After finishing work this morning, I headed down to Portland in Dorset for the afternoon, where Martin Cade, the Bird Observatory Warden, had trapped six Red-headed Chestnut moths over the last couple of nights and kindly saved a few for me to see.
Red-headed Chestnut
The Red-headed Chestnut is a scarce migrant to Britain, originating in mainland Europe, where it occurs across central and southern Europe. Most British records come from the south and south-east of England, although it has turned up further inland and occasionally much further north. It's mainly recorded during October and November and remains an uncommon moth in Britain, so it's always a good species to come across.
After a brew and taking some photos of these scarce moths, I headed down to the Bill Lighthouse, where I got cracking views of a Snow Bunting. It wasn't at all bothered by my presence and showed really well.
Other birds of note included a Northern Wheatear and good numbers of Pied Wagtails and Rock Pipits.
Northern Wheatear
Pied Wagtail
Rock Pipit
By the time I left Portland, the sun was going down after another successful afternoon of birding and mothing on the island.
Bearded Tit-One flew over and appeared to land at No. 4 Tank.
30th
Widnes
Caspian Gull-1st-winter again on River Mersey sandbank west of old Runcorn Bridge.
Astbury Mere CP
Greater Scaup-Two.
Parkgate
Brambling, Pochard (drake), 2,000 Teal and 300+ Shoveler this morning, 200 Fieldfare, Hen Harrier (ringtail), 3 Short-eared Owls, 2 Barn Owls and 10+ Marsh Harriers this afternoon.
29th
Parkgate
Short-eared Owl, Kingfisher and 310 Shoveler (site record) early morning, also 1,500 Teal, c10 Marsh Harrier, Merlin, 3 Great White Egrets and 200+ Skylarks.
Burton Mere Wetlands.
c1500 Teal, 2 Green Sandpipers, 3 Stonechats, Avocet, 6 Siskins over and 6 Cattle Egrets in adjacent field.
28th
Widnes
Caspian Gull-Two (2nd-winter and 1st-winter) on River Mersey sandbank west of old Runcorn Bridge.
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 gathered along the pavement, sheltering under trees in the gardens as they waited 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 caught 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 this morning's initial one, and I arrived just in time! I rushed to the spot where the birders were focused 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!
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>
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.
