CUMBRIAN BEE-EATER

Having just completed some survey work up in Cumbria I was bombing along to my next job when I decided to pull over into a convenient lay-by and sort my paperwork out. Having the windows down and the cool summer breeze blowing through my receding hairline was a joy but unfortunately my recent survey work was about to vanish out of the window (the boss would not be pleased) so into the lay-by did I go. Just as I pulled in a bird swooped onto a bare branch of a tree right in front of me, I raised my at hand bins and hey presto one awesome BEE-EATER sat there with a Bee in its long curved bill just for good measure. I nearly wet my self with excitement. Casually as I could I nipped to the back of the car and extracted my camera from the boot...I managed one decent shot...

To say I was happy would be the understatement of the year...GET IN!!!!
I attempted to get some flight shots but nearly died in the process as the road was busy with traffic and I'm certainly not leaving this earth for a Bee-eater good as they are, my 4th in two weeks no less. So I moved up the road to get a phone signal and put out the news...


like all good Birders should.

my 9th Bee-eater in the UK (not that I'm counting or anything)

and that was just the mornings offerings more awaited over in Hartlepool...

CARRY ON CAMPING

Been a while since I've blogged so this will be a photo gallery of what's been going down.
Spent a cracking weekend with Groucho and Mr Wizzal over in East Anglia, a proper more led-gable account of what we got up to is on Phil's blog with some real good photos. It was almost a complete Dyson tour missing a few year tick padders on the way (still time to grip back) but my the quality was immense.

Stukey Bluethroat/Red backed Shrike stakeout.

Two of the residents at the world famous Coast Guard's Hotel at Cley Beach...halcyon memories!

Norfolk's finest dipping the Bee-eater that the Cheshire Boys had just flushed...whoops!!

Groucho, Mr Northern and buddy pass comment having gripped the Bee-eater by the skin of their teeth.

changing the subject slightly one rather confiding Large Red Damselfly a male soaking up the sunshine.

Groucho at the wheel Pod on something and Phil out of it

On route home we just had to go via Doxey Marshes and were delighted with the awesome views of  a stunning male Red Spotted Bluethroat.

Phone photo through my bins eat my shorts DSLR guys

Its Staffordshire fan club

not so classic habitat...it was a one dayer (the best, if you've bagged it first day)

The total trip list for the weekend a respectable 118 which included the following...

GARGANEY

BITTERN 5 booming

HOBBY 2+

BARN OWL

CETTI'S

TURTLE DOVE

GOLDEN ORIOLE 2

FIRECREST

STONE CURLEW

GOLDEN PHEASANT

RED BACKED SHRIKE

BLUETHROAT

MED GULL

WOODLARK

CROSSBILL 70+

BEE-EATER my 3rd of the week after 2 at Patrington near Spurn

TEMMINCK'S 2

CURLEW SANDPIPER 6+

RED BREASTED FLYCATCHER

 not a bad haul for a cold May weekend.

DOWITCHER

Started the week badly by not checking the local patch as I set sail for a three day stint up in what's becoming my second home Cumbria. One big bloody white Spooner was prancing about Neumann's flash for several hours before moving on to who knows where... rats bottom!
On the good side a few days of sunshine got the summer migrants singing and I managed to connect with some Cumbrian goodies at a local stakeout...

Quality habitat that's home to some rather nice year list padders such as...

Dennis the Dipper...

and of course where there's a Dipper there's always a Grey Wag

This was not taken at Flannelboro but I did hear this one calling and singing, definitely not a hybrid!!

the best I could manage with my limited equipment...auto-focus not
In the hour I was there I clocked up...5 Wood Warblers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, one Redstart, Common Sandpiper, Cuckoo, Dipper, Grey Wagtail and a pair of Peregrines plus a Red Squirrel not bad for a lunch break.
Down on the coast there was some visible migration taking place and a few more Cumbrian specialities at the winter Iceland Gull hangout of Parton just up the coast from Whitehaven.

here I saw 3 Whimbrel, 2 Black Guillemot, Red throated Diver, n Kittiwake and a few Wheatears.

En route back south I took the 'scenic' route round the South West corner of Cumbria. The Sat-Nav giving fewer miles than going via Penrith but longer in time! thats due to the crap roads and numerous farm vehicles who take delight in holding up the tourists (and ecologists). Bonus though as I called in at rain swept Hodbarrow RSVP to see if yesterdays 'mega' was still around as there was no news either way on it.

Distant record shot of the summer plumaged LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER probably wishing it was else where as the rain lashed down. Stonking year tick though.
Also from the hide 3 Little Terns and a bunch of Sarnies.


adiós amigos


UK YEAR LIST - 213 ish give or take Atlas and Thayer's.

CHESHIRE COMES UP TRUMPS

What a May we're having, despite the shitty weather. First up its a Cheshire mega at Burton Mere Wetlands with a two day Black-winged Pratincole that unfortunately I missed. Then today I was just setting off towards the Wizzal when a call from Robbo alerted me to a Wryneck at Maw Green Tip, Sandbach. This believe it or not is yet another Cheshire Lifer for me so there was no hesitation as I steered the Comberbach Chugabug southwards and raced on down to Sandbach. Arrived to join the Flasher regulars minus Robbo and Ian who were twitching the Atlas Fly on Flannelboro...oh dear bad timing chaps! After a few minutes the cryptic brown jobby gave itself up and I attempted some record shots...No.269 for Cheshire.

excuse the photoshopping.

With the Wryneck in the bag I headed for The Wizzal in the forelorn hope that the Pratincole just might return. En route a quick in and out at a local stakeout for a Cheshire exotic in the shape of several very obliging Mandarin Ducks...

Yet more was to come and at Parkgate on the magically named Donkey Stand Flash there was a wee wader going about its business, one diminutive Temminck's Stint my first in Cheshire since one on the patch (Neumann's Flash) way back in 2006.

I some how forgot to look around and missed the Spoonbill and Great White Egret that were on show but at least I bagged the Year Tick and the fish and chips were pretty good as well...yummy!
Onwards to BMW to witness some awesome dude stringing as a couple claimed a pair of Garganey that swam right in front of the hide for all to see...they were Gadwall!!! still its a great place and we've all got to learn from our mistakes, well some certainly need to.
What a day out though in Cheshire a day that usually finds the Comberbach Casuals out attempting yet another Cheshire Day List what with Wryneck, Temminck's, Spoonbill, Great White Egret, Garganey, Gadwall all on show who knows what could have been achieved, maybe next year?

ATLAS FLYCATCHER

Q. What do you get when you cross one of these...

with one of these...

plus a dash of paint...

A. a 1st for the UK 

ATLAS FLYCATCHER

One of these delightful little critters has mistakenly flown past its usual summer haunt

and ended up here, the sticky-out bit of Yorkshire known as Flannelboro

flocks of 'twitchers' have gathered to welcome this Moroccan visitor and enquire whether its coughed up the dosh for the nearby pay and display carpark

 (don't you just love those double yellow lines!!)

 a true Yorkshire welcome bye-eck!

some on site photos of  'Charles the Moroccan Pied Flycatcher'

OML

GRIZZLY RISLEY

Dam and blast what a flippin waste of time this week when I ventured along to Warrington's answer to an ecopark. Designed for the 9 to 5 birdspotter this fenced peat bog does unbelievably get some birds from time to time. A couple of Common Cranes had decided (god only knows why) to flyover the Risley Remand Centre like battlements and rummage about in its acidic pools. The local spotters sort of put the news out but as I arrived unbeknown to me and several of Manchester's finest the buggers ( the Cranes that is) had already done one back to neighbouring Chat Moss. Still Grizzly's spotters...

were Adam Ant they were still out there lurking behind the shrubbery just out of sight... knob-heads!!

The only Cranes at Grizzly Risley...

and you wonder where Cheshire gets its string-along reputation from...doh!

SANDBACH GYPO

Got a call from Robbo that an Egyptian Goose was on show at Sandbach, time to fire up the Comberbach chugabug and head south. Believe it or not its a flipping Cheshire Lifer, number 268 to be precise. Arrived to join the unwashed masses gripping this mega!! (well a few odd fellows watching a goose) just as Robbo and Groucho arrived from their dodgy Pheasant chase down south.

showing well

obviously tired from its long walk  flight from East Anglia

268 in the bag

A FIRST FOR ENGLAND (and the UK)

Luck had that I was over in North Lincolnshire when the 'tweet' came informing me that the Thayer's Gull that had been seen on and off near Elsham was back. I was half way through a survey and so did the decent thing and completed my mission before heading off for the Yanky Gull and some lunch. Checking my twitter feed I grimaced as the boy had done one...arse!! I went anyway. Luck again as I bumped into a couple of nice birders who informed me the gull was back just around the corner, cheers.

The distant dark shape of a juv/1st winter THAYER'S GULL a potential 1st for England. We now wait 20 years for the BOU to deliberate over its ID credentials. Unlike the Irish chaps who have sorted their gulls out and god bless them whapped them on. The crucial one being the adult at Killybegs, Co Mayo in feb 1999 the one that I and a few of the 'A' team twitched last century.

1st winter at Cork dump 1990

adult Thayer's Gull at Killybegs, Co.Mayo feb 1999

probably coming to a tip near you?

MASTERS OF THE GAME

Just like Bubba above the cream always rises to the top and so it is with the Premiership. As the contenders approach the last few fairways its United who lead by 8 shots. With six holes to play it looks an up hill struggle for the Noisy Neighbours who it seems are already self imploding.

Just like bottler Westwood the Blues started off great, even leading the pack for a while before fading away when the going got tough.

Mancini has spoke to his caddy and already his favourite no.45 iron is for sale on Ebay. The last three holes have been a nightmare for the Bluenoses - pars at Stoke and Sunderland then a bogey away at Arsenal. Whilst the Reds from tee to green have been impeccable - a birdie at Fulham and an eagle at Blackburn followed by a somewhat lucky (swings and roundabouts) eagle at home to QPR, has seen the reigning Champions pile on the pressure at the top of the leaderboard.

Time to get measured for that 20th green jacket Sir Alex.

SNOW WHAT SNOW?

The Lake District was performing well this week, after the 'snow blizzards' the mountain tops were coated white and looked stupendous in the warm sunshine...
Skiddaw and its neighbours...

over on the coast near St.Bees the bay at Freswick holds the only known breeding population of Black Guillemots in England. Three of the black and white jobs were floating about in the bay...no.181 for the Year List.

Out of place on a local farm was this pair of big South American chickens

what a nice Rhea!!