Dusky Thrush

Last friday I made the pilgrimage to Beeley to see the rather excellent Dusky Thrush which was discovered in similar circumstances to the Northumberland Eyebrowed Thrush. A beginner birder, Rachael Jones in this case, posts pictures to facebook for identification and they show a Starling, a Blackbird and the 11th Dusky Thrush for the UK. She hastily arranged access with the local estate and boom, one of the most successful twitches in the UK happens with thousands raised for a good cause and widespread patronage of the village amenities.

Due to my Dad being in hospital I had some time to kill and some thinking I wanted to do, similar to the Whitby Black-throated Thrush nearly 7 years ago so I headed towards the edge of the Peak District to pay homage to the Siberian gem. Arriving in Beeley I gravitated towards the orchard. The bird was absent and I heard rumours it was in the pasture behind Dukes Barn, the activity centre that was generously hosting the twitch. I made my way to the back and the bird was very distant. Under the belt but I could see a permissible path up to the pastures and quickly ducked out that way. A handful of other birders had similar ideas and a small but growing band set up halfway across the field from the bird. It was foraging unconcerned with half a dozen Blackbirds and showed brilliantly for 10 minutes before moving through the hedge at the back. It was time for me to go see Dad but I was delighted with my views, if not photos of this great bird.

My Hero

The last 10 days or so have been awful. My Dad's lung cancer has returned and our worst fears have been confirmed. I am going to lose my father in 2017. It feels unfair as he is only 63 but really he got an amazing second chance. In 2010 he was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and given less than 12 months. Izzy was four months old. Neither my brother or sister were married and my career was still awaiting lift off. And Dad was mad. Mad as hell. He didn't want it, couldnt afford it and couldnt accept this intrusion. He got so lucky because he went into remission for a disease which you dont get that chance thanks to experimental treatment.

Dad playing with Abby in Thassos in 2014

The last six years of remission have had their ups and downs for him. He had radiotherapy of his brain which gave him memory loss but he managed to hold down a full time job again over the last few years. We went on holiday with him and my mum to Thassos which is stacked with amazing memories. He gave away my sister at her wedding, a chance he thought he had missed. My brother married. Dad turned 60 and 61 and 62 and 63. He was well. We had Abby and my sister had Flynn. Finally Tatum, my brother's wife had Patrick in Canberra and Mum and Dad got to visit. Dad had a bad back the whole time. Turns out now that it was a fractured vertebrae due to the cancer. But Dad came back raving about the holiday of a lifetime. He isnt angry now, or suicidal or anything. He is sad as are we all but Tom, my brother, has come back to England and we are going to have one last family Christmas. My wife, another daughter as far as my Dad is concerned, is hosting and we look forward to a warm time of reminiscing and fun for the children. One last hurrah for my hero who has taken his terminal diagnosis with the stoicism of one who knows his job is done, his race is run and his legacy is in place. Steven James Spencer you are now and forever my hero. My girls will remember their Grandad always and I will always carry my loving, supporting, curmudgeonly father in my heart. You are my hero. xxx

Pallid Party

Pallid Harrier had the biggest hex on me from the British list as I missed them, dipped them and generally avoided them but their ongoing spread as a passage migrant meant this couldn't last forever and I have duly seen the wintering bird at Welwick. Through work I am in the privileged position of seeing plenty of Hen Harriers and the boyant nature and driving flight combined for a very different flight action. I arrived at Welwick this morning at 08.15 which is generally the time the bird leaves roost. It had just emerged when I got there and it showed wonderfully, chasing Redshank and floating between posts. As time moved on it wandered over a larger area and occasionally went over onto Patrington Haven. In fact I still think that viewing from the Pumphouse is the best option for close views.

Other birds of interest included a female Merlin, a couple of Peregrines, a Sparrowhawk, a male Marsh Harrier and a plethora of waders and farmland passerines. A candidate Water Pipit called and dropped into the marsh but views on the deck weren't managed.

Not the greatest selection of photos from the gloom but it was all a bit beyond the reach of my cameras in the dark... It was number 312 for Yorkshire which is starting to look respectable.

Waistcoat Wearing Crow

Hooded Crow - Barmston

After distant views a fortnight since I managed some close views of the Barmston Hooded Crow this morning as it fed just north of the caravan park. A few commentators noted that perhaps a hybrid couldn't be ruled out from the distance it was viewed from initially. Whilst I didn't have too many doubts it was certainly nice to get close views and some workable photos. The bird was silvery grey although the tone is hard to work out in such strongly lit shots. The crow also didn't show any flank streaking or in the UTC's thankfully.

I caught up with the crow just as I was leaving. As I arrived on the beach however I was surprised to see a large, all white gull. It was a beasting 1st winter male Glaucous Gull which was just my second record for the site after a second winter from before I visited regularly. Sadly this slightly skanky example of hyperboreus decided it liked being between me and the sun so there are no photos. Anyhow thats quite enough for today. Onward!

Patch Seawatching

Over the last two weekends I have managed to get three sessions of seawatching in at Barmston which has been awesome. It has been really rewarding with different conditions on each occasion leading to different assemblages of migrants.

Pomarine Skuas

Today I was allowed out at the last minute for the afternoon and as it was blowing a NNE 5-6 with loads of rain I headed to the car park to hide between the unused caravans. Straight away it was obvious Kittiwakes were moving and in total 893 went north in just over 2.5 hours. Allied with a steady movement of Guillemots and a sprinkling of Razorbills I was hopeful of a few Little Auks. Alas there was just one but it was my first here for a few years (more than a few actually...) as it threaded its way north through the breakers.

Arctic Skua

Out harassing the Kittiwakes were a few Poms and the three groups I saw all started way out in the bay before coming inshore to work north. They totalled 10 birds in groups of 2, 4 and 4 with the middle group also containing an adult Arctic Skua which was trying to keep out of the way. The Bonxies were not playing ball and 6 of the 7 headed south. There was little in the way of wildfowl movement with just a few Wigeon, Mallard, Common Scoter and Goldeneye.

Four Poms

Yesterday was a similar set up with a watch from Barmston car park but this time it was during the morning. The wind was from the north with perhaps the merest hint of west in it. Again squally it was much better for wildfowl. The highlights were two Brent Geese, one each of Dark-bellied and Pale-bellied. There were single Great Northern and Black-throated Divers north and a good number of their commoner Red-throated breathren. One that seems to have got away was a small gull that flew through. Initially reminiscent of a 1w Black-headed Gull it had a more compact look and had an all white underwing with a black trailing edge. I didn't have my camera but I think I jibbed a Bonaparte's Gull. Interestingly there was a similar issue with this species at Flamborough earlier in the week. Perhaps it will get pinned down close by.

Last weekend I was out on Sunday morning for a vismig watch but with little happening over the land due to mist I contented myself with an excellent duck passage offshore. As I rolled up I could hear Pink-footed Geese trundling south unseen overhead. My first patch Fieldfare of the year managed to make it to land but only just. It 'rested' on the sea just 50 yards offshore before struggling onto the sand with four Herring Gulls who tried to eat it before it put down on the beach. I went to rescue it before it became gull fodder however it was no damsel in distress and as I went in for the catch it flew to the cliff face where it recovered in safety. Ducks were numerous and none more so than Scaup which made its patch debut with no less than 21 birds passing by. Amongst the chubby Aythya were a couple of its sleaker cogeners with single female Pochard and a male Tufted Duck. The Pochard was a patch tick as well.

A Little Egret flying north was the first this year and my second all said on patch. A small party of 5 Golden Plover made their way south along the cliff top and a Woodcock came in off and nearly took my head off. Finally a Shoveler flew south with some Common Scoter to complete the year ticks for the patch. Hopefully more wildfowl will be in evidence as the year comes to a climax.

Please Object to the Proposed YWT Spurn Visitor Centre

Some folks may be used to my usual inane witterings but please take a moment to consider objecting the Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts visitor centre at Spurn which they have submitted for planning consent to EYRC.

It may seem like something I would support but this development will destroy habitat, displace users and be an eyesore out of keeping with the Holderness coast whilst being at risk of flooding constantly in order to monetize one of the most special places in Yorkshire.

The project is a work of ego for Rob Stoneman of the trust and whilst I am a member I object whole heartedly. I want a visitor centre at Spurn but not this design in this location. I like a latte as much as the next person but it should be in a suitable development, working with stakeholders not alienating the anglers, birdwatchers and residents of Kilnsea.

Please take a moment to object as consultation ends on the 11th November and the trust continue to whitewash those of use who care deeply about the area.

https://newplanningaccess.eastriding.gov.uk/newplanningaccess/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=ODWXXOBJGI600

Shorely Not

Shorelark - Jim Welford

After being gripped by the bright blue bluetail at Spurn yesterday I decided to use my day off to go birding on the peninsula. I knew the winds were going South-west but still. In it to win it etc... I didnt get off to a particularly prompt start and only arrived at 11 when I bumped into Geoff Dobbs. I decided to yomp down to the point for the Stejneger's Stonechat that is knocking about. It was evident that a few migrants were still about as knackered Goldcrests fluttered through the buckthorn and a sad looking female Siskin could barely lift off the road. Common diurnal migrants were very much in evidence as birds filter over the Narrows. At Wire Dump I bumped into Jonny Holliday who had managed to see the Stej and later found the Shore Larks at the breach. I pushed onto the parade ground where a duo of Black Redstarts were giving a good show.

Jim Welford was waiting for me at the Green Beacon when I finally arrived and we had a wander round to the Stejneger's Stonechat which was 200m or so away on the Humber side. I was struck by how bright the bird was - very orange and the fact it had a matted head made it look very contrasty. The bird was flycatching and generally stayed more than 50m away. Eventually good scope views were attained and we moved on.

We mostly gabbed on the way back, interrupted by a Blackcap here and Fieldfare there. Crossing the breach we heard that two Shorelark were kicking about. I took the tideline on the seaward side while Jim covered the beach. A false alarm over a Wheatear was soon forgotten as we got fine views of two adult Shorelarks, horns and all with fab light. This isnt my closest shot but it is my favourite.

As we were leaving a dozen Whooper Swans were seen flying south so we took a peek only to see them floating about half a mile or so offshore. A decent end to an enjoyable day!