randombirder

A quick dart up to Brancaster having returned back from Egypt - the weather was significantly different. Parking up on the concrete pad that formed the advised vantage point for the cackling goose, it was a distant browse through the thousands of pink-footed goose foraging amongst the fallow that provided a challenging attempt to catch-up with this nearctic vagrant.  It was eventually located through a gap in a hedge feeding amongst its surrogates and that was essentially that.  A male hen harrier passed by adding a bit more interest to the day.

One of my favourite countries.  Egypt - and it was great to visit again as well as see one a good friend in Cairo.  Based in Hurghada, the Bellagio Beach Hotel has a small tidal inlet that supports a number of waterbirds that come and go as the tides ebb and flow.  It was here that the majority of new species were seen which was quite convenient as there weren't many points along this stretch of coast that were easy to access. Slender-billed gull were present constantly here in fluctuating numbers as were great crested tern  a couple of  caspian tern , a single sooty gull on a couple of evenings, and a pallas's gull that popped in for a couple of hours. Two western reef heron (a pale phase and a dark phase) flew into the bay on the first day with the dark phase seen on subsequent days. A couple of striated heron were only seen on the first day at the hotel which was quite fortunate. A fair selection of wader species would feed on the intertidal mud inc...

Not an easy bird to catch up with - the alpine accentor  exclusively favours montane habitats such as the Alps and Pyrenees moving to lower levels in winter, but with a run of exceptionally mild southerly winds that continue to blow through the country, it appears that anything is possible at the moment. Noting that the bird had roosted overnight, an early start was the way forward with one observer having identified its continued presence on the Martello Tower shortly before dawn using a thermal imaging camera. The site was easy to find, as was the bird but the over-exuberant and aroused congregation of twitchers were keen to afford themselves close range views constantly moving together in unison ever closer to the poor bird - not behaviour I'm particularly enamoured with but sadly it goes with the territory.  Hanging back in anticipation that the bird would fly my way, a strategy that paid off with great views of this scarce European vagrant.  A wander round the nearb...

The season of eyestripes and wingbars and for me, there's no better place for it but the Scillies.  Relying on the benevolence of favourable weather systems and the comfort of home-made cake and coffee, the eight days on the Isles were as sublime as they always are. Highlights: Blackburnian warbler - probably the top of the list of UK birding experiences from the anxious wait on tides to seeing this nearctic vagrant hawk for insects within touching distance. The assembled crowd numbering in excess of 300 were respectful and equally glowing in reverence to this mighty nearctic vagrant.  Truly unprecedented, undeniably breathtaking. Also; Swainson's thrush American buff-bellied pipit Radde's warbler Barred warbler Melodious warbler Cory's shearwater Great shearwater Sooty shearwater Wryneck Birds 1. Mute Swan Five on the Great Pool, Bryher on the 14th. 2. Fulmar One flew past during the pelagic on the 11th. 3. Cory's Shearwater Estimated count of 140 associating with...