Pectoral Sandpipers at Meare Heath

26 Sept - an afternoon visit to Meare Heath, on the Somerset Levels, and good views of the 2 juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers that have been present for a few days, on the drained lagoon. Distinctive mid-sized waders with decurved bills and yellow legs, and a demarcated breast band. Photos, copyright Jeff Hazell (upper) and James Packer (lower).
Also present - 12 Snipe, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Ringed Plover and a Dunlin. 3 Little Egrets were in the area but I couldn't find the Great White Egret.
En route home, I called in at Chew Valley Lake and had further excellent views of the Long-billed Dowitcher there - seen bathing, preening and in flight as well as close to Herriott's Bridge on the nearest island.
2 nearctic wader species in a day!

Long-billed Dowitcher at Chew Valley Lake

24 Sept - a morning visit to Chew Valley Lake after the early fog cleared gave good views of the Long-billed Dowitcher, first seen the previous day. I saw it well from Herriott's Bridge, as it was in the bay between there and Stratford hide, feeding on the muddy edges with 3 Snipe. It was fairly flighty but very distinctive, with a whitish supercilium, much plainer upperparts than the Snipe, and a very long straight bill. The yellow-green legs were surprisingly obvious at a distance. Photo, copyright James Packer.

Black-necked Grebe at CWP

20 Sept - having missed the Black-necked Grebe at CWP 82 last week, I nipped down there this evening when I heard it was back, I saw it preening (and then going to sleep) prior to dusk. 3 and a half miles exactly from home! Also 2 Curlew in the field by pit 83. Earlier, a Little Egret and a Green Sandpiper at Kent End, and 2 Snipe, 2 Dunlin and a Little Ringed Plover on the island in pit 301.

Sabine's Gull at Blenheim

19 Sept - I travelled home from Gatwick via Blenheim, and the juvenile Sabine's Gull was still on the west lake for it's 5th day - seen well on the water, and in flight showing it's striking wing pattern. Beautiful scaly upperparts at rest. An excellent view of one of my favourite species. Photo, copyright Steve Burch.

Straits of Gibraltar

17-19 Sept - a brief visit to Tarifa, with westerly winds and heavy showers affecting proceedings. All photos by JM. The morning at the Algarrobo watchpoint was productive before the rain, with a pulse of Honey Buzzards(2)going through, followed by Booted(4) and Short-toed Eagles(3), and 3 flocks of Black Storks(6) totalling over 80 birds. Small numbers of Egyptian Vultures(5) were also seen, together with 3 Alpine Swifts. In the evening, Cazalla watchpoint was fairly productive, again with Short-toed and Booted Eagles, also an Osprey, a Peregrine and several Montagu's Harriers including a melanistic bird.
Prior to the migration watch, early morning at Tarifa beach produced Balearic and Cory's Shearwaters offshore, and a selection of waders on the beach including many Kentish Plovers, 1-2 Curlew Sandpipers, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Whimbrel and a Greenshank. 22 Audouin's Gulls looked elegant in the early morning light.
La Janda at midday gave good sightings of Marsh and Montagu's Harriers (including another melanistic bird), also 20+ Lesser Kestrels, a Black-Shouldered Kite, an immature Purple Heron and 60+ White Storks.
On 19th, in Gibraltar, 8 Honey Buzzards gave a flypast including 4 very low birds whiel I was waiting at the airport to return home.

Bay of Biscay trip on "Pride of Bilbao"

2-5 Sept - Very rough seas, especially on the outward journey with severe gale force 9 in the channel, led to a very poor cetacean trip with the Company of Whales - 1 Minke Whale seen very briefly in the northern Bay, and pods of Striped and Bottlenose Dolphins seen on the return journey - no other cetaceans seen! The wind however produced good numbers of seabirds, the highlight being about 90 Great Shearwaters (middle 2) and 65 Cory's Shearwaters (lower) in the Bay, together with 6 Sooty and 26 Manx Shearwaters. 12 Sabine's Gulls (upper), 2 Long-tailed Skuas and 10 Great Skuas were seen, together with a Storm Petrel and 5 Grey Phalaropes.
The walk at Santurzi gave some good sightings, including a pale phase Booted Eagle, a Griffon Vulture, a Hobby, 2 Red-backed and a Woodchat Shrike, a Wryneck and 5 Cirl Buntings. All in all, a very good trip from the birding point of view.