Winteringham & Hollowell Reservoir :: 22 February 2025

With little of interest locally, aside from the Richard’s pipit near Milton Keynes, Kev @kev07713 and I considered a longer trip, possibly to Abberton Reservoir. Instead though, we decided to head to Winteringham in North Lincolnshire for the Eastern yellow wagtail, which would be a lifer for both of us.

Since the bird was typically reported from mid-morning onwards, there was no need for a particularly early start so I picked up Kev at 6:00 am, and we made our way north stopping just outside Lincoln for breakfast. While eating, we received an update on BirdGuides confirming the wagtail had already been spotted, earlier than on previous days but reassuring to know it was still present. We set off, hopeful of adding the bird to our lists.

The Eastern yellow wagtail is a rare visitor to the UK, with only a handful of confirmed sightings, breeding as it does in temperate Asia and typically migrating to Southeast Asia during the winter months; individuals when observed in the UK, are often during migration periods.

Identification can be challenging due to its similarity to the Western yellow wagtail, a regular summer migrant in the UK, with key distinguishing features including differences in plumage and vocalisations. The Eastern species often exhibits a distinctive head pattern and lacks the bright yellow underparts seen in its western cousin - additionally, its call is described as a high-pitched, piercing note.

Notable records in the UK include a sighting in Suffolk in November 2019, where an individual was identified at Corporation Marshes in Walberswick with another occurring on the Isles of Scilly, marking Britain's first-ever spring record of this species.

There were clear instructions on where to park to ensure the farm at the end of the lane had unrestricted access for work vehicles. However, on arrival, we noticed some people had parked in the prohibited area but fortunately, they were well out of the way of any passing machinery, so it wouldn't be an issue.

We parked across the road from the junction, adding an extra walk of under 100 meters. After changing our shoes, we set off down the lane and soon met a couple coming the other way. They informed us that the bird hadn’t been seen since the update before 8:00 am.

Apparently, the farmer had recently ploughed muck into the soil to aid decomposition and enrich the land. This had been done just days before our target bird was first spotted, drawing in large numbers of pied wagtails - and, of course, the Eastern yellow wagtail.

We waited for an hour, confident we would eventually see it. Over at Ogg Farm, a poultry facility housing around 40,000 birds, we could see small flocks of pied wagtails, though those flying through our area arrived only in singles. Reports indicated that our bird had been associating with a flock of about 15 pied wagtails. As we scanned the landscape, I spotted a couple of hares in the far distance, moving along the field margins.

Suddenly, a call went up - someone had spotted the wagtail flock gathering along the margin of the main ploughed field, and our bird was among them. Yes! We quickly got on the scopes, and I then managed to snap a couple of record shots.

Having spotted the bird along the field margin, we hoped for a closer view - ideally, if it relocated to the ploughed field, especially on the Composition Lane side. We moved slightly up the slope and waited, watching as the wagtail flew back over the farm.

Our patience paid off within five minutes when the bird returned, offering us some good views. It moved locations a few more times, disappearing for about half an hour at one point. However, before we left, we were fortunate enough to see it at least three more times.

While waiting for the wagtail’s final return, the man beside us, accompanied by his wife, spotted a white or albino 'brown' hare bounding in from the right at a distance. It dashed through a small flock of curlews before disappearing into a gully just before the hedge line. A few minutes later, it reappeared, running left to right before vanishing from view.

Albino brown hares are rare in the UK, their striking white fur, pink eyes, and pale skin the result of a genetic mutation that prevents melanin production; their lack of natural camouflage makes them particularly vulnerable to predators. More commonly, leucistic hares are seen - these have a partial loss of pigmentation, often appearing pale or patchy while retaining some normal colouration, including dark eyes rather than pink. Looking back at my photos, though not entirely conclusive, it appeared this hare’s eyes were dark, suggesting it may have been leucistic rather than a true albino.

Having seen the wagtail multiple times, there was little reason to stay longer, so we headed back to the car for a coffee before making our way home. On the way, we stopped at Hollowell Reservoir, hoping to spot some regularly reported jack snipe.

Upon arrival, we spoke with a birder who confirmed he had seen a couple earlier, but despite our efforts, we were unable to relocate them, managing only to find a single common snipe. A song thrush sang from a nearby hedgerow, but we never quite managed to pick it out.

Out on the water, a gathering of gulls included a notable proportion of common gulls. I also saw my first reed bunting of the year in a tree on the water's edge.

A couple of cormorants perched onto some posts poking just a little above the water, one perched with its wings outstretched, a behaviour that serves multiple purposes. Unlike many other waterbirds, their feathers are not fully waterproof, which helps them dive more efficiently by reducing buoyancy. However, this also means they need to dry their feathers after extended periods in the water. The outstretched wings may also help regulate body temperature and aid digestion after feeding.

Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis is a subspecies of cormorant that is (circa 10%) smaller than the nominate race (species carbo carbo) and can be identified by the shape of its gular patch, which has a rear border that drops vertically from the gape to the throat; the gular patch is often orange-tinted. They have arrived from continental Europe and have led to an increase of inland cormorant nesting colonies. One of the birds perched was a member of this species and looked stunning.

After more than an hour we remained empty-handed and called it a day, heading home.

Year list: 126.

Holkham Gap :: 03 March 2024

With Kev @kev07713 away in Ayrshire with his wife Karen, primarily to see the Myrtle warbler in Kilwinning, I decided to give birding a miss on Saturday as the weather forecast wasn't looking great. Instead, I decided to travel over to Holkham on Sunday to catch up with shore larks - there are frequent reports of sightings, so I thought it'd be a good chance to see them without risking disappointment.

Holkham Gap offers a fantastic opportunity to watch shore larks against the backdrop of the Norfolk coastline - it is part of the Holkham National Nature Reserve which encompasses a variety of habitats including sand dunes, salt marshes, and intertidal flats. The presence of a roped-off area serves as a reminder to beachgoers of the importance of responsible coastal stewardship. Visitors are encouraged to stay on designated trails and observe posted guidelines to minimise their impact on sensitive habitats and wildlife.

Shore larks, also known as horned larks, are birds that mainly inhabit open, barren areas such as sand dunes, beaches, salt marshes, and tundra. In the UK, shore larks are mostly seen during the winter months, especially along coastal areas. They are small songbirds, about the size of a sparrow, with distinctive black markings on their faces, a yellow throat and chest, and a black bib. They also have small "horns" or tufts of feathers on their heads (just visible in the second photo below), which are more prominent in males during the breeding season.

They are known for their ground-feeding habits, often foraging for seeds and insects in open areas, so patience is often helpful when trying to locate and observe them.

Strolling along the beach, I watched for any birds flying overhead. Reaching the roped-off area, I met another birder approaching from the opposite direction, but pausing to scan the surroundings with his scope. He had been searching for a while and had yet to spot any shore larks but mentioned spotting 22 velvet scoters on the sea amongst rafts of common scoters. There were two ringed plovers and a few meadow pipits in the grasses nearby, but no sign of the shore larks. After a wait, I decided to venture down to the water's edge.

Offshore, large rafts of common scoters were visible, and with the help of a scope some of the velvet scoters could be identified, though they were too distant for a photograph. Walking along the water's edge and then through the dunes, I hoped to find a snow bunting, but no such luck.

Returning to the dunes, I scanned the roped-off area from the opposite side and spotted a flock of around a dozen small birds flying through. On closer inspection, I confirmed they were indeed shore larks. They descended in the distance, prompting me to circle back to the other side for a better view. Before making it back I caught sight of the flock once more, this time confirming all members of the flock were shore larks. They landed beyond the roped-off area, and despite my efforts to locate them on the ground, they eluded me. Meanwhile, the number of meadow pipits seemed to be on the rise.

A few other birders arrived, and I let them know the larks were around - a couple stopped with me - I strolled around and after quite a time suddenly the larks were up in the air again and circling round. We all stood still, and they dropped close to begin with but were soon up and off into the roped off area. I worked around but views didn't improve, and I was eventually talking more and more of the same photograph.

I thought I'd get back to the sea and walked with a chap that had been stopped with me for the larks. Watching we picked out a couple of velvet scoters but not as many as earlier; they were still very distant. Velvet scoters are usually identifiable by their striking black plumage with contrasting white patches on their wings. They have a distinctive white patch on their forehead and a yellow knob at the base of their bill, which is more prominent in males. They are migratory birds, breeding in northern coastal regions such as Scandinavia and Russia. During the winter, they migrate south to warmer waters, including coastal areas of the UK. It was a bit tricky viewing at this distance with binoculars, and I was glad to have the opportunity for scope views. A female common scoter bobbed about a bit closer in, but slept constantly with the occasional opening of an eye.

Oystercatchers flew through but there were none by the water - mostly in the sea grasses - perhaps as there were quite a lot of people/dogs out walking.

Before I knew it, lunchtime was upon me, so I headed back to the Visitor Centre to grab a sandwich. While there, I took a moment to check BirdGuides for any local sightings, spotting a report mentioning white-fronted geese on the Freshmarsh so without hesitation, I jumped into the car and drove to the layby said to provide views. However, there I found a different assortment of geese - Canada, greylag, barnacle, and Egyptian. I spotted a brown hare sitting on its hind legs, leisurely preening its fur - I'd wait ...

I waited and waited hoping for a return, but eventually I had to set off for home - stopping when passing what appeared to be a grey partridge. Once out the car it was obvious it was yet another red-legged partridge. I'll find one this year somehow.

Year List: 150