Hartlepool bogey bird shows well

The plan was to drive south stopping on the way down to Cornwall, but today (23rd oct 2021) the temptation of connecting with a long-standing bogey bird drew me instead towards the east coast. Hartlepool town centre may not be the most attractive of places, and the long drive (again) and what was in effect a massive detour would have made the whole trip doubly disappointing should I have failed in my mission. And this did not look good when I arrived. I found the place easily enough but the handful of birders who were there seemed to have lost interest; the bird had cleared off. This was effectively the town centre with absolutely nothing else to see, and the tree lined park where the bird was supposed to be also turned out to be a wedding venue, much to my dismay! The whole wedding party traipsing through the only bit of decent rarity habitat shouting and cheering wasn’t exactly going to bring the bird out. I stood around wondering what to do. To cut a long story short, about half-hour-hour later someone suddenly pointed at a tree right next to the busy road – there it was! This was my first ever Arctic Warbler, the sight of which came as a relief as much as anything.

Views were also excellent; and there were times when it posed for the camera, albeit briefly. I was surprised by its comparatively large size and chunky feel – certainly quite unlike the diminutive creatures it resembles in plumage (e.g. Yellow-browed). The bill was heavy, too, and it also moved more slowed around the canopy compared to YBW. Occasionally, it would disappear for a while and then re-emerge in the most unlikely of places, but I eventually got some good shots. (There was also a nice showy Redwing in the adjacent walled garden.) Nearby at Hartlepool marina, I was quick to catch up with the only other bird of interest in the area – Black-throated Diver. It showed very well, but was sadly too distant for a decent photograph.

Still, I was pleased to connect so easily with a species I rarely see, especially inland. Surprisingly, there was also a Guillemot here, which was unbelievably tame. Naturally, I got some photos but they would have been far better had the light not been fading. By 6pm it was time to look for somewhere to stay the night…