Yellow-browed Warbler: Verulamium Lake, St Albans

We had a free morning today, so headed into Hertfordshire and a visit to St Albans. All was going well until we tried to park the car. The parking meter wasn't working and the phone number they asked us to ring was proving very frustrating, so after downloading yet another parking app we could eventually walk out to Verulamium Lake. We had been told that the Yellow-browed Warbler had been seen again this morning in an Oak tree on the west side of the lake. We followed their directions "Walk along the west side of the lake and where the lake narrows there's a Willow tree on the water's edge, opposite that is the Oak tree the warbler was in" Unfortunately there was no sign of the bird when we arrived. We spent the next hour searching all the bushes and trees in the area, but there was still no sign. We had been talking to Rupert E the original finder, and as he started a circuit of the lake he called to say he had found it!

Yellow-browed Warbler

St Albans Cathedral was very close, We had been told that a Black Redstart had been showing at the west end of the Cathedral, and sure enough, it appeared within a small dark diamond-shaped vent within the tallest window underneath the cross. It had seemingly entered through a small broken pane and was according to locals feeding on Ladybird Larvae. This is probably the same bird we saw in January of the previous year feeding around the picnic area.

St Albans Cathedral

The dark diamond-shaped vent at the top

 

We had some time left and decided to visit Lemsford Springs. The 4 Hectare Nature Reserve is known for its Watercress beds, and the lagoons are fed by springs, so they never freeze in harsh weather. We met the warden Barry at the gate and gave him a small donation before heading along the track to the In Focus Hide. We were hoping to see Jack Snipe, and Barry had told us there was one on-site. We saw four Green Sandpipers which were very vocal, five Common Snipe, and a single Grey Wagtail. Eventually, we managed to locate the Jack Snipe, helped by a Green Sandpiper that walked into the channel it had been hiding behind.

All three target birds we set out to see this morning were seen, and the year list moves to 127.

Glaucous Gull: Old Hunstanton, Norfolk

This morning was our first full-day birding of the new year. We headed for Norfolk, the first stop being Old Hunstanton. We were hoping the Glaucous gull that had been present since the 11th of December would still be present. We parked near Hunstanton Golf Club and took the permissive footpath crossing the fairway towards the beach. I'd checked the tide times before setting off, it was low tide when we arrived, but I hadn't thought about the channels running from the sea straight up the beach to the dunes! Brian had wellies on so the channel was no problem, Dad and I only had walking boots on and didn't fancy wet feet all day. I  found an old plank of wood and put it across the channel which was enough to allow us to cross. We joined Brian, who had already seen the Glaucous Gull, but it had flown off in the direction of Holme! All we could do was wait and hope it would return. We scanned the shoreline and had views of Oystercatchers, Turnstones, Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Knot. A seawatch only produced Fulmars and a pair of Red-breasted Merganser. Brian had walked further along the beach and called to say he had found a flock of six shorelarks. There was still no sign of the Glaucous Gull, so Dad and I  walked back to scan through the gulls resting on the beach. Several scans later there was no sign, and then suddenly its head popped up above the shingle ridge. Another birder joined us and said he had watched it fly in while walking towards us.

Old Hunstanton Beach looking back towards the Lighthouse

Glaucous Gull

Brian had walked back towards a dead seal, hoping to photograph the gull on the carcass. While waiting, he called to say there was a Peregrine resting on the beach.

Peregrine

We stopped briefly at Lady Anne's Drive, Holkham. We walked over to three birders who were looking for the Long-billed Dowitcher. They were checking birds in the distance when one said "I don't know much, but could that be it" It was, and it was right by the fence!

Long-billed Dowitcher

Stiffkey was only five miles away. We parked behind the Red Lion pub and walked across the road to view the flood. We scanned the flood from the roadside and found the Ibis immediately. The Glossy Ibis was first seen here on November 5, 2023, and it's been almost ever-present since then. 

We spent the remainder of the day at Titchwell, enjoying views of Tawny Owl from the boardwalk. Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Grey Plover, and four Red-breasted Mergansers were all seen on the Tidal marsh, and Common and Velvet Scoter were seen from the beach.

King George V Reservoir, searching for divers

An adult Great Northern Diver has been at the KGV Reservoir since the 17th of November. It was joined by a juvenile Black-throated Diver on the 1st of December. On the 23rd of December, a second Great Northern Diver was found.

Great Northern Divers have been regular visitors in recent years, having been seen in fourteen of the last nineteen years. Black-throated Divers however are a real rarity for this site. This individual is only the third record for the site and the first since 2013.

We headed up the ramp and soon found one of the Great Northern Divers in the middle of the south basin. It took several more scans before we finally found the Black-throated Diver, close to the west bank of the reservoir and the second Great Northern Diver was right next to it. As we walked further along the east bank a Sparrowhawk flew from the grass bank and headed across the River Lea into the field beyond. There had been three Black-necked Grebes on the south basin in December, today we only managed to find one.

Great Northern Diver

Another birding year over and a new one just delayed

The usual excitement and anticipation for the start of a new birding year were somewhat lessened when I checked the weather forecast for January 1st. My home county the bordering Counties, and those further afield were all forecast to have heavy rain throughout the day. Having recently managed to rid myself of a nasty cough and cold, I was reluctant to spend all day in the pouring rain. The forecast for the following couple of days however was much more encouraging. 

We began the new birding year a day late and decided to spend it at Abberton Reservoir, within my home county of Essex. We started by scanning the waters on either side of Layer Breton Causeway. Highlights being a male and two redhead Smew several Goldeneye, two Great White Egrets, and a Marsh Harrier.

We moved on to Layer de la Haye Causeway. Four Bewick Swans, four Black-necked Grebes a single Slavonian Grebe, several Goosanders, a Green Sandpiper, and two Ruff were all seen from the causeway. We scanned a sizeable flock of Pochard and Brian found the Canvasback among them. It would constantly dive, resurface, and quickly dive again, making it difficult to get prolonged views. We did manage several good scope views however before heading for Lodge Lane where we failed to find the Lesser Scaup but did add Greater Scaup to the day total.

View of the pumping station on the walk to Lodge Lane viewpoint

We ended the day at Copt Hall Marshes, a wildlife-rich working farm where we enjoyed views of two Short-eared Owls hunting over the saltmarsh. A Merlin perched on a fence post, and three Med Gulls in the field behind the car park.

Saltmarshes

I ended the day with 67 species, including the 11 I saw from the garden yesterday. My total stands at 78

American Yellow Warbler: New Hythe GP's, Kent

On Christmas Eve, news broke that an American Yellow warbler had been seen at New Hythe in Kent. Although it's only an hour from home, there's no chance of making the trip; the first opportunity wouldn't be until today, the 27th. Brian picked us up at 7 a.m., There was very little traffic on the roads, so we arrived at New Hythe shortly before 8 a.m. We followed the footpath off Brooke Street for half a mile to join 200+ birders already lined up along the footpath. Most were looking across the stream towards a group of five Alders, This had been the most reliable area to connect with the bird in previous days. We scanned the trees and the surrounding area without sight or sound of the bird. Brian decided to walk the footpath and search from different vantage points, while I remained with the main group in case the bird appeared. We had been on site for four hours, it was cold and overcast and there had been no sign of the bird. Brian decided to give it another 30 minutes, we were just about to leave when all the birders moved along the footpath on mass. Someone had heard the bird call! The birder I was standing next to could see the bird. I followed his directions, "Left of the sign on the container, there's a small bare tree, the bird is sitting in that tree". I had a brief view before it flew into the air and disappeared below the vegetation. It reappeared in the Alders I had been watching for over four hours! I had several brief views as it moved among the branches, but it didn't stay in the trees for long and soon was lost to view.

While searching for the Yellow Warbler several Chiffchaff were seen and a bonus year tick in the form of a Firecrest was also seen. 

An accident on the M25 delayed the journey home, but we eventually saw the bird, which considerably softened the delays and detours.

If accepted, this would be only the second record for mainland Britain. The first was at Portland in Dorset in August 2017, and it was only present for a single day.

A small section of the 400+ birders lined up on the footpath.

The favoured Alder trees

Pied Wheatear: Seaford, East Sussex

Today was the first day in a while that Brian and I were both free for a birding trip, so when he offered to drive to Seaford to give me a chance to see a Pied Wheatear, which would be a new addition to my life list if successful I accepted immediately.

We left at 5 a.m. and were driving along the Esplanade shortly before 7 a.m. We parked at the far end, leaving a short walk up the hill to the ruined walls of the old hotel. After a brief search, one of the other two birders present spotted the wheatear. As we joined him the bird popped up onto the brick wall. It would show regularly throughout the morning but would never stay in one place for very long.

The Pied Wheatear was my eighth addition to the life list this year, one I was pleased to see as I had missed the Landguard bird in November 2015.

A pair of Black Redstarts was also present. The female bird showed no fear and would walk right up to us several times. We also enjoyed close views of two Rock Pipits as they fed on the grass banks.

Pied Wheatears are widely distributed. They breed in SE Europe from NE Bulgaria, E Romania, and S Moldova to the S Urals, Mongolia, C&W Afghanistan, N Pakistan, NW Himalayas, and NE China, and winter in NE Africa and the SW Arabian Peninsula. 

It's only the 2nd record for East Sussex, the first being a male seen at Newhaven which was present from 7th-9th July in 1990.

Ruined walls of Hotel

Black Redstart

Rock pipit

1st winter female Pied Wheatear

The outside walls of the old hotel

Lapland Bunting, Staines Reservoir

A surprise visit from Brian, saw us heading around the M25 to Staines Reservoir. A Lapland Bunting had been present since the 4th and was still being reported this morning.

We parked outside the east entrance and walked up the slope to join three birders on the causeway. Their cameras were focused on the grass a short distance ahead and as we joined them, we saw the bird just a few feet away! It wasn't bothered at all by the attention it was getting. Occasionally it would fly a short distance onto the railings but would soon return to its favoured feeding area.

Before heading home I scanned the north basin and found two of the Black-necked Grebes that had been reported earlier.

Staines Reservoir entrance

Lapland Bunting