Glorious East Yorkshire

The previous weekend in Dorset had showcased a general paucity of migrants, but this weekend was altogether more rewarding. Following a promising forecast mid-week, Dan Pointon and I eventually decided to base ourselves at Spurn from Friday to Sunday as it was looking promising for a potential fall on the Saturday.

As it transpired the fall didn't happen and Friday actually proved the best day for new arrivals. A Barred Warbler proved typically elusive as it crashed about in hawthorns in the first paddock at Sammy's Point while an Ortolan eventually showed quite well in the evening sun at Middle Camp, very late in the day. The latter is only the second I've seen in the UK following a showy bird near Holyhead back in September 2008, so it was a nice bonus.

Heavily cropped record shot of the Ortolan at Middle Camp,

Each day we carefully scoured large parts of the Spurn recording area as well as spots around Easington, just to the north. The most prominent migrant seemed to be Common Redstart, with Friday and Saturday both producing totals in excess of 30 birds. In terms of numbers, Whinchats and Pied Flycatchers weren't far behind while Tree Pipits were noted regularly, both grounded and flying over. Singles of Common Swift were nice on Friday (Kilnsea) and Saturday (Point). A single Fieldfare at Kilnsea on Saturday was my earliest ever.

Pied Flycatcher at Sammy's Point

There have been some great counts of Mediterranean Gull in the Kilnsea area lately and they were seen anywhere that there were other gulls - particularly large concentrations were seen in fields north of Kilnsea and at Sammy's Point.

3cy Mediterranean Gull on the Humber at Kilnsea

Saturday proved miserable at first but it brightened up considerably throughout the afternoon. Ash Howe and James Shergold had joined us and we ambled down to the point in leisurely fashion, finding a good scattering of common migrants along the way. At the point itself the lingering juvenile Red-backed Shrike was bombing around and there were pleasing numbers of Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers, Whinchats and phylloscs.

Sunday morning dawned calmed and a juvenile Marsh Harrier flew south over the Warren early on. Our only Reed Warbler of the weekend was in the hedge opposite the Blue Bell and Ash found a moribund Guillemot on the Humber opposite the Crown and Anchor - unfortunately the latter seemed to have an infection which had blinded it in its right eye. We also enjoyed some nice views of a Yellow-browed Warbler found the previous day in the churchyard before departing Spurn.

Guillemot looking fairly unhappy about being rescued

The reason for our slightly premature leave was the continuing presence of an Icterine Warbler up the coast at Buckton (and another fresh in at Flamborough) - a potential new bird for James and an opportunity for me to see one properly after staring a singing movement in a bush for a number of hours at Spurn one sunny June afternoon, several years back. On the way we called in to see the Black Stork at Sunk Island, which was happily feeding in its favoured fields.

The drive up to Bridlington was tediously slow as always. Arriving at Flamborough we found out that the Icky there hadn't been seen since early doors and so we drove round to Buckton. A timely text from Dave Aitken alerted us that he and Mark Thomas had literally just re-trapped the Icky and so we hot-footed it down there to see see it in the hand. Very nice it was too, although I was equally as impressed with the dell and Heligoland set-up that Mark and others have worked hard to create here over the past decade. Envy doesn't cover it!

 Icterine Warbler in the hand at Buckton, 13 September 2015

Weymouth weekender

While perusing Twitter last Thursday evening I came across Ian Barthorpe's fantastic blog post on the infamous East Anglian fall that took place on 3 September 1965, 'It was raining birds 50 years ago today'.

What a great read, and one that made me feel quite poignant (and envious!) as I ambled around Portland on Friday afternoon. The sad truth is that such a spectacle will never be seen again on our shores, or indeed probably anywhere. Migrant bird populations are just fractions of what they were 50 years ago, and one can only imagine that they are set to become fractions of those fractions in the coming 50 years, bar some sort of miracle.

Anyway, enough of being morose, despite the distinct lack of a fall during the four days we spent down in Weymouth - not that it was surprising given conditions were dominated by a light north-westerly and bright skies. Migrant numbers may have been at a premium, but it was still enjoyable to reacquaint myself with this beautiful part of the south coast on what was a largely non-birding trip. It was my first visit of any significant length here since September 2013, when the Short-billed Dowitcher was at Lodmoor, although I did visit briefly for the Brünnich's Guillemot that December.

Birding may have taken a back seat but we still managed to see the Bill Wryneck on at least three occasions. Unfortunately it wasn't one of those 'porno' Wrynecks that you can virtually tread on; it tended to be elusive, skittish and consequently pretty mobile between the Pulpit Inn and the compound to the west throughout our visit.

On Sunday morning I sneaked out early and spent a bit of time with the bird. Though it was generally a little more confiding as it warmed itself up in the early morning sun it still proved difficult to get anywhere near, and this was the best of my rather average batch of shots.

The commonest migrants were Northern Wheatears, with a light scattering noted around the island on our Friday walk. After this it was probably Yellow Wagtails - small numbers were going overhead on most days. Sunday morning produced a flyover Tree Pipit and a couple of Whinchats, and I had a Garden Warbler in Culverwell on the Friday (but no Barred).

Best of the rest included a few Mediterranean Gulls seen daily around Weymouth and a handful of Yellow-legged Gulls dotted around among the loafing flocks of predominately Herring Gulls.

3cy Yellow-legged Gull, Portland Bill, 5 September 2015

1cy Yellow-legged Gull, Chesil Cove, 4 September 2015

There also seemed to be decent numbers of Painted Ladies on the wing around Portland over the weekend. We didn't see any other significant migrant Lepidoptera but I saw there was a Death's Head Hawkmoth seen near the Obs as well as plenty of Convolvulus Hawkmoths (seems to be a great year for them). There were still quite a lot of Chalkhill Blues on the wing but the battered state of many individuals betrayed the imminent conclusion of their flight season. It was actually a little depressing watching some of them flapping around pathetically in the grass, as if trying their best to defy an inescapable fate! In contrast many of the Red Admirals and Peacocks seen were in fine condition - I haven't seen many of either this year, so that was nice.

So, nothing particularly spectacular on the wildlife front but a great few days down in Dorset - hopefully the next visit isn't such a long time coming.

Red-footed Falcon déjà vu

2cy male Red-footed Falcon, Willow Tree Fen, Lincs, 25 August 2015

Spending hours thumbing through my father's old field guides as a kid played a strong part in fuelling my early interest in birds and birding, and there were a handful of species that jumped out at me as 'must-see' birds in my lifetime. In particular there was a small bird of prey that never failed to catch my imagination, not only for its beauty but for its variability: the male was a pristine slate-grey with bright red highlights; the female, predominately orangey-buff with greyish upperparts, was so strikingly different that it might well have been another taxon altogether.

At the age of eight or nine, Red-footed Falcon seemed an exotic, distant and altogether unattainable species. I'd naively hope to bump in to one while on summer holidays in various corners of the Med - of course we never did - and it was only as my interest in British birding began to cement itself (when I was about 12) that I became truly aware that, with luck, it was possible to see the species over here.

By the time I reached my teens I had started to visit what would become my local patch and had also joined the local mailing list, Peterbirder. In June 2003 I remember seeing a message on there reporting that James Gilroy had found a male Red-footed Falcon as it flew over Baston & Langtoft Pits - yes, my patch! I couldn't believe it - my dream bird on my doorstep, and I hadn't seen it!

As it turned out that bird went on to spend the summer on the adjacent fen, and I saw it on a couple of occasions. The first viewing was courtesy of Nicholas Watts at Vine House Farm, whose land the bird was favouring. We headed out one evening in his Land Rover and had crippling views of the bird sat on small bushes and fence posts at point-blank range. Though not an adult, it was a pretty advanced first-summer and showed brilliantly well. Exactly how you want to see a lifer!

The reason for all this waffle is that I was back home in Lincs over the week, staying at my mum's while working at the Birdfair. Though six excellent Black Terns and a nice selection of waders were great to see on my old patch, the highlight for me was the Red-footed Falcon present at Willow Tree Fen. As the falcon flies, this bird is present little more than two or three miles from where the 2003 bird spent much of the summer. Everything about it is similar: the setting (favouring fence posts on open farmland), both were first-summer males, both were brilliantly showy, both were long-stayers ... local birder and photographer Phil Ackerman took some great shots of the 2003 bird, which are still online here.

It's a nice coincidence, and brought back some happy memories. It's also a stark reminder that it's now over 12 years since that warm summer's evening on which I celebrated seeing what was my most-wanted bird!

Tired of all the absurdity

Rather unfortunately, British wildlife seems to have become a fashionable topic in summer 2015's silly season. 'Fashionable' in an ironic sense of the word, for the British press appears hell-bent on sensationalising the entirely normal existence of the various species targeted.

First it was the 'seagull' problem: according to the tabloids, vicious flocks of murderous gulls have apparently been terrorising locals and tourists alike in our coastal towns in recent times. A handful of people, a few pathetically small dogs and a pet tortoise have been the subject of 'vicious' attacks from larids. The uproar even encouraged Prime Minister David Cameron to wade blindly in to the debate, declaring a "big conversation" was needed. Clever chap.

Those that know me will already be well aware that I quite like gulls. They're extremely intelligent, adaptable and charismatic birds, and are great to study – not just because of their personalities, but because of the fascinating identification challenges that they present at all ages and throughout the year. It's therefore extremely distressing to hear clueless chumps calling for something to be done – that something ideally involving culling.

What most don't appreciate is that Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) – the quintessential British 'seagull' – is in trouble. It's red-listed, and declining fast. All British-breeding gull species are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It's therefore illegal to kill or injure them.

I recently challenged the individual responsible for setting up the 'We Need A Seagull Cull' Facebook page (I don't know his/her name).  Below I present to you the eloquent page description from the page itself, unaltered:

"Seagulls might be a protected bird, but I strongly disagree with this. They are proving to be more like a pest everyday, especially following the terrible death of a beloved pet dog killed in broad day light just today by 2 seagulls. They dig the hell out of our weekly bin bags, and are causing disease, apart from randomly attacking people, especially when they have their young nesting on our roofs. They are known as rats in the sky, so it begs the question why are we protecting rats in the sky? Are we going to wait until we have a modern day plauge? Or a child is hurt or baby killed in its own pram? Lets get our message across to get a law passed to hunt these vermin down."

When I asked which species of seagull this individual proposed we cull, the response I received was: "I dont know cause they all look the same. Thats like saying how many species of rats are there."

So there you have it. That's the sort of dimwit we're up against. Someone who wants to cull gulls, but doesn't know which ones are which. That's a very dangerous attitude. There have also been various chumps posting photographs of gulls they've been killing themselves on Facebook – which unfortunately for them acts as evidence. Hopefully the local WCO will be paying them a visit and they'll be convicted.

Intelligent and adaptive birds, Herring Gulls cannot be blamed for taking advantage of a wasteful society

The reality is that we have decimated our oceans and coasts so extensively that gulls have been driven in to urban areas, where a wholly wasteful human population unwittingly provides them with a valuable food source. Gulls have adapted to a world shaped by us so why can't we adapt to live alongside them, and accept that the occasional territorial peck (always in the breeding season, when they have youngsters) and pasty-nicking episode may just be part of life that we have to get on with? 

Thankfully the gull issue has died down a little over the past couple of weeks, although that hasn't stopped the tabloids clutching at other straws. Last week we were treated to the 'invasion' of flying ants (see here). That's right, an invasion of a native species that happens also to be completely harmless and does the same thing every year (and has done so for millions of years).

Then, this week, we were treated to what is probably the most appalling piece of journalism that I can consciously remember reading …

The following article, courtesy of the Daily Express, is currently still online but is so astonishingly wayward of the truth and so detached from reality that I'm sure it will be removed once IPSO acts. For now, click on the headline and have a read:

Pet owners WARNING: Poisonous snakes with the power to KILL PETS sweep across Britain

Where to start?! Once again we have talk of an invasion (adder is a native species), of poisonous snakes (adders aren't poisonous, they're venomous), we've got talk of 'attacks' on dogs – adders don't attack, they (rarely) retaliate when threatened (though normally look to escape a potential threat), we've got a reference to adders being 4ft long (they almost never exceed 2-2.5ft), we've got an 'adder' on the loose in London (which is actually an escaped Carpet Python – i.e. someone's pet and also not a venomous species) and so on. Oh, and I nearly forgot this gem of a line:

"Unsuspecting Britons have already been the target of unprecedented attacks by vicious seagulls and flying ants this summer."

Unprecedented!

This really is a shambolic piece of journalism. It was written by Nick Gutteridge – if you want to explain to him how awful his piece of work is, you can hit him up on Twitter: @nick_gutteridge.

Examples such as the above only serve to drive our ever-increasing alienation from the natural world in which we live. The way the press (largely the tabloids) freely vilify, condemn and estrange our own fauna is something, as a nature-conscious individual, I really struggle to grasp. What's worse is that it is invariably written by individuals with absolutely no idea about the subject matter. It's pretty clear, for example, that Mr Gutteridge knows zilch about adders.

Adders are not invading - they are native, cautious and unfortunately declining reptiles

This appalling lack of knowledge only serves to highlight the detachment humans generally have from nature. You can bet your bottom dollar that most of the readership won't know much (anything) either, and so are quite likely to lap it up as truth. It's a vicious circle – the hysterical style in which this article (and others) is written will only further discourage and disconnect humans from any sort of involvement with nature. What's worse is that Gutteridge's adder story is absolutely riddled with factual inaccuracy, and the snake itself becomes a victim of a falsified scare-mongering. Not once does it mention that adder is a declining and protected species, and a timid and beautiful one at that.

This comes all before I've even mentioned the decision of The Telegraph to publish, without question, the extraordinary (and subsequently proven factually incorrect) claims made by shooting industry-backed organisation You Forgot The Birds (more here). This body is fronted by ex-England cricketer Ian Botham, who seems to be pursuing a career in being a complete moron while continuing in his other role as broadcaster for Sky Sports.

Our ecosystems are put under ever-greater strain by a burgeoning human population, and the wildlife they support is consequently under great pressure. As a species, we have the intelligence, knowledge and power to shape the world in which we live. Our national press have the potential to play a huge role in the conservation and understanding of our surroundings, but if they are to do so it will take a monumental shift from current attitudes. If we are to encourage and inspire humanity to look after the world we live in we must nurture and glorify nature, not paint it as the enemy. It's pretty simple.

Two recent articles

A couple of my recent travel pieces, originally published in Birdwatch magazine, are now available online. Please feel free to read, look, comment, ignore ... however you see fit!

Mountain High | Birdwatch 278: 63-66
Full article - www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=5147

The Final Frontier | Birdwatch 276: 61-64
Excerpts - www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=5084

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls

Three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls at Greenwich were a nice reintroduction to gulling after a spring and summer off.

Moths chez Lowen

A few images from a morning spent investigating James Lowen's moth trap, the first two of which are a bit dudey but the third (kept in his fridge overnight for me to 'twitch'), was a little more exciting:

Eyed Hawkmoth 

Elephant Hawkmoth 

Red-necked Footman

A memorable June weekend

No time for words, so I've summed up my long weekend with in photographs.

male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Acres Down, Hampshire, 13 June

male Cretzschmar's Bunting, Bardsey Island, Gwynedd, 15 June

male Melodious Warbler, Hampton in Arden, West Midlands, 15 June

Britain's 'National Bird'

It's not often that I write anything meaningful for this blog, so forgive me for the sudden stylistic shift. And, before I launch in to what I want to say, may I just point out that, for various reasons, I didn't actually watch the big reveal of Britain's National Bird last night on the BBC's Springwatch program.

For anyone who doesn't know by now, (European) Robin won the poll by what can only be described as a landslide. According to the BBC, 34% of the 200,000+ voters chose the species. In second was Barn Owl, with 12%; Blackbird came third with 11%.

This is utterly unsurprising. The United Kingdom (UK) already has a national bird - Robin. It's a very common species with a distinct plumage. Not only are they commonly found in gardens, parks and other urban/suburban environments, but they are a charismatic species with an iconic song. They can also be very confiding, and are sometimes even fearless of man. It is a symbol of Christmastime, when it pops up just about anywhere - cards, wrapping paper, mugs, decorations ... you name it, it's probably got a Robin on it.

Robin is therefore a familiar and instantly recognisable species to the vast majority of British public, unlike some of the final 'top 10' - such as Puffin, Red Kite ... and Hen Harrier.

As just about anyone with a sympathetic ear for nature or conversation will know, Hen Harrier is almost always having a hard time of things on our shores, not least in recent weeks following the 'mysterious' disappearances of breeding males in the north-west of England (see here and here). I won't delve in to this further as it is straying from my point somewhat.

Going on the counter-attack, birders and conservationists have rallied together to vote Hen Harrier in the aforementioned poll, the aim being to draw the species' miserable plight to the attention of the British public. Those that voted have done a fine job of propelling it to its position in the final top 10.

What I can't get my head around is some of the fallout on social media. People (by people I mean individuals involved in the birding/ornithological/conservation 'scene') who are disappointed/shocked/saddened/appalled that Hen Harrier did not figure further up in the list. Conservationists - and indeed birders - form such a tiny fraction of the British public that ninth place is surely an excellent result? There's a fair chance that most of the 200,000+ voters haven't even heard of Hen Harrier, let alone are aware of the appalling discrimination that it continuously suffers. At least Mark Avery seems a bit more realistic, describing it as 'A great victory for the Hen Harrier' - which it is.

Back to the vote itself. Apart from the successful 'hijack' (meant positively) that ensured Hen Harrier a finish in the top 10, the entire campaign seems something of a lost cause. It has established that Robin is our national bird - a status that it already possessed. Yes, it's great to get people talking and thinking about birds, but the furore and media coverage will die down very quickly - as it does with just about everything. People will move on, and the campaign forgotten by most.

So, after months of social media bombardment, are there any winners, Robin aside? Well, there does appear to be one. The face of the campaign - self-proclaimed naturalist, writer, broadcaster, speaker, photographer, wildlife tour leader and educationist David Lindo - has gotten his name banded about a bit, and he's been back on the telly. You can also buy a t-shirt to celebrate the inevitable re-establishment of Robin as our national bird from his website, alongside a whole assortment of other questionable memorabilia.

Without wanting to sound too much of a cynic, David and his team have evidently worked hard on this campaign, and that at least deserves some credit and recognition. However, now that it's all over, I can't help but wonder what could have been achieved if all that effort had been invested in something else.

These are uncertain times for the natural world - not just in Britain but across Europe, and indeed beyond. Wouldn't it be great if all of those votes translated to signatures on a valuable petition such as BirdLife's Nature Alert campaign?

So, before you buy a t-shirt to celebrate what was an inevitable victory, take a good, hard look at the above photo. Then I politely suggest that you reconsider how you might spend the £23 you would have shelled out for it. Why not invest it in something that would perhaps do some good somewhere, or at least contribute towards it?

Homefield, 6 June

On Saturday morning I visited Homefield Wood near Marlow. Military Orchids were just past their peak with some plants browning, although those in the shadier areas still looked pretty good. I've visited this site at least once for the past three years and my impression was that there were fewer plants this year, and most were smaller in size than I remember them being. Perhaps I was looking through rose-tinted spectacles in the past.

 Military Orchid

The most impressive specimen

Common Spotted were beginning to flower while a nice carpet of Common Twayblade were approaching their peak.

Common Twayblade

A few Greater Butterfly Orchids were looking spectacular, as they always do.

Greater Butterfly Orchid close-up

I also found this dopey Slow-worm under a tin, which was evidently still too cold to move and simply sat there looking a bit pissed off with life.

Slow-worm - always a treat

I then moved round to nearby Moorend Common, where the southern meadow was awash with Southern Marsh, Common Spotted and assorted hybrids, all beginning to flower and probably still a fortnight off looking their best. The northern meadow is supposed to contain hundreds of flowering Heath Spotted Orchids - a potential tick for me - so I headed there next. Plenty of Heath Spotted, yes, but none yet in flower ...

Heath Spotted Orchid - still a way off flowering