Taiga Flycatcher – The Leas, Trow Quarry, South Shields, County Durham, 15^th October 2020

As described in the relevant account (not yet posted) the Two-barred Greenish Warbler provided an excellent bonus in the wreckage that 2020 / autumn 2020 had become. I was in a good position too for any further bonuses; sure ‘biggies’ in Shetland ‘hurt’ somewhat (especially the Blackpoll Warbler) hurt, but should anything else turn up that was accessible and that I needed, I could go for it, as I wasn’t working and was only sorting out my new place and doing ‘Isle of May’ things.

So, when a Red-breasted Flycatcher which had been reported at The Leas, Trow Quarry, South Shields at 17:47 on the 14th October changed identity at 18:30 that evening, I was interested, very interested. An hour or so later Steely sent me a WhatsApp message about the same. We exchanged further messages about the same including my plan to go and which way to go (A1, A18, Tyne Tunnel, South Shields… 2.5 hours. Simples).

I sorted out my gear and attempted an early(-ish) night, but the plan was to wait for positive news in the morning.

The trouble was the first message on RBA at 08:00 the following morning was negative… “No sign of 1w. Taiga Flycatcher……”.

Ho-hum, forget that plan then…. .

However, at 08:13 there was a much more positive message suggesting the Taiga Flycatcher was still there at 08:10.

I was in the car and on the way before 09:00, and there by c.11:40 after a good drive, only punctuated by my need to use the change machine adjacent to the toll booths for the Tyne Tunnel. Who the hell has change nowadays? However, thankfully the machine accepted my Scottish £5 note….. .

I then successfully navigated my way through South Tyneside to South Shields town centre and beyond to the seafront. I readily found the right place and easily managed to park (right opposite the Bamburgh pub) as directed.

I assembled my gear and walked across the still being manicured amenity grassland towards what was, in effect, a raised beach like cliff edge inland of the coastline. It was evident where I was meant to be going (there was a very thin straggle of birders making their way back to their cars parked on the roadside). However, as I made my way towards the path down to the lower area of amenity grassland (The Leas?) I encountered a group of locals making their way towards the road, one of whom advised me, “Just keep going, there’s loads of them down there,” or something vaguely similar in a Mackem dialect.

I did so anyway….. . I joined the gallery arrayed in front of the embayment in the cliff edge which, the bird seemingly was frequenting.

Some 30 or 40 birders were there, with a handful more on the ‘cliff edge’ above the scene.

I made my way along the rear of the gallery and saw Andy Close (this time managing instantaneous i.d. of him from a good range….). He quickly informed me about what the bird was doing and that a faecal sample had been obtained…….. .

The bird was apparently ranging backwards and forwards along the lower slope / base of the cliff and as such showing well if intermittently. This was good news.

Less good news was the whole faecal sample scenario; Andy suggested that the i.d. wasn’t necessarily as clear-cut as it might be and as such it was hoped to get a DNA analysis conducted by the good Doctor Collinson.

Although the bird was supposedly ranging backwards and forwards and showing intermittently, this wasn’t readily apparent from where the majority of the gallery was standing, as there was a relatively low, bright sun directly behind the amphitheatre created by the embayment in the cliff. This precluded any sensible views so I told Andy I was moving further around to the narrow strip of the mown amenity grassland (and adjacent rough grassland at the base of the cliff) which was in shade.

This made viewing much easier as it also allowed me to see around the back of the main large bush that the bird favoured, although the strong wind didn’t help. However, the bird was frequently viewable as it flitted from perches in and around the bush and on prominent rocks, etc., on the lower slopes of the cliff to the ground to hawk prey items.

As such, I progressively obtained half-decent views, although it’s highly mobile behaviour, the light conditions and the nagging wind hindered this.

I was able to get enough on it to be reasonably happy with it, but there was still some doubt in my mind, partly on the basis of my earlier conversation with Andy. It was a subtle bird, certainly, and there was some ambiguity in it’s supposed crucial features. Further, it was hard to get good views of the black upper-tail coverts. Certainly, the tail was jet-black, but how far did this black extend up the tail and were the upper-tail coverts a shade or two darker? The plumage was shades of cold grey, but there were warmer tones on the upper part of the underparts, and, with persistence, you could make out a white throat. The tertials did have pale edges and tips, but they didn’t appear to be white; they were off-white at the best. The bill was certainly all dark. And if you squinted it did appear ‘capped’.

As ever, with the last few birds I need for my much-vaunted ‘500’, a very educational bird; there are few easy ones left!

Really enjoyed the trip and the ‘twitch’ itself, and especially so seeing such good friends as Andy Close, Darren Woodhead and Marcus Brew. And I was home by 18.00.

My preferred viewpoint (in shade and offering views around the back of the preferred tree…).

The gallery at Trow Quarry, South Shields, County Durham, October 2020; excellent to see Andy Close, Darren Woodhead and Marcus Brew.

Trow Quarry, South Shields, County Durham, October 2020.

Taiga Flycatcher at The Leas, Trow Quarry, South Shields, County Durham, October 2020 (photograph credited to Oli Mockridge).

Taiga Flycatcher at The Leas, Trow Quarry, South Shields, County Durham, October 2020 (photograph credited to Martyn Sidwell).