I got parked up at Winter's as usual,got the kit together and headed along the side of the main lake,when my phone went off.....possible Pacific Swift or White-rumped Swift at Hornsea Mere!.This was a complete repeat of last Octobers events,when for those who made it in time,added White-rumped Swift onto their life and British lists....thankfully i was one of them!.
So back to today,i knew i would have to act fast,i walked back to the car ringing Tim in the process,jumped in the car,drove to Barton and filled up with diesel,checking my phone when i got parked up,to see if the bird was still there,it was!.
I then headed to Hornsea in the hope the bird was still present and obviously,the hoped for Pacific Swift!.
On arrival,a small crowd of about 20 people including Tim,were watching the bird and i was quickly one of them.
I was straight onto the bird and first views for me pretty much confirmed from the long scythe like wings and long tail,this was a Pacific and not White-rumped Swift....Yessss!.
I proceeded to watch the bird as it hawked for insects over and around Swan Island,in a melee of Common Swifts,Sand and House Martins and Swallows.The gale force breeze didn't help the cause and occasionally we lost the bird,but it was great to appreciate this species build and ID features.
The wings looked to me,really long and the tail giving the body a long,pointed end,both features i hadn't seen on any other species i had observed before,the rump patch looking larger than the White-rumped Swift i saw last October as well.
All of a sudden,all the Swifts and Hirundines scattered as a Hobby flashed through,but they did come back and the bird showed around Swan Island again,albeit more distantly.
It was about 1.15pm when the last reliable sighting was,as Mick Turton had seen it right at the far end of the Mere,before all the main group of Swifts it had been with had disappeared and that was that.
A few other niceties seen while on site included the afore mentioned Hobby,20 plus Little Gulls and a smart juvenile Garganey.
So another flying visit,excuse the pun,by a rare Swift has cemented Hornsea Mere into the annals of birding folklore,as a site to see vagrant Swifts and thankfully i have connected with the last two.
Amazingly,Paul & Georgia French had the Pacific over their garden in Easington near Spurn late evening and it showed over the church briefly for a few locals before disappearing.
This is the 10th record for the UK,with incredibly,this bird being the 5th for the Spurn recording area and my 5th species of Swift in the last 2 years.....What a class bird!.
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