Serin-dip-ity I

No, it's not a typo. Serendipity is a word coined by Horace Walpole in 1754 to express a sort of happy accident. Well, there was no happy accident yesterday [13.11.13] when I went to Millennium Wood, Flamborough to see a bird that had been reported. It was cold, overcast and soon I was reminded of a Kipling novel I had to read many years ago: 'The light that failed.' Not a bad tale but out on the set-aside field in a strong breeze the light did soon fail. I dipped on the serin.

Serendipity II

The serin was reported again and so I drove back to Millennium Wood and made my way up the slope to a group of birders whose scopes were trained on the southern edge of the wood. Brambling, dunnock, goldfinches by the score, bullfinch, chaffinches and then: the happy accident. Lifer number 397 there in front of me in the bins. It dropped back down. Later I saw it in someone else's scope. Two good views but it was very flighty. Andrew Hood has put up a record-shot photo on Rare Bird Alert if you want to see it; others now on BirdGuides.

Friday 15th November: all the Seatons

Seaton Sands, Seaton Carew, Seaton Snook, Seaton Reach - the lot. I walked and walked and walked...

The idea was to find the lapland buntings. Well, to try. I drove slowly along the road to the North Gare car park. Curlew and lapwing were reasonably close by.

Curlew

Lapwing

I parked and then walked out through the dunes. It was further than I expected. A flock of snow buntings swirled overhead as did an anonymous dark raptor [buzzard, probably]. Redshanks were on the shore. I walked all the way to the samphire beds at Seaton Snook because someone said the twite were active. When I arrived there was no sign but that didn't surprise me. Eventually I spotted a single bird on look-out duty atop a dead plant.

Twite

I had been told they often perch on the wire fence. Suddenly they all flew up in the air, circled round and landed on the fence whilst ones and twos dropped down onto the grass behind the dune to bathe in a rainwater pool. I tried to edge nearer using the marram grass on the dune side as cover. Note how the birds face at different angles covering all directions...

14 twite [or twites!] One is calling.

Twite

...including straight at me! Guess I've been spotted. No twits these twites!

Twite

Twite

Best close-up I could manage. Need a 600mm with a 1.4 teleconverter. In my dreams!

Twite

I walked back to the Zinc Works Road and was surprised just before reaching the works entrance to see a tail flick in front of me: grey wag!

Grey Wagtail

After that I then took the path inland from the dunes across the golf course back to North Gare car park. Curlew streamed inland from the east.

Curlew

Driving back to the main road I paused to check over some black-headed gulls. I spotted this orangey-legged bird with a ring. You don't often see black-headed gulls with rings.

Black-headed Gulls

I called at Tesco and at Newburn Bridge. The tide was high and the normal set of waders were present as was my friend  the mediterranean gull. Then the pager announced 'lapland bunting with snow buntings,  Seaton Carew on beach south of sewage works'. I decided, tired as I was, to set off again with bins and scope. From a distance I saw the flock of snow bunting - very mobile - and I could see 2 darker birds with no white patches flying with them. Alas, I never got close enough to be sure. The lapland buntings remain a probable, that's all.

Eventually I dropped in to Saltholme before coming home.

Yet another birding trip!

Sunday 17th November

Up nice and early and off over the bridge to Lincolnshire. First stop: Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR to try to find some shore larks. I met up with a lad called Dave and we swapped phone numbers so we could contact each other if we found our target birds. I soon had a mixed flock of twite and snow buntings. Birders were stretched out over some distance along the front of the dunes.

Twite/Snow Bunting flock

Dave phoned. Four shore lark located. Great views in the scope but too far to photograph. Soon a group of birders arrived . Obviously they had guessed from our behaviour that we were on to something. A mini 'twitch' of six birders was soon lined up. We didn't approach further for fear of disturbing the birds.

I drove on, through Boston, heading for my beloved Frampton Marsh. One of my top ten birding locations. In search of the long-travelling white-rumped sandpiper. I soon saw it. A peregrine put everything up. Golden plover...

Twite

...lapwings and a few redshank, I think...

Lapwings and others

...wigeon...

Ducks

...and brent geese.

Brent geese

Monday 19th November: Burniston and Long Nab

A late morning departure to look for the reported lapland buntings. I found the stubble field and after advice from the birder in the old coastguard's hut I walked up the field and soon put up the skylarks and, eventually, the group of five lapland buntings.  Never quite still enough for a photo unfortunately. As soon as I got near the larks would go up and the others would follow.