Hen Harrier-Ringtail again off Old Baths car park (CH64 6RL); also 2 Short-eared Owls.
Leasowe Lighthouse.
Firecrest along the nature trail this morning and a Brambling by the pond.
Parkgate
Kingfisher, 2,500 Teal and 271 Shoveler.
26th
West Kirby
Firecrest-One in garden at Kingswalk.
Boathouse Flash, Parkgate.
11 Ruff, 2,000 Teal and 150 Shoveler.
25th
Old Baths, Parkgate
1 (poss 2) Hen Harrier (ringtails), 16 Marsh Harriers and 3 Barn Owls this evening.
Dove Point, Meols.
Grey Phalarope and a Leach's Petrel.
Leasowe Gunsite
2 Grey Phalaropes.
Derby Pool, Wallasey Shore
Leach's Petrel and a Great Skua.
New Brighton
Pomarine Skua (ad with spoons) in Mersey mouth, then flew low over Marine Lake; also Leach's Petrel, Arctic Skua, 7 Little Gulls, 150 Kittiwakes (many juvs), Gannet, and Purple Sandpiper.
Hoylake Shore
Probable Great Skua, 3 Arctic Skuas and Kittiwakes well into three figures.
Heswall-Riverbank Road.
150 Pink-footed Geese, 3500 Shelducks, 51 Little Egrets, 2 Hen Harriers (ringtails), Merlin, Water Rail, 8 Snipe, 300 Black-headed Gulls, Short-eared Owl, 125 Skylarks, 450 Starlings over high tide.
Caldy Wetlands
1,850 Black-tailed Godwits.
24th
West Kirby Marine Lake
17 Goosanders and a Rock Pipit.
Acre Nook Sand Quarry
Little Gull-1st-winter.
22nd
Little Neston
Short-eared Owl- Six off Denhall Quay.
Heswall Shore
5000 Shelducks, 720 Teal, 109 Golden Plovers, 85 Grey Plovers, 11 Greenshanks at high tide.
21st
Acre Nook Sand Quarry
Slavonian Grebe-Again from Whisterfield end.
Thurstaston Shore
700 Pintail, 4000 Oystercatcher, 1200 Knot, 300 Dunlin, 82 Turnstone, 115 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1000 Black-tailed Godwit, 100 Redwing flew south off Dee Sailing Club on ebbing tide this morning.
Easterly winds continued in earnest until Wednesday, which, coupled with rain along the east coast, created suitable conditions for a healthy arrival of Far Eastern vagrants. Read more>
After yesterday's adventures, I had a lie-in and was just getting out of the shower and getting dressed when news broke of a Slender-billed Nutcracker sighting in Mundesley, Norfolk. This was a significant bird for Britain; the last truly accessible Nutcracker was seen back in 1991. I couldn't miss the chance to see this one. I rushed upstairs to find my partner, Jenna, still in the bathroom. "Hurry up, love! There's a Nutcracker in Norfolk!" We quickly got ready and set off east, hoping the bird would stay around long enough for us to arrive.
The Nutcracker had apparently been in the village for several days, with a photograph taken by a local resident on Friday leading to the news being released this morning. This was exactly the kind of bird many of us had been anticipating for this autumn. Large numbers of Slender-billed Nutcrackers had been migrating west across Europe, reaching Scandinavia and the Low Countries in substantial numbers. These birds typically inhabit the northern coniferous forests, stretching from northern Europe across Siberia and into Asia, where they primarily feed on pine seeds. When food supplies dwindle and their populations increase, they can venture much further in search of food. The Siberian form, known as macrorhynchos, has a distinctly finer bill than the nominate form. With so many birds appearing in Western Europe and strong easterly winds pushing them toward our shores, it seemed only a matter of time before one crossed the North Sea.
Heavy rain and gusty winds accompanied us on the drive down, making the journey less enjoyable. Still, we were excited to see a bird that doesn’t show up in Britain every day, and the anticipation grew as we neared Norfolk. We eventually arrived in Mundesley just after 3 PM, leaving us with about two hours of decent light to find the bird. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that at least one of the sightings reported by bird information services was mistaken, as the Nutcracker hadn't been seen for over four hours.
Many birders were gathered along the pavement, sheltering under trees in the gardens while waiting for news. With the weather working against us and no sighting of the bird, the situation looked bleak. I met up with Cliff Smith, and Jenna and we went for a walk behind the houses where the Nutcracker had been seen earlier, hoping it might reappear. Unfortunately, we had no luck and returned to the main road. Just as we got back, a commotion further up the road indicated one thing: the Nutcracker had been spotted! We hurried over and managed to catch sight of the bird feeding in a back garden. Moments later, it flew onto a house before moving toward the gathered birders and landing in a fir tree just a few meters from us. The bird then dropped down onto the ground, just a couple of meters from the nearest birders, and began feeding on beech mast. The views were absolutely brilliant, and the bird seemed completely unfazed by all the attention. It continued to move around, feeding on the ground and perching on tree stumps and a garage roof, allowing everyone a proper chance to take it all in.
(c) Alan Lewis
(c) Kev Hale
(c) George Moreton
After all the waiting and wondering whether we were going to see it at all, it was a relief to finally have the bird in front of us. It eventually disappeared behind the house again, but by then everyone was grinning from ear to ear. The atmosphere had changed completely, with smiles, hugs and high fives all round.
It's hard to explain to anyone who doesn't go twitching just how much a bird like this means. You can spend hours travelling and standing around in the rain, wondering if you've wasted your time, but moments like this make it all worthwhile.
The Northern Nutcracker is an incredibly scarce visitor to Britain, with the last major irruption taking place in 1968, when hundreds reached the country. Smaller movements have occurred since, but a bird showing so well and attracting birders from all over the country was something special.
For Jenna and me, it had been a wet and miserable journey at times, followed by a long wait with no guarantee of success. Thankfully, it all came good in the end, and we were able to enjoy some fantastic views of this superb bird.
What a result! Another memorable twitch and one we won't forget in a hurry.
Well, what a week! I returned to work in Oxfordshire on Tuesday after a good week birding on the Isles of Scilly, and I couldn't believe it when news broke after lunch that a Rufous-tailed Robin had been found at South Landing, Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire.
The Rufous-tailed Robin (Larvivora sibilans) breeds in central Siberia and parts of eastern Asia, favouring damp forests with dense undergrowth. It migrates south-east for the winter, spending this period in South-East Asia. It is an extremely rare visitor to Britain, with records tending to occur in October, mainly in the Northern Isles and along the east coast of England.
The first accepted British record came from Fair Isle, Shetland, on 23rd October 2004. The bird caused quite a bit of confusion when it was first found, with some birders initially thinking it might be an American thrush, and Hermit Thrush was among the possibilities discussed. Nick Dymond eventually suggested Rufous-tailed Robin around lunchtime, and after checking reference books and photographs, the identification was confirmed. The bird was trapped and ringed before being released. It remained until dusk but had disappeared by the following morning.
The second British record was found dead on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, on 2nd October 2010. The next was at Warham Greens, Norfolk, on 14th October 2011, where the bird was only present from mid-afternoon until dusk before disappearing. The fourth accepted record was found at Feal Plantation, Fetlar, Shetland, on 6th October 2019. Unfortunately, the bird was only seen for around five minutes before disappearing and was never seen again. There was also a report from Lurand, North Ronaldsay, on 21st October 2025, but this remains provisional and has not been accepted onto the British list. With such a poor record of birds staying around, the Rufous-tailed Robin has become one of those mythical birds that birders dream of catching up with. The discovery at Flamborough was therefore a fantastic find and a chance for more birders to finally connect with this Siberian rarity. You can read the rarity finders' write-up here.>
What followed was three days of absolute torture, as I couldn't get up to Yorkshire until Friday morning, and that was only if the bird was still there. It was a four-and-a-half-hour drive, and I wouldn't make it after work to try to see it before dusk. For the next two days, birding social media was in meltdown. Practically everyone I knew had seen the bird. What an absolute nightmare! By Thursday evening, the weather was changing. After two nights of rain, it was going to be clear. This wasn't good news, as birds can easily move on overnight in settled conditions. I packed my belongings at the Airbnb and could only hope it would stay until the morning. The next morning, on the way into work, news came through just after 8am that the bird was still there. I went into work, finished a few jobs and set off from Oxfordshire, arriving in East Yorkshire just after 1pm. As I arrived on site and walked down towards the bridge, a shout went out that the bird was showing.
Birders on site
This was the first sighting since the initial one this morning, and I arrived just in time! I rushed to the spot where the birders were focusing their attention on the sycamore tree and the stream. I couldn't believe my luck when I spotted it at the base of the sycamore tree. It eventually came into full view, moved towards the stream, and then flew along it.
(c) Adrian Webb
(c) Paul Chapman
I honestly couldn't believe it. After all the waiting and worrying about whether it would still be there, I had arrived just in time to see it. What an incredible bird! The anticipation throughout the week had been agonising, but now that I had finally seen it, what a relief!
Little Stint-Probable flew northwest through No. 4 Bed with two Dunlin and Common Scoter-Juvenile: reserve open from 08:00-20:00; permit and key obtainable at www.woolstoneyes.com
What a lively few days that was! October is so often the month of megas, and this week lived up to high expectations, with no fewer than eight breaking megas sounding on the BirdGuides app during the week. Read more>
19th October 2015 was a memorable day for British birding, when another Chestnut Bunting was found on Papa Westray in Orkney, where it remained for 11 days. I was lucky enough to see this bird myself 11 years ago, and it was eventually accepted by the BBRC.
Earlier British records of Chestnut Bunting were affected by concerns about birds from the captive bird trade. Four records have also been placed in Category E, all from Shetland. These involved a male on Foula in July 1974, a first-summer male on Fair Isle in June 1986, an adult female on Out Skerries in September 1994 and another adult female on Fair Isle in September 2002.
Now, just one day short of the 11th anniversary, Brydon Thomason found Britain's second Chestnut Bunting on Unst late on 18th October. This is a first-winter female and another exciting record for Shetland.
I've attached my original sighting of the Papa Westray bird, which was a memorable one for me and a record that was eventually accepted by the BBRC.
A Chestnut Bunting on the edge of Britain. Read more>
Chestnut Bunting Accepted – A Landmark Decision. Read more>
This morning, Marc, Owen, and I headed over to St Agnes on the boat, hoping to see a Red-eyed Vireo that had been present for the last two days.
Before heading off to look for the bird, I first visited my good friend Bob Dawson, who lives on St Agnes. Bob had kindly saved two moths for me that he had trapped, a Scar Bank Gem and a Blair’s Mocha, both of which were new moths for me.
Scar Bank Gem
The Scar Bank Gem (Ctenoplusia limbirena) is a very rare migrant to Britain, with fewer than 50 records nationally. It normally occurs across Africa, parts of Asia, and the Canary Islands, but occasionally makes its way to Britain in autumn. It is a cracking-looking moth, with a distinctive violet sheen to its wings.
Blair’s Mocha
Blair’s Mocha (Cyclophora puppillaria) is another scarce migrant moth that arrives from southern Europe and North Africa. It has pale brown wings with darker lines and small eye-like markings. Both were great moths to see, so a big thank you to Bob for saving them for me.
After saying our goodbyes to Bob, we headed off to look for the vireo.
St Agnes Lighthouse
We spent the whole day searching, along with around 30 other birders, but unfortunately we just couldn't find it.
I haven't been to St Agnes for years, and I was soon reminded that the vegetation and access for birding can make it a real nightmare when trying to find birds. Despite the disappointment of missing the vireo, we did manage to see two Yellow-browed Warblers and a Black Redstart during the day.
Yellow-browed Warbler
Black Redstart
Just before leaving the island, we visited a small rockpool to look for Giant Gobies, a really rare fish. We managed to find three of them, which was a nice way to finish off our visit to the island.
Giant Gobie
The Giant Goby (Gobius cobitis) is a large, scarce fish found around rocky shores and shallow rockpools in parts of southern and western Europe, including the south coast of Britain and the Isles of Scilly. In Britain, it has a very restricted distribution and is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making it an important species to look out for when exploring our rocky coastline.
Although we dipped the Red-eyed Vireo, I was made up with the two new moths from Bob and seeing three Giant Gobies. You can't win them all when birding, but at least we had a few other things to keep us going!
Well, today was all about a pelagic. Almost as soon as we left St Mary's, the gulls began following the boat, and within minutes a superb first-winter Caspian Gull joined them. A second-winter bird also showed further out at sea.
Caspian Gull
It wasn’t the busiest of pelagics, but one sight will stay with me for a long time. We came across 80–100 Grey Phalaropes feeding on the open sea, with little flocks of three to 25 birds bobbing about on the waves, while others flew around in tight groups. I had witnessed this years ago on one of these pelagics and wasn’t expecting to see it again. What an incredible sight!
Grey Phalarope
A few Manx and Sooty Shearwaters also showed well, along with a Great Skua, five Puffins and a more distant Arctic Tern.
Gannet
Sooty Shearwater
Great Skua
As we headed back towards land, news broke that an Isabelline Shrike had been found on St Mary’s. With the recent taxonomic changes involving these shrikes, identification can be complicated, particularly with first-winter birds. DNA also isn't always reliable for separating Isabelline and Red-tailed Shrikes. Thankfully, I don’t need Daurian or Turkestan Shrike, so I could just relax and enjoy the bird without worrying too much about the identification.
A huge thanks to Joe Pender, Bob Flood and the Sapphire crew for another fantastic day out at sea. I really enjoyed it.
Once back on dry land, I wasted no time heading over to Porth Hellick to see the shrike, getting a lift from my good friend Higgo. The bird was showing as soon as I arrived, perched up on a rock before flying down onto some bracken, where it showed really well.
Isabelline Shrike Sp
Leaving the bird to the crowds, I moved on and had a quick look at another potential Wilson’s Snipe before heading off to see Mick Scott, who had trapped a Southern Field Cricket, a first for the Isles of Scilly! Mick and his son Will had kindly invited me to share in their excitement after finding this cracking insect. What an absolute beast! I was lucky enough to see it rubbing its wings together, making an impressive noise for such a little creature. A fantastic find by the lads, and a real privilege to share the moment with them. Huge congratulations to both!
Southern Field Cricket
It was only a few months ago that I saw my first Verge Cricket with Alan Lewis at Porthgwarra in Cornwall, so it was great to see another migrant cricket.
A quick stop at Lower Moors produced another excellent view of the other Wilson’s Snipe before I called it a day.
Wilson’s Snipe
What a day, with some fantastic seabirds, a cracking shrike and a first for the Isles of Scilly. Tomorrow, I’m off to St Agnes with the lads. Can’t wait for another island adventure!
After a few days of rushing around, I had a well-deserved lie-in, enjoyed a nice breakfast, and chilled out until mid-morning, when I headed out for a walk around the Garrison with my good friend Higgo. The birding was quiet, but the views across this beautiful archipelago were fantastic.
Looking down from the Garrison to Hugh Town
Higgo getting his steps in
A view from the Garrison looking over to St Agnes
As I headed back into town, news broke that a juvenile Surf Scoter had been found off Bryher at Church Quay. I had seen a Surf Scoter on the Isles of Scilly back in 2017, but I fancied a boat ride, so Higgo and I headed out to see if we could catch up with the bird. It didn't take long to find the Surf Scoter from the boat.
Surf Scoter
Me firing away a few shots
Higgo enjoying the views of the Surf Scoter
Well, that was a great way to spend the afternoon, with excellent views of the Surf Scoter and a boat trip thrown in for good measure.
