WHITE-THROATED NEEDLETAIL-SCARBOROUGH CASTLE-NORTH YORKSHIRE

Last Wednesday, news broke of a juvenile White-throated Needletail photographed at Tophill Low Nature Reserve in East Yorkshire. It was later re-found 26 miles north at Bempton RSPB.  The photos shared in the evening were gripping, and birders on site were indicating that the Needletail had been attempting to land on the cliffs to roost.

I was working in Oxfordshire, so I travelled up to Bempton RSPB. I arrived before midnight and slept in my car so that I would be on-site for first light. As morning came, I walked down to the cliffs, and by 7:00 am, hundreds of birders were eagerly waiting to see if the bird had roosted overnight.

Bempton Cliffs, first light

Birders on site

As the sun rose and the hours passed, optimism for seeing the Needletail began to fade. Then, news broke that the Needletail had been rediscovered at Loch of Skene in Aberdeenshire. This prompted a mass exodus of birders to leave. I stayed at Bempton until 2:00 pm, hoping the bird might return, but eventually decided to start my three-hour journey home. Just as I was nearly home, I received news that the Needletail had been found at Filey Brigg, which is 10 miles north of Bempton Cliffs RSPB, unbelievable. And again, the bird showed well until dusk.

Arrangements were made when I got home to go again for first light with Malc Curtin. After an early night, I was up again at 3am, and we arrived at Filey Brigg for 6.30am.

Upon our arrival, the hours went by without any sighting of the Needletail. By 9:00 am, we needed food and a hot drink, so I drove into Filey to find a café. We had just ordered a full English breakfast, and Malc was about to take a sip of his brew when the MEGA alert went off.

I gave the fella twenty pounds for the food, and we quickly left the café. After a tense twenty-minute drive, we arrived at Scarborough Castle, where thankfully, birders were already observing the bird. We parked the car, and there it was, casually just flying around above the castle. It had taken a day and a half to encounter this bird, but it was worth every minute and a species I thought I'd never see in my lifetime.

(c)Ash Howe

(c)Ash Howe

Parking the car further near the castle, we had the Needletail fly right over us, and it continued to show for the next hour. This bird should be migrating through Korea and Japan towards Australia from its breeding grounds in East Asia, and it can fly faster in level flight than any other bird on the planet.

Cheers! Me and Malc raising a cold beer, celebrating the moment together!

Previous records:

2017 Glen, Castle Bay, Barra, Outer Hebrides 2CY+, 22nd June

2013 Loch Direcleit, Tarbert and Loch Drinisadair, Harris, Outer Hebrides, first-summer male, 24th to 26th June, later found dead, photo, now at National Museums Scotland

1991 Noup of Noss, Noss,Shetland 11th and 14th June; presumed same as Kent

1991 Near Belper, Derbyshire 3rd June; presumed same as Kent

1991  Wierton Hill Reservoir, Maidstone, 26th May, photo; also in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Shetland.

1991 Blithfield Reservoir, 1st June Staffordshire

1988 Hoy, Orkney 28th May to 8th June

1985 Fairburn Ings, West Yorkshire,27th May

1984 Hillwell/Quendale area, Mainland, Shetland, 25th May to 6th June

1983 South Ronaldsay, Orkney 11th to 12th June

1879 Near Ringwood, Hampshire, shot, 26th or 27th July

1846 Great Horkesley, Essex, 6th to 8th July, when shot, now at Chelmsford Museum