TWO-BARRED WARBLER AT SPURN

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Two-barred Warbler, Spurn Point 17 October 2021

TWO IN A ROW! Another weekend and another UK lifer. Following last Saturday’s Long-toed Stint, came Two-barred Warbler at Spurn Point! Identified by my old pal from Tyneside, Adam Hutt, who was expecting to see a reported Yellow-browed Warbler, in the bushes at the south end of the canal. Thanks a lot Adam! It was lucky he checked it out and that it wasn’t then re-identified after the event from photos, taken by the finder of the presumed Yellow-browed. Astonishingly Adam still hasn’t seen a Yellow-browed Warbler at Spurn yet in 2021! A sign of what a strange year it has been for many migrants. The warbler was horribly elusive and was a challenge to see, let alone photograph, on a damp and dull morning. I only managed a single vaguely acceptable frame and plenty of poor record shots. The evenly broad greater covert wing bar and the all pink lower mandible were very obvious even partly hidden in the canopy where it remained for most of the time in the wind and drizzle. It is a shame that ‘Greenish’ was dropped from its name by almost everyone now, even though a bit of mouthful it did make it sound more exotic than plain old Two-barred Warbler to my mind. Alexander even saw it a few times as it called and flew from bush to bush and he had a bit of fun dodging the many twitchers crowded along the road by the canal hide car park. It was a great feeling to return to Spurn for the first time since lockdown and see so many old friends. I hope it’s not as long until my next visit.

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HERE STOOD AN ANCIENT HEDGEROW

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Looking south from Shorton Lane, Ribchester towards Osbaldeston Hall. The remnants of a hedgerow that was shown on the 1888 Ordnance Survey map and was probably hundreds of years old on the left. The fact that it was curved and not straight suggested that it was very old indeed.

WHITETHROATS, FRESH FROM THEIR TRANS-SAHARAN SPRING MIGRATION SANG HERE. Song Thrushes fed on the numerous snails in the shadows below. Blackbirds were joined by winter thrushes from Fennoscandia, Redwings and Fieldfares, to feed on hawthorn berries in the autumn. Hares sought refuge in it before the grass of the meadows grew in spring. Now it lies piled in a heap, the heart being ripped out of the countryside. For what?

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Under the plough less than a week later, all trace of the hedgerow has been erased, gone forever.

RING-NECKED DUCK AT FISHMOOR

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Ring-necked Duck, Fishmoor Rservoir, 15 October 2021 (fifth from left)

SO MY ELOC LIST WENT UP BY ONE. Following on from the poor views of Pectoral Sandpiper at Alston last month a juvenile Ring-necked Duck on Fishmoor Reservoir, found by John Wright, kept my ELOC counter moving. Another good catch up after missing the drake at Stocks twice earlier in the year. Incidentally the Pec at Champion Moor flood pool was just before I arrived in East Lancs in 2005 so Gav’s Alston bird was another good one to get back. The Ring-necked Duck was an interesting plumage for me, new for me in the UK at least I think. Fishmoor is a shit hole though, surrounded by housing now and I see there’s what looks like an unecessary new road cutting through what used to be wasteland to the southwest. There used to be rough grassland all around it when I first moved here. There’s hardly room for a Meadow Pipit to turn around now.

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Ring-necked and Tufted Ducks

RISE OF THE JAYS

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Jay collage from the benches by the school in Ribchester

I WAS LATE ON THE RIVERBANK TODAY after spending a couple of hours spotlighting with Alexander for Tim’s dog, which went missing last night. We checked the fields, ditches and riverbank but in the opposite direction to where she was eventually found, just before midnight near the Ribchester Arms, about 1km from where she disappeared. Well it was an interesting nocturnal walk, livened up by lots of rabbits, hares and a Tawny Owl. This morning a warm southerly wind was blowing across the valley bringing with it several Red Admiral butteflies that were wafted across the river like leaves. A jay was calling from the tree next to the school and eventually crossed the river in the other direction. I am seeing lots more jays than usual even accounting for autumn activity. A pair of sparrowhawks soared over the river, while small numbers of squeaking meadow pipits passed on their way south. A noisy kingfisher was also about in its usual spots around the island and a flock of seven lapwings flew west down the valley on a gorgeous sunny morning before it was time to go and look for a petrol station that actually still had some petrol and head off to Oldham climbing .