Flashback #5; August 2022

Another instalment in my ridiculously belated posts concerning birding done last year! I'm determined to write up a brief summary of my birding that year and marking every step of the way and the birds that made up my Big Year.

Tuesday 2 August

We got the month off to a flyer by driving down to Hampshire and picking up no less than three year ticks. Our first destination was Fishlake Meadows, a nature reserve on the edge of Romsey, to connect with a fine adult Whiskered Tern that had been found a couple of days before. Just our second of the species, the last one was a juvenile which will always be remembered for the saddest of reasons (see here). This bird was viewed at a happier time and performed beautifully and dutifully for the assembled who had to view through a small gap through the surrounding trees.

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)

The Whiskered Tern after making several circuits of the lake would often choose to rest awhile on one of the many sunken trees in the lake, in fact it was on one when we arrived. The stunted and dead trees were also the chosen platform for a Great Egret. I was reminded of our first Great Egret, seen in Chard maybe fifteen years ago. Nowadays they are all over England and you'd be disappointed not to see one or more at a lot of wetland sites in the country.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

It's a shame that the locals weren't a bit happier though, because despite parking safely on a nearby estate road some busybody still felt it necessary to place notices on the parked cars complaining that it was a private road. Not according to the highways website it wasn't, I checked. There were no parking restrictions either. Strange how the miserable sod wasn't available for a little chat as well. I would have told them him/her a thing or two. Like, get a life.

We moved onto Normandy Marsh near Lymington and part of the larger Keyhaven Marshes complex  where we had seen Wilson's and Grey Phalaropes the year before. It was decidedly chilly by the Solent and I soon regretted wearing shorts and sandals. To begin with I was too eager and spent far too long surveying the wading birds in the first bay I'm came to and tried to turn every one of the hundreds of Redshanks into the Lesser Yellowlegs that we had come to see. None of them complied although I did pick out a Curlew Sandpiper amongst the throng. Eventually we found the correct place to look and found our target bird easily which showed nicely if a little bit too far for my lens. Our year total was going up like a petrol pump display. 

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

It notched up one more when I found our first Greenshanks of the year on the same lagoon. For some reason, Greenshanks are often a late addition onto our year lists. They are not common birds in Oxfordshire, and scarce on passage, so unless we visit a coastal hotspot then they tend not to be seen. The Greenshanks were too distant for any meaningful photos to be gained, but we had better luck with three Knots that had settled much closer to the path.

Red Knot (Calidris canutus)

Year List additions;

257) Whiskered Tern, 258) Lesser Yellowlegs, 259) Greenshank

Sunday 7 August

One of the few days towards the end of the year that I actually did write up! My account of the first Cape Gull for Britain is here.

Cape Gull (Larus dominicanus)

Year List addition;

260) Cape Gull

Saturday 20 August

The day before a Citrine Wagtail had been reported at Goldcliff Pools near Newport in South Wales. We joined many hopefuls on site on a wet and windy morning. Our two hour vigil was finally rewarded with a brief view of our only our second of the species, again another juvenile, following on from my self-found bird at Slimbridge in August 2020. No chance of adding any great photos though owing to the murky conditions and distance. I don't like Goldcliff much, it's always raining and views of birds are always from miles away.

Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola)

To bolster the day out we drove north to Whixhall Moss in Shropshire to see a confiding female Red-backed Shrike. On arrival the Shrike was barely showing in a bush some hundred metres away from the road and closest viewing point. However, it soon obliged us by flying back to its favoured hawthorn hedge right by the road. It was impossible to see from the road but luckily permission had been granted by the local farmer to view from within the neighbouring field. We were soon getting fabulous and reasonably close looks at the beautiful Shrike. Unusually for a Shrike though, the bird remained secreted well within the thorny hedgerow rather than sit out openly like most of its ilk do.

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

The Red-backed Shrike appeared to be catching bees and other insects that were inside the hedge rather than flying past or creeping through the long grass of the field. I felt sure that I'd be able to find the bird within the hedge from the roadside verge so I went to have a more thorough search. Amazingly I did find it and as if curious of me, the Red-backed Shrike turned to face me.

I returned to the field and to Mrs Caley and watched the Shrike a bit longer. These were our best views of the species for some time despite its unwillingness to venture out of cover. It was a good day and an important one in our quest to get 300 species in the year.

Year List additions;

261) Citrine Wagtail, 262) Red-backed Shrike

Tuesday 23 August

On Sunday we had dipped a White-winged Tern at Rockford Lake near Ringwood. The following day we had blown out seeing a Purple Heron at Weston Turville Reservoir because it had disappeared into nearby trees by the time we'd got there after I had finished work and then we had left too early so missed it coming out of hiding later in the evening. Luckily however, I had reasoned that the Heron would remain overnight, and with no work planned, decided to take a punt on returning early the next morning. As we were parking up, the bird was reported again so just minutes later we were fortunately watching only our fourth Purple Heron.

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

The juvenile Heron soon left its tree and went hunting along the waterside of the extensive reedbed of the reservoir. By walking to the opposite side we were able to enjoy some really good sunlit views of the bird as it caught small fish and a few dragonflies. 

With the whole day to ourselves we left and on a whim drove to the outskirts of Leeds (!) and to the RSPB's reserve at St Aidan's. There we spent almost four hours waiting for a previously, exceptionally showy Spotted Crake. The Crake rewarded us for our efforts by declining to shower most of that time and when it did appear it was on view for a full two seconds as it legged it across a small gap between two stands of rough vegetation. Still, they all count!

Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti)

Year List additions;

263) Purple Heron, 264) Spotted Crake

Saturday 27 August

A cracking day out culminating in a superb Greater Sand Plover seen on Redcar beach. Good enough to warrant its own post, written up here.

Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)

Year List additions;

265) Pectoral Sandpiper, 266) European Roller, 267) Greater Sand Plover