I signed off last year's review by stipulating my aims for 2024. I vowed to take things easier on the birding front, especially to spend less time driving and to only target new birds that I needed for my life list or birds that I wanted to gain better photographs of. To be fair I say that every New Year. I also intended not to chase another "Big Year" as I had done for the last two years. Trying to see 300 species or more in a calendar year takes a lot of effort and costs an awful lot in petrol, which is neither good for my pocket or the planet. Mrs Caley and I also wanted to take more mini-breaks as opposed to days out. In the event I partially succeeded in my aims, we didn't get 300 so I achieved my wish of not getting another "Big Year" and I did see 12 new birds for my life list. I feel I did still drive too much and too far but often the local birding is dull and fruitless so in order to get birding thrills, it's necessary to go further afield.
Our years birding delivered 288 species in total, and to be fair with a bit more effort we would have broken that 300 barrier again, but in a way I'm glad we didn't. At times we both lost our birding mojo this year, with many stressful days caused by issues beyond our own control. It was our birdwatching that held the year together for us and going out to see a new bird or just encountering something good locally or even in our garden relieves some of the angst and helps both to excite and calm.
I took care of a new camera lens midway through the year, lending a bit of extra reach, and thus a bit more quality to my images from the end of May onwards.
I completely failed with my resolution to keep my blog up to date this year. In fact I've blogged less this year than in any since I started. At times I've considered giving up writing them but I keep reminding myself that despite the lack of hits, it is my diary and keeps details of what Mrs Caley and I get up to in our birding year. The blogs are there for our own posterity. So to satisfy my own self-indulgence, I will keep plugging away even if I'm months behind.
Anyway, here are my highlights from 2024.
UK Life Ticks
In 2023 I added 19 birds to the Old Caley life list, this year that figure was down to 12. There was definitely less to go for this year. I guess with my life list now well over 400 that there will be fewer opportunities for new species, and many of the rare and very rare birds were recorded on islands which I am not interested in paying out a small fortune to visit. All the new birds were seen on the British mainland, all in England except for one in Wales, and one in Scotland. The new birds were far flung though, being seen in all corners of the country such as Cornwall, Kent, Yorkshire, and Ayrshire. In date order the new birds were;
1) #424 Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis). The year got off to a flyer when a birder living in Maldon, Essex spotted an unusual bird on his garden wall on the 3rd of January. Almost unbelievably it was a Northern Waterthrush, an American species of Warbler which has a liking for water courses such as streams and stagnant ponds. After the bird had been relocated the following day, we travelled down the day after and joined several hundred hopefuls lined up at the edge of a small creek. The twitch was tricky with difficult viewing. The bird didn't show for three hours until somebody spotted it away from where everyone else was looking. It took us another two hours to see it ourselves. Not satisfied with the poor views that we gained, exciting as they were, we returned to the site a few days later once the error of having birders stood right next to a culvert where the Waterthrush preferred to feed had been realised. On a freezing cold morning the bird showed superbly well.
2) #425 Myrtle Warbler (Setophaga coronata). Another rare American Warbler was found in another garden, this time in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland at the end of February. We don't usually do twitches and trips of that magnitude but thought we could include it in a short break during which we could see some other more localised birds in the area. The Myrtle Warbler (or Yellow-rumped Warbler) had chosen a small communal garden in a block of flats, which proved that provided a bird has all that it wants, then it can turn up just about anywhere. We joined about 40 other birders on the first Saturday (24th February) after the warbler's discovery, rammed into the small space. There was no more than twenty feet between us and the suet block which the bird favoured. I couldn't believe the Myrtle Warbler would dare come to the garden with all the hullabaloo. But it did, and it showed incredibly well too. It went on to stay for weeks, which enabled many other birders to see it.
3) #426 Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). One of those amazing days when luck turns on its head. We'd been to Arne on the 6th of April to look for the returning Forster's Tern in the hope of gaining better photos than the previous year (when it had been a lifer). Disappointingly there was no sign of the Tern. However, while we eating lunch at a cafe near Dorchester, sketchy reports of a Dark-eyed Junco, an American finch-like bird, being seen in North Dorset emerged. Less than an hour later the birds whereabouts had been established, in Gillingham, and we were there just half an hour afterwards. Another American passerine on another normal looking housing estate. We found the house, spoke to the owner and were allowed to view the garden from the gate. The Junco, a bird I've wanted to see for some time, flew in and offered superb views for the next ten minutes or so.
4) #427 Western Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia iberiae). We had seen a Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall a few years back but that had been a female and couldn't be assigned to species since females of all Subalpine Warblers (there are three distinct species) are very similar. So when a male of the Western variety was found on the Isle of Portland then it just had to be seen to confirm a previous shaky tick. After a short wait the bird popped up in the bramble and showed incredibly closely at times throughout the next hour. Another warbler added to the list and another that was long overdue. Seen on the 17th April.
5) #428 Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis). The first non-passerine tick of the year but yet another twitch to the south coast, and another bird that was long overdue for the list. I'd dipped at least three of these dainty wading birds before so it was good to finally close in on one. We visited Normandy Marsh on the 20th April, just three days after seeing the Western Subalpine Warbler. along the coast. We should move to the area. Except it's too expensive down there. The Marsh Sandpiper was never close but it showed for most of the time we were there.
6) #429 Black-winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanii). A surprise addition to the list when this strange wading bird species was found near Doncaster at the end of June. We travelled on the afternoon of Sunday the 30th of June to see our second Pratincole species. Initially the bird was difficult, hiding in long grass next to the edge of a gravel pit but eventually it took to flight and gave good views although always distant. The warm day and associated heat haze thwarted my best photography efforts but I managed a few record shots of the wading bird that is more alike to Swallows and other aerial feeders.
7) #430 Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii). Another wading bird and yet another that has taken far longer to see than it should have. Again we'd missed a few of these in the past, and we feared that we'd missed one again when we drew a blank at Goldcliff Pools near Newport on the morning of the 4th of August. However, all proved to be not lost when we, and a few others, found the bird on the mudflats of the Severn estuary at Goldcliff Point a mile or so away. We went on to get outstanding close views of the diminutive wader as it fed alongside Dunlins and Ringed Plovers.
8) #431 Pale-legged Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus tenellipes). The indisputable bird of the year in my opinion was discovered at Bempton Cliffs at the end of September. Originally identified on poor views as an Arctic Warbler, sound recordings revealed that it was something far rarer. In fact only the second Pale-legged Leaf Warbler for mainland Britain and the other was found deceased. Poor weather made it difficult to pin the bird down until conditions improved by the weekend. We joined a manic twitch on the 28th of September but only managed fleeting views of the bird. I hastily arranged a mini-break to Yorkshire and revisited the bird again on the 2nd October. I played it cool too, by going to see a very showy Hoopoe on the way. Once at Bempton we had glorious views of the warbler and amazingly I gained some pretty good photos of it too!
9) #432 Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis). On the same day as we ticked the Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, we also added a long overdue Arctic Warbler to the list. Unlike the former, the Arctic Warbler shoed superbly well in the afternoon sunshine at Spurn. It was only the second time we'd been to Spurn, the first was for a closely related Two-barred Greenish Warbler which was seen only metres away from the Arctic Warbler. Maybe next year I'll be back again for a (less rare) Greenish Warbler that still eludes me.
10) #433 Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica). While in Yorkshire twitching the Pale-legged Leaf Warbler amongst others, we were watching an Olive-backed Pipit at Thornwick Bay. A Rustic Bunting was seen by an eagle-eyed birder just metres away. It took a bit of perseverance but we finally set eyes on a species that was unluckily denied to us by the second lockdown period in 2021. We'd also dipped one in Norfolk earlier in this year. The only life addition that I didn't get a photo of so I'll have to work on that one.
11) #434 Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus). Yet another obvious gap in my list was seen at last on October the 19th. We were on holiday in Cornwall and had already failed to see the Stonechat two days before in windy and wet conditions. We thought we'd missed our chance but the bird was found again on the Porthgwarra moors in much better weather. The Stonechat from the East with the peachy rump, showed really well and we were able to note all of the discerning features.
12) #435 American Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva). In a neat bit of book-ending to 2024 we saw our third American warbler species of the year on a dreary grey day two days after Christmas. The surprise bird was the subject of a chaotic twitch at times and we didn't get great views but it was a treat to see the brightly coloured bird briefly. A bird I'd never ever considered that I'd see, which just goes to show how amazing birding can be sometimes. The Yellow Warbler should be wintering in the Caribbean or Mexico, not freezing its little nuts off in deepest Kent. If it sticks until the New Year then a second trip to see it will be on the cards to see if I can improve on my photos.
Old Caley's Top Bird Encounters of 2024
As usual some of our best birding experiences of the year will feature some of the birds included in the life list additions above or in the Best Local Birds below. Up to now this section was intended as a top ten but I always go over that number and last year it actually extended to a top fourteen. This time around it will be no different so I've altered its subtitle. Every encounter with a bird whether rare or not is a memorable experience in my eyes. It's hard to leave stuff out.
1) My bird of the year just has to be the rarest that I saw, the Pale-legged Leaf Warbler. On my second visit, with fewer people trying to see the bird, I was able to steady myself and take quite a few photos of the ever moving sprite. The Leaf Warbler hardly ever left the shadows of the thick scrub and bushes but with effort I was able to position myself so that when the bird presented itself in a favourable situation, I could get some images that I was mighty proud of. These small warblers are my bag and I was glad to add several to my life list in 2024.
2) Our best bird extravaganza of the year came on a freezing cold and quite dreary morning on high moorland in Wales. The sounds and sights of a Black Grouse lek is one of the greatest avian shows around. Watching the males joust and challenge each other for the right to obtain first dabs to mate with the hens is truly captivating. And this year we had the spectacle all to ourselves.
4) There were many very close encounters with birds through the year. One of these with a Lapland Bunting at Staines Reservoir showed just how ridiculously confiding birds that hail from the Arctic can be. At times the bird approached so closely, we were sat down, that I couldn't take photos and in one astonishing moment the Bunting actually hopped onto my foot!
6) Finding the montane specialist birds appears to be getting more difficult in the Cairngorms, perhaps because of the feared climate change. During the summer the only way to see them is to take a hard slog up a mountain all the way to the tops. We've not been lucky enough to find Dotterel for the past couple of years now but have found a few Ptarmigan while looking. On a walk in June we found a pair of the "mountain chickens" right next to a path. As always the birds allowed for prolonged study and photography.
7) Before the 2nd of June, I thought that Red-breasted Flycatchers only occurred in autumn in the UK. That was before I walked into woodland on a glorious sunny morning near Ballater in Scotland and heard the singing male that had been present there for a week or so. Despite being close it took me a few minutes to spot the bird high up in the canopy. Once found we sat and listened to the beautiful songster for quite a while before he flew further away up the hillside.
8) Another incredible close encounter came with a Red-backed Shrike near Dunstable. Because we'd been out twitching other birds we thought we'd missed our chance with the first-winter bird that had chosen a patch right next to a public footpath in which to hunt. Being so tardy in going to see the Shrike played out in our favour because there were only a few other birders present and thus the bird was even more confiding than it had already been.
10) For the surprise factor, and for winning the "how to turn a bad day into a good one" prize, the Dark-eyed Junco seen in Dorset had to be included. From a dip to a life tick in just over an hour. It was very nice to get a big slice of good luck for a change!
11) Two years ago we watched a juvenile Sabine's Gull at close quarters, and last year it was the turn of an adult. Both featured in the corresponding "top tens". This year a juvenile of the species gets an entry again. We were late to the party to see the bird that had taken up temporary residence at the mouth of the River Blue at Burnham-on-sea during September. I'd heard that the Gull could show really close but never realised that we'd be able to sit on the sea wall and watch it feed in some shallow pools barely ten metres away. Of all Gull species, in juvenile plumage a Sabine's probably trumps the lot.
12) Another Gull has to be included here as well. Nobody could ever say that the Glaucous Gull is a beauty. Plenty would say it's a beast. The juvenile that we watched feed on a storm stricken seal pup on the beach at Old Hunstanton however, did provide a great example of how nature works. One animal's demise will often benefit others. The best views I've had of such an impressive bird.
13) Some birds often feature in my year reviews, one of them is the Snow Bunting. We saw them on the mountain tops and at various places during the autumn and winter. The sighting of a lone bird on a busy path next to a beach at Penzance during our holiday there, deserves inclusion here. It was an extremely windy day but the bunting was in its element, feeding on grass seeds and totally at ease despite the scores of walkers and cyclists trundling past just metres away.
14) Instantaneous twitches, whether for the rare or not so rare, always raise the adrenalin levels. Our holiday in Scotland hadn't been a vintage one so a report of a small flock of Bee-eaters had us scurrying out to Aberdeenshire after lunch on a showery day. Twitches in Scotland are never that frantic and there were barely more than half a dozen folk watching the birds. The flock of six birds were mobile and tricky to keep tabs on but occasionally settled on overhead wires and gave good views. When the sun puts in an appearance, as it briefly did, there aren't many better looking birds!
15) Making the right decisions is crucial with birding. Luck plays a huge part in what you get to see. A trip down to Beachy Head in Sussex to see our second Desert Wheatear ultimately led to disappointment later in the day. Instead of staying in our home county and staking out a Booted Eagle watch with hundreds of others, I chose to travel to see the wheatear and wait on news of the eagle. The eagle was seen fairly well up until lunchtime, while we had great views of the wheatear. Alas though, our hopes of seeing the Booted Eagle foundered in the afternoon, as they did the following morning. Birding can tread a fine line sometimes. The wheatear was superb though and afforded a fabulous close encounter so it's hard to be too downcast.
16) Our third trip to Spurn, which concluded our short break to the Yorkshire during which we had the amazing encounter with my bird of the year, provided us with amazing views of Mrs Caley's favourite warbler, a Barred Warbler. As warblers go, the Barred version would never win any beauty contests, and certainly not a juvenile like this one. This particular bird had a crossed bill as well which further damaged its kerb appeal. However, to see a normally skulking bird as well as we did this one, ensures its inclusion as a highlight of the year.
17) Last for this list, I've chosen the Hoopoe that we saw on the same day as the Pale-legged Leaf Warbler. Included mainly because we saw it at a place called Stamford Bridge, and everyone who knows me will understand why. Come on you Blues!
This list could go and on if I allowed it to. There were other memorable close encounters with the likes of a Lesser Yellowlegs, both adult and juvenile Rosy Starlings, a Grey Phalarope, a flying buttress of a Great Bustard, a ground feeding Yellow-browed Warbler (very hard to leave that one out), a first Icterine Warbler seen away from Scotland, a second ever Olive-backed Pipit, the beautiful American Black Tern that had paired up with an Arctic Tern, the major Waxwing influx during which we saw a single flock of over 150, five species of Owls, a magnificent Hoopoe, several Black Redstarts, the singing Bluethroat, a showy Wryneck, stunning views of Goshawks, a wonderful evening in the company of Nightjars and Woodcocks, two different Isabelline Shrikes, an elusive Red-flanked Bluetail, good views of Semi-palmated Sandpiper and White-rumped Sandpiper, our third Wilson's Phalarope and many more.
Of course there were disappointments. We didn't dip on too many twitches but missing out on the Booted Eagle still rankles a bit. The only other rare birds we tried for and missed out on were a Pied Wheatear and a Rustic Bunting (although we saw one later in the year). It was another Capercaillie free year, I'm aiming to correct that in 2025. Our year total was good particularly considering the birds that we'd usually expect to see but didn't such as Red-necked Phalarope, Dusky Warbler, Whimbrel, Dotterel, Tundra Bean Goose, Green-winged Teal, Purple Heron, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and Pallas's Warbler. We had a near miss with a Bridled Tern which was found on Coquet Island just hours after we'd left the area on our way up to Scotland, and had departed the day before we returned. There were plenty of other rarities that we didn't move for, our aim of less travelling was observed strictly at times but I do regret not going for some of them despite the distances involved.
The Best Oxfordshire Birds of 2024
Only a single county tick this year which raised my Oxon total up to 246. To be fair we didn't spend a lot of time birding at home and largely neglected our local reserves at Bicester Wetlands and Otmoor. We must correct that in 2025.
1) The county tick and biggest thrill of the local birding year (other than the Alpine Accentor in neighbouring Buckinghamshire) was a mad dash up to Farmoor in September to see a storm blown Arctic Skua. Having missed out on successive individuals of this species over the years, it was good to add to the list. It showed superbly well too, making multiple flypasts of the birders huddling up against the inclement weather on the causeway.
2) My daughter casually mentioned one day that she'd seen a "white" Magpie around the corner from our house. Mrs Caley and I went for a look and found the leucistic bird almost straight away. It was the second one of its kind that we'd seen in our area, the first one actually visited our garden for a week or so. We kept monitoring the bird and were stunned to find a second one in a flock of up to six "normally" plumaged Magpies. There must be something in the water in our town, since we've also seen a few leucistic House Sparrows here as well.
3) A pair of Velvet Scoters were found at Grimsbury Reservoir in November. We rushed up and enjoyed good views late in the afternoon on a dingy grey day. I returned with my camera a week later in beautiful sunshine and literally filled my boots (a memory card anyway). The two juveniles, a male and a female, were only our second and third of the species seen in Oxfordshire.
4) Driving home from work one day in February I noticed a Short-eared Owl stood on top of a post in a field. A few days later I took Mrs Caley with me and we investigated the area. We found at least three of the Owls plus a Barn Owl hunting over the scrubby fields. We made several subsequent visits to the site, established where the birds were roosting and enjoyed watching them at length. On one occasion, one of the owls flew out of its roost as we arrived giving a brief but point blank view.
5) If I say so myself, my own photographs have improved this year, thanks to owning better kit and using a longer lens (although I didn't get that until after this encounter). I still continue to be largely ignored by the BirdGuides judges though. One of the few of my photos to be awarded a Notable Photo this year was this one of a Cuckoo that flew towards us by the Thames at Pinkhill in April.
6) The last, but not least even though it's so small, inclusion here is the Little Stint that we saw at Farmoor. It took us a while to find this bird (even though it had apparently already flown past us twice) but when we did finally pin it down, it afforded us sustained close views, as wading birds often do at the site.
7) Finally mention must be made of the fabulous Hawfinches that have returned to a regular wintering site in North Oxon. So far up to 11 have been seen but they are elusive and difficult to pin down for anything but distant views. However, during a walk in early December, we did find 4 of the birds feeding in a yew tree which gave us much better than the usual views.
There were other local highlights, including my annual sessions with newly arrived Swifts which are always a thrill (next spring I'll have my better kit to photograph them with), a fine male Ring Ouzel just a few miles from home, flocks of Little Terns and Common Scoters on the same day as the Arctic Skua, Black Terns, Kingfishers, several other wading birds, and some good garden visitors such as three different Blackcaps and a pair of Siskins.
2025 Wish List
Resolutions are made to be broken so the only one I'm making this year is to break them.
I'm going with the flow.
Seriously, I need to see a Capercaillie.
We will be birding abroad for the first time by courtesy of travelling to the much recommended destination of Lesvos this year. I have a long list of potential targets there, birds that I've never seen before. It should be fun, and will open up our horizons away from our normal. I'm very much looking forward to it!
As ever, my thanks go to everyone who has taken the time to look at my blogs during 2024, and I hope you'll keep looking in 2025. I still enjoy writing them and will try to keep them more current and up to date. Many thanks also to friends for the company, banter, info, and laughs. Same again next year.
Special thanks to Mrs Caley. She puts up with a lot.
A Happy New Year to you all!
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