The 1980s: Thailand, Sussex, Austria and Scillies in 1981

The New Year didn’t start well. I was in Southern Thailand with Dick Filby, Richard Grimmett, Frank Lambert and Colin Winyard (see https://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.com/1981/01/). We had all been sleeping near the car and woke to find it had been broken into and various items stolen. None of us had heard a thing! It was the only real glitch on an otherwise excellent trip.

Richard Grimmet, Dick Filby, Frank Lambert, me and Colin Winyard in Southern Thailand, January 2021 (photo: Frank Lambert)

I’d been back home less than two weeks when Steve Webb offered me a lift for a Cattle Egret in Pembrokeshire. I’d just seen several hundreds in Thailand but there had been fewer than 30 seen in Britain and I was a bit twitchy. We dipped although 5 Chough nearby were some compensation. Two days later it was Steve Webb again, there was a Cattle Egret in North Wales, did I fancy it. Not really but I went. On the drive up Steve told me there had been another seen near Glasgow so if we missed this one … (madness). Fortunately we saw it, my 370^th species in Britain.

In mid-February Andy Clements drove a car load up to Hartlepool for a White-billed Diver. He’d hired a Skoda, the only car available at short notice, and it broke down about half way there. One of us had breakdown cover (not me I wasn’t a driver at this time) and as it couldn’t be started we had the option of going on or back. White-billed Diver, easy choice. An address was required - 1 Fish Quay, Hartlepool. The White-billed Diver gave superb views in the harbour and while we were there local taxi driver Martin Blick was able to fix the car, at least well enough to get it back to Sussex. A Black-throated Diver was seen at Arlington Reservoir on 21^st and on a couple of subsequent visits while a trip to East Kent on 22^nd produced 4 Shore Lark, a Twite and 4 Lapland Buntings on Deal Golf Course with Bittern, Hen Harrier, Water Rail and Bearded Tit at Stodmarsh. Closer to home 4 Jack Snipe were seen in the Cuckmere on 25^th and Black Redstarts at Widewater and Southwick Power Station on 27^th.

from Cotteridge & Vinicombe's Rare Birds of Britain & Ireland: A Photographic Record (1996)

Early March seawatches from Hove and Birling were unproductive with 2 Wheatears and a Firecrest at Beachy on 14^th my first signs of Spring. Firecrests dominated the rest of the month with 20 further sightings at Beachy or in the Cuckmere. Six Slavoinan Grebes were seen on the sea off Church Norton on 20^th and 2 swam east at Birling on 29^th.

A flock of 8 Avocets east past Birling on 4 April was notable as was an adult Mediterranean Gull while a Black Redstart and 23 Wheatears were seen along Hove seafront in misty weather on 7^th and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in Falmer Woods on 8^th. Visits to Beachy produced Grasshopper and Wood Warblers on 11^th and Redstart and Pied Flycatcher on 12^th while at Lullington on 17^th I saw 3 Nightingales, a Grasshopper Warbler and an Osprey flying north. The month finished with the Glossy Ibis, a Water Rail and 16 Bearded Tits at Stodmarsh on 22^nd, 6 Velvet Scoter E off Hove on 24^th and Long-tailed Duck and summer-plumaged Grey Phalarope at Staines Reservoir on 29^th.

Seawatching from Hove in early May produced 2 Pomarine Skuas east on 6^th. On 7^th the wind had gone around to SE, moderate to strong, and highlights between 07:15-11:45 were 51 Pomarine and 9 Arctic Skuas, 19 Little Gulls, 2 Roseate, 9 Little and 8 Black Terns. At the University I called in on Andy Clements who was doing a PhD in the Biology Department and we decided to return that afternoon. Between 16:30-19:30 we saw 2 Long-tailed Duck, Marsh Harrier, 31 Pomarine and an Arctic Skua, 8 Little Gulls and 2 Black Terns. My 82 Poms had been topped by John Cooper at Birling who had seen 102. I wished I’d been watching all day although I did see what was then the largest flock recorded in Sussex, 44. Having seen a flock of 7 Poms fly east my attention was drawn to a fishing boat approaching from the west with a cloud of what appeared to be gulls behind it. They were Pom and landed on the sea. They departed in small groups over the course of the next hour enabling me to be sure how many were involved. The afternoon’s Pom were flocks of 16, 13 and 2. In light southerlies 8 Velvet Scoter, an Eider, 2 Pomarine and 2 Arctic Skuas and 15 Black Terns flew east past Hove between 07:00-11:00 on 8^th. A trip to Cornwall on 10^th added Squacco Heron to my British List, it was at St Germans which I passed through twice a day going to/from school in the mid-1960s. We saw a singing male Serin at Budleigh Salterton on the way back. Highlights for the rest of May were 2 Roseate Terns east at Hove on 16^th, Sussex’s first Greenish Warbler, a singing male, found by Colin Winyard in Belle Tout Wood on 19^th, a male Red-backed Shrike at Rye Harbour (I stumbled upon it chasing a rumour of a suppressed Roller) and a female Woodchat Shrike at Beachy on 31^st (another great find for Colin).

In June a Firecrest was singing in Stanmer Woods but rarities called with a River Warbler singing on Roydon Common in Norfolk. I caught trains to King’s Lynn and walked arriving soon after 1pm on 4^th only had a flight view up to dusk and slept in a nearby hedge. It gave excellent views between 03:15-07:00, a nice birthday tick. I saw a Common Crane at Horsey on a forgotten but rather roundabout return. On 17^th I travelled to South Ferriby on the Humber for a Caspian Tern which had moved on but four days later saw another on the Blackwater Estuary in Essex. On 25^th I caught trains to Darsham in Suffolk and saw what was thought to be a Collared Pratincole at Dunwich. It was later identified as Britain’s first Oriental Pratincole. On the way home the Caspian Tern was seen at Minsmere.

A trip to the New Forest on 1 July produced 2 Hobbys, 3 Wood Larks, 3 Dartford and a Wood Warbler with a male Red-backed Shrike at Deadman Hill. I became an honorary member and joined the University of East Anglia bird Club trip to Austria from 5-15^th (see https://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.com/1981/) and immediately on my return had a couple of days in East Anglia seeing Marsh Sandpiper at Minsmere on 16^th and Common Crane and 3 Marsh Harriers at Horsey Mere, a pair of Red-backed Shrikes at Santo Downham, 4 Stone Curlews at Weeting Heath and at least 8 Golden Orioles at Lakenheath on 17^th when I also noted seeing 30+ Turtle Doves on East Anglian roads. I then managed two weeks with no notebook entries so it must have been very quiet.

August highlights were White-rumped Sandpiper and a selection of autumn waders on Sidlesham Ferry on 4^th, Pied Flycatcher in our Hove garden on 13^th, Baird’s Sandpiper found by Alan Kitson at Widewater on 19^th followed by a Black-winged Pratincole dip at Hilton in Cambridgeshire that evening, Spotted Crake at Beddington on 23^rd, 4 Little Stints and 23 Curlew Sandpipers at Pett Pools and 3 Little Gulls, 9 Black and a White-winged Black Tern at Dungeness on 29^th. Highlights of 5 August visits to Beachy Head were 2 Pied Flycatchers and flight views of 2 Grasshopper Warblers.

In September I saw 6 Spotted Flycatchers in woods around the University on 4^th, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, up to 60 Lesser Whitethroats and 5 Pied Flycatchers at Beachy on 5-6^th, a juvenile Bittern at Marazion on 11^th on an ill-fated trip for a reported American Bittern that ended up with Tim Toohig’s car being written off on a narrow road on the way to Porthgwarra. Another Pied Flycatcher was best at Beachy on 13^th A weekend in London staying with Andrew Moon coincided with Pectoral and Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Perry Oaks as well as 20 Little Stints and 7 Curlew Sandpipers, 32 Black-necked Grebes, Scaup and Goldeneye on Staines Reservoir and 11 Black Terns on Queen Mary Reservoir. I caught the Scillonain from Penzance on 26^th seeing 9 Sooty Shearwaters, Leach’s Petrel and Grey Phalarope on the crossing. Nick Preston and Dave Mills (who had found a Yellow-billed Cuckoo a few days before) were already on Scillies and I put my tent up near theirs. A quick afternoon tour of St. Marys produced Honey Buzzard, Dotterel, Wilson’s Phalarope, Tawny Pipit, Citrine Wagtail, Rose-coloured Starling and a Monarch butterfly. I saw another Monarch on 27^th and was watching a Red-eyed Vireo on the Garrison when Ray O’Reilly told us there was a Magnolia Warbler on St. Agnes. We went straight over and headed to Barnaby Lane where the bird hadn’t been seen for some time. Frustrated we tried to sneak around the back but soon gave up. Viewing was no better – too many small fields - and while we were away David Hunt pished it in for everyone else who had stayed. A sleepless night ensued and we ware back on an early boat the following morning. Thankfully the Magnolia Warbler had stayed and we had decent views from Barnaby Lane. Also on Agnes we saw Icterine and Booted Warblers, being involved in the identification of the latter, with Melodious and Wood Warblers on St. Marys. Seawatching from Peninnis on 29^th produced single Sooty Shearwater, Pomarine Skua, Puffin and 250 Gannets with Lapland and Snow Buntings the best passerines seen. Another breezy day on 30 September with 300 Gannets and 2 Great Skuas seen in a two hour seawatch and 5 Pied Flycatchers, the Rose-coloured Starling and an Ortolan Bunting the best on land.

October on St Marys started with a day of almost continual rain during which a new Red-eyed Vireo in Holy Vale was the only notable bird I saw. A better day on 2^nd produced a Wryneck, 2 Tawny Pipits (one found by Nick), 2 Melodious Warblers, the Rose-coloured Starling and 2 Lapland and another Ortolan Bunting but another quiet/windy day on 3^rd produced just a Spotted Crake, Grey Phalarope and Wryneck. Most of the best birds seen on 4^th, another calmer day, were those I’d seen before - Spotted Crake, Tawny Pipit, Melodious Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Lapland and Ortolan Bunting.  Although some of the 8 Spotted and 5 Pied Flycatchers were probably new, at least for me, as was a Marsh Warbler I stumbled upon at Carn Warval. Continuing birding pretty much dawn to dusk, particularly in the less visited corners, I saw Honey Buzzard, Arctic and Yellow-browed Warbler and Rustic Bunting on 5^th, Grasshopper and Yellow-browed Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Scarlet Rosefinch on 6^th, Short-toed Lark, 2 Ring Ouzels, Melodious Warbler and Red-breasted Flycatcher on 7^th, Golden Oriole, Barred Warbler, 2 Red-breasted Flycatchers and the Scarlet Rosefinch on 8^th and a White-fronted Goose and one of the Red-breasted Flycatchers on 9^th. St Marys was beginning to feel quite stale with the Rose-coloured Starling, Ortolan Bunting and Scarlet Rosefinch my highlights on 10^th. More birds seemed to be around on 11^th with a Cuckoo, 2 Icterine, 2 Melodious and a new Arctic Warbler (found by Rupert Hastings and Andrew Moon in Holy Vale), 2 Red-breasted Flycatchers and the Ortolan Bunting but another front on 12^th made it hard going with Icterine, Melodious and the Arctic Warbler my highlights. On the morning of 13^th news spread that a Common Nighthawk had been seen in flight at Rocky Hills but had disappeared. Realistically it wasn’t likely to be seen again before dusk but it was hard to think of anything else and I wandered around in a daze periodically passing Rocky Hills just in case. I saw new Melodious and Yellow-browed Warblers and the Rose-coloured Starling before joining the majority of birders in gathering around the NW edge of the airport before dusk. As the light started to go a Short-eared Owl created a minor panic and soon after the Common Nighthawk appeared to a huge cheer (of elation and relief). I saw the Common Nighthawk again at dusk on 14^th but only poorly, with Yellow-browed Warbler and Red-breasted Flycatcher the only other birds of note. A Roseate Tern of Porth Cressa was the highlight of 15^th when I also saw Barred, Melodious, Yellow-browed and Wood Warblers. On 16^th I saw a Booted Warbler that Dave Bishop and Andy Hamby found at Four Lanes. I then headed to Holy Vale and was approaching the bottom of it when I saw Rupert Hastings hurrying towards me. He shouted ‘start running’ and I turned round to do and was told ’not that way, Orphean Warbler at Kittydown’. In my haste I tripped over the stile at the bottom of Holy Vale and landed in a ditch where I was apparently motionless for a minute before getting up and running on, much to Rupert’s amusement. The Orphean Warbler showed surprisingly well, as I was to see it several times in the coming week. Mick Turton found at the bottom of Kittydown. The weather was bad on 17^th when my only notable sighting was a Wryneck while on 18^th I saw an immature male Golden Oriole and the Booted and Orphean Warblers and Rose-coloured Starling again. The 19^th was another grim day with a toss-up between Curlew Sandpiper and Pied Flycatcher for best bird while the weather improved on 20^th when a Richard’s Pipit was the only decent new arrival although the Booted, Orphean, Yellow-browed and Wood Warblers were seen again. I had amazing views of the Orphean Warbler and briefly saw an Olive-backed Pipit on 21^st, a Richard’s Pipit on 22^nd before leaving St Marys for Tresco where a Radde’s Warbler showed brilliantly by the Abbey. It ended a run of 23 consecutive days just birding on St Marys. The 23^rd was almost goose day with single Bean, Pink-footed and White-fronted Geese seen on St Marys as well as Yellow-browed Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Olive-backed and Richard’s Pipits and an unidentified wagtail at Porth Hellick that sounded like a Citrine as it flew over but appeared grey and white when it briefly landed at the back of the pool. A Pallas’s Warbler on St Martins had me leaving St Marys two days running. I saw it briefly and 1-2 Yellow-browed Warblers. Highlights on 24^th were Olive-backed Pipit, Booted Warbler and the Rose-coloured Starling, Richard’s Pipit and 2 Yellow-browed Warblers on 25^th with 3 of the latter on 26^th before another visit to St Martins where 2 Pallas’s Warblers were seen. As October came to a close and the days drew in birding became harder with 5 Great Northern Divers and a Woodcock new for the year on 27^th when I also saw Barred, Melodious and Yellow-browed Warblers, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers on 28^th and Richard’s Pipit, the Booted and 4 Yellow-browed Warblers on 29^th. On 30^th after seeing Ring Ouzel and Yellow-browed Warbler around Peninnis I decided to take advantage of a very low afternoon tide and caught a boat to Tresco seeing a Yellow-browed Warbler and my latest ever Lesser Whitethroat before walking across to Bryher where 2 Snow Buntings were the highlight before returning to St Marys. October ended with Olive-backed Pipit, Barred and Yellow-browed Warblers and a tail-less Firecrest.

from Cotteridge & Vinicombe's Rare Birds of Britain & Ireland: A Photographic Record (1996)

My visit to Scilly finished with the Olive-backed Pipit on 1^st November and 2 Turtle Doves and 2 Yellow-browed Warblers on 1-3^rd. I came off on the Scillonian seeing Sooty Shearwater and Great Skua and was given a lift to Hayle where I saw 4 male and 3 probable female American Wigeon and Stithians Reservoir where we just beat the fading light to a Long-billed Dowitcher before continuing on to South Wales. We were in the hide at Magor before dawn and during the morning had good views of most of the American Bittern. Back in Sussex I saw a Grey Phalarope fly west off Widewater and a Kentish Plover and Mediterranean Gull on the River Adur on 15 November and was twitching again with Andrew Moon, Rupert Hastings and Pete Naylor on 28^th when we saw Hudsonian Godwit at Countess Wier on the River Exe. The next day we were on the Humber at Blacktoft seeing 2 Penduline Tits.

from Cotteridge & Vinicombe's Rare Birds of Britain & Ireland: A Photographic Record (1996)

I only went out birding three times in December seeing a Waxwing in Harlow town Centre and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Cheshunt on 19^th, Velvet Scoter, Great Skua and Little Gull at Selsey and 2 Scaup and 3 Smew on Pagham Lagoon on 20^th and 2 White-fronted Geese, 3 Hen Harriers and Little and Short-eared Owls at Pevensey Levels on 25^th, the first Christmas I’d been home since 1976 although I was in the final stages of planning a big trip in 1982.

[blogged June 2021]