Weekly round-up: 03 - 09 September 2014
High pressure and sunshine were very much the order of the last seven days ~ along with a gentle airflow from the northeast ~ and the birds of the week reflected those drift-style conditions.
The occasional weak ridge of wet weather scurried over northern quarters, but for many it was blue skies and sunshine and a decent mix of scarcities, rarities and a mega or two.
Sunday 7th saw the RBA newsteam send over 500 messages for the first time this autumn and with conditions looking rather promising for more of the same next week there could be a few more days like it to come!
Ordinarily a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler wouldn’t always warrant headline status very often these days, given the relative frequency that this once fabled skulker now occurs.
However, those annual birds are generally within the domain of Shetland, so an early mainland arrival and one on the south coast at that, makes things rather more interesting.
The lucky location was the mist-nets at Titchfield Haven (Hampshire) on the morning rounds of 6th ~ becoming the earliest ever record for Britain and by a whole week at that. You can read Trevor Codlin’s Finders Account here.
Up until the end of 2012 there were a total of 53 accepted Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler records, the joint-earliest of which were seen at Cley and Portland Bill on September 13th 1976 and 1996 respectively, so this bird has plonked itself on the south coast a good deal earlier than that.
Most September birds fall in the period from around 22nd onwards, but other early records have included birds at Spurn, on September 14th 2008, Fair Isle on September 17th 1996 and Blakeney Point on September 19th 1994.
It probably won’t come as too much of a surprise that this is Hampshire’s first record of this far-flung traveller and is just the second south coast record (following on from the already mentioned Portland bird above). Up to the left of the south coast, Ireland has two records, on in Cork (in October 1990) and an old record from Rockabill Lighthouse in County Dublin in September 1908. To the right of the south coast, you get Norfolk’s two records, one each for Yorkshire and Cleveland, two for County Durham and Northumberland and one for Aberdeenshire.
Island records wrap it all up and bring singletons to the Hebrides (on St. Kilda in October 2009) and Orkney (the surprise lifer that greeted many of the Yellow-browed Bunting twitchers stepping on to North Ronaldsay in September 1992) while taking the lion’s share is, of course, Shetland, with a monster 39 out of 53 records in all.
…and this remarkable record from Hampshire (presumably this is a species with another significant westward range expansion under way), means there is yet more intrigue surrounding the (vague) report of a probable Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler in an area with no general access adjacent to Cley’s Arnold’s Marsh on September 2nd. The single observer, who is certainly very familiar with the species is confident in what he saw ~ so, it seems like there was most certainly something in it after all…
Until the P G Tips made the morning cuppa for some in Hampshire all the sweeter, leading the way this week was the juvenile Little Crake that was found at Black Hole Marsh, near Seaton in East Devon on 4th.
The often showy, if slightly distant bird was first identified as a Spotted Crake and remained as such for much of the morning until the real identity was cracked around lunchtime and, once the formalities are met at rarities committee level, it will become the 99th accepted record in all.
Devon listers have had a relatively recent chance to enjoy the species ~ a cracking adult male spent 15 days on Exminster Marshes in April 2008 but that was, until now, the only “available” bird in the county, despite seven accepted birds. Prior to the Exminster bird, a female was seen on a solitary April day on Lundy in 1983, with the remaining five birds seen between 1809 and 1855.
This week’s bird showed throughout much of 4th and early on the 5th too, but then seemed to go to ground and wasn’t seen again. It is the first record for three and a half years, since another April female spent four days at Arundel WWT in East Sussex.
Nine of the ninety-nine Little Crake records to date have come since 2000, whilst just two were seen throughout the whole of the 1990’s. The ‘80’s fared little better, with just five records in that particular 10 year period, while the 1970’s managed a more impressive 11 (three each in 1970 and 1973).
It was perhaps a little disingenuous to have overlooked the Wexford Stilt Sandpiper as a “headline act” last week ~ it was certainly rarer than one or two species that made the news last week and, given the remarkable way in which Irish birder supreme Killian Mullarney actually found the thing (as detailed here last week ~ in flight only, totally audacious!), it perhaps merited a rather higher ranking up the list.
Well, thanks to the fact that the bird moved from Tacumshin to Ring Marsh (still in Wexford) on the morning of 3rd means that we can pay due credit to this most excellent of shorebirds ~ and, moreover, we can give it a further nod of recognition as this bird promptly decided to up-sticks and take a trip north and alight on the Swords Estuary (Co. Dublin) on 4th, where it remained as a popular draw, to 7th at least.
This is Ireland’s 15th Stilt Sandpiper to date and a first record for County Dublin. It joins Derry and Armagh on one record (Derry’s bird was seen in September 2001, Armagh’s in August 2005), while Kerry remains on three (the most recent there coming in September 2003). As touched upon last week, by virtue of Killian’s bird, Wexford has nipped ahead of Cork by six to five (Cork’s most recent bird noted in August 2003).
Along the north Norfolk coast, the super adult Eastern Common Tern continued to play cat and mouse with the half dozen birders who spent any time in the field looking for it.
Having loitered on Scolt Head Island last week, as well as taking a trip to Cley on a couple of occasions, this week saw this ultra-distinctive bird noted off Cley beach during the morning of 3rd before showing well on the far tip of Far Point, on Blakeney Point, as tea-time approached. From there, it was seen to head east, towards Cley, and it was duly logged heading back west around 6.20pm.
The following day, 4th, saw no sign what-so-ever come the morning ~ despite some sizeable gatherings of Common Terns on shoaling fish off Cley beach ~ but, bang on cue, at around 6.20pm, there it was again, heading west towards Blakeney (or Scolt of course).
There’s little left to say about this bird ~ it is a mightily impressive (if subtle) bird in life and Baz Scampion’s selection of images (several of which have been highlighted in last week’s review and the one in late May) show a bird that is surely adjacent to a full-on, 100% longipennis.
It seems as though this bird, once it left Norfolk, may have headed down to south-east Ireland (a contender was photographed in Wexford at the end of June). And with another potential longipennis photographed in Switzerland last summer, it is interesting to see exactly where this is all heading.
The Norfolk bird compares well (pretty much identically in fact…) to birds from within the core range of Eastern Common Tern and you have to work hard to find a Common Tern with the full suite of characters that the current Norfolk bird shows.
That’s not to say this bird doesn’t have its detractors ~ it does. Many don’t rate this bird as anything other than an aberrant Common .
The Grime’s Grave Trio (or quintet, depending on what story you’ve heard) sounds like a rather refined EMO-related string section that plays to the Breckland gentry on warm summer evenings to ripples of genteel applause as the cucumber sandwiches, tea and tiffin are taken under the shade of an arboretum or two…
What the GG3 (or 5) actually are is a very select band of observers who apparently somehow managed to keep a sizeable, very, very rare bird of prey under wraps in a relatively well watched area in the heartland of one of birding’s top counties….
…yes, we’ve come to rest on one of the hottest topics of the week (certainly before the EAPH at any rate) ~ where Norfolk birders recoiled in horror at the breaking news on 5th that the well-twitched second-summer Short-toed Eagle had spent at least three days, and perhaps upwards of 30 (!) in and around the Norfolk side of Breckland, somewhere in the vicinity of Grime’s Grave area.
The bird was initially said to have been present for two days (July 17th-18th) but date stamps on photos showed that the bird was certainly in place from 19th-21st as well. The site also changed from “near Weeting” to “near Grime’s Grave” and with some rootling around it appears that the bird may then present until August 17th ~ with news relayed many days after the bird had departed.
The dates are somewhat sketchy ~ the stay being anywhere between four to thirty days…depending on what can be believed in this fascinating tale...
The three observers (there may have been more, up to five, and now, it appears, perhaps just one ~ confused yet…?) involved have apparently mentioned the old chestnut of it drawing too many people to the site ~ which may have been the case for the first day or two but with so many 100’s of observers seeing the bird in Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex, the initial rush of interest would have subsided quickly ~ county listers don’t number the feared 1000’s that was quoted as one reason to keep this stunning BOP to themselves.
Here’s a run down of the dates so far in 2014 for this roving mega ~ counties in bold represent known, proved occurrences of the bird.
- May 31st - June 1st: Morden Bog, Dorset
- June 8th: Hatchet Pond, Hampshire
- June 10th: Ashdown Forest, East Sussex
- June 11th: Unconfirmed report Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambridgeshire
- June 12th - June 13th: New Forest, Hampshire
- June 15th - June 22nd: Ashdown Forest, East Sussex
- June 24th: Reported New Forest, Hampshire
- June 24th - June 29th: Ashdown Forest, East Sussex
- June 30th: Reported Stodmarsh, Kent
- June 30th - 2nd July: New Forest, Hampshire
- July 5th: New Forest, Hampshire
- July 12th: Unconfirmed report Ashdown Forest, East Sussex
- July 12th: Thursley Common, Surrey
- July 17th or 19th - (perhaps) August 17th: Grime’s Grave area, Norfolk
- August 22nd: Unconfirmed report Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire
There may be one or two rogue sightings amongst that lot, but it tells the tale. The Lincolnshire sighting becomes rather more interesting now, as the dates sort of correlate to the supposed departure of the Breckland bird.
And who knows, there’s a chance that this bird may “do a Booted” and ping around the country for months to come. The notorious Category D bird bounced around both Ireland and Britain from March 1999 to June 2000, arriving in Dublin, exiting through Orkney, having taken in 12 counties and 100’s of miles in the process.
Sadly, for my fellow brother and sister Norfolk listers, the milk has been spilt, mopped up and the cloth rinsed well and truly out before we could actually really cry over it. That’s the way it goes sometimes, like or not.
There’s little room for too much by way of frustrated and perhaps even sanctimonious recriminations either (from some at least) ~ Norfolk is known to be liberally dotted with a few suppressive types who’ll gladly take advantage of generous souls working their doo-dahs off to find things and pop the news out whilst they keep their own goodies firmly under wraps. Sad but true.
Yes, unfortunately it really is the way it goes sometimes.
…and, while bees are buzzing noisily in the bonnet, it is fascinating to see how the amount of hot air exhaled from behind numerous East Anglian keyboards regarding the Eagle ~ a bird that was utterly unavailable and not seen for at least two weeks ~ while up on the coast a potentially very rare tern was barely raising an eyebrow! A first for Norfolk no less (which drew a crowd of seven people to Cley Coastguards on the evening of 4th) it has curried as much favour with the bloggers and forum-lingerers as a smelly poop in a crowded lift…
For the first time ever in RBA roundups, there’s a slight demotion for Fea’s Petrel ~ no disrespect to fans of the Pterodroma but a) its been another good year for them, b) they’re not as rare as they used to be and c) there’s a few other things that need to be reflected in more detail this week!
So, this week’s bird was another for the Cork pelagic team, seen briefly some seven miles off Baltimore on 4th ~ the fourth off that part of the Irish coast in this summer (within the space of five weeks in fact) and a bird which takes the tally from mid-July to early September to a dozen birds in all.
With the high pressure system set firmly across the North Sea and light winds for much of the country, it was no real surprise that big shearwaters were barely on the radar this week ~ two single Cory’s were logged all week, seen off St. Agnes (Scilly) on 3rd and Brownstown Head (Co. Waterford) on 7th, while one of the 11 Greats seen all week was also off the same Waterford headland on 7th with further singles off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 3rd and off Baltimore (Co. Cork) on the pelagic there on 4th. Cork also produced the remaining nine birds, three off Galley Head and four from Dursey Island, on 6th, out at sea on a local pelagic on 7th and off Baltimore Beacon on 9th.
An adult Sabine’s Gull spent a couple of hours at Fraserburgh (Aberdeenshire) on 3rd, with a juvenile seen near the harbour at Penzance by birders on board the Scillonian as it headed in to port. Another juvenile was noted off Lower Hope Point (Kent) on 4th and an adult was in Lunan Bay (Angus) on the same date. The most striking figure of the week were the 17 birds seen from the Britatny ferry some 15 miles off Plymouth (Devon) on 6th and further singles followed off Bloody Foreland (Co. Donegal) on 6th, Bardsey Island (Gwynedd) and Long Nab, Burniston (North Yorkshire) on 7th, on 8th, in the Minch (Highland), from the Ullapool to Stornaway ferry and at Cairnbulg (Aberdeenshire) and, finally, on the sea off Hartlepool (Cleveland) and heading past Baltimore Beacon (Co. Cork) on 9th.
Around 25 Long-tailed Skuas were logged across the week ~ with half a dozen seen in the Minch (Highland) on 8th the outstanding figure of the week. The rest were all singles bar two off Bloody Foreland on 6th and two off the Cork coast on 7th. The first of the week was seen heading past Landguard NR (Suffolk) on 3rd, while a near-adult performed on 4th-5th on the beach at Formby (Lancashire). A dark juvenile flew past Flamborough Head (East Yorkshire) on 5th and on 6th another flew past Flamborough, along with birds off Spurn, Hartlepool (Cleveland) and Whitburn (Co. Durham). One was reported from Thorpeness (Suffolk) on 7th and the final birds of the week were all seen on 8th ~ five from the ferry to Stornoway and single off Staithes (North Yorkshire) and Hadston (Northumberland).
Five single Pomarine Skuas were seen at Stornoway, Lewis (Outer Hebrides) on 3rd, Nethertown (Cumbria) and Lossiemouth (Moray) on 4th and in Dorset, at Durlston CP and Bridport on 5th. Five more followed on 8th alone, four between Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire, with one off the Mayo coast as well and one was logged on a Scilly pelagic on 9th.
The meagre pelagic fayre also included single Leach’s Storm-petrel off the Shiant Islands (Outer Hebrides) on 5th and another off Donegal’s Bloody Foreland on 6th and a Grey Phalarope at Gunna Sound, Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 6th. The following day saw a Cork pelagic score five, heading out of Union Hall.
Just under 70 Balearic Shearwaters were spread across seven English and a sole Irish county this week, with the only double figure being 22 off Pendeen on 5th. Ten were seen from the Dorset coast across the seven days, while two or three were noted in North Yorkshire and two singles were seen in Norfolk as well.
Five of the seven Glossy Ibis noted across the week were leftovers from previous reviews ~ at Wicken Fen NT (Cambridgeshire) to 6th and Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) and Saltholme and Dorman Pools (Cleveland) to 8th, while in Wexford, last week’s bird was at Ring Marsh on 4th and then Tacumshin on 6th and Dungeness RSPB (Kent) to 8th. New individuals were noted over Oulton (West Yorkshire) on 4th and on Dublin’s Rogerstown Estuary on 6th-7th, while the bird at Wat Tyler CP (Essex) on 8th may have been in the county prior to the dusk roost appearance.
A dozen Great White Egrets were reported on a busy 3rd ~ three birds were in Lancashire, two at Leighton Moss RSPB and a third at Brockholes LWT; one or two were seen in Nottinghamshire, at Newington Flash and Langford Lowfields RSPB; further lone birds in the north of England were seen at Burton Mere RSPB (Cheshire), Blaydon (Co. Durham) and Swillington Ings (West Yorkshire) while in the south, birds were logged at Lower Farm GP (Berkshire), Abberton Reservoir (Essex), Cotswold Water Park (Wiltshire), Keyhaven (Hampshire), and Arundel WWT (West Sussex).
The twosome at Leighton Moss was back to a threesome on 4th while new were birds at Fairburn Ings RSPB (West Yorkshire) and Menai Straits (Anglesey). The same day also saw singles again at Meare Heath NR (Somerset), Denge Marsh (Kent) and in Cambridgeshire at Berry Fen and also Wicken Fen NT (with two at the former site on 6th. Further birds followed later in the week in Suffolk (new at Southwold and Blythburgh), Buckinghamshire (two at Weston Turville, ending up in neighbouring Hertfordshire’s Wilstone Reservoir on 6th), East Sussex (new at Weir Wood Reservoir), Galway (new on Lough Corrib), Cheshire (three at Wigg Island on 7th), Dorset, Oxfordshire, London, Kent (two at Dungeness on 7th), Gwynedd, East Yorkshire, Essex, Surrey and Norfolk.
As usual though, the week’s high count was on the Somerset Levels, four birds on Meare Heath on 7th.
Yes, there’s a lot of them about…
Rather fewer Cattle Egrets were up for grabs ~ four singles noted all. The first was found at a busy, bird-filled Burton Marsh RSPB from 3rd, at Connah’s Quay (Clwyd) on 5th, on the Beaulieu River (Hampshire) on 6th and at Welney WWT (Norfolk) on 7th-9th.
Norfolk was again ahead of the pack where Spoonbills were concerned ~ 23 at Stiffkey Fen on 3rd the largest single gathering of the week, while Titchwell managed 14 on 9th and Cley 15 on 8th. In Dorset, at least 22 were at Brownsea Island on 8th, with two more at Lodmoor, while trios were at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 3rd and, rather more impressive, over Finsbury Park in north London on 4th (it was only a few days ago that three were seen over Sidcup…). Further single birds were seen in Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Cleveland, Northumberland and Lothian, while five gathered at Gibraltar Point on 8th.
The Common Crane that pitched up in Highland last week remained around Udale Bay RSPB throughout the week, while two remained on the Ouse Washes RSPB (Cambridgeshire) to the first day of the review period and in East Yorkshire, the roving first-summer was at Molescroft Carrs on 4th-7th. In Norfolk, a pair where again noted around Buckenham and Cantley Marshes on 7th and 34 were counted at the Stubb Mill roost on 8th.
Curiously, there were just two more interesting crakes to let you know about this week ~ both Spotted Crakes ~ seen at Marazion Marsh RSPB (Cornwall) on 8th and Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 9th.
New for the week (and the first one since the end of June) was the female King Eider found at Basta Voe, Yell (Shetland) on 4th.
Also new was the tame female-type Blue-winged Teal (or perhaps hybrid) found at Castle Island NR (Northumberland) from 6th ~ only the sixth county record if accepted as a) real and b) pure ~ it could be the first since a metal-ringed drake was at St. Mary’s Wetland in April 2006 (a bird seen also in Cumbria and Yorkshire).
Along Aythya Avenue now, where the eclipse drake Lesser Scaup was still on Chew Valley Lake (Somerset) to 3rd at least while in Glamorgan, back for the umpteenth year (perhaps as many as six now) was the drake Lesser Scaup in Cardiff Bay from 4th. Minsmere’s female Ferruginous Duck lingered to 7th while Meikle Loch’s drake Ring-necked Duck remained to 3rd.
In the first hint of autumn where geese are concerned, news this week of a Snow Goose with Greylags, on South Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 9th, presumably a returning bird.
One Lesser Yellowlegs last week rose to five Lesser Yellowlegs this week as, along with the bird at Croft Pascoe, on the Lizard (still present to 4th), new arrivals were found at Normandy Marsh (Hampshire) on 5th, Blanket Nook, Lough Swilly (Co. Donegal) on 6th and then two juveniles at Derrinlough (Co. Offaly) on 9th.
Hampshire’s bird becomes the 15th for the south coast county and the second of 2014 (following on from the wintering bird at Lepe GP) while Donegal scores its second-ever for the county, following one on Tory Island on September 8th-9th 2007. County Offaly, still basking in the glory of their recent 1st Dowitcher, see the total of Lesser Yellowlegs rise to three thanks to this freshly arrived duo ~ the sole record to date was seen at Shannon Harbour in December 1996.
A first-summer American Golden Plover was seen at three or four sites on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) from 3rd-9th including Loch a’Phuill, where a Buff-breasted Sandpiper was found on 4th, the first of two this week, the second coming to Tacumshin (Co. Wexford) on 6th with a third at The Cull, also in Wexford, on 7th.
There was a pretty strong push of new Pectoral Sandpipers across the past seven days ~ at least 33 fresh arrivals recorded across the week, with up to 18 of them found across the weekend of 6th-7th.
From north to south (sort of) here’s how they shook themselves down this week. Shetland hosted two singles on 4th, on Fair Isle and on the mainland at Grutness, with the same date seeing birds appear on Orkney (at Tankerness) and Tiree (another nice bird for Loch a’Phuill) while on the Scottish mainland, lone Pecs were near Nairn (Highland) on 6th-7th, at Loch Spynie (Moray) on 6th while two were found at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 7th. Foula and Mainland Orkney rounded off the island side of things with singles on 8th and 9th and the latter date saw Scotland’s final bird of the week land at Tyninghame Bay (Lothian).
In the far north of England, a Pectoral Sandpiper was at Grindon Lough (Northumberland) on 7th when one also appeared near Gateshead (Co. Durham). Whether the bird at Cowpen (Clevel;and on 8th was one of these two is anyone’s guess! In South Yorkshire, one was at (firstly) Hatfield Moors NNR on 6th with it (or another) the next day at Old Moor RSPB and at Bawtry on 8th and back at Hatfield on 9th. The northwest of England saw a single bird arrive at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB on 5th and in East Anglia, one popped up in Cambridgeshire, at Burwell Fen on 6th with another at Paxton Pits on 8th. Two made it to the confines of Abberton Reservoir (Essex), also on 6th and another was at Tice’s Meadow (Surrey) on 8th-9th. while way down to the southwest, at Marazion Marsh in Cornwall, one was found on 5th. Across on Scilly, three juveniles were on Bryher on 6th with a loner on Tresco the following day.
Ireland landed one at Tacumshin on 4th, with two there on 5th (one to 9th, tho’ it could have been fresh in) with perhaps a new bird at The Cunnigar (Co. Waterford) on 6th with another on Donegal’s Tory Island on the same date. The Republic’s fifth came to Galway, found at Ballyconneely on 7th, the sixth was at Ventry (Co. Kerry) on 8th and the seventh was at Seabank (Co. Louth) on 9th.
Pectoral Sandpiper from Dermot Breen on Vimeo.
Burton Mere Wetlands’ fourth good bird of great week for the site was the juvenile Red-necked Phalarope found there on 4th and which remained to 9th, while also on 4th, was a juvenile seen from a boat off Penzamce (Cornwall).
Another site enjoying plenty of action of late is Frampton Marsh RSPB and the hotbed of avian activity in Lincolnshire scored with a juvenile RNP on 5th with the fourth of the week appearing on the same day at Oare Marshes NR (Kent).
Last week’s juvenile Temminck’s Stints at Frampton Marsh RSPB remained to 7th while new was another juvenile, this one at Clifton Pits (Worcestershire) from 5th-9th ~ only the second in the county since 2007, the other recent record coming last year at Grimley.
Three of this week’s six Dotterels were remnants from last week ~ two juveniles lingering at Porthgwarra to 4th while the solitary young bird remained on Great Orme to 6th. The only newbies of the week were the trio that arrived on Fair Isle, also seen on 6th and one reported in Wales, at Llanilid (Glamorgan) sometime around 8th.
The third White-winged Black Terns of September was found at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Linclonshire) on 3rd ~ following on from birds in Limerick and Suffolk in the first two days of the month.
In Kent, the adult Bonaparte’s Gull made another reappearance at Oare Marshes NR on 7th, the first report for at least a fortnight, while in County Cork, at Ballycotton, the second-winter Laughing Gull was still settled to the evening of 6th at least. In Highland, the adult Ring-billed Gull was back at Dingwall from 8th.
An adult Iceland Gull was reported from Morecambe on 6th and a very early juvenile Glaucous Gull flew south past Saltfleet (Lincolnshire) on 5th.
Around 30 Caspian Gulls were logged this week ~ including five juveniles on 3rd, two at Flamborough Head (East Yorkshire) and singles at Long Nab, Burniston (North Yorkshire), Grafham Water (Cambridgshire) and Stanwick (Northamptonshire). Four cachinnans were seen at Walberswick (Suffolk) on 6th, and formed a total of seven for the county. Three birds, an adult, a sub-adult and first-summer, were found at Rainham Marshes RSPB (London) on 5th, while there were two more for Cambridgeshire, along with more doubles for East Yorkshire and Norfolk.
Hot on the heels of the apricot breasted juvenile Pallid Harrier on Foula last week, Fair Isle couldn’t help itself and get in the act with one of their own on 8th ~ perhaps only the fifth for the island ~ Britain’s first was shot there after spending a fortnight there in April and May 1925 and further records came a little more recently, two in the 2011 invasion as well as one reported last summer and this week’s individual, which was still present on 9th.
After news that a Snowy Owl had summered in the Cairngorm mountain range, there was a follow up a couple of days later to let us know that intrepid mountaineering birder types had seen the bird again on 3rd, still around the Ben Macdui area, clocking up at least 108 days in the process. It popped a few more on the clock as well, when it was seen again on 9th.
Less likely to clock up more than just a few minutes was the Black Kite that trundled over Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 7th. All three Montagu’s Harrier records this week were seen in Kent and all on 7th ~ during the early afternoon at Sandwich Bay, then Dungeness RSPB at around 3.45 and three-quarters of an hour later, at St. Margaret’s at Cliffe.
Up until the last couple of days of the review period, it seemed as though 14 was the magic number for Honey Buzzards (a total that included five birds in Kent and two over the Isle of Wight). Then things started to happen on the Norfolk coast ~ six birds were seen heading in off the sea at the East Hills, near Wells on 8th, eventually being lost to view spiralling up and away between the Hills and Blakeney Point. The following day, five were seen heading over Lady Ann’s Drive, at Holkham, and three were seen around the coast at Overstrand and an inland bird was seen at Newton Flotman, to the south of Norwich. A further Honey was noted in Suffolk on 8th as well, heading south near Trimley while the southwest saw one head over Pil Tor (Devon) on 9th.
Parnaby Fair Isle Bird Observatory)
Given the decent conditions that were set fair from the tail end of last week (allowing some pretty decent predictions to pay off, well nearly…in to the bargain), passerines this week were spread far and wide with oodles of variety in terms of quality and numbers too.
Shetland started the ball rolling with the more high quality end of rare with an early morning Black-headed Bunting at Sumburgh, Mainland (which headed off south, next stop ought to have been Fair Isle…) on 4th ~ the 52nd record (out of around 225 in all) and the fifth of the decade to date (2013 the only blank year to date, with one each for 2010 and 2012, with two in 2011). This becomes the 13th September record for Shetland and also the earliest in the month too beating an adult female on Fair Isle on September 11th 2001.
Late news emerged this week from the depths of the west Cornwall valleys relating to a trapped and ringed Paddyfield Warbler at Nanjizal on August 31st ~ just the fifth for the county and the fourth since the start of the 2000’s. The autumn’s third and fourth followed at the opposite end of the country this week ~ one was found on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 4th (where it stayed to the following day) with another following on nearby Fair Isle on 5th.
The Ronaldsay Paddyfield is the sixth record for Orkney and the third in a row for the island ~ previous records came in 2012 and 1997 ~ while Orkney’s first three occurrences all came in 1994. Shetland, as was mentioned last week, in relation to the Whalsay bird, has 36 accepted birds on the list, with 20 of those coming to Fair Isle (including Shetland’s first ten ~ between 1925 and 1994).
The whole “blue sky = overshoot to west coasts” thing was the focus of the end of last week’s review and Cork was always looking like it was in line for a great bird this week and so it was ~ an Aquatic Warbler in an area of no general access on Mizen Head on 4th was an Irish mega, only the second in the past 15 years or so, but coming just under a year since the Brow Head report of 2013.
In Norfolk, a often-elusive but occasionally obliging Western Bonelli’s Warbler spent 7th in and around the trees at Kelling, becoming only the second nominate bird in the Cley square ~ the first was found a year and day previously, in brambles on Blakeney Point.
The only other record of a Bonelli’s Warbler in the square was of a bird not identified to form on Blakeney Point in May 1989 (one of four “sp.” records for Norfolk). Up until the end of 2012, there were 11 accepted Westerns, but a further five need to be added to that list ~ four were seen last year (at Happisburgh, the already mentioned Blakeney Point bird, Hunstanton and Holkham) along with this week’s cracker.
Just one Arctic Warbler was logged this week, on Foula on 3rd-5th while four Greenish Warblers included two (one a singing male) at Whitburn CP (Co. Durham) on 3rd (and an unringed bird was there on 9th) with the Outer Hebrides’ third-ever record appearing at Bornish, South Uist also on 3rd (all three records have been on South Usst, one last year and two this…). Bird four of a busy week made landfall on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd) on 4th, continuing the hot run of form for the island at the moment.
The impending triple split of the Subalpine Warbler group has had a few people rummaging through photos of old trying to work out what’s what with previous well twitched birds (and there are 100’s of them…) but the apparent confirmation of the Landguard bird as an Eastern has ensured a healthy gathering of late and this popular first-winter female remained to 4th.
More warblers will follow later but for now we’ll stay in Suffolk but move on to other rarities ...and we’ll start with the female Lesser Grey Shrike that was found at Shingle Street on 6th-7th. Prior to this newbie, the county had eight previous records ~ the most recent of whcih was a first-winter at Trimley Marshes on September 14th 2009. A fine adult was at the same site as this week’s bird in July 2006, and a second bird was noted the same year at Thelnetham Forest, on June 29th. There was one record in both the 90’s and 80’s (at Walberswick and Lound Gravel pits respectively) while the first three records of Lesser Grey Shrike came in the 1970’s (in ’70, ’73 and ’77).
Also new this week was the juvenile Woodchat Shrike found at Dawlish Warren (Devon) on 7th ~ a classic bird for the current weather charts ~ and although the species has been seen annually in the county in the last 10 years, this is just the second autumn bird, following a very late youngster at Soar in November 2006.
Onwards now to four Citrine Wagtails ~ the first of which, at Howmore, South Uist was leftover from last week and remained to 6th. The same date saw the Hebrides record the second of the past seven days with the arrival of another on Benbecula. The east side of Scotland was graced with the third of the week, found on Isle of May (Fife) on 4th while the 8th brought a new arrival (in those still clear skies…) to County Clare’s Lough Gash ~ only the second for the west coast county, the first was on the Airport Lagoons at Shannon from September 15th 2005.
Three Ortolan Buntings made appearances on the first day of the new review period ~ one a piece for Gwynedd’s Bardsey, Cornwall’s St. Levan and Norfolk’s Blakeney Point. The strong showing continued on 4th, new singles logged at Pothgwarra (Cornwall), Skokholm (Pembrokeshire) and Mizen Head (Co. Cork) and on 5th two more new arrivals were found at Portland Bill (Dorset) and Landguard NR (Suffolk). The ninth of the week was found at Ballyconnelly (Co. Galway) on 6th and at Portland flighty singles were seen on both 6th and 7th (and could have been the bird from 5th).
East coast sites accounted for two of this week’s Red-breasted Flycatchers ~ seen at Filey (North Yorkshire) on 4th and Gibraltar Point (Lincolnshire) on 6th-9th, with a third on Foula on 8th. Lincolnshire also collected one of five Icterine Warblers, seen near Whitby on 3rd ~ the others coming to Sandwich Bay (Kent), also on 3rd, at Portland Bill on 5th and 8th with one on the Shetland Mainland, at Grutness on 5th-7th. Three Melodious Warblers also made the grade, seen on Skomer (Pembrokeshire) on 3rd and in Cork, at Mizen Head on 4th and Dursey Island on 8th.
Migrant Marsh Warblers were found in four west or southwest locations ~ a singing male was on Bardsey on 4th and was followed by one reported at Red Rocks NR (Cheshire) on 5th, at Hengistbury Head (Dorset) on 6th and Rinsey Head, near Praa Sands (Cornwall) on 7th.
The big drifters this week come next and we’ll begin with Barred Warbler. A minimum of 76 birds were recorded across 14 counties with Scotland and the northeast of England easily the top two regions with minimums of 29 and 31 birds respectively. At least a dozen birds were found across East Yorkshire this week, several of them around the Spurn Peninsula and surrounding environs, with Northumberland clocking up eight, County Durham five, with three each for Cleveland and Lincolnshire, with one for North Yorkshire too. Shetland held around 18 of Scotland’s total, including three on Fair Isle on 4th, when another three were also on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) ~ out of a total of five for the islands. Four made it to the Outer Hebrides and at least three were seen on Tiree (Argyll & Bute).
Half a dozen Barred Warblers were seen in Norfolk while Suffolk managed a minimum six too. The only other bird this week was seen at Portland on 7th.
There’s no dounting that this has been a really super week for Wrynecks too ~ dozens were found over the weekend and as dark fell on the week, at least 132 birds had been seen around Britain and Ireland (128 in the former, 4 for the latter!) split across 27 counties, with East Anglia, the southeast, the southwest and northeast all faring well.
Suffolk was top of the pile, with at least 25 birds, including a couple of twos and threes at Landguard NR and Minsmere RSPB, both on 7th. Norfolk wasn’t too far behind, with a minimum of 19 birds, including four twos, while in the northeast recording region, ten of the area’s thirteen or so birds were seen in East Yorkshire. The southeast registered 26 Wrynecks, including at least eight in Kent and seven in East Sussex, with four at Beachy Head on 7th, while Hampshire birders found upwards of five birds through the week.
At least half a dozen birds were seen on Scilly, Cornwall (including four on the Lizard on 7th), Somerset and Dorset, out of a southwest total of 26. Pembrokeshire scored a minimum of six birds as well and, further to the north, up to three were found on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd). The Westcountry, Midlands and Scotland scored low singles figures while lone Irish birds were noted in Kerry, Cork (two there) and Wexford.
Wryneck Gallery
There have been so many great Wryneck photos uploaded to the RBA gallery we thought you might like a link to see them all.
Shetland dominated Common Rosefinch news ~ 14 of the week’s 21 birds seen around the islands this week, including 10 birds on 3rd alone, including threes for Unst, Foula and Fair Isle with the latter island’s total rising to five on 5th. Down on Orkney, North Ronaldsay hosted four on 4th with singles on the Isle of May (Fife) and Porth Meudwy valley (Gwynedd) on 3rd and on Skokholm (Pembrokeshire) from 5th-8th.
After a slack couple of weeks (surprisingly so, given the weather) the number of migrant, drift Red-backed Shrikes rose nicely this week ~ 21 or more in all, with Norfolk claiming seven (including two or three along the east coast between Waxham and Winterton) and further birds at Happisburgh on 5th, Blakeney from 6th, Sheringham’s Beeston Bump on 7th and at Holkham on 8th.
In Kent, two birds were found at Bockhill Farm, St. Margaret’s at Cliffe on 6th, with another single or two at Dungeness the same day, and another duo appeared at Southwold on 8th. Further lone birds were found at Hayling Island (Hampshire) on 4th, Benfleet Creek (Essex) and St. Kilda (Outer Hebrides) on 5th, Kilminning Castle (Fife) and Radipole Lake (Dorset) on 6th, Worthing (West Sussex) on 7th and on Fair Isle (Shetland), another for Hayling Island (Hampshire) and Shepherd’s Chime (Isle of Wight) on 9th.
All was peace and love again in Weybourne this week where the adult Rose-coloured Starling lingered until close of play on 3rd. The same date also produced a juvenile at Mizen Head in Cork with another youngster arriving on St. Agnes (Scilly) on 4th. The same day saw the second adult of the week pop up on Holy Island (Northumberland) where it stayed to 7th at least with the fifth bird of the week arriving on North Ronaldsay on 6th. The sextet was completed by a juvenile at Long Rock, near Penzance (Cornwall) on 8th-9th (and another was reported briefly in Borders, at Kelso, on 8th as well). A Hoopoe was reported in Dorset this week, seen at Corfe Mullen on 9th.
The Shetland Rustic Bunting passed the month-mark this week, still present at Baltasound on 8th while we round up the round up with sketchy news of a report from an unknown private location in Hampshire of a Trumpeter Finch ~ claimed on 7th.
Up until the end of 2012, there were 16 British records but only two outside of spring ~ seen on Foulness (Essex) on September 21st 1985 and on Holy Island on August 1st 1987. As yet, there have been no records in Hampshire but if this was real, its been a pretty tidy week for the south coast county…
The ridge of high pressure looks like its to build and drift across much of Scandinavia as the weekend approaches. Given the time of year, blimey, anything can happen.
Shetland or Orkney seem favourite to land the first Yellow-browed Warblers within the next seven days and as with the past couple of weeks, you’re looking to the likes of Lanceolated Warbler, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Citrine Wagtail, Great Snipe and Yellow-breasted Bunting as some of the more conventional rarities for the next few days.
…or perhaps the easterly drift will fire some of the 1000’s of invading Red-footed Falcons, that are currently strewn across eastern Europe and the Baltic states, our way ~ it’d be different that’s for sure…
But as soon as double digits make the calendar for September ~ well, it’s game on for anything.
The likelihood of Nearctic passerines are as likely as they have been for the past few weeks (as in not likely at all) ~ along with the species above, think along the lines of Isabelline Shrike or Wheatear, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Pechora Pipit and maybe even the first Red-flanked Bluetail.
Mark Golley
10 Sept 2014
Thanks also all our other contributors for their photos, videos and sound recordings.
