Asian Desert Warbler, Winterton Dunes NNR

I received an unexpected phone call from Brian this morning, "There's an Asian Desert Warbler in Norfolk, I'll pick you up". Brian arrived shortly after 8am and we were on our way. The journey up the M11, A11, and A47 was trouble-free and we arrived at Winterton-on-sea beach car park around 10.15. After paying for two hours of parking we headed off into the dunes. We passed several returning birders who pointed us in the right direction toward the bird's location. As we approached the growing throng of birders the bird flew up and headed into a nearby tree. At first, I struggled to see the bird among the tangled branches, but with helpful directions from other birders, I soon got my first look at an Asian Desert Warbler! While we were present it stayed faithful to a small line of trees and bushes.

Asian Desert Warblers breed in the deserts of Central and Western Asia and the extreme eastern parts of Europe. It winters in the far north-east of Africa and south-western Asia.

There have been 13 previous records in Britain in nine counties. Dorset, Essex, East Yorkshire, Cheshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Devon, Norfolk and Northumberland. The first was in 1970 at Portland in Dorset and the most recent on Holy Island in Northumberland in 2020.

In five days, I have added four species to my life list. All of which have been warblers. Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Arctic Warbler, and Asian Desert Warbler.

Asian Desert Warbler

While walking back to the car park I checked the news services and there was a Hoopoe twenty miles away in North Walsham. Thirty minutes later we are parked on Thirlby Road and watching the Hoopoe busily feeding on a small front lawn, seemingly oblivious to the people standing, crouching, and lying prone on the ground only a few feet away on the other side of the wall. 

Pale-legged Leaf warbler: Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire

On the 25th of September, an Arctic Warbler was reported in a copse behind the visitor centre at Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire. Three hours later it was reported as a "probable" Eastern Crowned Kingbird. The following day it wasn't seen and I thought that was the end of it. Then it's reported again Friday evening as a probable Pale-legged Leaf Warbler! after being sound-recorded. A bird that normally breeds in the Russian Far East, and North Korea, and winters in South-East Asia is present in East Yorkshire. 

There have only been two previous records in Britain. One was found dead on St Anges, Isles of Scilly in October 2016, having flown into a window of the lighthouse. Feathers were taken from the bird and sent for DNA analysis, confirming the bird was a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler and ruling out the very similar Sakhalin Leaf Warbler P. Borealoides. The other record was of a bird photographed and seen by several observers in 2012 at Portland in Dorset. However, it was impossible to establish which of the two species the bird belonged to. 

Unfortunately, family commitments meant we had no chance of making the trip. We watched the continued reports of the bird's presence and were encouraged by the fact that overnight rain was forecast for each of the next few nights. Finally, we had a clear day, rain again last night and with a clear day ahead this could be our only chance of connecting with it. 

We left at 3am and arrived at Bempton shortly after 7am. 30-40 birders were already searching the area, with several thermal imagers directed toward the scrub bordering the track. An hour passed without any sign, and then a guy with a thermal said he had the bird deep within the undergrowth. I followed his directions but failed to see the bird. The next 30 minutes proved very frustrating, Guys with thermals were calling out directions, then someone said "There it is, just below the Great Tit". Well, I couldn't even find the Great Tit! Then suddenly I saw it moving through the tangled branches heading right. I moved with it and managed good views as it sat briefly on an open branch. As I watched it a Sparrowhawk came through and landed on the branch below the warbler! Thankfully it flew off almost immediately having failed to make a kill. The Pale-legged then flew across the road into the area with bird feeders. An hour later I saw it again, this time it sat out in full view as it foraged low among the trees.

 

First reports on 25th

First reports that it was a Pale-legged leaf Warbler 27th

Where I saw the bird during the 2-3 hours present

Having enjoyed good views of the bird, we decided to head to Flamborough where an Icterine Warbler and a couple of Red-Breasted Flycatchers had been reported. Within a few minutes, one of the Red-breasted Flycatchers was spotted flitting about in a Sycamore. I was keen to see the Icterine Warbler, having dipped this species more than once including one at Wells Wood only last month. I staked out the reported area but there was no sign, Brian wandered back up the path to get another look at the Flycatcher. Ten minutes later my phone rings, it's Brian and he's watching the Icterine Warbler! I quickly tell the other birders present. As I reach Brian I can see the bird low down in some scrub by the side of the path. Before Dad reaches us the bird takes flight, but it only flies a short distance into some Hawthorn and brambles. Finally, I'd seen my first Icterine warbler. 

Red-Breasted Flycatcher

Finally, my first Icterine warbler

As we left Flamborough there was news of an Arctic Warbler at Spurn. This would be another lifer for Dad and me. Brian had seen one previously in Norfolk but drove the extra fifty miles to give us a chance to connect with our third lifer of the day. Upon arrival, we were told the bird hadn't been seen since 9.30am, but one birder said he had heard it recently. Brian decided to check another area closer to the Discovery Centre and shortly afterward phoned to say he had found the bird! We quickly joined him and enjoyed crippling views just feet from the footpath.

Arctic Warbler

We walked the track to the Heligoland Trap where a couple of birders put us onto a Barred warbler and we also found a Spotted Flycatcher in a Sycamore tree.

Before starting the four-hour drive home, we stopped at Kilnsea Wetlands, where we picked out the American Wigeon. It spent most of its time asleep, but occasionally popped its head up revealing the distinctive head pattern. 

American Wigeon asleep 

A great day's birding with three lifers,(Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Icterine Warbler and. Arctic Warbler) and seven additions to the year list.

Thanks to Brian for all the driving 

Red-backed Shrike at The Naze

A 5am text from Brian this morning saw us heading up the A12 to The Naze Nature Reserve. The reserve is on the Naze peninsula, north of Walton-on-the-Naze, and managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. We had two main targets, a Red-backed Shrike and a Wryneck. However with clear skies overnight we would not have been surprised if both birds had moved on. 

We arrived shortly before 7am, parked in the reserve car park close to Sunny Point, and headed down the steps to walk the central path. Hawthorn, Gorse, and Brambles bordered the path on both sides. We hadn't walked far when Brian spotted the Red-backed Shrike. After several sightings, I wandered off to search for the Wryneck. I walked the seafront path and managed views of Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Redstart, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, and several commoner species, but failed to find the Wryneck. 

Seafront path with the Naze Tower in the distance

Red-backed Shrike

Before heading home we took an eight-mile detour to Shelley in Suffolk where a Purple Heron had been present since the 1st of September. We joined four other birders scanning Gifford's Flash for any sign of the heron. Although it hadn't been seen all morning, we scanned the area and after thirty minutes it decided to pop its head above the reeds. It gave several good scope views before it took flight and landed out of sight. We walked along the road and scanned the area from the roadside gate, finding it close to the fenceline among the reeds.

Gifford's Flash

Several views were similar to this

phone hand-held to the scope 

View of Gifford's Flash from the roadside gate

Nightjar, Wanstead Flats

I was home yesterday morning when news broke of a Nightjar at Wanstead Flats! Wanstead Flats is only eight miles from home, Brian was at his father-in-law's, so we had to make a quick detour so he could grab his bins and camera. A short drive along the M11 and we were soon parked in the Centre Road car park. The report said "One roosting in Long Wood" From the car park it was only a walk of five minutes, where we soon joined the small group of assembled birders. The Nightjar was perched on a thick bare branch among numerous tangled branches. We watched it for 10-15 minutes until a squirrel came through and disturbed it. The Nightjar stretched its wings, lifted its head, and suddenly flew off.  It headed towards the other end of Long Wood, but before we could try to relocate it, a Wryneck was seen. We had the general area that it flew towards but after an hour we had failed to find it, and with the car park time running out we left for home.

Nightjar was roosting on the thick bare branch in the centre of the photo

Searching for migrants at Wells Wood, Norfolk

Brian and I spent the morning at Wells Wood, hoping to connect with a few migrants before they depart for warmer climes. We walked along the western path and scanned an area set back from the path. The tallest trees held a massive mixed flock of birds. We had only paid for two hours of parking and most of that was taken up by going through the vast amount of birds within these trees. Spotted Flycatchers were seemingly everywhere, Garden Warblers, Chiffchaffs, and Willow Warblers were all present in large numbers. Pied Flycatchers were also present but in much smaller numbers and a single Redstart was found.

After paying for another two hours of parking we walked a circuit and found a single Wood Warbler among the roving mixed flock. An Icterine Warbler had been reported but we failed to find it despite extensive searches.

Spotted Flycatcher

 

Wood warbler

We dropped in at Titchwell before heading home. The White-rumped Sandpiper failed to show, but we enjoyed good views of a Little Stint feeding alongside a Little Ringed Plover and a few Dunlin. The Paddocks at the far end of the overflow car park had a Hawfinch feeding among the hawthorns and more Spotted Flycatchers were also present. Brian managed to see the reported Grey Headed wagtail, but it moved behind one of the horse sheds before I could see it. The rain began to fall and when it got much heavier we decided that was our cue to head for the car and begin the journey home.

Little Stint and Dunlin

Leisurely birding the Dungeness area

An unexpected message from Brian this morning had us heading for Dungeness. We headed for the beach for a casual seawatch with no real targets in mind. The sea was tranquil as was expected, and the only birds seen in any numbers were Gannets and Sandwich Terns. Brian managed to pick out an Arctic Skua a long way out and I picked it out as it passed in front of one of the ships on the horizon. With the sea so quiet we turned our attention to the power station compound. Movement on the compound wall alerted us to two Wheatear and a Whinchat. A Raven was found resting on the top of one of the buildings and a Sparrowhawk was seen flying through the compound, where it must have caught something as it was seen struggling with its prey on the other side of the fence. As we resumed the seawatch a flock of more than a hundred Sand Martins came past the hide and headed towards the power station. We scanned the "patch" and picked out a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull among the numerous Herring and Black-headed.

When there are no locals present, you know it's going to be slow-going

Old and New Lighthouses

A brief stop at Boulderwell Farm added five cattle Egrets to the growing day list. We then drove to Scotney GPs and walked to the "The Sandpit" an area we had not visited before. A Pectoral Sandpiper had been reported the previous day but there had been no reports today. Four birders were already present and we were told the Pec Sandpiper was still present but had flown behind the largest sand banks and lost to view. It would take us almost two hours before we re-located it, that was when a Marsh Harrier came through flushing everything present. During the two hours of searching for the Pec, we added three more species of Sandpiper, with counts of Two Wood, three Common, and nine Green Sandpipers. Ringed Plovers were present in good numbers and a single Little Stint was seen among them. Avocets, Blackwits, Dunlin, Greenshank, and Redshank were also present. A Peregrine dropped in to bathe in one of the pools and a Hobby and a Sparrowhawk flew across the pit.

The Sandpit

We drove back towards the reserve and scanned ARC Pit. Water levels were good and several shingle islands were exposed for the birds  We were told there had been a Glossy Ibis present earlier and Brian found it feeding at the water's edge. A juvenile Black Tern was picked out as it flew across the distant island and seven Garganey were present. 

Garganey

We finished the morning's birding on 93 species.

Hudsonian Godwit, Burton Mere Wetlands

Hudsonian Godwits occur very rarely in Britain and the only birds since I began travelling further afield in 2010 have been one in Somerset in 2015 and another individual in Fife in 2020. Fife was never an option and although the Somerset bird remained for ten days we somehow contrived to miss it. Something we have regretted ever since. 

Nine years later one is reported at Burton Mere Wetlands in Cheshire on the 13th, although it showed well during the morning, it went missing early afternoon and wasn't seen again. After four days of no sightings, it reappeared again on the 18th. It showed well for much of the day until it was reported as flying toward the Dee Estuary at 19.50. By this time we had decided to make the trip hoping it would return.

We left at 6am with a 210-mile journey up the M1 and M6 ahead of us. Halfway into the trip, the Godwit was reported, we were pleased that it had returned to the reserve, although we still had over two hours driving ahead of us. We arrived shortly before 10am and headed along the path towards Border Hide. The hide was packed, Brian managed to grab a spot on one of the benches, and I decided to stay at the back where birders were using their scopes. I set mine up so I had a clear view of the pool between the birders using the benches. My first view of the bird was while it was sleeping among a flock of Black-tailed Godwits. As birds shuffled backward and forward among the flock it would sometimes disturb the Hudsonian allowing brief views of the head and bill before it resumed its sleep. When a Shoveler came crashing through the flock the Hudsonian Godwit reacted with a couple of wing stretches, revealing the dark underwings much to the delight of everyone inside the hide.

As more birders arrived, the volunteers politely asked people who had been present for a while if they would mind making room for other birders waiting outside, which we duly did.

The first view we had of the Hudsonian Godwit

The Hudsonian Godwit was well hidden at this point

Finally, the head and bill were visible

A wing stretch  

My first visit to this reserve and I was very impressed. The staff and volunteers were friendly and engaging as well as the directions to the hide and the viewing of the bird once in the hide.