Foggy Birding!

Foggy Birding!

We arrived at an extremely foggy Flamborough Head at around 7:00am with Carl and Dave, who had given us a lift. Just before we arrived, a Red-breasted Flycatcher was reported in lighthouse bushes, so we decided to try and look for that while waiting in anticipation for our target bird to get reported. As soon as we started looking for the flycatcher, a notification came up saying that our target bird, the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, was back at Old Fall Plantation. In a hurry, we started making our way towards the plantation. Once at the plantation, we noticed a huge crowd of birders, which I thought was a bush at first, all looking towards the hedge. We quickly joined the crowd and after a bit of waiting, someone pointed out the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler sat inside the hedge. Although it was obscured, I was delighted to see it, especially after not being able to go for the one at Long Nab last year. 

Suddenly, the bird decided to come out in full view and just sat there, allowing for me to get some decent record shots of it through the thick fog. We were then told of at least 8 Yellow-browed Warblers all in the main plantation, so we made our way into the plantation in hopes of seeing them. Once in the plantation, we joined a large crowd of birders who were all looking at the willows. However, after waiting for around an hour, we were only able to glimpse a single Yellow-browed Warbler briefly as it was hovering. We then made our way over to lighthouse bushes to try and find the Red-breasted Flycatcher, along with any other migrant birds. However, a quick search provided no migrants whatsoever. All we could see were a few Gannets and a Grey Seal out to sea in extremely poor visibility. We could however hear what felt like hundreds of Robins calling from every bush. We also heard a Goldcrest briefly. Suddenly, news broke of a Little Bunting along Motorway Hedge. In a rush, we made our way there with a small group of birders. Once there, we saw a small bird fly out the hedge and zip around, before dropping down behind the hedge. Dave's friend, who was a very good birder, said he heard the bird call and, along with a few other birders who were here before us, said it was the Little Bunting. Although it wasn't a lifer, it was still a year tick and a good bird to get.

Hungry, we went back to the car to refuel and have a quick lunch. While eating, we noticed a large group of birders in the corner of the the car park. We walked up to them and found out they were watching a Red-breasted Flycatcher. After a bit of waiting, the bird popped out right in front of us on a wood pile, showing really well, albeit slightly distant.

I managed to get great views of the bird, along with an image through Dave's scope. It then landed closer to us on a fence and started displaying its distinctive tail pattern. There, we met a few familiar faces who told us about a few good birds they had seen at South Landing, so we made our way there.

Once we had arrived at South Landing, a few birders who were already there pointed out this Convolvulus Hawkmoth roosting on a bench. This was the third time I had seen this moth this year, and last year it was one of my most wanted!

We then met a birder who pointed out the Little Stint to us. It was within a mixed flock of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Dave managed to get the bird in his scope, allowing me to get good views and a record shot of it. 

The birder also mentioned that there were around 9 Red-throated Divers in the bay. After a bit of searching, I manage to locate a Red-throated Diver silhouetted in the thick fog. From the digiscoped image I took through Dave's scope, I could just about see that the bird had just started moulting out of summer plumage. We then did a quick loop around the local nature reserve, yet failed to find any Yellow-browed Warblers. We then decided to end the day at Bempton where we met Trevor (who we hadn't seen in a while). We also got a few brief glimpses of two Yellow-browed Warblers, along with a showy Garden Warbler, in The Dell.

As we were heading home, we got news of a Hoopoe at Stamford Bridge. In a rush, we headed straight there. However, upon arrival, we were told that some young toggers had ran straight up to the bird, flushing it. After a bit of waiting, the bird was seen again briefly in flight by Carl, before flying into a big tree, presumably to roost. I was gutted to have dipped a Hoopoe once more.

Overall, a good day with one mega lifer (Eastern Olivaceous Warbler) along with many other year ticks.