BBC Weekend News Lunchtime News - Gulls report

BBC One broadcast 31st March 2024.

BBC News at Six - Farne Islands report

 BBC One broadcast 6th March 2024.

BBC North West Tonight - Hilbre Island report

BBC One North West broadcast 5th March 2024.

James McCallum On Blakeney Point

 

BBC One broadcast 7th January 2024.

BBC News at Ten - Short-eared Owls in East Yorkshire

Broadcast 1st December 2023.

BBC News at One - Short-eared Owls in East Yorkshire

 

Broadcast 1st December 2023.

BBC Morning Live - Roy Dennis White-tailed Eagle report

 

BBC North West Today - Neston Marsh Recovery report

BBC North West Tonight - Mersey Tidal Power report

BBC Springwatch 2022 - Bee-eaters Breeding In Norfolk

BBC Springwatch 2017 - James Bayliss-Smith On Hilbre Island

BBC One Countryfile - Hoylake Beach

BBC North West Tonight - Hoylake Beach Report

Long-toed Stint, Swillington Ings 11th October 2021

Last Friday, 8th October, an adult Long-toed Stint was identified at St. Aidan's RSPB (Swillington Ings) in West Yorkshire, by the Swillington Ings Bird Group. At first it was thought to be a Temminck's Stint, then changed to a Least Sandpiper and later that evening, after photographs had been examined, the true identity was revealed as the third UK record of Long-toed Stint.

Since the last record of Long-toed Stint was in 1982 it was pretty clear many birders would want to see this bird. I avoided the crowds over the weekend, numbering 2000 on Saturday! I played it cool & waited until today, arriving on site mid-afternoon. It was quite a long walk from the RSPB car park to Astley Lake. There was a small crowd of about forty birders on site. The bird was out of view asleep behind a Lapwing when I arrived. After about fifteen minutes it awoke and went about its business of feeding all over the small island nearest the crowd. There were only about twenty birders remaining when I departed after the Long-toed Stint flew to another muddy island further away.

Previous records:
1970 Cornwall - Marazion, 7th to 8th June
1982 Cleveland - Saltholme RSPB, juvenile, 28th August to 1st September

Video by Pete Hines

Pacific Golden Plover, Frampton Marsh RSPB 10th August 2021

A Pacific Golden Plover arrived at Frampton Marsh RSPB a few weeks ago. A few days later a second bird arrived in exactly the same area of the marsh as the first bird! Both birds have been seen daily in the same area viewable from the old sea wall. There's been a few Pacific Golden Plovers about recently including one on the west coast on Anglesey at Malltraeth, with another bird still present intermittently at various sites along the north Norfolk coast. I headed over to Frampton early this morning, arriving on site mid-morning.

The map on the front of Reception proved very useful, and looking towards the sea wall I could see birders all along it, but there was a small group to the right corresponding to the Pacific Golden Plovers' location on the map, so I headed over. As I walked along the sea wall there was a birder scoping the nearest pool. Naturally, I asked him if he was watching one of the Pacific Golden Plovers, which he was. I sat down on the bank & could see the bird immediately. It was present for the whole time I was on site, sometimes disappearing briefly behind the vegatation.

The second Pacific Golden Plover was a bit further east along the sea wall (It could be seen from where we were watching the other bird). All the birders who were watching this other bird had migrated to where we were watching from, enabling them closer views than the other bird. At this point I moved along the sea wall & watched alone, except for a couple further back along the sea wall.

I did check out the reserve since I'd not been there previously. Most birds were concentrated on the pool(s) behind the main Reception includng loads of Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets, Dunlin and others. Best of all were four Little Stints (two juveniles and two adults).

Video by Pete Hines

Elegant Tern, Cemlyn Bay 8th July 2021

An adult Elegant Tern was discovered by local birder Mark Sutton at Cemlyn Bay on 4th July 2021. I headed over to Cemlyn early yesterday morning arriving on site about 8am.

The Elegant Tern had flown out to sea before I arrived, but fortunately had returned & was just about on view on the main island in Cemlyn Lagoon. At first it was partially hidden by vegetation only showing its head & bill as it displayed to the Sandwich Terns by stretching its head & bill up. Sometimes only the bill was visible flashing above the vegetation. However, this changed when the Elegant Tern moved into the more open parts of the tern colony, enabling fantastic views as it continued to try attracting a mate.

After a while the bird again set off out to sea, returning a couple of hours later to the same area of the island with a sand eel in its bill which it tried presenting to Sandwich Terns as part of its mating ritual, again giving excellent views.

The island was covered in terns, mostly Sandwich Terns, but also Arctic Terns and Common Terns, all breeding or feeding young, Some terns used the shingle on the causeway side of the lagoon to feed young or rest only a few feet in front of the admiring small crowd.

Video by Pete Hines

Siberian Stonechat, Ashton's Flash 5th January 2020

An 'Eastern' Stonechat was found at Ashton's Flash, near Northwich, by local birder David Bedford on 24th December 2019. Whether this bird is Siberian or Stejneger's it's a first for Cheshire & Wirral. DNA has been collected, so we should know for sure in a couple of weeks.

I popped over to Ashton's Flash this morning, not having any transport over the Christmas period. A small group of maybe half a dozen birders were watching the 'Eastern' Stonechat when I arrived on site. The bird performed pretty well being on view when I arrived & for the whole of my stay, a little east of the bund bench.

Videos by Pete Hines

 

Update: 20th January 2020 - DNA confirmed as Siberian Stonechat

Red-eyed Vireo, Church Cove 3rd October 2019

A Red-eyed Vireo was found by local birder D. Collins (who also found the Brown Booby at Kynance Cove) in the grounds of St. Wynwallow's Church at Church Cove, The Lizard, Cornwall last Wednesday 2nd October 2019. Since this species was one of my most wanted transatlantic vagrants I headed out early doors Thursday morning, arriving on site early afternoon.

The weather was not too good, overcast with light rain. Fortunately, the few folks at the far end of the church car park were on the bird when I arrived. I managed several brief views of the Red-eyed Vireo as it moved about the ivy-covered Sycamores. A short while later I obtained my best views upon relocating the bird in the same area. It sat atop a lower branch for a minute or so before disappearing and not reappearing that day as the weather worsened.

After spending the night at an old friend's house I headed back to Curch Cove the following morning, arriving early afternoon, hoping for better views of the Red-eyed Vireo. The weather was much better, so it looked good. Unfortunately, although there were more birders on site than the previous day, the bird was not seen whilst I was present.

St Wynwallow's Church car park

Photo by Peter Garrity

Video by John Chapple

Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Fluke Hall 14th September 2019

An Eastern Black-eared Wheatear was found by local birders Paul Ellis & Paul Slade at Fluke Hall, Lancashire on 1st September 2019. Since the bird is a female there was a lot of umming & erring over the identity because it's very similar to Pied Wheatear. The identity was finally clinched by Chris Batty from some of Paul Ellis's photos. Hopefully, DNA analysis will confirm this...

I travelled to The Fylde this afternoon. As I entered the car park at the end of Fluke Hall Lane, I noticed some birders on the embankment obviously looking at someting. The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear was supposed to be half a mile to the west of the car park, but I thought it wise just to check before setting off westwards. A good job I did because the bird was just the other side of the embankment as I approached the birders & was immediately obvious perched on top of a boulder.

The Eastern Black-eared Wheatear soon moved a few yards to the west & was then on view almost continually, right next to the car park, perching for lengthy periods on top of selected boulders, swathed in bright afternoon sunlight.

Edit: reassessed as Pied Wheatear BB June 2025

Video by Pete Hines

Brown Booby, Kynance Cove 6th September 2019

A Brown Booby (1cy) was found at Kynance Cove, Cornwall by local birder D. Collins on Monday 2nd September 2019. Incredibly, this bird appeared shortly after a 2cy bird disappeared from St. Ives after a short stay. Brown Booby is not on the British List, so with these two individuals and another possibly off the Kent coast recently, seems like a boom time for Boobies!

With the Brown Booby still present the next day, I arranged transport & set off early Wednesday morning. However, there was a problem with the car which meant I had to return it. Since there were no sightings most of Wednesday afternoon I didn't set off on Thursday morning. Sightings continued as normal on Thursday, which saw me heading south early Friday morning & arriving on site shortly after midday.

Worryingly, the weather had closed in, but cleared as I approached The Lizard. Although conditions were a bit damp & misty on site it was clear the bird wasn't on its favoured perch, half way up the small pyramid shaped rock to the extreme left of the group of rocks known as Gull Rock. There was a small group of birders high up & further round, giving them a view of the other side of Gull Rock where the Brown Booby was perched. Knowing the bird hadn't been seen for a while, I was pondering the possibility of moving vs. waiting for it to fly, consequently hadn't set up my 'scope. Suddenly, the shout went up from a guy from Northampton (didn't get a name) right next to me who I'd been chatting with, "There it is!". The Brown Booby sailed towards us passing closely as it disappeared below the outcrop we were standing on. Several birders swivelled round as one and watched the bird fishing in the bay for about half an hour.

The Brown Booby made several circuits of the bay flying quite close at times. On its return trip back to Gull Rock it again flew very close below us, appeared a couple of times briefly to the left from behind Gull Rock and disappeared round the back.

Video by Pete Hines