Not so Old Friend

A special occasion yesterday as I'd arranged to meet my old Buddy Nige from my past life as a PE Teacher! He's 15 years younger than me lol! I arrived at 8.30 and gave it some time around the car park hoping for my GSW Year Tick...it didn't materialize.

Once ensconced I yet again started to enjoy my favourite view (just tops my bedroom window vista). The Meadow is just starting to turn now with just a hint of Autumn starting to show...he says optimistically. Birdsong has understandably dropped off significantly now as the residents (some temporary) go about their breeding business. I then heard a Cuckoo...then  even better I saw it...

I just caught it before it disappeared, never to be seen...or heard again.

A Scottish chap then appeared and started a conversation(doesn't always happen). He mentioned my new acquisition in the car park and we had a discussion on old Volvo's and a few other brands. Then some 30 minutes later Nige appeared. Great to see him again. I managed to point out a few Species for him as we had our "catch up" and he finished off by spotting a cc Marsh Harrier which he was understandably chuffed about. Nice. The Reed Warbler was still giving the occasional scratchy blast.

32 Species were recorded before we headed for the St Vincent's Arms for an enjoyable lunch. 40 years since my first visit!

Just booked another couple of weeks to the Fortunate Isles in October. A later visit this year due to a quirk of the Calendar...but no matter. It will bring back memories of earlier visits when I was "restricted" to "Teachers Week". I've also secured Louise's favourite flat for both weeks which scored big points! As you probably know "Good Birds" can turn up any time in the "Magic Month" and well into November come to that depending on the vagaries of the Autumn Storms. A few examples of MEGA connections in the "Twenties" ...

Common Nighthawk 24/10/1999

Chimney Swift 23/10/1999

Upland Sandpiper 26/10/1999

Solitary Sandpiper 20/10/2000

Aquatic Warbler 26/10/2006

Ovenbird 28/10/2004

Northern Waterthrush 22/10/2011

Common Yellowthroat 23/10/1997

Rose-breasted Grosbeak 25/10/2007

Indigo Bunting 25/10/2020

1999 was a good year!!!

also...

Snowy Owl 29/10/2008

Red-eyed Vireo 27/10/2011 

Mobility issues continue unfortunately (I'm working on it) BUT that won't stop me from making my annual homage to Scilly. There's History involved here. It's now 35 years since my first visit...and counting!

Quiet?

... and rightly so. Deep into the Breeding Season now with sightings at a premium. Leave them be.

So what can I tell you? I have Herring Gulls nesting on my Chimney!

...and a pair of Blackcaps visited my Birdbath...

Avocets and Marsh Harriers are still performing well at Patrington Haven.

On a whim I visited Duff yesterday for a few hours. Hopes weren't high considering the time of Year...but you never know...

Haydn had been earlier and had a Great Spotted Woodpecker, which would have been a Year Tick. After around 45 minutes of seeing very little I heard something VERY significant. Earlier in the Spring there had been plenty of Sedge Warblers around the scrape giving great views. This sound was slightly different. I had my second record of Reed Warbler for the Reserve. I eventually got a glance but no chance of a pic. A three hour watch revealed just 21 Species, the last of which was another Year Tick in the form of a Common Tern feeding along the River. It only appeared as I was packing up! As I left a Blackcap struck up from the copse at the side of the Hide bringing me to three figures for the Year. Maybe not so quiet after all. I need 6 more Species to beat my best Year Total.

I've been doing my Half-time team  talk today whilst watching the Test Match. I've kept the pace at Duff but deliberately hung back at Holmpton to give myself an extended run for the rest of the Year. As you know I like the second half on the Coast much better!

100+ possible!

Quail listening?

Three reports in the Spurn Recording Area on Monday. One by the Lighthouse on the Point, one on Easington Straight and one at the North end of  Easington Gas Terminal. The Recording Area has stretched over the Years!

I still need this Species for Spurn and I admit to being slow off the mark due to commitments and the nature of the Bird. I'd settle for a listen! Anyway I had a "good go" on Tuesday and Wednesday morning but not a whisper at Sites 2 and 3. I gave the Point a miss! The hail thunderstorms didn't help and I couldn't linger by the Gas Terminal for obvious reasons. So, my wait continues. However, I did sneak a Hobby and a noteworthy 22 Shelducks. I did try Snakey Lane also for a Holmpton Year Tick but no luck there either. Still time I guess with plenty of reports this Year.

After a coffee and scone in Patrington I made my way down to Patrington Haven to try and photograph Reed Warbler. You may remember I didn't manage any pics at Skeffling when Robert was here. I parked up by the bridge and waited. There were still a few thunderstorms around but they were isolated and infrequent. No hail today!

With vegetation high and a flat topography sightings were mainly limited to flight views. I managed Marsh Harrier (male and female), Mute Swan (20), Black Swan...

Shelduck (6), Tufted Duck (3), Avocet (10), Little Egret (8), Stock Dove...

I drove down to the bridge which gave me the best view of the reeds. I remained in the car and this paid off when a Kingfisher alighted on the bridge momentarily. Frustrating, as I was as ready as I could be with the camera. Exceptional eyesight...the Bird that is!

I could hear Reed Warblers and there was plenty of activity with young no doubt having fledged by now This gave me a better chance, Eventually they gave themselves away...

I gave it 3 hours, enjoying what came and went, recording 30 Species. Later on, between the downpours, I sat on the barrier by the Bridge, so I could view both sides of the channel. Things had quietened down somewhat BUT again with patience, I got better views...

WESTERN REEF HERON

Below is a post I started on Friday but didn't complete!

Took a trip over the Pennines to see my Mother. I stopped off at Duff but the weather and circumstances meant I didn't linger.

Migration is all but over now, although June 6th has produced some amazing MEGAS over the Years...eg WHITE-THROATED ROBIN!

...I NEED TO GET A LOTTERY TICKET!

Yesterday morning I left Bury at 7.30 to return home before the M62 became lively. A steady and thankfully clear run had me pulling up around 10.45.

Time for a cuppa and some Test Cricket. Unfortunately not...as it was raining at Lords. Disappointing.

However at 11.20...

Gwynned Western Reef Heron, Foryd Bay, Caernarfon 

My backside had just hit my armchair! A First for Britain deserved the maximum respect. I returned my gear to the XC70, said goodbye to Louise (understanding and supportive as ever) and started my return towards the M62!

I then messaged Steve Lawton, asking him if he was going. He rang back and said he was. We arranged to meet at Eggborough by the M62. Steve drove which I was grateful for having already done 174 miles. We hit some expected traffic around Manchester but the rest of the journey went well as we made our way West along the M56 and A55.

Regular updates informed us the Bird has moved from the Estuary to a marshy area further West. It seemed the Bird was pinned down but had only been seen in flight a couple of times. We reckoned the Bird had moved due to the high tide.

This was confirmed on arrival. Parking was a challenge on the narrow coastal road but we found a spot and walked the thankfully short distance to the viewing area. After a wait of around 45 minutes one of the hundreds of scopes picked the Bird up distantly with a couple of Little Egrets. The view was poor, at distance, through the heat haze. I got a dubious view through someone's Scope.

Then...it took off! Gaining height it flew in the direction of the Estuary. Sure enough it wasn't long before we got a message of confirmation. Once back at the car, we drove the short distance to the Estuary. Parking was easier than expected again it was only a short distance to view. It was an understandably popular occasion. It was a "who's who" of the Twitching World obviously being a Tick for everyone...

This time we saw the Bird properly. It was feeding around 100 yards away and gave great views through Steve's scope. I also got my pic...

So, a nice late surprise after a frankly abysmal Spring Rarity wise. There was a beautiful PARULA WARBLER on Fair Isle (which I need) but circumstances precluded a connection. I'll get one on Scilly this Autumn!?

It was nice to have the adrenaline rush once again. There's life in the old dog yet...

Been a While!

I'm finally mobile again! I have a car that is. Fortunately the thorough going over coincided with the visit of my Son Robert from Dubai. I drove over to York last Thursday to meet Haydn who'd kindly agreed to free-up a Day to go Birding while the XC70 was at the Garage. We then met Robert close by, who'd been dropped off by his Mother.

Next stop was Skipwith Common to try for Green Woodpecker, a Bird Robert particularly wanted to see. Unfortunately we couldn't find...or hear one. Haydn did manage to show him a couple of Tree Pipits though.

I treated them both to lunch at the St Vincent's Arms (highly recommended) before we drove back down to NDC for a couple of hours. Again it was quiet but I think he enjoyed the day before we picked the car up at the Garage, said goodbye to Haydn and returned to the Coast. Hobby would have been nice.

He did particularly like Whitethroat and Reed Bunting...

We started reasonably early on Friday as I gave him the "Grand Tour" of my main Patch Sites. We started down at Spurn then made our way along the Humber visiting Skeffling, Weeton and Welwick. We had great flight views of Reed Warbler at the first Site but couldn't manage a pic. We spent the most time at Weeton making our way up to the Floodbank to view the inlet. I was pleased to see around a dozen Avocets present which gave him great views...

...and a couple of Barnacle Geese were a nice bonus...and a Year Tick!

After lunch at Cakey Bakey in Patrington (again, thoroughly recommended) we headed down to Patrington Haven. As we parked I noticed a couple of large white Birds taking off from the first pool. "Spoonbills" I informed him. They circled a couple of times before descending back to the same area. We made our way over the bridge and approached the pool slowly. 

Turned out there were three...in superb breeding plumage...

The other bonus as well as sharing the moment was the fact they were on grass...and awake!

Probably my best ever views of this Species, considering the setting and company. More Avocets were nearby...

Saturday morning we ried the Sea for a while. It was incredibly hot for late May on the East Coast of Yorkshire! 24c at 9am.

We had a look off the Gas Terminal at Easington. A few Shelduck were resting on the Sea...and...another Bird? Difficult to view through the haze but...

Drake Eider

A real surprise considering the date! Again, great to share it with Robert...a Lifer for him! We drove further up the Cliff to try and get a better view but the Bird had disappeared!?

We checked out a few spots on the Humber before lunch then returned to Patrington Haven early afternoon. No sign of the Spoonbills alas but we enjoyed prolonged views of at least SIX Marsh Harriers...

A grand end to our Birding. Sunday morning I drove him to Hull Station as he had to leave for London. Priceless time.