MY BIRDING YEAR 2008

White Crowned sparrow-Cley-Norfolk-19/01/08

There have only been three previous sightings of this North American species in Britain. The first was a bird trapped on Fair Isle in 1977, followed by a brief sighting in Yorkshire by three individuals a week later that same year. The third sighting occurred in Merseyside in 1994. This recent sighting in Norfolk marks the first time more than a handful of people have observed the bird in the UK. The bird frequented a seeded driveway just down from the Three Swallows pub in Cley. 

 

I visited the site on Saturday afternoon and didn't have to wait long before the bird made a great appearance alongside a flock of resident house sparrows.

Black Duck-Marloes-Pembrokeshire-17/03/08

Jason Atkinson and I left immediately after hearing that this bird had been found. We picked up Dan Pointon on our way and drove the four hours to the most westerly point of Wales. After arriving, we searched for about half an hour in the flooded area where the female bird had been reported. Luckily, the bird eventually appeared alongside a male Mallard emerging from the reeds. 

Me on site

On our way back, we made a quick stop in Haverfordwest, where we saw a stunning Rose coloured starling coming into its summer plumage in someone's back garden.

Serin-Portland Bill-Dorset-28/04/08

Dan Pointon and I drove down to Portland Bill in Dorset to try and see this bird, which had been showing for the last couple of days. Upon arrival, we met some birders staying at the observatory, who informed us that the bird tended to show better in the mornings and became very elusive in the afternoons. Unfortunately, we didn't realize this until we arrived just after 3:00 PM. 

After nearly three hours of searching the surrounding fields with no sign of the bird, we returned to the observatory feeling disappointed. I told Dan I would take one last look at the observatory quarry before we left. While walking down the path, I heard the bird singing, so I called Dan. 

Once we located where the bird was singing, we were thrilled to finally get some excellent views. After 36 years of birding and missing many sightings of this elusive species, it was a huge relief to finally add it to my British list.

Great Snipe-The Snook-Holy Island-Northumberland-02/06/08

Organized flushes were being set up for this bird, so Malc Curtin and I headed there for 6:00 PM. As we arrived, about seven people walked across the Snook while we took our positions in the sand dunes, waiting for the bird to take flight from its cover. As they moved through the area, we were thrilled to get excellent views of the bird when it finally took off. Both Malc and I were delighted to see it.

Thrush Nightingale-Dunwich Heath NT-Suffolk-07/06/08

I travelled for this bird straight after work. It took us just over three hours to drive to the site, and when I arrived, I received some disappointing news about the bird. I spoke with a birder, who had been on site since 6:00 AM and hadn't seen the bird either. After searching the area for about an hour and a half with no luck, I decided to do another loop around the site. As I was walking near the toilet block, a bird suddenly flew right in front of me and began to sing in the undergrowth. At last, I had finally seen it; the bird then showed very well.

(C)J.Lawrence

Audouin's Gull-Wolla Bank-Lincolnshire-19/08/08

The news about the bird broke the day before, but due to work commitments, I postponed the long journey until the next day. Unfortunately, there was negative news from the afternoon sighting. I went anyway the next day with Mark Payne and Dan Pointon, and upon arrival, we found hundreds of birders searching for the bird, but it couldn’t be relocated. After two hours, it was finally found a mile away. We quickly drove to the beach, where a birder put me straight on the bird through their scope. What a bird! It was just loafing on the incoming tide, preening. 

Me on site

This was only the fourth record for Britain, and after narrowly missing last year's sighting in Devon, this made up for it!

Greater Sand Plover-Ythan Estuary-Aberdeenshire-13/09/08 

This bird came out on the pager in the afternoon, so I made arrangements to go up with Malc Curtin and Adam Archer the following morning. The good news as I finished my night duty at 8.00am in the morning was that the bird was still showing well in a ploughed field with Ringed Plover. I picked Malc and Archie up at 9.00am and started the long drive north. At 3.00pm, we arrived at the car park on the Ythan estuary and met up with some birders who said the bird was still showing well. On arrival, we were put straight onto the bird as it scurried around the field. What a sight and relief after such a long drive. We watched the bird for the next hour before a Kestrel came along and flushed it. 

This was only the fourth record for Scotland, the last one being seen at Tyninghame in Lothian from the 6th-7th June 1999.

Ortolan Bunting-Soldier's Point-Holyhead-16/09/08 

Whilst Malc Curtin and I were at Spurn in East Yorkshire looking for a mainland Mega-Pallas Grasshopper warbler, it came through on the pager that an Ortolan bunting was showing well with Meadow pipits on Anglesey. I arrived the next morning with Mark Powell and got cracking views of the bird. Another bird I had dipped so many times over the years.

Brown Shrike-Flamborough Head-East Yorkshire-25/09/08

This bird was reported late on the pager, so I made plans to go with Malc Curtin and Mark Payne at first light. This was the first record of this species on the mainland of Britain and only the fourth record overall, with the last one occurring in the Shetlands in 1985. We hoped it would stay around.

Upon our arrival, we were amazed by the large turnout of birdwatchers—there must have been at least 500 of us. We made our way to the field where the bird had been seen the night before and stood there waiting for it to appear as the sun rose. After half an hour, the bird finally appeared on the other side of the bushes. We moved to the road and soon saw it sitting and preening itself in the sunlight. This was an incredible sighting for the mainland, and we were all made up to have seen it.

Birders On Site

Arctic Warbler-Outer Skerries-Shetland-27/09/08 

During our annual birding holiday in Shetland, a new bird was reported on the pager that I needed to see. My friends, Malc Curtin and Mark Payne, joined me as we took the ferry to the island, which I had never visited before.

 

When we arrived, we weren't sure where the bird had been seen. After a few hours of searching, I met another birder who had just seen it. He kindly shared its location with us, and we set off to find it. Fortunately, Mark discovered the bird in someone's backyard. The bird showed really well, and it was another bird for the Life list 

We eventually found the bird in this garden 

A 1st For Britain-Alder Flycatcher

and a Red Eyed Vireo-09/10/08

An Alder Flycatcher was spotted in Nanjizal Valley near Lands End in Cornwall, marking a first for Britain! The birding community was buzzing. The quick responders were already on their way, and by the time I returned his call, Malc Curtin was in Cheltenham with Jason Atkinson and Pete Antrobus. After making a few phone calls, I organized our team, which included Phil Woolen, Mark, and Ash Powell. I set off at 11:30 PM and picked Ash up in Plymouth at 3:00 AM. We arrived at the designated parking field around 5:30 AM. There were quite a few other cars there already, but not as many as I had expected! many as I had expected! many as I had expected!

As dawn broke, a large group of birders made their way across the fields to the designated spot and waited. For once, there was little talking, and with limited mobile reception, even the phones were quiet. There were a couple of nail-biting moments when someone claimed to have seen the bird, but nobody else saw it—then there was silence. As the sun rose and began to warm the bracken, we continued to watch and wait. 

Suddenly, a shout went up that the bird had been found. This caused a surge of adrenaline, and soon, everyone caught sight of the little empidonax flycatcher as it flitted around the bracken-covered hillside. For the next two hours, we enjoyed watching it as it moved about and provided us with fantastic views.

While we were observing the bird, Malc Curtin called to inform me that a Red-eyed Vireo was still present on the Garrison at St. Mary's in the Isles of Scilly. We managed to arrange a flight over and successfully saw the bird, making it a two-tick day for us. I returned home at 2:00 AM, feeling utterly exhausted!

Britain's First Alder Flycatcher

(C)M. Malpass

Two Lifers In A Day

Azorean Yellow legged Gull--Sennan-Cornwall-12/10/2008

While I was walking on the beach at Sennan Cove, I noticed a bird reported on the pager, which was apparently visible behind Sennan Church in a field. I quickly returned to my car and was able to find the bird right away as it sat in the middle of the field preening. This 2nd-winter Azorean yellow-legged gull has been present in the fields around Sennen and Trevorian in West Cornwall for over six weeks, often moving among Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls. It is a very distinctive bird, displaying many traits common to immature North American Herring Gulls, and the newly acquired feathers on its upper body further confirm its identification. This sighting marks the first record of the species in Britain and was initially identified by two of the country’s leading gull enthusiasts.

Steppe Grey Shrike -Grainthorpe Haven-Lincolnshire and Two Barred Crossbill-Bilsdale-N.Yorks-08/11/2008

What a day Friday, November 7th, turned out to be! The pager went off twice around teatime, reporting two lifers for me. I arranged to pick up Malc Curtin, Mark Payne, and Jason Atkinson at 4:00 AM to arrive there for first light.

Upon arrival at Grainthorpe Haven, the wind was bitter, but fortunately, the Shrike was showing exceptionally well. Good news soon came through on the pager that the Two-barred Crossbill was also showing well in North Yorkshire. We quickly set off again, and after a two-mile trek across the moors, we reached the farmhouse where the bird was reported to have been sighted. However, when we arrived, the bird had just flown away.

We waited for an hour and a half, and then the bird finally appeared in a tree at the back of the garden. I spotted it right away. The crossbill then flew over the farmhouse and landed in a conifer tree, providing us with great views. What an amazing day—a fantastic end to another successful day of birding!

A great year birding and some top birds!

CHESHIRE BIRD DAY LIST 10TH MAY 2008

On the 10th of May 2008, I participated in a Cheshire daylist with Phil Woollen, Mark Payne, Dan Pointon, and Mark Powell. We were against Paul Brewster, Pete Antrobus, Fred Fearne, and Malc Curtin. We managed to see 130 species in a day, with the other team seeing 138. It was a great day bombing around Cheshire and Wirral, and a big thank you to everyone that helped both teams throughout the day, especially Jane Turner, who let us use her house as a tower hide for the seawatch. An unforgettable day! These are the write-ups by Phil Woollen and Pete Antrobus below: 

Phil Woollen's write up:

Bird race weekend.

When Groucho Payne asked me to be in his team to provide a bit of opposition to Team Focalpoint I agreed on the condition if a 'mega' broke or if a good Cheshire bird broke we'd change the plans! Team Gary consisted of Mark, Jase Atkinson, Al orton & myslef and the name was derived from our nicknames - Groucho, Apprentice, Radar & YoYo.

This was our first attmept and we were up against the seasoned opposition and record holders Pod & Fred with fellow team members Malc 'the driver' Curtin and Paul B.

I was at Chester races Friday when news came through of a Whiskered tern at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB and again of a Honey Buzzard at Leasowe found by Al Conlin & Al Orton - the Happy Als! Oh well. Can't get them all! The tern flew off just after 20.00.........

After getting home at 01.00 and being picked up at 03.00 I was pretty tired but raring to go. Things started well for us in the Eastern Hills and we located all the key species. From there we intended going to Sandbach where we'd been informed a Wood Sandpiper & Garganey were present the previous night before slowly working our way along the M56 corrider to the Wirral ultimately ending up catching up with waders and sea birds as the tide came in.

All that rapidly changed when a text came through from Steve Williams at 06.45 to say the Whiskered Tern was still there. An immediate change of plan was in order - something we'd all previously agreed upon. This was to good a bird to miss. Alistair had dipped it the night before by minutes. Ineeded it for my Cheshire year list and it was a Cheshire lifer for Jason & Mark. Stopping brielfy at Sandbach we shot across to the Wirral and were duly rewarded with superb views of this, my fifth, Cheshire Whiskered Tern.

As a result we never made the pre-high tide wader movement as we retraced our steps back along the M56 to catch up with all the other species we'd bypassed. Still we had great fun and a good 'craic'. Our final score was 130 whilst the opposition scored 138. Worringly neither team saw or heard Cuckoo. We didn't get a single Grasshopper Warbler due to the timings of our visits to known sites following our detour.

However, a stewards enquiry is to be held over the lamping of Mandarin by the opposition. Surely this is against the rules.........................................

Many thanks go the following people who provided us with invaluable information and help on the day - Jan Jones, Al Conlin, Steve Williams, Frank Duff, Andy Forth and of course my fellow team members for providing such a good laugh.

As well as the Whiskered Tern the weekend also added Quail to my 2008 Cheshire list.

Pod's write Up:

CHESHIRE DAY LIST

Sorry about the wait fans been so busy planning and reccaying(new english word?)for the race that I've had no time whatsoever to blog.The team Comberbach Casuals Club (Pod,Malc,Doc)plus one (Fred) were out in the field,well a path by a reedbed at 10minutes to midnight somewhere on the Wizzal (Phils local patch apparently?) Friday the 9th of May.

Dodging expertly placed piles of doggy pooh we meandered our way to said stakeout and waited for zero hour.Unfortunately none of us had the commonsense to syncronise our cronometers(watches,pagers,mobiles) so we were slightly buggered to what the exact time was for zero hour.Doc being Doc decided we should use his watch as it had the latest hour uponit and mine for later as it was the slowest(cunning what!) we just might need those extra few minutes 24 hours later on if we're still awake.DONG !!!(no not the dodgy chinky Man Utd striker) but the sound of Heswall Church (oh bugger! I've given the top secret site away whoops) sounding midnight..........let the race begin.

Bird number one a distant Welsh Oysercatcher followed immeadiately by a reeling Gropper,singing SedgeWarbler and calling Redshank we were off and running but unfortunately our two target birds were fast asleep.

A rumble of thunder or was it someones arse seemed to curtail any other avian sounds and a bolt of lightning struck the Dee estuary.....great just what the daylist doctor didn't order.After a week of blisteringly hot days and balmy nights could our timing be so unfortunate as to get the first rain of the Indian Spring...dam blast and double bugger!!!

We left the Wizzal and raced back down the M56 to our first Owl site of the night.Armed with a zillion watt B&Q searchlight that wouldn't go a miss on some remote headland i.e a lighthouse we burned the eyes of a Barn Owl as it peered out of its nest hole...whap owl number one.A decision was unanamously made (so much for all the itineries I'd produced) that a quick diversion to the local patch would hopefully grip back on of our missed Wizzal target birds.

Trudging through the wet grass at the back of Coward Reedbed the rest of the team inquired why on earth I'd suggested we ditch our wellies before the off...whoops! (my feet being bone dry in my designer Brashers ha ha!).We waited and waited and waited some more then bingo a Water Rail squealed its displeasure at the racket the local Tawnies(tick) were making.Even better the Little Owl at the back of Insomniacs house also piped up,magic three owls whapped plus one target bird we were back on schedule.

Another itinery change due again to the weather and our success had us flying down the M6 to a farm near Crewe.Incredulously my three companions listened on as a QUAIL 'wet its lips' nearby.Now thats a daylist gripper what? high fives were duly exchanged.

3.00am and we're on 17.

Next stop and its Macc Forest for dawn chorus.Time for my 5th wee of the day,must be the constant adrenalin rushes I'm having from all the grippers we've heard.Out comes the B&Q owl blinder and I fry the eyes of a new Macc Forest colonist a gaudy Mandarin of all things no need for the Raby plastics now.Several roding Woodcocks well pre dawn and Redstart (one of the first dawn singers) are ticked off.

The team casually walking back to the CCC twitch mobile having got Red Grouse,Golden Plover and Curlew,suns just over the horizon as we make our way to the famous Chimney.Rouzel,Wheatear, and for the first time ever on a May bird race a Stonechat.Dropping down into Wildboarclough we give the distant hillsides a quick scan and another first and our fourth owl a Shorty glids by.A wander down the clough produces yet more goodies with Pied Fly,Dipper (not us dudes),Grey Wag,Sparrowhawk and low and behold another daylist first two Spotted Flycatchers.Fred and I are beginning to think this could be a very good day so I have yet another wee to relieve the tension....aahhhh!

Stopping at pre selected sites (on our way out of Macc)we rackup more quality birds such as Xbill,Siskin,Wood Warbler,Lesser Redpoll and rarest of all a Tree Pipit.

7.30am we're on 69

As we leave the hills the opposition speed by Groucho,Big Al,Phillis and Chequebook collectively now known as team GARY and thus 'Glitter Band'....do ya wanna be in my gang my gang...no!Enroute back to the Wizzal for the'high tide' we call in at various stakeouts,some not even on the itinery the previous day (the birds always dictate where you end up).Sandbach for one proved awesome (cheers Andy) with Wood Sand,Common Sand,Greenshank,Tree Sparrow , Wigeon and Gargeney.Neumann's had tobe done for the nesting Stilts.Here with hindsight we messed up,pushed for time we uncollectively decided to leave and head for grisley Risley thus missing out on Cuckoo and Green Woody.We then dipped Hobby (seen an hour later by the Glitter boys...bummer!) at the moss but got our only Jay and Treecreeper of the day big deal!.

11.30ish we're on 109,bird 100 being Peregrine at Lostock (10.05am)

The afternoon shift started at IMF and what daylist birds we got here - Whiskered Tern (Fred not impressed),Exocet,Little Egret,a single Knot,and found a 1st sum Med Gull.Unfortunately we missed a skulking fem.Pintail and no Ruff not a sausage.

We then hit the coast at Meols to be greeted by our lookout Jane T straddling the seawall.What a wader fest we had here timed to perfection the incoming tide washed up Turnstone,Dunlin,Sanderling,Barwit,Grey Plover,Ringed Plover,Whimbrel several gull species all expertly picked out by JT (I take it all back).In the heat haze the black slick floating out to sea near the windmills turned out tobe 2500 Common Scoter (no we didn't count them) another daylist first.

Hitting New Brighton on a hot sunny weekend afternoon is not a good idea.The oil washed beach was infested with burnt blobby mickey mousers hurling rocks at passing ferries,jesus if only we could conjure up a mersey tsunami!!!

A truly horrendous sight Frank Goes To New Brighton...



We move on quickly to Red Rocks and connect with Brent Goose (another first) and two Sarny Terns adding to the Kittiwake and Common Tern at NB.

score now on 130 and its getting harder to add new species as we run out of birds and sites to visit.A stop at Thurstaston gets us Lesser Throat (cheers again JT) then we're zooming off the Wizzal to good old Frodders where Statto has been scouting ahead for us.

Within quick fire succession we whap on Little Stint,Ruddy Duck(take that Defra) and Stattos favorite daylist bird Whinchat.

Bird number 135 requires a detour to the local patch again! cos we've some how missed Nuthatch in all the excitement.A walk around the patch would surely have gotten us this and several other easy birds but time and pressure is always upon one.The planned R&R stop never happened.

At Moss Side,Eastern Reedbed we were deafened by the Cetti's Warbler (136) yet another impressive addition to a Cheshire Daylist.

Last stop stalag Woolston for two easy padders Black necked Grebe(137) and Pochard(138) with our final bird of the day Little Gull(139) flying in late on...sorted. My 19th wee of the day and we retire to The Stag for a well earned bevvie.


Pod entering the forbidden zone sshhhh! don't tell AP.
Big thanks to the rest of the team Malc for doing all of the driving,Doc for keeping score,Fred for giving me his cold,Jane T and Statto are able scouts,Andrew D for the owl sites,my Mum and Dad(god bless him) for having me,Debs for marrying me etc,etc .

Final tally 139 the 5th highest score ever in Cheshire.Team Glitter scored 130 a very creditable effort thwarted by Radars inability to read tide tables(oh dear we'll never let him forget).Next year theres always next year...bring it on!