footer_shadow

Weekly birding round-up: 27 Jul - 02 Aug 2016

The week at a glance
Western Purple Swamphen in Suffolk
Least Sandpiper in Devon
Black Stork in Derbyshire
American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire
Hudsonian Whimbrel still in Cornwall
Dalmatian Pelican still in Cornwall

The slack anticyclonic conditions persisted this week, with just a light westerly airflow and normal warm temperatures for the time of year. In terms of birds, after last week’s excesses it felt for a while as though things were back to normal. As ever, though, the next new bird was just around the corner. It wasn’t, however, a wader or a seabird - it was an enormous gallinule!

Headline birds

 

Western Purple Swamphen
Western Purple Swamphen, RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk (© Steve Gantlett / www.cleybirds.com)

The somewhat surprising news from Minsmere, Suffolk on the afternoon of 31st concerned a Purple Swamphen (still better known to many of us as ‘Purple Gallinule’). Initial reports of it bearing a ring confirmed for a while the gut feeling that this must be the latest in a long line of escapees of this species but the rapid retraction of the ring sighting plus the news that it was of the western Mediterranean form clearly meant that it had to be taken more seriously. Encouraged by the additional news that the bird had apparently been present the day before, the twitch was on!

The bird strode rather magnificently (if rather incongruously) around the fringes of the South Girder pool opposite South Hide (the one frequented by last year’s Black-browed Albatross!) and showed well until dusk. It was still there next day, strutting about in the pool although occasionally disappearing into the reeds, but easy to see for a considerable, and growing, crowd (or at least for those over 5’ 6”). It even performed the occasional short flight, confirming its wings to be fully grown and functional. It was actually a rather magnificent bird, truly enormous compared with nearby Moorhens, splendidly iridescent and purple in the sunshine and sporting dazzling white undertail coverts and brilliant red bill, eye, frontal shield and legs. It was still present on 2nd and presumably has the potential to linger for some time.

Western Purple Swamphen, RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk (© Steve Gantlett / www.cleybirds.com)

Variation in Purple Swamphens is significant, birds from the western Mediterranean being bright bluish-purple above but the many other forms (falling into five further groups) show a variety of plumage features including green-glossed upperparts (a feature of African birds) and grey around the head (a feature of those from South Asia and the Near East). Indeed so great is this geographical variation that a split of the generally recognised (e.g. by BWP) six subspecies groups into six species was proposed in 1998 in ‘Dutch Birding’ and is now adopted by IOC (but not by HBW/BirdLife). If split, western birds become ‘Western Purple Swamphen’.

With no debate to be had about the identity of the Minsmere bird, the focus is inevitably on its origin. Purple Swamphens have a well-established history of occurrence in Britain dating back to the nineteenth century but post-war birds have been found in Aberdeenshire in 1965, Cheshire in 1971, Norfolk and Nottinghamshire in 1978, Cumbria in 1997, Cambridgeshire in 1998 and Clwyd in 2010. Most of these were assigned to a subspecies other than nominate porphyrio - often South Asian poliocephalus - and were therefore near-certain escapes (most birds in captivity being of Asian origin). One or two were even traced back to particular collections.

Western Purple Swamphen, Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, (© Dennis Morrison)

Of these recent occurrences, the bird at Sandscale Haws, Cumbria on 23rd to 28th October 1997 was perhaps subject to the greatest scrutiny, its placing by BOURC in Category E of the British List documented in ‘British Birds’ in 2000. This paper noted that the bird showed a puzzling set of features from more than one subspecies i.e. African madagascariensis and one of the poliocephalus group. These mixed features (belonging to no particular subspecies) were judged to indicate a captive origin.

Western Purple Swamphen, RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk (© Pete Hines)

So what of the Minsmere bird? On the one hand, Purple Swamphens are kept and bred in both public and private collections. ‘Zootierliste’ (a listing of European public collections) notes thirteen locations keeping ‘West Mediterranean Purple Swamphens’ but none of these is in Britain. The same website lists three British public collections holding ‘Grey-headed Swamphens’ and two holding ‘Purple Swamphens’ of an unspecified form (though neither of the latter is anywhere near East Anglia and both report their birds to be present and correct). The species’ presence in any unlisted and private collections is of course less clear. Incidentally, Swamphens are apparently notoriously proficient at escaping, their strong bills enabling them to snip through wire with ease.

On the other hand, the Minsmere bird is of the ‘correct’ (i.e. western) form, shows no plumage or bare part damage, is fully-winged (apart from a gap in the secondaries in the left wing), can fly and carries no rings.

Western Purple Swamphen, RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk (© Jason Coppock)

But what of its dispersal abilities? BWP regards western Mediterranean breeders as declining and notes limited evidence of movement but such statements are now out of date. Western Purple Swamphen has in recent decades been recovering and expanding in Spain, partly naturally but also with the assistance of a reintroduction programme. It has also been spreading north and has nested in southern France since 1996. This population has done well though it suffered badly in the cold weather of February 2012. Since then, however, it has recovered once more. Even more significantly, wanderers are now being noted further north in France, as far as the Channel coast, indeed this year has seen a record number of such extralimital occurrences, mainly in the east and south-east of the country but also as far as Guidel, Morbihan, southern Brittany where a bird has been in residence for the latter part of July and was still present on 31st. Such French occurrences are apparently regarded as wild birds as long as they are of the western form.

There is therefore strong circumstantial evidence that the Minsmere bird could be a genuine vagrant and therefore a ‘first for Britain’. Certainly it presents a better set of credentials than any previous occurrence here. Given the species’ northward march (mirroring that of Glossy Ibises and the southern herons) is a vagrant Western Purple Swamphen in Britain actually almost inevitable? Could it even be a British breeding bird in another fifty years?

 

Least Sandpiper

The other big news of the week came literally in its dying seconds – a Least Sandpiper at Black Hole Marsh, Devon in the late evening of 2nd. This is of course still a top drawer rarity with fewer than forty records on the books and with none in Britain (as opposed to Ireland) since the bird on Tresco, Isles of Scilly on 4th to 15th October 2011. It is the sixth for Devon but only the second recent one, following the bird at South Milton Ley and Thurlestone in 2005. The other records comprise two singles on Lundy in 1966 and two nineteenth century records from Northam Burrows.

Least Sandpiper, Seaton, Devon, (© Timothy White)
Least Sandpiper, Seaton, Devon, (© Steve Waite)

 

Black Stork

Another wanderer from the near-continent was a Black Stork in flight over Ogston Reservoir, Derbyshire on 30th but unfortunately there has been no further sign of it.

 

Lingering megas

In the far north the American White-winged Scoter continued to bob away its summer in Aberdeenshire to at least 31st while at the opposite end of the country the Hudsonian Whimbrel was still at Perranuthnoe, Cornwall to 2nd and the Dalmatian Pelican still at Restronguet Creek, also Cornwall, to 31st before returning to the Hayle Estuary on 1st and 2nd.

Hudsonian Whimbrel, Perranuthnoe, Cornwall, (© John Nadin)
Hudsonian Whimbrel, Perranuthnoe, Cornwall, (© John Nadin)
Dalmatian Pelican, Hayle, Cornwall, (© Graham Megson)
Dalmatian Pelican, Lelant Saltings, Cornwall, (© Martin Cade / Portland Bird Observatory)

 

Further afield

In this week’s ‘Euronews’ a Greater Sand Plover in Cantabria, Spain on 31st (the country’s fourth) appears to be the same individual as that at Tacumshin, Wexford on 20th. In Sweden an Eleonora’s Falcon was photographed on 1st.

 

Seabirds

After last week’s surprise influx of rare and scarce seabirds things returned to normal this week. The best were several Wilson’s Petrels and a handful of Great Shearwaters at sea off Cork on 31st and a Wilson’s Petrel, eleven Great and five Cory’s Shearwaters and a Long-tailed Skua from a Scilly pelagic on 1st. A few other Great Shearwaters were seen - fifteen off a Scilly pelagic and a single off Lamorna, Cornwall, on 28th and another single thirteen miles south of Helvick Head, Waterford on 29th. Other single Cory’s were off Thurlestone, Devon on 27th and Porthgwarra, Cornwall on 28th with two off a Scilly pelagic the same day. A sudden surge of activity on 2nd, however, brought 26 Greats and 14 Cory’s to Porthgwarra, 5 Greats and 11 Cory’s to Great Skellig, Kerry and single Greats past Prawle Point, Devon and Lamorna, Cornwall.

Wilson's Petrel, Scilly pelagic, Isles of Scilly, (© Joe Pender)
Wilson's Petrel, Scilly pelagic, Isles of Scilly, (© Joe Pender)
Wilson's Petrel, Baltimore Pelagic, County Cork, (© Paul Connaughton / Shearwater Wildlife Tours)
Wilson's Petrel, Baltimore Pelagic, County Cork, (© Paul Connaughton / Shearwater Wildlife Tours)

Otherwise the only seabird interest involved a trickle of Balearic Shearwaters , all off Dorset, Devon and Cornwall apart from three further up-Channel off Dungeness, Kent on 27th and a single off Rhossili Bay, Glamorgan on 28th. The largest count was twelve off Start Point, Devon on 28th. Finally, the week’s only Pomarine Skua was off Truska, Galway on 2nd.

Great Shearwater, Scilly pelagic, Isles of Scilly, (© Joe Pender)
Cory's Shearwater, Scilly pelagic, Isles of Scilly, (© Joe Pender)

 

Ducks

New ducks this week included a drake Lesser Scaup at Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross on 30th and 31st which, thanks to its nasal saddle, was identifiable as the bird from Portugal in December 2013 (where the saddle was fitted) which then visited Powys in October 2014 and which was seen most recently in Clyde in May 2016. Also new (and doubtless destined to be controversial) was an eclipse drake Wood Duck at Lough Leane, Kerry on 30th. Back in Scotland the elusive and intermittent drake Black Duck was again at Loch Sunart, Highland on 2nd.

Lesser Scaup, Vane Farm RSPB, Perth and Kinross, (© Kris Gibb)

The seaducks were all lingerers - the drake King Eider at Murvagh, Donegal to at least 31st, up to two Surf Scoters at Murcar, Aberdeenshire to 2nd and the single still at Musselburgh, Lothian on 28th.

 

Herons, egrets etc.

This week saw something of a mini Cattle Egret influx with up to three birds at Stodmarsh/Grove Ferry, Kent on 30th and then perhaps two of these at Cley, Norfolk next day. The long-staying individuals remained at Tacumshin, Wexford to at least 31st and at Marshside, Merseyside to at least 1st whilst another was reported at Minsmere, Suffolk on 2nd.

Cattle Egret, Cley, Norfolk, (© Steve Gantlett / www.cleybirds.com)
Cattle Egret, Marshside Marsh RSPB, Lancashire and North Merseyside, (© Phil Birder)

The rarest heron, however, was still the male Little Bittern at Ham Wall, Somerset to at least 2nd. There were no reports of the long-staying bird at Old Moor, Yorkshire this week.

Great White Egrets featured prominently still as far north as the Midlands with ‘outliers’ at Conwy RSPB, Conwy still on 28th, Sandbach, Cheshire and Wirral on 29th, Leighton Moss, Lancashire on 1st and Hale, also Cheshire and Wirral, on 2nd.

Great White Egret, Branston, Staffordshire, (© Jonathan Woodcock)

Glossy Ibises were seen as follows - at Maghull and Marshside, Merseyside to at least 1st, Potteric Carr, Yorkshire also to at least 1st, Cliffe and Oare Marshes, both Kent, on 30th, and Bawtry, South Yorkshire and Newington, Nottinghamshire on 31st. In Ireland one was at Rogerstown, Dublin on 1st.

Glossy Ibis, Marshside Marsh RSPB, Lancashire and North Merseyside, (© Simon Knight)

White Stork reports came from Beddington, London to 2nd, Wallington, also London on 30th and Holmethorpe Sand Pits, Surrey, Arundel and Pulborough Brooks, Sussex and Bartestree, Herefordshire on 31st. Finally, the resident far-flung Common Cranes remained on Benbecula and North Uist, Western Isles to at least 28th and at Spiggie, Shetland to at least 1st.

White Stork, Beddington sewage farm, London, (© Arjun Dutta)
White Stork, Holmethorpe, Surrey, (© Neil Randon)
Common Crane, North Uist, Western Isles, (© Steve Duffield / www.western-isles-wildlife.co.uk)

 

Crakes

Up to two Spotted Crakes continued to be seen at Burton Mere Wetlands, Cheshire and Wirral to 2nd.

 

Raptors

The Wexford Black Kite was seen again on 31st, now near Bridgetown. Otherwise it was once again a story of Honey-buzzards , most notably a lingering bird in the Minsmere/Walberswick area, Suffolk all week but with others at East Midlands Airport, Leicestershire on 28th, Seaford, East Sussex and Stanford Reservoir, Northamptonshire on 30th and Thetford, Norfolk and Troon, Ayrshire on 1st.

Honey Buzzard, Dunwich, Suffolk, (© John Richardson)

 

Waders

This week’s best wader was last week’s Broad-billed Sandpiper , still at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire on 27th but not subsequently.

Broad-billed Sandpiper, Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire, (© Peter Garrity)
Broad-billed Sandpiper, Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire, (© Peter Garrity)

 

Temminck's Stint, Myroe, Co.Derry (© G Armstrong)

Next in the rankings, White-rumped Sandpipers were at Kilnsea, Yorkshire on 27th, Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire on 28th to 2nd and at Tacumshin, Wexford still to at least 31st.

Finally, a Temminck’s Stint was at Myroe Levels, Derry and a Red-necked Phalarope on Arran, Ayrshire on 31st with Pectoral Sandpipers at Low Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland still to 28th, Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire on 27th, Holland Haven Country Park, Essex on 27th and 28th, Alston Reservoirs, Lancashire (briefly) on 29th, the Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire on 31st to 2nd and Freiston Shore, Lincolnshire on 1st and 2nd.

 

 

White-rumped Sandpiper, Tacumshin, County Wexford, (© Cian Cardiff)
Pectoral Sandpiper, Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire (© Paul Sullivan)

 

Gulls

The two summering Bonaparte’s Gulls - the adult at Faversham, Kent and the first-summer at Ashington, Northumberland - were still in situ all week.

Bonaparte's Gull, Ashington, Northumberland, (© David Aitken)
Bonaparte's Gull, Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent, (© Anthony Williams)

As expected there was a good scatter of Caspian Gulls across the Southeast and the East Midlands with birds at Rainham Marshes, London, Holland Haven, Essex, Minsmere, Walberswick, Great Livermere and the Alde Estuary, all Suffolk, North Cave Wetlands, Kilnsea and Ingbirchworth, Langsett and Broadstone Reservoirs, all Yorkshire, Paxton Pits and Grafham Water, both Cambridgeshire, Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire, Shawell and Albert Village Lake, Leicestershire, Norton Disney, Lincolnshire and Stanwick Gravel Pits, Northamptonshire.

Caspian Gull, Walberswick, Suffolk, (© Sean Nixon)
Caspian Gull, Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, (© Dean Nicholson)

Less typical for the season were Iceland Gulls at Cork City, Cork on 29th, Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway on 30th and Mull, Argyll on 2nd.

Iceland Gull, Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway, (© Brian Henderson)

 

Terns

Last week’s Caspian Terns both made it into the new week. The Norfolk bird was still at Hickling on 27th but not thereafter although what was presumably the same bird resurfaced at Minsmere, Suffolk briefly on the afternoon of 31st, further adding to this famous site’s already amazing day. Further north, what was presumably last week’s Derbyshire/Yorkshire bird appeared briefly at Big Waters, Northumberland on 27th.

Caspian Tern, Big Waters Nature Reserve, Northumberland, (© Brian Bullough)

The Aberdeenshire White-winged Black Tern was at Cotehill Loch on 29th and then at Meikle Loch on 29th and 30th.

White-winged Black Tern, Meikle Loch, Aberdeenshire (© Gus Guthrie)

Away from breeding areas, Roseate Terns were at Whitburn, Durham and Gullane, Lothian on 31st and Port Seton, also Lothian on 1st.

 

Near-passerines and Passerines

Single Bee-eaters were at Aust, Gloucestershire and Musselburgh, Lothian on 31st but the only scarce or rare passerines were an Icterine Warbler trapped at Nethybridge, Highland on 28th and a juvenile Citrine Wagtail reported briefly at Minsmere, Suffolk on 31st - if confirmed, the earliest autumn juvenile ever recorded in Britain.

Icterine Warbler, Nethy Bridge, Highland and Caithness, (© Keith Duncan)

 

The weather for the coming week looks as though it will remain dominated by westerly winds with continuing moderately warm temperatures. Given the events of the last couple of weeks, predicting anything is a bit of a fool’s game but more rare waders are surely on the cards. British-bred Wheatears and Willow and Sedge Warblers are now appearing around our coasts but it looks as though we will have to wait a little for the first continental passerines. With first hint of an easterly flow, however, the first east coast Icterine Warbler won’t be too far away.

 

Andy Stoddart
3 August 2016

 

 

Many thanks to all contributors for the photos and videos this week.

Killian Mullarney, Paul Kelly, Cian Cardiff, Niall Keogh, Gerard Murray, Brian Mccloskey, Joe Pender, Peter Garrity, Oliver Mockridge, Reuben Veal, Mark Hipkin, Jim Hutchins, Jeff Hazell, Elliot Montieth, Sean Nixon, Graham Catley, Ron Marshall, John Pringle, Dean Nicholson, Brian Henderson.

Please note: we put a lot of time and effort into sourcing and and producing the images, videos and graphics for each roundup. Some of you (probably Apple users) may notice some photos etc. that appear to have incorrect captions. Please try refreshing the page as they are correcty captioned. If after a refresh they are still showing the incorrect captions then please email us

 

Contributors websites

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

freetrial-badge

 

 

Listen to our free fortnightly podcast now

Latest articles

article_thumb

Dancing grebes have record-breaking year on RSPB reserves

Black-necked Grebes, one of the rarest breeding birds in the UK, are dancing their way into nature lovers' hearts following their best year on record at RSPB nature reserves. More here >

article_thumb

Weekly birding round-up: 19 - 25 Mar

Jon Dunn looks back on the week's best birds from around Britain and Ireland. More here >

article_thumb

Rediscovering the world's largest cormorant

Standing around a meter tall, and weighing as much as 6.5 kilograms, the spectacled cormorant was the largest cormorant that ever lived. More here >

 

 

Contributors websites