Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire, Britain.

The Fifth UK lifer of the trip with a nice bonus species.

Trip to Uk, Day Thirty Five.

 

Taiga Flycatcher (Papamoscas boreal / Ficedula albicilla).

Again I was out with friends Sharon and John and again it was Yorkshire call after a Taiga Flycatcher (Papamoscas boreal / Ficedula albicilla) had been relocated in the woods above South Landing, it had been seen on the cliff during late October.

Taiga Flycatcher (Papamoscas boreal / Ficedula albicilla).

We arrived on site to find it was quite busy but walked along a track to the spot where the Flycatcher was passing a few people on the way watching the bonus bird a very smart Red-flanked Bluetail (Ruiseñor Coliazul / Tarsiger cyanurus), I stopped for a moment and had a brief view of the bird low down in the bottom of a Hawthorn bush.

Taiga Flycatcher (Papamoscas boreal / Ficedula albicilla).

Once we reached the Flycatcher spot, which was ust a short way further on we started to get fleeting glimpes of the bird high up in the canopy but to be honest it could have been anything, however after a while the bird dropped down a bit lower and sat still several times in view so we all got the main Id features sorted which was important as again t was a lifer for us all.

Taiga Flycatcher (Papamoscas boreal / Ficedula albicilla).

Taiga Flycatcher (Papamoscas boreal / Ficedula albicilla).

I managed some shot but in the light they were not great but a good record of a nice bird, we moved back to the Bluetail after seeing the Flycatcher well and had good views of this bird as it moved around low in the shade of the bushes occasionally siting still for a moment or two.

Red-flanked Bluetail (Ruiseñor Coliazul / Tarsiger cyanurus).

Other species seen included Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

Red-flanked Bluetail (Ruiseñor Coliazul / Tarsiger cyanurus).

We had a walk down to the Lifeboat Station on the beach and scanned the sand and the sea finding Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Rock Pipit (Bisbita Costero / Anthus petrosus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and a Kittiwake (Gaviota Tridáctila / Rissa tridactyla) before deciding to head back as John's back was playing him up a bit. Another great days birding. Thanks.

The Harp, Albrighton, Shropshire, Britain.

Meeting some work mates for a pint or seven.

Trip to Uk, Day Thirty One.

Steve Hesbrook (Hessa), Alec Corbett, Dave Marshall (Marsh), John Murphy (Murph), Bob Barlow, Me (Tweet), John Morgan (Morgi) and Dave Morris.

I got a message from Friend Alec Corbett who said whilst I was over a few of the lads from the Fire Service days wanted to meet up for a drink which was great so he got on to it and we met in the newly refurbed Harp.

It was great to catch up with them all, some I had not seen for over twenty years and what had been for a pint turned into the whole evening as we all had a good bit to chat about and catch up with.

Thanks to all who were there and for Alec for sorting it, it will have to be an Indian next time I am over.

Dozmary Pool and Siblyback Lake, Cornwall, Driving North to the Midlands, Britain.

On my way back North after a fantastic few days back in Cornwall.

Trip to UK, Day Thirty.

 

Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila), 2 of the three.

I felt really sad to be saying goodbye to Lynn and Steve after a great trip, they had both made me so welcome and had shown me many new places in Cornwall and had also given me the chance to revisit a few old birding spots.

Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila) and the other one.

Anyway after saying goodbye I decided to head off North and make my way back to Dozmary Pool again as we had done on the way down and not go for an American Buff-bellied Pipit (Bisbita Norteamericano / Anthus rubescens) which had been seen down on the Lizard yesterday which turned out to be a good thing as it was not seen but was relocated a few days late further along the coast.

I had a good run up to Dozmary Pool but found it pretty much empty of birds finding just 3x Tufted Ducks (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula) and a couple of Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) so I decide to go to the not as nearby as I thought Siblyback Lake.

Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila).

After a windy drive along some narrow flooded lanes I reach the car park to find I had no change, so I went and ordered a coffee and a cake in the cafe at the far end of the car park and returned to pay.

After the Coffee and Cake were taken care of I went for a walk around the nearest bit of the lake as most was closed of for some tree felling work, luckily the 3 Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila) I had heard were here I could see distantly from this path but I could find none of the Ring.necked Ducks (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris).

Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila).

From here I took one hell of a strange route back to the main road thanks to my Tomtom which included several miles on lanes only just wide enough to fit a car, thankfully I didn't meet anyone coming the other way and I was on my way over the border and sadly out of Pastyland until my next visit.

New Polzeath, Pentire Point, The Rumps, the Walmsley Sanctuary and Amelies in Porthleven, Cornwall, Britain.

Getting blown inside out but the views were stunning.

Trip to Uk, Day Twenty Nine.

 

The sensible ones who put their waterproofs on before we started, unlike me who got soaked so quickly it was not worth it in the end.

Again we headed out to the North coast but this time further up near to Padstow and Waderbridge to visit a spot out on Pentire Head, we parked at New Polzeath and walked out towards the head.

Looking out from the shelttered side of Pentire Head.

Well to say it was a TAD Breezy was one hell of an uderstatment, at times I thought we were going to lose Lynn over one of the stone walls and as big as I am it nearly took me off my feet several time but it came in handy later as I got soaked and it dried me out almost as quickly.

The plaque

We walked passed the head and dropped down into a more shelttered area which over looked the Rumps were we found the Plaque to show the spot where Laurence Binyon had been inspired to write For The Fallen which is now used at most rememberance servicein the UK.

Close Up, showing the fourth verse of the poem. 

It was a stunning spot over looking a beautiful part of the Cornish Coastal footpath and I was very pleased Lynn and Steve thought of visiting the area. We continued on down to the Rumps and then back tp to a track which looped us back around to the car.

You can certainly see why Binyon would be inspired to write here.

During the walk we saw Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Rock Pipit (Bisbita Costero / Anthus petrosus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Herring (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) and on the inland part of the loop we had views of a Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) crossing a couple of fields.

One half of the Rumps.

We returned to the car and then went back to the Walmsley Sanctuary nearer to Wadebridge and walked out to the first of the hides and scanned the water and reeds finding Greylag (Ansar Común / Anser anser) and Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and more Redwings.

Later in the evening we went down to Porthleven and to a place Lynn and Steve like called Amelies and had a very nice meal as it was my last night in Cornwall, well for now anyway.