MASKED WAGTAIL-CAMROSE-PEMBROKESHIRE

Britain's first Masked Wagtail (Moticilla alba personata) was identified in the small village of Camrose in Pembrokeshire on the 29th November.This incredible long distant vagrant from Kazakhstan,Iran and Afghanistan is not yet a split and is still lumped with White wagtail as a sub species but I had to go and see it for insurance reasons.I had been on nights for the last two weeks so when I eventually had a day off I made plans to go.I set off friday evening and made good progress and arrived at Camrose around 1am and got my head down in the car for a few hours.At first light I found the bird happily feeding on the main road before it flew on to a garden lawn.

BRITAINS FIRST MASKED WAGTAIL

The bird showed really well and wasn't bothered by the small crowd of birders that were watching this eastern delight.The bird has made several national newspapers CLICK ON LINK CLICK ON LINK
After good views of the bird I headed back north through Wales and saw 21 Red kites in the valleys whilst driving.News broke around 10am that there were 50+ Waxwings at St Asaph around a football pitch so I did a slight detour and soon got on the birds as I arrived.

WAXWINGS

Always stunning birds to see and finished off a good days birding.

THOUSANDS OF SNOW GEESE DIE IN MONTANA

Huge flock of migratory birds landed on acidic waters of an open pit mine where employees attempted to scare them off CLICK ON LINK

NORTH AMERICAN BIG YEAR 2016:THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

Which birder will see the most species in North America and set a new record?CLICK ON LINK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK 30TH NOV-6TH DEC 2016

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BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF RARE BIRDS THIS WEEK IN BRITAIN 30TH-6TH NOV 2016

REVIEW OF THE WEEK CLICK ON LINK
BY JOSH JONES

RSPB SCOTLAND SHUNS 'LUDICROUS' GIFT OF GROUSE PRESS RELEASE

RSPB Scotland has dismissed a press release, issued on 5 December 2016 by the Gift of Grouse campaign, that attempts to draw a veil over the continued persecution of birds of prey on areas of land managed intensively for driven grouse shooting.CLICK ON LINK

FAIR ISLE-LIVING ON THE EDGE-EPISODE 2

Two-part documentary revealing life on Fair Isle, Britain's most remote inhabited island. Following the arrival of a new couple as they settle in and adapt to island life.
EPISODE 2-CLICK ON LINK

DUSKY THRUSH-BEELEY-DERBYSHIRE

News broke on Sunday night that a dusky thrush had been found by a local birder, Rachel Jones, in the village where she lives, Beeley, in Derbyshire. The bird had been seen in an orchard near Dukes Barn activity centre.I was really tempted to go and see this bird even though I had seen the Margate bird in 2013, as it was only an hour's drive from where I work. After the bird had been reported again on Monday morning and arrangements had been sorted for birders to enter the centre, I made plans to travel across after finishing my night shift in the morning.

I left off work at 7.30am and soon made my way across to Beeley in thick fog, arriving just before 9.00am. It wasn't long before the Dusky thrush showed up in the orchard feeding on apples.

MY 2ND DUSKY THRUSH FOR BRITAIN

The bird only showed for a couple of minutes before flying.I spent a further couple of hours trying to get some better photos of the bird, but it became really elusive, and I spent time flying around the village perched up high in trees. I made my mind up I'd travel back home, shattered but well worth the trip to see this mega Siberian vagrant.

This is the 12th record of Dusky thrush for Britain.The previous records are below:

2013

Devon

Brixham, first-winter female, 26 October to 2 November, photo

2013

Kent

Margate, first-winter female, 15th to 18th May, photo

2010

Greater Manchester

Leigh, male, 8th December, photo

1987

Pembrokeshire

Skomer, 3rd to 5th December

1983

Cornwall

Coombe Valley, Bude, adult male, 13th November

1979

West Midlands

Majors Green, Shirley, 17th to 19th February, again 27th to 28th February and again 18th, 19th and 23rd March

1975

Shetland

Firth, near Mossbank, Mainland, 6th to 13th November, photo

1968

Shetland

Whalsay, 24th September

1961

Fair Isle

Haa, first-winter female, 18th October; same, Vaadal, trapped, 19th October; same, Observatory, 20th October; same, Vatstrass Burn, 21st October

1959

Cleveland/Durham

 Hartlepool Headland, Durham,  first-winter male, 12th  December to 24th February  1960, trapped 10th January,  photo

1905

Nottinghamshire

     Gunthorpe, shot, 13th October

The dusky thrush has also made the national news:
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REVIEW OF THE WEEK OF BIRDS RECORDED IN CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL 28TH NOV-4TH DEC 2016

WIRRAL BIRD SIGHTINGS

Burton Marsh-2 Cattle Egret,2 Great White Egret,Hen Harrier (ringtail) and a Short-eared Owl were seen on the 28th.2 Hen Harrier's were off Burton Point and a Short-eared Owl on the 3rd.

Hilbre-The male Scaup was present throughout the week.

Neston Marsh-2 Hen Harrier (1 male),Short-eared Owl and a Great White Great were present on the 28th.

Thurstaston shore-1,500+ Black-tailed Godwit and 5,000 Knot were seen before high tide on the 28th.A Curlew Sandpiper,2,180 Black-tailed Godwit and 880 Redwing heading over south early morning on the 29th. A Goosander (redhead) was in the channel on the 30th.A Greenshank and 2,200 Black-tailed Godwit were present on the 2nd.

Burton R.S.P.B-A Hen Harrier (ringtail),Marsh Harrier (imm male),Cattle Egret,Green Sandpiper,2 Water Pipit,20 Whooper Swan,3 Bewick's Swan were present on the 28th.4 Water Pipit were present on the reserve on the 1st.The Long eared owl was present all week and the 2 water pipits remained until the 4th.

West Kirby Marine Lake-2 Goosander were present on the 28th, 29th.

Leasowe-3 Long-tailed Duck (off Leasowe Castle),10 Scaup and 3 Red-throated Diver were seen on the 29th.

Hoylake and Meols-318 Great Crested Grebe and c1,500 Common Scoter,6,000 Knot and 2,000 Dunlin were seen between high tide on the 29th.2 Goosander and 2 Long-tailed Duck flew west on the 1st.

Parkgate-A Great White Egret,Marsh Harrier,Hen Harrier (ringtail),Merlin,2 Peregrine and 2,000 Pink-footed Geese were seen on the 30th.A Hen Harrier was present on the 1st.The Bittern was seen again as it flew into the back of Donkey Stand Flash at 9.45am on the 2nd.2 Great White Egret and 2 Hen Harrier were present on the 3rd.

Denhall Quay-3 Hen Harrier (2 ringtail, 1 male),4 Marsh Harrier,3 Raven,4 Short-eared Owl, 2 Peregrine,2 Stonechat and a Great White Egret were present on the 30th.4 Short-eared Owl,2 Hen Harrier (M&f),Merlin and a Marsh Harrier were seen on the 1st.A Short eared owl,Great white egret and a male and female Hen Harrier were present on the 4th.

SHORT EARED OWL

(C)FRANK BURNS

Heswall Marsh-A Hen Harrier (male),Peregrine and 2 Raven were present on the 1st.The male Hen Harrier was still present the next day on the 2nd along with 145 Golden Plover,Greenshank and Spotted Redshank.

Decca Pools-A Marsh Harrier,Hen Harrier (ringtail) and 2 Short-eared Owl were present on the on 1st.

CHESHIRE BIRD SIGHTINGS

Lapwing Hall pool-The Black necked grebe remained all week.

BLACK NECKED GREBE

(C)A ORTON

Wigg Island-On the 30th a Black redstart was seen near the new bridge but there was no public access.

Pickerings Pasture-A Spotted sandpiper was identified from a photograph taken on the 1st but could not be refound.

Fourways Quarry- 5 mandarin were present on the 3rd.

Neumanns Flash-Two 1st winter Scaup and Yellow legged gull were present on the 2nd with the the Scaup still present on the 4th.

Newchurch Common-The female Smew was still present on the large pool north of the track all week along with the 1st-winter drake Red crested pochard.On the 4th a drake Common scoter was present.

Sandbach Flashes -A Yellow legged gull was present on the 29th along with the juvenile Glaucous gull which turned up again on the 3rd.

Woolston Eyes- A green winged teal was present on No.3 bed all week.

Richmond Bank-On the 30th a first calendar year Caspian Gull was present along with 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (and adult and first calendar year).

Hale-A Rough Legged buzzard was seen late morning on the 29th.On the 30th a Bittern was seen in flight low over Carr Lane and landed at the back of the pools.The three Water Pipits remained throughout the week being seen on Carr Lane pools and from the bridge at Town lane.

PLEASE SEND ALL YOUR CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD SIGHTINGS TO alastairorton72@gmail.com or you can TWEET @CHESHIREBIRDING

HUMAN SWAN CROSSES CHANNEL ON HER EPIC 4,500 MILE MIGRATION

Sacha Dench is first woman to cross the Channel in a motorised paraglider, as part of her journey following migrating birds from Russia to Britain.CLICK ON LINK