16.01 - East Yorks PACIFIC SWIFT at Hornsea Mere. One showing well off the first field
That's handy. Time to leave I think. I made good time, even considering the With'/Hornsea road!
On arrival I could see a small huddle of Birders including Tim Isherwood...looking in various directions...never a good sign! Sure enough the bird had disappeared, not 2 minutes ago!! Rather disappointing. It was still raining heavily so I was (fairly) confident it was still around. Birders were obviously arriving all the time and there was some doubt over the species involved. I just wanted to SEE IT...whatever it was.
A short while later someone picked it up way to the West over some distant trees. I could see "the Swift" but no white rump was apparent, at least to me. A couple of locals suggested we moved down the Mere to try and obtain better views. The bird appeared then disappeared on multiple occasions. Eventually it was picked up by the Mere, over a field we had gained access to, enabling us all to get great close views of the bird. I even broke into a jog at one point...don't laugh! My little camera didn't perform that well in the dull light but no matter, the important thing was...I'd SEEN it!!! Many photographs were taken and it eventually became apparent that we were looking at...Britain's first...
WHITE-RUMPED SWIFT!!!!!!
A double Whammy for yours truly being, obviously, a First for Yorkshire to boot! The strong Southerlies had paid off. Most of Yorkshire's finest were present including Tony Dixon, Rich Willison, Trevor Charlton, Steve Lawton, Paul Herrieven and even Geoff Dobbs who was fortunately over from the Gambia! Oh and there were just a few from Spurn as well!
Smiles all round then and quite a shock, so late on a rainy day. As I've said many times before...
One bird changes everything...
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