Greater Sand Plover: Cleveland, Redcar

Although the Greater Sand Plover was found on the evening of the 25th, we all had various family commitments preventing us from making the trip until today. Positive news of the bird's continued presence yesterday saw us set off on the 250 miles north at 4am. After a trouble-free journey, we pulled into the Majuba car park four hours later. After a 1.5km walk along the beach, we were soon looking at the Greater Sand Plover busily feeding among the Ringed Plovers. After watching it for over an hour it suddenly disappeared, later to be re-found opposite the bandstand at the car park end of the beach. This bird must surely be the same individual that was present at St Combs in Aberdeenshire earlier in the month.

A scan of the sea, beach, and rocks produced Gannet, Fulmar, Curlew, Whimbrel, Shag, Common Tern, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, and Redshank.

The first record for Britain was in 1978 at Pagham Harbour in West Sussex. A 1st winter bird that was present from the 9th December until the 1st January.

This species normally breed in the Middle East to Central Asia and winters in Southern Asia to Australasia and Southern Africa.

The area the Plover was feeding in when we arrived

Greater Sand Plover

In previous days there had been reports of a Red-backed Shrike a short distance away at South Gore, so we headed that way hoping to connect with it. After a brief search of the area with no success and other birders reporting they had, had no luck all morning we moved across the road and scanned the bay below. Several Little Terns were seen feeding in the flooded areas below and a local birder put us onto a single Curlew Sandpiper.

Purple Heron: Weston Turville Reservoir, Buckinghamshire

A juvenile Purple Heron was reported at Weston Turville Reservoir on Monday, At the time we were at Rainham Marshes hoping the Wryneck would reappear, having gone missing some 2-3 hours earlier!

Yesterday there were regular reports of the bird's continued presence, and when it was again reported this morning we made the forty-five-mile journey into Buckinghamshire. Parking in the layby just outside the reservoir we climbed the steps to find a pleasant little Nature Reserve with fishing and sailing included. 

We took the path alongside the reservoir and soon joined a small group of birders. They were looking at a distant Willow tree, and the juvenile Purple Heron was perched among the branches. Apart from a couple of very brief flights, it remained in these trees throughout our visit.

Not the most inviting signage!

The Purple heron was perched in the trees at the back of the reservoir in the middle of the photo below.

Purple Heron

Below is a short video, filmed through the reeds while trying to avoid falling into the reservoir.

Wryneck, Rainham Marshes

A late morning call from Brian had us heading to our local reserve of Rainham Marshes, hoping to connect with a Wryneck. It had been present yesterday and there had been a constant stream of reports throughout this morning.

We arrived at Rainham around 12 and headed out along the path towards the "shooting Butts". The Wryneck was perched up in its favoured roosting tree. We were told that it regularly flew from this tree down onto the footpath and fed along the edges, but after twenty minutes of watching it in the tree, it flew in the opposite direction and into the adjoining field. Despite several hours of scanning, it was not seen again today. 

This was my first Wryneck since 2019, mainly due to covid restrictions. 

Wryneck

Cape Gull: Grafham water, Cambridgeshire

Reports of a potential first for Britain yesterday and I had managed to miss all the reports! 

Brian managed to visit the site yesterday as he was only 30 miles away after working all day in his son's garden. I was left hoping the Cape Gull would remain for at least a further day to get the opportunity to visit.

At 5.30am the gull was reported as still present, we met up with Brian and were on the road by 6am. After a relatively short trip (63 miles) along the M25 and A1, we arrived at Grafham Water and headed along the walkway/cycle path bordering the reservoir. In the distance, we could see a large gathering of birders near the water tower. We soon joined them and quickly located the Cape Gull, which was resting on the railings leading to the tower. Panic over! we could now study the bird in more detail.

The Cape Gull spent the majority of the time we were on site resting on the railings, but did fly down to  the reservoir edge to feed on a dead trout, and occasionally flew down onto the water's surface when photographers threw bread onto the bank although it didn't seem remotely interested in the bread

There were Lesser black-backed Gulls, Yellow-legged Gulls, and numerous Black-headed Gulls present on the railings allowing for some nice comparisons between the larger species. The Cape Gull was slightly larger than the Yellow-legged Gulls and had a massive bill and long greenish legs.

There may be up to five subspecies of Kelp Gulls with L.d.dominicanus being the most widespread and found in New Zealand, Antarctica, and South America, whereas subspecies L.d.vetula commonly known as Cape Gull is found in Southern Africa.

The water tower and railings

Red-tailed Shrike, Bempton Cliffs

On June 27th, a Red-tailed Shrike was found at Bempton Cliffs. The finder photographed it before it soon took flight, and although he managed to relocate it shortly afterward, it was quickly lost to view and not seen again that evening. The next morning, a husband and wife were walking the rough track off Cliff Lane and managed to relocate the Shrike!

Since the evening of the 29th, it has been seen regularly at Wandale Farm, a short distance away. Access to the farm has since been arranged for £10 per person.

We arranged to meet at 2 a.m. this morning, and while parked outside Brian's house, I heard a Tawny Owl calling. It is a welcome, if late, addition to the year list. 

It should have been a 220-mile four-hour drive to Bempton, but overnight road closures along the A1 and M62 meant it took almost five hours before we arrived. Brian dropped Dad and me off opposite the rough track along Cliff Lane and headed towards Wandale Farm. We walked up the track and around the side of the buildings to find the Shrike perched in nearby bushes. Brian soon joined us, and after each of us paid the £10 entrance fee, we enjoyed close views of the bird for the entire time we were on site.

These shrikes are normally found in southern Siberia to central Asia and winter in North Africa and Southern India. There are two subspecies lumped together known as Isabelline Shrike. Both are very similar; however, the people who decide such matters have declared that the two subspecies are separate species in their own right, with one known as Daurian and the other Turkestan/Red-tailed Shrike. The Turkestan/Red-tailed Shrike is the much rarer of the two species.

A Red-tailed Shrike was reported at Hargen aan Zee in the North of the Netherlands, and it is thought that the bird at Bempton is the same.

After enjoying some stunning views of the shrike, we headed up the grass track and onto the RSPB reserve at Bempton. We spent a few hours leisurely viewing the cliffs and enjoyed stunning views of Razorbill, Guillemot, Gannet, Kittiwake, Fulmar Shag, and Puffins. We failed to find the Albatross, although it was seen loafing on the sea near Flamborough Head. However, that was from one of the seabird boat cruises. However, it wasn't reported at all while we were on site.

View from the "New Roll-Up" platform

Hoopoe: Hinxworth, Hertfordshire

After yesterday's trip to Norfolk, we made arrangements to travel to Hinxworth in Hertfordshire if yesterday's Hoopoe was again reported today. We didn't have to wait very long as the bird was reported as present at 7.16am. 

We left at 10am and arrived outside the church grounds an hour later. As we walked through the church we added to the donation box at the gate and continued along the footpath to view the third of three small horse paddocks. The Hoopoe was busily feeding among the short-cut grass. We watched it for several minutes before it suddenly flew up into the conifers bordering the paddock. It soon returned to feed again, but was quite mobile and would fly to a different paddock each time. 

We spent three enjoyable hours watching and sometimes trying to relocate the bird, but it always remained distant for photographs. 

St Nicholas Church

The paddocks 

Bee-eaters: Trimingham, Norfolk

Four Bee-eaters were first reported at Trimingham in Norfolk on the 5th of June, but my interest increased when seven were reported as nesting in a quarry off Gimingham Road on the 16th.

Trimingham is located twenty miles north of Norwich and five miles East of Cromer on the North Norfolk coast.

The RSPB had set up a viewing area overlooking a small quarry where the birds were said to be nesting. We waited a few days before making the trip hoping the crowds would have dropped in numbers, We left at 5am and arrived at the field being used as a temporary car park around 7.30am. After paying the £5 entrance fee we walked the short distance to the viewing area.

As we reached the viewing area we could see five birds perched on the telegraph wires. They would regularly fly out to catch several species of insects, Bees, wasps, butterflies, and dragonflies were all caught and quickly dispatched.

We watched several attempts at mating and at least three birds entering one of the nest entrances. We were told by a volunteer that they believe there are at least eight birds present, with one bird missing a large section of one of its wings. 

A very enjoyable morning watching the Bee-eaters with a constant stream of visitors arriving throughout our visit. The RSPB volunteers were doing a superb job, happy to let people without scopes look through several already set up under the temporary canopy.

The viewing area

The quarry 

Mating taking place