PALE-LEGGED LEAF WARBLER-RSPB-BEMPTON CLIFFS-EAST YORKSHIRE

An elusive phyllosc had been present at Bempton Cliffs RSPB in East Yorkshire since Wednesday. It was initially thought to be an Arctic Warbler, and then the bird turned into a "possible" Eastern Crowned Warbler. Things then developed, and with some diligent work by a local birder (including recordings), the bird was actually a Pale-Legged Leaf Warbler.

News broke to late to set off, so plans were made for any early morning start over to Bempton Cliffs. Owen, Jenna, and I set off at 5.30am and arrived on site just before 9.00am, meeting up with the masses. We joined in with everyone peering into the low vegetation; this was going to be an absolute nightmare. We stood there peering into the hedgerow when the bird showed briefly and then moved further right.The bird eventually took off from the hedgerow and showed up in a tree briefly before heading right into the Dell. We all headed for the nearest spot and waited, and then the Pale-Legged Leaf Warbler showed really well.

 This was the first live record of Pale-Legged Leaf Warbler for the Western Palearctic

The pale-legged leaf warbler (Phylloscopus tenellipes) is a species of Old World warbler in the family Phylloscopidae. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1860. It is found in Manchuria; it winters in Southeast Asia. 

Description

They are 12 cm in length with brownish upperparts and a contrasting greyish-brown crown and nape. The whitish supercilium contrasts strongly, not reaching the forehead but extending well behind the eyes. Its eyeline is dark brown and wider behind the eye. Cheeks mottled pale brown and throat whitish. White undertail coverts contrast with paler olive-brown rump and uppertail coverts and lack a greenish tinge. Breast and belly whitish, washed pale brown.

The Yorkshire bird is the second record for Britain, following one found dead after hitting a window at the lighthouse on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, on October 21, 2016.  DNA confirmed the identification of this bird.

                     

St. Agnes bird, which was sadly found dead.

There is also a record of one in a garden at Portland, Dorset, on 22 October 2012, though it remained silent, so it wasn't possible to rule out Sakhalin Leaf Warbler

A write-up on both birds was published in the British Birds Journal. Click on image below

After further views of the bird throughout the morning, we made our way back to the car, where we connected with a Yellow Browed Warbler in the car park.

On the way back home, we called in at Stamford Bridge, where a hoopoe was showing well in someone's front garden.

Hoopoe!Showing Well!

A great day out birding and good to catch up with so many family faces! Shetland, next week, bring on the Meg!

ISLES OF SCILLY PELAGICS-SOUTH POLAR SKUA

With five sightings of South Polar Skua being seen off the Isles of Scilly in the last couple of months, my good friend John Pegden organised three pelagics to try and see this species, and twelve of us finally agreed to go across.

I met up with Dan Pointon, Mark Sutton, and John Pegdan, and we headed down late morning. The journey down was full of optimism and conversation that we could see this rare bird. It was better to be out at sea than sit at home thinking what if!. Anyway, we called in at Cape Cornwall late afternoon, and we all got great views of a melodious warbler, only my fourth for Britain. 

Melodious Warbler

Cape Cornwall in the evening sun

The evening was spent in Penzance at the local curry house after a long drive south.

We were all up at 6.30am and made our way down to the quay in Penzance, where the dawn sun greeted us behind St. Michaels Mount.

The Scillionian 

All ready for the Pelagics

The crossing over to the Isles of Scilly produced 5 Cory's Shearwater, 2 Great Shearwater, Juvenile Sabine's Gull, and a Sooty Shearwater.

Here are the summaries of what we saw over the next few days:

Day 1 Pelagic

14 miles SW of St Mary's: 170 Cory Shearwaters, 10 Great Shearwaters, 2 Great Skuas, 12 European Storm petrels and 250+ Short-Beaked Common Dolphins

Heading out of St Mary's

Great Shearwaters breed on Nightingale Island, Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, and Gough Island. It is one of only a few bird species to migrate from breeding grounds in the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere.

No South Polar Skua this evening as we passed Bishop Rock lighthouse on the way back. We go again tomorrow

Day 2 Pelagic

Today Me, Dan, and Neil spent the morning walking around St. Mary's. 2 Great White Egrets and 2 Common Rosefinch were seen.

Dan and Neil 

Dan found two Common Rosefinch's by St. Mary's airport, which showed well. We left St. Mary's at 1pm for the next Pelagic.

Adrian getting the bread in for the Pelagic from the local Co-Op

At sea, various locations: 15 Great Shearwaters, Sooty Shearwater, 2 European Storm Petrel, 4 Great Skuas and a Balearic Shearwater

Great Skua

Coming back in to St Mary's

The evening was spent with my mate Higgo, who lives on the islands, having a few beers and a catch-up.

Day 3 Pelagic

Wolf Lighthouse and return: 2 juvenile Sabine's Gull, Arctic Skua, 80 Cory’s Shearwater, 20 Great Shearwater, Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, 3 European Storm Pertel, 40 Short-Beaked Common Dolphin.

Wolf Lighthouse

Juvenile Sabine's gulls breed in the Arctic and they migrate south to the Southern Hemisphere in the autumn, covering up 24,000 miles per year—the longest migration of any gull

Well, after three days of pelagics, we headed home with no sighting of a South Polar Skua. We did have a feeding group of >300 large shearwaters just west of the Wolf, seemingly equal split Cory's/Great, from the Scillonian on the way home back to Penzance.

Pelagic's already booked for next year. WE'LL BE BACK!