25th September 2016

Had a look for the Portland melodious warbler this evening to no avail - this is starting to become a bit of a bogey bird for me! All I had was singles of Blackcap, Raven and Song Thrush along with all the other usual species.

Edit: This bird was reidentified from photos as icterine; glad I dipped now else I'd have to remove a tick from my list this morning!

24th September 2016

Finally got a chance to try for the LESSER GREY SHRIKE in Plymouth this morning. Got there for first light and within a hour we had distant views of the bird. After a while, it flew closer and perched just a few meters away for about 5 seconds before disappearing into the vegetation. I didn't see it again in the next hour so didn't get any quality shots of it, but I'm happy just to have seen it. I didn't expect it to stay till the weekend.

LESSER GREY SHRIKE - Plymouth

Had a look for the rosy starling on Portland for an hour or so to no avail with nothing better than 3 Wheatears as compensation. A look a Ferrybridge produced the usual species including pleny of Med Gulls, a Grey Plover and 2 each of Sanderling and Sandwich Tern.

Bar-Tailed Godwit - Ferrybridge

17th September 2016 - 300th Uk Tick!

After missing the yellowlegs at Steart last weekend, I couldn't resist trying for another this weekend to add to my list of yank sandpipers this autumn. Me and Lewis headed to Fremington this morning. The tide was in when we arrived so we scanned from the quay. We located a fairly distant flock of Redshank so we walked further along the tarka trail to get a closer look. We scanned through a couple of small Redshank flocks to no avail. Returning to the quay, we walked down the Pill where most of the Redshanks now were, and a couple of other birders were already watching the LESSER YELLOWLEGS. It was flushed by a Dog and became mobile before eventually feeding only a few meters in front of the small crowd!

LESSER YELLOWLEGS - Fremington Pill

This is my 300th species for my British List, so very happy that it was such an obliging and attractive rarity! Also of note was the Glossy Ibis which also showed rather well, singles of Med Gull and Kittiwake (the latter looked a bit out of place this far up the esturary!) plus a few Ravens.

Glossy Ibis - Frampton Pill

The sun really brought out the glossy colours on this bird. 

11th September 2016 (Worcestershire)

Decided against the trip last night, but after waking up and seeing that the baird's sand was still present in worcestershire, I decided to go for it; it's been a bit too long since I last twitched a rarity. The 2 hour drive payed off as the BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was still present when I arrived. The poor light and the crowded hide made photography a bit difficult though:

BAIRD'S SANDPIPER - Upton Warren

This bird brings my UK Life List up to 299, so I was in a bit of a hurry to get back to Steart for the lesser yellowlegs and try to go for 300! Also present from the hide was a Spotted Redshank and a Ruff.

Stayed at Steart for about 5 hours in which time the yellowlegs didn't show, the only compensation was a Spoonbill, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a family group of 4 Curlew Sandpipers amongst the barwits. Fustratingly, I heard a grasshopper warbler reeling in the evening but never managed to locate it.

Spoonbill - Steart

 

3 of 4 Curlew Sandpipers- Steart

Wheatear - Steart

Oh well, but just one more lifer till I join the 300 club!!!

3rd September 2016

Had a look for the pec sand at SBR late afternoon today but no sign. Best managed was 1 Green Sandpiper, lots of Common Sandpipers (7 was my highest count at any one time but there were probably up to 10 or more), 2+ Little Egrets, 2 Kingfishers, 4 Teal and a Badger on the waters edge.

2nd September 2016

Returned to Lychett Bay this morning but there was no sign of the Aquatic Warbler. Otherwise I had the Wood Sandpiper again plus 2 Curlew Sandpipers, some Green Sandpipers, 2 Greenshanks and singles of Ruff, Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Pintail and Sika Deer.

Wood Sandpiper - Lychett Bay

Curlew Sandpiper - Lychett Bay

1st September 2016

Had a look at Lychett fields yesterday for the aquatic warbler. On arrival I was told I the bird had showed briefly half an hour earlier. I waited until 8pm but it didn't show again, all else of note was a Wood Sandpiper, a couple of Ruff and a few Green Sandpipers.