2008 – Rarity Round-up

January

January got off to a good start the Cattle Egret at Cardoness in Dumfries and Galloway on the 1st. This was swiftly followed by a trip to Grangemouth in Forth for a Spotted Sandpiper on the 5th. The only other bird of note for the month was the wintering Ring-necked Duck at Bassenthwaite Lake.

February

February was a manic monster of a month! The excitement started with a trip to Lancashire on the 2nd for Waxwing at Burnley, Slavonian Grebe at Barrow, Great Grey Shrike at at Padiham and Glossy Ibis at Warton Bank. A long weekend in Norfolk paid dividends! The star bird was a White-crowned Sparrow at Cley on the 9th followed by a Black Brant at Holkham the same day. The 10th produced a Dark-breasted Barn Owl at Wacton Common. The 11th kicked in with a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Tottenhill Gravel Pits, three Tundra Bean Geese at Welney, Muscovey Duck from the apparent self sustaining feral population at Ely (I kid you not!), Rough-legged Buzzard at Burnham Norton and a Great Grey Shrike at Kelling Heath. Then back in Cumbria on the 16th a Red-breasted Goose at Easton added to the winter magic. As did a Greenland Whitefronted Goose at Abbeytown on the 17th and a Ross’s Goose at the latter site on the 18th. A Hume’s Warbler at Norton in County Durham, Yellow-legged Gull on the Tees Barrage and Cattle Egret at Grinsdale in Cumbria on the 22nd wrapped up an incredible month!

March

March got off to a superb start with a 2nd winter Kumlien’s Gull and a 1st winter Iceland Gull at Loch Ryan in Dumfries & Galloway on the 2nd.  A trip to Sandsend in Yorkshire for Lapland Bunting and near Rothbury for Red-necked Grebe during the early part of the month was excellent. A trip to Northern Ireland on the 15th produced excellent views of a Barrow’s Goldeneye in Co. Down and a female Lesser Scaup on Clay Lakes. The following day on the 16th, great views of a drake Lesser Scaup on Soulseat Loch in Dumfries & Galloway were obtained. A return trip to the same county on the 26th was rewarded with excellent views of a blue-phase Lesser Snow Goose at Loch Connell.

April

The star bird of the month was a stunning adult Ross’s Gull at Lytham St Anne’s on the 21st. Other highlights of a relatively sparse month for rares was Hawfinch at Sizergh Castle, Green-winged Teal and Spoonbill at Leighton Moss; all on the 26th.

May

A Black Tern at Longtown Ponds in Cumbria on the 1st was a welcome start to the month. This was followed by a further three at Leighton Moss in Lancashire. Excellent views of  Nightingale were achieved at Paxton Pits in Cambridgeshire on the 5th. Also nearby nice views of a Temminck’s Stint at Fen Drayton were had. Also on the 5th a pair of Black-winged Stilts attempting to breed at Neumann’s Flash in Cheshire were another welcome addition. However the bird of the month was and exceptionally  confiding female Red-footed Falcon at Almondell and Calderwood Country Park in West Lothian on the 26th. The final decent bird of the month came in the form of a Red-backed Shrike at North Gare in Cleveland on the 31st.

June

Overall June was a relatively quiet month, with very few rarities observed. However, what it lacked in quantity it made up with quality! My first ever Lesser Grey Shrike occurred at Long Nanny Burn in Northumberland on the 3rd and this was swiftly followed on the 4th by another new bird for me. This time, a superb male Citrine Wagtail at Caerlaverock in Dumfries and Galloway!

July

July produced no rarities.

August

A juvenile Black Stork near Newburn on the 10th was another welcome lifer for me. On the 15th a Wilson’s Phalarope at Grindon Lough in Northumberland was a real bonus; as was an adult Pacific Golden Plover at Anthorn in cumbria on the 23rd.

September

The months rarities bonanza started in style on the 7th with views of a Wryneck in Tynemouth, A corking adult male Red-breasted Flycatcher at Newbiggin in Northumberland, another Wryneck at Whitley Bay, a Dotterel on Newbiggin Golfcourse and yet another Wryneck at Newbiggin. Then a trip to Trow Quarry in County Durham on the 12th produced good views of a Subalpine Warbler. On the same day a trip to Cresswell Pond in Northumberland provided superb views of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, two Pectoral Sandpipers and a juvenile Black Tern. An incredibly confiding Hoopoe at Carsethorn in Dumfries & Galloway on the 21st was very rewarding. The 23rd provided views of my second ever Stilt Sandpiper when a juvenile occurred at Campfield Marsh in Cumbria. A trip to Flamborough in East Yorkshire  on the 26th was well worth it with views of Radde’s Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler and Red-backed Shrike.

October

October began with two drake Surf Scoters in Lunan Bay on the 5th. The same day on Shetland Mainland a Red-throated Pipit near Northtown made a good start to a birding holiday in the North! On Fair Isle on the 6th a 1st winter female Bluethroat and a Richard’s Pipit were the top birds. Still on Fair Isle on the 7th another Bluethroat, this time a 1st winter male; and a Siberian Chiffchaff were worthy stars! Continuing on Fair Isle on the 8th another 1st winter female Bluethroat, a Common Rosefinch, a Lapland Bunting and a magnificent White’s Thrush created a red letter day! The last day on Fair Isle on the 9th provided views of a North-western Redpoll. A Ring-necked Duck at Loch of Tingwall on Shetland Mainland on the 10th provided the days highlight. Superb views of a Cackling Goose at Caerlaverock was had on the 18th.  The last birding highlight of the month came on the 27th with views of the Taverner’s Goose at Caerlaverock.

November

Trip to County Durham on the 2nd produced two Firecrest and a Richard’s Pipit.  On the 9th a visit to Tayport in Fife was rewarded with excellent views of a female Hooded Merganser. An amazingly confiding Steppe Grey Shrike at Grainthorpe Haven in Lincolnshire on the 15th was doubly exciting with a Two-barred Crossbill near Bilsby in North Yorkshire. A return trip to see the Steppe Grey Shrike again on the 23rd  also coincided with a Grey Phalarope at Covenham Reservoir and a Caspian Gull at Potterick Carr.

December

As would be expected, December was a fairly quiet month. However a trip to Dundee on the 13th was worthwhile as excellent vies of an adult Ring-billed Gull were obtained. On the 22nd a trip to Mersehead in Dumfries & Galloway for a drake American Wigeon was a success.

Summary

2008 was a certainly an exciting year for birds! White-crowned Sparrow, White’s Thrush, Steppe Grey Shrike, Two-barred Crossbill, Citrine Wagtail and Lesser Grey Shrike were just some of the highlights. I managed to log 255 species; eight of which were new species to me. Not only had the birds been of good quality, but the exceptional views of many of them had added to an amazing experience.