Sunday 31 December 2017

2017 Hightlights

January:

January was one of the most successful months of the year for me despite only twitching on 3 occasions. A trip to the Exe Estuary kicked the year off with the American Wigeon at Maford Marsh and the returning BONAPARTE'S GULL at Dawlish Warren.

American Wigeon - Matford Marsh


BONAPARTE'S GULL - Dawlish Warren


I eventually got a chance to head down to Cornwall to try and finally defeat a bogey bird: PACIFIC DIVER. Searching from Penzance didn't provide any definate views, but we eventually nailed the ID from Perranuthnoe where we got good comparison views with both black-throated and great northern divers - one of my highlights of the year. The trip also produced the regular HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL at Perranuthnoe, my first EASTERN BLACK REDSTART at Mousehole and the Green-Winged Teal at Hayle.

PACIFIC DIVER - Perranuthnoe

HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL - Perranuthnoe

EASTERN BLACK REDSTART - Mousehole


Green-Winged Teal - Hayle


The following weekend was a bit deja vu as I took an oppourtunity to head up for the PACIFIC DIVER at Druridge and the EASTERN BLACK REDSTART at Skinningrove (I didn't see a single western-race bird this year!). I'm happy with the much better images, but wheres the fun in easy birds! I also had a brief view of last years DUSKY THRUSH at Beeley before dusk.

PACIFIC DIVER - Druridge


EASTERN BLACK REDSTART - Skinningrove


Februrary:

Often a quiet month, the only twitch this month was for the wintering Bluethroat at Willow Tree Fen in Lincolnshire and the 2 Taiga Bean Geese at Monkton, Kent in anticipation for the switch to IOC in 2018.

Bluethroat - Willow Tree Fen

Taiga Bean Geese - Monkton


March:

I eventually connected with my first Cattle Egret of the year at Portesham this month and, after a couple of attempts, I connected with the IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF in Kingsgate Park, Yate.


Cattle Egret - Portesham

IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF - Yate


April:

Spring started this month with the BLACK-WINGED STILT at Posbrook Flood and a series of individual twitches connected me with a few scarce lifers: a Dotterel at Blackdown, a distant Kentish Plover at Rodden Hive and the American Night Heron of unknown origin at Venus Pool, Shropshire.


BLACK-WINGED STILT - Posbrook Flood

American Night Heron of unknown origin - Venus Pool

Dotterel - Blackdown

Kentish Plover - Rodden Hive

Also of note was the sole remaining Golden Pheasant at Wolferton.


May:

The month started with 2 Temmincks's Stints at Goldcliff Pools.


Temminck's Stints - Goldcliff Pools


An after-work twitch to the South Coast proved well worth-while with the male Golden Oriole at Portland Bill and the Short-Toed Lark at Cogdon Beach.


 
Golden Oriole - Portland Bill


 
 
 
 
 
Short-Toed Lark - Cogdon Beach


A trip to Suffolk was rewarded with good views of the Marsh Warbler singing at Lakenheath Fen.


 
 
 
 
Marsh Warbler - Lakenheath Fen


A look at Ham Wall one evening proved productive with a flyover Cattle Egret, good views of last years male LITTLE BITTERN and distant views of the RED-FOOTED FALCON.


LITTLE BITTERN - Ham Wall


RED-FOOTED FALCON - Ham Wall


I ended the month very nicely by defeating a three-time bogey bird: the GULL-BILLED TERN at Steart Marshes after work one evening - naturally, one of my highlights of the year.



 
 
 
GULL-BILLED TERN - Steart Marshes


June:

After initially giving birders the roundaround, a dash down to Pagham Harbour one evening resulted in good views of the ringed and DNA-tested ELEGANT TERN, potentially the first acceptable bird in the UK and one of my top birds of the year.

ELEGANT TERN - Pagham Harbour


Another trip to Avalon Marshes produced a Purple Heron and a Glossy Ibis (surprisingly, my only one this year) on Shapwick Heath and another Cattle Egret at Ham Wall.


Purple Heron - Shapwick Heath

Glossy Ibis - Shapwick Heath


After controversy over the Venus Pool bird, a trip to Cosmeston Lakes, Glamorgan was in order to see the European Night Heron, which gave great views.




Night Heron - Cosmeston Lake


A quick dash down to Lodmoor enabled me to connect with the ALPINE SWIFT which remained faithful to the same spot for the whole afternoon.


 
ALPINE SWIFT - Lodmoor


A successful double twitch added two lifers to my list: at least 3 Bee-Eaters at East Leake, Nottinghamshire and the KING EIDER at Aberaeron, Ceredigion.


 
 
Bee-Eater - East Leake

 
 
 
 
KING EIDER - Aberaeron


July:

The month started with good views of the Red-Backed Shrike at Burnham-on-Sea, my first full adult male.


 
 
 
Red-Backed Shrike - Burnham-on-Sea


A 10 hour round trip to North Yorkshire to see an overdue lifer was perhaps not worthwhile, nonetheless I thought the Nosterfield Sabine's Gull was a smashing bird that I'm happy to have seen.


 
 
Sabine's Gull - Nosterfield


An after-work twitch to Kent was rewarded with very distant views of the MARSH SANDPIPER at Cliffe Pools just as the sun was setting. There were also 2 families of BLACK-WINGED STILTS on the same pool totalling no fewer than 9 birds.


 


 
MARSH SANDPIPER - Cliffe Pools


A trip down to Ferrybridge resulted in good views of 2 Roseate Terns; my first since 2010.


 
 
 
 
Roseate Terns - Ferrybridge


A week in Norfolk produced a couple more overdue lifers; the White-Winged Tern Far Ings (Lincolnshire) and 2 Caspian Gulls at Cley Marshes.



White-Winged Tern - Far Ings

Caspian Gulls - Cley Marshes.


August:

A mostly uneventful month produced a flyover Cattle Egret on the 13th, but then a rush down to South coast resulted in brilliant views of my number one bird this year: the fantastic YELLOW WARBLER on Portland, first for the British Mainland!

YELLOW WARBLER - Portland


The only other notable species this month was the juvenile Woodchat Shrike at Chipping Sodbury Common.


Woodchat Shrike - Chipping Sodbury Common


September:

My most successful month this year started with a bang as news came in of a STILT SANDPIPER at Lodmoor - another after-work twitch was in order! Despite negative news on arrival I eventually managed to relocate the bird just before dusk, and an unexpected bonus came in the form of a LEAST SANDPIPER! My favourite twitch of the year and an evening I won't forget for a while to come.

 
LEAST SANDPIPER - Lodmoor
 
 
 
STILT SANDPIPER - Lodmoor
(Better shots from a later trip back to Lodmoor)


A look off Minehead produced another long-overdue tick in the form of a Leach's Petrel. My first (and unfortunately only) trip to Scilly produced another yank calidrid I missed last year - a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER at Lower Moors. I also self-found a Yellow-Browed Warbler at the same site and had prolonged views of a WILSONS PETREL on the return Scillonian crossing.



 
 
 
 
 

 
 
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER - Lower Moors


An after-work twitch to Arne Moors defeated another bogey bird in the form of a Red-Necked Phalarope as well as a Grey Phalarope on the same pool.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Red-Necked and Grey Phalaropes - Arne Moors


A couple trips to the Portland/Weymouth area produced a juvenile Rose-Coloured Starling at Lodmoor, great views of the GREENISH WARBLER at Portland Bill and the SPOTTED SANDPIPER at Abbotsbury.


 




Rose-Coloured Starling - Lodmoor

 
 
GREENISH WARBLER - Portland Bill

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SPOTTED SANDPIPER - Abbotsbury


A drive up to Glamorgan resulted in brief views of the unusually elusive BOOTED WARBLER at Rhossili.


October:

Good views of the ROCK THRUSH at Blorenge in Gwent made up for missing out on the Scilly bird earlier this year. This was followed by the WILSON'S PHALAROPE and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER on the same pool at Oare Marshes, Kent.

 
 
 
 
ROCK THRUSH - Blorenge

 
WILSON'S PHALAROPE - Oare Marshes

 
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER - Oare Marshes


The week was topped off by a rush down to St Aldhelm's Head one evening for the TWO-BARRED WARBLER, a nice armchair tick for next year. The month ended with nice views of the drake LESSER SCAUP at Longham Lakes.


 
 
 
 
 
LESSER SCAUP - Longham Lakes


November:

This month was typically quiet, the only highlights being the LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Lodmoor (this site has been particually productive this year!) and the Italian-type sparrow at East Budliegh - an interesting bird but certainly untickable.


December:

The month started off well with the COUES'S ARCTIC REDPOLL at Hazelwood Common, Suffolk and 16 Parrot Crossbills at Santon Downham, Norfolk.


 
 
 
COUES'S ARCTIC REDPOLL - Hazelwood Common

 

 
Parrot Crossbills - Santon Downham


A couple trips to the south coast resulted in great views of the Barred Warbler at Titchfield Haven and singles of  Ring-Billed Gull and Caspian Gull at Blashford Lakes.


 
 
 
 


Barred Warbler - Titchfield Haven

Ring-Billed Gull - Blashford Lakes

Caspian Gull - Blashford Lakes


A look at Plock Court, Gloucester resulted in great views of the calling PENDULINE TIT.


 
 
PENDULINE TIT - Plock Court

The year was ended with 8 Shorelarks and a hybrid Black Brant at Holkham


Shorelarks - Holkham

 
 
hybrid Black Brant - Holkham



I feel like I missed out on most of the mega rarities this year, however I still did well with 248 species including 35 lifers and 2 Yeovil ticks. Happy new year to all and good birding for 2018!