Another day, another Yorkshire first...

This time in the form of a BLYTH'S PIPIT found close to Pugneys CP, West Yorkshire. I went down on the Tuesday and managed to see it on 4 occasions jump out the grass, call, fly around for 30 seconds and dive back in. Not the most exciting bird in the world but well worth the short trip down.

For info and sound recordings of the bird see HERE 

For brilliant photos of the bird see HERE

For shite photos of the bird see below

ANOTHER IVORY GULL!

When I was offered a seat to go and see the Patrington Ivory Gull I could not resist. The next day we set of and got their after 8 and the the Ivory was on show waddling around the rocks but a bit distant. We had to wait another 4 hours until it finally got hungry and fed on the dead fish left by visiting birders. For the next 5 minutes it gave brilliant views as it picked at the salmon and mackerel before flying back out to the Humber, winter birding at its best!

(Ivory Gull - Harry Murphy)

(Ivory Gull - Harry Murphy)

(Ivory Gull - Harry Murphy)

(Ivory Gull - Harry Murphy)

(Ivory Gull - Harry Murphy)

(Ivory Gull - Harry Murphy)

(Ivory Gull - Harry Murphy)

(Ivory Gull - Harry Murphy)

Siberian Stonechat and Isabelline Shrike

On the 16th October the plan was to wait for news of either the Arctic Redpoll at South Gare or the Siberian Stonechat at Scalby in North Yorkshire. I woke up quite late and news came out saying the stonechat was still their so I got the next bus to Scarborough and walked from their. I arrived at the site and was told the the stonechat might of flown across the vally so my hopes had dropped slightly but it wasn't long until it was relocated and it gave fantastic views fly catching over our heads. After missing the one in Cleveland by half an hour a few years back it was great to catch up with this recently split species. After that some Yorkshire birders gave me a lift to Flamborough with some fantastic med gulls at Holbeck on the way. The main bird was the Isabelline (Daurian) Shrike and we had reasonably good views of it in the back gardens near the light house. We dipped the two Olive-backed Pipits but that wasn't a problem...the problem was that a Pallid Swift had just been found at Hartlepool Headland and I wouldn't get their before dark. I got home at about 20:00 so long after light but the swift had gone to roost on the church and it was present the next day until 10:30 when it wasn't seen again so I missed this real rarity for the county... or did I?...

(Isabelline Shrike - Harry Murphy)

(Siberian Stonechat - Martin Garner)