The Thickest of Knees

Spent a fantastic day at Snaizeholme with the Woodland Trust, discussing their plans for rewilding this super little valley west of Hawes. Their ambition is great and logic sound and I can't wait to see how it develops from a sheep-grazed desert into a mosaic of upland habitats rich in wildlife. I saw my first wild White-clawed Crayfish in the stream here, rescued a Barn Owl that was trapped against a window in a stone barn and got bitten to death by Horseflies. 

 

Snaizeholme: It doesn't look much....yet!

On the way back, news came through that a Stone Curlew that had been found early morning at Fairburn Ings was still present. This was a potential Yorkshire tick for me and they're just damn cool birds, so I carried on down the A1 a couple of miles and nipped into Fairburn. A line of birders were arranged along the edge of the road scanning New Flash and I was pleased to find that the bird was still present, sitting along the dry muddy shore at the back of the flash. Not exactly prime thick-knee habitat, but it seemed happy enough. A very kind birder from Driffield (thanks man!) let me have several looks through his scope and even let me take a couple of pics, which was great as I hadn't got mine with me. After a bit, the bird revealed those thick knees, standing up, having a bit of a preen before stalking a little way along the shore, like a big feathered reptile. It was a smart bird, a juvenile in pristine plumage. Very nice.

 

Never Give Up!

Turkestan Shrike, Bempton, 3rd July 2022

It is early July and birding feels to be at a bit of a low ebb. Migration is kinda slow, with just a few waders starting to wander back south and a few flocks of failed breeding Lapwings and Curlews standing around forlornly in fields. Attention has turned to plants, butterflies, moths, my pair of Swifts with growing chicks; anything to feed my urge for wildlife. But just occasionally, a wandering mega can turn up.

Last week this happened, when Bempton birder Trevor Charlton found a huge rarity, in the form of a male Turkestan Shrike, fresh in off the sea. It promptly disappeared but was refound a few days later and has remained faithful to Wandale Farm since then. With the identity confirmed, it seems to be the first definite record of this species for Yorkshire, so has caused quite a stir in the birding scene, in an otherwise quiet time of the year. A wound on the right side of it's breast shows it to have been the bird that had previously been seen in the Netherlands. 

I have seen several Isabelline-type Shrikes in the UK, including a self-found (with Dunc Poyser and my Mum and Dad) back in 1989 in Cornwall, but most have been Daurian Shrikes, with only a bird seen on Shetland in 2019 identified as a Turkestan (though I need to check BBRC to see if this was confirmed). Therefore, this was a bird I was keen to see, but work and family commitments stood firmly in the way. To my delight, the bird hung on and Sunday afternoon gave me my first chance to take a break and go birding. After an enjoyable drive east and a brisk walk, I approached Wandale Farm just inland from Staple Newk. Unfortunately, I made the rookie error of leaving my coat in the car (it was warm after all) and just before arriving at the site, the heavens opened and I got drenched. I plodded on and an unexpected flicker of movement in the farmyard revealed first one and then two Black Redstarts, lifting my spirits despite the deluge. Up ahead were a gang of very soggy, but smiling birders, standing in the stack yard, watching the bushes nearby. The Turkestan Shrike had done the sensible thing and dived into the bottom of a thick Hawthorn as the cloud burst and hadn't reappeared. I didn't blame it to be honest. After a few minutes, the shower abruptly stopped and the gathered throng began to gently steam in the warm sunshine. Yellowhammers and Tree Sparrows took up their toil and began flying about, presumably feeding young unseen in the scrub. But there was no sign of the shrike.

After fifteen minutes elapsed a little anxiety began to creep in. I scanned hedges further away wandering whether the shrike had slipped away unseen. No sign. But then, as if by magic, the shrike suddenly appeared in a close tree! Whoa! It was only about five metres away. 

 

 

This was one of the closest views of any shrike I had had, let alone a first for Yorkshire. It snaffled a few unlucky bluebottles, coughed up a small black pellet and did a little preening as its plumage dried off. The shrike didn't seem at all bothered by our presence and continued to feed happily from the bushes surrounding the yard. After a bit it dropped on to a concrete gate post before flying across a field to a distant hedge.

 

It was interesting to watch at this range - a more standard view of a shrike I suppose - and even at that range, the key features could be seen. After fifteen minutes it returned to the stack yard and gave further crippling views.

 

Having filled my boots, I wandered up the track to the cliffs, enjoying one of my favourite vistas, the teeming, towering cliffs of Bempton. Sadly, the Black-browed Albatross wasn't around, but it was nice to see the usual gang of seabirds, seemingly untouched by the ravages of avian flu which is wreaking so much havoc elsewhere. After bumping into colleague and fellow birder Becky Austin, I celebrated the shrike with a vegan sausage roll and a coffee back at the RSPB visitor centre before weaving my way back over the Wolds.

Low-carbon Twitch for a High-octane Bird

Cycled up to Wheldrake to see a Spotted Redshank found by Dunc this morning at Bank Island. A smart adult, still in immaculate breeding attire and presumably a returning female on it's way south having finished breeding (the females depart first apparently). Spotshanks are just about annual in the York area and they are always a great bird to see locally. I wandered on to the ings afterwards, seeing some Red-eyed Damselflies on the pool, plus plenty of Four-spotted Chasers and Banded Demoiselles along the river. At least one Common Tern chick on the raft too along with its loafing parents. 

Norfolk: Old Haunts with Old Mates

Norfolk, my much-missed former residence, was the location for a Wildlife Travel tour led by myself and old friend, James Lowen. The trip was all about the 'Bs', with a day in the Broads, a day in the Brecks and a day at the Beach! James organised moth trapping including at Weeting Heath - thanks to Joe the volunteer. This yielded a range of fantastic moths, including many that were new to me.

The Broads

Our first day started with a moth trap led by James, in the hotel garden. About 40 species trapped, including a lovely Lime Hawkmoth and a Beautiful Golden Y. 

 

Lime Hawk, Beautiful Golden Y and European Corn Borer

Next we headed for my old stomping ground of Hickling Broad. Swallowtails and Green-eyed Hawkers showed brilliantly, which was a relief as many of the clients were keen to see these iconic species. 

On the bird front, three Spoonbills were the highlight, along with good views of dragonfly-hunting Hobbies, multiple Marsh Harriers, Little Ringed Plover, Bearded Tits etc. Three Adders were a fine bonus as were my first Variable Damselflies.

After Hickling, we had an hour at Strumpshaw Fen, close to where we used to live. A Scarce Chaser posed for the group and we got brief views of a Balsam Carpet, a pretty scarce moth.

Breckland

The moth trap at Weeting Heath was sublime, with loads of new species for me and some real Breckland specials, such as Lunar Yellow Underwing and Oblique Striped. The group marvelled at Poplar Hawkmoth, Clouded Buff and others. 

Clouded Buff, Oblique Striped and Lunar Yellow Underwing

We could have spend all morning with the moths, but the lure of Stone Curlews eventually drew us away, which we enjoyed from the hide for a while. We also had nice views of a Spotted Flycatcher near here. Time was getting on, so we headed off to a few local sites where we looked for scarce day-flying moths and some rare plants, adding Field Wormwood and Proliferous Pink to the list. We finished the day at Lakenheath Fen, reminiscing about the Golden Orioles we used to see here in the past.

The Beach

Kelling Heath was our first destination, where we found Silver-studded Blue, Green Hairstreak, July Belle, Woodlark, Stonechat and Red-banded Digger Wasp amongst other heathland species. The large wasp was superb, diligently filling in and covering up the hole it had dug to house it's egg and prey. Class.

Green Hairstreak, Red-banded Digger Wasp, Dodder ('strawberry laces') and July Belle (courtesy of Charles Waters).

Morston Quay and a cruise to see seals was next on the agenda, although the seals were miles away on a sandbank off Warham. We did however see a Spoonbill flying over, plus a few late migrant waders and great views of Little and Sandwich Terns. 

With a change to the itinerary, we decided to head to Titchwell where we delighted in dozens of Avocet chicks of various ages, Little Gulls, a range of waders and best of all a spotty Spotted Sandpiper, the first in Norfolk since the 90s! The whole group managed to get reasonable views of this little wader through the scope which was great. On the way back, one of the group found a smart Bee Orchid next to the path, a fine way to end a great trip. 

Military Coup

 

Got a tip-off that some Military Orchids were viewable in the Brecks without having to book on a guided tour to the Suffolk WT nature reserve, which famously hosts a colony. This is an exceptionally rare species in the UK, so it was a real privelege to see these orchids. They had passed their best just slightly; apparently the flowers rapidly wither as soon as they are pollinated. Each floret is said to resemble a soldier, though the tiny figure appeared to be wearing a bonnet - not that solider-like!

                          

The orchids were growing in a mossy former sandpit, with a lot of birch regrowth which presumably is cut each year. A number of Southern Marsh orchids were also growing here, along with Mouse-ear Hawkweed.

Stilt-uesque!

Great to spend some time watching Black-winged Stilts on Monday. The whiter-headed female spent her time hunkered down on her nest, whilst the male fed around the lagoon. A really handsome and statuesque bird, the male showed really well, preening for a period at close range. A deep amber eye was noted, along with his long, elegant black wings and needle-fine black bill. 

I hope this pair manages to hatch their eggs and raise their young, without attracting the attention of predators. Families of Lapwing and Oystercatcher nearby, gave me hope of a positive outcome. 

Watching these stilts reminded me of the trip I made with my Dad and John down to Holme Dunes, Norfolk, back in 1987, to see the pair that had nested. When we arrived the pair were escorting two tiny chicks around the lagoon. I am sure John would have enjoyed seeing this pair, some 35 years later. I will take my Dad once he is a bit more mobile. 

Also seen, a sleepy drake Garganey, Common Tern and three well-grown Fox cubs. gambolling along the back of the lagoon. 

 

Pas-de-Calais, France (Le Touquet, Baie De Canche and Crecy Forest)

 

Spent an enjoyable and relaxing half term hol just south of Calais, France at Le Touquet. I managed to fit in a bit of birding during the week and even managed a lifer - Middle Spotted Woodpecker! My birding was restricted to three sites: Le Touquet dunes and estuary, Baie de Canche and Crecy Forest.

Le Touquet is about 35 minutes south of Calais on the A16. It sits on the south side of the Canche estuary and has a fantastic dune system which have been well-protected and is a Natura 2000 site. The scrub and woodland inland of the dunes held Nightingale and Firecrest and looked great for migrants. The estuary itself was good for Spoonbills, Little and Cattle Egrets, waders and gulls, plus a few Sandwich Terns. Black Redstarts were frequently heard and seen around the town, often singing from television aerials. There were a few Swifts and Serins around but not many of either, which seemed a bit strange.

 

Reserve Naturelle de la Baie De Canche

This varied reserve is about 15 minutes from Le Touquet, accessed just north of Etaples (across the bridge from Le Touquet) and either side of the D940. Parking is up a side road to the west of the D940 signed for a campsite. There is a car park after about 20 metres on the right. From this car park, you can walk the blue trail, which takes you uphill through woodland and sandy heath. Our only walk was in the middle of the afternoon so it was pretty quiet, apart from a few Nightingales. The site is good for Nightjar, Woodlark, Honey Buzzard and Fen Orchid, although I suspect you would need to go off the trail to find the latter. 

 

About 1km back towards Etaples is the red trail which is on the coastal side of the D940. This is a short trail through wet woodland and scrub and on to the coastal marshes. I was able to park on the wide road verge next to the start of the red trail which saved a long walk from the reserve car park. I had seen some local birders doing that the previous day so realised it was ok. Out on the marhes, there are many ponds with shooting butts which are heavily used during autumn and winter for duck shooting. 

 

The fringe of the marshes had patches of sand dunes and reedbed and there were a couple of big lagoons with nice hides overlooking them. Bluethroats (white-spotted) were easy to find here and were singing early morning. One male was watched feeding a brood of stripy fledglings, hopping about on a dry muddy pool. They often skulked in the reedbeds, but occasionally would sit up on top of the Sea Buckthorn and phragmites. 

 Bluethroat, Nightingale, Zitting Cisticola etc singing after dawn.

I was surprised to find three Zitting Cisticolas singing on the marsh here, plus lots of Reed and Cetti's Warblers and one Sedge Warbler. Water Rails were squealing from the reedbed and the main lagoon held six Spoonbills, four White Storks and plenty of Little Egrets. Two Cattle Egrets were hanging about with the cattle that were grazing the marsh. Nightingales, Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps were common in the scrub, and I saw a Cuckoo and a pair of Stonechats. 

Cattle Egret, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 x Nightingales, Reed Warbler, White Stork.

....

Crecy Forest

This large managed forest lies about 30 minutes south of Le Touquet and is easily accessed from Forest Montiers a couple of minutes off the A16. The nearest car park to Le Touquet is the one just west of the A16 at Forest Montiers on the east side of the forest (see map below - FM is on the left hand side) from where you can explore the forest. The site is managed for forestry but has some good deciduous woodland, scrubby areas and good trails. It is worth using your smartphone and googlemaps to navigate as it is big enough to get lost. We got a few ticks from our two walks, so it is worth checking yourself after a visit. 

On our first visit, we arrived late morning so activity was much less than my second visit, where I arrived at 6.30am, an hour or so after first light. However, even in the middle of the day, Melodious Warblers were still singing from the Broom and Birch scrub (see pic below) and raptors were in evidence, with Common and Honey Buzzards and Hobby over the forest. 

On my second visit the sun was barely up and the birdsong was magical, with several species of warblers singing, along with Nightingales and Blackbirds. The highlights of my three hour walk were a couple of Red Foxes and several Roe Deer, Short-toed Treecreepers, Nuthatches, Crested Tits, Firecrests, lots of Melodious Warblers and best of all, a Middle Spotted Woodpecker. This was a species I was particularly keen to find having failed to find them elsewhere in the past, and for the first hour I saw and heard nothing but Great Spotteds. A bird which looked a little smaller flew over my head and landed on a dead branch in the crown of a nearby tree. To my delight, it was a MSW and perched long enough for me to get a record shot. It was against the light so was quite dark, but lightening the picture helps see the key features. It flew out of the tree and didn't appear to go far but I didn't manage to relocate it. I continued my walk adding Green Woodpecker. There are apparently Black Woodpeckers here and I got a glimpse of a bird that could have been this species on my first visit, but I couldn't track it down. Other birds of note included Hawfinch, Jay, Marsh Tit and Firecrest. Wood and Icterine Warblers also occur in the forest, but I didn't find either. There was a photo of an Icky from the forest posted on ebird the week before, mislabelled as a Melodious Warbler. 

Firecrest, Fox and Middle Spotted Woodpecker.