28/11/94 Burghead, Grampian, Scotland

GREY-TAILED TATTLER 1 juv. ex.

 

Grey-tailed Tattler at Burghead (Alan Tate http://www.aabirdpix.com/)

Having been found the day before I made the long drive north accompanied by RJF & JWK. Plenty of birders were present at dawn overlooking a cold, grey and pebble-strewn beach devoid of any waders. Checking the nearby wave platform also drew a blank so we set off along the nearby beach checking the rock pools and there it was! A few waves to the crowd and everyone present were soon watching this very obliging second for Britain and the Western Palearctic. JFC was abroad at the time, but after his return, we accompanied Pete Neatherway on another enjoyable successful visit.

16/11/94 Lechdale, Gloucestershire

LESSER SCAUP 1 drake

 

Drake Lesser Scaup at Lechdale (JFC)

Having painfully dipped birds in Dumfries in 1990 and Dorset in 1992 another chance offered itself and along with Pete Neatherway I finally succeeded in seeing this drake that was only the eighth for Britain & Ireland... and then they became far more regular!



6/11/94 Landguard Point, Suffolk

BLYTH’S PIPIT 1 ex.
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler 1 ex.

Blyth's Pipit at Landguard (Alan Tate http://www.aabirdpix.com)



Blyth's Pipit at Landguard (Brian Small)

After a morning at Beachy the 'possible Blyth's Pipit' was still present at Landguard so I drove north and joined the small crowd watching it performing well on the Common. A few days later it was taken by a Kestrel. A few days later still rumours were rife the bird had been trapped and it was a proven Blyth's. At the time it was only the second Blyth's Pipit to be accepted in Britain after the Sussex bird in 1882. Retrospectively four more were accepted from the late 80's and early 90's one of which we had dipped on a day trip to St. Marys in October 1993.

 

Pallas's Warbler at Felixstowe (Alan Tate http://www.aabirdpix.com)



3/11/94 Ramsey Island, Dyfed, Wales

MYRTLE WARBLER 1 ex.

 

Myrtle Warbler on Ramsey Island (Alan Tate http://www.aabirdpix.com/)

 

Myrtle Warbler on Ramsey Island (D. Woodhead)

After an overnight drive with JK on arriving near the harbour we asked a young lady on her way home from a pub for directions and she kindly offered us a place to stay. Instead, keen on finding the harbour car park, we slept in the car and awoke to a windy dawn. There was much talk of the boat to Ramsey not running, but it did, even if a little hair-raising on an inflatable in the choppy seas! There were no trees on Ramsey so the Myrtle Warbler was hopping around on the ground alongside a small stream affording superb views. Getting back aboard the inflatable required a leap of faith off the small quay/cliff as the tide had gone out but somehow everyone avoided mishap! Three Irish records aside, it had been a long nine years since the duo on the Isles of Scilly but at last the wait for this Dendroica was over!