The recent easterly airflow
had brought a good selection of rare and scarce birds from the east,
particularly to the Northern Isles, but the area around Flamborough had also
produced some exciting birds, including Britain’s forth Eastern Crowned
Warbler.
Ken, Malcolm, Roger and I
therefore decided we would go to Bempton in the hope of seeing the Eastern
Crowned Warbler and some other scarce migrants.
We heard on route that the warbler was still present and we arrived on
site at around 09:50. We had passed a
small gathering of birders on the edge of the car park and assumed they would
be looking for the Eastern Crowned Warbler but they were actually trying to
locate a Greenish Warbler, which hadn’t been seen and so we followed their
instructions to the site of the Eastern Crowned Warbler.
There was a bigger crowed
gathered watching a hedge at the bottom of the extension car park and when we
joined them the bird wasn’t showing.
There were quite a few Goldcrest and at least four Chiffchaffs feeding
in the hedge and it wasn’t too long before the Eastern Crowned appeared. The views were excellent although it was
quite active making it difficult to get a decent shot of it but I fired off
quite a few and did get one or two photos that looked reasonable.
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Whilst we were watching the
Eastern Crowned one of the RSPB volunteers came and informed the group that
there was a Bluethroat on the costal path.
As this is a species I hadn’t seen for many years I was pretty keen to
see it and so we made our way down to the coastal path. We could see the crowd a few hundred meters
to the north and we were soon amongst the gathering and watching an immature
Bluethroat on the path. It did occasionally
disappear into the longer vegetation but it was never out of view for too long
and provided some excellent views.
Bluethroat
Bluethroat
Bluethroat
Bluethroat
Bluethroat
As the Bluethroat was making
its way further along the path towards another group of birders we decided to
make our way back to the centre. We had
seen plenty of Gannets as we had walked down to the Bluethroat but I was
surprised just how many were still here and even more surprised to find so many
on the cliff face. There must have been
in excess of 500 and most were adults with very few immatures being seen but
the only other birds we saw was a single Fulmar and several Feral Pigeons.
Tree Sparrow
After some lunch we eventually
decided we would stay at Bempton rather than head off to Flamborough. Ken went on ahead whilst Malcolm, Roger and I
stopped to look for the Greenish Warbler but as it hadn’t been seen for some
time and I moved away and stopped at the feeding station. I found a Brambling and so I called Malcolm
and Roger over and we then had at least five Brambling. I was taking photos of a Goldcrest when Ken
called to say he had the Eastern Crowned and Greenish Warbler in the overflow
car park area and so we quickly made our way through the gate and found a Ken
and a crowd of birders assembled around the drinking pool.
Goldcrest
Goldcrest
Goldcrest
The birds had now disappeared
but as there was still quite a bit of activity around the pond and so we
remained and were rewarded with a Yellow-browed Warbler, a male Blackcap and
quite a few Chiffchaffs. We eventually went
back to overlook the Eastern Crowned hedgerow where we had more views.
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Whilst we were watching the
Eastern Crowned news circulated that there was an Arctic Warbler in the hedge
behind the drinking pool. By the time I
arrived there were quite a few others present and the viewing was rather
restricted. The bird was seen almost
immediately but I couldn’t get in a position where I could see it before it
disappeared. It was seen again a short
time afterwards but still no joy and I tried to change my position. I found Roger quite close to the front and he
had seen it rather well as had Malcolm.
It reappeared a few minutes later and this time I managed to see it on
several occasions, although only briefly.
The RSPB then made a request that we went into the field as the ride was
getting trodden down. When we got into
the field there was some discussion as to whether the bird was a Greenish or
Arctic Warbler, which hadn’t been resolved by the time we left. We didn’t see the bird again from the field
but there was a Spotted Flycatcher along the hedgerow. With no further signs of the warbler we
returned to the overflow car park area.
We spent some more time
looking at the Eastern Crowned Warbler when we also had some views of a
Yellow-browed Warbler before we finally called it a day and headed off home.
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
It had been an excellent day
with some superb views of the Eastern Crowned Warbler and two more year-ticks
with the Arctic Warbler and Bluethroat, which was my first in the UK since one
at Spurn on September 18th 1993.
The following day the
Arctic/Greenish Warbler was reported as an Arctic, with a footnote indicating
that it wasn’t a Greenish, which was also the general consensus when several
photos began to appear.
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