Black-winged Kite; Hempstead, Norfolk

In 2023, Brian and I made a return trip to Norfolk to connect with the Black-winged Kite. We had dipped the bird the previous day, and Dad was unable to join us on the return trip.

Brian was free today and offered to drive him to Sea Palling, and hopefully, give him another chance to see the bird.  We met Brian at 5.30am, and arrived at 7.30am. The news services said to park in the Sea Palling car park and walk along "The Marrams" to the metal gates. We had just finished feeding the parking meter when Dad asked a local couple walking their dog for directions, and was told we could have parked much closer along the road for free.

The couple was walking back towards the area we needed to walk, so we left the car in the car park and followed them. It was about a mile before we reached the "Double metal field gates". I set up the scope and had a quick scan of the surrounding area, and Brian had a quick scan with his bins. I was just about to have another scan when Brian said he thought he had the bird, but needed the scope to confirm it. A quick look through the scope, and there was the Kite perched on the telegraph wires. We watched the bird for a couple of hours, during which it made short flights, hovered, caught prey items, and returned to the same bare tree to eat its meals. But it always remained distant and never came close enough for any photos.

The metal gates we viewed the bird from

Next stop was a walk up the steps and onto the beach. Dad and I walked along the shoreline and stopped when we started seeing the Little Terns fishing in the bay. Brian decided to walk further on and get closer views, albeit at a safe distance from the roped-off area.

Little Tern

As we returned to the steps, I noticed a dark shape on the water. A closer look through the scope revealed a drake Common Scoter.

Common Scoter

Before heading home, we stopped at Weeting Heath, hoping to get Dad another year tick. As we opened the hide window, a pair of Stone curlews were spotted immediately. We also enjoyed nice views of three Spotted Flycatchers.

Stone Curlew

Western Reef Heron, Foryd Bay, Caernarfon

On Saturday, 6th June, news broke of a Western Reef Heron in Caernarfon, North Wales. A first record for Britain! 

There are two distinct morphs: dark, which is dark grey with a white chin and throat; and a white morph, which can easily be confused with a Little Egret. Best separated by bill colour and structure. Western Reef Heron is common across large parts of coastal West Africa, including parts of southwest Asia and Madagascar.

Unfortunately, we weren't in a position to just drop everything and go. In fact, there was very little chance of an opening until Friday; we briefly considered making the trip Tuesday afternoon, but I had to be home Wednesday morning, so it wouldn't allow for a stopover if we were unsuccessful in connecting with the bird. We kept checking the news services throughout Wednesday and Thursday, and when the bird was still present Thursday evening, we made plans for an early morning start this morning. We set off at 2am with 282 miles ahead of us. 

After a brief stop for coffee, we arrived at the small pull-in by the hide overlooking Foryd Bay shortly before 7am, and luckily there was room to park. There's a small group of birders already present, and most are Essex and Herts birders! They had already seen the heron before we arrived, but it had since disappeared with the incoming tide and hadn't been seen since.

I scanned the bay and found the heron in the eastern corner almost immediately. After letting the others know, we walked back along the road and managed to get much closer views of the bird. 

The eastern corner where the heron was found 

Western Reef Heron

We watched the bird for two hours, until it flew out onto the marshland among the oystercatchers and Curlews. This was our cue to head further northwest and visit South Stack. As we left the car, we could hear Choughs calling overhead. One unfortunately had a broken leg. The cliffs around the lighthouse had thousands of Guillemots and hundreds of Razorbills, but Puffins were proving much more of a challenge. Eventually, after an extensive search, we found two birds. Brian picked out several Manx shearwaters, and I managed to add a single Shag that was drifting on the water among the Guillemots. Ravens were also present and very vocal as they flew overhead.

Chough

South Stack Lighthouse

Heading east, we stopped at Holyhead Fish Quay, and quickly added Black Guillemot to the day total and year list.

The National Trust site at Cemlyn was our next destination, which holds the largest Sandwich Tern colony in Wales. Among the masses of Sandwich Terns were Large numbers of Common Terns and smaller numbers of Arctic Terns. Further scans revealed single figures of Mediterranean Gulls.

Cemlyn Bay

One of the two tern islands

Common and Arctic Terns

Sandwich Tern

I ended the day with a new addition to my life list and added nine new birds for the year.

Minsmere

Brian and I made an early morning visit to Minsmere this morning, having added Stone Curlew to the year list before arriving at the car park. 

The plan was to just have a casual stroll around the reserve, with no targets in mind. A Nightingale and a Woodlark were both heard before we headed towards the beach. Having not had many opportunities to visit the coast this year, I still needed Sandwich Tern and Kittiwake for my year list. Both of which I added soon after entering the East Hide. Wader species were well down on previous years, with only seven species noted during the visit. At the Public Hide, Brian picked out two Roseate Terns among the numerous Black-headed Gulls, Common and Sandwich Terns. 

A Bittern was seen in flight, with another one heard booming. The walk down to the Island Mere Hide added a day-calling Tawny Owl. 

The reserve was relatively quiet, both in terms of birds and people, but we managed a total of 83 species.

The Public and East Hides

Roseate Tern with Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls

Roseate Tern

The Island Hide area, viewed from Whin Hill

Thursley Common, Surrey

Brian, Dad, and I headed into Surrey this morning, with an early morning visit to Thursley Common. We arrived shortly after 6am and walked past the Moat Pond out onto the common.  

Tree Pipits and Woodlarks were singing as we reached the start of the trail, and a distant Cuckoo was heard. As we walked south, Woodlarks and Linnets were dropping down onto the sandy path in front of us. Then two Dartford Warblers appeared from thick cover to feed close to the path.

We had three targets in mind as we left the car park, and we had found two of them within minutes of entering the common. The third target was Redstart, which proved to be much harder to locate. Eventually, we had good views of a single female bird perched right at the top of a lone pine tree. Unfortunately, I only had my phone with me today, and Brian had forgotten his camera battery, so no bird photos.

We walked the shorter circuit and, after two hours, headed back to the car. We made a fifteen-mile journey further south, hoping to see Honey Buzzards. It was still early when we arrived, but there were plenty of birders already on site. As we set up the scopes, we could hear Tree Pipits, Woodlarks, and Yellowhammers singing. Common Buzzards and red Kites were showing well, and eventually we enjoyed good, if somewhat distant, views of two Honey Buzzards. A Goshawk was also seen, which was an unexpected but very pleasant surprise. 

Eastern Subalpine Warbler: Beachy Head, East Sussex

Early Tuesday morning, an Eastern Subalpine Warbler was found at Beachy Head in East Sussex. Brian had seen several Westerns, but had tried and failed to add Eastern in 2014, when one was found at Landguard in Suffolk. He was keen to go, but family commitments kept him close to home. I had only managed to see two Western Subalpine Warblers and was also keen to go, but apprehensive regarding the walk.

We watched the news closely, as the bird was still present yesterday evening, we decided to make the trip this morning. Brian picked me up at 5am, and after a trouble-free journey, we were parked up at Cadence Clubhouse car park at 7am. The bird had been reported at Cow Gap, but we didn't know where that was. Luckily, as we scanned the area from the hilltop, Brian spotted a birder with a scope. The walk down to the cliff edge was eventful, but we made it down and could hear the bird singing before we climbed down the slope. Seconds later, the bird popped up onto the top of a small bush. 

We spent the next two hours enjoying the bird. It would follow the same circuit each time, allowing us to predict where it would appear. It sang almost constantly and would eventually return to the area where caterpillar nests were attached to the hawthorn bushes. While on site, we also saw Lesser and Common Whitethroats as well as a family of Stonechats.

The hike back to the car was strenuous, to say the least, and required several stops before reaching the top of the hill, but we did have a Peregrine fly directly overhead on the walk back.

Subalpine Warbler was split by the British Ornithologists Union Records Committee (BOURC) in 2014. Two species of Subalpine Warbler ( with four subspecies), Western and Eastern, and Moltoni's Warbler. 

Andy Stoddart, vice chairman of the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) and member of the BOU Records Committee (BOURC) until 2022, provided information and photo ID  to help separate these species in the field. A link can be found here

View from the hilltop before the descent

The slope to reach the Warbler

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Where the warbler was seen

Stonechat

The climb back to the hilltop, far steeper than it looks!