Preview

Some reasonable views of Common Dolphin. Full write-up to follow

Warbling Welsh

Paid a visit to Blorenge to pay homage to the Marmora's Warbler there. A corking little bird but Im sad to report that there were a bunch of dickheads that wandered about on the moor disturbing the breeding Tree Pipit, Whinchat and Meadow Pipit that were knocking about. The warbler was brilliant showing well on favoured bushes. Will see if i can get an image up soon.

We (me, Mike & John) stopped at Ilkeston for the Great Reed Warbler on the way back which showed like a P*RN ST*R. Was a real beauty in full song and fly-catching. It was getting tainted by the local Song Thrush that was imitating it. I have a sound file I will post of the song in due course.

Currently in the inner hebs again and having a cracking survey. Home tomorrow but the tally stands at 4 Minke Whales, 9 Storm Petrels and plenty of filler including several thousand Manxies with rafts of over 50 birds today.

Water Rail Song

After hearing this for the first time on Monday I thought I'd educate the masses by linking to the Xeno-canto Water Rail page which has a variety of calls/song for water rail including the song. Its absolutely spot on and can sound like some Coot vocalisations.

North Killingholme Haven

Spent the day at North Killingholme doing my BBS & WeBs counts. Not the most productive but a few good birds. Started with a flyaway Little Egret on the pits looking to be away ASAP. A funny noise turned out to be a singing (not calling) Water Rail. A second replied from within the reeds. Reed Warblers were back in the reeds where Sedge Warblers were plentiful but not singing. The only singers were in the scrub - I guess late-arrivers getting suboptimal territory. There were no waders on the pits. Pushing round a few fledged Pied Wagtails looked fresh out of the nest and there seemed to be tonnes of Goldfinches. The BBS was quiet with a flock of 35 Linnets the highlight along with confirmed breeding of Song Thrush, Magpie, Blue Tit & Great Tit. The estuary was also quiet as a mouse with a drop in group of 16 winter plumage Bar-tailed Godwits (probably summering 2nd cal year birds) with 2 Knot, 11 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin & 1 sum plum Black-tailed Godwit. These all promptly buggered off when the tide rose further leaving a few Shelduck and Black-heads. Nevermind...

Golden nO

Went down to spurn the other day - there had been Golden Oriole, Rosefinch and firecrest in the morning but apparently the oriole had flown across the humber and the others werent pin down. I started at Sammy's and picked up a late Wheatear, a very confiding Whimbrel which was stood in the middle of a paddock not flushing...nice. Also a couple of very nice Yellow Wags including a scruffy male singing. A Cuckoo could be heard on the wind but deigned not to make an appearance. What did show up was a male Marsh Harrier quartering the fields. Not often I get to see an adult male as most birds that hang around the humber are cream-crowns of some description - especially in winter.

I mooched onto the point at spurn and found nothing save a few Whitethroats and a single Lesser Whitethroat. Then I heard a Golden Oriole in full song a few feet through the buckthorn. Hoping it wasn't a Starling doing impressions I tried to get a better view of the area but this wasnt possible - it was now doing the jay-type alarm calls and i backed off. I bumped into another birder who I told about the bird and he replied 'oh you didnt see it when it flushed just now?'. No I didnt. Doh. Nothing else of note was noted.

Dolphins

All Quiet

Sorry for the lack of updates but I haven't seen/done much. A possible Turtle Dove at Hutton Cranswick remained that. I remembered that when I returned from Scotland I saw a Badger down the road at 2am. Thats it...

Today I stopped at Swine Moor hoping for a late passage wader and got sweet FA apart from reasonable views of Reed Warblers and fledged Redshank & Lapwing.