Weekly birding round-up: 03 - 09 May 2017
..and still the wind blew…
At the start of last week’s review, the wind meandered around all over the place for a few days, staring off with conditions conducive to depositing further Nearctic rares, one of which we’ve become very familiar with already and the conditions suddenly slipped to warmer southeasterlies for a short spell before trundling merrily back to the northern quarter.
At the start of this week’s review period that wind was still lodging in the north (almost right on due north in fact) and as the isobars tightened in the first days of this week, the wind got brisker, fresher and colder too.
High pressure started to build over us all come the weekend and the chilly winds dropped but remained fixated with the northerly element. It did however stay largely dry across the whole of Britain and Ireland and those away from North Sea coasts enjoyed 20 degree temperatures, blue sky and wall to wall sunshine, with just occasional showers skirting the extreme edges of our various birding nations to spoil the fun.
Proceedings were a little on the slow side to begin with, given that coldness that wasn’t proving overly helpful but there was still a decent selection of avian entertainment on offer, not least in the Northern Isles of course…
North Ronaldsay has hosted some extraordinarily fine vagrants across the years, but it has only really been in the last two and a half decades that the pretty island at the top end of the Orcadian island chain has really started to grasp the more intrepid birders’ imaginations ~ whether by staying on the island at the Observatory or by twitching the increasing number of outstanding rarities found there.
Many birders’ first experience of the island was in June 1988 when the fine looking (though ultimately doomed) Pallas’s Rosefinch made for an irresistible double with the Hoy Needle-tail. Many went for the first twitchable examples in a generation of Yellow-browed Bunting in September 1992 and the male Spanish Sparrow in August 1993.
Breathtaking twitches followed in the 2000’s too ~ some managed to connect with the one-day Siberian Blue Robin in October 2001, more connected with both of the island’s vagrant Veery sightings (in the autumn of 2002 and the spring of 2015) and a host of folk trekked north for the super male Cretzschmar’s Bunting in September 2008. Add in a twitched Eye-browed Thrush in October 2009 (one of two seen on the island in the last eight years) and unavailable Black-billed Cuckoo and Lesser Kestrel, a largely ignored Short-billed Dowitcher, two Northern Harrriers and several more fine, fine really rare birds besides, then there’s no doubting the superb quality that can lurk within the three mile long island.
Added on to that exceptional list of outstanding rarities is, of course, the superb (first-summer) female Red-winged Blackbird that remained in and around the extensive iris bed at Garso, Easting through until the evening of 9th.
There still appears to be a degree of debate as to the provenance of this new Nearctic vagrant, the arguments over just how far a bird can travel on a boat being one of the key discussion points now (along with the vagrancy likelihood and other matters touched upon and talked about here last week).
It still feels as if the closest parallel to this particular new bird to Britain’s appearance is that of those April and May Cowbirds (again mentioned here in recently and listed again last week) ~ they may not be viewed as “conventional” vagrants (in the spring wood-warbler and thrush mode) but sometimes vagrants aren’t conventional and that’s what makes them all the more exciting.
Just because they don’t appear as high up on a list of potential vagrancy candidates as some would wish, it doesn’t mean that one can’t buck the trend and break the rules ~ one just has.
The historians amongst you would be interested in noting that the ground-breaking paper written by the late Chandler S. Robbins, “Predictions of future landbird vagrants to Europe” (British Birds; 73; 448-457, October 1980) placed Red-winged Blackbird in Group Two (of four) as the 12th most likely species to make it here (out of 38 species in all).
Five of the eleven species that were, statistically, more likely to make it to Britain and/or Ireland have done so (including Wood Thrush, Eastern Kingbird and Alder Flycatcher) while 11 of the species that lie below it have also appeared (including Blue-winged Warbler, Savannah Sparrow and Cedar Waxwing.
Other species listed both above and below have been recorded elsewhere within the Western Palearctic ~ Robbins was pretty accurate in his work and just because one took 37 years is, arguably neither here nor there; it was predicted and now that prediction (and the statistics) have finally been borne out.
Red-winged Blackbird will surely be yet another admission to the still-growing British List at some point in the next 12 to 18 months and all of the to-ing and fro-ing will be forgotten about. It’s a great looking bird on a beautiful island and it has made many men (and perhaps one or two women) very happy.
…at least I hope they’re happy…
Almost usurping the much-discussed 1st for Britain above was a bird which would carry no unseemly overtones (or undertones?) regarding modes of transport by which it reached our shores ~ the outstanding mainland discovery of a male Spectacled Warbler on the Slopes, not that far from the Bird Observatory at Portland during the afternoon of 8th was an absolute humdinger in all respects…
This was not only a first for this superb area of the southwest but also a county first and just the 9th record for Britain. We’re not too far away from the Silver Anniversary of the 1st British record, the hide & seek male at Filey from May 24th-28th 1992 but fortunately, when the few that have been seen here arrive they have a habit of hanging on, even the spring ones.
The spread of accepted Spectacled Warbler records is interesting ~ there are three May records prior to this week’s individual; the aforementioned Filey bird in ’92 (jumpers for goal posts in a 1st day dipping classic match) and others followed on May 10th 2008 in Suffolk and in May 2011 in Norfolk. There’s one April record (Britain’s second occurrence, at Landguard Point) in April 1997, two early June finds (in Devon in 1999 and Norfolk in 2014) with two autumn birds, on Scilly in October 2000 and, latest of all, on October 29th-30th 2011 at Needs Ore Point in Hampshire.
Portland’s superb Spectacled Warbler (males always are aren’t they?) was suitably just reward for all the local endeavour as the studies in and around the Obs., and endless hours of field work and logging and counting paid off.
Before moving away from the Americas, mention should be made of the unconfirmed, but pretty convincing sounding, male Slate-coloured Junco seen feeding and singing for a day in a garden at Petersfield (Hampshire) on 2nd.
It will be interesting to see if there’s enough evidence supplied to the Rarities Committee to add this one to the ever-increasing list of May records, but it seems a decent bet at the mo.
There was no quibbling over the second report of the week, when a new male Junco was located at the farm on Skomer (Pembrokeshire) around lunchtime on 8th ~ a huge Welsh rarity, just one previous record in the Principality to date, found on Bardsey on April 25th 1975 (where it stayed for nine days).
This is perhaps the classic North American spring passerine vagrant, just over half of all our accepted records have come in May, 23 to date (excluding this week’s two). There have been three different Junco records to date in Hampshire, including the returning bird at Church Crookham between May 1987 and March 1990. He made two appearances in consecutive Mays and another was found at Picket Piece on May 5th 1996.
Drawing more of a crowd than the aforementioned Icterid on the Orkneys was the exquisite adult male Pallid Harrier in the Whitendale Valley, near Dunsop Bridge (Lancashire) throughout the week, until 9th.
No one has yet complained that the long walk there and back has been anything other than being wholly worthwhile as this mesmerising beauty continued to sky-dance and collect nesting material to his heart’s content.
Male Pallid Harriers in display mode remain an exceptional occurrence and event here, just two (that we know of) prior to this ~ the first was a presumed second-summer male that spent three days near Aberfeldy, in Perthshire, displaying to a female Hen Harrier in early May 1993. The much twitched and much admired second-summer male in the Durkadale area of Mainland Orkney was on site from April 18th until the end of June 1995 and was an unsuccessful breeder with another female Hen.
The Bowland bird has definitely captured the imagination of many birders and hopefully, despite the notoriety of the area that he currently calls home, he and any other harriers in the area will remain safe and birders, along with the RSPB, will be policing the site in case of anything illegal taking place…
…sadly the threat of that in this particular area is as high as almost anywhere else in the country…
Also, whilst we’re on Pallid Harrier duty, it has transpired that there were two first-summers noted over Blakeney Freshmarsh on May 2nd. The first was the bird that headed east and then back west just after 9am; the new bird, a rather scruffy individual by comparison appeared over the southern side of the freshmarsh, at Friary Hills at around 1245, circling and then drifting off south. No single mainland site has ever managed two Pallid Harriers on the same day and only Shetland has managed two birds in the same area before, in late August 2015 when two were noted around south Mainland.
Even though we’re waving goodbye to the tickability (for a while) of the rather attractive dark-rumped Hudsonian Whimbrel it remains a cracking rarity to encounter (despite that ultra-length stayer in Cornwall).
This week saw the brief appearance of a new bird in Ireland, seen at White’s Marsh before heading towards Clogheen (Co. Cork) on 5th ~ to date there are only three acceptances across the nation; the first was seen in Kerry, at Tralee in October 1957, the second came and spent a day a Tacumshin in Wexford in September 1980 and then came Cork’s first, that spent six days at Mizen Head in September 2011. (Another was reported in flight from Tralee in December 2015).
Another exceedingly rare shorebird in Ireland is Marsh Sandpiper and many birders there would have been more than a little interested in the Saturday morning news of one new on the Swords Estuary (Co. Dublin).
A new county bird, it is only the fifth Irish record ~ Wexford has three of the previous four, at Tacumshin in August 1982 and August 1984 with two juveniles seen at the North Slob in August 1994. The only other record comes from Cork, where another August bird was seen on the Great Island for a day in 1999.
A gap of almost 18 years will have made this Marsh Sandpiper a very popular Marsh Sandpiper indeed, even more given the presence across both days of the weekend and on to 8th.
May is a decent time for this most elegant shorebird vagrant, 25 acceptances from 139 in all through the month, but this week’s Dublin bird is the first May occurrence anywhere since 2008.
Still performing to anyone who wanted to make the long trip north to Argyll & Bute was the male Pied-billed Grebe who remained on the waters of Loch Feorlin, near Minard through until 3rd.
After a quiet week or two for those magnificent banana-bills, the new review period kicked off with no less than five different White-billed Divers recorded on 3rd.
— Birdy (@GeoffBirdy) May 7, 2017
Now that it has few folk to perform to, the most popular of the quintet of summer attired crackers was the adult that lingered in the harbour at St. Margaret’s Hope, South Ronaldsay (Orkney) throughout the week. To the north, another was seen heading north past Esha Ness, Mainland (Shetland) while island birds to the far west were seen on the Outer Hebrides, at Eoligarry, Barra and Port Skigersta, near Port Nis, Lewis. The only mainland bird was one seen again at Lossiemouth (Moray) and that one was in place to 7th.
The sixth bird of the week was the adult found near North Nest, at Kirkabister, Mainland (Shetland) on 5th and the same date saw a mirror-image of another Shetland bird from last week, another White-billed Diver was noted heading north off Flubersgerdie, Unst. Back on the Scottish mainland, another was seen off the coast again at Cullen (Moray) on 6th while birders on North Ronaldsay on 8th-9th saw two linger off the island. The final one of the week was seen from Tory Island (Co. Donegal) on 9th.
Pomarine Skuas were still on the move through the week, though numbers were down on last week. Some 177 birds were logged across 13 British and Irish counties this week, with the south coast of England having the strongest showing once again. At least 45 were seen in Kent, most off Dungeness including 14 on 5th, 11 on 6th and 12 on 7th. Dorset birders counted at least 38, with 17 off Portland Bill on 6th with a flock of 12 seen from Burton Bradstock and Chesiul Cove the same day. In West Sussex, 17 of the 22 in all were recorded from Selsey Bill on 6th while further double figure flocks included 13 from St. Catherine’s Point (Isle of Wight), also on 6th, 10 from Kilmore Quay (Co. Wexford) and 12 off Fife Ness (Fife) all on 7th.
Others were seen from Cornwall and Devon, through to Bardsey, Lancashire and Ayrshire on the west side of the country (half a dozen seen this week off the Welsh island) while back on the south coast, East Sussex and Hampshire managed just 15 Poms between them.
On Scilly, two species of rare heron-types kicked the new week off with style ~ the female Little Bittern continued to perform on Lower Moors, St. Mary’s all week and an adult Night Heron was in the same general area of the island until 9th.
Three further Night Herons were seen at the start of the new week, a second-summer remained at Castlebay, Barra (Outer Hebrides) until at least 7th (with two again on 9th) and adults were still at Adare (Co. Limerick) to 4th and near Shrewsbury (Shropshire) to 9th.
A Purple Heron arrived at Bosherton (Pembrokeshire) on 6th and was followed by two in Cornwall on 8th; at Marazion and along the beautiful river valley at Tresillian. Two new birds completed the week, dropping in to Tralee Wetlands (Co. Kerry) and Goodwick (Pembrokeshire) on 9th ~ a huge rarity in the Irish county.
Dropping again in number were Cattle Egrets but there were still at least 58 birds recorded in 14 British and Irish counties this week. Somerset was again the focus of all the action with at least 17 at Meare Heath on 5th (there may be others around the Levels too). The southwest region managed 20 birds in all, 18+ in Somerset, three for Devon and two for Dorset (Cornwall drawing a blank).
Ireland held on to 15 birds, including 11 still at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford) on 7th and in Wales, a flock of eight were still at Ynyslas (Ceredigion) on 6th (with five still in the area the next day).
Elsewhere in England, only 11 others were seen, including five in the Midlands and three for the northwest.
The week began with a couple of Glossy Ibis still at favoured locations in East Anglia and Scotland; last week’s new arrival in Ayrshire was at Beith only to 3rd while the two Breckland birds remained at Mickle Mere SWT (Suffolk) to 7th and at Lakenheath Fen RSPB reserve (Suffolk/Norfolk border) until 7th. In the southwest of England, at least one bird was still on the Somerset Levels through until at least 7th and new arrivals were found on 7th at Loch of Kinnordy RSPB (Angus), on 8th at Radipole Lake RSPB (Dorset) and on the 9th at Trimley Marshes SWT (Suffolk). Also on 9th, the first news of the wintering bird that has spent weeks and weeks at Cossington Meadows LWT (Leicestershire).
Around 50 Spoonbills were seen through the week including a flock of eight at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancashire) on 4th while a group of five were seen around Potter Heigham Marshes (Norfolk) on 7th. Also on 7th, a flock of three were seen coasting over Filey (North Yorkshire) and then Flamborough Head (East Yorkshire).
Numbers of Great White Egrets were holding steady on the 40+ mark again this week, birds widely spread across England with others in Wales and Scotland, including two over Loch Leven (Perth & Kinross) on 5th. Two groups of three were noted, still at Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset) and R0msey (Hampshire) to 7th.
The little run of roaming single Common Cranes continued through much of this latest round-up period; on 3rd lone birds were at St. Osyth (Essex), Old Moor RSPB and then Potteric Carr YWT (South Yorkshire), Little Woolden Moss (Greater Manchester) and also still near Loch of Spiggie, Mainland (Shetland). New on 4th was a bird around Dungeness RSPB (Kent) with another at Pilling Moss (Lancashire) on the same date (hot-foot from Little Woolden presumably) and in Nottinghamshire, one flew over Langford Lowfields RSPB on 5th. Further English birds included one over Pevensey (East Sussex) and two at Sandwich Bay (Kent) on 7th, one over Tilbury (Essex) on 8th with 11 on the Nene Washes (Cambridgeshire) on 9th.
Three Cranes were seen over Papa Westray (Orkney) on the evening of 4th (could they have been from Aberdeenshire?) and they then loomed large over Noss, Shetland the following day. There seems like every chance that these three then teamed up with the bird on south Mainland on 5th, when four were seen at Loch of Spiggie (then the following day they were seen heading north over Channerwick). Further south was a lone bird at Lamb Holm (Orkney), also on 5th and further south again were a second Scottish trio, seen near Scourie (Highland) on 6th. A lone Scottish bird was then noted at Mersehead RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway) on 8th.
Duff White Storks roamed Cambridgeshire and Norfolk and that was that really in terms of these impressive beasts.
Finally, a singing Corncrake was reported from Nosterfield LNR (North Yorkshire) on 5th and then Marsh Lane NR (West Midlands) the following day.
His quackiness the drake Black Duck was still in Highland, at Strontian to 6th…
Not in any hurry to depart his favoured wintering ground in the garden of England was the drake Ring-necked Duck at Dungeness RSPB (Kent) ~ he was there through until 4th and was the only species representative recorded this week.
Kicking off the world of all things carolinensis was the drake seen at Exnaboe, Mainland (Shetland) on 4th ~ it may even be the same drake that has been lurking in parts of south Mainland for at least three weeks now. Also on 4th was the week’s only other record, still near Port Nis, Loch Stiaphabat, Lewis (Outer Hebrides) and he remained to 8th. A new arrival was noted at Guardbridge, on the Eden Estuary (Fife) on 7th.
Still holding the fort for the regal element of all things seaduck was the drake King Eider, he remained at Whiteness Head (Highland) to 8th.
There’s another west coast Broad-billed Sandpiper to report upon this week, found on the Isle of Man, at Derbyhaven on the morning of 6th ~ a new species for the Irish Sea island ~ and the bird was in place to 8th.
The two Black-winged Stilts remained around Simpson’s Field, Tresco (Scilly) until at least 5th (and one there on 7th) while on the east side of the Fenland washes, three birds (at least one a male) remained at Welney WWT (Norfolk) until 4th with two still around on 5th. At the other end of the county, two more Black-winged Stilts dropped in to the increasingly popular wetland area at Potter Heigham Marshes on 5th ~ this place is on for a biggie any day now and these two remained to 9th. Also on 5th, one was again noted on the Ouse Washes RSPB (Cambridgeshire) and new on 7th were singletons at Northwick Warth (Gloucestershire) and West Moor, Hambridge (Somerset). Finally, new on 9th was the loner at Pennington Marshes (Hampshire) and two that dropped in at the marshes at Burnham Norton (Norfolk) before departing to the east.
The Norfolk Broads are enjoying a purple patch at the moment and not long after the Stilts arrived at Potter Heigham, a female Kentish Plover was seen from a boat on Swim Coots, Hickling Broad NWT on 5th and remained to 6th.
It was quiet start to the week for Temminck’s Stint ~ two remained at the Newport Wetlands (Gwent) until 9th and then came news of single birds still at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) and new at Ouse Washes RSPB (Cambridgeshire), both noted on 5th. The first day of the weekend saw another inland bird arrive at Rutland Water (Leicestershire) and new on the final day of the weekend were lone birds at Rye Harbour NR (East Sussex) and Sea Palling (Norfolk). Another Norfolk bird was found near King’s Lynn on 8th and the 9th saw one madke landfall at Abberton Reservoir (Essex).
It was quiet start to the week for Temminck’s Stint ~ two remained at the Newport Wetlands (Gwent) until 9th and then came news of single birds still at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) and new at Ouse Washes RSPB (Cambridgeshire), both noted on 5th. The first day of the weekend saw another inland bird arrive at Rutland Water (Leicestershire) and new on the final day of the weekend were lone birds at Rye Harbour NR (East Sussex) and Sea Palling (Norfolk). Another Norfolk bird was found near King’s Lynn on 8th and the 9th singles make landfall at Abberton Reservoir (Essex), Trimley Marshes RSPB (Suffolk) and Pitsford Reservoir (Northamptonshire).
Another island trio were on Papa Westray (Orkney) on 6th with a mainland threesome at Boulmer (Northumberland) and a Shropshire duo on the Long Mynd all on the same day. The largest group of the day was half a dozen over Sheringham (Norfolk). The second day of the weekend began with two Dotterels over Havergate Island (Suffolk) and another two at Garreg Lwyd (Carmarthenshire). Three were found at the traditional stopover spot of Pendle Hill (Lancashire) and another trio appeared at the summit of Foel Grach (Conwy) the same day.
Further Conwy Dotterels on 7th were the five at Drum and a trip of eight were seen at Buttermere (Cumbria) as well. A cool east coast Monday saw a lone bird drop in to Horse Shoe Point (Lincolnshire) and four were found at another favoured site, the expansive fields at Choseley (Norfolk) with a further eight Welsh birds noted the same day; three arriving at Pen y Boncin Trefeilw (Powys) and five now on the summit of Foel Fras (Gwynedd). The Choseley trip went up one on 9th and four were found at Ingleborough (North Yorkshire).
Still in place in Scotland was the first-winter American Golden Plover at Monreith (Dumfries & Galloway) on 6th.
The second Pectoral Sandpiper within a week or so was located on the Outer Hebrides, at Port Nis, Lewis on 4th and it was still there through until 7th.
The new week began with a report of the first Whiskered Tern of the year, mentioned as having headed east over the pits at Attenborough NR (Nottinghamshire) on the morning of 3rd. If submitted and accepted, it will become the fifth record for the East Midlands county, and the first since an April adult in 2012.
In Ireland, Cork’s Gull-billed Tern remained in to the new week, seen flying over White’s Marsh, Clonakilty on 4th and was noted again in the same area on 6th.
New on 9th and new to London was an adult Laughing Gull that loafed around the Thames and Rainham Marshes RSPB.
After the remarkable half dozen records last week, we’re dropped a touch to four remnant 1st summer Bonaparte’s Gulls through the last seven days; still in the neighbouring counties of Dorset and Hampshire, at Longham Lakes and Blashford Lakes HWT and also again at Farmoor Reservoir (Oxfordshire), all on site on 7th. Another reappearing bird was back at Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 9th.
Whether one of the others went walkabout and headed to Somerset is pure guesswork (until someone analyses a few photos) but the appearance of a 1w at Portbury on 6th was exciting whatever ~ only the sixth record for the southwestern county, all of them coming since 2001.
A new first-summer Ring-billed Gull was found on a ploughed field near Ynyslas (Cerdigion) on 3rd (and again on 5th-8th) and the second new bird, of the same age, was found at Loch of Hillwell, Mainland (Shetland) on 5th-7th. Another first-summer in situ at Tralee Bay Wetlands (Co. Kerry) early in the week and remained until at least 8th and the same date saw another Irish youngster noted on the Swords Estuary (Co. Dublin) and a Scottish 1w was at Ullapool (Highland) too.
Falling by over half this week was Iceland Gull, only 21 seen across 13 British and Irish counties. Scotland held a dozen, five of them on the Hebrides and four were on Shetland. England managed six birds in total and Ireland just three.
Glaucous Gulls fell too, only 21 birds noted in 10 British and Irish counties; Scotland hosted 16 of those, inlcuding four in Highland and the Hebrides. England managed three and Ireland and Wales logged one each.
One of the biggest attractions in East Anglia, in the early part of the week at least, was the immature White-tailed Eagle that has been loafing around the region for several days now ~ this week it appeared at Buckenham Marshes RSPB (Norfolk) on the afternoon of 3rd and looked suitably impressive too.
The following day the bird was a bit more mobile, appearing at Cantley Marshes RSPB as well as Buckenham (incidentally, it transpired that it had spent the 2nd at Cockshoot Broad as well). Before you knew it though, the bird was back in Suffolk, seen on 5th heading over Kings Ferry, near Felixstowe and was then located at Botany Bay RSPB, near Snape on 8th and near Falkenham and Trimley the following day.
Two new first-summer male Red-footed Falcons kicked things off at the start of the new week, seen at Thorne Moors NNR (South Yorkshire) on 3rd and around the Top Fields, Portland (Dorset) on 4th eventually heading back out to sea when it was lost to view. The third new bird this week, a female, was at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB (Cambridgeshire) on 5th and another female followed on 6th, ‘in-off’ near Hill Head (Hampshire).
The same day saw a northern male logged at Tyninghame (Lothian) and a second Celtic bird on 6th was the adult male by Anglesey’s Alaw Estuary and he remained to 7th when another adult male was (remarkably) trapped and ringed on the Calf of Man (Isle of Man).
The first Black Kite of the week was reported from Somerset, near Kingsdon on 4th and the second followed at Polgigga (Cornwall) on 5th with a third reported the same day over Brownsea Island (Dorset). More action came on 6th when another was noted in Kent, heading over Dover and again on 7th with another Kentish bird seen at Sandwich Bay.
It was nice to see the online tweet from the guardians of our Montagu’s Harrier that Norfolk’s pair, Roger and Sally, were reunited this week. Fingers crossed they’ll be as successful as they have been in recent years…
In East Yorkshire, the Blacktoft Sands RSPB female remained to 4th, a male was reported near Roos on 4th and a ringtail was reported from Poole Harbour (Dorset) on 5th. Another female-type in Dorset was seen at St. Aldhem’s Head on 7th and a female was at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) the same day with a Montagu’s or Pallid seen coming in off the sea at Bromwich Head (Hampshire) the same day. Also on 7th, two Honey Buzzards were noted over Sissinghurst (Kent).
Last of all, a late Gyr that was reported from Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 4th ~ just 21 of the near-580 acceptances have come in the month of May.
The new week began in exemplary fashion with the discovery of a showy, rather dashing singing male Western Bonelli’s Warbler not far from the Standing Stones on Lower Moors, St. Mary’s (Scilly) on 3rd ~ and he remained (obliging all interested parties) through to 7th.
Up until the end of 2015, there had been 23 records of bonelli around the island chain, but only two of those have been spring birds; one spent six days across the end of April and in to May 2000 on St. Agnes and at the very same time, a second bird spent a day on Bryher (on May 2nd). Nationally, there are just five April records and 13 for May (dating from 2015 back to the first for the month in 1961).
And we can add another May record to the list above and the Scilly bird ~ a second singing male was found this week, at Three Castles Head, Mizen (Co. Cork) on 5th-6th; this is the Irish county’s first spring record, there are eight accepted records to date in Cork, all logged between the end of August and the end of October. It is also the first-ever spring record for Ireland.
It is interesting to note, as has been touched on here previously, that three of the seven accepted Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler records here have fallen between April 26th and May 3rd, so there was no surprise to see due diligence employed with this week’s super Scilly and Cork finds.
Also new to the year, and a damn fine find too, was the first Great Reed Warbler for 2017 ~ appearing at Belvide Reservoir (Staffordshire) on 4th. As mentioned at the very end of last week’s review, there have been 10 previous records for the week we find ourselves in and the northwest Midlands bird this week was only the second-ever for Staffordshire, the first and only occurrence to date being a male at Barton GP in May 2007.
Even rarer (in county terms) was the Great Reed Warbler that arrived at Albert Village lake (Leicestershire) on 6th, only the third-ever and the first since 1976 when a September bird was seen at Stanford reservoir. Leicestershire’s first record was way back in 1963, spending a summer month near Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
Best of the lot, certainly in terms of being something of a show-off was the cracking singing male Great Reed Warbler (#3 for the week of course) that appeared at Landguard NR (Suffolk) on 7th ~ the 17th record for the East Anglia county, the 10th to appear there in May and the (give or take) 161st May record in all. He was still giving the big “gorra gorra chek chek eek eek” on 8th-9th as well.
The singing male Eastern Subalpine Warbler remained around the buildings at Scatness, Mainland (Shetland) until 3rd when a female Subalpine Warbler sp., was located at Skibberhoull, on Whalsay. The week’s second male Eastern Subalpine Warbler appeared on Skomer (Pembrokeshire) on 8th…
…while off the Scottish west coast, on Tiree, a male Western Subalpine Warbler was a nice discovery, found in the trees at Carnon Mor on 7th.
In Norfolk, the singing male Savi’s Warbler remained at Hickling Broad NWT to 9th, despite the cold nor’easterly blowing up his tail ~ looks like he’s there for a while to come. Down the coast in Suffolk, the Minsmere male was still on site until 9th as well.
The unusual spring migrant Pallas’s Warbler found at the end of last week remained on Brownsman, Farnes Islands (Northumberland) to 4th and off the Gwynedd coast, Bardsey’s second of the spring was found on the island on 7th and (remarkably) it turned out that this week’s ringed bird had been trapped at Spurn on October 11th last year ~ goodness knows where that’s been, wintering in Ireland maybe ~ and the same date saw a Yellow-browed Warbler making an exit through Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire).
Before moving away from WarblerWorld, there was news on 8th of a singing male Melodious Warbler at Llandudno (Conwy) ~ the first county record for almost exactly seven years.
Moving away from the warblers, other fine new passerines found on 6th which were both fresh for 2017 were a fascinating female ”Eastern” Stonechat out on Flamborough Head (East Yorkshire) ~ a bird thought to be most likely a Siberian and which remained in place to 9th; also discovered on 6th was the female Citrine Wagtail that arrived at Morfa Madryn NR (Conwy) ~ right on cue of course ~ the fourth county record, all of them since 2008.
Further springtime colour came courtesy of the Bee-eater that spent 20 minutes in trees at Reydon (Suffolk) on 3rd and another was briefer still at Grumbla, near St. Just (Cornwall) on 8th. There was a Red-rumped Swallow at Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire) on 3rd, the second came on 6th, seen flying over Portland (Dorset), the third over Grove Ferry NNR (Kent) on 8th and number four was seen heading over Landguard Point on 9th.
It hasn’t a blistering spring for Alpine Swifts so far this year but new ones were seen during the early morning of 5th at Pendeen (Cornwall) and then over Furnace Point (Kent) on 6th.
Bardsey, off the Gwynedd coast, was the first spot to host a Golden Oriole this week, one noted there on 3rd with another reported the same day at Whitburn (Co. Durham). Bardsey popped in a second for the week on 5th when one was seen on St. Agnes (Scilly). A second Scilly bird was on St. Mary’s on 7th.
The first couple of days of the week saw six Hoopoes being spread far and wide ~ a super padder for Blackbird twitchers remained on North Ronaldsay and another in the far north was still at Scousburgh, Mainland (Shetland). A Welsh one appeared on 3rd, seen at Afon Clewtr (Ceredigion), another appeared in the Bristol channel, on Lundy (Devon) and two birds were found in Cornwall, on the Lizard and also at Ruan Minor. Just before the weekend, another was reported, this one in Norfolk, at Ringstead while 7th saw the continuing presence noted of the singing male on Dursey Island (Co. Cork).
A bright and sunny though rather windy day in Norfolk on 4th brought with it a report of a male Red-breasted Flycatcher at Gramborough Hill, Salthouse, but there was apparently no sign of anything in a similar vein later in the day. Not that it took Norfolk long to provide an all together more obliging individual, a second male found within 24 hours at Holme on 5th and he was still on show through until 7th, proving extremely popular to boot.
An early Red-backed Shrike was new (to 2017) when found at Baltasound, Unst (Shetland) on 3rd. Nearby on the same day was a Wryneck, one of eight noted within the first two days of the week. Another Shetland bird was on Fair Isle on 3rd (with a dead bird found there on 4th) and the same date saw two arrive on North Ronaldsay.
The cool 4th saw lone Wrynecks appear at Reculver (Kent), Roughton (Norfolk) with two around the Spurn peninsula, near the Warren and also by the Bluebell, at Kilnsea while new on 5th was another at Spurn, two on Fair Isle (Shetland), two in east Norfolk, at Horsey and Potter Heigham and one in the west of the county too, at Holme. East Norfolk’s third within 24 hours was found at Waxham on 6th and the same day saw a further east coast bird arrive on Holy Island (Northumberland). New along the east coast on 7th (the 13th of the week) was a bird at Landguard NR (Suffolk) with #14 coming later in the day at Holme (Norfolk) ~ the fifth in the county this week and the second for the site. Another East Anglia bird on 7th was at Coveney Byall Fen (Cambridgeshire) and the southwest got in on the act with another at Dulverton (Somerset), also on 7th. The solid week for the species concluded on 9th with another new arrival on the south coast, at St. Catherine’s Point (Isle of Wight) and Norfolk’s sixth at Wiveton.
The year’s first Red-throated Pipit was discovered at Pendeen (Cornwall) on 5th while lone Richard’s Pipits in the far southwest were still at the Lizard (Cornwall) and new on St. Mary’s (Scilly) on 4thand 6th, then St. Agnes on 7th. In Dorset, a Short-toed Lark flew over Portland’s busy Top Fields on 3rd, one was found on the beach at Haroldswick, Unst (Shetland) on 6th and the third for the week was seen at Catton Moss (Northumberland) on 8th-9th.
Also on Lizard on 3rd was the still present singing male Serin and another songster was found at Ventnor (Isle of Wight) on 6th. Enjoying a good run of the species is Portland and one or two were noted there on 7th and another was found on the Lizard (Cornwall) on 8th.
Fair Isle’s unusual spring Little Bunting remained on the island until 8th while a new departing Great Grey Shrike was found at Dunnet Head (Highland) on 3rd, with the same date seeing the continuing presence of Dorset’s Hartland Moor bird too. The week’s third was again on Chobham Common (Surrey) on 5th.
Waxwings have now all but gone from our shores; after modest numbers right through until last week (some 450 or so), this week saw the total fall to 69 birds nationwide.
Ireland (0) ~ 0… Wales (0) ~ 0… SW (0) ~ 0… SE (0) ~ 0… EA (2) ~ single individual found at Gorleston on 8th joined by a second on 9th NE (6) ~ three seen in York on 8th Midlands (16) ~ seven seen in Leicester on 6th NW (20) ~ 14, the largest group of the week was in Greater Manchester, at Ardwick on 5th Scotland (25) ~ groups of seven in Aberdeen on 3rd and Grantown-on-Spey, Highland on 8th
We’re going (loosely) from north to south (with a bit of east and west too) this week as we roundup some of the best bits from around the Western P this week ~ first up in northern Finland were two first-winter Ivory Gulls that were seen on the ice at Porttipahta, Sodankylä on 6th.
There was some fascinating belated news from Sweden this week; a drake Green-winged Teal at Storavan, Norrbotten on April 16th has apparently been proven to be the regular male that has spent several winters in Dumfries & Galloway, at Caelaverock WWT. He was last mentioned for the Scottish site on April 2nd.
Big news from Denmark on May 4th was the country’s first Armenian Gull, seen and photographed at Grønningen; it certainly looked the part and means that the chances of the species becoming an addition to the British List have just taken a sizeable step up.
Baltic coasts and countries saw the arrival of Estonia’s eighth Purple Heron at Anstu kula, Anstia on 6th with the same date seeing a drake Black Scoter discovered at Pobierowo, the 9th national record. Also in Poland on 6th, a singing male Western Bonelli’s Warbler was found at Krynica Morska, Vistula Spit.
Two national megas were found in Austria at Seewinkel this week; on 5th the second Austrian Isabelline Wheatear appeared and on 8th came the 6th Great Black-headed Gull ~ now there’s a bird that I’d break the bank for in this country…
Further to the southeast, a White-tailed Plover was a standout bird in Romania, found at the Maxineni Fishpond, Corbu Nou on 7th.
The summering German (and sometimes Danish, sometimes Scottish, sometimes, English) adult Black-browed Albatross continued to do the business on Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein on 3rd-4th (and again on 7th-8th) ~ when’s the first departure to British waters coming this year then?
Dropping south again, in to the Netherlands where a male Rock Thrush was present around Den Helder, Noord-Holland on 4th-5th (within a short flight to the Norfolk coast…) and a photographed Lesser Spotted Eagle at Siddeburen, Groningen on 6th could be the 12th national record.
Out in the Atlantic, the Azores collected a great spring record of Upland Sandpiper on Mosteiros, São Miguel on 3rd while on the north African mainland, Algeria’s first-ever Pectoral Sandpiper was found at Constantine on May 1st.
We’re heading towards the nitty-gritty part of May and the old adage that the further you go in to the month, the better the birds become is one that everyone will be hoping is proved to be the case again this year (though how do you beat a British 1st? By getting another one I suppose…).
The very earliest indications are that there may be some decent conditions looming on the near-horizon as a run of southeasterlies is being predicted by the weather bods.
Variety is the spice of life as they say and the deeper we get in to this sometimes spellbinding month, the spicier the birding can become…
If you fancy your chances of finding a Red-footed Falcon head out (if the weather’s nice…) on 14th, 15th or 16th ~ those three dates alone have yielded over 40 accepted records (and that was when they were still a rarity, some 12 years ago).
The 14th has also proved fruitful for a few Black Storks, three noted in previous years on that date and other (generally) weather dependent options for this week can certainly include Thrush Nightingale (try and find on May 15th, there’ve been ten on that date alone) while should you fancy your chances of getting your initials on a Caspian Tern nip to the Norfolk Broads on 12th ~ four have been found on that particular date. Alan Tate SBGull shot http://www.aabirdpix.com/sbgc.jpg
May 12th also has some significance too for many of us birding 30 years ago ~ that was the date in 1987 when the marvellous pair of Slender-billed Gulls decided to make Cley their home for a few days…what a sight they were (the first of two pairs here of course).
We’re also drawing in to peak time for Rustic Bunting and there’d be no surprise if there was news of one or two of these next week, should the correct conditions prevail.
Upping the ante a touch, if that weather really does the business, how about another spring Isabelline Shrike? Get ‘em while you can of course as the landscape for these marvellous overshoots changes when Big Ben strikes the first big bong of 2018. There’ve been two records for the week we’re heading towards, in 1960 on Fair Isle and more recently, in Durham.
Rare shorebirds are an undisputed element of the scene at this time of year too, the even-money fancies a little wager on Greater Yellowlegs but more than a few would love a repeat of the female atrifrons Lesser Sand Plover that arrived at Rimac on May 11th 2002 (there’ve been just two records of this form and the Lincolnshire bird was the last, it’s been Mongolian Plovers from then on).
We’re missing rare crakes too right now, so a nice, showy (Norfolk!) Little or Baillon’s would go down very nicely ~ and either could be on the cards this week.
Outrageously rare Sylvias have a habit of occurring now too ~ Spectacled and Marmora’s have made themselves known (as we know from one of the above…) in the week ahead (one of the former, two of the latter) but many people’s attention could be drawn towards hoping another Moltoni’s Subalpine Warbler ~ this week two years ago saw identifiable males found on Blakeney Point and Fair Isle, on May 11th and 15th.
The Norfolk Moltoni’s followed 24 hours after the finest event in the county in many a long year, coming as it did hot on the heels of the astounding male Citril Finch in the dunes at Burnham Overy.
But its not all about birds from the south and east. Nearctic arrivals are very much en vogue right now and the week ahead has seen some American species of the highest order make landfall (via a boat no doubt…like I care…) including another Brown-headed Cowbird (a one-day wonder in Durham in 2010), a Shetland White-crowned Sparrow in 1977 and, best of all, our most recent Lark Sparrow, at Waxham in 1991.
If we’re looking for rarities that are almost predictable towards the mega end of the scale, it’s a no-brainer than to select two species with a proven track record for the week ahead…
First is Little Swift ~ weather permitting, we could be on for another one of these (its been a while) ~ four records in all for the week ahead, two on May 10th (both in 1998, in Cornwall and Cleveland) and two too for May 16th (again in Cornwall, this time in 1981 and also off the Wexford coast, on Great Saltee in 2002).
Finally comes Calandra Lark ~ we’ve been through the other “prime time” for these already but the week ahead is full of ‘em…seven in all, six of them on Scottish islands…
…four of those on Shetland and three of them on Fair Isle.
…but maybe the best of them all, the twitchable one on the Isle of May…
Don’t be surprised to see the words “Calandra Lark” and “Shetland” (and, most likely, “Fair Isle” appearing on a pager near you in the next seven days.
…and if it isn’t a beefy lark, then the weather suggests that Shetland is looking set fair to score big with something else in the next few days. Caspian Plover springs to mind…
Mark Golley
10 May 2017
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