A Review of 2021

It's been a rather rubbish year in general, with little time for local (Sussex) birding, very few foreign trips, hardly any twitching, and the biggest of all, the death of my dear Mum. 

Thankfully, the year was saved in the latter few months with two trips to Spain (both leading for Naturetrek), some decent finds both in the UK and in Fuerteventura and a short twitch from County Durham for the amazing Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire! Also, seeing over 5000 Razorbills in an hour past Splash Point a week before Christmas was also rather epic.

My best finds for this year were in short supply, but did comprise the following:

• Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll on Shetland
• Little Bunting in Sussex
• Leach's Petrel in Sussex
• Wryneck at Tide Mills (the start of an invasion)
• the stunning Honey-buzzard at Beachy Head simultaneously found with Laurence

Other excellent highlights from the year in Sussex were the White-throated Sparrow at Barcombe, a few Pomarine Skuas and an incredible passage of Common/Arctic Terns past Splash Point, the insane re-find of the Northern Mockingbird at Pulborough and thorough investigation to find the whereabouts of the Monkey Orchid near Arundel!

Away from Sussex, Shetland provided much enjoyment, with a spring visit producing the goods with a Snowy Owl, an adult Long-tailed Skua, two Rose-coloured Starlings and the amazing Storm-petrel experience on Mousa. Finding my last UK dragonfly species (the Azure Hawker) with Dad in Highland was epic, as was the encounter of a Golden Eagle we had in the Findhorn Valley. A number of butterflies and other orchids were also seen.

One of the most adrenaline-fueled moments was being within touching distance of a Red Helleborine in the Chilterns... absolutely epic stuff.

Anyway, the following pictures make-up my stand-out moments of 2021:

Northern Mockingbird... mega re-find!

White-throated Sparrow - thorough investigation work meant
I could enjoy this yank mega all to myself the day after its discovery!

Snowy Owl on Unst - watching this beast with Dave Cooper
late in the evening was class!

Monkey Orchid - Tracking down where this single specimen grew 
was most rewarding when I set eyes on it.

This delightful Fox family in Peacehaven brought much joy

Red Helleborine - the rarest orchid in the UK

Black-browed Albatross

Clifden Nonpareil - finding this at work and
unbeknown to its size was awesome

Azure Hawker - my last UK Odonata species to see

Northern Emerald - probably my best dragonfly photo!

Photographing Common Dolphins on the 
Scilly pelagics was just as much fun as 
watching all of the seabirds.

Little Bunting - an amazing inland find at Iping Common

Lower Cuckmere - 21st December 2021

A long while since my last visit, and today I only had a short time before having to head back for work, but this was still plenty of time to find three Caspian Gulls in the gull flock. There were also quite a few each of Yellow-legged Gull and argentatus Herring Gull too, but I didn't have time to hang around and count.

Two first-winter Caspian Gulls at Lower Cuckmere

Little Bunting at Iping Common - 11th December 2021

It's been a relatively hectic few months with guiding for Naturetrek, and now with my feet firmly on the ground for a few weeks, this has enabled me a fraction more time to go birding. Of course, I remain loyal to Sussex and so I had planned a short circuit for this morning around the north-west of the county.

I started at Stanley Common but this was exceptionally quiet with just a handful of Brambling being the only noteworthy species. A short drive away near to Milland, a short walk produced a decent view of a male Goshawk and five male Crossbills.

I was going to give up on the day, but with Iping Common just over the hill it seemed silly not to give it a quick visit, especially as I had Great Grey Shrike on the brain. Sadly none of these, but entering the common, I soon mulled over how similar the habitat appeared to that at Thursley Common, and quickly, the thought of finding a rare bunting entered my mind. Literally seconds later, whilst looking at a Reed Bunting atop a Birch Tree, a smaller bunting popped up next to it showing off bright, chestnut-coloured cheeks (Orange-cheeked Waxbill like ;-)). Being at a distance and without a scope or camera, it wasn't easy viewing but the obvious dark flecking on the breast was enough for me. Thankfully though, and to clinch the identification without seeing the black border to the ear coverts, the Little Bunting flew and started calling... BOOM!

After a couple of circles overhead, the bunting flew off but I knew it'd be back, so I went and grabbed the scope (I left the camera with three flat batteries!) and returned to the same spot. After wandering and checking every bunting, the Little came back into view and showed well for ten minutes allowing some more video and photos to be taken. I then called it a day and returned home, but delighted with finding a scarcity so far away from the coast, with the added highlights today of a Goshawk, Crossbills, Brambings and Dartford Warblers.

Little Buntings in Sussex have been somewhat frequent in recent years, with three this year and two last year, but this is still a pleasing 'find tick' and very unexpected.

Little Bunting at Iping Common

West Sussex: 7th November 2021

Having led a tour in Northern Spain last week and being generally knackered since returning early Friday morning, I was more than keen to have a chilled out day touring a few sites in western West Sussex, starting first at East Head, West Wittering. This was my first bit of birding in the county since 02 Oct when the Leach's past.

Despite beating the dog walkers to the north end of East Head, frustratingly I couldn't find the buntings, nor little else, though a Firecrest was in the pines by the car park and seven Sanderlings were great to see along the shoreline. Next, I drove to the end of Ellanore Lane and scoped the two fantastic Velvet Scoters in the harbour there. Three Common Scoters, a Razorbill and 13 Bar-tailed Godwits were also present. 

Next was Sidlesham where I soon found a flock of 24 Cattle Egrets. I couldn't be bothered to wander further south so I drove up to West Dean Woods where I spent an enjoyable 90-minutes, easily finding Hawfinches, three Bramblings and other commoner species. One Hawfinch showed very well through the scope as it perched atop a conifer... some of the best views I've had in Sussex and I could even make out its pale iris. 

Last up was Heyshott Common, but all I could find were three obliging Dartford Warblers, with the 'psshing' technique working very well. 

Cattle Egrets at Sidlesham

Two Velvet Scoters at Chichester Harbour

Dartford Warbler at Heyshott Common

Firecrest at West Wittering

Mediterranean Gull at West Wittering

Hawfinch at West Dean Woods

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Dale of Walls, Shetland – 15th October 2021

The past nine days, I've been leading a Naturetrek group on Shetland... undoubtedly my favourite place in the entire UK. It was generally a quiet week for scarcities turning up, but thankfully some had lingered from previous weeks and we managed a respectable list of decent birds, including the following:

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll - 2 (one on Unst; one on Mainland)
King Eider - 1 
Woodchat Shrike - 1 juv
American Golden Plover - 1 juv
Bluethroat - 1
White-billed Diver - 1
Ring-necked Duck - 1 
Great White Egret - 1
Sooty Shearwater - 2
Yellow-browed Warbler - only 1 !!
Glaucous Gull - 1 juv
Shore Lark - 5
Snow Bunting - 3

The 'trip' for me was saved until our last day, and really, our last few hours when at Dale of Walls (where I saw a Lanceolated Warbler back in 2015) in West Mainland, I was walking the burn and trapesing through the iris beds and rank vegetation when I heard a Redpoll calling. I turned to notice a finch flying towards me, although above the horizon I couldn't make out any features... that was until it went below the horizon, then boom!!

Immediately obvious was the striking white rump, and combined with the rather chunky impression, this had to be a Hornemann's? It then landed on a stone wall parallel with the burn, which is when it became obvious, and I turned to my group and yelled out "Arctic Redpoll on the wall" and hoped they picked it out. I fired off a number of photos, both settled and in flight, whilst trying to direct my group onto the bird. Thankfully, some saw it, but in the process of turning and general panic, we all lost the bird and presumably it had flown off down the burn. Despite walking up and down the stone wall and adjacent areas, we frustratingly couldn't find it. Thankfully the images obtained look sufficient enough for me to claim this as a Hornemann's, and importantly, a self-found BB rarity.

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Dale of Walls
Showing off a suite of characters, including the broad base to the bill,
buffy wash to upper breast and face, extensive white rump,
slight flank streaking and reminiscence of a small Bullfinch.

The beach from Dale of Walls, with Foula in the distance

The bottom of the burn

Cow Gap, Beachy Head - 2nd October 2021

An excellent seawatch was had at Cow Gap, Beachy Head today between 8am and 3pm. It was great to see Chris Ball who joined my for four hours.

Without doubt the highlight were two Leach's Petrels! This mega county rarity was of course in the back of my mind for today, but I didn't hold out too much hope of seeing one, yet alone two. The first was picked up briefly by Chris, before showing off for over five minutes as it slowly battled its way westwards. Then, once Chris had left and safely securing two county ticks in a morning, another Leach's flew through, this time much closer but also much quicker!

Other notable highlights included:

Sooty Shearwater - 4
Balearic Shearwater - 17
Manx Shearwater - 3
Arctic Skua - 5
Bonxie - 3
Razorbill - ca. 150
Sandwich Tern - ca. 50
Fulmar - 1

With the winds diminishing from today, I wonder how many more years it will be before the next opportunity for a Leach's presents itself?! Perhaps the last 'live' bird was back in 2012 which flew past Selsey... though I know some moribund individuals have been found since inland.

Me living the dream...

Cow Gap in the distance

Naturetrek HQ

It's been a rather excellent week at work for wildlife sightings. On Tuesday morning, I visited the moth trap which I had set-up the previous evening, and I was delighted to see an absolute monster on the wall. The moth in question was the rare Clifden Nonpareil, or Blue Underwing.

That evening, a colleague of mine, Tom Mabbett, then went and found a Wryneck along the driveway, and much to my relief, the bird was still present this morning. Add to this a local Little Owl and a couple of Whinchats, a Redstart and flyover Yellow Wagtails, I can hardly complain about where I work.

Wryneck

Clifden Nonpareil

Wryneck