Asian Desert Warbler on Holy Island!

When talking about which birds I'd most like to see on Holy Island, the same few species often crop up in the conversation - Black Lark, Asian Desert Warbler or Cretzschmar's Bunting to name a few. However, I never really expected to see any of them. That was about to change on Monday evening as I was sat around the house not doing very much...

A notification came up on my phone saying that the Sylvia warbler seen very briefly on Holy Island earlier in the day had been relocated and identified as an Asian Desert Warbler. Wow. Just the 13th to be seen in the UK and first in Northumberland, we were heading north within five minutes. Two sets of temporary traffic lights and a level crossing seemed determined to stop us and the fog and darkness was closing in, making us even more nervous. 

On arrival at The Snook we were greeted by a small group of birders looking intently into a hawthorn. Luckily the ASIAN DESERT WARBLER was still present, and while it took a bit of time to get good views of, we were able to add it to our Northumberland and British lists. It gave a couple of brief bursts of distinctive, descending song before appearing to go to roost in a willow. We were both ecstatic (and somewhat relieved!) to have seen the bird but I hoped to get better views on Tuesday if it was still present...

It was another slightly misty morning on Tuesday, and the Asian Desert Warbler was still present and showing well. I spent several hours getting some great views as it moved around one particular pine tree, as well as making brief flights to nearby hawthorns and willows. It was an excellent twitch with the Warbler on view almost all of the time, as well as coming out into the open and singing regularly. A brilliant end to what was a bit of a difficult spring!

I also had a bit of time to walk around the rest of the island on Tuesday with the highlights including a couple of Spotted Flycatchers, reeling Grasshopper Warbler, Whimbrel and the usual spectacular display of orchids. The only negative was that the 1000+ Starlings I checked during the day didn't have a pink one with them, but I can't complain after such a memorable experience with one of the rarest birds I've seen in Northumberland!

Asian Desert Warbler!

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Spotted Flycatcher at The Lough

Grasshopper Warbler

Spring on the patch...

Over the past week or so we've had several trips up to the patch to make the most of the actually quite nice weather, and it has definitely started to feel like spring has arrived...

Last Sunday saw an influx of Willow Warblers on the patch, while Sandwich Terns and Swallows were also new for the year. The Budge Fields were holding good numbers of waders with 7 Ruff, 50+ Black-tailed Godwit and a Whimbrel, while a drake Garganey also put in an appearance there. A Water Pipit was looking smart in almost full summer plumage.

Stopping at Cresswell provided us with our first Yellow Wagtails of the year, and it was a nice surprise to see one of them was a male 'Channel', and this one has been seen on and off in the bay since.

This weekend there has been a bit less variety, but a lot of the summer migrants are in, with our first Whitethroats, Reed, Sedge and Grasshopper Warblers and Common Terns. More unusual were the 3-4 Garganey at Druridge Pools (probably two drakes from the hides and a pair on the pools by the old coal road).

The patch year list now stands on 134 (166 points).

Garganey

Yellow Wagtail

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Water Pipit - please select to view in HD at 1080p

More good patch birding...

The Green-winged Teal at the Budge Screen this morning was my fourth 'scarcity' on the patch this year, and my first here since January 2015. Also on the Budge Fields were 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Ruff, 3 Whimbrel, and, of course, the White-fronted Goose.

At Chevington the Black Tern remained, giving superb scope views in the sun. A Grasshopper Warbler was also showing well and our first Reed Warblers of the year were singing.

A stop at Castle Island on the way home gave an unlikely combination for late April - a sub-adult Iceland Gull and a Long-tailed Duck...

Green-winged Teal

Grasshopper Warbler

Iceland Gull

A return to the patch...

Headed back to the patch this morning, and it wasn't as big a reality shock as we were expecting, with a nice selection of spring birds around. First up were the 2 Crane at Longhirst Flash, which provided me with my best views of this species yet. A really nice start!

Up to Chevington where it was apparent that there was quite a few more summer migrants than when were last here three weeks ago. 3+ Grasshopper Warblers and 2 Sedge Warblers were singing from the usual areas, Sandwich Terns were in abundance offshore, 8 Common Terns were on the north pool, and a Wheatear and a White Wagtail were at the burn mouth. 

We called in at the coastal path at Hauxley to look for the recent Green-winged Teal, but unfortunately there was no sign, although a group of 26 Whimbrel provided some compensation. A lone Pink-footed Goose was visible on the reserve.

Heading back south, just my second ever Northumbs Hooded Crow was showing nicely in the field opposite the entrance to Druridge Pools, while a Grasshopper Warbler was singing from the fence line. 3 Ruff, 8 Black-tailed Godwits, the Eurasian White-fronted Goose and 3 Pintail were on the Budge fields.

Cranes

Whimbrel

Hooded Crow

White Wagtail

Local birding...

Spent the morning on the patch where there is signs of autumn migration getting underway...

The vegetation at Druridge Pools is starting to get quite tall and it was difficult to determine just how many Greenshank were present. Eventually we confirmed five different birds. These were new for the patch year list, as was a flyover Common Sandpiper.Other waders here included 2 Ruff (adult and juvenile) and a Black-tailed Godwit. 2 Little Egrets were also on the Budge Fields and 2 Goosanders were on the north pool, it seems to have been a good year for these on the patch. An adult Mediterranean Gull was with the Black-headed Gulls in the field to the west.

East Chevington was quieter with a singing Grasshopper Warbler and an Arctic Skua offshore along with 4 Little Terns.

The water levels at Cresswell Pond were looking great today and were proving very attractive to waders: 12 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Ruff, 1 Knot, 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Avocets (including a colour-ringed immature) and lots of Dunlin and Curlew. 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls were sat on the west spit along with 3 Little Egrets and 2 Yellow Wagtail were near the causeway.

PWC 2016
Species: 148
Points: 193

Cold start to May...

Druridge Bay was cold once again this morning. It never seems to be warm on weekends! It was also quiet except for a good spell at Cresswell Pond early afternoon.

At Cresswell a drake Garganey dropped in before appearing to head into the reeds in the south-west corner. Waders included 5 Ruff (3 very smart males), a Greenshank, a brief Whimbrel, Avocet and lots of Dunlin. 2 Little Gulls dropped in before heading off north to Druridge Pools. Also around the pond were Little Egret, White Wagtail and a singing Grasshopper Warbler at Druridge Pools.

Elsewhere in the bay the Goosander was again at East Chevington along with 5 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Mediterranean Gull flew over Druridge Pools. I missed a Manx Shearwater which my Dad saw flying south past Druridge Pools.

Ruff with a Redshank

Garganey record shot

Greenshank

Also a few photos from last weekend in the wind and rain...

Goosander at Druridge Pools

Tufted Ducks

Shovelor

Cold weather and migrants...

Headed out to the bay this morning to try and make the most of the sun and despite the cold wind more migrants had arrived...

The Long-billed Dowitcher refused to move off the sand bar infront of the hide at Cresswell Pond which it shared with 4 Ruff.

We then got word of a swift with white on its body at Druridge Bay Country Park so rushed up to find an aberrant Common Swift with a lot of white on both its upper and underparts. It was flying around with a normal Common Swift and despite it not being the hoped for Alpine Swift it was still an interesting bird...

Moving south to East Chevington, a Little Egret flew through heading north. The north pool held 2 Red-breasted Mergansers before flying off along with a female Goosander. Plenty of hirundines were around the reserve including a few House Martins and the aberrant Common Swift joined two normal birds over here. A Lesser Whitethroat was singing by the approach road with both Grasshopper and Sedge Warblers at the south end and a male Marsh Harrier quartering the fields.

Druridge Pools added Little Owl, a singing Whitethroat and a flock of 20+ Whimbrel to the patch year list with at least one White Wagtail in the area.

A quick look at the north end of Cresswell Pond on the way home produced another White Wagtail, a Wheatear and 2 Avocets.

PWC 2016
Species: 133
Points: 166

Aberrant Common Swift

White Wagtail at Druridge Pools

Wheatear

Local

We set off to Druridge Bay this morning hoping that we might see some migrants. Chevington first up, as when the Bearded Tit had been seen, it was earlier in the day. We couldn't find it, but 2 Grasshopper Warblers were nice, especially how I managed to get very close to one. There was a smart summer plumage Black-necked Grebe on the North Pool as well as 5 Red-breasted Mergansers and a couple of Sedge Warblers and a Whitethroat.

While at Chevington we heard a drake Garganey had been at Druridge Pools, so that's where we went next. It was showing brilliantly, along with 2 Yellow Wagtails. A summer-plumage Black-tailed Godwit also dropped in. 5 Avocets were at Cresswell and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers.

Lastly a White Wagtail was at Bothal on the way back.

Grasshopper Warbler

Garganey in the heat haze

Swallow

Willow Warbler