Friday 28 October 2016

Skinningrove - Eastern Black Redstart

Now that fate has unfurled it's wings, I'm really glad I took a booking from RSPB Wakefield where the UK premier of 'Scilly Pelagic Magic' took place! Even more grateful for overnight hospitality and then soooooooo glad Spurn had cleared out, giving me one option for the morning - Eastern Black Redstart at Skinningrove, Cleveland. I recognised the general area from previous twitches and I think I've always scored 100% up here, great locals too, a really friendly bunch! This was a new location and  a new bird for the UK list (subject to acceptance of course!).....

The small well behaved gallery ...



The equally small and very well behaved little stunner! A first winter bird (sporting brown fringed greater coverts)...








The grey bib extending to the upper breast and continuous red underparts plus lack of white on the forehead fit perfectly for the Eastern race (phoenicuroides).


The wing formula is spot on too, ruling out a Common x Black Redstart hybrid. The primaries appear identical to the Margate (2011) and Scarborough (2014) records ....


At times, seemed preoccupied gazing down at its feet! Whether look for insects or a 'display' I'm not sure?




Most of the time, it was content just to 'pose' in between catching flies!







One final 'over the shoulder' look :-)



  If I get a better showing bird this year, I'll be astonished......