Rare Warblers and Rare Starlings!

 Rare Warblers and Rare Starlings!

(record shot by birder next to us)

We first went to RSPB Langford Lowfields (see post named Hobbies Hawking and Bitterns Booming and.., FLYING! for location pin) at 6:00pm in hopes of catching a glimpse of the rare Great Reed Warbler. We met someone called Andy on the way there and when we arrived at the Beach Hut, we could see a group of people by Phase 1 to the right of the hut. When we arrived, there were a frenzy of birders. The bird was singing loudly in the patch of reeds in front of us. At one point, we even heard it directly beneath us. We thought we got a glimpse of it as it flew towards an island and back though it could've easily been a common Eurasian Reed Warbler. We waited for about an hour until the someone finally spotted the bird. We rushed down and saw amazingly close views of it as it sung away in the reeds. Besides it were two Eurasian Reed Warblers trying to chase it away from its nest that was nearby. The bird was huge compared to our Reed Warbler. It also had a caterpillar in its mouth. A new tick and a  brilliant start to the day! We then went to a short trip to Potteric Carr YWT where we dipped a Purple Heron. Someone left a note saying that it flew southwest yesterday evening and it didn't show the day we got there. We then headed towards Spurn Discovery Center YWT for a Rose-Coloured Starling. When we arrived, we met some birders who said they'd seen it an hour ago at the caravan park. They said to turn left out onto the road then turn right at the crossroad and peer through the caravan park. But when we went to the Discovery Center to pay for parking, we'd been told that the bird was last seen with a flock of Common Starlings in the bushes nearby, yet its colours were not that of an adults and that it had probably gone out to sea three hours ago. We then took into consideration what the other birders said about how they'd seen it an hour ago so we went to the caravan park called Sandy Beaches Holiday Park (location pinned to post). There we met an old couple and someone named Phil. We walked down a grassy path with the lady from the couple until her husband called saying that he'd got it. We ran to where we think he was and he walked out saying the bird flew somewhere else in the park. We then went on a scavenger hunt yet still had no luck. Just then, the couple decided to leave and it was just us and Phil searching for the bird. Finally, we turned a bend and I spotted it past a few yards away. It was much lighter and pinker than the other birds. It was within a flock of Starlings and was a 1st Summer adult. The birder next to us, Phil, then took a record shot featured as an image in this post. Another new tick! Feeling content with our sighting, we went over to Preston Docks (see post named Knot in May and Nesting Arctic Terns for location pin) to see two drake Common Scoters. After admiring and getting our lifer we had some fries from the McDonald's opposite and called it a day. Overall, a spectacular trip!