Spoons and Shrikes: two ticks

OK, not Brit ticks, but a patch tick and a London tick. First, news that a Spoonbill had reappeared at Barnes had me running for the car. I’d missed it (presumably the same bird that has spent most of its time at Rainham) last week, when it turned up just before the reserve shut, so a second chance was really welcome. A quick scan from the Obs showed the Spoonbill sitting on the shingle bank favoured by the loafing gulls. It was, predictably, asleep. I went round to Dulverton to find Johnny Allen already there and watched the bird for a while, during which it woke up briefly a few times to preen. Water levels were high throughout the site and there were no waders around, but the young birds included two Pochard chicks, one Gadwall chick (down from two a week ago) and four Common Tern chicks.

Next up was a run out to Hayes where a male Red backed Shrike had been seen yesterday evening and again this morning. The M4 is closed so I went round in a big loop to avoid it and didn’t run into too many holdups. The shrike was showing less than a hundred yards from the car park – originally buried in a bush but often showing well as it hunted for prey on the ground. Absolutely stunning male and a London tick. I don’t list in London but I do keep a list of birds I've seen there (confusing I know). It’s the kind of thing I had half assumed I would have seen in the London area before, but I hadn’t. Double tick!

To the ends of the earth

Sometimes the twitch and the bird combine to make a brilliant day. News of a White throated Robin at the other end of the world (Hartlepool) filtered through mid morning. This is usually way beyond my twitching distance but for such a cool bird the rules had to be broken. I had some work to finish first so I couldn’t leave until just after noon and ran into endless traffic problems on the way north (M1 partially closed, massive traffic restrictions, etc) so I didn’t arrive until 4.30pm when I managed to park just twenty yards away from the bowling green. By this time it hadn’t been seen for around an hour (long trip for a dip) so after waiting for 15-20 minutes I headed off for a general wander. Bumped into someone who said it was showing in the doctor’s garden – the other side of a ten foot wall.
What happened next was inspired chaos: two guys quickly had their vans against the wall while guys with ladders strapped to vans appeared out of nowhere.
First the vans.

Then the ladders appeared.

There was a crunch from one of the van roofs as the weight of birders covered in kit got too much for it.
I eventually got onto one of the vans and looked over the wall to see the White throated Robin sitting in a shallow depression under some rose bushes. Frankly it looked like someone’s stuffed toy. After two minutes I jumped down to let someone else take a look and waited for a turn at a ladder.
Later had much better views as the bird bounced around the compost heaps at the back of the garden.

All the guys who had brilliant views of the bird from the doctor's garden missed out on one of the best twitches ever.

Stopped off on the way home for the stunning male Red backed Shrike at Seaton Carew. Only took the point and shoot but it was showing brilliantly so should have taken my SLR. Hence these two handheld digiscoped shots.

East Anglia scarce

A widespread fall across the east coast has been turning stuff up all week (Wrynecks, hippos and the astonishing numbers of Lapland Buntings) so I decided I wanted to be part of it. The journey started quite badly by getting caught out by the roadworks on the M25 that led to me missing the A12 turnoff. Since it forced me to continue on the M25 I considered a change of plan to head up to Holme to pick up the Arctic Warbler instead but it was being pretty elusive and I decided that I didn't want to stand around staring at the same set of pines for hours on end and then drive home. So after wasting a good 30 minutes I started off at Landguard Point (somewhere else I haven't been to for a couple of decades) to see if the Icky was still around. Quickly ran into a Tree Pipit - non-calling birds on migration are always fun and make me think a bit. This bird was running around on the ground but the fine flank streaking, heavy pink-based bill and wide sub-tashial all look good for Tree Pipit. As if to confirm, it then flew up to some telegraph wires to perch for half a minute or so.

It's pretty windy here so not much is actually showing but managed to pick up several Chiffies, a juv Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat (which looked like a 1w on a quick view), 10-12 Wheatears, a flock of c50 Linnets and a few other bits and pieces. But no sign of the Icky. Eventually decide that this could easily suck up more time than the Arctic and head up the coast to Minsmere. Get a great run of birds in a very short space of time: a Wryneck feeding in the same area as 3-4 Redstarts, a juv Red backed Shrike south of the North Wall and, along the beach past the public hide two really stunning Lap Bunts feeding quietly on the shingle.

The Shrike was pretty distant through the 400mm.

But just about recognisable with a heavy crop.

The Lapland Buntings were very confiding.

Walking back along the North Wall had a single Bearded Tit calling. Arrived back at the car and again considered heading up to Holme for the Arctic but instead headed home via Vange Marshes to try to connect with the Temminck's Stint that's been commuting between there and Canvey Island RSPB (TBC). By the time I arrived the light was going and the bird was pretty distant but eventually showed. Also present were 1 ad Little Stint, a juv Curlew Sand, 15 Wigeon, a couple of Blackwit and a Water Rail that showed briefly behind the Temminck's.