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

Sardinian Warbler: South Foreland, Kent

Kent is proving to be a hotspot at the moment and we headed back there this morning hoping to see our first Sardinian Warbler. 

It's a new site for us and this caused a few problems in finding the exact area. Luckily the finder Jamie P was in the cafe when Brian went in to ask for directions. It was a short but steep climb up the path to reach the area the warbler had been favouring. An hour passed with no sight or sound of the target bird, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Robin, Blackbird, and Goldfinch were all seen or heard within the immediate area and we enjoyed close views of Peregrine, Buzzard, and Hobby overhead.

Then the Sardinian Warbler called from close by, a fast rattling "ctret-tret-tret-tret" deep within the bushes. Then a quieter shorter sub-song was heard briefly before I caught a glimpse of the bird as it flew between bushes. 

Another birder thought he had the bird further down the valley, only for it to be identified as a Lesser Whitethroat when it appeared among the tree branches. We returned to stake out the original scrub and heard the bird calling several times but still no sightings. Then it began calling from the opposite side of the path remaining hidden deep within the bushes. Suddenly a Whitethroat flew into the same area and the Sardinians flew out low across the path back into the scrub. 

We spent six hours on-site, hearing the bird numerous times but frustratingly only ever getting fleeting glimpses of it in flight or edging its way through thick cover.

Not a bad place to spend a morning

Scrub areas favoured by the Sardinian Warbler

Eleonora's Falcon: Worth Marsh, Kent

A photograph of a Hobby over Restharrow scrape at Sandwich Bay in Kent was re-identified as an Eleonora's falcon! It was seen around midday and soon moved twenty miles inland to Stodmarsh where it was only seen for a further hour before disappearing and not seen again. A few lucky locals managed to see it, but for the majority who made the trip, it ended in disappointment.

These birds if seen do not normally hang about, and you normally have to be there on-site to have any chance of connecting. So imagine our surprise when the bird was reported this morning at 9.57 at Worth Marsh.!

The reports continued throughout the morning of its presence at Worth Marsh, leading to even more frustration as dad had a prior commitment. Eventually, we met up and set off on the ninety-mile trip. We left at around 2.30pm, definitely not the ideal time on a Friday and it being school half-term. After encountering heaving traffic at several points along the route we arrived around 5pm. Volunteers were waiting to direct birders along a rough track to a field being used as a temporary car park. We passed several birders who were returning,  all giving us positive news. We reached the line of birders and within seconds we had the scope trained on the bird. Plenty of birders arrived throughout the early evening and several were pleased to grab a view through my scope.

We watched it for over an hour where it remained perched in the tree, eventually, it made several short flights, catching dragonflies and returning to the same tree each time.

A Red-footed Falcon had also been reported close by, so we headed off to Worth and quickly found the bird perched on nearby telegraph wires along Goretop lane. As we were watching the Red-footed Falcon, we heard that Eleonora's Falcon was showing well sat on a post in the middle of a field. We found a spot to park the car and enjoyed superb scope views of the bird along with two Hobby. 

 

Thanks to all the volunteers and staff who gave up their time to give directions and parking instructions it was greatly appreciated.

KGV Reservoir and Lee Valley Glossy Ibis

I've recently made a couple of brief local excursions hoping to connect with some returning migrants. An early morning trip to the KGV Reservoir proved rewarding when a Black Tern was found flying along the West side of the South Basin. Hirundines were spotted flying overhead, mainly Swallows and Sand Martins but among them were several Swifts, another welcome addition to the year list.

The Red-necked Grebe, now in its smart summer plumage was still present but remained distant in the middle of the South Basin.

A Turnstone was an unexpected but welcome addition to my London list while searching for Common Sandpipers, and soon the Sandpiper was spotted further along the reservoir edge. The walk to the causeway added a further two Common Sandpipers. 

The hirundine numbers had slowly been building during the morning and we soon had several groups flying between the South and North Basins. House Martins were now present in good numbers and several were perching on the wires.

3rd May

Late morning a Glossy Ibis was reported at Lee Valley. Brian was busy with family duties, but Robert was keen to go, so we headed over there and after a quick scan we found the Ibis busily feeding at the back of the scrape. It was soon being harassed by Coots and took flight serval times, each time it didn't go far but it never landed close.

Glossy Ibis

Although I had seen a Glossy Ibis already this year, this was a new addition to my London list. 

There had been reports of a Greenshank on the small pool near the "Goose Fields". Needing it for a year tick we headed that way and after walking the length of the track down to the sailing club, we eventually found an area to view the pool. Thankfully the Greenshank was still present. Also, present along the edge of the same pool, we found a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Spotted Redshank. Both were needed for my Lee Valley list.

RSPB Lakenheath, Cranes

Having arrived shortly after 6am, we had the reserve to ourselves for the first couple of hours. We decided to walk the grass bank alongside the River Little Ouse. Beginning with a scan of the  Washland.  A drake Garganey was soon found along with several Ruff in various colours. An almost completely black individual and a brilliant white bird really stood out. We continued along the bank and enjoyed the sight and sounds of several Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers, and also a distant Grasshopper Warbler reeling. Cuckoos were calling from various locations and two were seen perched in nearby bushes and trees. 

We arrived at Joist Fen viewpoint and enjoyed several sightings of Cranes and Bitterns. A Kingfisher flashed through on a number of occasions but never settled. We saw our first House Martins of the year but Hirundines were only present in very small numbers. Grey overcast skies and low temperatures weren't ideal for seeing any Hobby and none were seen either flying or perched in nearby trees.

Bearded Tits were heard "pinging" and we eventually had several views as they flitted among the reeds from Mere Hide. 

A final stop at New Fen viewpoint produced more flight views of a Crane and another Bittern.