3rd September:
Very good fall conditions and the temptation of already present goodies sent Adrian W and I to Wells at first light and within five minutes we had relocated the Greenish Warbler in the Sea Buckthorn by the coastguards. A very well marked green and white bird that frequently gave the tsweee call.
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| Greenish Warbler |
We sent the next two hours doing the Dell and Drinking Pool but could not find the Arctic Warbler but we did find 12 Pied Flycatchers, lots of Phylloscs including a Wood Warbler, the common Sylvias while Siskins, Redpolls, Pipits and Wagtails were passing over while a calling Tawny Pipit going over was a bonus.
We left Wells and its growing crowd of birders looking for the now
elusive Greenish Warbler and moved onto Brancaster where the Red-backed Shrike
had done a bunk but we did add a few Wheatears.
The Arctic Warbler had been reported again at Wells but we quite wisely
decided to press one to Holme where migrants were everywhere. We saw at least
four Barred Warblers, two Icterine Warblers, a smart Wryneck, many Redstarts
and both Flycatchers and usual Warblers.
With patience around the paddocks excellent views were had
including an Icky hopping around on the
ground under a Barred Warbler!
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| Barred Warbler and Icterine Warbler |
After a few hours checking literally every bird we could
find we headed back to Brancaster where the Red-backed Shrike duly obliged. On
to Blakeney Harbour where a Spoonbill was quickly located sifting the muddy
waters. My first and probably my final one of 1994 and my 43rd in
Norfolk!
One final mission for the day – the Pectoral Sandpiper at
Cley and after a brisk walk to North Hide good views of this well marked individual
were had. With a successful day
completed we headed back to Cambridge and I even made it home to watch
Terminator II on the telly.
4th September:
Pete phoned at 8am and invited me out for the day. I expected the usual North Kent jaunt or
Essex circuit but he fancied the South Coast so I suggested the Sardinian
Warbler at Beachy Head. The journey down
was pleasant and I was expecting quite a wait for this male bird. He had only been glimpsed a couple of times
all morning and so the birders on site were very pleased when I found him out
in the open within five minutes and performed superbly for the appreciative
crowd.
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| Sardinian Warbler |
There were no other migrants of note so after a spot of lunch [Eds: which would have involved Pete firing up his little stove and brewing a fresh cup of tea although I seem to remember him only having instant!] we headed on the tortuous route north east to Swalecliffe where an apparently obliging Rosefinch had been residing.
Once we had found the spot [Eds: I seem
to recall it was a vacant plot of land between some houses?] it only took a few
minutes to find it feasting on Elderberries which had somewhat discoloured its
bill. My most prolonged views ever of
this species. A Garden Warbler and Sedge Warbler were sharing this well laden
bush. I was glad that I got up!
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| Rosefinch |
9th September:
More Pelagic time for Adrian and more Cornish peninsular birding for me. The journey down was less eventful this time with only the briefest of Cirl Buntings at Exminster and a re-visit to Stithians where the Grebe family was still around. The male Pied-billed had lost his black throat and the kids were no further advanced but can obviously fly now as they were on the other side of the causeway. A few Dunlin, Snipe and two juvenile Curlew Sandpipers were the only waders.
With some time to spare before Adrian’s boat
departed we had a quick sea-watch off Pendeen and our 45 minutes produced many
Manxies, three Sooties, a single Med, a juvenile Sabine’s Gull and a Med Gull.
Now back to Loo’s for a beer and a few hours kip.
10th September:
I was up too early and at Pendeen by 6.15 but it was still dark, no ne was there and the wind felt better for Porthgwarra so I zoomed off there but it was also deserted and actually birdless so I ran back down the hill and went back to Pendeen! It was now 7.30 and 25 cars were present and I had already missed three Sabines Gulls and a Cory’s Shearwater! I was not amused.
My first session lasted from
7.30-1pm and despite the uncomfortable seating and occasional squall a superb
sea watch was had with 5000 Manxies, 40 Sooties, my first land based Great
Shearwater close in and 21 Med Shearwaters including at least one that sat
somewhere between a Manx and normal dark Med [Eds: clearly a Yelkouan type by today's standards]. They are such a variable species.
There were over 100 Fulmars, a single Storm Petrel, 200 Gannet, a few Terns,
Great, Arctic and Pom Skuas, Kittiwakes and four close in juvenile Sab Gulls.
Just wondrous.
After a short break at the Hayle (one Little Egret) I
returned for another four hours with a similar suite of species including
another Sabine’s. A few waders were seen
and a male Peregrine was seen trying to catch invisible Storm Petrels way out
to sea.
11th September:
I slept well but still rose early to a windless
morning. I met Adrian and the others off
the boat at 7.30 and they looked really rough.
It had been a bit bumpy out there and they had seen very little. The Wilson’s
Phalarope had been re-found up at Steart Point in Somerset so we started
heading that way passing a Little Egret on the Hayle on the way. The site was not difficult to find but it was
quite a walk to the hides but at least the bird was still there and unusually
for a Wilson’s it was actually behaving like a Phalarope and spinning around in
one of the lagoons. A bright first-year with some peachy colouring on the sides
of the neck. Rather unsurprisingly there
were also two Little Egrets there and one showed off its nice yellow feet at
close range.
From here we continued up the Bristol Channel to Frampton on
Severn to search for a Grey Phalarope. The
ensuing hassle we had in finding the right spot nearly drove us crazy. All we had to show for nearly two hour
walking was a moulting adult Black Tern. Eventually we were directed to a site
about a mile away and within minutes we had this busy little bird paddling
around some small pools. There were even
tow more Little Egrets to accompany it. They seem to be everywhere now but I do
not mind! Time to head for home.
13th September:
An afternoon dash with Roy, Ian and Pete for a juvenile
Woodchat Shrike just down the road at Stanford Warren. Within a few minutes of arriving this scaly
juvenile was on views, busily catching grasshoppers and impaling them on a
Hawthorn! This was the first time I have
seen a Shrike do this. It was mobbed at one stage by a group of Yellow Wagtails. This was my first juvenile and 10th
UK Woodchat.
14th September:
The Naze in atrocious weather is not a fin place to be but
Roy, Ian and I persevered. Only one real
flock of birds was found that held most of the expected Warblers, a few Crests
and a single Pied Fly but it was hard work so we went to Holland Haven which
was even poorer!
Two Black-necked Grebes were the highlight of Abberton
before finishing the day up in the sunshine at Colne Point where the Whiskered
Tern wasn’t… Just to make it a perfect day, I fell off the sea wall, gave my
scope a good crack and broke my tripod and then Roy tried to kill us on the way
home. [Eds: Sorry Roy – must have blanked out whatever trauma that was!]
18th-23rd September:
An interesting few days spent in the Cheviots with Emma. Lots
of rain, wind, low cloud, stupidly dangerous dissertation work and unfortunately
not too many laughs. Thankfully the trip prevented me from dipping the Siberian
Thrush in Norfolk.
30th September:
An afternoon dash with Ian to The Naze to hopefully see the 1st-winter male Red-throated Thrush that had been found the day before. Over the ensuing couple of hours good, if somewhat partial were had of this race of Dark-throated Thrush. Unlike many, I had not seen Black-throated Thrush and gained invaluable tick. Just before 5pm it hopped right out in the open and afforded superb views.
A Song Thrush sized bird with striking pale grey upperparts, crown, ear coverts and wings, the latter pale edged. Pale with a little pinky red above the eye and an amazing salmon pinky-red throat and upper breast. The throat was a little paler. A vague, almost spotted pattern could be seen behind the red and continued onto the white underparts . the tail was dark grey brown in the centre when perched with rich chestnut outer tail feathers which looked as bright as any Redstart in flight. The bill was dark with a yellow basal half. Definitely one of the birds of the year.
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| Red-throated Thrush #408 |
[Eds: In fact, after thirty years it is still quite possibly one of the best looking birds I have ever seen in the UK. That there has never been another one makes it an even more memorable encounter. The proposed split came within a few years I think and by then I had seen a couple of fine Black-throated too.]
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