Being in a town with barely any water; black-headed, herring and lesser black-backed gulls are the only regular gull species, despite various others occurring nearby at Sutton Bingham.
Looking out of the window this evening I saw two larids flying north, but one was tiny! I rushed to the back of the house with my bins and sure enough it was a 2nd winter Common Gull! A species I've been waiting ages to see in Yeovil! Really pleased to have finally connected with this gull on patch.
Tuesday, 28 March 2017
Sunday, 26 March 2017
25th/26th March 2017
Was in Hampshire/Wiltshire yesterday when news broke of an iberian chiff at Yate in Glouc, a species I've been keen to connect with after not being able to go for multiple birds last year. On the drive over, I had 3 Red Kites, 2 near Thruxton and another somewhere in Wiltshire.
I arrived just after 3pm. There were several chiffchaffs moving about including one striking individual, showing bright yellow and white to the underparts. Sadly, I didn't see it again in the next few hours, neither did I hear any song.
Woke up this morning and saw it was still present, so made another trip up. Arrived at about 11:15, and I could immediately hear the bird singing. After a short while, I managed to get onto the IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF through the thick vegetation, and in the next hour we had good, if a bit obscured, views of the bird singing. It certainly seems that a morning visit gives the best chance with this bird.
IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF - Yate
I arrived just after 3pm. There were several chiffchaffs moving about including one striking individual, showing bright yellow and white to the underparts. Sadly, I didn't see it again in the next few hours, neither did I hear any song.
Woke up this morning and saw it was still present, so made another trip up. Arrived at about 11:15, and I could immediately hear the bird singing. After a short while, I managed to get onto the IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF through the thick vegetation, and in the next hour we had good, if a bit obscured, views of the bird singing. It certainly seems that a morning visit gives the best chance with this bird.
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
13th March 2017
Headed down to Tatton, Dorset with Lewis this afternoon to try and catch up with a cattle egret. No luck, but we had 2 Red Kites from the car window. Moved to Portesham to continue the search where we eventually picked out a single Cattle Egret.
Headed to Abbotsbury but dipped on the garganey, however did have a good selection of wildfowl including 5 fine Long-Tailed Ducks.
A look at Portland failed to produce the hume's warbler.
Cattle Egret - Portesham
Headed to Abbotsbury but dipped on the garganey, however did have a good selection of wildfowl including 5 fine Long-Tailed Ducks.
Long-Tailed Ducks - Abbotsbury
A look at Portland failed to produce the hume's warbler.
Portland Bill
Sunday, 19 February 2017
18th February 2017 (Lincolnshire and Kent)
Left home for Lincolnshire at 4am this morning, and had a single Red Kite from the A1(M).
Once I arrived at Willow Tree Fen, it was a 40 minute wait before the Bluethroat eventually emerged from the reedbed and fed at close range on and around the main track. Very happy to have finally caught up with one after dipping several previous birds.
Had another 2 Red Kites when driving back down the A1(M). Next stop was Monkton, Kent to look for the taiga bean geese, a species I've needed since IOC was adopted. Two other birders who arrived at the site at the same time as me showed me the field were the geese were ussually seen, however there was no sign. The others decided to search elsewhere, but I investigated some greylag calls in the next field where I found the 2 Taiga Bean Geese. A little perseverance can go a long way! Also had a pair of Ring-Necked Parakeets.
I headed back over to Milton Creek after hearing that the pine bunting had reappeared, but scanning through the yellowhammers and reed buntings failed to produce the target bird. The final stop was dungeness to try for caspian or iceland gull, however a thick sea mist made this an impossible task
All in all a good day, seeing both the lifers I originally went for.
Once I arrived at Willow Tree Fen, it was a 40 minute wait before the Bluethroat eventually emerged from the reedbed and fed at close range on and around the main track. Very happy to have finally caught up with one after dipping several previous birds.
Bluethroat - Willow Tree Fen
Had another 2 Red Kites when driving back down the A1(M). Next stop was Monkton, Kent to look for the taiga bean geese, a species I've needed since IOC was adopted. Two other birders who arrived at the site at the same time as me showed me the field were the geese were ussually seen, however there was no sign. The others decided to search elsewhere, but I investigated some greylag calls in the next field where I found the 2 Taiga Bean Geese. A little perseverance can go a long way! Also had a pair of Ring-Necked Parakeets.
Taiga Bean Geese - Monkton
The greylag-like build and long, wedge-shaped bill and head is quite different to tundra bean.
I headed back over to Milton Creek after hearing that the pine bunting had reappeared, but scanning through the yellowhammers and reed buntings failed to produce the target bird. The final stop was dungeness to try for caspian or iceland gull, however a thick sea mist made this an impossible task
All in all a good day, seeing both the lifers I originally went for.
Sunday, 12 February 2017
12th February 2017
Headed down to Dorset to seach for cattle egrets today. A look at Portesham and Langton Herring produced nothing but Little Egrets and a few Ravens.
Sunday, 29 January 2017
28th January 2017 (Northumberland, Cleveland and Derbyshire)
Met up with Cliff Smith and Chris Griffin in Frome this morning before heading north. Shortly after setting off, Chris noticed a Tawny Owl from the car window, so we turned the car around and got decent views of it next to the road. I didn't actually get any of these for the last couple year lists so good to catch up with one.
We arrived at Druridge Bay and instantly had the PACIFIC DIVER. We walked around the lake where we got point blank views, probably the closest I've ever got to any diver! Also had a few Tree Sparrows on the feeders near the visitor centre, another species I haven't had in a few years.
Next stop was Skinningrove in Cleveland for the EASTERN BLACK REDSTART which showed brilliantly, and came ridiculously close to Chris.
Had a Red Kite from the Car Window on the A1(M) in West Yorkshire.
Last stop of the day was Beeley to get the dusky thrush. We spent a while scanning through the Redwing flock with no luck. I thought we would have seen the bird by now if it was in the flock so I went for a wander. Shortly after, I located a few more Redwings and with them was the DUSKY THRUSH sat on top of a tree! I got out my phone and called Cliff, but when I looked back up it had disappeared. We scanned through the Redwings and eventually it got too dark to ID them.
Not the best end to the day, but still a great trip and well worth the journey times!
We arrived at Druridge Bay and instantly had the PACIFIC DIVER. We walked around the lake where we got point blank views, probably the closest I've ever got to any diver! Also had a few Tree Sparrows on the feeders near the visitor centre, another species I haven't had in a few years.
PACIFIC DIVER - Druridge Bay
These views were well worth the 6 hour journey! Good to be able to compare this first-winter with the adult in Mount's Bay, which showed darker more uniform upperparts and a more distinctive chin strap.
Tree Sparrows - Druridge Bay
Next stop was Skinningrove in Cleveland for the EASTERN BLACK REDSTART which showed brilliantly, and came ridiculously close to Chris.
EASTERN BLACK REDSTART - Skinningrove
Fulmars - Skinningrove
Had a Red Kite from the Car Window on the A1(M) in West Yorkshire.
Last stop of the day was Beeley to get the dusky thrush. We spent a while scanning through the Redwing flock with no luck. I thought we would have seen the bird by now if it was in the flock so I went for a wander. Shortly after, I located a few more Redwings and with them was the DUSKY THRUSH sat on top of a tree! I got out my phone and called Cliff, but when I looked back up it had disappeared. We scanned through the Redwings and eventually it got too dark to ID them.
Not the best end to the day, but still a great trip and well worth the journey times!
Sunday, 22 January 2017
22nd January 2017 (Cornwall)
Lewis and I headed down to Cornwall today. My main aim was to finally see the pacific diver (I dipped twice last winter), though I hadn't seen an eastern black redstart previously so was keen to get this as well.
Arrived at Jubilee Pool in Penzance at 9am. A few scans of Mounts Bay produced a flock of Common Scoters and 3 Velvet Scoters, my first in several years. We also had 2 Purple Sandpipers and some Turnstones on the rocks nearby.
Eventually, I located a few divers on the far east side of the Bay. Most of the birds seemed to be Great Northern Divers, though the group's attention was drawn to a black-throated type that lacked the white flank patches. It was too distant to get a firm ID however, and we lost the bird as the sea became more choppy, so me and Lewis decided to move on.
Next stop was Mousehole where the EASTERN BLACK REDSTART was showing on arrival. May not be a species life tick, but what a stunning bird! A grey wagtail was the only other species of note here.
Drove over to Polgigga for the little and lapland buntings, but on arrival we realised what a long walk it would be to Nanjizal (looking on google maps, I think we may have been in the wrong place) and we weren't really sure of the bird's exact location, so we got back in the car and moved on.
A stop off at Hayle produced the male Green-Winged Teal (my first for a couple years), a Spoonbill, 4 Goosanders, some Med Gulls and a good variety of waders and wildfowl.
Last stop of the day was Perranuthnoe to look for the hud whimbrel, however a scan of Boat Cove produced nothing. I remembered that the Diver flock we had been watching from Penzance was over in this direction, so after a couple of scans I picked up a few Great Northern Divers closer in than I was expecting. Shortly after, I found a black-throated type. No white flank patch. And a pretty obvious chin strap! Surely that must be the pacific diver? Thankfully it was accompanied by a Black-Throated Diver, and when the two were side by side it was obvious just how short-bodied and dumpy this bird was, and once I had a line-up of all 3 species together, it was clear that this was indeed the PACIFIC DIVER!!! Finally, after 3 attempts I've managed to nail this bird with decent scope views and side-by-side comparisons!
While we were watching the diver, Lewis picked up a whimbrel flying into the Bay. Looking at the contrast of the head markings, I was pretty sure this was the HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL, but without seeing the rump followed by some confusion with a curlew flying out of the bay, we lost the bird for a while. Thankfully it resurfaced and gave us some flight views to confirm it's identity.
PACIFIC DIVER - Perranuthnoe
2 Megas within the space of minutes, without even having to move all against the beautiful backdrop of Mount's Bay! A fantastic way to end the day and one of my favourite birding experiences to date!
Arrived at Jubilee Pool in Penzance at 9am. A few scans of Mounts Bay produced a flock of Common Scoters and 3 Velvet Scoters, my first in several years. We also had 2 Purple Sandpipers and some Turnstones on the rocks nearby.
Velvet Scoters - Penzance
Eventually, I located a few divers on the far east side of the Bay. Most of the birds seemed to be Great Northern Divers, though the group's attention was drawn to a black-throated type that lacked the white flank patches. It was too distant to get a firm ID however, and we lost the bird as the sea became more choppy, so me and Lewis decided to move on.
Next stop was Mousehole where the EASTERN BLACK REDSTART was showing on arrival. May not be a species life tick, but what a stunning bird! A grey wagtail was the only other species of note here.
EASTERN BLACK REDSTART - Mousehole
Drove over to Polgigga for the little and lapland buntings, but on arrival we realised what a long walk it would be to Nanjizal (looking on google maps, I think we may have been in the wrong place) and we weren't really sure of the bird's exact location, so we got back in the car and moved on.
A stop off at Hayle produced the male Green-Winged Teal (my first for a couple years), a Spoonbill, 4 Goosanders, some Med Gulls and a good variety of waders and wildfowl.
Green-Winged Teal - Hayle
Spoonbill - Hayle
Last stop of the day was Perranuthnoe to look for the hud whimbrel, however a scan of Boat Cove produced nothing. I remembered that the Diver flock we had been watching from Penzance was over in this direction, so after a couple of scans I picked up a few Great Northern Divers closer in than I was expecting. Shortly after, I found a black-throated type. No white flank patch. And a pretty obvious chin strap! Surely that must be the pacific diver? Thankfully it was accompanied by a Black-Throated Diver, and when the two were side by side it was obvious just how short-bodied and dumpy this bird was, and once I had a line-up of all 3 species together, it was clear that this was indeed the PACIFIC DIVER!!! Finally, after 3 attempts I've managed to nail this bird with decent scope views and side-by-side comparisons!
While we were watching the diver, Lewis picked up a whimbrel flying into the Bay. Looking at the contrast of the head markings, I was pretty sure this was the HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL, but without seeing the rump followed by some confusion with a curlew flying out of the bay, we lost the bird for a while. Thankfully it resurfaced and gave us some flight views to confirm it's identity.
The light was awlful for photographing the divers, but still a great improvement on the shots from Penzance.
HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL - Perranuthnoe
2 Megas within the space of minutes, without even having to move all against the beautiful backdrop of Mount's Bay! A fantastic way to end the day and one of my favourite birding experiences to date!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)