Little Gull were also present, and that wrapped up our birding. All that remained was to say goodbye – I spent the week with some top people and great birders on this trip.

The group as a whole got 208 species (heard and seen), whereas my personal total was 203 (199 seen, plus four heard-only). Not bad. Not bad at all. My full list below:

Red-throated Diver
Black-throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Slavonain Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Northern Fulmar
Manx Shearwater
Northern Gannet
Atlantic Great Cormorant (and Continental Cormorant Sinensis)
Shag
Eurasian Bittern
Little Egret
Great White Egret
Grey Heron
Eurasian Spoonbill
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
Greylag Goose
Greater Canada Goose
Cackling or Lesser Canada Goose (hutchinsii)
Dark-bellied Brent Goose
Common Shelduck
Egyptian Goose
Mandarin Duck
Mallard
Gadwall
Shoveler
Eurasian Wigeon
Common Teal
Garganey
Northern Pochard
Red-crested Pochard
Tufted Duck
Harlequin Duck
Common Eider
Common Scoter
Velvet Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
White-tailed Sea Eagle
Osprey
Golden Eagle
Red Kite
Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Common Buzzard
Honey Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
Northern Goshawk
Common Kestrel
Hobby
Peregrine
Red Grouse
Ptarmigan
Capercaillie
Black Grouse
Red-legged Partridge
Grey Partridge
Corncrake
Common Pheasant
Moorhen
Coot
Common Crane
Oystercatcher
Avocet
Stone Curlew
Little Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover
Grey Plover
European Golden Plover
Lapwing
Red Knot
Sanderling
Turnstone
Dunlin
Common Redshank
Common Greenshank
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Eurasian Curlew
Whimbrel
Woodcock
Common Snipe
Red-necked Phalarope
Ruff
Great Skua
Pomarine Skua
Long-tailed Skua
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Little Gull
Kittiwake
Little Tern
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
Puffin
Black Guillemot
Common Guillemot
Razorbill
Rock Dove
Stock Dove
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Turtle Dove
Common Cuckoo (heard only)
Tawny Owl (heard only)
Short-eared Owl
Barn Owl
Little Owl
European Nightjar
Common Swift
Ring-necked Parakeet (plus Monk Parakeet)
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Skylark
Woodlark
Greater Short-toed Lark
Sand Martin
Barn Swallow
House Martin
Meadow Pipit
Tree Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Wren
Dipper
Dunnock
Robin
Common Nightingale
Common Redstart
Black Redstart
Whinchat
Common Stonechat
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Common Blackbird
Ring Ouzel
Garden Warbler
Blackcap (heard only!)
Lesser Whitethroat
Common Whitethroat
Dartford Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
Cetti's Warbler (heard only)
Reed Warbler
Willow Warbler
Wood Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
Firecrest
Spotted Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Crested Tit
Marsh Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Nuthatch
Common Treecreeper
Red-backed Shrike
Common Magpie
Jay
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Hooded Crow
Common Raven
Common Starling
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Twite
Lesser Redpoll
Mealy Redpoll
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Siskin
Bullfinch
Reed Bunting
Yellowhammer
Corn Bunting