An Eastern Stonechat was found late yesterday afternoon at Holme Dunes NWT and luckily was still there today. It was later identified as a probable female Stejneger's Stonechat. I didn't fancy joining the crowds, so went later in the afternoon to see this cracking little bird. As I was photographing it with Jim L., he said this was the closest he had seen it all day, so I was very lucky indeed! Sadly no prize winning shots though – still too far away and perched up in a bramble behind some reeds, along the path to the hides. It was very mobile and covered a huge area, the next time we saw it, was way out across the other side of the Broadwater, perched on a bramble and was a dot in the distance. It was spitting with rain and dull conditions – on hindsight I should have gone earlier when the sun was out.
Sue B. rang me to ask if it was still there – it was. When Sue walked into the hide, it wasn't showing at all. There were two other birders in the hide, Matthew S. and someone else – they both left and Sue was giving up hope of seeing it. About 20 minutes later, I found it on another bramble, much further east, much to Sue's delight at exactly 4.58pm!! With 2 minutes to go before the closing 5pm deadline!!! Lucky indeed!
I walked to the observatory and heard a Cetti's Warbler and saw a Wren. Walked round the back of the pines and then crossed over the dunes and back to the NOA car park. Several Blackbirds scattering from the Sea Buckthorn and another Wren seen. The Firs Road is extremely pot-holed – if you drive at 15mph speed limit, your car rocks badly, you need to do 5mph for the suspension to cope!
The last time I saw and photographed a Stejneger's Stonechat was in Shetland, October 2019. My pictures taken today don't compare with the Shetland bird!
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