Fair Isle At The Second Attempt!!

After a particularly unsuccessful trip to Fair Isle for the Siberian Rubythroat, several years back, I vowed to never return. That was all set to change back in July 2013, with the trapping of not one but two Swinhoe's Petrels, the second bird was retrapped several times, allowing 20-30 birders to twitch it, with the final trapping occurring in early September. At the time, it hadn't really occurred to me to actually consider going for it, but after a successful twitch for the American Herring Gull in Campbeltown earlier this year, it seemed that there were several other people who may also be interested in giving it a go.

Fast forward to 7.30am on 9th July 2014, I was just getting the kids up and ready for school, when my phone started going crazy:

MEGA ALERT 
Shetland - Swinhoe's Petrel again Fair Isle re-trapped at 1.45am, individual first trapped in 2013

Aaaarrrrggghhhhh! That threw a spanner in the works, panic mode, that was nearly two weeks earlier than last year and not what we were expecting just yet. With the kids finally sorted, Amy off to school and Toby out with mummy for the day, plans were hatched. With the new BTO regulations in place, making the birds welfare the priority, we knew that things weren't going to be as straight forward as last year. After several telephone conversations with FIBO, it seemed that it was do-able but would require a lot of luck.

Things came together and with a couple of retraps, we decided that it was now or never, we had to do this before the entire petrel ringing season was cancelled for the year.

We all met up at an airfield in Nottinghamshire on Tuesday 15th July and flew up to Fair Isle, arriving just a couple of hours later, where we were met by David the warden of FIBO, who kindly transported us to the observatory. We still weren't sure that there would even be any actual petrel ringing that night as the weather wasn't perfect. At 11.30pm, it was decided that the weather had improved sufficiently and the conditions were now looking ideal, game on!!!

The Havens - the large stones on the grass are used to weigh down the nets

We all assembled in the generator hut and waited for the petrel ringing to start, several European Storm Petrels, were trapped in quick succession, but as the time passed, the tension grew. As a part of the sessions, members of the public are allowed to release the birds once they've been rung, so I volunteered to have a go. While letting the stormie rest on the palm of my hand, before flying off into the night, David announced that the Swinhoe's was calling and by using your bins, you could make out it's larger shape, flying around the nets, it was here and we just needed it in the nets. I ran back into the hut and just minutes later it was caught and  processed.

Swinhoe's Storm Petrel (Photos by Mark Rayment)

Swinhoe's doing it's thing!!

What a truly amazing trip it had been and couldn't believe we had pulled it off. Massive thanks have to go to all at the observatory for all of their fabulous work and patience with the daily phone calls. Hope to be back soon, perhaps to lay the ghost of that Rubythroat!!!!

What A Year?!?!

2013 will go down in most birders memories as one of the best ever for rarities and not just the run-of-the-mill stuff that you'll catch up with every few years, but Monsters. Pine Grosbeak, Dusky Thrush (or hybrid, depending on whether you saw it or not!!), Pacific and Needle-tailed Swifts, Bridled Tern, Ascension Frigatebird, Swinhoe's Petrel, the list goes on and on.

For me, it has been one of my most difficult years, being unable to get away for most things, it had left me with only one new bird for the year, the Bridled Tern on The Farnes. A fantastic bird to finally catch up with after 2 previous dips in the eighties.

Going in to the autumn, I hadn't really held out much hope of anything new and with everything seemingly turning up on islands or in Ireland, it looked as I was right. Half term started and Liz had a few days off so I planned to go if something decent turned up.

Sunday 27th October 14.52pm **MEGA ALERT**
Co.Cork - Ruby-Crowned Kinglet - Cape Clear

No!

Monday 28th October 12.05pm **MEGA ALERT**
Devon - Myrtle Warbler - Lundy

Saw one on The Scillies in '85

Monday 28th October 14.46pm **MEGA ALERT**
Highland - Mourning Dove - Isle of Rhum

Maps out and plans were being hatched, then it dawned on me that this wasn't actually going to be straightforward. Twitching a Scottish island need a bit more planning than a mainland twitch. After checking Bird Forum, I noticed a lift being offered from Ipswich, so sent a message. Six hours later, I left home to meet up on the A1 with Steve, Paul and Chris, for the long journey north. What a journey it turned out to be, roadworks and diversions everywhere, getting lost around Glasgow, but we finally arrived in Mallaig harbour just before 8am on the Tuesday.

As soon as we got out of the car, news came in online that the Dove was still present - and relax!!! After a trip to the local café for breakfast, we headed to the quay, where we had 2 Golden Eagles flying above the adjacent hillside. The ferry was late arriving in Skye, but it didn't matter did it, the bird was still there, so everything was good. Then ...

Tuesday 29th October 10.12am **MEGA ALERT**
Cornwall - Hermit Thrush - Porthgwarra


Oh bugger!!! We couldn't really be further away but people were immediately making plans to head south as soon as we arrived back on the mainland. I was just concentrating on the dove for now. The crossing was pretty rough, quite a few people were being sick and then news came through that the dove hadn't been seen since the first sighting this morning, marvellous!!! There was an instant mood change with the birders on board. Could we really be about to dip something that seemed so nailed on?

We arrived on the island later than expected and were told by the captain that we would have less than 2 hours before the return journey. Rock Cottage was about a 15 minute walk from the quay, so we set off in the rain. Arriving on site we were immediately told that the bird had been seen within the last half hour so at least it was still present, just not on show. We were allowed to view from inside the house, where tea, coffee, soup and scones were being offered by the islanders, amazing hospitality.

Then the bird was found to be roosting in the conifers, above the feeders, and after a bit of jostling, everyone connected, what a relief!!

 Mourning Dove - Isle of Rhum (Chris Bromley)

Having been told that we would be leaving for Mallaig at 2.30pm, we headed back to the quay and then waited for over an hour for the ferry to arrive, thankfully we had seen the bird and didn't need that extra hour on site. The return journey was a lot smoother and pretty uneventful, arriving back in Mallaig at 4.30pm, we immediately set off on the long journey south, just not to Cornwall!

How long has it been?!?

Haven't updated for a while, but last year was pretty much a write off! Started off with good intentions and even started a year list. This all fizzled out after a few months and several dips, luckily not at a great distance though! Only managed 3 lifers in the end, but that's about par for the course and I was quite happy with those to be honest. Common Yellowthroat has always been a longed for bird ever since that fateful day in '84 on the Scillies. The Thayer's was completely unexpected and the Orphean Warbler, well not much to say about that apart from, UNBLOCKED!

Think this year is going to be pretty poor as well, only tick so far would have been the Grosbeak on Shetland and that's out of the question at the minute. Time is pretty much taken up with looking after Toby and Amy and trying to work from home now that I've closed the shop. I've still got the desire to go for these things and I even like reading other peoples trip reports, sick or what?!?

I did manage a trip up to Barmston for the Kumlien's Gull a couple of weeks back, Toby behaved himself in the back of the car with a constant supply of breadsticks and rice cakes to hand.

Honestly guv!! Saw it closer than this at one point

 

I know it's never going to be a separate tick but for some reason I've always wanted to see a Kumliens, not really sure why, but was never going to travel any distance for one. Even though I got this one at the first attempt I'm still not a fan of gulls!



 

Rolling on - slowly

Took a family day trip up the coast to Sewerby Hall and decided to take a slight detour on the way home for this little beauty...

Roller - Aldbrough, East Yorkshire

Was slightly tempted when this bird was at Spurn last Tuesday but then we had the slight distraction of a certain Sylvia warbler in Hartlepool. Anyway, not having seen one since the slightly bedraggled bird at Badicaul, Highland back in 1996 which managed to help me salvage something from a disappointing dip for the Ivory Gull in Inverness, I couldn't turn this oppurtunity down. It also finally provided me with a Yorkshire tick, haven't had too many of those this year, must try harder!!! 

Next year's hols booked!!!

Nothing fancy or exotic, just a week covering the last few days of May and the first few of June, in the sunny resort of Hartlepool!! It would be nice to be a little closer when the news breaks of the latest MEGA to be pulled out of the net by Chris Brown. Two years running he has managed to deliver a real unblocker, last year it was the infamous White Throated Robin which made the headlines and national press, this year it was the turn of a Western Orphean Warbler to create panic in our house!!

29th May 2012
8.20am - Happily feeding Toby his breakfast as Amy is getting ready for school and leaves a few minutes later with Mummy. Planning a few things around the house and a trip to the accountants followed by an appointment with Amy after lunch.
8.35am - Finished feeding Toby and checked my phone for emails and realise that it was switched onto silent - whoops!! Also notice that there is a couple of missed calls and a text message from Rare Bird Alert. Expecting the usual dross or worse still one of my blockers which are rapidly diminishing quickly, my mood was changed somewhat when it turned out to be a Western Orphean Warbler at Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland, a real MEGA by anyone's standards and less than 2 hours from my house.

Phone calls were made and plans were changed fairly quickly and by 9am I was on the way to the petrol station. Had a call from Jonnybirder on the way saying he was stuck at work until this afternoon so I offered to pick him up enroute. An hour later and we were heading north and another hour later and we arrived at the bowling green to a crowd of about 100. The bird was still present but was sitting motionless in a bush on the opposite side of the bowling green. Views weren't fantastic but by moving positions we were able to piece together the bird.

Bottom photo: Chris Bell

The bird continued to sit almost motionless for the next few hours before perking up and giving a few latecomers the runaround for a while late afternoon. Happily though, I had long departed and was back in Hull by early afternoon.

Roll on next year, what will it be? White Crowned Black Wheatear anyone?!?!

Anyone's guess!

With the continued presence of the Flycatcher at Flamborough, I made changes to the plans for the day and headed to work via the coast! There was little news on the way in the pouring rain but thankfully it came on the pager just before I arrived. Very few people on site, I guess most people with any distance to travel were waiting on confirmation as to what it was, think that could be a long wait.

Small weekday crowds - gotta love em!

Despite the continued rain, the bird showed really well, flycatching at moving quickly from bush to bush, often sitting on the exposed mud below the hawthorn bushes.

Like I said, highly mobile bird!!

I'll be completely honest and say that if I saw that bird on my own, it would be down as a Pied Fly, possibly noting more white than normal but I guess we'll have to leave it to the experts. DNA was obtained when it was trapped Monday evening, so we'll probably have to wait four or five months before anything is decided, even then it may come back as a hybrid. Just didn't fancy that message coming through in late September "Flycatcher at Flamborough April/May confirmed as Atlas Fly - First for Britain", unlikely I know but being so close to the bird, this could have been another Amur Falcon all over again, and we really don't want to go there do we?!?!

An added bonus for the day was a flyover by 2 Whimbrel (133) on the way home from work.







Hornsea and Far Ings NR

With the prospect of a couple of hours birding today after work, it was a question of where to go to make the most of it, do I head south to Covenham for the Bufflehead or east to Hornsea for the erratic Green winged Teal. Luckily, for once, I made the right decision. After a quick trip into work, I found myself at Kirkholme Point at Hornsea Mere in very blustery conditions. Predictably there was no sign of the Teal, but the place was alive with hirundines and I soon picked up my first House Martin (129) of the year followed shortly by several Common Terns (130). The teal is probably still around but the mere is a huge piece of water, with large areas unaccessible. Pretty sure I'll get another chance to catch up with one sometime this year, famous last words!!

Arriving home just after lunchtime, I noticed on the pager that I had apparently missed both Osprey and Arctic Tern mid morning at Hornsea, that cheered me up. The afternoon plans were soon to change from a swimming trip for the kids to a quick trip across the bridge to Far Ings NR, Lincs. for a Red rumped Swallow. Setting off into pouring rain I wasn't too hopeful but with the recent decrease in bridge toll fees I thought we'd give it a go anyway. Arriving on site some 20 minutes later, I was soon onto the Red rumped Swallow (131) as it showed well over the Blow Wells Pits with small numbers of Swallows, Sand Martins and the first Swifts (132) of the year.