A drake Baikal Teal was spotted arriving at Spurn yesterday morning by some visiting birders, 23rd May 2019. The bird settled on Kilnsea Wetlands, accompanied by a drake Wigeon. Although I have seen Baikal Teal in the UK previously, that was the bird at Caerlaverock on 10th March 1973. At the time this was the first UK record. However, the record was later removed. So, I made my way over to East Yorkshire, arriving mid-afternoon.
The drake Baikal Teal was on show from the hide at Kilnsea Wetlands immediately I arrived & for the whole time I was there. Range was mid-distance & with the bird feeding constantly meant most of the time its head was under water! With time good views were obtained of this colourful eastern vagrant. Hopefully, this one will be accepted!
A trip over to Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB earlier today proved very fruitful. Although there had been three Garganey on the Main Scrape, there was only one when I arrived on site, as a Peregrine cruised over the scrape pursued by a flotilla of Gulls, Shelducks & others.
Having walked round to Marsh Covert Hide, as I exited the hide a Spoonbill in full breeding plumage settled on the highest point of the Heronry, easily viewable from the path, providing excellent views. There was a Cattle Egret in full breeding plumage on the island from MCH & a Greenshank on the pool.
So, together with Grey Heron & Little Egret, four species of Heron/Egret, missing only Great White Egret. I heard only one Cetti's Warbler singing, with brief views.
A race of Yellow Wagtail known as Iberian Wagtail was found on Kerr's Field at Leasowe last Friday 26th April 2019 by local birder Stan Davidson. The second record for Britain & first for Cheshire & Wirral. The bird was not seen yesterday, but appeared again today in the same place.
I was busy on Friday & couldn't make it over to Leasowe, so was very pleased to be driving over there this afternoon. There were quite a few birders on site along the road to the Lighthouse, scanning Kerr's Field. The Iberian Wagtail appeared on the edge of the field quite close to the road. However, it was often so close it couldn't be seen over the vegetation growing between the road & the edge of the field. Another obstacle was the fence, which the bird seemed to be able to hide behind whenever I tried switching from bins to 'scope. When it ventured a bit further out into the field it was a lot easier to see.
It was good to see a couple of old birding friends whilst on site, Pete Hines & Mark Garner. Mark had to shoot off sharpish, but I spent an enjoyable time catching up with Pete.
Previous record: 2015 North Yorkshire - East Lea, Filey, 22nd April (M. J. Pearson)
Video by Pete Hines
In the previous couple of weeks there had been quite a few good birds in the Leasowe area. On Wednesday 17th April I saw my first local adult male Redstart. All the others I've seen have been female/immature types. The next day, Thursday 18th April, an amazing site of a flock of 5 Ring Ouzels in the paddocks & my first local adult male Pied Flycatcher. As with Redstarts, previous sightings have been of female/immature types.
The Night Parrot was supposed to be extinct and became a legend among birdwatchers in Australia: a fat, dumpy, green parrot that lived in the desert and came out at night. The last bird seen alive was promptly shot dead in 1912.
Over 90 years later, a decapitated Night Parrot was found beside a fence in outback Australia, and the hunt for a living bird was on. Ornithologists descended onto the arid plains of Australia’s vast arid interior, but it took another seven years for a single photograph of a live bird.
Incredibly, a population of night parrots had survived. Their exact location is kept secret, and people are still looking for more – or more precisely, listening for more, using acoustic traps to identify calls.
Dr Ann Jones from ABC Australia takes a huge microphone for a spin in the desert to join the hunt for the legendary Night Parrot.
(Photo: Ullala Boss is a Birriliburu Indigenous Ranger, Elder and Traditional Owner and knows the dreaming stories of the Night Parrot. Credit: Dr Ann Jones)
From the Bar-Tailed Godwit to the Black-Winged Stilt.
Back in the days when BBC Springwatch wasn't even a twinkle in Auntie's transmitters, Bill Oddie from 'The Goodies' tells Derek Jones about his longstanding love of bird watching, and his travels to see them - aided by recordings from the BBC Sound Archive.
Award-winning actor Peter Cushing takes a break from making horror films to discuss his enthusiasm for the British countryside and its wildlife - aided by recordings from the BBC Sound Archive.
Peter tells Derek Jones how he used to spend hours with his late wife Helen watching wild birds from their home on the estuary at Whitstable in Kent.
CHRIS PACKHAM'S TWEET OF THE WEEK (320kbs-m4a/33mb/14mins) BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 17th June 2018 Long-time Tweet supporter and stalwart Chris Packham returns to don his binoculars and guide us through his own personal perch in Tweet of the Day. This omnibus edition contains the following repeated episodes; Blue Tit - presented by Chris Packham Blackbird - presented by Chris Packham Grey Wagtail - presented by Chris Packham Coot - presented by Chris Packham Water Rail - presented by Chris Packham
