BIRDGUIDES PHOTO OF THE WEEK-30TH OCTOBER-5TH NOVEMBER 2019

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BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF RARE BIRDS THIS WEEK IN BRITAIN 30TH OCTOBER-5TH NOVEMBER 2019

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PROBABLE PADDYFIELD PIPIT-SENNAN-CORNWALL-4th NOVEMBER 2019

Well, what a couple of weeks I've had birding. First I dipped the Bobolink at Theddlethorpe St Helen in Lincolnshire on the 19th of October after it had been found the previous afternoon.

(C)NEIL DRINKALL

                                                                                         
Then last week I spent three days up on the Orkney Isles on Westray looking for a Steller’s eider with this lot!

We didn't see the bird, but hopefully it will be still around so we can have another go at seeing it over the next couple of weeks.

STELLER'S EIDER

(C)DON OTTER

Anyway, on Thursday, as we were heading back south, news came out that a Richard's pipit that had been in a field for the last nine days in Cornwall had been sound recorded by a birder, and the call apparently strongly suggested it was a Paddyfield pipit from Asia. Of course, social media went into meltdown about the bird, as if it were one, it would be a first for the Western Palearctic.

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After a few days of discussion on social media and more birders going to see it, I finally cracked for insurance reasons and made my way down on Sunday evening with Dan Pointon, Bob Swann, and Pete Stranach, who picked me up from Lymm services on there way down from Inverness.  We arrived on site Monday morning and saw the bird at first light.

This pipit sp has caused much discussion about whereabouts, call, and moult. Is it a Tawny, Richard's, or even an African pipit? It has been mentioned by others. Im looking forward to the DNA result if the sample works. Anyway, I've seen it, so let's see what happens! On a brighter note, the Buff bellied pipit showed well that was also in the field and was the first one I had seen in Britain since 2013 on the Wirral.

(C)SIMON KING

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