Red-eyed Vireo and Great Snipe, East Yorkshire

This morning we headed for Titchwell, a male Hooded Merganser had been seen the previous day and we were hoping it had stayed overnight. The rain was already quite heavy as we left the car park and after scanning Patty's Pool we could find no sign of the Merganser. The walk back along the boardwalk did, however, produce a Yellow-browed Warbler opposite Fen Hide to add to my year list. We returned to the main path and headed towards the beach thinking we might walk to Thornham Point and check for the Grey Phalarope, but the rain became heavier to the point where all I was doing was constantly cleaning my bins and glasses, and when news came through that the Red-eyed Vireo was still present in Easington East Yorkshire we decided to head North.

We were 144 miles away and road closures along the route meant a slow journey northwards. We arrived around 1.30pm and within minutes we were staring at the Red-eyed Vireo and the frustrations of the journey north were quickly forgotten. The bird seemed to follow a pattern and would seemingly visit a Dogwood bush every 30 minutes or so. While waiting for the bird to return I had some nice views of another Yellow-browed Warbler and also a Pied Flycatcher. A very welcome addition to the year list, having thought I had missed my chance of seeing one this year after somehow missing them 3-4 times at sites closer to home.

Red-eyed Vireo

With a four hour journey home ahead of us, we were thinking of making a move when news started filtering through on the local's walkie talkies of a possible Great Snipe at Kilnsea. Shortly afterward the bird was confirmed as a Great Snipe! Queue the mass exodus from Easington and a line of cars heading for Kilnsea. After walking along Beacon Lane and continuing along the muddy track we were eventually met by a group of birders who had blocked the footpath all trying to get a glimpse of the Snipe. The bird was resting at the very edge of the footpath and with the birders blocking access to the footpath it meant that it stopped anyone walking the footpath and flushing the bird. We cut through the gap in the hedge and after a bit of ducking and diving managed to find a gap in the growing line of birders and get the scope trained on the Snipe!

Some of the gathered birders at Kilnsea

Great Snipe breed in Scandinavia, east through the Baltic states, Poland and Western Russia and winter in sub-Saharan Africa.

A day that started with us getting a good soaking at Titchwell ended with 2 additions to my life list and four year ticks! 

As Brian kept reminding dad today "If you get out there you might just see something" It certainly paid off today. It also helps to be in the right place at the right time.