Sunday 1 November 2009 - AZOREAN ATLANTIC GULL in Oxfordshire - 31/10/2009

Saturday 31st October 2009

Azorean Atlantic Gull in Oxfordshire

On our way back from the successful BROWN SHRIKE twitch we decided to divert over to Didcot for the elusive winter plumaged adult Azorean Atlantic Gull.  I had already dipped out on this bird before my uneventful trip to the Isles of Scilly so I was determined to connect with it as a priority.

After a drive through the idyllic Oxfordshire countryside past cosy, thatched cottages and welcoming, old inns we arrived at one of the biggest blights on the English landscape - Didcot Power Station.  It's like a slightly more upmarket equivalent of Chernobyl.  It was here that the rare Gull from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean had been frequenting a nearby landfill site along with 4,000 other Laridae.  Typically as we arrived at the level crossing we were told that the bird had finished resting in a nearby field of winter wheat and had flown off towards the tip.  NOOOOOO!!!

We then crossed the railway, hoping that the bird had stopped off at the pool for a quick wash and brush-up.  After a nervous scan of the litter strewn stretch of water, a local birder managed to pick out the target and Steve Richards and I were soon watching the bird as it swam around.  With its dark executioners hood, its piercing yellow eyes and its grotesque looking bill it was quite a fitting bird to be watching on a dark and dingy Halloween afternoon.  It is truly a remarkably, ugly looking Gull but boy was I glad to see it.  We watched the bird from around 3.15pm to 3.30pm and just as I was setting up my 'digi-scoping' kit it flew off, back towards the tip.  Surprisingly the hood could still be seen well as it glided around in the distance with a couple of Red Kites.

Azorean Atlantic Gull (adult winter) - Didcot Landfill Site, Oxfordshire - October 2009

Photograph kindly provided by Steve Nuttall

With the Azorean Atlantic Gull in the bag we could then turn our attentions to the other Gulls on the pool.  The majority species was Lesser Black-backed Gull (of both the graellsii and the intermedius races) with a scattering of Herring Gulls (of both argenteus and argentatus races) and Black-headed Gulls with the odd Great Black-backed Gull thrown in.  We also spotted at least 4 adult Mediterranean Yellow-legged Gulls and best of all Steve picked out a 3rd winter Caspian Gull just as we were about to leave.  With a potential Baltic Gull also spotted this autumn, I'm sure this site will be a great draw for Lariphiles all over the winter period.     

Sunday 1 November 2009 - BROWN SHRIKE in Surrey - 31/10/2009

Saturday 31st October 2009

BROWN SHRIKE in Surrey

Today was a real gamble.  I was offered a lift down to see the mysterious 'Mildly Green Lizard Warbler' down in Cornwall at midnight.  During the week I was convinced from descriptions that the bird in question stood a real good chance of becoming Britain's second ever GREEN WARBLER however my opinion changed as soon as I saw a photograph of the bird.  It just didn't look right and I became swayed towards the original identification of GREENISH WARBLER.  In addition I had made a number of long work trips during the week and didn't really relish spending another ten hours in a car.

So with the decision made, Steve Richards and I made our way down to Surrey in order to twitch the long staying 1st winter BROWN SHRIKE instead....... but would we regret this decision?  Upon arrival we were surprised by the number of birders that were present considering that the bird was now well into it's fourth week on site.  Initially the rarity proved elusive and distant and the views were quite disappointing.  With everyone remaining patient and sticking to the the sensible side of the river though, the bird eventually made its way towards the group of birders where it showed very well indeed.  Here it fed eagerly on bees and wasps, ignoring various Long-tailed Tits that dared to feed too close.  As it was Halloween I was hoping that it might impale one, decapitate it and tear it apart infront of us but this bird seemed more than satisfied with its diet of stinging insects.  It obviously preferred its food with a bit of a kick.

BROWN SHRIKE (1st winter) - Staines Moor, Surrey - October 2009 

The Shrike then attracted the attention of a Common Kestrel that flew over to see what the Shrike was getting up to.  I don't think the Kestrel was considering preying on the star bird, it just seemed curious about what the Shrike was eating.  Anyway while the Kestrel was perched in the top of the same hawthorn the Shrike took no chances and hid itself away in the middle of the bush until it departed.

Common Kestrel - Staines Moor, Surrey - October 2009

Other birds in the area included a Green Woodpecker, small groups of Redwing and Ring-necked Parakeet, the odd Siskin and Lesser Redpoll overhead and a probable Water Pipit in flight.  There were also at least 3 European Stonechat feeding along the riverside.

BROWN SHRIKE fact file

The Surrey bird is just the seventh record of this species for Great Britain with the full listing as follows:

1985 - adult - Sumburgh, Mainland Shetland - 30th September to 2nd October (3 days)

2000 - first winter female (trapped) - Fair Isle, Shetland - 21st October (1 day)

2001 - first winter - Bryher, Isles of Scilly - 24th to 28th September (5 days)

2004 - adult male cristatus (trapped) - Skaw, Whalsay, Shetland - 19th to 24th September (6 days)

2008 - adult cristatus - Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire - 24th to 25th September (2 days)

2008 - first winter - Vallay Strand, North Uist, Western Isles - 18th November (1 day)

2009 - 1st winter - Staines Moor, Surrey - 12th October +  (23 days +)

STOP PRESS: 

Whilst we were on site, confirmation filtered through that the intriguing Cornish Phylloscopus had been identified as a definate GREENISH WARBLER from analysis of sound recordings of its call.  Steve and I breathed a sigh of relief however we spared a thought for those who we knew had decided to make the long journey south west.  

Thursday 29 October 2009 - Ravens at Alvecote Pools SSSI - 29/10/2009

Thursday 29th October 2009

Ravens at Alvecote Pools

An early morning visit to the patch produced a site record count of my personal favourite species of all time - Common Raven.  Initially a single bird flew over Gilman's Pool 'cronking' away loudly heading in a south-easterly direction.  Just 32 minutes later a pair of Ravens flew over Mill Pool from the same direction giving a quieter call as they went.  These two birds headed strongly in a north-westerly direction.  Less than a minute later another pair flew over Mill Pool following the original pair.  Ravens are a passion of mine and from reading all of my hero Bernd Heinrich's fantastic books I know that an individial Raven will often advertise a food source to other Ravens and collect recruits, especially if they consider the food source to be located in a risky location.  Obviously I cannot be sure that this is what happened today but nevertheless I was thrilled with the sighting.

"Hey Gull, see that worm down there?"  "Yeah Egret what about it?"  "Can you pass it me please, I don't wanna get my other leg out?" 

Little Egret & Black-headed Gull at Alvecote Pools, Staffordshire - October 2009 

Other species on site included the female Red-crested Pochard on Mill Pool along with a calling Water Rail.  Over on Upper Pool a Little Egret was present along with 66 Eurasian Wigeon, 54 Common Teal, another Water Rail (showing briefly) and 3 Common Snipe.  Another Little Egret (photo) was also resting on the spit at Pretty Pigs Pool where there was an impressive count of 94 Mute Swans.