31/08/2015 White - winged Black Tern but no Icterine Warbler

Bank Holiday Monday  31/08/2015
ARC Hanson Hide, Dungeness

Shocking weather for the bank holiday!  After ensuring the dogs had their morning run (between the showers) I set out for Dungeness.  Target birds were an Icterine Warbler that had been seen in the bushes by the visitors centre and a couple of White-winged Black Terns that had been sighted from the ARC Hanson Hide.

• I "dipped" with the warbler.  By the time I got there it had disappeared and, despite a dozen or so birders looking for it, we were unable to find it.

• The terns were much more obliging with both of them flying with several Black Terns behind the cormorant island. 



White-winged Black Tern
Library picture

I'm so pleased to get any birdwatching  today in such poor weather, let alone twitch a rare bird! 

 

 

Addition to BUBO UK 2015 Bird List: 

White-winged Black Tern   (249)

 

 

 

• The white-winged tern, or white-winged black tern (Chlidonias leucopterus or Chlidonias leucoptera), is a small tern generally found in or near bodies of fresh water across from Southeastern Europe east to Australia.

• The name 'white-winged tern' is the standard in most English-speaking countries; in Britain, this name is also the one used by the formal ornithological recording authorities, but the older alternative 'white-winged black tern' is still frequent in popular use.

•  Their breeding habitat is freshwater marshes across from southeast Europe to central Asia; they migrate to Africa, southern Asia and Australia.

• Like the other "marsh" terns (Chlidonias), and unlike the "white" (Sterna) terns, these birds do not dive for fish, but fly slowly over the water to surface-pick items on the surface and catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects and small fish. In flight, the build appears thick-set. The wing-beats are shallow and leisurely.



25/08/2015 Autumn Migration Outing 1 Seaford Head and the Cuckmere Valley SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS!

Tuesday 25th August 2015
Seaford Head and the Cuckmere Valley
Autumn Migration Outing 1
Paul and Group  (9)

Paul has arranged a series of 4 walks along the Sussex coast to coincide with the autumn migration.  In this first one, we were looking for early signs of migrant birds gathering at Hope Gap and the surrounding Cuckmere estuary. 

The beautiful Seven Sisters provided the spectacular backdrop for our walk.  




Seven Sisters
Library picture

The weather conditions weren't good; with rain forecast late morning onwards we needed to make the most of the early overcast but dry conditions.



Hope Gap

• Unlike last year when we saw lots of migrants, there was very little activity with only a couple of each of Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Linnet on show.

• Out to sea there were a few distant Gannets searching for food.

Cuckmere
Activity was much more apparent in the Cuckmere Valley.

•  Rock Pipits, Meadow Pipits, Stonechats and Linnets showed well near the mouth of the river.

• Some 25+ Little Egrets made for an impressive sight as they nestled in the trees just north of the cottages on the west side of the river.

• Large numbers of Swallows provided us with a constant escort as we went about our business - the first real sign of the imminent migration.

• Along the river, heading inland, we caught sight of an approaching Kingfisher, a Greenshank, a Whimbrel, some Curlews and at least 8 Common Sandpipers as well as the Black-headed Gulls.

• As we made the turn to head south along the foot of the hills to the west of the Cuckmere, we saw further evidence of birds gathering.  Among the sheep we saw at least 8 Yellow Wagtails and a couple of Wheatears. 



Yellow Wagtail
Library picture

• A Sparrowhawk circled overhead and we could hear a Raven.

Harry's Bush


In the wooded area adjacent to Harry's Bush we got the migration experience we had come for.  The area was awash with migrants!

•  There were at least 6 Spotted Flycatchers present - the largest gathering I have ever seen.  We just sat back and enjoyed the spectacle as these lovely birds moved around this secluded habitat.  You could not wish for better views!



Spotted Flycatcher
Library picture

• Also seen, again with stunning views, were Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Whitethroats and a superb Lesser Whitethroat.



Lesser Whitethroat
Library picture

All in all we must have enjoyed nearly an hour savouring this much sought after event.



A promising start which bodes well for the other planned walks. 


Jammy Andrew even managed to spot the elusive Black Stork, in Bexhill, as he headed home after this outing!

24/08/2015 A Temminck's Stint and 2 Black Terns

 Monday 24th August 2015
ARC Hanson Hide, Dungeness, Kent

Despite the atrocious weather and the fact we have 2 dogs to look after for a couple of weeks, I managed to get down to Dungeness to twitch" the Temminck's Stint that was flagged on RareBirdAlert early this afternoon.  Incredibly this was a "lifer" for me after several near misses in the past.

Temminck's Stint
Library picture

By way of a bonus, there were 2 juvenile Black Terns showing well on one of the nearer islands.



Juvenile Black Tern
Library picture



Additions to BUBO UK 2015 Bird List:
Temminck's Stint   (247)
Black Tern   (248)

Additions to BUBO UK Life List:
Temminck's Stint   (298)



Temminck's Stint

• This is a tiny, greyish-brown wading bird with a white belly. The bill is short and used for probing into muddy shorelines.
• Temminck's stints occur mainly by freshwater marshes, pools and lakes in the UK, although they also visit creeks and lagoons in estuaries. The species breeds mostly in the Arctic and is rare in this country, breeding at a few secret sites in Scotland.
• Temminck's stints pass through the UK between May and mid-June and again between the end of July and October; most birds are seen here in May.

Black Tern

• A small tern with an all-black head and body, contrasting with grey wings, back and tail in spring; autumn birds have grey upperparts, white underparts and distinctive black head markings. Feeds by dipping down and picking food from the surface of water. Has occasionally bred in the UK.
• Best looked for in May, on spring passage, and from July to September on autumn passage

19/08/2015 Black Stork Twitch - Unsuccessful

Wednesday 19th August 2015 and Thursday 20th August 2015
Little Common Recreation Ground, Bexhill, East Sussex

I spent 6 hours on Wednesday and another 2 hours on Thursday searching unsuccessfully for the Black Stork that had been seen  recently here in the recreation ground at Bexhill.  In fact the last sighting was just half an hour prior to my arrival. 

Try as we may, neither I or the other 20+ birders were able to find this elusive bird.  It is astonishing that such a large species could be in the area so long and remain undetected. 

So close!

 

 

There were plenty of Swallows and several Buzzards on both days.  A lovely Wheatear kept us company on Wednesday and the entertainment on Thursday was provided by a Nuthatch hacking away at an acorn it had wedged in the grooves of an oak tree.

So it was not all loss!

 

13/08/15 to 17/08/15 Scilly Pelagics 2015

Thursday 13th August to Monday 17th August
Cornwall, Devon, Wiltshire, Sussex and the Scilly Isles

Just back from another fantastic trip to the Scilly Isles with Paul.  We went for the Birder Special Pelagics organised by Bob Flood and Joe Pender.  This trip was as good as, or even better than, last years memorable, first visit.  Only Paul and I travelled this year but we met up with young birders Jake and Peter from Sussex.

Friday 5p.m. to 10p.m.
The weather conditions were ideal for sea birds with wind speeds of nearly 25 knots and bright clear skies.  Of course these conditions didn't suit the humans and at least 3 of the 25 birders suffered with seasickness.   

• On leaving the harbour at St Mary's and moving south for a few miles, we saw mainly Herring Gulls, Shags and the odd Kittiwake.  Later when bait was thrown into the water it attracted the Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a few Great Black-backed Gulls.  Further out to sea we were joined by mainly Fulmars and, of course, Gannets by the score.

• It wasn't long before we saw our first "Bonxie" which was attacking the gulls.  We were to see them at regular intervals throughout the evening.

Bonxie
Library picture

• Several Great Shearwaters were seen, affording us excellent views.

Great Shearwater
Courtesy of Joe Pender

• The Manx Shearwaters provided the supporting cast and were a delight to see.

• The "birders" bird of the day had to be the Wilson's Petrel which we saw right at the end of the proceedings.  This bird, a very rare visitor to these shores, was the first seen in the UK this year.  Much to the delight of everybody it came close enough give excellent views.

 



Wilson's Petrel
Courtesy of Joe Pender



• For me the highlight was provided by the Storm Petrels which swarmed around the boat when the engines were cut and we drifted for 3 - 4 miles.  These tiny birds entertained us for some considerable time as we waited for the Wilson's Petrel to show.



Storm Petrel
Courtesy of Joe Pender

Storm Petrel
Courtesy of Joe Pender 

• One incident, unfortunate at the time, provided some light amusement when we looked back at it later on.  One poor chap, became violently sick and tried to vomit over the side of the boat but the strong winds carried most of the discharge inwards and into the face, clothing and camera of Peter, our young Sussex birder who was standing next to him. 

• The strong winds provided us with an exhilarating boat ride  and one massive wave in particular produced a truly scary moment.  Bird watching really can become an extreme sport at times!  Fortunately, our boat, The Sapphire was more than up to the job and we were never really in any danger. 

Saturday 11a.m. to 6 p.m.
The winds eased overnight to around 12 knots for our second sea voyage - this time in daytime.  To compensate for the reduced wind speeds, the strategy for the day was to go south for about 17 miles to intersect a French trawler and attract it's trailing birds towards our boat. 

• This worked beautifully with some 17 sightings of Great Shearwaters, including some smashing close range shots of them flying and also sitting on the water.

• Bonxies were again out in good numbers.

• We even managed to see a Pomarine Skua.

Pomarine Skua
Courtesy of Joe Pender

• Manx Shearwaters were again present throughout the trip.

• The Storm Petrels were around again but not in the same numbers.  Neither did they swarm round our boat like they did the day before.

• For me the highlight of the day was provided by the Sooty Shearwaters which showed well and regularly throughout the afternoon.  They were delightful to watch as they trailed our boat.

Sooty Shearwater
Courtesy of Joe Pender

Sooty Shearwater
Library picture

• A Wilson's Petrel was around again but it was only seen by the crew a few hundred metres ahead of our boat.

• The funniest moment of this trip was the sight of a Fulmar standing on a polystyrene raft some 50 metres away from our boat.  Unfortunately it flew away before anyone to photograph it.

Sunday
With wind speeds of only 2 knots expected, even the organisers predicted that this final pelagic was likely to be more like a "Mediterranean Cruise"  than a useful sea-watching experience.  With so few birds expected we did not take up the option, deciding instead to try birding on the mainland. 

• This turned out to be the unluckiest decision possible.  Against all the odds, the final pelagic turned out to be the most successful of all, bringing in most of the birds we had seen on our trips but including the prestigious Fea's Petrel, one of the rarest sea birds to visit the UK.  To make matters worse, the bird was seen only feet away from the boat and showed brilliantly for several minutes!

• Paul was particularly distraught.  There are few UK visiting birds that he has not seen and this was one of those he craved for.  When we got the news he was devastated.  To have come all this way, to be so close and finally to miss out was a real body blow. To add insult to injury we saw very little on St Agnes - a couple of Whimbrels and a Wheatear being the pick of a very ordinary bunch.

What an unfortunate end to our Scilly adventure!  What was an excellent trip was so close to being the trip of a lifetime!




Whilst the pelagic trips from St Mary's were the main focus there were other opportunities, elsewhere, to look for interesting birds.


Berry Head in Devon
Despite the atrocious weather on Thursday, we still managed to see at least 4 Balearic Shearwaters at Berry Head on the way down to our hotel in Penzance.   We stayed the night at the Queens Hotel before catching the Scillonian III ferry to the Scillies at 9.15 a.m. on Friday. 

Balearic Shearwater
Library picture

Coate Water in Swindon, Wiltshire
We decided to twitch the Spotted Sandpiper on our way home.  To do this we detoured to Swindon and after a wait of over an hour and a call from Peter and Jake we got good views from hide 1.

Spotted Sandpiper
Library picture

Cuckmere Haven, East Sussex
Hearing of a Red-backed Shrike at Cuckmere Haven, I decided to twitch it  before going home.  Thankfully the bird, a juvenile male, was showing well when I arrived and I enjoyed splendid views from 10-15 metres away.




Red-backed Shrike
Library picture

Thanks to Paul for yet another wonderful trip.  3 "lifers" and 6 year ticks were just the tip of the iceberg.  The pelagic trips were particularly special  and meeting youngsters from Sussex like Jake and Peter was a breath of fresh air. 




Additions to BUBO UK Life List:
Balearic Shearwater (295)
Sooty Shearwater   (296)
Spotted Sandpiper   (297)


Additions to BUBO 2015 UK Bird List:
Balearic Shearwater (238)
Storm Petrel   (239)
Wilson's Petrel   (240)
Great Shearwater   (241)
Great Skua   (242)
Sooty Shearwater   (243)
Pomarine Skua   (244)
Spotted Sandpiper   (245)
Red-backed Shrike   (246)
 

Balearic Shearwater

• Slightly larger than the closely related Manx shearwater, the Balearic shearwater is brown above and dull below.
• It flies with rapid, shallow wingbeats on stiffly held wings.
• It will rest on the water, and also plunge-dive for food.
• Despite breeding in the Balearic Islands, and the south coast of France, it migrates north towards the Bay of Biscay, which is when some birds make it into British waters.

Sooty Shearwater

• The Sooty Shearwater is a seabird, that is smaller than a herring gull. It is a large shearwater, with dark brown body and wings and long wings.
• Its bill is dark and when seen close up, there is a pale band along the underneath of the wings.
• It does not breed in the UK, but makes a huge clockwise migration up the western Atlantic in spring to spend the northern summer in the north Atlantic.
• Then in summer/autumn it moves down into UK waters on its return to the southern ocean to breed.

Spotted Sandpiper

• Their breeding habitat is near fresh water across most of Canada and the United States.
• They migrate to the southern United States and South America, and are very rare vagrants to western Europe.
• These are not gregarious birds and are seldom seen in flocks.
• Adults have short yellowish legs and an orange bill with a dark tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath with black spots.
• Non-breeding birds do not have the spotted underparts, and are very similar to the Common Sandpiper of Eurasia; the main difference is the more washed-out wing pattern visible in flight and the normally light yellow legs and feet of the Spotted Sandpiper.

Schedule followed:
Thursday 13/08/2015   Left home at 05.30, picked up Paul, birding at Berry Head in Devon
Overnight stay in Penzance at Queens Hotel , The Promenade  TR18 4HG  (OK but a tad expensive)

Friday 14/08/2015  Scillonian III from Penzance at 0915 to St Mary's for 12.30  (£98 return), booked into the Isles of Scilly Country Guest House TR21 0NW  (excellent value) for 2 nights. 
Scilly Pelagic 1; 5p.m. to 10 p.m. from St Mary's  (£30)

Saturday 15/08/2015:  Scilly Pelagic 2;  11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  from St Mary's  (£70)

Sunday 16/08/2015:  Declined option of 3rd Pelagic Trip; Short ferry trip to St Agnes island for birding on mainland.  Return journey to Penzance on Scillonian III 4.30 p.m. to 7.45 p.m.  Overnight stay in Penzance at Beachfield Hotel, Promenade, TR18 4NW (excellent value)

Monday 17/08/2015:  Drove to Swindon to twitch Spotted Sandpiper then dove back to Sussex to twitch Red-backed Shrike at Cuckmere Haven.  Home at 7.45 p.m.

03/08/2015 Nightjars still present at Churlwood (Ashdown Forest)

Monday 3rd August 2015
Churlwood in the Ashdown Forest

Not having been on a Nightjar watch on my patch since early June, I was pleasantly surprised to find a strong presence there tonight.

At least 2 Nightjars were seen flying.  Bursts of "churring" were heard at regular intervals from 9.05 p.m.

• Visibility was so good I could see the Nightjar perched on the branch of tree that it was occupying.

Despite the long gap between visits, the Nightjars appear to be thriving at Churlwood!

02/08/2015 Salisbury Plain for Stone Curlew

Sunday 2nd August 2015
Salisbury Plain

I spent a lovely Sunday on Salisbury Plain looking for Stone-curlews.  All my previous sightings of this species had been in Norfolk and Suffolk so I was fascinated to investigate the Wiltshire connection, by way of a change.

• At RSPB Winterbourne Down I achieved my goal when  a juvenile was seen asleep in the vegetation in the ploughed area of the field.   A little while later, on a nearby field, a much better view of a second bird sealed the ID.  

Stone-curlew
Library picture

• After this, birds were hard to come by with the highlight being a couple of Whinchats - one of which was a close stunning male.

Whinchat
Library picture

• Yellow Hammer, Linnet, Corn Bunting and Meadow Pipit were seen as were umpteen Kestrels and Buzzards.

There were no signs of Great Bustards, Quail or Montague Harrier.  Nevertheless it was worthwhile visit and provided me with much needed knowledge of the area. 




Additions to BUBO UK 2015 Bird List:
Stone-curlew   (236)
Whinchat   (237)

Stone-curlew

• A strange, rare summer visitor to southern England, the stone-curlew is a crow-sized bird with a large head, long yellow legs and relatively long wings and tail. Active at night, and its large yellow eyes enable it to locate food when it is dark. It is not related to curlews and gets its name from its curlew-like call.

• It is a bird of dry, open places with bare, stony ground or very short vegetation. Its UK strongolds are in Wiltshire, around Salisbury Plain, and in Breckland, Norfolk. The best place to see them is at Weeting Heath in Norfolk, where the Norfolk Wildlife Trust has established visitor and viewing facilities.

• It arrives in March and departs in August and September.

• It eats worms and insects

 

Whinchat

• The whinchat is a small perching bird. It hops or runs on the ground and often perches on top of low bushes. It has a prominent white stripe above the eye. It is streaky brown above and warm orange-buff on the breast.

 

• The whinchat is a summer visitor and passage migrant. Birds breed in upland areas of northern and western Britain with a few in Ireland. It winters in central and southern Africa. Whinchat numbers in Britain more than halved between 1995 and 2008, the cause(s) being unknown.

• In the breeding season, best looked for in suitable habitat in upland parts of northern and western Britain. It can also be seen on passage at coastal migration watchpoints and suitable habitat inland.

• Best seen between April and mid-September.

 

• They eat insects and some seeds