Whilst at work on the 12th, I got a jumbled message of a Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland. I was in two minds as what to do to with this one, but as it turned out my boss realised that I wanted to be somewhere else - so let me leave. However by this stage the bird hadn't been seen for a fair few hours, so likelihood of connecting was looking very remote. I stopped off at Cresswell Ponds - no sign of it there, and as I made my way to East Chevington (where the bird was seen in the morning) in the hope it would come into roost. But instead it was refound further north at Hauxley NR, unfortunately on arrival I ran to the wrong side of the reserve where the bird could not be viewed and so frustratingly missed the bird.I slept on Cain's floor for a first light assault on the reserve. And shortly after first light I was watching my biggest bogey bird - having missed birds in Hampshire and Cornwall, and twitching a Greenshank in Northants; all in recent years. But finally the wait was over! This 1st winter bird showed very well on occasions with a Grey Phalorope which followed it's every move. Quite a surreal experience.
After spending about 5 hours watching the Greaterlegs; I decided to move on and attempt to find East Chevington. Just before I got there a drake Green-winged Teal was found and was still on view on arrival though very elusive at range. Heading back home I also pulled into Marden Quarry to pay the female type Lesser Scaup (of dubious origin) a visit.
Whilst out filming with my expedition group (14th), I jammed into this Great-white Egret at Campfield Marsh (Cumbria) on the saltmarsh pool. We also found a flock of about 100,000 Starlings, and on another night several hundred thousands of Starlings were at Gretna Services. Quite a spectacle on a clear evening.
Untitled from Ashley Howe on Vimeo.
I was hoping the autumn was going to come to an end now, purely for the sake of my bank balance which is clearly lacking funds right now. But it still didn't stop me from heading out to the island of Muck (an island I've never visited before) with Olly Metcalfe and Neil Follows on the 18th via a charter boat from Mallaig. Our query; a Veery, and a very tame one at that. This bird showed extremely well in the slurry pit at Gallanach Farm (on the NW side of the island). I was thoroughly impressed with this bird and even more pleased to have obtained these photographs as it approached me to less than 10ft as I peered over the wall. My camera couldn't even focus on it!!
For the past week, I have been incredibly tempted to venture down to Kent for an Eastern Black Redstart - a stunning male that has also been incredibly approachable. I couldn't quite justify the cost and mileage but when this bird was found on Holy Island (Northumberland) I just had to see it. So on the 20th, Myself, Tristan Reid, his daughter Shannon, and Pete Birkett hit the East Coast. As a safe crossing over the causeway couldn't be made till midday we tried to relocate the Greater Yellowlegs that was still kicking around. Unfortunately it couldn't be found at East Chevington, but I managed to pick out a Tundra Bean Goose amongst 200 odd White-fronted Geese on the North Pool and 3 otters were good value. Stunning views were obtained of a male Hen Harrier as we drove through West Chevington which literally flew metres above our car!! Once we got onto Holy Island we instantly connected with the Eastern Black Redstart, which performed wonderfully for a small gathered crowd as it worked the rocky shoreline for flies.
The final couple of hours of the day were spent at Cresswell Pond where we finally caught up with the Greater Yellowlegs, not showing as well as it did earlier in the month. It was certainly far more active and unsettled as this leggy bird sprinted from side to side along the reedy fringes of the pond.
From then on I had to commit myself more to my uni work and also to the amounting work in the shop coming up to Christmas so birding has taken a backseat recently. I have occasionally done a relatively small stretch of the River Eden near Uni with nothing more interesting than Goosander and an increasing movement of Geese in the area.
Mid-month and the hurricane season in the States was in full swing, so surely a series of low depressions whipping across the Atlantic were going to bring something. First of all was Greater Yellowlegs in Cornwall (13th) that was dipped my minutes - a Sabine's Gull was a minor consolation
The following Saturday Dan Houghton and I were heading to the west country again when a Northern Waterthrush broke on the Scillies. Unfortunately due to the flight/boat timetables we were unable to day trip and would have to stay until Monday which Dan couldn't do due to work. It was tense times as a Black-and-White Warbler had just been found in the same place. We needed both!! We popped into Drift Reservoir to discuss matters where Dan managed to wangle things with his supervisor and so we were all set to go, but not without seeing the Lesser Yellowlegs first! Flying was the only remaining option so within the hour we were on St. Mary's. It took a couple of hours to locate the 1w female Black-and-White Warbler which fed continuously in sallows. However the Northern Waterthrush was alot more elsuive in thick cover but luckily I managed a brief view at dusk on a small secluded pool but Dan missed it!!
Day 3 drew a total blank with the Waterthrush although it was still knocking about, but gave even better views of the Black-and-White Warbler. A Red-eyed Vireo re-appeared at Lower Platform and a Woodchat Shrike was a late addition to the trip list!!
The following day (20th) I dashed across the border to Burpham, West Sussex for an obliging juv Pallid Harrier which was my third lifer that week. My fourth came very quickly afterwards with another visit to the Scillies (21st) for a 1w female Baltimore Oriole at Mourning Point, St. Mary's. And a night time dash across to Weir Wood Reservoir, East Sussex followed only to dip the cock-up that was the Long-toed Stint. The bird has only been wrongly IDed as a Temminck's Stint for 7 days!
I had to go back up to University in Cumbria on the 25th which co-incided with the long drive to Loch of Strathbeg, Aberdeenshire for the adult Sandhill Crane which took temporary residence. Despite many quality birds this year - this is my best, never did I think I'd get another shot at this so soon after the 2009 bird on Orkey. Chuffed to nuts!! The adult Black Scoter off Blackdog completed the set for Scoter in Britain and Ireland this year.
Highlights in Hampshire the rest of the month were migrant Honey Buzzard over Ringwood, Red-crested Pochard at Ibsley Water (both 13th), Wood Sandpiper at Titchfield Haven (14th), Sabine's Gull over Sopley Pig Fields (18th), Great-white Egret on Ibsley Water (22nd), an obliging Wryneck at Warsash (29th) and Temminck's Stint at Farlington Marshes (31st). An adult Cattle Egret was also seen at Stanpit Marshes, Dorset on the 22nd whilst trying to relocate a Purple Heron on the Avon. 
4 Days were spent seawatching in Cornwall towards the end of month over the bank holiday with Olly Metcalfe, Tim Jones and Joe Stockwell. The highlight for myself was a Cory's Shearwater off Porthgwarra on the first morning as this was actually a lifer!! Other birds seen and generally in quite good numbers were: Great (several), Sooty, Balearic and Manx Shearwaters, Bonxie, Pomarine (several) and Arctic Skuas, Storm Petrel (severel), Sabine's Gull (3), single Roseate Tern etc from Porthgwarra or Pendeen. Basking Shark, Harbour Porpoise, Bottlenose Dolphin and Atlantic Common Dolphin were also seen. A Black Kite showed well over The Lizard Village (27th) and a family group of Cirl Buntings were watched in Devon on the return journey (29th).
Needless to say, I needed an operation which involved a skin graft, but luckily I missed cutting right thru the tendon and bone. I was in bandages for a good month, and required several weeks worth of therapy afterwards. Obviously I was unable to drive. Which seriously messed me up with Britain's first American White-winged Scoter (form Deglandi) that was found off Blackdog, Aberdeenshire. Usually I would have gone straight away but had to wait till the following weekend for lifts with Dan Houghton and Richard Bonser (who is a driving machine!!). On the 18th the bird was elusive in poor visibility but seen on several occasions amongst the mass of Scoter and Eider. At least 2 drake Surf Scoters were in the same flock too. Further up the coast was an adult drake King Eider on the Ythan that was far more obliging. 
Hampshire highlights were few and far between but included a 1st summer Caspian Gull at Lower Test Marshes (2nd) and Honey Buzzard, Quail, Turtle Dove and Long-eared Owl at various undisclosed sites throughout the month.
It was pretty good in county though with a good passage of waders and seabirds; and so several mornings were spent at Cutbridge counting the likes of Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits being the most numerous. This was by far the most productive I have ever seen Hampshire in terms of numbers - hightlights included: Wood Sandpiper & Garganey at Farlington (1st), Pomarine Skua (3 on 5th), drake Long-tailed Duck (5th) all past Hurst, Roseate Tern off Hill Head (6th), Ring-necked Parakeet & Pectoral Sandpiper at Pennington (7th), Manx Shearwater (several on 26th), poss Balearic (29th) again off Cutbridge, and 2 Quail (30th).
