MY BIRDING YEAR 2008

There have only been three previous sightings of this North American species in Britain. The first was a bird trapped on Fair Isle in 1977, followed by a brief sighting in Yorkshire by three individuals a week later that same year. The third sighting occurred in Merseyside in 1994. This recent sighting in Norfolk marks the first time more than a handful of people have observed the bird in the UK. The bird frequented a seeded driveway just down from the Three Swallows pub in Cley.

 

I visited the site on Saturday afternoon and didn't have to wait long before the bird made a great appearance alongside a flock of resident house sparrows.

                      White crowned Sparrow-Cley-Norfolk-19/01/08

Black Duck-Marloes-Pembrokeshire-17/03/08

Jason Atkinson and I left immediately after hearing that this bird had been found. We picked up Dan Pointon on our way and drove the four hours to the most westerly point of Wales. After arriving, we searched for about half an hour in the flooded area where the female bird had been reported. Luckily, the bird eventually appeared alongside a male Mallard emerging from the reeds. 

Me on site

On our way back, we made a quick stop in Haverfordwest, where we saw a stunning Rose coloured starling coming into its summer plumage in someone's back garden.

Serin-Portland Bill-Dorset-28/04/08

Dan Pointon and I drove down to Portland Bill in Dorset to try and see this bird, which had been showing for the last couple of days. Upon arrival, we met some birders staying at the observatory, who informed us that the bird tended to show better in the mornings and became very elusive in the afternoons. Unfortunately, we didn't realise this until we arrived just after 3:00 PM. 

After nearly three hours of searching the surrounding fields with no sign of the bird, we returned to the observatory feeling disappointed. I told Dan I would take one last look at the observatory quarry before we left. While walking down the path, I heard the bird singing, so I called Dan. 

Once we located where the bird was singing, we were thrilled to finally get some excellent views. After 36 years of birding and missing many sightings of this elusive species, it was a huge relief to finally add it to my British list.

Great Snipe-The Snook-Holy Island-Northumberland-02/06/08

Organised flushes were being set up for this bird, so Malc Curtin and I headed there for 6:00pm. As we arrived, about seven people walked across the Snook while we took our positions in the sand dunes, waiting for the bird to take flight from its cover. As they moved through the area, we were thrilled to get excellent views of the bird when it finally took off. Both Malc and I were delighted to see it.

Thrush Nightingale-Dunwich Heath NT-Suffolk-07/06/08

I travelled for this bird straight after work. It took us just over three hours to drive to the site, and when I arrived, I received some disappointing news about the bird. I spoke with a birder who had been on site since 6:00am and hadn't seen the bird either. After searching the area for about an hour and a half with no luck, I decided to do another loop around the site. As I was walking near the toilet block, a bird suddenly flew right in front of me and began to sing in the undergrowth. At last, I had finally seen it; the bird then showed very well.

(C)J.Lawrence

Audouin's Gull-Wolla Bank-Lincolnshire-19/08/08

The news about the bird broke the day before, but due to work commitments, I postponed the long journey until the next day. Unfortunately, there was negative news from the afternoon sighting. I went anyway the next day with Mark Payne and Dan Pointon, and upon arrival, we found hundreds of birders searching for the bird, but it couldn’t be relocated. After two hours, it was finally found a mile away. We quickly drove to the beach, where a birder put me straight on the bird through their scope. What a bird! It was just loafing on the incoming tide, preening. 

Me on site

This was only the fourth record for Britain, and after narrowly missing last year's sighting in Devon, this made up for it!

Greater Sand Plover-Ythan Estuary-Aberdeenshire-13/09/08 

This bird came out on the pager in the afternoon, so I made arrangements to go up with Malc Curtin and Adam Archer the following morning. The good news, as I finished my night duty at 8.00am in the morning, was that the bird was still showing well in a ploughed field with Ringed Plover. I picked Malc and Archie up at 9.00am and started the long drive north. At 3.00pm, we arrived at the car park on the Ythan estuary and met up with some birders who said the bird was still showing well. On arrival, we were put straight onto the bird as it scurried around the field. What a sight and relief after such a long drive. We watched the bird for the next hour before a Kestrel came along and flushed it. 

This was only the fourth record for Scotland, the last one being seen at Tyninghame in Lothian from the 6th-7th June 1999.

Ortolan Bunting-Soldier's Point-Holyhead-16/09/08 

Whilst Malc Curtin and I were at Spurn in East Yorkshire looking for a mainland Mega-Pallas Grasshopper warbler, it came through on the pager that an Ortolan bunting was showing well with Meadow pipits on Anglesey. I arrived the next morning with Mark Powell and got cracking views of the bird. Another bird I had dipped so many times over the years.

Brown Shrike-Flamborough Head-East Yorkshire-25/09/08

This bird was reported late on the pager, so I made plans to go with Malc Curtin and Mark Payne at first light. This was the first record of this species on the mainland of Britain and only the fourth record overall, with the last one occurring in the Shetlands in 1985. We hoped it would stay around.

Upon our arrival, we were amazed by the large turnout of birdwatchers—there must have been at least 500 of us. We made our way to the field where the bird had been seen the night before and stood there waiting for it to appear as the sun rose. After half an hour, the bird finally appeared on the other side of the bushes. We moved to the road and soon saw it sitting and preening itself in the sunlight. This was an incredible sighting for the mainland, and we were all made up to have seen it.

Birders On Site

Arctic Warbler-Outer Skerries-Shetland-27/09/08 

During our annual birding holiday in Shetland, a new bird was reported on the pager that I needed to see. My friends, Malc Curtin and Mark Payne, joined me as we took the ferry to the island, which I had never visited before.

 

When we arrived, we weren't sure where the bird had been seen. After a few hours of searching, I met another birder who had just seen it. He kindly shared its location with us, and we set off to find it. Fortunately, Mark discovered the bird in someone's backyard. The bird showed really well, and it was another bird for the Life list. 

We eventually found the bird in this garden. 

A 1st For Britain- Alder Flycatcher

and a Red Eyed Vireo-09/10/08

An Alder Flycatcher was spotted in Nanjizal Valley near Land's End in Cornwall, marking a first for Britain! The birding community was buzzing. The quick responders were already on their way, and by the time I returned his call, Malc Curtin was in Cheltenham with Jason Atkinson and Pete Antrobus. After making a few phone calls, I organised our team, which included Phil Woollen, Mark, and Ash Powell. I set off at 11:30 PM and picked Ash up in Plymouth at 3:00 AM. We arrived at the designated parking field around 5:30 AM. There were quite a few other cars there already, but not as many as I had expected! Many as I had expected! Many as I had expected!

As dawn broke, a large group of birders made their way across the fields to the designated spot and waited. For once, there was little talking, and with limited mobile reception, even the phones were quiet. There were a couple of nail-biting moments when someone claimed to have seen the bird, but nobody else saw it, and then there was silence. As the sun rose and began to warm the bracken, we continued to watch and wait. 

Suddenly, a shout went up that the bird had been found. This caused a surge of adrenaline, and soon, everyone caught sight of the little empidonax flycatcher as it flitted around the bracken-covered hillside. For the next two hours, we enjoyed watching it as it moved about and provided us with fantastic views.

While we were observing the bird, Malc Curtin called to inform me that a Red-eyed Vireo was still present on the Garrison at St. Mary's in the Isles of Scilly. We managed to arrange a flight over and successfully saw the bird, making it a two-tick day for us. I returned home at 2:00 AM, feeling utterly exhausted!

Britain's First Alder Flycatcher

(C)M. Malpass

Two Lifers In A Day

Azorean Yellow legged Gull--Sennan-Cornwall-12/10/2008

While I was walking on the beach at Sennan Cove, I noticed a bird reported on the pager, which was apparently visible behind Sennan Church in a field. I quickly returned to my car and was able to find the bird right away as it sat in the middle of the field preening. This 2nd-winter Azorean yellow-legged gull has been present in the fields around Sennen and Trevorian in West Cornwall for over six weeks, often moving among Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls. It is a very distinctive bird, displaying many traits common to immature North American Herring Gulls, and the newly acquired feathers on its upper body further confirm its identification. This sighting marks the first record of the species in Britain and was initially identified by two of the country’s leading gull enthusiasts.

Steppe Grey Shrike -Grainthorpe Haven, Lincolnshire, and Two Barred Crossbill- Bilsdale-N.Yorks-08/11/2008

What a day Friday, November 7th, turned out to be! The pager went off twice around teatime, reporting two lifers for me. I arranged to pick up Malc Curtin, Mark Payne, and Jason Atkinson at 4:00 AM to arrive there for first light.

Upon arrival at Grainthorpe Haven, the wind was bitter, but fortunately, the Shrike was showing exceptionally well. Good news soon came through on the pager that the Two-barred Crossbill was also showing well in North Yorkshire. We quickly set off again, and after a two-mile trek across the moors, we reached the farmhouse where the bird was reported to have been sighted. However, when we arrived, the bird had just flown away.

We waited for an hour and a half, and then the bird finally appeared in a tree at the back of the garden. I spotted it right away. The crossbill then flew over the farmhouse and landed in a conifer tree, providing us with great views. What an amazing day—a fantastic end to another successful day of birding!

A great year birding and some top birds!

CHESHIRE BIRD DAY LIST 10TH MAY 2008

Cheshire Daylist – 10 May 2008

The Cheshire Daylist on 10 May 2008 proved to be one of those rare days that perfectly captured the excitement, intensity and camaraderie of competitive birding. Our team, Phil Woollen, Mark Payne, Dan Pointon, Mark Powell, and I, took on Paul Brewster, Pete Antrobus, Fred Fearne and Malc Curtin in a friendly but fiercely contested race across Cheshire and the Wirral.

With migration in full swing, conditions were ideal, and from first light we were “bombing around” the county, efficiently working a carefully planned circuit of woodlands, wetlands, farmland and coast. Species accumulated steadily through the morning, with both teams clearly on course for strong totals. As the day progressed, every stop, decision and minute felt critical, adding to the edge-of-the-seat nature that makes a daylist so addictive.

The Wirral seawatch provided a fitting finale, and we were immensely grateful to Jane Turner for allowing us to use her house as an elevated ‘tower hide’, giving superb views over the estuary and enabling us to squeeze out a few crucial late additions as the light faded.

By the end of the day, our team had amassed an impressive 130 species, only to be narrowly beaten by the opposing team’s outstanding 138. While the result was close, the real achievement was the shared experience, a superb day of birding, teamwork and goodwill, supported by many people along the way.

With a combined total of 268 species recorded, it was a daylist to remember, and one that will long be talked about by everyone involved.

Bird race weekend.

When Groucho Payne asked me to be in his team to provide a bit of opposition to Team Focalpoint, I agreed on the condition that if a 'mega' broke or if a good Cheshire bird broke, we'd change the plans! Team Gary consisted of Mark, Jase Atkinson, Al orton & me and the name was derived from our nicknames - Groucho, Apprentice, Radar & YoYo.

This was our first attempt, and we were up against the seasoned opposition and record holders, Pod & Fred, with fellow team members Malc 'the driver', Curtin and Paul B.

I was at Chester races Friday when news came through of a Whiskered tern at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB and again of a Honey Buzzard at Leasowe, found by Al Conlin & Al Orton - the Happy Als! Oh well. Can't get them all! The tern flew off just after 20.00.........

After getting home at 01.00 and being picked up at 03.00, I was pretty tired but raring to go. Things started well for us in the Eastern Hills, and we located all the key species. From there, we intended to go to Sandbach, where we'd been informed a Wood Sandpiper & Garganey were present the previous night, before slowly working our way along the M56 corridor to the Wirral, ultimately ending up catching up with waders and seabirds as the tide came in.

All that rapidly changed when a text came through from Steve Williams at 06.45 to say the Whiskered Tern was still there. An immediate change of plan was in order - something we'd all previously agreed upon. This was too good a bird to miss. Alistair had dipped it the night before by minutes. I needed it for my Cheshire year list, and it was a Cheshire lifer for Jason & Mark. Stopping briefly at Sandbach, we shot across to the Wirral and were duly rewarded with superb views of this, my fifth, Cheshire Whiskered Tern.

As a result, we never made the pre-high tide wader movement as we retraced our steps back along the M56 to catch up with all the other species we'd bypassed. Still, we had great fun and a good 'craic'. Our final score was 130 whilst the opposition scored 138. Worryingly, neither team saw nor heard Cuckoo. We didn't get a single Grasshopper Warbler due to the timings of our visits to known sites following our detour.

However, a stewards' enquiry is to be held over the lamping of Mandarin by the opposition. Surely this is against the rules.........................................

Many thanks go to the following people who provided us with invaluable information and help on the day - Jan Jones, Al Conlin, Steve Williams, Frank Duff, Andy Forth and of course, my fellow team members for providing such a good laugh.

As well as the Whiskered Tern, the weekend also added Quail to my 2008 Cheshire list.

Pod's write-up:

CHESHIRE DAY LIST

Sorry about the wait, fans have been so busy planning and reccaying(new English word?)for the race that I've had no time whatsoever to blog. The team Comberbach Casuals Club (Pod, Malc, Doc)plus one (Fred) were out in the field, well, a path by a reedbed at 10 minutes to midnight somewhere on the Wizzal (Phil's local patch apparently?) Friday the 9th of May.

Dodging expertly placed piles of doggy pooh, we meandered our way to said stakeout and waited for zero hour. Unfortunately none of us had the commonsense to syncronise our cronometers(watches, pagers, mobiles) so we were slightly buggered to what the exact time was for zero hour.Doc being Doc decided we should use his watch as it had the latest hour uponit and mine for later as it was the slowest(cunning what!) we just might need those extra few minutes 24 hours later on if we're still awake.DONG !!!(no, not the dodgy chinky Man Utd striker) But the sound of Heswall Church (oh bugger! I've given the top secret site away, whoops) sounding midnight..........let the race begin.

Bird number one, a distant Welsh Oystercatcher, followed immediately by a reeling Gropper, singing Sedge Warbler and calling Redshank, we were off and running, but unfortunately, our two target birds were fast asleep.

A rumble of thunder, or was it someone's arse, seemed to curtail any other avian sounds, and a bolt of lightning struck the Dee estuary.....great just what the daylist doctor didn't order. After a week of blisteringly hot days and balmy nights, could our timing be so unfortunate as to get the first rain of the Indian Spring...dam blast and double bugger!!!

We left the Wizzal and raced back down the M56 to our first Owl site of the night. Armed with a zillion-watt B&Q searchlight that wouldn't go a miss on some remote headland, i.e lighthouse, we burned the eyes of a Barn Owl as it peered out of its nest hole...whap owl number one. A decision was unanimously made (so much for all the itineraries I'd produced) that a quick diversion to the local patch would hopefully get us back on one of our missed Wizzal target birds.

Trudging through the wet grass at the back of Coward Reedbed, the rest of the team inquired why on earth I'd suggested we ditch our wellies before the off...whoops! (my feet being bone dry in my designer Brashers, ha ha!). We waited and waited and waited some more, then bingo, a Water Rail squealed its displeasure at the racket the local Tawnies(tick) were making. Even better, the Little Owl at the back of Insomniac's house also piped up, magic three owls whapped plus one target bird, we were back on schedule.

Another itinerary change due again to the weather and our success had us flying down the M6 to a farm near Crewe. Incredulously, my three companions listened on as a QUAIL 'wet its lips' nearby. Now that's a daylist gripper, what? High fives were duly exchanged.

3.00am and we're on 17.

Next stop is Macc Forest for the dawn chorus. Time for my 5th early morning, must be the constant adrenaline rushes I'm having from all the grippers we've heard. Out comes the B&Q owl blinder, and I fry the eyes of a new Macc Forest colonist, a gaudy Mandarin of all things, no need for the Raby plastics now. Several roding Woodcocks well pre dawn and Redstart (one of the first dawn singers) are ticked off.

The team casually walks back to the CCC twitch mobile, having got Red Grouse, Golden Plover and Curlew, the sun just over the horizon as we make our way to the famous Chimney. Rouzel, Wheatear, and, for the first time ever on a May bird race, a Stonechat. Dropping down into Wildboarclough, we give the distant hillsides a quick scan and another first and our fourth owl, a Shorty, glides by. A wander down the clough produces yet more goodies with Pied Fly, Dipper (not us dudes), Grey Wag, Sparrowhawk and low and behold, another daylist first two Spotted Flycatchers. Fred and I are beginning to think this could be a very good day, so I have yet another wee to relieve the tension....aahhhh!

Stopping at pre-selected sites (on our way out of Macc), we rack up more quality birds such as Xbill, Siskin, Wood Warbler, Lesser Redpoll and rarest of all, a Tree Pipit.

7.30am we're on 69

As we leave the hills, the opposition speed by Groucho, Big Al, Phillis and Chequebook collectively now known as team GARY and thus 'Glitter Band'....do ya wanna be in my gang, my gang...no! En route back to the Wizzal for the'high tide' we call in at various stakeouts, some not even on the itinerary the previous day (the birds always dictate where you end up). Sandbach for one proved awesome (cheers Andy) with Wood Sand, Common Sand, Greenshank, Tree Sparrow, Wigeon and Garganey. Neumann's had to be done for the nesting Stilts. Here, with hindsight, we messed up, pushed for time, and we collectively decided to leave and head for Grisley Risley, thus missing out on Cuckoo and Green Woody. We then dipped Hobby (seen an hour later by the Glitter boys...bummer!) at the moss but got our only Jay and Treecreeper of the day, big deal!.

11.30ish we're on 109, bird 100 being Peregrine at Lostock (10.05am)

The afternoon shift started at IMF, and what daylist birds we got here - Whiskered Tern (Fred not impressed), Exocet, Little Egret, a single Knot and I found a 1st sum, Med Gull. Unfortunately, we missed a skulking fem. Pintail and no Ruff, not a sausage.

We then hit the coast at Meols to be greeted by our lookout, Jane T straddling the seawall. What a wader fest we had here, timed to perfection. The incoming tide washed up Turnstone, Dunlin, Sanderling, Barwit, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, several gull species, all expertly picked out by JT (I take it all back). In the heat haze, the black slick floating out to sea near the windmills turned out to be 2500 Common Scoter (no, we didn't count them), another daylist first.

Hitting New Brighton on a hot, sunny weekend afternoon is not a good idea. The oil-washed beach was infested with burnt blobby Mickey Mousers hurling rocks at passing ferries, Jesus, if only we could conjure up a mersey tsunami!!!

A truly horrendous sight, Frank Goes To New Brighton...

We move on quickly to Red Rocks and connect with Brent Goose (another first) and two Sarny Terns, adding to the Kittiwake and Common Tern at NB.

With the score now at 130, it's getting harder to add new species as we run out of birds and sites to visit. A stop at Thurstaston gets us Lesser Throat (cheers again JT), then we're zooming off the Wizzal to good old Frodders, where Statto has been scouting ahead for us.

Within quick fire succession, we whap on Little Stint, Ruddy Duck(take that Defra) and Stattos' favourite daylist bird, Whinchat.

Bird number 135 requires a detour to the local patch again! cos we've somehow missed Nuthatch in all the excitement. A walk around the patch would surely have gotten us this and several other easy birds, but time and pressure are always upon one. The planned R&R stop never happened.

At Moss Side, Eastern Reedbed, we were deafened by the Cetti's Warbler (136), yet another impressive addition to a Cheshire Daylist.

Last stop stalag Woolston for two easy padders Black-necked Grebe(137) and Pochard(138), with our final bird of the day Little Gull(139) flying in late on...sorted. We retire to The Stag for a well-earned bevvie.

Pod entering the forbidden zone, sshhhh! Don't tell AP.

Big thanks to the rest of the team, Malc for doing all of the driving, Doc for keeping score, Fred for giving me his cold, Jane T and Statto are able scouts, Andrew D for the owl sites, my Mum and Dad(god bless him) for having me, Debs for marrying me, etc, etc.

Final tally 139, the 5th highest score ever in Cheshire. Team Glitter scored 130, a very creditable effort, thwarted by Radar's inability to read tide tables(oh dear, we'll never let him forget). Next year there's always next year...bring it on!

Twitchers-ISLES OF SCILLY 1996

 

Twitching the Scilly Isles with Ken Reeves, Neil Glenn & the BBC..

 

THE BIRD DETECTIVES-TWITCHING