randombirder

Shaun Harvey is a hero.  He found a Dusky Warbler near to the Stone Barges at Rainham. I headed down on a dismal Sunday morning.  It was gloooomy.  Staking out at the appropriate location I waited along with a few faithful London birders. The bird began to call.  Brief ticks then silence. It then appeared from the gorse, and flew over to an adjacent clump of gorse and hawthorn.  It did that a couple of times. And that was pretty much it.  Rather low-key for a mega London bird.

It was almost out of view when I arrived on site, largely obscured by overhanging nettle on the banks of the stream.  The setting was somewhat picturesque. The Black-bellied Dipper at this quaint Suffolk site then flew out into the open to feed again, diagnostically plunging into the shallows of the River Gipping.  Lively and energetic. It then flew towards the gasping onlookers and settled on a line of exposed stones close into the viewing area.  My camera wouldn't focus on it.  It then exploded off again.  Upstream.  Later seen dashing back and forth - appeared slightly unhinged.  A dazzling bird. Of the nominate form C.c. cinclus this is the Western European race of which our C.c. gularis  is the subspecies.  In the main, the underbelly is ostensibly uniformly dark.  The contrasts are striking.

More of the same.  There was one at Easington.  I was there last week.  Then one turned up in Norfolk.  At Burnham Overy.  So I went.  I saw it.  It was lovely.  An Isabelline Wheatear .  Only the third for Norfolk I'm told.  A rare bird indeed. I also saw a Pallas's Warbler (4th).  My third of the autumn.  Brief though.  There was also a Shorelark .  Looked like a young bird.  Not as gaudy as the adults.  Quite a scaly mantle. Two Northern Wheatear also present. A few conversations had.  A thoroughly satisfying afternoon.   

I headed out of the Hope and Anchor pub as the light began to fade away for one last scan of the trees that surround the car park.  Birds were active, and within the foliage a  Pallas's Warbler , a Yellow-browed Warbler , and a Firecrest were picked up within ten minutes.  And this was pretty much the order of the day. There were birds everywhere, and having driven up the night before and rested in a hotel on Hedon, Kat and I were up at first light to head over to Easington for the SIBERIAN ACCENTOR .  I'd seen the photos from the day before of queues wrapped round corners as hundreds of anxious birders descended on this migrant hotspot for their moment with this super-sibe, The 'invasion' of this species across northern Europe has been unprecedented. There was a queue, but it was a relaxed atmosphere, a few familiar faces mixed into the homogonised crowd, a convivial atmosphere, and an abbreviated wait before groups of 30 were allowed access to a tarmac area oppo

Another enjoyable day at Titchwell with a few highlights that included at least three Yellow-browed Warbler that at times showed well around the visitor centre with another low down along Meadow trail. The continuing Pectoral Sandpiper strutted along the near shoreline of the freshmarsh totally oblivious to the many onlookers lined along the path. Of course there were plenty of waders again, 20 species in total seen throughout the day that included Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper in addition to the Pec. A single Pied Flycatcher sortied for insects from trees along the main path and a single Swallow flew over the marsh. Small groups of Redwing passed through and Goldcrest were foraging for insects after their impressive voyage across the sea.   Brambling were also present close to the visitor centre. Reports of a Black-browed Albatross moving along the North Norfolk coast had birders hopping into a frenzy.  Lining up along the beach, a few claimed to

A day out with a friend to have a look at some waders.  Oare Marshes is surely the best site in the south-east for wading birds.  The East Flood as always was packed with them - hundreds of Black-tailed Godwit , Dunlin , Ringed Plover , Redshank , Golden Plover , with around 25 Avocet , a few Ruff , and two Little Stint , with Grey Plover , Curlew , and a Curlew Sandpiper picked out on the shore on the receded tide-line. A few Swallow were still on the move and a couple of Bearded Tit noisily alighted from the reedbed.  The easterly breeze had pushed in seabirds with Skuas seen by visiting birders which we missed, but at least 20 Gannet had flown into the channel, circled, before heading away. Mediterranean Gull were present on the water off-shore.