Fairly Booby-licious

This year has not really been about birding, in fact I've barely raised my bins since Canada aside from the odd stroll around the patch. Family and personal life have taken front of stage and are likely to for some time. But as ever I remain a keyboard birder and - as was always going to be the case - something rare was going to turn up sooner or later to wake me from my avian slumber.

News of a probable Brown Booby off North Kent on 19th August barely registered; whilst the photographs looked interesting it was never going to be available. After the recent upsurge in North European records of this tropical sulid it was almost expected. Scroll forward 10 days to 29th and there was another report, this time off St Ives and hanging around just offshore. Still it seemed implausible and I was about to head to a work conference in Scotland, so I paid little attention initially. Then it was seen the next day, albeit briefly, by a number of birders and so the game of cat and mouse began. At one stage it appeared to have departed to northern France as one was photographed there, only for the photos to show an adult and so a different bird (the Cornish one being a 2nd year). Work and family commitments prevented my usual rapid scramble, although may also have saved me from the pain of multiple dips suffered by others. It was Sunday 1st September before I was able to get down, and even then on a time limit. Initial optimism and enthusiastic opinions on distant birds soon evaporated, it was not to be. Despite that it was a pleasant morning catching up with friends in a stunning location, and the passage of Manx Shearwaters and single Arctic Skua and Grey Phalarope provided some entertainment (the speeding ticket was less welcome). I headed back empty handed to my brothers' in the Cotswolds to re-join the family on my mum's birthday. Others stayed down there and part of me was a apprehensive that I couldn't do the same - surely it would be seen again?

 

The next day something truly remarkable happened. A brown booby was found at Kynance Cove on the Lizard, on the opposite side of Cornwall. Those who'd stayed naturally rushed down, only to discover this was another different bird (a 1st year). This bird, unlike the others, proved to be obliging over the next 5 days and so, finally on Thursday 5th September I made it down there (from a starting point of Glasgow with Andy C, now known as the erratic twitcher extraordinaire). The 1st summer BROWN BOOBY showed pretty much immediately, and put in a couple of good fly-arounds through the bay. Relief, although I won't pretend it was the most stunning bird I've ever seen.

Other birds were limited to a family party of Cornish Choughs, always a pleasure to watch, and a few commoner seabirds. A very stunning location more than compensated though, what a place!

Kynance Cove, Cornwall. A candidate location for the most scenic twitch of all time.

  

Brown Booby, Kynance Cove, Cornwall, September 2019. All images by Lee Fuller

 

 

A family party of Choughs. The species has been successfully reintroduced into county, but strangely wild birds or Irish origin appeared around the same time. 

The homeward journey was uneventful, if long, and I was back for 6pm to collect the kids. Madness. 

 

 

 

 

Godwit Summer

Whilst work may be birding related, it is rare that I do anything I would consider as birding for work. For once, though, we were contracted to do something different - monitor the breeding success of Black-tailed Godwits at on the River Ribble in Lancashire. Seen as everyone at work was already busy, I took it upon myself to get involved and visited every couple of days for a few weeks in May and June 2019.

Two sub-species of black-tailed godwits regularly occur in the UK: L.limosa and L.l.islandica. The limosa subspecies breeds on the Ribble and a handful of other sites in England, with the majority of the UK population in the Cambridgeshire Fens. The breeding population is approximately 60 pairs annually, and it is therefore one of the rarest breeding birds in the country. Considerable conservation measures are on-going to safeguard the species and its breeding habitats in the Fens, including habitat creation and a ‘head-starting’ breeding programme (using artificial incubation and protecting the chicks during the rearing period so as to increase breeding productivity and boost numbers).

The Icelandic islandica subspecies also occurs regularly in the UK, with large numbers using estuaries and wetlands around the country throughout the year. A smaller number of the islandica subspecies also breed annually in Orkney and Shetland.

Godwits were first recorded breeding on the Ribble in 1984 and have attempted most years since. Typically just one pair is present, but in some years two pairs attempt, and this is the sole location in the north of England. Breeding success is sporadic, so the tiny population is highly vulnerable.

Two pairs attempted to nest in 2019. An additional (unpaired) bird was also present throughout the breeding season, and it was a real pleasure to observe them.

Small numbers of non-breeding islandica birds were also regularly present, using the central drainage ditch to feed and roost. Interaction between the breeding and non-breeding birds was never noted.

'Pair A’ had two chicks, first seen by Paul Ellis on 25th May and with the last observation on 18^th June. The sudden disappearance of the birds, with the adults being seen subsequently in distressed state, strongly suggests that the chicks perished at around 25 days old. At this age the chicks were probably within no more than a week of fledging (flight capability) and therefore relatively large. A real shame, we were almost there!

‘Pair B’ had a single chick, which I first observed on 29^th May, and it was clearly smaller than the Pair A chicks (therefore younger). This chick was last observed on 1^st June and was presumably predated. The pair lingered around the marsh for a few days after the chick disappeared. 

A single (unpaired) bird was present throughout. It was assumed to be a male by a combination of behaviour (regular display flights) and plumage (pale faced). It regularly showed aggression towards predators and also Pair A and Pair B.

It's rare I get the opportunity to watch bird behaviour like this and it was a thoroughly enjoyable summer in that respect, despite the sad outcome. It was a real privilege and for once I spent some time away from the desk. I had not previously realised how structurally distinct Limosa birds are, and as ever once I started watching them I realised how little I knew about the species. 

As well as the godwits, the marsh supported breeding Shoveler, Avocet, Little Ringed Plovers and good populations of Lapwing and Redshanks. A great place to linger, although a prolonged period of heavy rain in June seemed to decimate populations of all waders.

Predation is the major issue though, mainly down to poor landscape management which has included planting of trees and hedgerows which in turn support breeding buzzards and crows.

And and the rest....warblers

This is getting too much, I'll just post some nice pretty photos....

Male Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler (male)

Common Yellothroat (male)

Magnolia Warbler (male)

Wilson's Warbler (male)

Hooded Warbler (male)

Parula (female)

Prothonotory  Warbler (male)

Palm Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler (male)

Northern Waterthrush

Parula (male)

American Redstart (male)

Magnolia Warbler (male)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (male)



Pine Warbler (male)



Tennessee Warbler (male)

Black-throateds

Black-throated Green Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler were two of the commonest warblers.

Humbugs

Another crowd pleaser, Black and White Warblers, were common and seen daily. There’s something mesmerising about they way they move up trunks and long branches. Somehow I never got around to taking many photos. Next time.

One from JP -

Blackburnian Warbler

Staggering birds, probably the ultimate North American warbler. Despite being quite common it’s impossible to tire of them. Seeing three males togetherin a small pine was memorable, as was one on the beach and another glowing against the black water of a woodland pool. I only saw a couple of females. A male bathing in a bird bath was the last bird I looked at before we left - perfect.

And one of JPs many stunning shots - 

Canada Warbler

We were just ahead of the main push of Canada’s, so I only saw four. Thankfully one of them wasparticularly showy. This one was always a favourite, and was ultimately responsible for my change of heart over twitching Ireland in 2006.