The Deskbound Birder: Red-breasted Flycatcher

Showing posts with label Red-breasted Flycatcher. Show all posts

Tuesday, 6 October 2020

Shetland - 4th and 5th October

It was my final full day on Shetland and I awoke to a dreary day with rain and a north-east wind. After a brief scan too sea at Scord I headed to Sumburgh Head and birded the farm area. Numbers of migrants had dropped off considerably from yesterday with a substantial fall in Blackcap, Goldcrest and Robin numbers. Barnacle Goose flocks were heading south and a large flock of around 175 birds roamed the Fitfull Head and Sumburgh area, a single albino amongst their ranks. The Little Bunting from yesterday was still around the farm but was rather flighty. The Great Grey Shrike was still in the boulder field at Grutness and showed a little better than yesterday's rather fleeting view. My eBird lists can be viewed here and here.

Barnacle Goose flock over Fitfull Head - Sumburgh, Mainland Shetland

Great Grey Shrike - Grutness, Sumburgh, Mainland Shetland

I then headed a short way north to Toab where a 1st winter Bluethroat showed occasionally but a little distantly in a potato field near to the post office. Also in this field were four Brambling and a Siskin. My eBird checklist can be viewed here.

Bluethroat - Toab, Sumburgh, Mainland Shetland

I then headed a short way north again to North Town close to Exnaboe. Here a lovely Red-breasted Flycatcher showed well in a garden, calling frequently and occasionally being chased by Robin's. My eBird checklist can be videwed here.

Red-backed Shrike - North Town, Exnaboe, Mainland Shetland

With little else being in the south of the mainland I headed up to Asta, just to the west of Lerwick for an Olive-backed Pipit that had been showing well in the Sycamore's around the village. This is a superb area that I had not visited before but am sure to head back to. After a little searching I located the pipit feeding in the leaf litter below the Sycamore's and spent a ten minutes with the bird before it flew, seemingly a short way south, and could not be relocated. My eBird checklist can be viewed here.

Olive-backed Pipit - Asta, Mainland Shetland

I then headed back south with the intention of doing some general birding but decided to call in on the Red-backed Shrike at Boddam which eventually showed fairly well as the rain began to fall. I wandered to the derelict cottage at the summit of the hill north of Boddam and in the garden here were a Blue Tit (scarce on Shetland), Yellow-browed Warbler and an Olive-backed Pipit. My eBird checklist can be viewed here.

Red-backed Shrike - Boddam, Mainland Shetland

I then birded Leebitten and Sandwick but saw relatively little, the highlights being two Red-throated Diver and six Swallow at Sandwick. My eBird checklists can be viewed here and here.

On my final day I only had an hour or so before needing to get my 10:10 flight back to London. I birded Grutness and saw relatively little, the Great Grey Shrike was still present and I had good views of a lovely male Siskin. And that was it, time to head back to Hampshire after a fantastic trip to Shetland. My final eBird checklist can be viewed here.

Siskin- Grutness, Sumburgh, Mainland Shetland

Sunday, 13 October 2019

Shetland - 12th October

I awoke at 06:15 after a good nights sleep and after breakfast I decided to head to the west coast of Shetland for an American Golden Plover and Bluethroat as well as some general birding. I started at Aith and birded the area just north of the village at North Gardie. There was a large flock of c.250 Golden Plover and it was not long before I located the American Golden Plover in the flock. The flock gave me the run around but eventually I had good views of the bird feeding alongside the road that runs north from Aith. The bird was in partial summer plumage and this, along with the grey plumage and large pale supercilium, made the bird fairly conspicuous amongst its commoner cousins. I then birded the village area seeing four Blackcap and two Brambling but little else.

Brambling (male) - Aith, Mainland Shetland

Brambling (female) - Aith, Mainland Shetland

American Golden Plover - Aith, Mainland Shetland

Aith, Mainland Shetland

News broke of a Lesser Grey Shrike on Unst and having only seen one fairly poorly in the UK (a female at Corfe River Meadows, Middlebere, 14th August 2008) I decided to go for it. The bird had been found yesterday morning but had vanished for the rest of the day resulting in many birders missing it, but today the news services suggested it was settled and showing well and so the game was on.

I headed for the ferry terminal at Toft and arrived at around 11:45, I was standing around chatting when a stunning dark morph Honey Buzzard flew over head being mobbed by Gulls. The bird was almost black and its yellow cere and legs were prominent against such a dark plumage, the flight feathers were a little paler but essentially the entire bird was black; a stunning bird. I crossed to Yell and raced across the island. At the Gutcher ferry terminal on Yell I scanned across to the small island of Linga and picked up an Otter on the grass, it was playing on the clifftop before sliding into the water. After a short wait I was on the ferry and landed on Unst at around 12:45. After a 15 minute drive across the island I arrived at Burnside at Halligarth on the east coast of the island with six other birders. The Lesser Grey Shrike showed almost immediately and over the next hour I enjoyed fantastic views, as the bird fed from walls, posts and pylons often sallying to some height in pursuit of White-tailed Bumblebees. This was a fantastic adult bird with full black forehead and a lovely apricot wash to the underparts. At the end of my stay I was alone and had the bird down to around 15m as it fed along a fence line - this was a stunning bird and well worth the trip.

Dark Phase Honey Buzzard - Toft, Mainland Shetland

Ferry crossing to Yell, Shetland

Lesser Grey Shrike (adult) - Burnside, Halligarth, Unst, Shetland

I headed off from Unst at 14:30 and was back on the mainland at around 15:30. I contemplated heading to Ronas Hill for the Snowy Owl but thought better of it as I doubted that I would get back to the car with any daylight. Instead I stopped at Loch of Voe for a Red-breasted Flycatcher which showed well in the fading light. Heading to Lerwick I stopped at the docks where I had my first Wheatear of the trip and enjoyed good views of Black Guillemot. I retired to the Lerwick Hotel at 18:00. Maybe I will try for the Snowy Owl tomorrow afternoon if its a little slow elsewhere.

Rainbow over Loch of Voe, Mainland Shetland

Red-breasted Flycatcher - Loch of Voe, Mainland Shetland

Black Guillemot - Lerwick, Mainland Shetland

Thursday, 11 October 2018

Mainland Shetland - 9th and 10th October

I awoke to a still, foggy and drizzly morning and after grabbing some supplies I drove south and birded the Leebitten area. News broke of a Snowy Owl on Fetlar and I contemplated the logistics of getting there and whether I should go. I was very tempted but looking at the timetable for the ferries I realised it would be an all day event and so I decided to spend the day birding rather than chasing off in the car. I birded the area around Sand Lodge and the fields to the south. There were five Purple Sandpiper on the rocks adjacent to Sand Lodge and the strange sight of a Knot running around the farmyard here. There were large numbers of wader in the fields with at least 250 Golden Plover, 75 Turnstone, 125 Redshank and 35 Snipe. Scanning one flock of Snipe feeding in the fields a came across a Jack Snipe which was nice to see but a little too distant for photographs. Also here were around 75 Greylag Goose and nine Pink-footed Goose. Passerine migrants remained extremely thin on the ground, so thin in fact that I recorded precisely none! Even the trees and bushes of Sand Lodge were devoid of birds. Offshore, two Common Porpoise swam south and I spent some time scanning hoping for an Orca but with no luck. Back at the car I sheltered from the drizzle which had turned into light rain and I once again contemplated the logistics of getting to Fetlar for the owl. I decided against it and instead drove the short distance south to Sandwick and birded the gardens, fields and bay area here. I saw little but for a couple of Wheatear and I spent some time scanning the Golden Plover flocks for a 'Lesser' Golden Plover but with no luck. News broke of a Red-breasted Flycatcher showing well at North Town, Exnaboe and so I finished birding at Sandwick and headed the 20 minutes down the road. On arrival, the Red-breasted Flycatcher was showing very well feeding along a fence line and making regular sallies after flies. Also here was a male Blackcap, my first of the trip and a Goldcrest, only my third of the trip. I spent just over an hour with the Red-breasted Flycatcher, such smart little birds.

Purple Sandpiper - Leebitten, Mainland Shetland

Common Redshank - Leebitten, Mainland Shetland

Grey Seal - Leebitten, Mainland Shetland

Knot - Leebitten, Mainland Shetland

Common Porpoise - Mousa Sound, Mainland Shetland

Twite - Sandwick, Mainland Shetland

Red-breasted Flycatcher - North Town, Exnaboe, Mainland Shetland

I then headed down to the Sumburgh area and birded Pool of Virkie, Grutness and Grutness Voe. At Virkie there was the usual selection of common wader with 30 Dunlin being the best present and a Lesser Black-backed Gull which was my first of the trip. At Grutness Voe there were half a dozen very smart juvenile Sanderling, Ringed Plover and Turnstone. Out in the bay I picked up a flock of four male and five female Long-tailed Duck. On Grutness the only bird I recorded of any note was a single Wheatear. It was now 15:30 and I decided to head north a little and spend the last hour and a half or so birding Upperton and Netherton, the latter being one of my favourite spots on the island. But I saw little, a single Chiffchaff at Netherton was the highlight - remarkably this was only my second of the trip, a real reflection of how sparse common migrant passerines are on the islands currently. I headed back to the hotel for 18:00 pleased with the Red-breasted Flycatcher but somewhat regretting having not headed for Fetlar and the Snowy Owl.

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Pool of Virkie, Mainland Shetland

Long-tailed Duck - Grutness Voe, Mainland Shetland

Ringed Plover - Grutness Voe, Mainland Shetland

Turnstone - Grutness Voe, Mainland Shetland

Sanderling - Grutness Voe, Mainland Shetland

The 10th October was my return home, my flight was at 09:25 from Sumburgh to Edinburgh and then onto London Heathrow and so I needed to check in at 08:25. Leaving the hotel at 07:30 I drove through thick fog until I reached the Levenwick area when remarkably I emerged from the fog into sunshine. I birded a little around the Pool of Virkie and Gutness Voe picking up the same Long-tailed Duck flock from yesterday and 12 Sanderling. I headed to the airport, dropped off my hire car and headed for my flight to London Heathrow via Edinburgh. All flights departed more or less on time and I landed at Heathrow at 13:35. I drove straight to Lymington to collect Tobias from school and had 45 minutes of spare time to have a wander out to Fishtail Lagoon where a handful of Teal, Wigeon and Dunlin plus an adult Mediterranean Gull and a Spotted Redshank were the only birds present.

View of the fog-bank over Shetland from main road just before Levenwick

Trip List (British ticks in bold)
Willow Grouse
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
Greylag Goose
Pink-footed Goose
Long-tailed Duck
Common Eider
Red-breasted Merganser
Tufted Duck
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
Mallard
Common Teal
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Rock Dove
Common Woodpigeon
European Turtle-dove
Eurasian Collared-dove
Common Moorhen
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Fulmar
Grey Heron
Northern Gannet
European Shag
Great Cormorant
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Eurasian Golden Plover
American Golden Plover
Common Ringed Plover
Northern Lapwing
Eurasian Curlew
Bar-tailed Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Ruff
Sanderling
Dunlin
Purple Sandpiper
Common Snipe
Common Redshank
Black-legged Kittiwake
Black-headed Gull
Mew Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
European Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Arctic Tern
Great Skua
Black Guillemot
Razorbill
Merlin
Common Raven
Carrion Crow
Eurasian Skylark
Melodious Warbler
Blyth’s Reed-warbler
Marsh Warbler
Barn Swallow
Yellow-browed Warbler
Willow Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Eurasian Blackcap
Barred Warbler
Northern Wren
Common Starling
Redwing
Eurasian Blackbird
European Robin
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Whinchat
Goldcrest
House Sparrow
Pechora Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Rock Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Citrine Wagtail
White Wagtail
Brambling
Common Rosefinch
Twite
Redpoll
Eurasian Siskin
Reed Bunting

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

Isle's of Scilly - 22nd- 28th September

Okay, this is quite a late post and, looking back, I feel quite underwhelmed by the birds seen during my time on Scilly. This is especially so when one looks at what has been happening on the East Coast and Northern Islands of late with Siberian Accentor, Two-barred Greenish Warbler, Siberian Thrush, White's Thrush, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Red-flanked Bluetail's and Orphean Warbler to name but a few. But, my time on Scilly this September was as enjoyable as ever even though it did not deliver on the bird front. Sarah, Tobias and I spent a few days with my Dad and Step Mum and we had a great relaxing time. I squeezed in some birding and the weather was largely okay.

22nd September - St. Mary's

We stayed in our cottage at Trowan overnight and were up bright and early for a 09:30 flight to St. Mary's. All was on time and we were on the island by 09:50. After a little wait for Spider at the airport while watching a few Wheatear on the runway we were off to our usual haunt of the Star Castle. After a coffee we headed for a short walk around the Garrison and to Juliet's for a much needed lunch and then back through Lower Moor's, over Peninnis and back to the Star. We saw little, a fly-by Turtle Dove while at Juliet's - my first of the year, Chiffchaff in small numbers, a Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and a couple of Whinchat at Lower Moors and a Black-necked Grebe at Porthcressa, a Scilly tick, and that was about it.

Chiffchaff - Lower Moors

Song Thrush - Garrison

Whinchat - Lower Moors

23rd September - St. Agnes

I was up early this morning and birded the Garrison before breakfast but there was little to show for it in a strong south-west wind. A few Swallow and a Spotted Flycatcher near the tennis court was the sum of it. A breakfast of bacon, sausage, hash brown and eggs at the Star Castle was most welcome.

Gannet - Garrison

We opted to head for one of my favourite islands today and after a massive tantrum from Tobias I left the family playing on the beach at Periglis Cove. I spent a little while looking for a Red-breasted Flycatcher at the back of Porth Killer and it showed incredibly well in the shadows of a pine tree. Such fantastic little birds, rather drab, but with a very attractive, almost friendly appearance. I then wandered over to Big Pool where a Lesser Yellowlegs had been present for a few days and it was not to disappoint showing well around the edge of the pool. A wryneck had been present at Browarth Point for a week or so but despite a good bash around I failed to find it, highlight here were nothing more than a few Wheatear.

Red-breasted Flycatcher - Port Killier

Lesser Yellowlegs - Big Pool

We walked back past the Community Hall, Parsonage and the Lighthouse seeing little in the very sunny conditions. So we planted at the Turk's Head and enjoyed the view and a couple of pints before wandering along Barnaby Lane and over Wingletang Down again with little of note seen.

The Scillonian against the Garrison, St. Mary's

Shag - St. Mary's Quay

24th September - St. Mary's

Today dawned with a howling gale and with rain forecast from around 13:00 we decided to stay on St. Mary's. I had a wander around the Garrison before breakfast but saw little but for a Blackcap and two Spotted Flycatcher. After breakfast I spent a little time hiring golf buggies, my Dad these days is not so good on his feet due to osteoarthritis and so we thought this would be a nice way to see the island with minimal effort and a bit of shelter from the rain. They were £50 for the day which was okay but there really is only about 1.5 hours charge in them. We started with a walk at Halangy Down and up past the mast. A Wryneck had been present for some time but we had no luck. Next we stopped at Newford Duck pond and Tobias was entertained by the ducks jumping on the golf buggies for bread - we saw a Pied Flycatcher here but nothing else. And then as the rain started we headed for Juliet's for lunch and a few beers. Drunk in charge of a golf buggy, we headed up around the top of the island and stopped at Porth Hellick as the rain began to fall. We wandered to the bird hides, a Yellow-browed Warbler called and on the pool were four Snipe, two Water Rail, a Dunlin and a Greenshank plus around 20 House Martin and 15 Swallow. Tobias was shattered and fell a sleep on the buggy so we headed back for a bit of relaxation via the Atlantic for a few beers - it was now hammering it down.

Snipe - Porth Hellick Pool

Greenshank - Porth Hellick Pool

Water Rail - Porth Hellick Pool

25th September - Tresco
It was my Birthday, 45 this year, and so I wanted to find a rare, I don't want much just something to get the adrenalin going, a Red-flanked Bluetail would do, any sort of BB rare would be fine so my birding intensity was up a notch. I was up and birding the Garrison pre-breakfast in bright, sunny and still conditions. Two Spotted Flycatcher, Black-necked Grebe, Pied Flycatcher and a self found Yellow-browed Warbler was a fair start. After breakfast we headed to Tresco and walked from New Grimsby quay south to Abbey Drive and cut inland. It was slow going, a Blackcap at the east end of Abbey Drive and a group of 40 Greenshank on the pool plus around 60 Swallow and 40 House Martin. We wandered up Borough Road and I dropped back a bit to bird, at Borough Farm I caught up with Dad and heard a familiar 'swee-wee', Yellow-browed Warbler. I stayed back and tried to see it but no luck. Wandering on, a short way past the farm a pale blob on the edge of a field that I initially thought was going to be a Song Thrush turned out to be a nice Wryneck, another self-found. A little further along the same a hedgerow was a Redstart. Wandering on the family were keen to head for lunch while I just wanted to bird so I said to them to wander on and I would catch up. I stopped at Green Porth where I was convinced that a flock of around 125 Linnet would contain something good, maybe a Little Bunting but I scanned and scanned but there was nothing. Time to head for lunch, we had a fantastic seafood platter followed by Hake and a few beers and then a little birthday cake, all very nice. I was itching to go birding so headed south back along Borough Road and along the north side of Great Pool. I had okay views of the Yellow-browed Warbler at Borough Farm that I had heard calling earlier, two Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard and that was about it.

Back on St. Mary's I had a short wander onto the Garrison but saw nothing and then ordered a bottle of Champagne that Sarah and I enjoyed on the veranda celebrating my 45th birthday and our 6th wedding anniversary while Tobias played with his cars. Maybe next year I will find a rare but maybe after at least six years on Scilly at this time of year with no major find this is not the place.

Small Copper - Abbey Pool, Tresco

Wryneck - Borough Farm, Tresco

A yacht against St. Martin's

Stonechat - Tresco

Cromwell's Castle, Tresco - I proposed to Sarah at the top right of the castle on this day in 2010 and hence the draw of Scilly at this time

26th September - St. Mary's

I awoke early today as Tobias has taken to sleeping in our bed this holiday which is fine as long as it doesn't continue when we get home. So, in a strong wind and semi-dark I headed out over the Garrison, it was not only windy but there was a thick fog and drizzle. I loitered around in the dark realising that I had got up far to early, as the sun began to rise I recognised the shapes of Dunnock, Blackbird and Song Thrush but it was almost an hour before I could make out the first noteworthy bird, the now familiar Spotted Flycatcher at the tennis courts. I wandered on and saw another Spotted Flycatcher near the football club house. There was a certain rare feel about the weather conditions but other than a Pied Flycatcher and a Yellow-browed Warbler on Lower Broome Platform I saw little so I headed for breakfast. The plan for the day was to head to St. Martin's but due to the poor weather we stayed on St. Mary's. Sarah and I wandered over Peninnis Head, through Old Town Church Yard and through Lower Moors to Juliet's for lunch. It was slow going, a Redstart on Peninnis two Chiffchaff in Old Town Church Yard, a Snipe, Greenshank, Kingfisher and a couple of Chiffchaff at Lower Moors and that was about it. The rains started to hammer down so after lunch we made a dash to the Atlantic to meet my Dad and Step Mum and that was about it for the day.

Herring Gull - Juvenile Porthcressa

Black-necked Grebe - Porthcressa, a Scilly tick for me

27th September - St. Mary's and Flight

Again I was up early wandering the Garrison in thick fog seeing very little but for the usual two Spotted Flycatcher and little else but for a Pied Flycatcher on Lower Broome Platform. We were due to fly at 13:10 today and so after breakfast I checked on the flights at the hotel, all flights cancelled due to the fog. So, we met with my Dad and had a stroll around Hugh Town and out to Porthcressa where I had my now daily sighting of the Black-necked Grebe in the bay. Before long we had a call for the airport and after a bit of waiting around we were off at around 14:30 in now bright and sunny conditions. After a bit of food shopping we headed to Perranuthnoe where Sarah had a bite to eat in the car and I went to Boat Cove look for the Hudsonian Whimbrel for the fourth time after a single distant view on 5th March 2016. But the tide was very high and the beaches largely covered and other than three Bar-tailed Godwit, eight Ringed Plover, four Dunlin, six Turnstone and a Little Egret I saw nothing. It was time to head for the comfort of the cottage at Trowan.

Bar-tailed Godwit (juvenile) - Boat Cove, Perranuthnoe

Bar-tailed Godwit (juveniles) - Boat Cove, Perranuthnoe