So, being stoic about that pretty little Dunnocky thing way
up in Shetland at the start of the week and not despairing at the cruelty of
the fates but reliving the glories of the preceding few days, appears to have
been appreciated by the birding deities.
A proverbial second bite of the cherry was on offer come
Thursday evening after a second Siberian Accentor graced our shores and was
found grubbing around with Dunnocks in Birdersville – aka Easington on the Yorkshire coast and part of the hotspot around Spurn.
I am sure many people have the same tale at the moment but
that very morning I had spoken of that second bite and that within the next few
days there may well be another opportunity but hopefully on the east coast.
With so many popping up around Europe surely we would continue to play a role
in the story of the Siberian Autumn? When Mike Dent ambled back into the centre
late afternoon and said ‘Well, you were right – one in Yorkshire’ I thought we
were talking about Hawk Owls as I had been bigging them up too!
I was meant to be working Friday but after a bit of rota
rearranging I secured the day off but with no idea of how I was going to get
there but eventually I was left with no option other than to actually drive
myself – an almost unthinkable prospect as long distance is not my thing. I was
actually having dinner at Mum’s at the time all this was going on and still had
to drive home, drop Andrea off and get myself sorted. What I was not expecting
was the little black and white cat that we do not have to choose that evening
to give birth to a litter of kits practically outside the back door.
And so at 11pm I left Andrea in charge and a less fat cat
and three tiny kittens and headed back north of the river to collect Sam, Jono
and Bob. Bob had had to bail by the time
I got to Wanstead and just after midnight we hit the road proper for the drive
north.
I think we arrived a little before 0430 and tried to grab a
few winks but it was clear that birders were already arriving and walking down
to the back garden viewing area in complete darkness and at just after six we
did likewise only to find in excess of 400 variations on green already standing
quietly in a huge huddle ten deep under a yellow sodium streetlight staring
into some trees. If it stayed like this
it was obviously going to take some time to see it even if it was still
there. Not long after seven the first
glimmer of light was visible and the trees were alive with birds with Redwings,
Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, Robins, Goldcrests and Brambling all audible. We had
driven up through terrible rain and it looked like it had dumped birds out of
the sky. What else could be lurking?
At this stage there was an inexplicable surge from the hoard
and they dashed into the little belt of trees and the fence now just visible
but the local guys were now on site and turfed everyone back out onto the road
where they were asked to form a queue on the pavement. The pecking order was now completely jumbled
up and surprisingly Sam and I were in the first group to be allowed in – of Jono
there was no sign – and we saw it immediately perched up on the skip before it
flipped out of view in the gloom. Five minutes later it reappeared and superb
views were had of this dapper little Dunnock with its yellow throat and
supercillium, bandit mask and stripy head. With so many people waiting for a
look we soon pulled out and the next batch were allowed in before we rejoined
the back of the ever lengthening queue for seconds.
The local Spurn crew then did a great job of making sure
that everyone got in and had great views of the bird at just a few yards range
before asking people to come back out and make room for more and we were soon
in there for more views in better light.
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| Siberian Accentor - Jono Lethbridge |
Fully satiated we ambled back to the car passing ticking
Robins and zooming thrushes (including two silvery Ouzels) and Brambling
erupting from the gardens. Kilnsea and Spurn beckoned and we hastened off that
way.
The rest of the morning was spent trudging up and down the
lanes and hedgerows and in and out of clumps of scrub and although we did not
see everything on offer we did have possibly one of the most memorable vis mig
experiences any of us had ever had. The first couple of hours after dawn were
phenomenal with thousands of Redwings and quite a few Fieldfares scattered
across fields and hedges interspersed with many more Ring Ouzels and Song
Thrushes. Siskins, Redpolls, Chaffinches and the constant dweaking of
Bramblings headed over and parties of Starling, Skylark and Meadow Pipit were
on the move.
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| Redwing - Jono Lethbridge |
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| Goldcrest - Jono Lethbridge |
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| Robin |
Everywhere you looked there were Robins with their pure orange
breast and more obvious grey surround, Goldcrests were zitting in the grass and
every bush and several smart Wheatears were dotted about. Woodcock exploded
from cover with about a dozen seen and one was found probing in a field and
afforded magical scope views while a Jack Snipe bobbed like some demented Zebedee
as it crossed the Canal Scrape pool.
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| Common Snipe |
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| Jack Snipe |
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| Robin - Jono Lethbridge |
Chiffchaffs and a few Blackcaps were seen
even down on the saltmarsh and we did
not connect with any sprites but got very lucky with a Dusky Warbler that just
been processed at the Obs ringing hut and was shown around prior to being exhibited
to the masses down the road who were looking for a flighty OBP while a yellow faced Shorelark attracted a crowd on the beach.
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| Dusky Warbler |
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| Dusky Warbler - Jono Lethbridge |
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| Shorelark - Jono Lethbridge |
A dull pretty un-yellow Yellowhammer had the pulse quicken
as it bounded over but thankfully it landed and revealed itself while the
paddocks at Sammy’s Point had more Ouzels hopping around along with an
interesting late Pied Flycatcher and a carpet of Robins.
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| Ring Ouzel |
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| Ring Ouzel |
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| Cracking Wheatear |
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| Male Redstart |
The seawall was alive
with more Rock Robins and Boulder Chiffchaffs along with Saltmarsh Crests, Reed
Buntings and a dapper Little Bunting that flew past me and David calling and
immediately got pounced on. We frantically managed to get Sam onto it as this
has been his bogey bird for the last 60 years (at least) and it seemed fitting
that it should fall on such a memorable day with a self find at a namesake
location...
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| Little Bunting - Jono Lethbridge |
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| Little Bunting - Mark Murray |
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| Little Bunting - Mark Murray |
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Little Bunting
|
Two Firecrests showed to a few feet and both Common and
Black Redstarts were tail shimmying while we tried not to tread on Goldcrests
in a manner not dissimilar to Sumburgh last week.
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| Common Redstart - Jono Lethbridge |
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| Common Redstart |
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| Black Redstart |
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| Goldcrest |
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| Pied Flycatcher - with large wingpatch |
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| Pied Flycatcher - with large wingpatch |
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| Stonechat - Jono Lethbridge |
Russian White-fronted Geese
were skeining in with over a hundred counted and a gaggle of nine Bean Geese on
the mud had us guessing to whether there were all Tundra or not due to the
variation in bill size and the wholly yellow orange bill on one of them but it
would appear that all fall within the range of the more Pink-foot like of the
two forms.
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| Bean Geese |
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| Bean Geese & a White-front |
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| White-fronted Geese |
And so it was that we decided to head back to Easington for
an untroubled look at the Accentor once again and spent some quality time with
it as it shuffled like some short-legged geriatric across the mossy tarmac flicking
and turning leaves in and a most Turnstony type manner!
The weather was closing in and rain was in the air and we
decided to call it a day at 3pm and get ourselves through Hull before the rush
hour and over the Humber Bridge.
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| Siberian Accentor |
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| Siberian Accentor |
Like many people i could not resist a little video...
Quite how I remained alert and awake to get us
home I am not sure but it was a smooth journey home and I eventually crawled
into my bed ay just after 10pm after 41 hours in some sort of waking state.
Mind you, I have paid for it today but was it worth it? Oh yes and with a third Accentor now in
Cleveland, it looks like the Eastern Promise still has a few surprises up her
voluminous sleeves...
Great stuff !!
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