UK family visit autumn 2024

Yesterday I returned from a nice family holiday in the UK. Our main purpose was to meet friends, and indeed much time was spent catching up with good friends. We were based in Norwich most of the time. Norwich - Norfolk - easterlies - early October... Hmmm... We travelled up to Yorkshire to visit our friends Mark and Amity. Yorkshire - easterlies - early October... You get my idea. So my days were divided between family and friends stuff after 10:00, and whatever birding I could get done before 10:00. Several mornings were spent locally in Norwich, birding city parks for my eBird checklist streak, I enjoyed that, even without seeing much - I like Norwich and its habitats. Admittedly, the habitat always looks better that what it actually holds, especially this time of year when most breeding warblers have gone already. Still, seeing birds I don't see in Israel is fun.

I spent two mornings with Mike Dawson in fantastic reserves in Norfolk - NWT Hickling Broad on September 30th, and RSPB Strumpshaw Fen on our final morning, October 8th. In Hickling the weather was awful but I enjoyed seeing pinkfeet back, and there were Curlew and Wood Sandpipers. 

En route to Yorkshire we spent one night in Sheringham with friends. I admired the regular chippy-eating visitors.

The weather was building up, and I anticipated my morning birding at Beeston Bump on October 3rd. That morning easterlies were blowing nicely, and Beeston Bump felt rare. I worked the patch hard but came up with nothing special and few indications of active migration. Scanning the sea produced a few birds I enjoyed - Brent, Common Scoter and Red-throated Diver. Just as I was about to leave and rejoin my family, birds started to appear, coming in-off - some thrushes, finches and mipits. This was thrilling but I didn't have enough time and had to leave when the game was on. Arrgghhhh...

The Pale-legged Warbler at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, the 2nd for Britain, had been found a few days before I arrived in the UK. Had I been a serious twitcher, I could have gone for it from Norwich. However, at my current status I am not a serious WP or UK twitcher. Therefore I decided to wait patiently, maybe it will wait until our planned trip up to Yorkshire on October 3rd. It was still seen on the evening of October 2nd. I was hopeful and persuaded my family that the best spot for coffee in Yorkshire is Bempton. The bloody bird buggered off that night. With negative news on 3rd and slight disappointment we travelled direct to York. York is a beautiful city and we had a lovely time with Mark and Amity.

The Shambles

York Minster

Mark and I escaped early morning of October 4th for some much-needed birding quality-time. The wind was still good but with clear skies we didn't expect a huge fall. We headed to Flamborough, hoping to find a good birding spot and avoid crowds. We were amazed to find Old Fall parking layby empty - were we missing a mega nearby? We walked along Old Fall hedge and quickly witnessed really nice migration - not a huge fall indeed, solid numbers of birds coming in and moving along the hedge and into the plantation. Halfway down the hedge a small bunting jumped up and flew off strongly. Mark fired off a few flight shots and I heard a sharp thin 'tzik' - Little Bunting! A few meters further down we flushed a Woodcock. We positioned ourselves at the southern side of Old Fall plantation and had a great couple of hours in beautiful weather, waves of migrants coming in and heading towards the mainland - Goldcrests, warblers, finches, thrushes. We were joined by another local Yorkshire birder Paul who had nearby another Little Bunting, maybe even two. A Richard's Pipit flew over calling, a Firecrest joined the goldcrest and tit flock, a Red-breasted Flycatcher rattled from the plantation, several Yellow-browed Warblers were very active in the sunshine, often chasing each other - magic. 

Coming from a goose-deprived country, I appreciated the incoming flocks of Pink-footed Geese.

Incredible that Mark, with his mighty photographic skills, managed to take such a lousy selfie.

Wonderful morning birding Old Fall, #Flamborough with brother @yoavperlman. Waves of migrants moving through in warm sunshine, inc Richard's Pipit, two Little Buntings, RB Fly, Firecrest, Pied Fly, 5 Yellow-brows, Bramblings, thrushes, lots of Goldcrests. A privilege and a joy. pic.twitter.com/1O0aJaTSv7

— Mark James Pearson (@Markthebirder) October 4, 2024

Inside the plantation there was lots of activity. We had fleeting views of an unidentified Acro, a nice Pied Fly, Redstart - thoroughly entertaining. Listen to all the bird calls in the Old Fall sycamores. Bliss.

Then it was back to Norwich. I refused to twitch the Winterton Asian Desert Warbler - I am so mature and responsible. I was strongly motivated to find an inland Yellow-browed. I tried very hard every morning without success, until the final morning. RSPB Strumpshaw Fen looked glorious in the sunshine. Just as Mike and I left the carpark I heard the anticipated 'Tswee'. Love the shape of this sonogram.

There were a few more quality birds including Bearded Titlings and Bittern.

I am amazed how quickly Great Egret transformed from a rarity to a common bird in the UK. I saw them at several sites in Norfolk, including Strumpshaw.

And that was that. eBird trip report here. Till next time. Thanks to all the good friends who make us feel at home in the UK.

Cliff Swallow!

When I got back home yesterday afternoon from Burnham Overy, news broke of a possible Cliff Swallow at RSPB Minsmere, an hour away. Then it was confirmed. Then I was thought to go down to roost in the reserve. With me being away for the whole day, and Saturday morning football duties my chances didn't look good. But eventually I managed to get myself out very early this am for a all-or-nothing brief twitch pre-footy. I was joined by a half-dead James, and a cheerful Dougal. We got there when it was still dark. Walking though the woods of Minsmere at dark was rather mystical. We got to Bittern hide early enough to secure seats by the windows. We waited for first light, then for second light, then the sun rose and no swallow. We had a complete Minsmere experience - two or three flyby Bitterns, great views of an Otter on the ground and swimming (too dark to photo) and some calling Bearded Tits. A call from the visitor centre that the swallow had been seen over there saw about a hundred adults running down the hide stairs and across the woods, in a rather comic rat race. When we got to the martin breeding wall we were greeted by the news that the bird had just departed south and away. I glimpsed a distant hirundine silhouette but nothing identifiable. The realm of a dip was threatening. We started comforting each other how great the otter was etc. when the bird reappeared with some Barn Swallows on the meadows above the cliff. Again, all several hundreds of us scrabmled up to the meadows, and finally we got views of the bird. Phew! The small hirundine flock kept resting on the top of bare trees and bushes, offering good views. The Cliff Swallow, a 1st-winter, showed very well through the scope, and we all admired its robust structure and beautiful rufous nape. The swallows hawked some insects and generally stayed in the same are for about an hour until we had to leave. It gave some good flight views but with time pressure I had very limited success with photography.

American Cliff Swallow - 1st winter in the gloom

 

Then the sun came out:

What a great bird! It really wasn't on my radar for this time of year, especially after such a Siberian-influenced autumn. But hey, this is what makes this game so much fun. And the swallow did what it had to do and showed exceptionally well. Good to see lots of friends and friendly familiar faces, including some of London's finest.

What a year Minsmere are having! hats off to their staff for coping with such a large, rogue crowd in an admirable way.

Ashdod ringing

Had a pleasent morning ringing at Ashdod. I had a guided group at 09:00, so I had plenty of time to enjoy the birds and the fine weather today, before the millions of screaming kids arrived.
Birdwise, it seems that winter has settled down, and most migrants have moved on. The commonest birds I ringed were Bluethroat and Chiffchaff, with a few other bits and pieces.
Sweetest birds were two Penduline Tits - part of a small group hanging around:

This Sardinian Warbler felt a bit paler and neater than our local birds - perhaps a migrant?

Other birds seen during the morning were a Bittern (my first for this site), several flyover Siskins and a Wryneck - most probably it will stay for the winter.

Huuuuuuuulaaaaaaaa!

I had some work up in the north yesterday and today, so I managed to squeeze a few hours of birding at the Hula Lake (Agamon). This is such a great place and I miss it so much after working there for several years. It was good to meet good old friends too.
The lake itself held this flock of 16 Ruddy Shelducks among the hundreds of other ducks:

Several Coypus were feeding near the waters' edge:

Driving around the lake we bumped into this Bittern that was sure it was invisible:

Many Lapwings were in the fields and flying around:

I had several eastern Stonechats. This is a male variegatus:

And this was an obliging maurus-type:

The weather was very good and there were many eagles up in the air. Found this adult Greater Spotted Eagle perched on a low tree just before it lifted off:

This adult male Red-backed Shrike is two monthes late! It should have been in Africa already. Its' deformed bill must have disrupted its' migration plans. It was feeding quite actively though, so it might just make it.

There are over 30000 cranes at the Agamon nowadays. This is a small part of them, feeding in last seasons' peanut field.

On the way out this Snipe try to become invisible too: