There was excitement for Yorkshire listers this weekend when news broke of two colour-ringed Choughs in the Yorkshire Dales close to Victoria Cave near Settle. Both birds were apparently ringed as siblings in a nest on Anglesey and thus known wild birds rather than escapees. Choughs were said to be breeding in Yorkshire in the 1800s but the population eventually died out. Rare and Scarce Birds in Yorkshire (Wilson and Slack) considers three 20th Century records acceptable with the last being a single at Flamborough Head on 30th July 1981.  It appears that the Settle birds were first reported a week previous but were not confirmed until 6th September. Being the first ever twitchable in the County in living memory they were always going to be popular and have now successfully twitched by a number of observers, but be aware, they are wide ranging and have currently become tricky to locate.

Chough, Settle, September 2019 - John Hewitt

This Blyth's Reed Warbler was trapped in Church Field, Kilnsea yesterday (9th September) whilst the adult White-rumped Sandpiper remains at Kilnsea Wetlands - photos John Hewitt