American Golden Plover Friday 14th June.

On Tuesday 11th June pm Matt Eade found an American Golden Plover at the Cuckmere estuary, I was suffering from a bad back and couldn't face the journey, still showing on the Wednesday but still couldn't face it. Thursday had to catch up with work, Friday still had to work but by lunchtime I had had enough and the Plover was still there so 1 more job early afternoon and set off to see it. Arriving at 5.00pm a quick walk along the riverbank passing a couple of birders saying its showing well and you won't need your scope was encouraging.

I believe this is the 3rd ever in Sussex, the last being 1988 at Pagham, and my second the first being in Norfolk October 2010 but that was at great distance amoung 2000 Golden Plover. Another contender for Bird of the Year.

So glad I went on Friday as sure enough it did the Friday night flit and no reports on the Saturday

Suffolk and Norfolk Weekend of 1st June.

On the spur of the moment with a good weather forcast I decided on friday eve to go to Lakenheath and then on to Norfolk. Checking Birdguides Saturday morning the Savi's Warbler was still at Lakenheath so left about 10.30am with the caravan and getting set up at Mildenhall I was on Lakenheath RSPB by 4.00pm. A quick walk to the far end of the reserve passing several calling Cuckoos, stopping and viewing a calling Grasshopper Warbler I arrived to join the 40 or so twitchers hoping to see the Savi's. Chatting to a couple of birders who had been there since 9.00am and hadn't seen or heard it wasn't looking promising. An hour later a faint call and a brown blob was in a bush where the experts agreed that was it. 10 seconds later it was gone.

The only pic I got was an empty bush but I had at least seen it.
Another half hour passed and no further sign so I set off to Weeting Heath. In the hide several other birders I recognised from Lakenheath put me onto a distant Stone Curlew.

We also found another sitting on a nest but only the head appeared - will try tomorrow for another look.

Early Sunday morning I set off to North Norfolk and on approaching Wells I got a  B.G. text to say the Bluethroat was still there. and by 8.00am I was watching it with about 20 others. Showing really well in the sunlight through the scope but sadly too distant for a reasonable pic.

While watching it flit from bush to bush, dropping into the reeds and back again all the birds went up including the gulls as an Osprey went over our heads.

The Bluethroat dropped down into the reeds again, so I set off to walk towards Blakeney point to try to find the Short-toed Lark reported yesterday.

 Eventually finding a few Skylarks I was looking for one a bit smaller and no streaking on its chest. The best I could come up with was this one but I have my doubts.

Considering the habitat looking for one bird was a needle in a haystack

Having walked for 2 hours past the halfway house and around the hood I headed back to the carpark seeing the nesting Little, Common and Sandwich Terns, Oyks and Ringed Plover plus numerous Reed Buntings

 And Linnets

With no new news from from Bird Guides I headed for Titchwell seeing a pair of Red Crested Pochard, from the hide a Spoonbill

 Avocet

 5 Little Gulls

 Plus summer plumage Knot, Bar-tailed Godwits, Sanderling and Dunlin. On the reedbed pool were a pair of Garganey

A drive around North Creake in hope of spotting a Montys was a waste of time and ended up back at Weeting Heath hoping for a better look at the Stone Curlews but all I could see was the head of the one on the nest.

Up early on Monday am before heading for home I went back to Lakenheath hoping for an Oriole but neither sight or sound of them. Heading for the Savis Warbler I heard several Cuckoos, passed the reeling Grasshopper Warbler arriving at the Savi's site with no one there didn't look promising. Ten minutes passed and I heard him call and then he popped up to the top of the reeds.

 For the next 15 minutes he called and showed well, though mobile.

A good end to a great weekend with perfect weather and my own company.

A Terek ends the week Sunday 26th May

Tuesdays evening beach watch was uneventful as was hoping to see a Roseate Tern seen in the evening on Sunday and despite 2 hours of looking through the hundreds of Terns and Gulls. I didn't pay much attention to the waders other than the Avocets that now had chicks and the first Black-headed Gull chicks.

Black-headed Gull Chicks guarded by a Common Tern

Apart from 3 Cuckoos feeding along the environment agency road little else.

At home a surprise was this Green Woodpecker in our garden, although many have been heard this is the first to actually been seen and stay long enough to to get a pic albeit through the window.

Green Woodpecker.

Bank Holiday this weekend, last year at this time there were large numbers of waders on Pett Level. I said to Paula that i think something rare will turn up this weekend, hoping for a Bee-eater or Hoopoe I set the Birdguides Text to all reports in Kent, East and West Sussex. On Saturday reports of Bee-eater and Bonapartes Gull in north Kent came through  and then when I decided to go off and put weedkiller on a clients garden, half way through the job a report of a Terek Sandpiper at Rye Harbour. There was little choice stay finish the job or go, decision made I went. Enroute a text from Barry Yates confirming still there and within 30 minutes I was watching a patch of reeds and eventually it showed but distant.

 Thanks to a Redshank, Coote and an Avocet they flushed the bird towards the dozen or so birders watching.

Within a couple of minutes another Avocet flushed it and it flew towards the Ternery Pool. Job done I headed for home, back at the car park birders were arriving, I believe it was seen till at least 8pm but next morning could'nt be found.

Birding Northern France Day 2 (part 2) 19th May

At Marquenterre we arrived at the Heronry - amazed with the number of birds nesting in the fir trees. The camera does not do justice to this amazing sight.

White Storks, Spoonbills, Little and Cattle Egrets, plus Grey Herons nesting together

Grey Heron

Spoonbill with nesting material

White Stork

Another White Stork

White Storks and Cattle Egret

Another White Stork

White Stork and Spoonbills

Spoonbills with a bad hair day!

Arriving back at the car park we walked amoungst the pines, Christine played her tape of Crested Tit and immediately one responded adding another new bird to my list.



Crested Tit in silhouette

Time to head back to the tunnel, a great weekend that went so quick, great company, good birds, can't wait for next time.



Birding Northern France day 2 (Part 1) Sunday 19th May

We awoke to light rain and the car packed by 8.30am 2 Black Redstarts around the the hotel. Returning to Sailly Bray for another search for the Bluethroats we spent a couple of hours finding a nice Winchat and Paul finally getting onto a possible Bluethroat but Alan and I were looking elsewhere and by the time we got where it was it had gone into hiding.

There is always the good side of not getting to see what you are after, that is there is a good reason to return again.

We then set off to Marquenterre a reserve well known for Storks and Herons. A 10.50 euro entry fee was well worth what we were about to see. Stoping at the first viewpoint first a nesting Stork.

White Stork

 A shooting casualty Crane that has found refuge on the reserve for the past 10years

Common Crane

 A couple of Great White Egrets once rare now not so and almost common especially at Dungeness

2 Great White Egrets

1 Great White Egret

 Another first for me a Ruddy Shelduck

Ruddy Shelduck

Ruddy Shelduck

 At least 2 pairs of Black-necked Grebe

 Spoonbills everywhere

Spoonbill

 Plenty of Avocet, some with young.

Avocet

 Singing Sedge Warblers

Sedge Warbler

Another search for reported Bluethroats drew a blank, we then arrived at the Heronry.

Birding Northern France Day 1 18th May

An early start on Saturday morning got us to the Eurotunnel half an hour early having met up with Alan, Ian and Brenda. A quick coffee break enroute got us to Sailly Bray by 10am (11am local time)

Sailly Bray

Looking for Bluethroat

 Having been given directions we tried one site then another and eventually found where we were supposed to be, we were unable to find the target species of the Bluethroat although one was possibly heard. However Sedge and Reed Warblers showed, 2 Marsh Warblers were singing and a Grasshopper Warbler reeling. A stunning male Hen Harrier flew over the reedbeds. After about 3 hours we set off to Crecy Forest.

Having lunch at this entrance track Paul pointed out a Black Woodpecker as it flew accross the track and fortunately I was looking in the right direction unlike the rest of the group and was able to watch it fly back again.

Crecy Forest

We spent about an hour looking for another but all was quiet, so moved to another part of the
8 by 4 mile forest.

Apart from the Middle Spotted Woodpecker which we failed to find our other target was Short-toed Treecreeper and it wasn't long before Paul found one and then another. But as usual the light in the forest was poor.

We next went onto Le Crotoy where we found a common sandpiper on a gravel pit, on the roadside pools Ian found my first Black-winged Stilts but were distant.

Black-winged Stilts

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

 Black Swan

This Black Swan was giving the locals alot of attention. Sadly the first I have seen for over a year and I give them a tick!

Before retiring to the hotel we gave Sailly Bray another visit but still no sign of the Bluethroats. At the Budget Ibis Hotel in Abberville a pair of Black Redstarts were around.