Flamborough Rares

Unexpectedly news of a Taiga Flycatcher came out on Thursday and it hung around while today, so thankfully managed to catch up with either it (or another) as it would appear that it cant be distinguished from the bird that first appeared some 20 days ago.

The day dawned breezy and not very bright, initial hopes were subdued as it hadn’t appeared up until 9am.

Compensation at the time was by way of a nice red-flanked bluetail- not the sought after rarity that it once was but very nice all the same.

News broke that the Taiga Flycatcher was showing in the gulley and given the orientation I chose to go round to the east side on the basis that the light was better. This proved to be a bad move as it was obviously showing judging by all of the activity on the opposite bank, but was frustratingly out of view from where I was standing.

It wasn’ long before it flew up into the canopy and it remained faithful to a tall ash tree for most of the morning and into the afternoon.

I flitted between the red-flanked bluetail and the Taiga Flycatcher until well into the afternoon-the RFB getting most of my attention.

The light was never great so all images are at ISO 6400.

It was a cracking late Autumn day, not a lot of other birds around but the two that were there more than made up for the lack of quantity.

The Spurn Two Barred Warbler

Well, it’s been an interesting weekend.

Saturday dawned bright and breezy with a wind from the west so anyone could be forgiven for thinking that it wasn’t to be a classic birding day, and it wasn’t up until around 3pm.

News of a red-breasted flycatcher at Flamborough stirred some minor interest for me, if it had been a male in its finery I might have thought about going. In other news there was a report of a yellow browed warbler and some bearded tits at Spurn. All was well and I was content in the knowledge that my planned fishing trip for the Sunday was not in danger of being overshadowed by any dramatic bird news.

Late afternoon and all of that changed. The red breasted flycatcher had been re-identified as a Taiga Flycatcher and only the 5th for Britain. The yellow browed warbler had been re-identified as a 2 Barred Greenish Warbler- a first for Spurn and only the 8th for Britain.

I could only hope that at least one stayed a second night so I could go out to see it on Monday (given that I am half way through a 2 week holiday).

Well the Taiga Flycatcher predictably disappeared overnight but the 2 barred warbler stayed on at Spurn and thankfully was present again this morning.

At first it was viewable from the roadside next to canal hedge. It then moved into the Canal Bushes and regularly completed a wide ranging circuit giving the assembled crowd some decent views, albeit sometimes fleeting.

The Two Barred Greenish Warbler is a very rare Autumn vagrant in Europe. It normally breeds in Central and Eastern Siberian taiga. If this is accepted it will be the 400th bird species recorded in the Spurn area, I feel privileged to have been able to see it and photograph it.

There was a movement of redwings overhead as the rain started as well as a few goldcrests which showed at least some signs of migration.

An Autumn Day in East Yorkshire

I had a nice day out in East Yorkshire yesterday.

The morning dawned bright and I headed out to my favourite place-the Spurn peninsula.

Nothing too dramatic about the ride out although a skein of pink footed geese against the morning sunrise was a nice start.

I headed for the beach at Kilnsea to start with in the hope of some passage wildfowl or sea birds but there was very little on offer.

My next port of call was the Warren and apart from a few finches, again it was very quiet.

News of a snow bunting on the foreshore near the tank blocks crackled over the airwaves, so I headed for the canal banking. On the way I was fortunate enough to have a very brief encounter with a flock of 10 bearded tits before they took flight and headed south.

The snow bunting was typically oblivious to anyones presence so allowed for some nice photos in the early morning light.

It became apparent that there was not a lot about so I headed for the churchyard in the hope of getting a view of the recently arrived Western Bonelli’s Warbler. however it was not to be.

The Church Field can be good at this time of year and yesterday was no exception. Lesser redpolls feeding on seeds and joined by a brambling were a nice autumnal treat.

I had a drive up to Sammy’s Point but again it was very quite. A family of grey partridge were looking resplendent in the sunshine and a common buzzard sat briefly by the side of a dyke.

At around lunchtime, with news of a Western Bonelli’s Warbler at Flamborough, my resolve finally broke and I made my way north.

An hour and a half later I was watching a neat rarity from the Mediterranean (only my third ever-but strangely my second this week following very brief views of the one at Spurn on Tuesday).

It was on a circuit around the pines on a lovely south facing section of the footpath network around south landing. The combination of shelter from the wind and heat from the sun made for the most pleasant of viewing conditions.

Bearded Tit

Bearded Tit

Bearded Tit

Bearded Tit

Bearded Tit

Bearded Tit

Bearded Tit

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

Brambling

Brambling

Grey Partridge

Grey Partridge

Grey Partridge

Grey Partridge

Western Bonelli’s Warbler

Western Bonelli’s Warbler

Western Bonelli’s Warbler

Western Bonelli’s Warbler

Western Bonelli’s Warbler