August 2021 Birding - Blacktoft Strikes Back

Whilst 01 July is the unofficial start of autumn bird migration, things start to get going in August. Before returning home, mentioned in conversation that the fine Yorkshire reserve of Blacktoft Sands RSPB wasn't in the headlines in recent times, was it being overshadowed by Alkborough Flats across the Trent, or should that be complemented by? So, when Mega alert bleeped at breakfast time on Thursday 26 August 2021, surely it was going to be one of the long stayers? I wasn't expecting to be joining Yorkshire's top listers later that morning watching a first for Yorkshire, a splendid White-tailed Plover striding along the muddy edge viewed from Marshland Hide. Blacktoft strikes back!

After the Plover, or as it is now, White-tailed Lapwing, coastal bound and with the wind out of the North and reasonably strong Flamborough it was. Set up on the ledge below the foghorn at 2pm and Sooty Shearwaters were moving by, not streaming through, several in the first hour and some fairly close. Attempted the record photo below with a similar attempt at offshore Great Skuas. Relocated to the cliff top where the view from the impressive Seabird Observatory gave a different angle looking South East. Took me a while to get used to the bird movements looking more into Bridlington Bay. August vis-migging on the coast gives that seasonal crossover with my first Red-throated Diver of the autumn heading south over lingering summering Sandwich Terns, with Sooty Shearwaters on their Atlantic loop being pushed into the North Sea and now heading back out the long way around the Brtish Isles for the South Atlantic. A few more Great and Arctic Skuas seen and a distant subadult Long-tailed Skua moved north allowing for a study of the fast continuous flight and structure, looked like it was dragging its tail in flight.

The Peak District White-tailed Eagle visiting from the Isle of White continued into August, and raptors on the move included Marsh Harriers and Red Kites. Kestrels and Common Buzzards showed well as the young took to the skies.

Elsewhere a Ring Ouzel discovered a berry laden Rowan tree feeding up before setting off south, it tried to be secretive spending most of the time within the tree, but the rattling call soon gave it away. One sunny afternoon saw Spotted Flycatchers hunt from hillside trees along the moorland edge, where Jays began to compete for best food larder sites.

The Monarch of the Clough

Spurn produced a Greenish Warbler along Beacon Lane with a shy Wryneck at Chalky Point. Single Redstart and Pied Flycatcher adding to the start of autumn feel. Nearby Kilnsea Wetlands had many Mediterranean Gulls and the juvenile Caspian Gull one afternoon shown below. It had a yellow Darvic ring, could just about make out X23M on the ring from photos, probably the one seen here a couple of days earlier.

Caspian Gulls, more on them later.

Flaming Hot Birding - July 2021

A visit to Bempton Cliffs RSPB didn't disappoint. The Black-browed Albatross not present late one morning but nice to bump into Alan Whitehead whom I had met whilst birding Anarita Park, Cyprus several years ago, and who kindly let me know of a Cream-coloured Courser at Mandria later that visit in 2018 (footage just over 7 minutes into the compilation). In the absence of the wanderer from the southern oceans the cliffs were alive with sounds and sights characteristic of a seabird city, not forgetting the distinctive odour. Also, not to forget the healthy population of Tree Sparrows around the visitor centre and a Corn Bunting singing from the fields. A mid day wander to relatively nearby Wykeham Forest where the skies were raptor free until the striking pale male Honey Buzzard circled the forest edge and drifted off at about 2pm. News broke of the Albatross's return an hour or so later and before 5pm nice views of it at Staple Newk cliffs, Bempton. It moved down onto the sea, and over a period of 15 minutes drifted north and then took flight, flying north close to the cliff edge, nice to study its flight.

Another twitch, this time to Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey, North Wales where the Elegant Tern put on a fine show at the lagoon. The shape of the crest varied with posture and a bill that would strike fear into many a fish. In flight the visitor from the Pacific coast of the Americas looked a heavier bird than its Sandwich Terns friends, its call was Sandwich Tern like, perhaps identical, but the cacophony of the Tern colony made it impossible to study further. Arctic Terns rested on the shingle beach and Common Terns were also present. The stillness of the bay was only broken by the whirring flight of a pair of pristine breeding plumage Black Guillemots. A slight detour on the return to have a look at half a dozen Choughs at South Stack RSPB, where a Hooded Crow played hide and seek near the cliffs.

Midweek and a visit to Welbeck Watchpoint, near Worksop, Nottinghamshire gave a lucky sighting of two Honey Buzzards at about 1.30pm over woods to the east, they circled and drifted south east, towards Budby? A chance to drive nearby to Budby Pumping Station, with thanks to the birder on site at Welbeck who showed me the way, the 2 HBs were then over distant woods west of the pond at about 2pm, and you've guessed it, they were drifting back towards Welbeck. On returning they didn't show. Both views were distant, best looks at one of them was of a pale bird with one showing tail feather moult. Also seen, a magnificent overhead Raven and a brief view of an equally impressive Spotted Flycatcher in trees by the Watchpoint. Return via the Pectoral Sandpiper at Adwick Washland my first visit to this relatively new addition to the birding scene in the Dearne Valley, South Yorkshire, looks a site with much potential.

Elsewhere in England the air filled with late evening song, squeaky gates needed oiling, and the horizon broken by the sight of a flame-tinged ghost flying low over the upland. A Tawny Owl hunted from roadside posts, nice to see it in relaxed pose away from the hunched roosting posture typical of this species. Goatsuckers had quietened down, but a Little Owl peered from a stone wall giving its aggrieved stare.

The Pacific Golden Plover at GB's wader headquarters, Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire, showed nicely on the grassland and the wader spectacle on the pools enhanced when a Peregrine forced the shorebirds to take flight, though the masses of Spoonbills (26) were not all that impressed.
A moorland edge held the falcons, where a wandering Peregrine drew the ire of a Hobby, namely a brave bash to the head, and then Kestrels escorted it off site. With thanks to Swallows drawing our attention to a male Merlin, with another group alerting of the presence of a Sparrowhawk. Buzzards patrolled the skies, keeping an eye on a wandering Red Kite.

More photos uploaded at 'Latest UK Bird Photos'. Please enjoy.

Late May Birding 2021 - moulting to summer plumage

Changed from winter to summer plumage in the space of a week in late May, the wax jacket moulted to reveal the Cape May fleece with worn primaries and damage to the carpals. Although, gloves and winter hat remained on standby. The birding was typical of late Spring, summer birds well and truly 'in' and still a chance of seeing a few rarities to these shores. This week didn't disappoint.

It was nice to catch up with birders in the field, some of which I've not seen for many, many months.

Several visits to the South Yorkshire moorlands where an immature Red Kite wandered over to the annoyance of Lapwings and Curlews on a couple of occasions, Merlin chased at breakneck speed on one visit and the swoosh of an adult male Peregrine stooping after a Woodpigeon reverberated across the valley, the action was all of a blur. Ravens thin on the ground the "cronk-cronk" call giving occasional reminders of their presence, the silence replaced by the haunting call of a Golden Plover circling its summer home. On terra firma Ring Ouzels were active, a male in song and Stonechats gave song flights and exaggerated "chacking" from the same valley side. Willow Warbler song dominated a valley beck. Nearby, a flock of 25 Crossbills remained about a tree cloaked reservoir but were not very showy. Across from such a reservoir Snipe drummed in showery weather though were shy when the sun showed itself.

When news broke of a Thrush Nightingale in East Yorkshire at Flamborough Head on Monday 24 May I was off. A Yorkshire tick, having seen two before in GB, one in song at Dungeness, Kent in early June 1994 and the one walking about out in the open at Landguard Point, Suffolk in late August 1995. I remember briefly from the Kent sighting, and more extensively from a visit to Sweden, the beautiful song without the rough notes of Common Nightingale. Arrived at the site and in position at 10:30. Looking up at the Bay Brambles/Willows the bird gave a brief burst of song and then perhaps around 11am it moved into view, and could be seen through the near branches where it sang for a while longer before returning to cover.

Heading back via Wykeham Forest where Common Buzzards were on show and a couple of Ospreys flew at distance down the valley in fairly quick succession before and after 13:30. A couple of Goshawk sightings, always nice to see especially outside of the display season. A lone male Crossbill in song from the viewpoint where a Garden Warbler sang from cover. At the car park a Tree Pipit could be heard.

A distraction on the way back was the Franklin's Gull at Swillington Ings (RSPB) that had been seen again at the Black-headed Gull colony after a couple of days absence. Arrived late afternoon as the thunderstorms abated walking up from the southern end. At the turn off to the reedbeds tripod laden birders marching forcefully into view signalled it had flown towards the reedbeds. Squelching along for several hundred yards to overlook a pool from where it could be seen and heard bellowing to the half or dozen or so Black-headed Gulls present alongside on the muddy edge. It looked very smart in the neutral light even showing a distinct pink flush to the underparts that was not discernible in my photos. A fantastic supporting cast that included Black-necked Grebe and "booming" Bittern. The site looked well different to when looking for the wintering Ferruginous Duck in the Pochard flock in the early 90s.

Two visits to Welbeck Watchpoint to the south of Worksop in Nottinghamshire looking for Honey Buzzards, and they were hard work. On Tuesday 25 May after shivering in a wax jacket most of the morning as the unexpected rain came down, the sun eventually showed well from after 3pm after which time there were four sightings up until just after 17:30. On one occasion two were in the air together. The penultimate sighting was of the pale bird of the two whose grey head glowed in the sun as it circled over the nearby woodland. Despite a sunnier and warmer morning on Thursday a pale male showed only mid afternoon and a darker headed bird, flew close by about one hour later. Both birds shown below and thought to be the same two as seen on Tuesday. Red Kites present throughout along with the obligatory Common Buzzards. A Hobby on the first visit seemed to show an interest in the Swifts present that hunted over the lake.

Spurn hosted an Eastern Subalpine Warbler which I twitched on Friday 28 May, the nearby male Red-backed Shrike surprisingly more elusive. A walk down the Point where from beyond the VTS Tower there three Spotted Flycatchers showed as did a female Whinchat and two Wheatears. The passage Common Rosefinch showed briefly near the Point from where a Cetti's Warbler sang in the most unlikely of places.

A Glauc-billed Gull, Newlyn, Late May 2021

'Glauc-billed', I put it to you that you are "H", the 4th gull.

"No Comment"

For the sake of the observer (and possibly the wee donkey), are you "H" - American Herring Gull, or "H" - European Herring Gull ?

When did we stop caring about gull identification and scapulars?

Observations - immature gull present on a very hot and sunny day in late May 2021, Newlyn, Cornwall.

• Immature 'Glauc-like' pink and black-tipped bill, right-hand nostril perhaps showing a bit of damage along its length and above.

Easter 2021 - Snow Ouzels and a passage Osprey

The crossover of birding seasons evident on the South Yorkshire moorland edge this Easter. Flocks of Fieldfares remained working the hillside fields now showing a bolder plumage as summer creeps forward. As they foraged the first Swallows hawked insects overhead and a passage Sand Martin noted way up a moorland Clough. Nearby, Chiffchaff sang from a valley bottom, a site where Willow Warblers returned as April hit double figures. Listening to the different songs of these Phylloscopus lookalikes during snow showers was a little different to the usual Springtime scene, and nearby returning Ring Ouzels had become less vocal at their summer home as the weather deteriorated. The 'Mountain Blackbird' featured as the period progressed, birds back on territory with singles appearing at staging grounds after the Easter weekend. On one day a group of 3 alighted briefly before flying up into the moors. The increased sightings coincided with a push of Ring Ouzels nationwide.

A large flock of about 200 finches split unevenly between Siskins and Lesser Redpolls dwindled over time. They fed amongst the conifer treetops of a moorland reservoir and were joined by nomadic Crossbills that would show most days in varying numbers as part of the mixed finch flock or on their own. Although at least 75 in the area and possibly more, views were often of a regular dozen or so perched up for a while before flying further into cover or commuting between neighbouring reservoir conifer canopies. One day saw Bramblings on the move, not many but nice to pick out at a handful moving north during a watch. An unusual commuter between such moorland reservoirs was a female Mandarin Duck that 'wheezed' overhead  one morning along the Crossbill flight path. Present at similar sites about 10 mies away maybe their range is expanding along this moorland edge.

Meadow Pipits were 'in' and one day there seemed to be a passage from the East. Many Curlews present 'bubbling away and doing their finest Curlew-raptor impressions over the ridges, a couple of pairs of Oystercatchers were in one area that hosted several displaying Snipe. It's larger relative the Woodcock started their roding at dusk over the conifer canopy with one seen flying from cover in the middle of the day. One pair of Golden Plovers displayed over a moor, their haunting song carrying for miles, and yet only a couple of miles away a flock of a hundred or so remained 'wintering' before presumably heading to higher latitudes in the coming weeks.

Passage cream crown Marsh Harrier was early but nevertheless nice to see, and more expected for early April, a migrating Osprey. I was lucky in being in the right place at the right time as just before midday on 09 April 2021 looking along a moorland edge a large raptor with brown upperwings and a gleaming white "headlight" drifted into the light breeze heading towards me, before crossing the valley and heading north. Wasn't expecting it to pass through so low instead of soaring overhead. A lack of heat presumably a factor for its behaviour as whilst it was sunny it was very cool, verging on cold for the time of year. As they've done so in the past this Osprey didn't hang around.

Away from the uplands caught up with the lingering Iceland Gull in the lowlands at Old Moor RSPB as viewed from Warbler Way from where a Cetti's Warbler could be heard blasting out its song from across the river, on the reserve. Views of a Red Kite, one of two blogging the reserve, was a much welcome 'Wath Area' tick No. 198.