Bempton's superb run of rarities continued when it hosted what was a normally obliging first-winter 'Isabelline' Shrike which was widely touted as being a Daurian. Isabelline Shrikes are currently split into two by the BOU/IOC, Daurian and Turkestan, however, rumours are rife that the two are soon to be lumped but we will have to wait and see. Additionally, our current understanding is that BBRC do not consider it is safe to assign site records of first-winter birds to one or the other and currently accept them as Daurian/Turkestan. Even DNA profiling has proved inconclusive so far, although this is still being worked on. Anyway, for anyone who had seen no 'Isabelline' Shrike in Yorkshire previously, then the Bempton bird was a very worthy addition.
The other main late October excitement was the discovery of two Snow Geese on the Humber at Reads Island in with the masses of Pink-feet. Although, as a rule, most Snow Geese seen in Britain are assumed to be escapes, bird seen with large flocks of Pink-feet in winter are generally thought to be wild and so, unless any negative reason comes to light we are more than happy to allow people to count these birds providing the boundary criteria is met. Although the birds were normally in Lincolnshire they did sometimes venture onto the Yorkshire side of the Humber which did allow some of the keener County listers the chance to add the species to their tally, usually by viewing from North Ferriby. This seems like a good time to remind folk of the Yorkshire Birding Listers League rules for situations like this, that is that both the bird AND the observer must be in Yorkshire to be deemed countable.
Isabelline Shrike, Bempton, October 2024 - Rich Willison
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| Olive-backed Pipit, Thornwick Bay, October 2024 - Rich Willison |
