The year started off with some local birding, and all was quiet until early June, when, on the 11th, a Rose-coloured starling was found at Frodsham Marshes; this was only the 4th record for Cheshire and Wirral. This was due to an influx of the species in Europe that started to arrive in May, where there was the first breeding record for France. Numbers in France had likely reached four figures by the 1st of June, with the biggest flock totalling 320 birds. A minimum of 182 individuals had been reported from north-east Spain by the end of May. We had over 50 reports in late May and June in the UK, so thankfully, Cheshire and Wirral didn't miss out.
Rose-coloured Starling! My first for Cheshire and Wirral
On the 15th of June, an Asian Desert Warbler was found on Holy Island in Northumberland, so I made my way there the next morning. Thankfully, the bird was still there and showed really well.
Asian Desert Warbler!My first lifer of the year.
Two weeks later, the bird I had always wanted to see in the British Isles turned up at Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire, a Black-browed Albatross. I had made several attempts to see one of these magnificent birds before, and the views we had were incredible as it flew around us.
Black-browed Albatross
On the 10th of July, I visited Howdon Moor in South Yorkshire and got incredible views of a Bearded vulture that had been found a few days before by Dan Pointon. Hell of a find, but hell of a slog, but well worth it.
Bearded Vulture
Work then interrupted the latter half of the summer and early autumn when I missed a Yelkouan shearwater in Dorset, Scopoli's shearwater in Lothian, and a British 1st Yellow-belted Flycatcher on the Isle of Tiree. Oh well, fingers crossed they will come around again!
Early October, I travelled north with Malc Curtin and John Pegden and had a great few days birding. Starting at Kilminning in Fife, where we had good views of a Siberian thrush, and then we travelled to Shetland and dipped the Tennessee warbler, but it was relocated twenty miles north on Yell in a nettle bed, where we had cracking views! We were so lucky with this bird. On our way home, we flew to Orkney and then to North Ronaldsay, where we connected with an Eyebrowed Thrush, smiling all around!
Siberian Thrush
Tennessee Warbler
Eyebrowed Thrush
On the 23rd of December, I visited Astbury, where I saw my first Dusky warbler for Cheshire and Wirral.
Dusky warbler
A good year of birding! Roll on 2021!
