2023 Additions to the Life List

The year proved challenging, due mainly to family commitments which resulted in limited days available for birding.  I still managed to add nine new birds to my life list, although I am still waiting to see if the powers that be deem them all to be genuine wild birds. I'm hopeful all nine will make my list.

The nine potential lifers were seen in six counties, Norfolk, East and West Sussex, Pembrokeshire, Kent, and Essex. September proved to be the most rewarding month with four life birds seen in this month.

January 29th

Cackling Goose Brancaster, Norfolk

An early morning birthday trip to Norfolk was rewarding when I managed to locate the Cackling Goose among a huge flock of Pink-footed Geese. It was a challenge to find, due to the distance from the viewing area and the sheer amount of geese present. Eventually, with some good directions from other birders, I enjoyed some excellent scope views. I'd previously seen a Cackling Goose at Kelling in Norfolk in 2012 only for it not to be accepted. I'm more hopeful this one will get the seal of approval.

27th April

White-crowned Sparrow Seaford Head, East Sussex

We made the trip to Seaford Head on the 26th, but after seven hours on site, we left disappointed having failed to connect with the bird. After returning home news came through that the bird had reappeared and was showing well. That was enough for us to try again the following day. We arrived shortly after 9am and connected with the sparrow immediately! It was on show for most of the time we were present and came within a few metres of the gathered birders.

20th July Horsey, Norfolk

Black-winged Kite

We couldn't travel to Horsey until the early afternoon and all we got from the trip on the 19th was cold and wet, with constant rain for most of the time we were present. We stuck it out until 7pm only for the kite to be reported at 8.23pm from the very spot we had been scanning from! On the way home Brian had already decided he was returning the following day, The next morning we arrived at 5am. There was a thick blanket of mist covering the surrounding fields, but as the mist cleared the kite was seen perched in a small tree on the opposite side of the river. It remained there for an hour or so and then took flight heading north before turning back toward the car park, settling on telegraph wires near the windmill for a brief time.

Heavily cropped, Black-winged Kite

11th September Upper Beeding, West Sussex

Aquatic warbler

September proved to be the most productive month of the year, I managed to add four lifers to my list this month including a potential first for Britain.

Having received positive news of the Aquatic Warblers continued presence, we made the trip mid-morning. Upon arrival, we were told the bird had not been seen since 10am! The last report was of the bird skulking within a hawthorn bush, another hour passed with no sign of the bird, that was until two dog walkers wandered past the bush and the bird flew out low and briefly settled on the footpath only to quickly disappear into thick cover again. Another hour passed and then it suddenly flew up and landed in full view giving us some stunning views.

20 September North Foreland, Kent

American Cliff Swallow

Having missed the Minsmere bird in 2016 I was keen to make the trip. When positive news came through we headed for North Foreland, arriving shortly before 11am. Brian had been rushing around at home and had managed to leave his camera and bins behind, but having borrowed Dad's bins he spotted the swallow heading along the clifftop towards us! We enjoyed several excellent views of the bird both along the cliff and over the cabbage fields.

23 September St Govan's Head & Stack Rocks Pembrokeshire

Magnolia & Canada Warblers! 

This was to be an unforgettable and extremely lucky day. The Magnolia Warbler had first been seen on the 20th, but with family commitments, the 23rd was our first opportunity to make the trip. We arrived at the car park in complete darkness and had to wait an hour before it was light enough to make our way to the viewing area. It was a further hour before the Magnolia Warbler appeared. We had enjoyed several excellent views when news broke of a potential first for Britain just four miles from where we stood. A Canada Warbler had been found at Stack Rocks! After an initially frustrating search, the warbler finally showed itself. It was difficult to pin down among the sallows in thick cover and the views when it did show itself were brief, but with patience, I managed several views. Sometimes not being able to drop everything and go at a minute's notice can prove very rewarding. 

Magnolia Warbler

31st October Stodmarsh, Kent

Solitary Sandpiper

Brian had already seen the Solitary Sandpiper the previous day but offered to return the next day so I could hopefully connect with it. The viewing area was very limited and already birders were four deep across the path when we arrived shortly after first light. I stuck it out for over three hours but with the rain constantly falling and no sign of the bird I took a break and headed for the hide to year tick a Water Pipit. While sitting in the hide news came through that the sandpiper had flown onto the small muddy patch where I had spent the previous three hours. I rushed back and managed several views of the bird. It spent its time feeding up and down the small muddy strip and would disappear behind the vegetation only to reappear a few minutes later.

Solitary Sandpiper

12th November Abberton Reservoir, Essex

Canvasback

The last addition to my life list (if accepted) was in my home county. We arrived at first light and checked several different areas around the reservoir for any sign of the bird. Eventually, we found it among a large flock of Common Pochard as we viewed the reservoir from Billets Farm viewing screen. Viewing was made difficult by the small trees and bushes along the water's edge, the flock would appear and disappear between these gaps, and we had to wait for the flock to reappear each time before scanning through the flock in search of the Canvasback again. Eventually, the use of various buoys proved helpful in pinpointing the bird and we managed several decent scope views.

Ring-necked Duck: Priory CP, Bedfordshire

The weather forecast this morning was for rain, rain, and more rain. However, when Brian visited and happened to mention a Ring-necked Duck present at Priory Country Park in Bedfordshire I was surprisingly keen to make the trip. We left fully expecting to get a good soaking. However, as we approached the park the rain had almost completely stopped. 

The Ring-necked Duck was on Fingers Lake which lies to the southeast of the main lake (Priory Lake) and was only a short walk from the car park. We picked the Ring-necked Duck out straight away among a small group of Tufted Duck. We spent an hour or so in the park, before deciding to head for Staines Reservoir hoping to connect with the Black-throated Diver. 

We enjoyed dry weather and even some brief sunshine at the country park, Staines however, was dry but very windy and bitterly cold. We scanned the north basin and managed to pick out the Black-throated Diver in the company of a Great Northern Diver. Both were distant and after several scope views, we didn't hang around in the freezing conditions. 

Priory Lake

Finger Lake

Staines Reservoir, North Basin

Grey Phalarope, King George V Reservoir

A couple of hours spent at KGV Reservoir this morning proved rewarding when the reported Grey Phalarope was found on the north basin. When we first spotted it, it was very distant feeding along the edge of the causeway in the southwest corner. The wind blowing across the reservoir basins made for challenging conditions for the phalarope, and it was pushed onto the causeway bank several times. The direction of the wind worked in our favour though as the phalarope drifted along the causeway edge and came right past where we were standing. 

The reservoir has been a good place locally to connect with phalaropes. I've seen two grey and two red-necked in the last ten years. 

Pallid Swift: Winterton, A missed chance

Today was our first opportunity to visit Winterton in Norfolk and try to connect with the Pallid Swift. The swift had been present for twelve days. There had been positive news yesterday morning but no news at all in the afternoon, we arrived at first light and scanned the skies around the church, and surrounding areas for over two hours. It was bitterly cold and there was no sign of the swift. It had either moved on or worse it had perished overnight in the plummeting temperatures. During our visit, we witnessed thousands of Pink-footed Geese flying overhead along with several small flocks of winter thrushes. The surprise of the morning was a low-flying Woodcock that flew directly over our heads. 

Once back in the car, we headed a few miles south to Filby Broad. We scanned Ormesby Little Broad from the viewing platform  There was very little of note seen from here apart from two Kingfishers. We decided to scope the lake from the back of Filby Bridge Restaurant and found a Scaup among the numerous Tufted Ducks. Crossing the road we scanned Filby Broad and eventually located two Ferruginous Ducks along the edge of the reeds in the southeast corner.

View of Filby Broad from the roadside

We headed further south along the coast and stopped at Ness Point in Lowestoft,  hoping to find Purple Sandpiper. We walked along the length of the concrete pathway, stopping and scanning every few metres. Eventually, we were rewarded with views of six Purple Sandpipers feeding along the concrete ruins.

The line of ruins where the sandpipers were feeding.

Eventually, the birds ventured close to our position allowing for some nice photo opportunities.

Purple Sandpiper

There had been reports of 40 Waxwings just two miles away from Ness Point. we drove along the local roads and quickly found the flock. As they settled in the trees close to us I managed a count of 47 birds.

It was disappointing not to connect with the swift, but knowing we couldn't have visited earlier softened the blow and we had an enjoyable day regardless.

Wallasea Island, Short-eared Owls

A phone call from Brian offering a trip to Wallasea Island to look for Short-eared Owls was agreed to immediately, as I still hadn't managed to connect with any Short-eared Owls so far this year. 

Weather conditions were looking good as we arrived at the car park, we took the track toward the hide and were soon watching our first Short-eared Owl. This was quickly followed by several more owls hunting in the area. Eventually, we managed a count of eight owls in the air at the same time. 

While watching the owls a ringtail Hen Harrier appeared and started hunting in the same area. While the owls were constantly on show throughout our visit the ringtail hunted over a much larger area. Often hunting along the grass bank and disappearing over the bank onto Allfleets Marsh, only to reappear a short time later and resume its hunting among the owls.

We left as the light began to fade, and managed sightings of two more owls and another ringtail Hen Harrier as we approached the entrance gate.

The area the owls were hunting in

Canvasback, Abberton Reservoir

News of a Canvasback present at Abberton Reservoir yesterday was reported just too late, even being just over an hour away from the site, we wouldn't have arrived before dusk. 

This morning we arrived at first light and began checking through the first raft of Pochard for any sign of the Canvasback. No sign of the target among those. A scan of the main reservoir from Layer-de-la-Haye causeway also failed to locate any Pochard so we decided to head to Wigborough Bay and scan that area. Again no Pochard was present. The next stop was Billet's Farm. We walked to the viewing screen in the company of four other like-minded birders. We found a large raft of Pochard close to the shore, but scanning them was made difficult by the tall vegetation between us and the water's edge. The whole raft would drift right and then back left, giving us a narrow field of view as they moved past small gaps in the vegetation. Suddenly there it was towards the back of the flock. The news was put out and very soon the viewing screen and the whole of the footpath were converged on by birders. Picking it out among the large raft of Common Pochard proved challenging at first but after several decent scope views the main features like the longer neck, sloping darkish/blackish bill, and the seemingly paler back and flanks become more evident.

   

Visitor centre viewed from Layer-de-la-Haye causeway

Body of water between Layer-de-la-Haye and Layer Breton Causeways

There haven't been any UK records of this species for over twenty years, but previous records of Canvasback do seem to show a liking for the large body of water at Abberton, with accepted records from 1997, 1999, and 2000.

I'm now hoping this individual will join them on that list and prove to be a county, year, and life addition. 🤞.

Arctic Tern, KGV Reservoir

I had no plans to go birding this morning until Brian suggested a quick trip to the local reservoir. We walked along the east side of the south basin, passing the sailing club hut and heading towards the causeway. As we approached Brian spotted a tern in the distance. As we got nearer we could see it was a juvenile Arctic Tern. A late but very welcome year tick. 

It spent much of its time flying back and forth along the causeway, occasionally resting on the bank after catching a small fish. 

Solitary Sandpiper: Stodmarsh, Kent

Due to not feeling well and having had very little sleep, I missed an opportunity to go to Frampton with Brian for the Red-headed Bunting. To add insult to injury I then missed Brian's phone call the next day saying he was going to Stodmarsh for the Solitary Sandpiper!

Brian having already seen the bird on Sunday offered to take me today, which I was more than happy to accept.

We arrived shortly after first light and made our way along the footpath towards the boathouse. This was where the bird had been seen the previous evening. The viewing area was very limited and already birders were standing four deep across the area. There had been no sign of the bird so far so Brian decided to check Tower hide and Reedbed hide to see if it was showing from there. Dad and I decided to stick it out but after a further two and a half hours with no sign of the bird and rain having been steadily falling since arrival we joined Brian in Reedbed hide and year ticked a Water Pipit that Brian had phoned to say was present. Not exactly a Solitary Sandpiper, but a year tick was a welcome distraction. We enjoyed views of Great White Egret, Kingfishers, and Water rails, while listening to the constant calls of Bearded Tits, when suddenly news comes through that the sandpiper had appeared on the muddy strip by the boathouse! 

I walked back as fast as I could to find twice as many birders present as there were earlier. I managed to get around the back of the last line of birders and stood at the left-hand side of the viewing area. I still had no view, but a birder who had his scope set up on the bird was about to leave and kindly let me take his place. I now had a decent view of the area, but there was no bird! Then suddenly there it was, emerging from the reeds on the left and feeding along the muddy strip. It would follow the same pattern while I was present, it would appear either from the left or right walk along the muddy strip and quickly disappear at the other end again.

View from Reedbed hide

Water Pipit

Water Rail

Great White Egret

Solitary Sandpiper (Brian took this on his previous visit)

The very limited Viewing area for the sandpiper