An adult summer plumaged White-winged Black Tern was reported from Neumann's Flash this morning, but had disappeared by lunch time. However, the bird reappeared not too far away at Marbury Country Park on Budworth Mere a short while later. This is the nineteenth record for Cheshire & Wirral.
I made my way over to Marbury, arriving mid-afternoon. I met one other birder on the walk from the car park to Budworth Mere. We both made our way along the path eastwards & soon picked out the White-winged Black Tern perched on part of the fence running down into the water on the northern bank about half way along at Kid Brook Spit. The bird stayed there for a while before setting off feeding to & fro in typical marsh tern fashion, giving myself & two other observers a real thrill as the black & white plumage flashed in the sunlight. We all watched for a while as the White-winged Black Tern repeated this behaviour several times; returning to the fence for a rest before setting off again on a few circuits of the mere.
Previous records:
1971 Frodsham, adult summer, 27th May (E. J. & R. J. Abraham, D. Woodward). New Brighton, adult winter, 30th August (F. H. Linn).
1973 Weaver Bend, 23rd to 25th June (E. J. & R. J. Abraham, D. Woodward).
1974 Elton Hall Flash & Railway Flash, Sandbach, 30th June (P. F. Atherton, J. P. Guest).
1979 Frodsham, juvenile, 16th to 19th September (M. Barlow, A. Guilfoyle, S. W. Holmes).
1980 Bebington, juvenile, 17th September (M. A. & T. C. Roberts).
1981 Frodsham, juvenile, 13th to 14th August (C. Murphy, R. Harrison, M. Wotham).
1982 Hilbre, juvenile, 2nd to 3rd October (D. R. Coan, C. M. Poole, S. A. Stirrup). Frodsham, juvenile, 2nd to 8th October (C. A. Darbyshire, N. Tasker).
1986 Woolston Eyes, adult, 13th July (P. Antrobus, I. Clark).
1992 Neumann’s Flash, second-summer, 8th May (P. E. Kenyon).
1993 Inner Marsh Farm, adult, 20th to 21st July (N. Friswell, C. Wells). Neumann’s Flash, Pickmere & Budworth Mere, juvenile, 7th to 10th September (J. Gregory, P. E. Kenyon, D. M. Walters).
2000 Frodsham, 21st May (R. Cockbain).
2003 Hilbre, adult, 9th July (N. & N. Dixon); same, 13th July (G. Broad); same as, Hoylake, 13th July (J. E. Turner).
2006 Neumann’s Flash, moulting adult, 9th August (P. Antrobus).
2010 Inner Mash Farm, juvenile, 14th to 18th October (C. E. Wells).
2016 Burton Mere Wetlands, 17th June (A. M. Conlin).
An Eastern Subalpine Warbler appeared at Flamborough Head in Yorkshire on Wednesday 16th May 2018. Although a subspecies it was still worth the effort of driving over there yesterday for a new bird. I arrived on site mid-afternoon with the bird having not been seen for just about the entire time I'd taken to drive there. There were about half a dozen birders present. We all waited patiently for a couple of hours until one chap found the bird about 75yds beyond Old Fall Plantation in Old Fall Hedge. Unfortunately, no one else managed to see the bird. A short while later I saw a movement deep in the hedge about 50yds beyond the wood & managed to briefly see the small red bib, moustachial stripes & white underparts as the Eastern Subalpine Warbler looked straight at me. Although I called the others, I stayed on the bird, but had lost it before the others arrived. I think a couple of them did manage brief views a few moments later further along the hedge, but I had no further views. Two Bonxies & quite a few Gannets passed by offshore whilst we waited for the warbler to show. A male Yellowhammer on the walk back to the car was very pleasant.
Eastern Subalpine Warbler at Flamborough photo by Tony Dixon
Update: 7th May 2020 - IOC has split Eastern & Western Subalpine Warblers.
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