Saturday & sunday sweep up

A good week for the full time listers, GWT relocated on the Monday & the 1st Mealy Redpoll for sometime was found at Methley triangle the same day.
The 1st ringed plover was also discovered, but none of these make my list yet.
On the Sunday, the 1st Avocet of the year was on Astley, possibly our earliest ever record. That took me to 102 but a gap is opening up between me and the top now. Ive missed GWT and Grey Plover, still a chance the GWT will be kicking around but the GP will be a fluke if it makes the final list.
A couple of certs surely are only a week away, and with spring on the door step,  the migrants will be flooding in!

A sunday double dip

Following on from saturdays hugely successful twitch, we decided to try for the long staying buff-bellied pipit in Cheshire, another trans-atlantic vagrant.
8am departure again, nice quiet journey over the pennines was looking promising. Although the declaration that the lucky twitching CD was playing should have been a give away for what was to come, the past success over the years was enough to be confident of yet another success.
Upon arrival, we were met by a dozen or so of cars, more than I had anticipated, but no news of the pipit.
Several hours of walking back and foryh the stretch of marsh the bird has been seen only turned up mipits and notjing remotely different.
A tweet from swilly didnt lift the spirits as a green winged teal had been found, so we headed back, only to dip out on that too.
Disasterous day, but the weekend is now balanced after yesterdays double.
Back to work tomorrow, but praying the GWT sticks until Saturday!

Saturday 15th Feb

My first twitch of 2014 took us to High Shincliffe just south of Durham, for the recently reported, long staying Myrtle Warbler, the eastern race of Yellow rumper warbler from America.
New was released last sunday of this MEGA!!! American vagrant, whivh had originally been seen during the RSPB's big garden birdwatch back in January, so I was optimistic the bird would still be around by the weekend. And it was!
I got straight on to it but it was a difficult view - through the bush, and then it flew off!!!
20 mins later it returned, but proved really difficult viewing, I even commented that I'd had better views of firecrest!
It was obvious what it was, and easily seperated from Audobon's warbler (the western race) because of the supercillium. As it finally gave up better views and frequently gave its "tzchek tzchek" call, we got a tweet about a Glaucous gull at Skelton.
So, naturally, that was where we headed. I needed it for my 2014 list, but dad already had it. I wasn't expecting it to still be there an hour and a half later, but sure enough within 5 minutes of arriving, I picked it out and 101 was ticked off.
The gull roost at Astley was much better, but neither the Glauc or Iceland were present, and the Barn owl is as elusive as ever!
All in all, an excellent day!

Saturday 8th Feb

Bright morning, turning windy and wet later on.
The 100 was brought up by the Siberian Chiffchaff, but as the race isnt split from common chiffchaff (yet!) it isnt a proper lifer.
The bird was very grey, had an obvious supercillium and the call was different to a common - a soft piiiiu. It was singing as well although softly.
Up to 2 Oystercatcher now on Astley and a lot of the song birds are now in voice.

The week in bits

Another quiet week, but again mild and wet.
The AGM passed off quietly, although I was asked, and nominated on to the committee, which I wasnt expecting!
On tuesday, a Siberian Chiffchaff was found by the filter beds, and another was discovered, so it was hoped that they would stick around until the weekend!

Sunday 2nd February

A quick trip to the tip paid off with 2 red kites and a male yellowhammer taking the tally to tantalising 99.
Dipping on barn owl again and a parculiar pale gull with all dark bill could have made me a centurian, but it wasnt to be.

1st Feb

Well. Ill start with the final count for January.... 95, which was a valiant effort, with only 2 listers reaching the 100 mark. From a recording area point of view, I think we're on about 108 species, which I some 6 species down on last year.
However, fridsys farsical goings on at Elland Road lead to a late night & a sore head for the morning of Saturday 1st. That didn't start particularly well but it was bright but fresh with the car being frozen, and Fleet Lane very icy.
Plenty of black heads on Astley and the Oystercatcher was still present, no doubt back to stake a claim on a nest site.
A walk round the reedbeds produced the gay bearded tits, but we live in hope a female or 2 will turn up so we have a chance of starting our own colony, but so far its only been the 2 males that have been recorded. Great views in the same place as last week.
Further down the reed bed,  water rail gave its self up again giving great views so that was a great one to get out of the way.
Up on to old Astley lane, the little owl wasn't on display but 3 red-legged partridges were, so on 97.