Accent-uate the Positives

Courtesy of Jim Welford

I arrived at Easington half an hour before dawn and already a scrum had formed on Vicar's Lane. I decided to take a different tack and got a position along the lane where I could see the hard standing which the Siberian Accentor had been seen on the day before. As the light started coming up a few others had similar ideas but I had prime position when just before sunrise a bird hopped up on to the edge of the skip outside someone's house. On the bins and yes, it was the bird. On the scope and it gave lovely views before dropping into the skip. Like a Dunnock.

Courtesy of Jim Welford

A two minute wait was punctured by it reappearing head on and the light had improved. The throng massed through the trees at this point seperated by a chainlink fence. Sadly this prevented my digiscoping efforts but I have managed to borrow an image from Jim Welford. The stripey headed dunnock shot off to the left and only a few could still see it. At this stage a queuing system was initiated and I decided that rather than hang around 400 blokes in the gloom that I would go birding. As I left Bramblings and Goldcrests were providing the ambient backdrop.

The Throng 30 minutes before dawn

I headed to patch at Barmston determined to turn something of my own up. I had little success but a Kingfisher in the reedbed, 3 Pintail in a flock of Wigeon and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose on the beach provided compensation. Sadly work beckoned and I abandoned my sibe hunt but a bloody decent morning was had. Just a shame the Paddyfield did one!

SMI

I met Pete up at St Mary's Island on Tuesday morning before work in the hope that it would be us that turns up the next Siberian Accentor. Alas it wasn't to be but we did ok as a Long-eared Owl appeared briefly. We also flushed a Woodcock whilst grilling the same 3 Goldcrests on loop. Rather surprisingly a flyover Lesser Black-backed Gull was my first and no doubt last of the year down there. A couple of Grey Wagtails flying south hinted at the vismig delights which are doubtless in store soon whilst my first local Redwings of the autumn were expected fare. There was no Yellow-browed Warbler today but a trio of Blackcaps and a solo Chiffchaff kept the insectivore quotient at adequate levels.

Note remains of jess on left leg and colour rings.

A second bout of accentor hunting occurred on Thursday morning as we tried the same tactic. This time we were less successful and whilst there were plenty of crests and thrushes about we were largely despondent. Walking back to Hartley where we had parked Pete happened to notice the bakers dozen of Pink-footed Geese in the field were getting very flappy and he soon shouted 'RAPTOR'. I got on it and it looked like a giant falcon. Because that is what it was. No jesses were on show and we got quite excited although it was hard to work out what we were looking at. Bigger than a buzzard the bird went on to harass Eiders, GBBGs, Mallard and soaring over the cliffs before shooting off after a Guillemot and getting a talon on it before the auk escaped to the water. At this point we had seen a transmitter on its back and we wondered if it could be a tracked intermediate morph Gyrfalcon. The bird disappeared to the south and we examined our photos. The bird looked ok for Gyr but better for a Gyr x Saker of some description and undoubtedly an escape or a hacked bird. It was a highlight and the lack of jesses got the pulse racing for ages. We discussed the birds origins extensively until news broke of something rather special at Spurn...

Is that a transmitter on your back or are you just please to see me?

   

Tipping Point

No photos Im afriad today as the birds have all been too quick for me. Today was an adventure. It had highs, lows and endurance but ultimately a touch of frustration. Much like Friday at Flamborough it was chocka with decent birds and I saw a good few friends this time. I arrived at Easington Cemetary for 7.45 and there were Redpolls, Siskins and Bramblings aplenty with the ever present Robins and Chiffchaffs. Briefly working through the canopy at the back was a Red-breasted Flycatcher which in all likelihood was one of the two which was there the previous day. Its co-conspirator was at Willow Cottage apparently as John Sadler came into view bearing the news. Peter Williams was also about having been watching Redstarts in the hedge across the road. They headed off for the OBP at Vicars Lane whilst I moved on to Church Field hoping for the Rustic Bunting which had alas done a flit by the time I got there.

John and Peter brought news that the OBP was showing nicely when they rejoined me. A Hobby zipped low right across the back of the field and birds thronged but alas not the target which we found out had taken a visit to the triangle and has yet to be seen since. A Yellow-browed Warbler was nice to see in the Crown and Anchor as a second bird called unseen. We moved round to the Obs garden but alas no new birds and headed into the triangle. Lots of Redwing and Blackbirds were obvious but a Blackcap at Rose Cottage was the highlight until Tim came over the radio to say he had a new OBP at Clubleys. We were at Canal hedge at this stage so we bombed round and got close and nice views but they were sadly brief as the bird flew to cover on the clifftop and called as it left.

News came out of a possible Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler as we were getting views of the OBP and we gravitated toward the breach. And then across it and before you know we are at chalk bank. A Short-eared Owl flew over wire dump. There followed blank couple of hours trying to find the bird and Peter had to leave. I even got halfway back to the breach before the reinforcements came in the shape of Steve Routledge and Garry Taylor. Fresh faces gave all optimism but we still couldnt refind the bird let alone identify it. A Tree Pipit was a decent sight at chalk bank and I missed a Redstart. Alas the effort was forlorn and the bird was never seen again.

The long haul back to Kilnsea took a good while but eventually we got back and saw another Yellow-brow on the rocks as we bumped into Pete Mella. I finally saw a Redstart as 2 fought in the same area as the YBW. A final attempt to see the Rustic Bunting was interrupted by a mass exodus as news of the Siberian Accentor broke and then I gave up and headed home.

Patch

Stonechat

Star billing goes to the Yellow-browed Warbler which has been at Ulrome for the past couple of days. It is a handy 6 points for patchwork challenge and was an easy bird to find - in the same place as the previous one, calling away. Other birds at Ulrome included a Treecreeper and a Stonechat, both of which were new for the year. A Short-eared Owl which flushed into a kale field was also new and peered around as it I couldnt see it once it had pitched in. Aside from this a brace of Blackcaps and lots of Robins and Blackbirds have been the sum total which is a touch disappointing.

You cant see me, right!

After a similar turn out today I upped sticks and headed to Flamborough where I seemed to miss all the scarce stuff but a brief Ring Ouzel in the gorse field was nice. I had a thoroughly pleasant perambulation round Old Fall which resulted in a brace of Brambling in the hedge and plenty of chiffs and crests. A Jack Snipe was 'hiding' in plain sight by the pond in Old Fall plantation and was duly scoped to bits. I briefly heard the Yellow-brow which is in there before heading to Lighthouse road. Weirdly along with a couple of other gents I noticed a few bits moving on the sea and picked up Great Skua, Arctic Skua and Black-throated Diver whilst several hundred meters from the cliff edge.

Not hiding

Bramblings

 A scan of the North Marsh from the road revealed 9 Pink-footed Geese but the Greylags were on the pond. Happily they decided to get up and land with the pinks in a stubble field and they were joined by the mighty Taiga Bean Goose which was a county insurance tick having only previously seen them in Norfolk. As I was leaving it was evident stuff was arriving as half a dozen crests worked through Bay Willows.

Goldcrest in Bay Willows

Bempton Borealis (and an ECW)

I managed to resist all the interest at Bempton until this afternoon post submitting a report at work when news of an Arctic Warbler came out. One of my biggest tarts in Yorkshire and a bird I have missed a couple of times. I went, Quickly. Upon arrival the Eastern Crowned Warbler was showing delightfully and I soaked up my fill as it flitted alongside a host of Chiffs and crests including a very decent Siberian Chiffchaff candidate. Bramblings wheezed and a Yellow-browed Warbler called.

The Eastern Crowned moved rapidly across the sycamores and hawthorns so that everyone got superb views, unlike the Brotton bird a couple of years ago. I decided to go looking for the Arctic Warbler and the gathered crowd 100 yards away looked disinterest. I decided to head to the shelter belt beyond where a few other people were looking hopefully. No sooner had I arrived than the gent to my right had it showing in the top of a bush. It showed in the open for 15-20 seconds before diving left but was exactly what I had wanted to see. Slightly uncooperative after this glimpses were had but a Spotted Flycatcher shot out. A crowd gathered and I decided to go and have further looks at the ECW. This yielded a brief Yellow-brow and a Greenish Warbler which everyone ignored for the more glamorous relative. I reeled off a few more photos in reasonable light and made my leave, very happy.

Breaching Basker

Today I managed to grab a precious few hours at St Mary's Island hunting for migrants and patch ticks. As I set up the scope to have a brief look at the sea instantly half a dozen Dark-bellied Brents sweep north up the coast. As the sun starts to rise over the horizon I was scoping the buoy in the bay on the shearwater line when one of the most fantastic sightings I have ever had occured. A large animal breached, perhaps 10 foot long. In my head it went 'dolphin, no the tail is on wrong and it isnt rigid enough, shark, basking shark, omfg!!!!'. A breaching Basking Shark is not something you expect on the east coast. A breaching Basking Shark isnt what you expect at any stage. One of the most fantastic wanted things. Awesome animal and not a sign after it made a rather large splash. It towered vertically before crashing straight back down rather than falling to the side.

The wind continues to ruffle my hair as it comes in stiffly from the east and before too long the absence of Sooties starts to nag. A ragtag flock of six ducks heading north held two Eiders, two Teal, a Common Scoter and best of all a Velvet Scoter which was new for the year. As I packed up to bash the bushes a small skein of Pink-feet went south silently overhead.

Best of a bad lot

The bushes were my next port of call and the first bird I saw was a Yellow-browed Warbler. A second called from a crest flock further along the bushes that surround the pool. All of a sudden there were further calls from Yellow-brows in the gully 50 yards away. A further three birds were calling away. Pretty soon a couple melted away but one showy individual moved through the willows and sycamores without settling. A handful of Song Thrushes moved through the gully but little else and soon it was time to head off to work.

At the end of the day I returned to somewhat poor returns although Goldcrest numbers had swelled and a couple of Chiffchaffs obviously arrived through the day. I tried to pull out something from the mounds but returned with just a brace of Stonechats and a dozen Herons roosting in a field.

On Sunday I headed to Spurn, teaming up with Pete, my PWC co-conspirator. As I waited for him to arrive I watched a few Sooty Shearwaters skimming north and missed an apparent Balearic Shearwater. Once Pete arrived we headed into the triangle seeing my first Redwing and Fieldfare of the autumn. A number of Bramblings wheezed overhead and visible migration was evident with mipits and finches pouring through. A Yellow-browed Warbler called unseen from Kew Villa despite our best effort and those of my friends, John and Jim who were busy flushing Snipe when I bumped into them. Steve Routledge was also being taunted by the YBW and he elected to wander the triangle with us. We had little success as a possible Ring Ouzel dived into a hedge never to reappear. Two more Yellow brows evaded us in Canal hedge and we split up. Pete and myself had a brief seawatch as the end of the mornings movement dried up. We caught the last Sooty of the morning and called it a day at that. Obviously there was a decent fall of stuff in the afternoon but hey brownie points earnt!

Crap snipe photo from Canal Scrape

Somerset and beyond

Last week I had the pleasure of counting Shelduck in Somerset for an infrastructure project and whilst I was there I managed to get a little bit of birding done. The nearby Steart WWT reserve was a boon as there had been a Grey Phalarope in the pools by Steart Gate and also a Wryneck on the Coastal path.

As well as Shelduck I managed 6 Curlew Sandpipers and a Little Stint amongst the throngs of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers. Once work had finished on the first day I walked back to the car via the coastal path and saw the Wryneck scrubbing around on the deck. It was really relaxed as people werent pushing it for an excellent view so most of the time it was head first in an ant nest with just its arse showing as in the picture below but on occasion it would hope up and give a lovely pose before settling down again. From what I heard it got booted a lot of the time so I was lucky to get such extended views.

Typical view of the Steart Pangolin

After work on the Monday we headed to Cornwall as there was a window of opportunity for a few large shears and we hoped to get a couple of hours at Porthgwarra before it got dark. Roadworks nobbled our time but we arrived in Penwith with 90 minutes to go before dusk when the fog closed in. Its a long way from Somerset to the end of Britain and three hours is a long time to journey for nowt. Thankfully the local Chough kept us entertained as we got marvellous views despite the dodgy visibility. Sadly the seabirds didnt play and we could hear but not see the runnel stone and a handful of Gannets, Fulmars and Shag were our only reward.

On the Tuesday after work I was knackered and slept for an age waking up just before dark giving me just time enough to connect with the Grey Phalarope at Steart WWT. It was point blank near the Wall Common Borrow Pit and didnt care about my presence feeding merrily in shallow pools littered with invertebrates. Myself and Paul who I work with decided to do some invert searching on the walls of the B&B we were staying in. As it is an 11th century manorhouse there was plenty to be seen. Spiders galore with Steatoda nobilis, Zygiella x-notata, Walnut Orb-Weaver, Clubiona sp and plenty of Amaurobius similis and A. ferox plus the odd Eratigena atrica. Other invertebrates were in short supply but there was a fine Oak Bush Cricket which was new for me and a large bat species was in one of the bushes and scrabbled out of the spotlight before identification.

It had been a profitable August on patch with additions including Coot, Merlin and Hobby. As my youngest was starting school this week and was only in for a couple of hours in the afternoon I filled the time between dropping her off and picking her up with some casual patching. This paid dividends as a Red Kite drifted over the village at Barmston as I arrived before continuing south over the fields. A Snipe was a belated year tick and I also managed my second patch record of Gadwall with a pair in the bay. Coming back the following day was more challenging but a smart adult dark morph Pomarine Skua battled south against the wind close in with sad looking spoons which were very battered. A few Teal and Common Scoter were also moving but my visit was brief as I had to pick up Abby from school.