SLATY BACKED GULL-RAINHAM MARSHES-LONDON 17/02/2011

After finally connecting with the Oriental Turtle Dove, we all celebrated with a whisky from the Doc’s hip flask at 8:00 am—a perfect start to the day. Our next target was the Slaty-backed Gull at Rainham Marshes. Arriving in London around 10:30 am, it was clear we were late to the party; birders were leaving, including Dan Pointon, who had been searching since first light.

As we set up our scopes and scanned toward the tip, Chris Batty came running past, shouting that the gull was now on Wennington Marsh. A stampede ensued! I rang Dan while sprinting across the marsh; he had just walked back from the site and had no idea the bird had moved. Pushing through the crowd of at least 100 birders, I finally spotted Dan on top of the hill and gave one last sprint. There it was, perfectly still in his scope!

The Slaty-backed Gull sat serenely in the middle of the marsh, preening occasionally and lifting its head to glance around. We were ecstatic—after another frustrating day in January spent scanning in vain, we finally had the bird in the bag. Native to eastern Siberia and northern Japan, this species winters along the coasts of Japan, Korea, and China, making it an exceptionally rare vagrant to Western Europe. Seeing it in the flesh, so far from its normal range, was a truly unforgettable experience.

We enjoyed half an hour of superb views before heading back to the car, whisky in hand once again, to toast the success. Now, all that remained was to wait and see if the BBRC would accept the record.

Slaty-backed Gull

Me, knackered after running halfway around the reserve

Birders on site

ORIENTAL TURTLE DOVE-41 THE LEYS-CHIPPING NORTON-OXFORDSHIRE

Tuesday 15th December

A first-winter Oriental Turtle Dove that first appeared in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in mid-December 2010, was relocated on Saturday morning in a different garden. The bird had been feeding alongside Collared Doves and Woodpigeons on seed scattered on the lawn, often coming within just 10 feet of the window—an incredible opportunity for close-up observation. Native to East and Southeast Asia, this species breeds across Russia, China, Japan, and Korea, and winters in Southeast Asia.

The homeowner generously allowed public access on Tuesday, 15 February, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, for a small fee of £5 per person.

I made plans to meet up with Phil Woollen, Malcolm Curtin, and Mark Payne and aimed to arrive at first light. Upon arrival, we found around 300 twitchers already on site, so we joined the queue and prepared for what promised to be a memorable day of birding.

It was going to be a long day

The bird made a brief appearance before flying off with two Collared Doves. We spent the next nine hours walking the streets of The Leys, expecting it to return at any moment, but it simply didn’t happen. Despite the extreme generosity of many local residents, who kindly allowed us into their back gardens for a better view, the dove failed to reappear for the rest of the day.

Needless to say, we were gutted—sometimes even the rarest and most eagerly chased birds can be frustratingly elusive. Still, the experience of being part of such a remarkable twitch and witnessing the dedication of fellow birders made it a day to remember. 

Wednesday 16th Feb

While out with the family in Llandudno, the mega alert went off twice. The Slaty-backed Gull had reappeared at Rainham Marshes—a bird I had dipped on back in January—and the Oriental Turtle Dove was reportedly showing well. However, the owners had stated that no one would be allowed into the garden until Friday, which made the whole situation incredibly frustrating.

Determined not to miss it, I quickly arranged a team for the following morning, consisting of Pete Antrobus, Malc Curtin, and Doc Brewster, to maximise our chances of connecting with this elusive visitor.

Thursday  17th February

I drove to Pod’s house, who was taking the wheel today, and we picked up Malc and Doc Brewster before setting off south. We arrived just after 7:00 am and were the first birders on site. At first, it didn’t look promising—the family apparently wasn’t letting anyone in, and the curtains were firmly shut.

Pod and I decided to walk down the road and check a few other gardens, but came up empty-handed. On returning, we couldn’t believe it: Doc and Malc had somehow managed to get inside the house. Malc later explained he’d tried to phone us, but thanks to a poor O2 signal, we never received the call—classic!

Thankfully, the bird was right there in the kitchen as we entered. The owner’s wife was calmly eating her toast, with the children getting ready for school, completely unaware of the chaos happening around them. At last, after all the waiting and uncertainty, we finally had excellent views of the Oriental Turtle Dove. 

 Oriental Turtle Dove