Asian Desert Warbler on Holy Island ends quest to 400

Asian Desert Warbler (@zuriag)

Mostly views were like this

Asian Desert Warbler

                                              Asian Desert Warbler

Further into cover

Cracking footage from YouTube

                                                Captain on patrol

                                                   Vipers Buglos

                                              Eider at Seahouses

                                                    Holy Island

                                            Leaving the causeway

                                                Bamburgh Castle

                                               Yes, that tree there!

                                                Set up & ready to go

Nice welcome back home
 

Last Thursday was supposed to be my first day of a long weekend but due to shocking weather I switched the day back until the following Tuesday. Sometimes things just happen for a reason. Fast forward to Monday evening when news of a Asian Desert Warbler broke on Holy Island in Northumbria. I knew it would be too far to drive on my car and we couldn't organise a car full due to social distancing. With no real plan hatched I went to bed thinking, oh well, would have been nice but you can't see them all.

Refreshed after a good nights sleep my phone was busy with messages with one from the captain saying drive to mine and I'll drive the rest of the way. With Rolly not able to do any joint twitching & Squire at work this solution would be perfect. I made up a bag of lunch before setting off at 7.30am. The Captain was looking like Lewis Hamilton on the grid, all set for the big push north. The good thing about the current situation is that the roads are much quieter enabling us to get to locations much quicker than normal.

The causeway to Holy Island was due to be passable at 2.15pm however when we arrived at 2.10pm it was clear to our surprise so over we went and found a parking bay very easily. We both expected to see total carnage but this was not the case at all. We made the short walk to the Snook where the bird was reported. Again, there weren't the numbers we expected. Perhaps sixty people at most all spaced out except for those from family groups.

Now for the warbler. For the first few minutes you only saw a flick of movement or branch twitch, until that increased to a bit of tail then body and then finally a full view of Britains 13th Asian Desert Warbler. The last UK sighting was in 2012 in Hampshire & only seen by one person and the previous one was back in 2000 at Easington. This distant migrant breeds in semi desert on central Asia so I bet the bird couldn't believe where it had ended up.  The birds behaviour was best described at restless, staying low and skulking then would climb up occasionaly giving good views. I did get a few record shots but it cetainly wasn't easy. One of the locals kindly sent me a close up. The warblers bill was very slender whilst the eye ring was a distinctive yellow.

It's been a pretty good week seeing my first Caspian Tern, Greenish Warbler & now this great bird which took me to my target of 400 which I wanted to do before my 50th birthday next July. To end up doing it 13 months ahead of target and to see my 400th at such an iconic place gave me great satisfaction.

On the way back we called in at Seahouses for a chip butty before making the very long trip home. Many thanks to Captain for driving and making it a memorable day.
On arrival at home Mrs D had gone the extra mile to prepare a congratulations banner which was pinned to the door.