Royston Wildlife Blog: UK Wildlife Sightings, September 2023

When it comes to looking for wild birds, I'm a real sucker for punishment. On the 6th I decided to return to RSPB Titchwell Marsh, where the American Golden Plover that I had missed on 25 August had been seen on every subsequent day. Of course, the bird didn't appear. A report was put out later, saying that the bird had been seen from the Parrinder Hide at a time when I was there, but this must have been erroneous. In the midst of a heatwave, Titchwell was misty throughout my visit. The best bird seen was a Wood Sandpiper, whilst a few Spoonbills (83 seen here on the 5th) were still on the Freshmarsh. Other interesting sightings included Slender Groundhopper (my first), Wasp Spiders and a family of Wood Mice.

Spoonbill in Flight, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 6 September

Juvenile and Adult Common Terns, Titchwell Beach, 6 September

On the 7th I visited RSPB Lakenheath Fen on a Royal Photographic Society Nature Group outing, organised by Ann Miles. The extremely hot weather (the hottest day of the year so far) precluded any serious walking, although I did eventually manage to go right around the reserve. This was, of course, a photographic trip, with an emphasis on invertebrates (mainly dragonflies, damselflies and spiders), although we did see Hobby and lots of Great White Egrets. The participants had found a shady area close to the car park where, at around 10.00am, darter dragonflies and Willow Emerald damselflies were warming up and allowed a close approach for photographs against a dark (and therefore uncluttered) background - see below for examples. This type of image appeals to me, although many photographers would prefer a paler background. Later in the day, spiders became the main focus of interest. Some members saw a female spider kill the much smaller male as he attempted to mate with her: this is far from unknown in the 'spider kingdom'!

Common Darter, RSPB Lakenheath Fen, 7 September

Willow Emerald Damselfly, RSPB Lakenheath Fen, 7 September

Great White Egret in Flight, RSPB Lakenheath Fen, 7 September

A pair of vagrant American waders (neither being an American Golden Plover!) starred on my bird watching trips over the next couple of weeks. News of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at RSPB Minsmere prompted an excursion there on the 14th. The bird was found, after some searching, and viewed from the south hide. This was the first Buff-breasted Sandpiper recorded at Minsmere since 1961 (!) and my first since 2011. Stonechats and a male Kingfisher also showed well during my visit. The sandpiper was not seen again after the 14th. Pectoral Sandpiper is the commonest American vagrant wader to reach our shores and, despite a dire weather forecast, I decided to 'twitch' a bird at Stanwick Country Park in Northamptonshire, an hour's drive away, on the 20th. Never having been there before (my excuse), it took me over an hour to find the right part of the right lake where the bird had been seen, by which time the wind was driving heavy rain straight into my face. Nevertheless I was lucky to see the bird, accompanied by a Common Sandpiper, on a narrow spit of land. The key identification features were confirmed through my telescope (absolutely necessary) before it scuttled out of view.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, RSPB Minsmere, 14 September

Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Flight, RSPB Minsmere, 14 September

Male Kingfisher, RSPB Minsmere, 14 September

I drove my partner down to Whitstable (Kent) on the 16th, in order for her to join an RPS walk there. Given free time, I decided to walk along the coastal path from Tankerton towards Herne Bay and came upon a high tide roost of waders (Ringed Plover, Turnstone and a single Dunlin). I took a few photos of the birds (below).

Ringed Plover, Tankerton, 16 September

Turnstone, Tankerton, 16 September

The first RSPB Local Group coach trip of the 2023-24 season took us to Cley NWT on the 17th. Most of our party wanted to see the long-staying Long-billed Dowitcher (another American vagrant wader) and the bird duly obliged, spending much of its time commuting between Pat's Pool and Simmonds' Scrape. A strong south-easterly wind offered a frisson of excitement to sea watching, but I was unable to come up with anything more than a handful of juvenile Gannets (no adults) and lots of Razorbills, Guillemots and terns.

Long-billed Dowitcher (distant bird) and Black-tailed Godwit, Cley NWT, 17 September

The theme of American waders continued, as I visited RSPB Frampton Marsh again on the 21st to see a recently arrived Lesser Yellowlegs (the second commonest US wader to reach our shores after Pectoral Sandpiper). The bird showed well from the East Hide, allowing me to get some photos.

Lesser Yellowlegs, RSPB Frampton Marsh, 21 September

Lesser Yellowlegs (left) and Juvenile Ruff, RSPB Frampton Marsh, 21 September

Cornwall, 23-30 September

Together with my partner and her brother (over from Australia) I spent the last week of September at Falmouth, on the south-west Cornwall coast. I had booked to go on a pelagic boat trip out from Falmouth harbour on the Sunday (24th) some time ago, and it seemed sensible to arrange a holiday around this event. Sadly and very disappointingly, the trip was cancelled a few days before we left due to predicted bad weather ('Storm Agnes'), so I missed the opportunity to add seabirds such as Great and Cory's Shearwaters, as well as (potentially) a variety of whales, dolphins and possibly Sunfish, to my UK lists. However, I did at least get the opportunity to 'twitch' the Hoopoe and juvenile Woodchat Shrike that were in adjacent fields at Marazion on what was an unpleasant and very windy day on the 24th. I also put in an hour sea watching at Porthgwarra later in the week when another storm ('Storm Nigel') was passing by, but was only able to identify a single Sooty Shearwater that passed close inshore, whilst further out to sea Gannets could be seen through my binoculars, soaring over the rough seas, whilst any accompanying shearwaters could not be seen clearly enough to identify, even when a few images that I took were blown up (see below). I doubt whether a telescope, if it had been available, would have helped.

Poor 'Record Shot' of the Hoopoe, Marazion, 24 September

Gannets (and other seabirds??) over a Stormy Sea, Porthgwarra, 27 September

During the course of the week I did see Cornish Choughs on three consecutive days, with the best sightings being near Lizard Point. Of course, this was not a bird watching holiday - we did do lots of other things!