Thirty Years Ago - November 1994

4^th November:

I jumped at the chance to go to Ramsey Island with Andy Tweed for the Yellow-rumped Warbler that had been found and we travelled down to St Davids overnight and by 8.15am we were waiting our turn to cross to the barren looking island managed by the RSPB. 

Birds were definitely on the move with hundreds of Chaffinches and Greenfinches going south along with Siskins, Linnets, Starlings, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and a few Thrushes while Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings may have been local birds. A lone Swallow hawked around us and small parties of Snipe twisted through the sky while a female Peregrine was on almost constant view as she patrolled the coast.

The trip across what is reputed to be once of the most dangerous stretches of whirlpool infested water in eth UK was 12 up in an RNLI Zodiac. It twisted and turned around the swirling water as a straight line could not be taken across and I think we were airborne for most of the journey.

In no time at all we were moored against the small quay when a radio crackled into life to say that they had just re-found the bird. A cheer went up! Ten minutes later after a short uphill walk we were all drooling over this exquisite American Warbler as it fed gracefully in the Ivy and grasses that covered the vertical walls of its chosen cliff gully. The yellow on the shoulders and rump was surprisingly vivid and there was grey showing through so perhaps it was first-winter male? The bird called frequently, especially in flight  - a hard metallic ‘chick’ note.

Yellow-rumped Warbler #412

I wandered off to have a look at the innumerable and very tame Choughs and like on the mainland the passerine passage was still notable and made up of the same species.  I was also fortunate enough to put up two Richard’s Pipits from the long grass but they headed off calling towards the other side of the island with some Skylarks while a single Snow Bunting over head was also a pleasing discovery.  

After popping back for another look at the Yellow-rump, we pottered back down to the quay, downed a coffee in the café and caught the first Zodiac back to the mainland and we did not mind getting wet on the way back. With nothing else to chase, we headed home happy.  November is always full of surprises.

6^th November: 

Landguard does it again! This time a large Pipit present since Friday was identified as a Blyth’s and it was guaranteed a good turn out.  As Pete, Steve and I arrived at 7.30am it was obvious from the assembled mass that the bird was still present. Minutes later the bird was in the bag. A strikingly small Large Pipit being only a little bigger than a Rock Pipit and over the next hour or so excellent views were had as it fed on the short grass.

Blyth’s Pipit - I have a horrible feeling that I had ticked the Portland Pipit!

Quite a few other birds were on the move including two high flying Bewick’s Swans, some Brent Geese, Wigeon and lots of Wood Pigeons.  There were very few small birds but we did see a mind numbingly bright Firecrest and yet another Pallas’s Warbler while an adult Med Gull was a nice surprise.

After another look at the Pipit and a Long-eared owl that has been found in the Tamarisks, we decided to head off to Colne Point for another look at the Rough-legged Buzzard. It was on the seawall once again and we had the most astonishing views as it hunted in front of us and we saw it successfully catch three Voles. Three Short-eared Owls were seen alongside the road as we drove back out – the first of the autumn.

On to Abberton which was disappointing given the low water levels but we did find 12 Ruff and four Spotted Redshanks but no special Grebes. There were 35 Bewick’s Swans by the Island and a small group of Goldeneye hinted at winter. With the temperature falling and the light failing we called it a day.

11^th November:

A jaunt with Pete down to north Kent to visit Cliffe and fortunately the Short-toed Lark was still present and after some faffing around fantastic views were had. A fairly dark and well marked individual with a prominent neck patch and greater covert bar.  It was feeding with many Skylarks and if taken easily then it was very approachable. [Eds: I seem to remember that Pete was in the car at the point and I was the only birder out looking at it]. 

On occasion it would take flight and disappear into the sky until it became a dot but would always soon plummet back to its favoured patch giving little chip and chirrup calls.  In fact Short-tailed Lark would probably be a more apt name for this metatarsally challenged species.

Short-toed Lark

Dozens of Little Grebes were on the main pit but there were very few duck. An adult Little Gull flew over croaking and two Pinkfeet and a Brent Goose were good records. The bushes held Stonechats, Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits and two tumbling Short-eared Owls put on a good show.

On to the Alpha Pool but the sub-adult Greater Flamingo was not with his Chilean buddy that he had picked up from Titchwell but was out on the Thameside mudflats in the company of a host of waders that included 50 Avocets.

The Flamingo was dirty white in colour with pinky grey legs and bill and even obliged us with a fly round showing the bright red upper and under wing coverts. After watching some Fieldfares and having lunch we came home.

Greater Flamingo

[Eds: This Greater Flamingo was the third I had seen in just four years with a 1^st year bird at Elmley and a full adult at Minsmere in 1990 and then this bird which, if memory serves, toured around with and without the Chilean (which had been around for years) for several years I seem to recall seeing it at Breydon and Abberton.  As for origin; you know me well enough to be un fussed by such things.  Was there any evidence of them being escapees? Could they have got here? I just enjoyed seeing them in a wild British setting.]

13^th November:

Back to Kent with Pete and ted on a much colder and more blustery day. We avoided Cliffe and headed along the Medway towards Funton Creek passing the expected Fieldfares in the orchards on the way and lots of Pintail, waders, some Greylags and two Marsh Harriers from the layby.  Harty was as good as ever with two ringtail Hen Harriers, four female and a male Marsh Harrier and a Sheppey first for me – a Rough-legged Buzzard which was quite content to hop around searching for worms. [Eds: Note that back then there were no Common Buzzards on the island – how things change]

Only a small number of White-fronts and two Bewick’s Swans were seen but the Golden Plover flock was huge and we found two Ruff with them.  The rest of the day was spent at Shellness where we found a Snow Bunting but no Shorelarks and back near the car a female Merlin dashed through and two young immature male Hen Harriers played together in the wind.

20^th November:

Can’t seem to keep away from the place – this time to Seasalter directly opposite Shellness.  A Tawny Pipit present since the weekend had unsurprisingly turned into another Blyth’s Pipit. As we arrived after a long walk they performed the only organised flush of the day and up came a mediumly large buffy Pipit with a shortish tail and white tail sides. Hard chep and spreep calls were heard.

Ian and I trudged back finding two tame Snow Buntings and a flock of Linnet searching for seeds on the beach. We headed to Harty – if only there was a ferry across the Swale where it was much the same as last Sunday although double the number of Marsh Harriers and far better views of the Rough-legged Buzzard were had.

29^th November:

Surely one of the most ludicrous day trips I have ever undertaken – Inverness and back for Britain’s second Grey-tailed Tattler.  I left Brentwood with Kettle and the Webbs and started on the ten hour drive and 650 miles later we arrived at the small town of Burghead on the shores of the Moray Firth. [Eds: I seem to recall some atrocious driving conditions on the latter sections with point blank fog that had us driving down the middle of the A9 with the white line in the middle of the car to help us stay on the road]

It was 8.15am and light enough to 250 assembled birders and almost immediately the news came through that it had been found ¾ mile up the coast so off we trotted [Eds: I assume this means we used our legs?] and soon had the Tattler in view as it fed in the small tidal pools along the rocky coastline. A delicate grey wader, seemingly larger and more stocky than a Redshank but constructed on the same Tringa-like plan.  The scapulars and wing feathers were all dotted white along the edges denoting a first-winter. A single shank-like call was heard.

Grey-tailed Tattler - from the late Mike McDonnell

Grey-tailed Tattler - its says #413

Marcus Lawson and LGRE get a name check...

Tattler aside, there was plenty to look at on the Firth with hundreds of smart Long-tailed Ducks, a scattering of Velvet and Common Scoters, Eider, Great Northern and Red-throated Divers and Auks. A flock of 21 Goosander whizzed through and there were also Mergansers and many Cormorants and Shags around the outfall.

The walk back to the car on a now beautifully clear crisp day added three Whooper Swans while back at the harbour the light was wrong to look at the Findhorn Scoter flock and so after watching more Long-tailed Ducks and a Red-necked Grebe within the harbour itself we moved to better locale.

With daylight good but time at a premium we headed east to noisy Lossiemouth where the sound of jets taking off was amazing. Fortunately the male King Eider still present albeit at a fair distance but was typically gaudy and very pink fronted. My first male since 1990.  Two Black Guillemots were found after diligent searching by Kettle.

King Eider

Back west to the other side of Burghead to Findhorn where the male Surf Scoter was seen upon arrival with his chosen Velvet Scoter flock and like the King Eider, my first for four years. The light was so good that the white eyes, red legs and every detail of that huge bill could be seen.  Often swan very low in the water. The Velvets were equally smart and three Black-throated Divers paddled together not far offshore.

Surf Scoter 

With the weather still holding we opted to go south and try Speyside passing Pink-feet and Greylags on the way.  Grantown was so peaceful that for once, I though the chances of Capercaillie were quite high. The four of us spent the last couple of hours quietly walking the tracks through the woods. Crested Tits churred all around us and with patience showed really well. Red Squirrels and Roe Deer were seen and then suddenly a female Caper crashed out of tree and firmly took my attention as she zoomed away of thrumming wings! Magnificent!

A Tawny Owl came up out of the heather shortly afterwards which was a pleasant and surprising addition to the day.  It perched up fully in the open on a pine limb and tried to make itself look more like a stretched Long-eared rather than a rotund Tawny.

After restocking with snacking supplies in Grantown and fully satisfied with the day’s work, started to head back down the A9 passing some stunning glacial features on the way, I am so much more aware of the landscape around me now. It may not have helped me get a career yet but  my degree sure opened my eyes to the complexity of the British countryside. Tired but on an ornithological high, I drifted off and smiled the whole way home.