At 14.22 a text came through to say that there was a male Two-barred Crossbill on the beach, east of the car park at Cley. Knowing that this wasn’t a bird that was going to hang around in this location I said ‘lets go’ – Jane on the other hand was insistent that we wait until she’d finished preparing a huge batch of courgette chutney! Ten minutes later and we’re on the way along the coast road to Cley NWT following someone who, very correctly, sticks to every speed limit! We swing into the beach car park, say ‘Hi’ to Mark G, standing by the pill box, and he says ‘you need to be down there by the fence’. A knot of birders is straining to see over/through the fence to a patch of thistles in which the bird is supposedly residing. Seconds later it pops up on a thistle-head, close to the fence and I get a chance to take in this ‘tango orange’ male, with it’s distinctive white wing bars and tertial tips. A few seconds later and it’s off, flying across the Eye field towards the hides and beyond, to Cley village. No pictures of my own I’m afraid but here is a great shot, courtesy of Mark Golley:

This was the first Two-barred Crossbill in the ‘Cley square’ for over forty years – a Norfolk tick for me and a ‘lifer’ for Jane – pheew that was close!

This summer has been exceptional for the number of rare birds in Britain, one of which is Bridled Tern – a species from as far afield as the Red Sea and Caribbean. With less than thirty previous records and the last long stayers being in the mid 90’s, this was a ‘must get’ species. Unfortunately for us, when it first turned up on 1st July on the remote Farne Islands, we were busy all week and the following week we were off to France to watch Le Tour. During that first week it settled to something of a routine, regularly coming to roost during the afternoon and evening, when there were plenty of eager boatman willing to ferry the throngs of twitchers out to the islands to see it. By the 5th it had become much less predictable and began visiting a number of mainland sites between  Northumberland and Teeside. On the morning of 10th it was reported flying south past Flamborough Head, Yorkshire –  it looked like it had disappeared for good. Then to most peoples surprise and our considerable relief it reappeared on Inner Farne to roost on the evening of 13th. We were again busy over the weekend and I had commitments on Monday and Tuesday. With an emergency dental appointment on Wednesday morning, we decided to go for the bird straight after. It’s a five hour continuous drive to Seahouses, where the boats leave, and with any luck we’d be there for mid afternoon, in time to get out to the islands to see it. We phoned the boat people on route to be given the devastating news that the last scheduled sailing was at 12.15 and there was no prospect therefore of seeing the bird that day, it’s fifth consecutive day of settled behaviour! We had no choice but to schedule our visit for the following day and hope against hope that it would hang around for another day! We’d intended to use our trip north to visit Jane’s family in Lancashire in any case, so we reversed our itinerary and decided to return to Rutland Water, to see if the Pacific Golden Plover was around and also to try for the Bonaparte’s Gull at Heysham. We scored on both – seeing our birding pals, Bob & Sue, in the process and spending a very pleasant evening, courtesy of Jo and George (thanks a lot folks!) Yesterday morning we set off early on a lovely drive through the high Pennines, collecting Red Grouse on the way, to reach Seahouses in good time for the crossing to Inner Farne. Fortunately for us, the Tern was back at the roost by late morning – unfortunately we had to join one of the regular tourist excursions which goes around all the other islands before finally landing for an hour on Inner Farne! Anxiety levels rose throughout the afternoon, despite the truly excellent views of the local marine life and the seafaring tales of the captain. Finally we landed and after several tense minutes of scanning the Tern flock  there it was, the fantastic Bridled Tern – ‘planet earth’ tick and a real beauty! After ten minutes or so it went airborne, pursuing a Sandwich Tern high into the Northumbrian skies and we were left to clear up on a couple of other Tern species which had so far eluded us. We’d boarded the boat ready for the return sailing to Seahouses, when a fellow birder saw the bird on the nearby rocks. We were able, curtesy of the obliging captain, to cruise slowly by it on our way home and obtain much better/sustained views.

A nice flight shot of Bridled Tern, with Sandwich Tern for comparison

A couple of shots taken from the boat as it departed back to Seahouses The ‘supporting cast’ for this trip was outstanding. First off was the rather distant but full summer plumage Pacific Golden Plover, at Rutland Water, seen here looking right on the closer bund, with a couple of Lapwing

At Heysham, we managed to relocate the adult Bonaparte’s Gull – a scarce North American visitor, amongst hundreds of Black-headed Gulls, on the rocks at Red Nab. It’s the one in the centre of the shot, looking left! This picture shows most of the essential identification features; smaller, slimmer structure than Black-headed, a black hood, delicate black beak and pinky orange legs ‘Famous’ they maybe but increasingly difficult to find on the heather moorlands of northern England – Red Grouse. Britain’s only ‘endemic’. The top bird is an adult Roseate Tern, a very scarce summer breeding species. Note the long blackish bill, long tail- streamers and pale grey back. It’s also ringed! Third new Tern species for the day – Arctic

A big thank you to the ‘Angel of the North’ for bringing us luck and allowing us to see the lovely Bridled Tern on our first attempt…we know of  birders who have tried and failed on three or more visits! Postscript: For fun I thought I’d add a couple of photos of the other ‘black and white’ Tern, on the British list, for comparison. These ‘digipics’ of a Sooty Tern were taken in the early days of digiscoping, on Anglesey in 2005

This bird first arrived on Anglesey on 7th July and spent the next 5 weeks commuting across the Irish Sea, visiting various locations along the Dublin coastline, proving at times to be as difficult to see as the Bridled Tern. Now thankfully both are safely UTB and ‘on the list’!

Over the past week or so there have been a number of scarce/rare birds in the region, which we’ve been able to catch up with. First was the singing Melodious Warbler in a pine plantation near Retford. ‘Melody’ Warbler, rather inappropriately nick named, since their song is a rather excitable nasal scratchy tune, are quite a rare bird in the east of Britain, being more typically an overshooting western Mediterranean migrant to Devon & Cornwall. The bird, still present this morning and singing for it’s tenth day, was easy to locate but much less easy to see (let alone photograph!)

This was our second ‘Hippo’ (Hippolais family of Warblers) of the year and a UK ‘Lifer’ for Jane.

Yesterday we revisited old haunts and birding colleagues (- hello again Frank!) to see a really nice and reasonably close Surf Scoter in Filey Bay, on the Yorkshire Coast. A typical mid-summer species, but one usually found much further north, off the Scottish coast. It was in the company of half a dozen Common Scoter and is easily picked out (even at relatively long distances or poor weather conditions) by the rather ‘clown-like’ white, yellow and red beak and head markings.

It’s been more than a decade since we last saw this species as part of our legendary ‘Duck trilogy’ trip to Scotland, to visit my brother. Then it was Surf Scoter, Black Duck and King Eider – now that was a trip to remember!

The last of this weeks unusual species was a moulting Ring-Necked Duck – a North American species, at Catterick racecourse. Once we’d found the fishing lake, in the middle of the course, it was a reasonably straightforward matter to study the dozen or so Tufties (Tufted Duck) to spot the odd one out. Since there is a strong resemblance to it’s English cousin, care is needed with the relevant features – domed head peaked at the rear with no sign of a tuft, brownish tones to the otherwise greyish flanks and a white sub-terminal ring around the beak.

Ring-necked Duck are an ‘ornamental’ species sometimes kept here in captivity, but genuine vagrants do regularly occur in the UK … and this was definitely one of those!!

This mornings delight was a fabulous adult Rose-coloured Starling, sometimes rather unflatteringly referred to as ‘Pink Stink’, feeding on fat-balls in a tiny garden, just off the quay at Wells-next-the-Sea. Rose-coloured Starling is an eastern European/Asian species which occasionally over-shoot on spring migration or else find their way to UK shores as dispersing juveniles, in late summer or autumn. The juveniles are much less eye-catching – basically a pale sandy version of our regular Starlings. But today’s bird was in as near full breeding plumage as you can get, and ‘boy was it a belter’…..

The lovely ‘Rose of (Tralee) Wells-next the-Sea!

No sooner had we got back from seeing Pacific Swift in Suffolk – a ‘Lifer’ in case you were wondering, than a tentative report of a Roller, five miles down the road, came over the airwaves! Tea was put on hold and we headed in the Holt direction, to the Lowes nature reserve. First news was that the bird had disappeared, in a southerly direction, possibly to where it had first been located. We hung about on the ridge waiting for news until a group to the east of us started gesticulating – we rapidly relocated to where the bird was showing well, if a little distant, in a birch tree. We watched it for about half an hour, feeding and flying from tree to tree, before heading back for a late tea.

The bird….

A Norfolk ‘tick’ and a truly fabulous end to a very special ‘Fathers Day’ (thanks Matt!)

For the last couple of weeks a very rare Swift – I mean a ‘mega’ Pacific Swift, has been touring the English east coast from Suffolk to Yorkshire. Pacific Swift, which breeds from central Siberia east to the Pacific, has only been recorded in the UK on a handful of occassions. Last Wednesday morning the bird flew past Spurn Point, heading south, and was seen at Saltfleetby, Lincs., later  that afternoon. Yesterday it reappeared at Trimley marshes in Suffolk. Much against the odds it was still there this morning so we went for it. After an anxious two and a half mile hike from the car to the SWT reserve and an hours wait, the bird finally obliged with a reasonably close fly past over the lagoons and then away high over Felixstowe docks and out across the river towards Essex.

A small part of the crowd, gathered in anticipation

Pacific Swift (left) and, for helpful comparison, Common Swift

Although a rather poor record shot, this photo shows the essential features: white rump, elongated forked tail, longer wings and slightly projecting head profile

Side view of the white rump patch

A very nice Fathers Day present – thank you!

This morning we tried for the reported singing Bluethroat along the East Bank at Cley. In our haste I forgot that I was wearing shorts and ‘boy’ did I pay the price during our two and a half hour vigil! There was a noticeable sea fret when we arrived at Walsey Hills and a stiffish breeze was blowing from the north as we walked along the bank. Apparently the bird had been showing five minutes before we arrived, so we were feeling lucky. An hour and a half later, not a peep from the bird and I was getting decidedly chilled. Jane had opted for an ill-timed walk back to the visitors centre for a comfort break when first the Ruddy Shelduck, which has been frequenting these parts for a couple of weeks, put in an appearance quickly followed by the Bluethroat – which sang briefly from a distant elder bush. Jane was, by this time, ambling back down the bank but alas the bird had disappeared into thick cover by the time she reached me! We gave it another hour but again there was no sign. The afternoon was spent in the garden until the Bluethroat was again reported. Twenty minutes later and this time success – a UK ‘lifer’ for Jane.

The picture is a poor record shot, due to distance, heat haze and the setting sun, but it is just about recognisable as a Bluethroat, of the Central and Southern European White- spotted race:

On Saturday I had a fleeting view of an old friend, as they chased a moth across the drive, in front of our house. Yesterday we had a better view and this morning, not one, not two but an incredible THREE! Ever since we’ve lived here we’ve been priviledged to have a pair of Spotted Flycatcher breeding in or around our garden. They usual arrive in the first week of May, have two broods and are gone by late August. We’d nearly given up hope this year – partly because it’s nearly the end of May but also the number of reports of this species, arriving in Britain this year, have been few and far between. Anyway they’re back and I hope they settle down to another successful breeding season:

Post Script: 1st June, a thousand Spotted Flycatchers were reported today at Portland, in Dorset – so that’s where they all were!

Whilst doing the second part of the Betjeman Trail in the West Country we did manage to see a few interesting birds, photos of some can be seen below:

Hobby (one of five) over Ham Wall RSPB reserve

Bittern – several heard ‘booming’ at Ham Wall, three seen flying together but distant, and this bird which provided some light relief during the seven hours spent waiting for and missing the Pied-billed Grebe!

Singing male Blackcap

Great Egret, at the same location

Pied Flycatcher in Yarner Wood

Male Mandarin, Yarner Wood

Sparrowhawk somewhere on Dartmoor

Dartford Warbler, Aylesbeare Common – the only bird seen on a rather breezy day

Today, on the way back from the cottage, we did a round-up of a number of rare/scarce Breckland birds. Here’s the results:

First, a singing Wood Warbler at NWT Wretham Heath reserve

A male Redstart, at an undisclosed location

Distant Stone-Curlew at NWT Weeting Heath

A superb male Red-footed Falcon over the reed bed at RSPB Lakenheath reserve

And finally, a rather distant Black-winged Stilt, on Adventurer’s Fen, NT Wicken Fen

Nice to catch up with so many smart birds in one day!