Weekly birding round-up: 3 - 9 Mar 2020
While the news in the real world was anything but quiet this past week, our bird news was generally rather peaceful as we entered the doldrums before spring passage sparks properly into life.
Time to take a break from stockpiling toilet paper and preparing for the end of days. It’s the end of another week’s bird news, and that means time for a brew and another Round Up.
It’s the bane of the Rarity Round Up writer’s life when, with an hour or two of daylight remaining on the last day of the week, and the bulk of the week’s news securely marshalled, whipped into shape and fluffed for your amusement, a top notch bird that yours truly has selected as a prediction for the days to come duly arrives, a day too early to make that prediction look like a sage act of prognostication.
It’s hard to feel bitter about that when the bird in question is one of my absolute all-time favourite birds though. Ross’s Gulls are just so damn lovely. Less obvious than an Ivory Gull, and infinitely prettier than any of the large gull tribe, they’re perfection in gull form.
I saw my first in Devon way back when – 25 years ago, in fact, at Slapton Ley in February 1995. A fact that makes me acutely conscious of where those years have gone… That was Devon’s second ever bird and, since then, the county has notched up a few more, the most recent being the first-summer individual that spent much of summer 2014 lobbing around Bowling Green Marsh and Topsham, the county’s fifth record.
One found this week on 9th at South Huish Marsh brings the county total to a round half dozen birds since the first in March 1988. All bar the 1995 bird have stayed for 10+ days, so there’s cautious grounds for optimism that this latest bird might just hang around to delight some new admirers…
…and if not, the species remains a half-decent prediction for the week to come.
The recent surprise turn up for the books in Shetland, the latest British record of Tengmalm’s Owl, remained in Lea Gardens at the start of the week but wasn’t seen in there after 5th, at which point it had polished off a juicy Blackbird and, seemingly, relocated to new quarters – 5th was a particularly foul day of weather in Shetland, with strong winds and sleety rain scything through the gardens, so the bird may simply have moved on to somewhere more sheltered.
Staying in the headlines not so much by virtue of rarity rather than recent novelty in an otherwise quiet week, both of our recent Irish American Herring Gulls remained on offer into the new week – remaining at, respectively, Castletown Bearhaven (Co.Cork) on 5th and Sligo harbour (Co.Sligo) on 5th-9th.
There were slim pickings to be had floating on the surface of the sea again this week, not so much a rich chum slick as a paltry wake.
Best of the week’s birds was the adult Pacific Diver still present in Co.Cork at Crookhaven on 3rd; while, in Orkney, a White-billed Diver was again seen from Papa Westray on 3rd-5th, and on 9th another banana bill was in the traditional wintering site of South Nesting Bay (Shetland).
Cornwall’s Falmouth Bay once again provided a Pomarine Skua this week on 5th, with two birds present there on 6th-7th and 9th, and three birds on 8th; and a further sighting from Maenporth on 6th also.
Glossy Ibises again comprised the predominant sum of the interesting long-legged beasties, though as we roll through March we’re now getting into the territory where we might start to get the odd southern interesting overshoot. This week’s ibises comprised familiar faces once more - at Newport Wetlands RSPB (Gwent) still on 3rd-8th; at Pilmore (Co.Cork) still on 5th-8th; and at Fremington Pill (Devon) still on 6th-8th.
Non-Norfolk Common Crane sightings were dominated by Suffolk this week, at least in terms of mobile activity if not numbers – two birds at Lakenheath Fen RSPB on 4th and 7th were supplanted by a count of four there on 6th; while two at Dingle Marshes on 6th were followed on 7th by a wandering pair seen over Ipswich and Lower Holbrook. In Cambridgeshire our peak count was 15 birds noted at Eldernell on 3rd, with two seen at Woodwalton Fen NNR on 8th. Finally, in Northumberland the settled adult remained at Hartburn on 4th-7th, while four birds were logged over Denwick on 7th.
Starting the honkers and quackers, as usual, with The Goose Formerly Known As Canada, a hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose was seen near Culldon (Highland) on 6th, with a bird still remaining on Islay (Argyll & Bute) that day also; two birds remained on North Uist (Western Isles) on 9th.
The interior Todd’s Canada Goose was seen again in Lancashire at Marshside RSPB on 4th, with a further probable sighting coming from Banks Marsh NNR on 7th; another was present on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 9th.
Staying Lancashire, the possible Grey-bellied Brant was once more seen on 4th-6th at Marshside RSPB and, on 7th, at Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB. In Highland, our other recent possible bird was again noted near Culloden on 5th-7th.
A Black Brant remained in Suffolk at Falkenham Marsh on 3rd; another Essex sighting came on 4th from Bradwell-on-Sea. The Kilnsea (East Yorkshire) bird remained on 5th-7th; and another Norfolk report came this week from Blakeney Freshmarsh on 6th. The Poole Harbour (Dorset) bird was seen again on 8th, while another sighting came from the opposite end of the county coastline at Wyke Regis on 9th.
The white morph Snow Goose was again seen this week on North Uist (Western Isles) on 3rd-9th.
In Highland the drake Black Duck remained at Strontian on 7th-9th.
In Devon, meanwhile, the first-winter drake Blue-winged Teal remained settled at Man Sands on 6th-9th.
The first-winter drake American Wigeon was still to be seen at East Coast NR (Co.Wicklow) on 5th-9th, while adult drakes remained this week at Grindon Lough (Northumberland) on 3rd-8th and in Co.Donegal on 4th at Culdaff.
Green-winged Teal numbers held firm once more, with 10 birds logged across the course of the week. Birds remained at North Cave Wetlands YWT (East Yorkshire) on 3rd; at East Coast NR (Co.Wicklow) on 3rd-9th; on South Uist (Western Isles) on 3rd-6th; at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) on 4th-8th; on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 6th; and on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 5th. Further sightings came from Termoncarragh Lough (Co.Mayo) on 4th; at Wall Farm NR (Shropshire) on 5th-8th; on Birsay (Orkney) on 6th; and in Ayrshire on 9th at Loans Flash.
Numbers of Ring-necked Ducks remained static again for another week, with some 20 birds logged across the region. Multiple single site tallies came once more from with the quartet still settled at Upper Tamar Lake on the Devon / Cornwall border on 6th-9th, and two still present on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 6th-9th.
The drake Ferruginous Duck remained in Wolverhampton (West Midlands) on 3rd-8th, while the drake was again seen at Blashford Lakes HWT (Hampshire) on 4th.
The settled Cornish female Lesser Scaup remained this week at Stithians reservoir on 3rd-8th, while the drake was again seen on Loch Ryan (Dumfries & Galloway) on 6th. Another probable drake was seen in Cornwall at Siblyback Lake on 5th.
Once more Scotland had it all going on with the quality seaducks this week – not least with another sighting of the intermittently reported juvenile drake Steller’s Eider on Papa Westray (Orkney) on 3rd and again on 9th.
Both top drawer scoters were again seen this week too - the drake White-winged Scoter still in the waters off Musselburgh (Lothian) on 4th-9th, and the drake Black Scoter again in Lunan Bay (Angus) on 6th; the other drake, of the latter species, was once more seen off Cheswick Sands (Northumberland) on 8th.
Back off Musselburgh two Surf Scoters were again noted on 4th and 6th, with the drake being more reliable there until 8th at least; elsewhere, drakes were seen again at Embo (Highland) on 5th and, in Ireland, off Coolsiva Quay (Co.Clare) on 6th and in Brandon Bay (Co.Kerry) on 6th also.
Lastly, our honorary waterbird, the male Pied-billed Grebe was once more seen at Loch Feorlin on 4th-9th.
With not a huge amount of change amongst the waders, we’ll not linger here for long. Three Long-billed Dowitchers remained on offer – in England, the bird still in Devon at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB on 3rd-8th and, in Ireland, the Kilcoole (Co.Wicklow) bird still present on 5th-9th and the Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) bird again on 8th.
The first-winter Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Nosterfield LNR (North Yorkshire) on 4th-9th.
And finally, as the week drew to a close, a Kentish Plover was found in Somerset on 9th on Stert Island.
Big beasties in Ireland and dainty Devon offering aside, the adult Bonaparte’s Gull at Kilmore Quay (Co.Wexford) still on 4th-8th was the pick of the remaining quality gulls.
Ring-billed Gulls, meanwhile, remained predominantly an Irish specialty, the exception still being the Cornish bird at Hayle Estuary RSPB on 4th-9th. Starting in Co.Wicklow, one remained at Bray on 3rd; Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre held a bird still on 3rd-6th; Kinsale Marsh (Co.Cork) one on 6th again, while three were reported from Cork itself on 7th at The Lough; on 7th-8th one remained at Blackrock (Co.Louth); and on 8th the Carrickfergus (Co.Antrim) bird was seen again, while another was present that day on North Bull Island (Co.Dublin).
The juvenile Kumlien’s Gull was again seen in Galmrogan this week at Port Talbot on 7th-9th; an adult was seen again in Cornwall at Mousehole on 5th and 8th; and a subadult on 7th in Stornoway on Lewis (Western Isles). On 8th the juvenile was seen again in Cornwall at St Gothian Sands LNR.
The balance of our white-wingers dipped somewhat on the previous week, with around 30 Glaucous Gulls reported, with a peak count of six birds on North Uist (Western Isles) on 6th; and some 40 Iceland Gulls logged across the days, with a peak count of three birds seen on 8th on Skye (Highland).
Finally, a sporadic appearance in the news came once more in the form of the adult Forster’s Tern once more seen in Co.Galway in Galway Bay at Parkmore Quay on 8th.
Couched with every possible caveat in the book, an unconfirmed report of a possible juvenile Pallid Harrier at Wells (Norfolk) on 6th failed to coalesce into anything more concrete.
Wells did, however, provide some sightings once more of the Rough-legged Buzzard this week, after no reports in the preceding week – seen again lately there on 5th-9th. Elsewhere birds were noted on 3rd at Spey Bay (Moray) and, on 5th, in Co.Durham over South Shields and Washington WWT. Another unconfirmed report came on 9th from Snarestone (Leicestershire).
Our final predatory news of note this week was confirmation that the male Snowy Owl was still present until 9th on Eday (Orkney). If only he’d head north to Shetland and meet up with the lonesome female on Ronas Hill…
Passerine news slimmed down a little this week – with the arrival of the first pioneering Wheatears in southern counties, maybe one or two of our wintering rarities will also be feeling the urge to move on someday soon.
In Lincolnshire, the overwintering first-winter Black-throated Thrush remained in Grimsby on 3rd-9th, while the male bird was once again reported from Whipsnade Zoo (Bedfordshire) on 5th.
In Cheshire, the maurus Siberian Stonechat remained a daily fixture at Ashton’s Flash on 3rd-9th.
Dorset supplied sightings of Penduline Tits at Radipole Lake RSPB again on 3rd and at Lodmoor RSPB on 3rd-7th – presumably these are different birds, given there were two in the area a short while ago.
In London the Yellow-browed Warbler remained at Mitcham on 5th-9th, while the Westbury sewage works (Wiltshire) bird was again seen on 3rd, and another Wiltshire report came from Trowbridge on 6th.
Absent from the news for a while, a Richard’s Pipit was found in East Yorkshire at Flamborough on 3rd-7th while, in Kent, sightings came again from Cooling and Halstow Marshes on 6th-7th.
Numbers of Waxwings lifted a little this week, with around 400 birds in all noted, the overall tally helped considerably by the week’s largest flock, 150 birds seen in Aberdeen (Aberdeenshire) on 7th.
Great Grey Shrikes, meanwhile, continued to have a strong late winter showing, with 18 birds in all recorded during the week. The majority of these related to wintering birds we’re already familiar with, but some new sightings augmented the score – birds found on 4th at Linton-on-Ouse (North Yorkshire); on 4th-9th at Coniston Water (Cumbria); on 5th-9th at Trimdon (Co.Durham); on 7th in Brechfa Forest (Carmarthenshire); and on 8th at Buckland Hill (Powys).
Finally, on Anglesey the Rose-coloured Starling remained at Llanfachraeth on 3rd-9th.
Further afield, the Canary Islands continued to dominate the news this week – a Brown-throated Martin was seen on Fuerteventura on 4th, while a second consecutive Bar-tailed Lark in as many weeks was found on Gran Canaria on 5th. Meanwhile the Abyssinian Roller remained settled on Gran Canaria on 4th-9th, and the Eastern Yellow Wagtail was still to be seen on Fuerteventura on 6th-8th.
Far out in the Atlantic, on the Azores, a Northern Harrier was seen on Flores on 7th.
In Finland, the two Azure Tits remained at Porvoo on 8th.
In Denmark, the drake Stejneger’s Scoter remained at Sandflugtsplantagen on 3rd.
Sweden still had plenty on offer this week, with the Masked Wagtail again seen in Falkenburg on 3rd-8th, the Eastern Yellow Wagtail still present at Gislovslage on 8th, and the orientalis Oriental Turtle Dove still present at Kristinehamn on 3rd-9th.
Western Europe has had a good winter for these smart doves – the meena Rufous Turtle Doves remained in Friesland (Holland) at Sneek on 3rd-9th and in Switzerland at Sulgen on 4th still.
On 9th, a Sociable Lapwing was found in Spain at Tauste.
Lastly this week, on Guernsey the American Royal Tern was once more seen on 4th.
Mid March is hardly famed for eye-popping mega rarities, so the coming week isn’t one that’s likely to set the world on fire. All of which said, pause for a moment and consider the chaos that would ensue were there to be a repeat of 10th-25th March 1980 at Nethybridge (Highland), where a long-staying female Evening Grosbeak was seen.
Oof. Just imagine… there would be scenes.
Still, back in the real world it’s still very much gull o’clock in the absence of any overshooting swifts or cuckoos from southern Europe.
The coming week boasts four records apiece for past sightings of both Franklin’s and Ross’s Gulls - smaller larids that pack plenty of charisma and punch. Either would be a welcome coastal find in the days to come – and, with a late arrival of the latter in the closing hours of the week just gone, there’s recent form to provide further cause for optimism.
Jon Dunn
10 March 2020
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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