Sibe attack

Friday 14 October 2016
There are birds in field guides that you think you'll never see and there are those which look great, you really want to see , but again think you'll never see. Siberian Accentor is one of those and with it breeding in Siberia regions then migrating to south-east Asia for the winter, that's a double whammy and confines itself just to my bird books.

Last week the relentless stream of easterlies, brought about by an anti-cyclone sitting over Scandinavia brought one of these Megas to Shetland. Incredulous news, a first for Britain, but what a bird ! The cheque book birders and top listers were away, and £700 later had bagged a dream bird, added to their list and presumably sat back contented with what surely they thought must be a true blocker.

Not so however, as with continued easterlies and more of these birds turning up in Sweden, Germany and Poland, another found it's way to Spurn in Yorkshire. News received on my pager at 3.30pm while working in the shop and by 6pm I had negotiated the necessary domestic permissions, Malc had kindly agreed to run the shop and Oli was as keen as mustard.

5 am the next morning and it was off to Hull !

A drizzly drive over the Humber Bridge, but at least drizzle would keep the bird down and hopefully stop it thinking about moving onto Thailand ! On arrival at Easington we were ushered to a car park in the village and walked to where the bird had been seen. A queue of people waiting and thoughts now turned to why didn't we leave at 3am ? were spinning round my head as I envisaged everyone looking skyward as the Accentor took off never to be seen again.

All was well organised and within half an hour I was looking at a fantastic Siberian Accentor. Oli and I made three repeat trips to "back of queue and look again" and saw the bird feeding on the ground closely. It was with our Accentor, The Dunnock, and when we left was still happily feeding.

The day ahead then.... next on the list was a Shorelark.

and then some walking around the lanes. The bushes were full of Goldcrests and Robins, birds were literally falling out of the sky and into the nearest bit of cover. In the next hour we must have seen 150 Robins, they were everywhere and close enough almost to touch.

We had a brief view of a Firecrest and then an equally brief view of an extremely mobile Pallas's Warbler.

A seawall beckoned for some reason and we decided to leave the crowds and walk a track leading east to see what we could find. Mealy Redpoll and Woodcock were the first two notables but the sheer numbers of Robins was still mesmerising. They were in fields, on paths and in the Spartina grass, and rocks on the shoreline.

Then a Redstart popped out from the Spartina.

 Showing off it's characteristic rump and outer tail feathers

News of other birds was coming thick and fast, Radde's at The Point , Olive-backed Pipit near the Cafe, we tried for the OBP but to no avail. So time for breakfast. £4.95 for a full english breakfast including a drink - we really knew we weren't in Norfolk !

Refreshed and we returned to Spurn. A less confiding but fine male Redstart helped us with the disappointment of missing a Little Bunting by a few minutes. A group of Bean Geese had the locals very excited.

But more exciting for me was a showy Mealy Redpoll.

A great day and it ended with a final trip to the Siberian Accentor, no queue this time. 

We started as we ended, a mega bird and one I never thought to see. But in a strange way this was bird spectacle of the day - I have no idea how many must have been dropping out of the skies, we saw around 250 , a fraction of how many must have been present.

Horrible traffic to the Humber Bridge and closure of the A17 did nothing to dampen our spirits - a great day !

3200 ISO anyone ?

9 - 11 October 2016
The last few mornings have seen me down at Titchwell trying to get a picture of a Yellow-browed Warbler. Having found these great little birds at various sites along the coast I thought it was time to have a look at the ones reported from Titchwell, up to five individuals at times.

Early morning is definitely the answer at Titchwell as after about 11 am (at work anyway by then) the place gets rammed. Virtually the first bird seen was a Yellow-browed but as ever deep in the vegetation. So after a nightmare time with settings change on the camera I reverted back to my aperture priority mode and tried to get this fast moving little warbler nailed. Up to 3200 iso to give any chance of a non blurred pic and after many many terrible snaps, this was the best I could manage.

 There was a patch of sunlight but of course the Yellow-browed never went there, this Redwing did momentarily.

Having spent quite some time showing people the Yellow-broweds I ventured out of the woods and into sunlight ! but more importantly onto some Goldcrests which had been bathing and feeding.

Fantastic little birds weighing in at the same as a five pence piece or twelve paperclips they are able to fly across the North Sea, to make landfall on the Norfolk Coast. 

Then finally a Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew

 to round off the last few days, down in the mud at Thornham.

Overcast today and work beckons, but maybe just maybe a quick walk down to Burnham Overy Dunes, as with Radde's Warbler, Olive-backed Pipit and Arctic Warbler all at Wells Woods BOD should be quiet of people.... Hmmm

ISO 1600

7 October 2016
Grey day, but a great day with easterlies in October and on the North Norfolk Coast. I joined Oli for a day's birding along the coast. We had decided to avoid any crowds and look for our own stuff, never mind the Radde's Warblers at Wells and Holkham, we were going to find our own. We started at Stiffkey Campsite were I quickly located a Yellow-browed Warbler.

We then walked onto Warham Greens and saw Ring Ouzel, loads of Robins, some Continental ones, Song Thrushes agogo and hordes of Goldcrests.

There was news of a Red-breasted Flycatcher at the end of Garden Drove and we saw a small group of people in a field corner looking high into the trees. We decided to make our own way along the path past this as another bird had been seen further along the track, so continuing with our "avoid the crowds" strategy we walked past the Rb Fly and headed west. Within 25 yards the Red-breasted Flycatcher flew over the hedge and down onto the track in front of us. Oli was ready, I wasn't ! but luckily it showed for a good twenty seconds and flitted up into the scrub where I eventually managed to photograph it.

We continued west to search for the second bird but to no avail. We did however bump into a flock of some 30 Bramblings

A Redstart accompanied part of our walk but always distant and with the light dropping fast, pictures were poor at best.

It's a good walk along this part of the coastal path, with the marsh on one side and some good cover on the other. The Marsh itself was host to the usual waders and newly arrived Geese, lots of little Egrets and in a filed edge some Black-tailed Godwits.

The day ended as it started with a Yellow-browed Warbler, hordes of Goldcrests and fast disappearing light. The camera spent most of it's day at iso 1600 and I spent most of the day continuously looking at birds. No biggie but a great day.

It's big

Thursday 6 October 2016
I haven't been to Winterton Dunes for probably twenty years and I had forgotten just quite how big the area was. I met up with Steve Rooke at first light and while it was still quite windy the easterlies were not as strong as we had hoped and the overnight and early morning rain hadn't materialised, a shame as we were hoping that would force some migrants down.
Winterton Dunes (apologies for the copyright on photos - forgot to upload without it )

Some Continental Robins and Song Thrushes were the first few birds and Steve picked up a Lesser Whitethroat. I then heard a Lapland Bunting flying overhead which was joined by two others and eventually they settled a way off and allowed the intrepid Mr Rooke some scope views.

We walked a mile or so through the dunes and ended up on a wooded track were we had been told there was a Yellow-browed Warbler. Locating the Tit flock I found myself looking at a Yellow-browed but it was so fast I was unable to photograph it. Steve then found a Firecrest which was slightly more obliging (always a leaf in the way) but still a challenge as it was in a dark wooded area.

Two Common Cranes, Siskin, Stonechat, several Sparrowhawks, Brambling and more Redwings were the only other notables. We adjourned to the beach cafe around midday for a well deserved if somewhat late breakfast.

Good effort but no cigar

5 October  2016
With the East Coast receiving migrants ago go, Oli and I decided that for our early morning walk we would avoid the crowds (as ever), no doubt Wells Woods was heaving with Radde's Warbler watchers, and do the broad walk at Brancaster Staithe. Right on the coast with some good cover - every chance of our own Radde's, Arctic and most definitely Yellow-browed.

Sadly it wasn't to be. But there were hundreds of Song Thrushes making landfall. It seemed like every bush had half a dozen and there was a continual passage overhead.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker sunned itself atop a tree

Thereafter we spent a few minutes photographing a Goldcrest in the bottom of a bush at Titchwell, nice to look down on them for a change, and then failed to see the Pectoral Sandpiper. I covered the paddocks at Holme but to no avail and then it was time for work.

The Goldcrest

with continuing easterly winds, some early morning rain and a day off - a combination that I haven't had for a while I'm off to Winterton on the east coast of Norfolk tomorrow. Meeting up with Steve Rooke first thing ... Hmm I feel at least a Red-breasted Flycatcher coming on..........

Shortening the odds

2 September 2016
With little time to go out birding and doing photography, due to work and domestic commitments  I decided to shorten the odds of getting a decent bird image. My pictures of Buzzards to date have been all flight shots. Whenever I have seen one on the ground it has always flown off before I could get close enough to press the shutter. So with  a sunday off and a green light on the domestic front I opted for a day at Tom Robinson's Farm and more importantly in one of his Bird Photography Hides.

Tom has sent up a number of hides on his family's farm and concentrates on particular species. His hides are really quite superb, spacious with tea and coffee facilities, one way glass and even supplied with chocolate biscuits. One such hide is the Buzzard hide which I had heard was doing well at the moment. Buzzards were coming down to feed on a daily basis. Sometimes two birds, adult and juvenile. The utmost important advice he gave was to let the bird settle before moving the lens at all. Wary of any movement the bird will fly unless settled, something previous trigger happy photographers had experienced to their cost.

So arriving in the dark early am to ensure the birds don't see you, I was installed in the hide. Daylight began around 7am and I was surprised to hear the Buzzards calling that early. Plenty of hedgerow activity and then around 10am a few Crows started to come into view. Then a few Magpies. A few hours later and while the Buzzards had been calling and I was beginning to wonder if this was the day the birds had decided to go elsewhere. Then at around 1pm Bang, a Buzzard crashed in right next to a magpie which was feeding.

To be so close to these great birds was a fantastic experience and to come away with pictures as well -  fabulous. Tom's website is http://www.wildlife-photography-hides.co.uk