Last week Nick and myself decided to make a last-minute dash for the West coast of Ireland in the hope of connecting with some epic seawatching and the first trans-Atlantic crossing of American shorebirds of the autumn. We had a 4-day window from 27th August and on the morning of 26th the chart for the west was looking decidedly encouraging. Normally our short autumn holiday’s away (we try to do one every year) have to be booked weeks or even months in advance around tour commitments but there is really no substitute for ‘going on the weather’ if at all possible. So Tuesday afternoon we booked a flight from Stansted to Cork, hired a car, found some digs and got an early night ready for a 4.30am start on Wednesday!

Left – a screengrab of the Windy App from Tuesday afternoon showing the picture for 10am on Thursday. A fast-moving low was racing across the Atlantic from the Southern tip of Greenland, bringing rain and strong westerly winds and making more or less a direct hit onto Ireland’s Dingle peninsula, County Kerry. The winds appeared to be pushing up into the coast of neighbouring Clare, and we figured large numbers of seabirds could be displaced into this area and then track back south once the front had passed…

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SATURDAY 31^ST MAY – Sunny spells and fresh South-westerly winds, 11C

Today was our final day exploring the Orkney Mainland before heading back south on the ferry. With light rain forecast to move in from the west, we decided to head to Marwick Head first on the west coast, to view the bustling seabird colony before the weather deteriorated. It actually remained fine for the hike up the cliffs and back and the wind wasn’t too strong, so the viewing conditions were pretty nice. We could see two huge flocks of Kittiwakes feeding just offshore from the clifftop, with both Arctic and Great Skua harassing them! The skua numbers have thankfully improved a lot this year compared to last, with both species being seen on every day of the trip and definitely more Bonxies around, hopefully a sign they are already starting to bounce back. There were some large rafts of Common Guillemots on the water too, but from the top, we would see many more, as this species is the most common nesting seabird on the ledges here. The sight and sound of any seabird colony is a real spectacle and again we were pleased to see that, while there were still lots of unoccupied ledges here, there were more birds than in the Birdflu-ravaged 2024. Razorbill, Fulmar and of course Puffin were here too, and we probably saw just into double figures of the latter.

Heading back down to the bay, we then drove all the way back across the islands to the East Mainland, and Deerness. With a South-east wind we figured it must be worth checking some migrant spots, not least because birds had arrived further north on Shetland. We drew a complete blank though at both Sandside and East Denwick, with very little to report from either location. In the afternoon we headed over to the Ring of Brodgar, so folk could have a walk around the standing stones. We were lucky here with an Osprey which flew in and started hovering over Loch of Harray next to the car park, providing a nice end to the trip. From here it was back to the Stromness ferry terminal for the ninety minute run down to Scrabster harbour, and then a 3hr drive all the way down to Boat of Garten for our final overnight.

FRIDAY 30^TH MAY – Fine and sunny in light westerly winds, 15C

A beautiful, balmy day awaited for our final day on North Ronaldsay. With slack weather after the recent strong winds, we were hopeful that some migrants would drop but the day didn’t really pan out that way! We spent the morning checking a number of crofts with cover in the hope of unearthing something, centred around the south-east corner of the island. It was really lovely out and while the first couple of spots yielded nothing, we were enjoying the blue sky and turquoise seas. At Kirbest, we unexpectedly flushed a Snow Bunting along the road and up a driveway! The bird sadly didn’t seem that well – a young male bird different to yesterdays female on The Links. We watched it at close range feeding on the driveway and then left it be. After checking the Old Mill and another couple of spots down towards Bride’s Ness, we went through the gate in the sheep dyke and scanned the bay. Two Whimbrel flew off calling and there were sightings of Little Grebe and Reed Bunting among various other common waders and wildfowl noted. We then drove up to the surgery, and checked the garden there before heading down the track to Gravity. The small plantation held two Sedge Warblers which were no doubt breeding, but again no migrants could be found. After a quick look at Burray, we checked Ancum willows and with nothing much to show for the mornings efforts, we returned to the Obs for lunch.

For the afternoon we decided to sack off checking crofts and instead head up to the lighthouse and look for waders and seabirds. At Trolla Vatn 23 Bar-tailed Godwits were resting along with a few Turnstones and a single Dunlin. Walking up onto the top of the beach to view the bay, we saw several Black Guillemots and Eiders and by now were just happy to enjoy the beautiful t-shirt weather! We followed the stone dyke back to the communications mast and then walked out to the seawatch hide. Unlike in previous visits, there was no need to shelter inside the hide today and instead we scanned the sea from outside the hide. The view of Fair Isle was spectacular and offshore we watched a feeding frenzy of Arctic Terns and Kittiwakes. Eight Manx Shearwaters glided in and joined the throng and three Great Northern Divers included one really close full summer bird eating a crab. One of the Kittiwakes flew in and landed next to an adult Common Gull allowing for a rare and useful comparison of these two adult plumages side by side.

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SUNDAY 4^TH MAY – Sunny spells and a cold northerly wind, 10C

Not exactly Spring-like weather for the final day of the tour, but we took on the challenge of trying to add some more different species to the trip list, finishing on a very respectable 122 species. Adjacent Titchwell reserve would be the destination for the morning, but boy it was cold as we battled out into the wind along the West Bank path! We saw a few birds around the reedbed pool area on the way down such as Reed Bunting and Pochard, but we decided to plough straight on down to the beach to have a quick look at the sea and shoreline before coming back with the wind behind us. The sea was actually surprisingly quiet given the onshore wind, but we did pick a single Little Tern up battling west and had super views of two pairs of Sandwich Terns which flew along the beach. There were quite a lot of Sanderlings on the shoreline too, and some very distant Common Scoter, out to the north-west towards the wind farm.

Parrinder Hide afforded some shelter from the wind and here we had good views of Mediterranean Gull, another party of Sandwich Terns, Little-ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper and our first Common Terns. A female Marsh Harrier also gave good views, flushing up the breeding Black-headed Gulls before puncing on something on one of the islands. Back around at Island Hide, we saw a couple more Common Sandpipers, another Little-ringed Plover close to the hide, and admired the 25 or so each of House Martin and Swift feeding low over the freshmarsh. Heading back towards the VC then, we called in at the reliable roosting Tawny Owl and could just about make it out hiding in it’s favourite ivy-clad tree – not so easy now the leaves are on the trees!

Given the weather, we wanted to seek a bit more shelter for the last walk of the trip and so after a circuitous route through the local farmland to check a few spots – noting a nice Grey Partridge – we arrived at a rather busy Lady Anne’s Drive in time for an early lunch. Four Whimbrel feeding in the fields on the west side were great to see – it has been a decent spring for them so far. We then walked west, through the shelter of Holkham pines in the sunshine, and added a few nice bits along the way out to Joe Jordan hide including Willow Warbler, Goldcrest and Treecreeper. From the new hide, we enjoyed watching the comings and goings of the Spoonbills at the colony, with both Great White Egret and Cattle Egret in the adjacent fields too. The highlight though was the new scrape which held a whopping eleven Greenshanks – a good Spring total for any site – and three Wood Sandpipers. Given the unfavourable weather for passerine migrants on the tour, a total north of 120 was a great result and we wrapped things up back at Briarfields around 3pm.

SATURDAY 3^RD MAY – Sunny spells and fresh westerly winds, 14C

Today we headed south into the Breckland region, for a blockbuster day of birding in the fens and heaths of south-west Norfolk and North-west Suffolk. Our first location was a scrubland site where we hoped to find Nightingales, and despite the cool wind the sun was shining and we soon heard our first bird singing from the depths of the flowering hawthorns – though seeing it would prove a different matter. Over the next hour we heard at least four singing male Nightingales but we were almost about to give up on a sighting when we spotted one perched through a narrow gap between two trees. Thankfully it sat there long enough for everyone to get a good scope view! Also at the same spot we had excellent views of a Garden Warbler sitting out in the open singing, and on the way back to the car park we picked up a pair of Yellowhammer too.

Nightingale

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FRIDAY 31^ST JANUARY – Overcast with drizzle, 3C

Our final day of the trip started with a visit to adjacent Titchwell reserve. After seeing the Water Rail in its usual spot in a ditch behind the feeders, we headed more or less directly out to the shore to catch the back end of high water. The visibility was poor and the Common Scoter flock were typically distant in a fair swell, so seeing anything amongst them was going to be a challenge! We spent a good while scrutinising them and eventually everyone in the group managed to see both a Velvet Scoter and a Long-tailed Duck – it wasn’t easy, but we got there in the end! Four Red-breasted Mergansers were on the tidal pool and we had really close views of Grey Plovers in the corner of Volunteer Marsh beside the path. Popping into Parrinder, we had great views of all the ducks present including several lovely Pintail, and were able to notch up both Rock Pipit and Water Pipit, though the latter only made a very brief cameo. A male Hen Harrier ghosted past the hide really close but was soon gone off to the east, and a couple of Skylarks were watched on one of the closest islands.

Woodcock

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TUESDAY 7^TH JANUARY – Moderate westerly winds and sunshine. 3C

Another bitingly cold winter’s day but one which offered up some crackerjack birding! We started the day with skeins of Pink-footed Geese heading west against the morning sunrise as we loaded the van ready to head along the coast to Old Hunstanton. A young Glaucous Gull had been coming in there to a dead seal and commuting off to Gore Point, so we wanted to try for that first before the beach got too busy with dogs and people. As we crossed the dunes onto the beach, we could immediately see the Glaucous Gull standing proud on the tideline. A brute of a bird with classic latte-coloured plumage and an ink-tipped pink bill, it didn’t hang around long before flying back north towards Holme. The beach was also full of waders, especially Sanderling which were scurrying around right in front of us. Single Grey Plover and Ringed Plover, lots of Turnstones and a flock of Knot were also noted, as well as a couple of Fulmar flying south offshore. While scanning the beach, we then picked up the six wintering Shorelarks on the shingle ridge – a great spot as they were very well camouflaged against the sand and shingle! The light was good and despite the cold wind buffeting the scopes, we had some decent views of them before they disappeared back up the beach – a lucky start to the day!

Green-winged Teal – our first view of the drake bird at Holkham, 7th January

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I set off on a fact-finding trip to Peru on 3^rd December 2024, meeting up with my good friend Juan Carlos Figueroa who many of you will know from our Ecuador tours. Juan Carlos flew in from Quito and we made our rendezvous in Lima, ready to start what would be an adventure for both of us! My preparation levels had been pretty low due to a very busy autumn period, but we had a good ground agent on our side who had set up all the logistics – we just needed to keep everything crossed that our mission-critical internal flights went to plan! This didn’t start off particularly well, as our already once-changed flight from Lima up to Chachapoyas in Northern Peru, originally scheduled for 0840 the day after our arrival, had now been pushed all the way back to 1330, effectively meaning we’d lost the first afternoon. Never mind, we would use the time constructively by taking a taxi from the airport down to the coast to look for Inca Tern – it was only 8km, so would be fine? Wrong! We spent 2hrs sat in gridlocked traffic around the city and eventually gave up and returned to the airport having seen nothing more than a West Peruvian Dove! Hopefully that was all our logistical glitches out of the way right at the beginning!?

Long-whiskered Owlet – our first big target scored in the north!

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THURSDAY 28^TH NOVEMBER – Frosty start with east wind picking up later, dry. 5C

We rose to another cracking sunrise but it was distinctly colder at a nippy -4C first thing! We had only a short journey this morning, along the back lanes alongside the sprawling Loch Ken to the RSPB car park at Mains of Duchrae. Here we planned to spend a couple of hours walking down to the hides and back where we hoped to find Willow Tit. Four Greenland White-fronted Geese flew in yapping as we set off along the track, and we had already seen several Red Kites along the drive down. The woodland was really quiet with everything covered in a hoar frost, but there were a few passerines to be found including Goldcrest, Redwing, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and several Bullfinches. Willow Tit was heard giving its distinctive nasal call but we were not lucky with a sighting – this was compounded by the fact that the feeders have now all been removed from the site rendering the chances of actually seeing one here now extremely unlikely. A single flyover Crossbill, Great-spotted Woodpecker and Redpoll were the other scant highlights here, plus another Great White Egret flying along the loch (we’d seen another from the vehicles at the sluice on the River Dee earlier).

Bullfinch at Ken-Dee Marshes

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FRIDAY 4^TH OCTOBER –  Overcast with a fresh southerly wind, 12C

Today we had a fairly leisurely day exploring Orkney’s West Mainland, ahead of our afternoon departure south on the Hamnavoe ferry to Scrabster. We started at Loch of Stenness just a short drive from our hotel, and here we found our first Common Scoters of the trip, plus a selection of other wildfowl including a nice close female Long-tailed Duck. Up at Aikerness beach overlooking the sound towards Eday, we had a superb view of a Red-throated Diver still in summer plumage, plus an assortment of other seafowl including diving Gannets, Red-breasted Mergansers and lots of Shags. Working our way around the top of the island anti-clockwise we checked some large Golden Plover flocks carefully from the roadside, but couldn’t find anything more interesting with them. Lunch in the hide at The Loons produced a fly-by ringtail Hen Harrier, but not a lot else in the cool wind.

Bay of Skaill on the west coast was surprisingly sheltered and a nice selection of close waders including some lovely juvenile Sanderling, lots of Ringed Plover and a couple of Dunlin. Loch of Skaill held three more Goldeneye but then better still from an island perspective, we bumped into the Great White Egret which had been seen the previous day elsewhere, on Loch of Clumly. A nice herd of Whooper Swans were here too, perhaps twenty or more. We called next at Ring of Brodgar and then just as we were leaving, an adult large gull with white wingtips flew alongside the van as we were driving – a Glaucous Gull! We had good views as it crossed the road in front of us, clearly showing grey upperparts with a distinct white trailing edge and wingtip. Its bulk also helped to rule out the possibility of a leucistic Herring Gull and we managed a few photos as it flew off across the fields. As it turned out, the bird had been around on 5^th September and previously, so maybe over-summered in the islands. That bit of excitement was our last as we made it down to Stromness for the 1645 departure, and eventually made it to our overnight at Inverness around 2100.

Distant record shots of the adult Glaucous Gull at Stenness

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