A quiet day at Spurn

Not what we were hoping for when we set off early on Saturday morning, but a quiet day is what we had. Arriving at 7am we’d already missed Spoonbill and Turtle Dove and though there were Chinese whispers about Golden Oriole sightings, there were just none to be had.

The local Lesser Whitethroats put up a good show along with other resident warblers. A Cuckoo was rather showy and lots of Little Terns at Beacon Lane pools are always good to see.

We spent the late afternoon and evening at Hatfield Moors – the Red-necked Grebe showed well at the north end of ten-acre lake after we’d negotiated a road with potholes of Cuban standards. We then searched in vain for the waders that had been reported at the southern end of the peat bog. So not a great day for birding even though it was May and we had a stiff north-easterly breeze.

I’ve had the moth trap out at home on a couple of occasions as the weather was now warm enough and Thursday nights catch was rather impressive – probably all common stuff but I could identify most. The list included Peppered Moth, White Ermine, Alder Kitten, White-pinion Spotted, Flame and Silver-ground Carpet, Small Phoenix, Scalloped Hazel and Herald.

Cream-coloured Courser in Herefordshire

This bird is probably just outside my self-imposed drive time for rarities. But I couldn't resist this splendid bird.....

Cream-coloured Courser, Herefordshire

Cream-coloured Courser, Herefordshire

Just got back so I had to get a couple of images on the site. Red Kite, Redstart, and Dave Jackson all seen too!

Montagu's Harrier at Martin Mere

I'd checked the Reservoir last night and this morning - hirundines had certainly started to put in an appearance with over 150 Sand Martins, twenty or so Swallows and a couple of House Martins. A Common Sandpiper was the only wader on the edge of the water now that the levels are just a foot away from their highest whilst the Coots and Grebes are sitting tight on their nests.

A recently fledged flock of Long-tailed Tits was being fed by their parents next to the promenade and the good weather forecast for the coming week mighy well come at exactly the right time.

Then I got a message about a Montagu's Harrier at Martin Mere but didn't think any more of it until John called me to say that it was still there.
Nothing for it but a mad dash to see what would be a Lancashire lifer for me. I arrived to the news that it had flown off quite high to the east but undeterred I hung around the in-focus shop with Tony when the bird dropped by again.

It was rather distant but even in the dullness of the late morning it was evidently an adult male. It quatered the fields near the railway line for quite a while being mobbed by Lapwing very regularly and I managed to get some shots but as you can see, it was distant and the heat haze was poor.

Back in the garden, Lesser Redpolls are feeding on dandelion seeds in the lawn - a good excuse not to cut it? The nest box on the side of the house has Blue Tits sitting whilst Dunnocks and Blackbirds are busily taking food to their offspring.

A morning of Spring-like weather

On Wednesday morning I awoke to blue skies and sunshine at last; still cold but I grasped my chance at getting to grips with a few more summer visitors around Stocks Reservoir before work. It was one of the nicest mornings I've ever spent there - as soon as I trundled up to the causeway I could hear the Wood Warbler that had been there for a few days. This bird gave really close views, singing continuously but I didn't have my camera of course! I just love the Wood Warbler song and managed to get a recording on my iPhone - just need to figure out a way of linking it to blogger.

Just over the wall, a pair of Redstarts cavorted in the willows whilst at least three Garden Warblers were singing. A Cuckoo could be heard in the distance and Common Sandpipers and Red-breasted Mergansers we on the shore line.

Wandering up to the hides, I came across a Grasshopper Warbler as well as lots of Willow Warblers, Reed Buntings, Redpolls & Siskins. The only waders in the inlet were LRPs and Oystercatchers but it was such a lovely morning, I just soaked up the birds and the sunshine! It was so peaceful that even teh Roe Deer were showing well and seemed not to be too bothered about my presence.

Over the weekend, I checked Brookside Lodges at Oswaldtwistle - Sedge Warblers were very much in evidence whilst I was delighted to see a Little Grebe as well as Great Crested and Coots on nests. One pair of grebes on Rishton Reservoir have built on the small section now that the water is high so with a bit of luck they should manage as I can't see it getting much drier in the coming weeks with the water table so high! Unfortunately the edge is much reduced and I haven't seeen any waders for over a week now.

A Flycatcher with the weight of the twitching world on its shoulders

I have been checking Rishton Reservoir every morning before work but it has been rather disappointing with just two Little Ringed Plovers before they were moved on through disturbance from fishermen and a maximum of three Common Sandpipers. Four pairs of Great Crested Grebes have now dwindles down to a sustainable two and the recent rain has helped get the reservoir level to one twhere they may be able to nest successfully. There have been few migrants around. Swallow and Willow Warbler numbers have ben low and I've only just recorded my first Sedge Warblers back along the canal (three singing males).

Subsequently, it didn't take much persuading for me to join Mark and Margaret Breaks on a trip to Flamborough Head at the weekend to try and see the 'Atlas' Flycatcher that had taken up residence. We got really good views of the bird as it actively fed in the South Landing valley (don't know why they've cut all the trees down but it made easier viewing!).

The great and the good have debated this bird and I believe that some feathers are being DNA checked as we speak! Reading the literature it seems that it's either an Atlas/Iberian Pied Flycatcher or perhaps a hybrid. It certainly had a large white forehead spot (in comparison to some Lancashire Pieds I watched the following day) and the white on the wing was extensive.The bird still retained its browner juvenile flight and tail feathers and so could be aged as a second calendar year bird. We'll wait for the verdict I guess.

There were a few other birds to see here. Yellowhammer, Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcaps, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat were all good to see/hear.


Chiffchaff

Of course a trip to this area at this time of year necessitated a visit to Bempton Cliffs which, even with a stiff Northerly wind, was good value. Loads of seabirds including Puffins - nice!

You know why these are smelly places.....

Fulamr

Gannet

Puffin

Razorbill

Just as I was nearing home, Gareth Morgan (aka Casper) texted me about a Yellow Wagtail on the shore of Rishton Res so I rapidly diverted my course and successfully saw the bird on the far shoreline.

I did a spot of ringing at Marks place on Sunday - lots of Goldfinches and plenty of Mipits on the fence posts...


Meadow Pipit

A Cuckoo and several Redstarts were singing and Pied Flycatchers were around but not in numbers. Another Yellow Wagtail flew over. The weather is still ridiculously cold for the time of year though a few House Martins are back at a regular nest site now and Swallows were over my garden for the first time this year today!!! Will Spring return?

Girvan at Easter

It has been rather busy back at home but not on the bird front. The garden has had regular parties of finches and in some considerable numbers recently so I'm hoping we can finally get the nets out soon. The 'rides' had been block by a fallen willow but I've managed to clear that this last week.

We took a brief Easter break up to Girvan last weekend and though the weather was a bit inclement, managed to get a bit of birding in. A trip to get some DIY stuff in Ayr meant we just had to make a diversion to the Troon area where the Pectoral Sandpiper was still on a pool at Dundonald Camp. All three divers made an appearance - Black-throats in near full summer plumage off Turnberry, Red-throats off Girvan harbour and Great Northerns down at Ballantrae along with a pair of Twite. I managed just one image before a local black Labrador decided to investigate what I was doing!

Twite

There weren't all that many waders around. A few Ringed Plover were on territory but otherwise that side of things was quiet. Gannets and Sandwich Terns offshore were nice to see as always and the 13 Pale-bellied Brents were still present in Maidens harbour. On the way home we called in at Stranraer and then Wigtown where we timed our arrival to one of the biggest tides of the year. Lots of geese and a distant view of the long-staying Long-billed Dowitcher.

Ringed Plover

Rishton Reservoir has been quiet. Even with all the rain, the reservoir has dropped so I suspect that it's being drained again or that there's a significant leak. The exposed bank had yielded a Redshank but I've personally not seen any LRPs as each time I go down there are fishermen on it. There are four pairs of Great-crested Grebes at present but I can't wee then being able to breed with the water levels where they are.

The Christmas present has been in action a couple of nights - my first venture into Moth trapping - just the regular early stuff - Common and Small Quaker, Hebrew Character, Clouded Drab and Twin-spotted Quaker and a Chestnut - it's a start!

Cuba - Part 7 - The search for the Zapata Sparrow

'Twas an earlier start today in order to try and get Cuban Nightjar on the road down to Latuga where we hoped to see more endemics. Unfortunately there were no nightjars and it seemed that when we got to the Zapata Wren site, there were none of them showing either. We could hear a couple but Angel's tape lure just wasn't working. So I tried the call on my iPhone and hey presto! Relatively great views of this very localised and secretive species. I didn't manage any photos but with a bit of luck Mark will have one I can use (he's far quicker on the draw - I'm too busy trying to find the bird!).

Red-shouldered Blackbird

Anyway there were a few Red-shouldered Blackbirds in the area (and Tawnies just to confuse) as we headed off to the site for the sparrows. We were basically on a track surrounded by deep ditches that led off to all point of a huge expanse of Sawgrass bog. We searched for the sparrows but to no avail - was this species going to be our bogey bird having missed it at Cayo Coco where it's meant to be "Common". We eventually gave in and returned to the woods at Soplillar to search for stuff we'd not seen yet - a Stygian Owl was definitely the best bird along with a few more Grey-headed Quail Doves. We searched for another endemic - Gundlachs's Hawk, a rare but widely distributed large Sparrowhawk essentially. That too was proving to be difficult!

Stygian Owl

After a long afternoon's repose, we set off for Cuban Nightjar and when it was virtually completely dark we heard them singing and managed to get some silhouette views as they flew over us.

So Monday was a make or break day for the remaining endemics and our last day with Angel. We were also joined by Andy Mitchel who'd concluded his organised group trip and informed us that they too hadn't seen Zapata Sparrow of Cayo Coco nor Cuban Grassquit. So we set off down an horrendous track leading out into the marsh - 23km or so that took a long time. However, once we'd got into the marshy bit proper there was the promise of birds. Plenty of egrets and herons around but eventually we found our quarry and Zapata Sparrow was added to the list.

A pair of Zapata Sparrows

We had a lovely Wilson's Snipe on the return leg and Rob had brief views of a rail sp.!!! But it was interminable bumpy roads again for an hour or so and then a trip to Soplillar again for that hawk. Angel took us to a nest site but there were no birds around and though we tried the following day, it was to be the only endemic that we had a chance of seeing that we didn't. However Mark spotted a Swainson's Warbler in a dense area of woodland that was part of a mixed warbler flock - a rarity but one can only wonder how many are missed as it was very difficult to pick up. We were all very happy with that lifer when I saw a bright yellow head - "Blue-winged Warbler!". Rob had been desperate to see this species and Mark and I had previously seen them in Canada, but what a stonker and amazingly difficult to pick up despite its brighter colours.

Great Lizard Cuckoo

We said our farewells to Angel and did a spot of birding along the road in the afternoon but there just weren't the birds to be seen - just loads of crabs to crunch over! We managed to arrange for another guide for our final day to take us down to Salinas - most weren't bothering as it had been so dry but we had lots of good views of some waterbirds and added a few more to the list including Wood Stork.

Greater Flamingo

A reddish Reddish Egret

A white Reddish Egret

White Ibis

American Coots, Blue-winged Teal and Shoveler

Our final trip was to search for the hawk again but to no avail, however we were taken to the back garden in Palpate where we had wonderful close views of a female Bee Hummingbird - and Mark got a pic!

The trip to the airport on Wednesday was interesting - we scoured the area around the Crocodile Farm for warblers but it was to be our only day that we didn't add a new bird to the trip list which stood in the end at a very impressive 172. I'd got 89 lifers and some great experiences. We took our time getting back going through villages and taking in the dry Cuban countryside.

Traffic chaos, Cuban style

A "School"?
Saw lots of these, all built to the same formula and some were occupied by children.

Need a lift?

If you're thinking of going to Cuba, then do it. I get the feeling things are changing and it might not be for the better. Apart from the hugely expensive car hire and expensive hotels on the cays, it's a good value birding trip - perhaps not as many species as in South America but a pace you can enjoy. I felt extremely safe wherever we went and the people were very friendly, especially the further away from Havana you go. Thanks, Cuba for some memorable birds!