The year started off well with the 1st of January
seeing me add Ring-necked Duck to
the year list (that I apparently wasn’t keeping), this drake has returned to
the Teesmouth area for its third year now and hopefully with return for many
years to come. An early trip to Norfolk
provided superb views of two male Golden
Pheasants at Wolferton Triangle; the same day provided distant but
acceptable views of my first Lesser
white-fronted Goose amongst a sizeable flock of Taiga Bean Geese at Buckenham Marshes RSPB. The Common Crane roost at Stubb’s Mill
provided excellent views of no less than five birds with nearly countless Marsh Harriers along with Hen Harriers and Merlin as supporting cast. Cley Marshes NWT provided me with my
second views of the Western Sandpiper,
I had previously seen the bird at the back end of December 2012; later in that
day at Lady Ann’s Drive I was able to enjoy two distant Ross’s Geese but they are as always of suspect origin. At Titchwell
RSPB I was rewarded with excellent views of a 1st winter Coues’ Arctic Redpoll allowing me to
further study this fascinating and often distinctive species, much discussion
about this bird ensued on BirdForum with most agreeing on the identification of
the bird. A memorable twitch to Hampshire allowed me to see a male Spanish Sparrow in a housing estate at
Calshot, after this a venture into the New Forest
provided me with superb views of a Dark-eyed
Junco at Hawkshill Inclosure. Meanwhile in Durham
the winter remained quiet until things started to pick up toward the end of
January when a Great Grey Shrike
turned up at Coatham Stob near Darlington .
February got off to a bang in Durham when images of a third-winter Iceland Gull surfaced that proved the
bird to be a Kumlien’s Gull. The
bird remained at Hartlepool Fish Quay most of the winter and proved to be very
popular; 2 Iceland Gulls and at
least 1 Glaucous Gull made my first
visit more than memorable. A very unexpected American warbler turned up at
Rhiwderin (Gwent) in the form of a Common
Yellowthroat, this bird showed superbly well in the afternoon and it was
great to take in and enjoy such an attractive plumaged bird; the same day a
short trip south-west provided close and truly excellent views of a drake Lesser Scaup at Cosmeston Lakes CP.
March was largely quiet however I was rewarded with some
excellent views of displaying Goshawks
in the uplands of Durham ,
the month was largely spent enjoying out resident birds and enjoying the first
arrivals of our spring migrants. A self found Osprey was a nice surprise when looking for Goshawks, and constitutes my earliest ever in the UK . A Glossy Ibis turned up at Saltholme RSPB
and stayed well into April, sometimes the bird would show close but for most
individuals the bird remained distant. A Green-winged
Teal was also available at Dorman’s Pool as a supporting task; sometimes it
would hide away in the reedbed but most people wanting to connect were
successful.
Early April started with a White Stork turning up at Lamesley Meadows in Durham ; my suspicions were confirmed as to
the bird’s origin when on inspection I was able to spot that dreaded metal ring
on the birds left leg above the foot. This bird was considered one of the free
flying individuals from Harewood House on West Yorkshire .
A dark juvenile Thayer’s Gull turned
up in fields at Elsham in Lincolnshire and
generally performed well for all those hoping to see the bird; a highly
distinctive and very educational bird, not that expected as in Britain Thayer’s Gull remains a very rare bird.
This bird would be Britain ’s
second providing that the Essex individual was accepted as Britain ’s
first. Lincolnshire
was on a bit of a roll and toward the end of the month the wandering Black-winged Stilt turned up at
Frampton Marsh RSPB and remained there just long enough for me to see the bird;
much to my delight! The bird started of in Wexford (Ireland) before moving to
Oxfordshire, after a short star the bird moved to Leicester and Rutland, then
finally it settled down in Lincolnshire for a while where it performed well and
found Frampton Marsh RSPB much to its liking! A surprise twitch on the way home
from the Black-winged Stilt came in
the form of a stunning Red-rumped
Swallow at Far Ings NR in North Lincolnshire
which performed well as it flew by at close quarters eating insects. Two days
later on the 30th and Durham had a second Red-rumped Swallow at Bowesfield Marsh
NR in Stockton on Tees; this bird came much to
my delight after dipping the last previously twitchable Durham
Red-rumped Swallow at Far Pasture NR
in Gateshead . A truly fantastic bird to end
the month and showed extremely well both in flight and perched up, a memorable
bird indeed.
May really did get off to a bang, Britain ’s
first potential Atlas Flycatcher was
discovered at Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire
and got some pulses racing. Thoughts the bird had gone were dismissed when it
was re-found not far from the original site of discovery, much to the delight
of the British birders the bird hung around for several days and would often
reward observers with fantastic views. A post University twitch on a Tuesday
evening provided me with excellent views of this truly educational and rare
Flycatcher. The bird was trapped and ringed and some feathers from the bird were
sent away for DNA analysis, the results came back and it was announced that the
bird was generically too distinct to be an Atlas
Flycatcher and the bird is said to be an aberrant Pied Flycatcher. This news was a shame and a shock, but the bird
itself was an education. A dip came when I tried to twitch the Savi’s Warbler in Leicestershire and
Rutland at Rutland Water; the bird was heard briefly early morning but I didn’t
manage to see it so the species still evades my British list, however the day
was saved when a rather showy Wryneck
turned up at Cornthwaite Park in Durham and was readily received by Durham
birders. I had my first Wood Sandpiper
fairly early on in May with my first at Lamesley Meadows in Gateshead ;
I subsequently managed to see two more at Saltholme RSPB and a personal long
awaited local bird at Rainton Meadows DWT. Mid-May saw the return of the male Nightingale to Cowpen Bewley
Woodland Park Holy
Island ; a White-rumped
Sandpiper was also discovered by myself and Paul Anderson but flew off
before the ID could be clinched. Thankfully the bird was seen the next day and
confirmed to be what we had initially thought. It went quiet for a few days
with lingering rarities then Saturday saw the arrival of a 1st
summer male Citrine Wagtail, a
species I had missed out on just a few years ago; a spur of the moment decision
saw me moving from Teesside to Thornwick Bay at Flamborough Head late in the afternoon
to see the bird. It showed superbly well and was yellow-lemon enough to qualify
as another noticeable highlight of spring.
Later on toward the end of May just a day after the Citrine Wagtail news broke on the
Sunday evening of an adult Cream-coloured
Courser in Herefordshire. The next day news was positive at dawn and I set
of with friends, we arrived late afternoon the next day and the bird was
allowing for some superb and enjoyable views, an extremely stunning bird. It
simply went about its business as it wandered around the bracken and fairway on
top of Britain ’s
highest golf course. One of my highlights of birding in Britain and wasn’t
topped by anything else during the remainder of the birding year; it stayed for
just three and a half days before flying off high in a south westerly direction
and was not subsequently found again. Days later saw another wader turn up in
my home county at Saltholme RSPB; a cracking summer plumaged Long-billed Dowitcher. It was typically
elusive throughout its stay and I only managed distant scope views for most of
the time. However this didn’t take away from the rarity of the species with
this individual being only the second for Durham
following a short staying bird in 2007. The month ended typically well with a 2nd
summer White-winged Black Tern
putting on a small performance at Saltholme RSPB for the arriving birders, the
same evening I enjoyed superb display flights from both Woodcock and Nightjar at
Hamsterley Forest
in Durham .
However the star Durham
bird of the spring was undoubtedly the Western
Orphean Warbler, caught early morning and then released at the now very
famous bowing green; made famous by both this bird and last years White-throated Robin. The bird was on
full view for a couple of hours in the morning as it roosted before becoming
more lively and actively feeding, after which point it became slightly more
elusive but performed well early evening for the then assembled masses from
around the UK.
June started with a bang, the Roller found a couple of days previously at Spurn in East Yorkshire located a few miles north to a farmers
field around Aldbrough. A truly stunning bird and although no longer a mega I
feel it really does deserve mega status, the same evening saw me crossing over
to the Farne Island in Northumberland; when we arrived we were informed the Rustic Bunting we were in pursuit of
had flown off high west. As soon as we arrived at the site a gentleman spotted
the bird, it subsequently showed well. Almost full summer plumage the bird was
truly stunning, a great way to end another memorable day. Days later I was
watching a Dotterel on Danby Beacon
in North Yorkshire , seemingly giving birders
that day the runabout it obliged as soon as I arrived. I finally connected with
my first Red-footed Falcon at
Willington GP’s in Derbyshire; a cracking first summer male that showed well
brilliantly feeding on dragonflies over the river Trent, the same day I had
tantalisingly brief views of a Marsh
Warbler at Blacktoft Sands RSPB in East Yorkshire. The day after I had
amazing views of a singing male Marsh
Warbler at Hadston Carrs in Northumberland, seeing the species sitting out
in the open for prolonged views singing was an undoubted highlight of the year.
A second Red-footed Falcon at
Crimdon Dene in Durham
was an unexpected bird, a cracking first summer female, the bird performed well
but in fading light. The bird could not be located the following day and so was
not seen again. June ended with a
bang when a Little Swift decided to
roost on a hotel window at New Brighton in Cheshire , as can be imagined this was much to the delight
of those who had not previously been able to connect with the species in the UK . Dawn the
next day saw me standing in front of the hotel watching the bird roosting, it
then left the roost and we enjoyed views of the bird feeding with Common Swifts.
July was slow going at the start of the month but started to
heat up toward the later part of the month. A Pectoral Sandpiper on Greatham Creek in Durham
was not unexpected but a delight to see anyway, news of a Caspian Tern that was lingering in Norfolk
was enough for me to be down in Norfolk
for dawn the next day. Excellent views were had of the Caspian Tern early morning the next day as it flew around the
Buckenham Marshes RSPB area only to return to the same flooded spot. Another Pectoral Sandpiper at Castle Lake DBC
in Durham a few
days later was my second of the year and my second for this site. July ended
with a White-winged Black Tern at
Saltholme RSPB in Durham
which was my second of the year.
August may have been quiet but August was more exciting, an
undoubted highlight was a Stilt
Sandpiper at Low Newton in Northumberland. A cracking adult moulting out of
summer plumage, fortunately it hadn’t moulted out many feathers! Mid August saw
the return of the adult Bonaparte’s Gull
to Whitburn Steel in Durham ,
as always the bird remained in the area for the whole month, it arrived in
almost full summer plumage and quickly moulted into winter plumage, 2 juvenile Black Terns alongside the bird on its
first twitchable night were a sign of things to come. Days later a Broad-billed Sandpiper was found on
Seaton Snook in Durham ,
my first ever juvenile it showed well at close range. That evening the bird
departed high south, but birders were left to look at the impressive wader
roost and the 2 Black Terns flying
around the Snook amongst the throng of terns. The first migrant passerines fell
with a Barred Warbler at Hartlepool
Headland in Durham being notable and a Greenish Warbler at St Mary’s Island in Northumberland the following day, the latter
being typically elusive at this site.
September is always an exciting month, considered by many to
be when autumn really gets underway. The month didn’t disappoint and was jam
packed with goodies for all, on the 1st an American Black Tern at Manchester
was a welcome distraction as it spent time around Pennington Flash with a Black Tern. After a successful twitch news of an Arctic Warbler at Flamborough Head in
Old Fall Plantation was just too much to resist, the bird showed superbly well
down to quite literally 5ft and below eye level, a truly memorable bird!
Lambton Pond boasted 2 Pectoral
Sandpipers early on in the month, showing promise for this location in the
future as an autumnal wader hotspot. However early on in the month a Short-billed Dowitcher in Dorset saw me
making the long trip down to Dorset to be rewarded with spectacular views of
this American vagrant. Days later I was watching my second ever Baird’s Sandpiper as it roosted with
waders at Newburn Bridge, without time to rest I was down to London to see the Baillon’s Crake at Rainham Marshes
RSPB, brief views in the morning were frustrating but then the Short-billed Dowitcher again and the Monarch butterfly more than made up for
that, an evening visit to the Baillon’s Crake provided superb views of the bird
as it clambered up the reeds in fading light. Only a short gap in excitement
and I had soon seen a stunning adult Sabine’s
Gull off Hartlepool Headland and only a few days later a stunning Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Goswick in
Northumberland. Migrants started coming in at the end of September and a Red-breasted Flycatcher was good to
see, and followed the next day by another and a lifer in the form of a Common Rosefinch in the Whitburn area.
However the following day was a day to be remembered with 2 Pallas’s Grasshopper Warblers in Durham on the same day, I
only managed the 1, however I got prolonged views in the hand of the
individual. A Yellow-browed Warbler
on the same day was the first of the autumn; days later saw another Yellow-browed Warbler heard calling at Whitburn Coastal Park Island .
October really is a month to go birding in Britain and
this year as in previous years, the month did not disappoint. Britain ’s first female Pallid Harrier at Firsby Reservoir was brief but enjoyable in South Yorkshire . Not long afterward a Hume’s Warbler in Northumberland was a
welcome distraction, the following day a Blyth’s
Reed Warbler at St Mary’s Island was most
interesting and educational, and another Yellow-browed
Warbler here was most welcome! The following day saw Northumberland
continuing its good run of birds with a 1st winter male Pied Wheatear on Holy Island, the bird
performed well only for a select few who made it over to the island then had a
mad dash to see this stunning example of the species. Toward the back end of
the month the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
in Fire at Kilminning could not be resisted much longer, after poor views of my
first in East Yorkshire back in 2010 this was
a welcome bird. The fantastic tacking call and views made for a memorable day
with the bird constantly tail dipping and showing superbly well, a definite
easy contender for one of my personal birds of the year. The same day saw a Radde’s Warbler some 100 yards away
that eventually gave itself up allowing for some good views, whilst a nearby Red-breasted Flycatcher was another
welcome distraction before leaving the Fife
coast. An in the hand Pallas’s Warbler
days later was welcome at Whitburn Coastal Park, the bird was then seen by
myself and a few others hours later on the southern end of the big mound,
whilst later the same day a Red-breasted
Flycatcher in the hand was gratefully received! However the following day
saw the star of the show for the dedicated ringers when a Dusky Warbler was trapped and ringed at the big mound at Whitburn,
the bird was released and remained in the area much to the relief of many, I
also managed to catch up with the bird in the field allowing for brief but
acceptable views of this skulking species. The month ended rather strangely
with winter appearing to be ushered in when I saw a Todd’s Canada Goose in Cumbria at Cardurnock whilst
dipping a Richardson’s Canada Goose,
nearby the same day I enjoyed fantastic views of a Great White Egret at Campfield Marsh RSPB.
November was a fantastic month, with a feel of both autumn
and winter throughout, until the end of the month where the realities and
reminders of winter kicked in. On the 3rd I was enjoying a rather
stunning Little Bunting at Elba Park Cumbria at Whitrigg, after taking in the
delights of this bird I headed off to Loaningfoot in Dumfries and Galloway to
finally connect with the Richardson’s
Canada Goose I had dipped in Cumbria weeks earlier. As the month
drew to a close gulls became the focus of attention with 3 birds seen in total;
1 second-winter and 2 first-winter birds over a 1 week period then nothing,
despite extensive searching and looking I never saw a Caspian Gull again by the end of the year.
December was typically quiet
with a Buff-bellied Pipit being the
real ‘stand-out’ bird on the month, performing down to a few feet at Berkshire
was quite surreal but a real pleasure, the same day saw me seeing the American Wigeon at Anglers CP in West
Yorkshire on the way home from the pipit. Last notable sighting of the year
came on the 31st when I managed to catch up with a stunning 3rd
winter Kumlien’s Gull at Cleadon.
A truly fantastic birding year
and a one I am not likely to forget any time soon! At the start of the year my
British list stood at 317 and at the end of the year stood at 347 giving me 30
British ticks, however Thayer’s Gull
is not counted as it is pending acceptance, also the Richardson’s Canada Goose is not counted under “Lesser Canada” as
the records are under review and so remains an armchair. However I have counted
Red-breasted Goose in with this
total of 347 as it will no doubt be considered to be the same bird and accepted
accordingly. My British year list ended on 282, by highest total yet with my
previous best being last year when I managed 279 species.
Until next time, Foghorn out!
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