Weekly birding round-up: 25 Apr - 1 May 2018
So that was the last week of April, that was. After a week that preceded it that lodged the hottest April day in 80 years, naturally the past week was a return to traditional form. Which meant a return to colder temperatures and April showers – a slight euphemism for the torrential rain that dropped on parts of southern England – and even a dusting of snow on higher ground.
So far so predictable. Our birds this week continued to defy glib predictability so, in addition to the anticipated southern overshoots, we had one or two more startling surprises…
I wonder what the odds are of not one, but two startling American Ardeidae being found in Britain in the course of just a few weeks in spring? Got to be pretty long, I’m thinking.
But nobody’s going to be complaining when, this week, hot on the heels of the Suffolk American Bittern Simon Hart MP found Pembrokeshire’s first Green Heron at the edge of a pond in his garden whilst mowing the lawn on 28th.
This was Pembrokeshire’s first record, and only the 8th for Britain, so this stunningly colourful and confiding individual was always going to be popular, not least thanks to the willingness of Mr Hart to open up his garden to all-comers. Visiting birders were treated to the sight of the Green Heron present still until 1st May, posing at close quarters and nailing newts and Rudd in the pond’s shallows – it has to be said, not the only Rudd to come to an abrupt end on a Tory watch this week…
It’s not the first for Wales – that honour going to the individual that spent a fortnight at Red Wharf Bay on Anglesey in November 2005 – but it is the first British example for almost a decade – the last being that which spent almost two months in the lush depths of Heligan (Cornwall) in late 2010, being last seen there on 1st December.
Those previous records have all been autumnal birds; a pattern mirrored, broadly, by our previous American Bitterns, which of course begs the question of whether both of these latest examples of their kind have been lurking, unnoticed, on this side of the Atlantic since last autumn. That’s the kind of hypothesis that makes me wonder whether we’ll get a hat-trick of rare Ardeidae this spring, and daydreaming about what that third species might be. It’s maybe time to start paying the local Grey Herons a bit more attention for something sporting unusually rufous thighs…
If spring records of either of the former rare species are unusual, they’re very much par for the course where Killdeers are concerned – indeed, it’s only midsummer and early autumn that’s generally drawing a blank where past records of this gorgeous stripy plover is concerned.
Not a great surprise then that one was found in Shetland on Foula on 25th. Shetland’s done pretty well for them as a whole lately – of the dozen birds seen in Britain and Ireland as a whole in the past decade, this latest sighting gives Shetland a quarter of all records nationwide.
Pushed down the headlines by another transatlantic long-legged beasty, the American Bittern was still to be seen in Suffolk this week at Carlton Marshes SWT until 28th, but not thereafter…
…until 1st, when it was seen there once more, surprising nobody. It feels like this bird could be settled in there for the long haul.
Also bobbing in and out of the news this week was the American White-winged Scoter off Musselburgh (Lothian) – not reported daily, but still present on 1st, this handsome drake continues to do a star turn for anyone who’s yet to catch up with the species in Britain.
White-billed Divers in northern Scotland continued to be a potent spring draw this week – starting at Portsoy (Aberdeenshire) where, on 25th, three birds were still to be found with a duo off there on 26th-29th, and one still present on 30th; Moray sightings came from Burghead again on 25th and off Lossiemouth on 26th-1st, while the week’s peak sighting came at sea off Buckie on 29th where 14 birds were logged; one remained off Barra (Western Isles) still on 28th-30th, and a single bird was seen in Ireland from Tory Island (Co.Donegal) on 28th-29th. On 30th one was off Unst (Shetland) and, in Orkney, one was off North Ronaldsay that day also.
A further trickle of Pomarine Skuas were on the move – in the English Channel, Portland (Dorset) had two past on 25th and another duo on 1st, and singles on the intervening 26th, 27th and 29th; Splash Point (East Sussex) logged two on 27th and a singleton on 28th; Hope’s Nose (Devon) returned a single bird on 27th; and Dungeness (Kent) two on 29th. Further north, duos were off Bowness-on-Solnay (Cumbria) on 25th-26th, and on 28th in Lancashire two were seen from Starr Gate and a single bird off Rossall Point. On 1st the first had made it to Scotland, being seen off Saltcoats harbour (Ayrshire) in the early morning and Lossiemouth (Moray) in the evening, while back in Cumbria Bowness-on-Solnay logged six birds in the early afternoon.
Flirting with the headlines, but not quite making the grade due to the possible qualifier, was a possible Black-browed Albatross seen from Great Saltee Island (Co.Wexford) heading towards Hook Head in the early evening.
While birds in Pembrokeshire and Suffolk deservedly stole the show this week, there were still plenty of other points of long-legged interest to be seen elsewhere nationwide.
The previous week’s Cornish Purple Heron remained at Marazion Marsh RSPB on 25th, with a further first-summer bird found at Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire) on 25th-1st, and another seen in Ireland at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 28th.
Reports of Cattle Egrets dried up almost entirely this week – to the point where we’re back into reporting specifics rather than broad-brush figures. One lingered at Denge Marsh (Kent) on 25th-28th; two birds were at Iford Brooks (East Sussex) on 28th; and on 29th single birds were noted at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB (Cheshire) and Freckleton Naze Pool (Lancashire). On 1st one was in Dorset at Swineham.
Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset) once more accounted for the week’s highest single site tally of Great White Egrets - five birds being present there on 29th – from a national weekly score of around 80 birds once again.
Some 30 Spoonbills were reported this week, once again mainly comprising single birds or duos with the exception being a flock of six seen in Kent over Dungeness and Lade on 29th.
A couple of familiar Glossy Ibises returned to the news this week – these being the pair still at East Coast NR (Co.Wicklow) on 27th-29th, one of which was still there on 30th – with a further Irish sighting coming in the form of the individual still at Cahore (Co.Wexford) on 25th. One was present at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 25th-26th; an unconfirmed report of one over Regents Park (London) on 26th would have been an excellent London record; one was noted in Staffordshire at Lapley on 26th, while on 27th one remained at Berney Marshes RSPB (Norfolk); and on 29th one was touring around Northumberland, being noted on Holy Island and at Druridge Bay and Cresswell Pond NR before settling at Druridge Pools NR on 30th. On 1st one was seen over Arne RSPB (Dorset).
Another good London record, if confirmed, would have been the possible Black Stork seen over Clerkenwell in the morning of 26th. White Storks meanwhile continued to cause heads to be scratched this week as to their provenance… Hampshire sported the recent Dutch-ringed bird on 25th-29th at various locales; while on 25th one was noted on the Isle of Wight at Yarbridge and another was present at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB (Cambridgeshire). The latter bird was there again on 30th-1st; a metal-ringed bird was at Ouse Fen RSPB on 30th also. The new month began with further sightings on 1st – one seen over Canford Heath and Stoborough (Dorset); in Gloucestershire one noted over Slimbridge WWT; and in Derbyshire one seen over Ogston reservoir.
Wandering Common Cranes were once again a feature this week – two were reported on Orkney at Deerness on 25th; on 25th-26th four birds were seen at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire), with four seen on 29th at Cruden Bay; on 26th two were noted at Wicken Fen NT (Cambridgeshire); and on 27th two were at Hoveringham GPs (Nottinghamshire).
Finally, a Spotted Crake was heard at Porth Hellick on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 29th-30th.
Times were getting increasingly quiet and peaceful in the Rarity Round Up duckpond this week, with just one goose of note on the margins – what was presumably the white morph Snow Goose seen the previous week in Cheshire noted this week in Lancashire with Pink-footed Geese at Marshside RSPB on 29th-1st.
In Shetland, the recently and intermittently seen drake American Wigeon was noted again at Scatness on 25th and Toab on 28th.
A Green-winged Teal at Land’s End (Cornwall) on 25th was followed on 27th-28th by one at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) and a further bird reported on 28th on Oronsay (Argyll & Bute). On 1st one was seen briefly at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire).
Before we leave Frampton, however, we need to at least mention the drake Wood Duck present there this week on 25th-29th… Were that, say, a Green-winged Teal at this time of year, to pick an entirely random example, we wouldn’t be batting an eyelid, would we? But because it’s a Wood Duck it’s probably just better to assume it’s of suspect origin. Mind you, there’s an escaped female Bufflehead still lobbing around Nottinghamshire this week that suggests that a note of caution is perhaps advisable with records of highly ornamental wildfowl on the British mainland after all.
(Consistency? Ha! What consistency?)
The drake Ferruginous Duck was still in Powys this week at Llan Bwch-llyn Lake on 25th-27th.
Numbers of Ring-necked Ducks meanwhile nosedived this week, with just four lingering drakes to report: in England at Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland) on 25th-1st and Woodhall Spa Airfield NR (Lincolnshire) again on 30th; and across the water at Lough Yganavan (Co.Kerry) again on 25th and at Quoile Pondage NR (Co.Down) still on 29th.
At Ythan Estuary to see the King Eider yesterday.
— David McNee (@DavidMcNee3) May 1, 2018
He seems to have his eyes on a local girl but her partner and his mates aren't very happy about it pic.twitter.com/qmahGJ3kD3
Just two drake Surf Scoters made up this week’s showing of that species – one sharing Musselburgh (Lothian) still with his rarer cousin on 25th-29th and, in Ireland, one off Ballyvaughan (Co.Clare) on 27th.
Meanwhile in Aberdeenshire the drake King Eider remained on the Ythan Estuary on 25th-30th.
Finally, another showing by our regular honorary waterbird – the male Pied-billed Grebe once more seen this week in Argyll & Bute at Loch Feorlin on 28th.
Once again this week we start the shorebirds with an American Golden Plovers - a first-summer was at Cley (Norfolk) on 26th.
A Pectoral Sandpiper was in Devon on 1st at South Huish Marsh.
Black-winged Stilts promisingly remained in the news this week, with a modest scatter of sightings to report – in Norfolk, one was still at Potter Heigham on 25th-1st, with another sighting coming from Hickling Broad NWT on 27th; the bird remained in West Sussex at Pulborough Brooks RSPB on 25th; on 28th-29th one was at Eldernell (Cambridgeshire); and on 29th one returned to Cliffe Pools RSPB (Kent). On 30th one was in Devon at Exminster Marshes RSPB, while on 1st one was in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh RSPB.
A single Dotterel was at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 27th-30th; three more possible birds were reported from near the summit of The Cheviot (Northumberland) on 27th; on 30th three were found on Anglesey at South Stack RSPB, with two present on 29th-30th at Myroe Levels (Co.Derry). On 1st a decent trip was discovered in East Yorkshire – 16 birds found at Swinefleet.
Rarest of this week’s gull offerings was the first-winter Laughing Gull still present on St Martin’s (Scilly) on 26th-30th; another possible bird was reported from Woolacombe (Devon) on 25th.
In Dorset the smart Bonaparte’s Gull was looking dead gorgeous still this week at Longham Lakes on 25th-28th and again on 1st while, in Devon, the wintering regular adult was in resplendent summer attire at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB on 27th-1st.
A first-summer Ring-billed Gull was found in Highland on 30th at Ullapool.
Numbers of white-wingers remained low and falling across Britain and Ireland this week, comprising some 40 Glaucous and 50 Iceland Gulls in all. On North Ronaldsay (Orkney) the juvenile Kumlien’s Gull was again seen on 26th-1st with a second-winter bird noted on South Uist (Western Isles) on 25th.
The week began with the ringtail Pallid Harrier still quartering Norfolk, being seen at Horsey Gap still on 25th and Barton Broad on 26th, but with sightings thereafter she appears to have moved on.
A male Montagu’s Harrier was noted in Dorset near West Compton on 29th.
A dark morph Honey Buzzard was reported from Lathbury (Buckinghamshire) on 26th.
Numbers of Black Kites fell away again this week, with just a scatter to report upon – birds seen at Abbotsley (Cambridgeshire) on 25th and, on 26th, over South Norwood CP (London) and Camborne (Cornwall).
Our good late winter showing of Snowy Owls continued to deliver this week, with birds seen on Scottish islands a treat for the residents – one was on Orkney at Birsay moors on 27th, and a female was on St Kilda (Western Isles) on 29th – and then, on 1st, an accessible mainland bird once more in Lincolnshire, a first-winter female at Frampton Marsh RSPB.
We’ll kick off the passerines this week with Red-rumped Swallows - as predicted in the closing moments of last week’s Round Up, the last week of April is prime time for these charming and pretty hirundines to be found in Britain and Ireland and so, despite perhaps unpromising weather, it proved to be this week. Two birds remained at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 25th, with one still present there on 27th-29th; in East Yorkshire one was seen at Hornsea Mere on 25th and 29th, and at Kilnsea on 26th again; elsewhere on 26th birds were seen at Rainham Marshes RSPB (London) and East Chevington NWT (Northumberland) – the latter bird being seen there again on 29th also; one at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 27th had risen to two birds present on 28th-29th and back to a single bird there on 30th; on 28th birds were logged at Snettisham (Norfolk) and Hanningfield reservoir (Essex), with one seen on 28th-30th at Nazeing GPs (Essex) also; on 29th-30th one was at Belvide reservoir (Staffordshire) and, on 29th, another was on St Agnes (Scilly) with it, or another, also noted on St Mary’s on 29th-30th. On 30th one was over Beesands Ley (Devon); on 1st Foula (Shetland) concluded a good week for the island with the week’s most northerly sighting.
Just the one Alpine Swift was reported in the closing hours of the week – one at Compton (Hampshire) on 1st.
Moving onto the warblers, ringers were getting to grips with Iberian Chiffchaffs this week, with several candidates trapped and ringed – a singing probable bird was caught on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 25th; a possible was ringed at Calf of Man (Isle of Man) on 25th also; on 26th one was ringed on Skokholm (Pmebrokeshire); and on 29th-1st a singing male was at Chapel Porth (Cornwall). The week ended with another putative bird – one singing at Thurstaston Hill (Cheshire) in the early afternoon.
Sticking with songsters, all three of the previous week’s Savi’s Warblers were heard once more this week - one remained at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) on 26th-29th; one was still at Farlington Marshes HWT (Hampshire) on 25th-1st; and the Lancashire bird was still at Brockholes Wetlands LWT on 25th.
A Subalpine Warbler of indeterminate complexion was on Mizen Head (Co.Cork) on 30th.
A Yellow-browed Warbler was in Ashdown Forest at Old Lodge SWT (East Sussex) on 28th.
If that wasn’t flavour of autumn enough, an Olive-backed Pipit was on Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 28th.
Blue-headed Wagtails were somewhat less of a presence this week – one 25th one was on Fair Isle (Shetland), with a further probable bird at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire); on 26th one was at Waxham (Norfolk); on 27th a probable was seen at Chew Valley Lake (Somerset) – with a possible Spanish Wagtail seen there that day also; on 28th one was noted at Carlton Marshes SWT (Suffolk); on 29th one was at Ripley (Hampshire) while in Surrey one was logged at Island Barn reservoir, with a probable at Walton reservoir.
A Grey-headed Wagtail was on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 26th-28th.
A late Waxwing was on Orkney at Dounby on 26th-30th; another was seen on 1st in Lowestoft (Suffolk). More seasonal, however, were Hoopoes, with ten birds in all noted this week: at Probus (Cornwall) on 25th; at Luccombe (Isle of Wight) on 25th-26th; on 26th at Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire), Southport (Lancashire), and on Foula (Shetland); on 27th at Maughold (Isle of Man); on 28th at Penpol (Cornwall); and on 29th at Nanjizal (Cornwall), Portland (Dorset), Hailsham (East Sussex) and on Ramsey Island (Pembrokeshire), with the Portland bird still present the following day.
Two Wrynecks were seen on Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 28th, with one at Kilnsea on 29th; and on 29th and again on 1st one was present in Norfolk at Burnham Overy Staithe. On 30th one was at Easington (East Yorkshire) with another Norfolk sighting coming from Titchwell RSPB that day also; on 1st one was in Holme Dunes NWT.
Golden Orioles continued to provide welcome colour, with one still on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 25th, one in Ireland at Churchtown (Co.Wexford), and one on Portland (Dorset) on 27th rising to two birds there by 29th-1st. Further birds were seen and heard on 1st – one was at Nanjizal (Cornwall), and a singing bird was noted at Itchenor (West Sussex).
On 1st a Bee-eater was seen in East Sussex in flight at Fairlight Cove.
In Devon the resident male putative Italian Sparrow was still to be found at East Budleigh until 29th at least.
Two Serins were noted this week on 26th – one in Kent at Broadstairs and another in Norfolk at Waxham.
We end the week with a possible Two-barred Crossbill - a female reported from the Forest of Dean (Gloucestershire). While wing-barred Common Crossbills remain a trap, the Forest of Dean has plenty of past form with Two-bars…
Starting our spin around the best of the other offerings in the Western Palearctic in northern Europe, we have to head straight to Denmark where a spring Yellow-browed Bunting was at Skagen on 28th-1st. It doesn’t take a great leap of imagination to picture another spring record here in the northern isles…
Scandinavian records of Stejneger’s Scoter came this week firstly from Sweden where one was seen in Oland on 26th and then from Norway where, on 27th, a drake was found off Frosta.
Finland, meanwhile, supplied a male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear at Kuoppakangas on 27th.
The Black-browed Albatross remained in Germany at Sylt on 225th-1st while, on 26th, a White’s Thrush was an excellent spring record on Heligoland. Matters took a turn for the even rarer on 1st when a Cretzschmar’s Bunting was found near Geeste.
Bulgaria doesn’t feature often in our news, but came to the fore this week with a spring Pallas’s Warbler at Dobrich on 28th. Poland meanwhile got in on the Iberian Chiffchaff scene with one found at Kuznica on 27th.
Returning to the theme of passerines we could easily imagine being found on the northern isles any time soon, a Calandra Lark was in Belgium at Outgaarden on 26th. The Pygmy Cormorant meanwhile was still settled at Parc Domaine du Val Duchesse on 28th-1st.
France supplied a White Pelican over Narbonne on 27th while, in the north, the seemingly resident American Royal Tern was, once again, seen in Guernsey this week on 28th.
Further north still, Iceland had to make do with a Richardson’s Cackling Goose in Tjorn on 27th.
Heading offshore, a Western Orphean Warbler was lucky enough to be trapped and ringed on Malta at Comino on 26th. Lucky in the sense that it avoided the fate of so many other migrants on that particular island…
The Pied Crow was still on Gran Canaria on 30th, while elsewhere in the Canary Islands the Dwarf Bittern remained on Fuerteventura on 27th.
Finally, the Azores still sported a Pied-billed Grebe on Sao Miguel on 30th.
The first week of May sees us getting into the business end of spring migration – not only are birds very much on the move and, with them, the potential for some interesting rarity action, but with every passing day as we head towards June the potential for that rarity being something really exceptional accelerates.
In the meantime, however, we could be forgiven for hoping for a bit more quantity as well as quality…
It feels like we’re overdue some of the spring’s more colourful fare and, without aiming too high, surely it’s about time for a Whiskered or a White-winged Black Tern or, at the very least, a few more Subalpine Warblers of one kind or another…
Jon Dunn
2 May 2018
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