Spoonbills galore

A trip to Norfolk always carries a high burden of expectation.  The first port of call was Tichwell where there was a nice group of six Spoonbills - always good to see and a species I don't see too often in Britain.

A juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper gave good but brief views.

The saltmarsh near Stiffkey had some productive channels on the low tide and an adult Greenshank was feeding with characteristic fervour while pausing occasionally.

Stiffkey Fen was full of birds among which were 27 Spoonbills - the highest count I have had together in this country.

Further along towards Morston a juvenile Peregrine made several unsuccessful attempts to capture a Black-headed Gull.

Following the track out across the saltmarsh at Morston , lines of Dark-bellied Brent Geese came into view along the shoreline of Blakeney Harbour, and out of a channel .... more Spoonbills !

There were other small groups of Brents on saltmarsh pools towards Cley.

Some time on a grey morning watching the sea off the end of the East Bank at Cley was rather quiet with the wind in the SW.  A few juvenile Gannets patrolled the coast and small numbers of Brents trickled in off the sea.  Phonescoping these was fun !

Pat's Pool at Cley had good numbers of Ruff, both adults and juveniles and some lovely males still retaining white heads.

Several gulls were catching crabs - good to see them eating proper food !

This 3rd W Herring Gull managed to hang on to its prey after a klepto-parasitic attack from a Great Black-backed Gull along the beach at Blakeney Point.

, 

The Magic of Islands

I think I am becoming addicted to islands - although 'becoming' is probably not the right word.

This time it was to Bardsey Island...

Bardsey has a long history of human habitation, had an early monastery and is reputed to have once had a king.  This is him -

Getting there was a bit of a novel experience as we climbed aboard the catamaran as it rested in a cradle at the top of the slipway.  A tractor then shunted the whole thing down into the water and away we went.

Choughs were a real treat both on the island and on the Lleyn Peninsula.

Ravens patrolled overhead.

White Wagtails were passing through both on the island and the mainland and far outnumbered Pied Wagtails.

First-winter White Wagtail.

Of the waders present in the area Knot were in small numbers only.  This juvenile bird was a particularly confiding individual - the colour tones changing as the sun came and went.

A single Greenland Wheatear put in an all too brief appearance on a rain-swept headland but some pristine first-winter birds lingered in the afternoon sunshine.

The island has no ground predators and a breeding population of around 20,000 Manx Shearwaters.  The adults had already departed and the first of the young  were apparently just beginning to emerge from their burrows in the evenings.  How strange to think of these birds just beneath our feet as we walked over the turf of the island.

From one rare bird to another

Despite persistent rain on Saturday 3rd September the Longtown Citrine Wagtail was seen by a steady trickle of people.  It remained through the next day and into the early morning of Monday

Monday morning and another day with the Hen Harriers at Geltsdale.  The young bird ' Gordon ' now flying like a pro. and even landing elegantly.  He performed a determined foraging exploit, turning to drop to the ground in classic Hen Harrier style several times before catching what looked like a small rhodent - success !

The moorland at Geltsdale with 'Gordon' just visible over the heather.

The dark juvenile plumage makes him tricky to pick up against the heather background.  The female shows more light brown on the upper wing coverts making her more visible - the male, never a very committed parent, seems to have lost interest completely !

On the same Hen Harrier theme, great news that the e-petition to ban driven Grouse shooting will be debated in Parliament.  The battle for the truth continues - Tory MPs still pedalling nonsense about woodland, hedgerow and beetle bank preservation - on Grouse moors ?  Really ?

A tour round some sites in the Humber Estuary area later in the week with some wader experiences unparalled here in North Cumbria - feeding flocks of Spotted Redshank, Black-tailed Godwits everywhere and large groups of Avocets.

The Western Swamphen emerged from the reeds occasionally at Alkborough Flats - rather distant but a great bird to see in Britain.

This species, now on its third name within my memory ( formerly know as Purple Gallinule ) and just last year arose from the superspecies Purple Swamphen as one of six new species.  Time to modify my Westen Palearctic and World lists.

A Sparrowhawk and a Citrine Wagtail

Some say that a Sparrowhawk sighting is a good omen for the day - surely not ?

The morning dawned like a summer's day but the forecast said rain before eleven.  So the trip to Longtown to collect a bike had to be early.  A glance out of the kitchen window before heading off - and there was a fine male Sparrowhawk, a juvenile moulting into adult.

The Esk at Longtown seemed quiet and after spending some time looking at the different ages of Common and Black-headed Gulls I headed back towards my car stopping to check a small group of wagtails on the shingle.  One stood out as a much brighter paler bird - and those ear coverts encircled by a pale border !  No dark breast patch - Citrine Wagtail !  Then a whole period of doubt and frantic phone-scoping. Why is it NOT a Citrine ?

Back home and more checking the literature and a phone call to good friend Tristan along with a WhatsApp image for moral support before putting the news out.

I now believe in the magical qualities of Sparrowhawks !