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Weekly birding round-up: 1 - 7 Dec 2020

December began this week and with it came freezing fog and snow for many. It actually felt a little like winter. New arrivals were in predictably short supply, as we might expect by this point in the year – but our magnificent year for Nearctic arrivals wasn’t completely done with us just yet…

We reported last week the chance discovery of a Slate-coloured Junco in Iceland on 27th, noticed by Hafsteinn Björgvinsson whilst browsing a Heiðmörk-based webcam. Little did we know at the time that there was another bird lurking in the Western Palearctic, and this one much closer to home…

Indeed, this particular bird was very close to someone’s home, having been discovered in the last week of November in a Hammersmith (London) garden. Still present there on the early morning of 1st, the decision had been made, under the circumstances, not to publicise the precise location.

Nonetheless, this was a significant bird. Yet another Nearctic species on Britain’s already glittering 2020 account and, locally, a first record for London.

 

The good news broke last week that some fortunate soul had found Ireland’s second Double-crested Cormorant at an undisclosed site somewhere in Co.Kerry. Better yet, in the current week – the bird, found on 25th by Seamus Enright at Ballylongford, was still present in the area.

Seen daily on 2nd-7th in the vicinity of Carrigafoyle Castle, this would prove to be a popular bird for Co.Kerry birders, coming some quarter of a century after Ireland’s first and last example of the species. What with this, and the settled Belted Kingfisher in Co.Cork, the year was ending strongly for the Irish.

 

Those good fortunes were burnished just a little bit more over the course of the weekend with the discovery of a drake Bufflehead in Co.Down at Quoile Pondage on 5th. This comes, of course, hot on the heels of the female bird seen at an undisclosed Co.Clare site on 29th November. That bird would be Ireland’s fourth, making this week’s dapper drake the fifth Irish record – the last bird being the long-ish staying individual found on 26th November 2018 at Ballinacarriga Lough (Co.Cork), a bird that stayed until 15th December of that year.

Context, surely, is everything with rare ducks – and a quick glance at the stats for Buffleheads would tell us that this is the first British or Irish record to be found in December, with June the very best month for past accepted records of the species. Which feels a bit… well… weird, doesn’t it? We tend to think of rare wildfowl turning up in either migration period or during the winter, but in the summer? Not so much.

With that gut feeling in mind, there’s more of a feel-good factor about any Nearctic duck arriving in late autumn or early winter, especially during a year that’s featured such a rich supporting cast of other Transatlantic goodies. If I was looking to see a Bufflehead, I’d like it to arrive around about now.

Happily for all concerned, this particular bird – the first for Co.Down - remained at Quoile Pondage until 7th – proving to be an obliging bird in every sense.

 

Our seabird news this week has to start with White-billed Divers and, in particular, the daily passage of them logged by Martin Gray on Papa Westray at the tail end of the preceding week and the dawn of the present one – dawn being the operative word, as just after daybreak these banana-billed bruisers would barrel past amongst larger numbers of Great Northern Divers - Martin chalked up 24 White-billed Divers during 28th November – 1st December, with daily peak counts of seven birds on 30th and 1st. It seems like Papa Westray’s Mull Head protrudes into what may be a significant local wintering ground for large divers; and the timing of the daily movement suggests that other birders elsewhere in Scotland wanting to chance their arm at a speculative winter sea-watch would do well to focus on the first hour or two of daylight. During the height of the day in Shetland, meanwhile, the regular bird was once more seen in South Nesting Bay on 1st-3rd.

In Cornwall, the adult Pacific Diver was seen off Penzance regularly on 1st-4th. Another regular returning adult bird was back in Co.Cork at Crookhaven on 6th.

Cornwall also supplies the week’s sole Leach’s Petrel, a bird seen from Pendeen on 5th.

A dozen Little Auks were logged from Brora (Highland) on 4th but these were the exception to the general rule this week – all other sightings involved single birds. These were seen from North Ronaldsay (Orkney) and Sheringham (Norfolk) on 1st; Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 2nd; and Tarbat Ness (Highland) and Dungeness (Kent) on 5th.

Some 25 Pomarine Skuas were recorded in recent days down the east coast, from Aberdeenshire in the north to Norfolk in the south, a modest increase on the preceding recent weeks. Again, most were single birds, with peak passage being noted on 1st, on which day the week’s highest single site tally was made – four birds seen from Sheringham (Norfolk).

 

And so to our long-legged beasties where Glossy Ibises remained a prominent feature of the British birding scene for another week. This was particularly the case once again in Cambridgeshire, with a succession of sightings as the week unfolded – one over Great Shelford on 1st; one remained at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB on 1st, with two birds seen there on 2nd-6th; two were noted over Woolston on 2nd; while three were seen at Earith on 4th, with four birds there on 5th.

Birds remained at regular southern sites of late – starting in Devon, four were again at Fremington Pill on 3rd; the Dorset bird continued to commute between Hengistbury Head and Stanpit Marsh on 1st-7th; the Sidlesham (West Sussex) individual remained there on 1st-6th; and the Dungeness (Kent) bird was again seen there on 4th.

Moving a little further north, the settled duo remained at Newport Wetlands NNR (Gwent) on 2nd-7th. One was seen fleetingly on 7th near Kidlington (Oxfordshire). Norfolk sightings came from Breydon Water on 2nd and Welney WWT again on 5th. In Lincolnshire, a single bird was seen at Deeping Lakes NR on 2nd; Cleveland sightings came from Saltholme RSPB on 2nd, Cowpen Marsh on 5th, and Greatham Creek on 6th. Furthest north of all, the far-flung recent individual remained on Unst (Shetland) on 1st.

Last of all, in Ireland one was again seen in Co.Wexford at Lady’s Island Lake on 4th; and two were seen in Co.Cork at Youghal on 5th.

 

British and Irish birders enjoyed a good variety of honkers and quackers of all shapes, sizes and colours this week – if the weather was feeling wintery, we had the wildfowl to match. Starting with The Goose Formerly Known as Canada, a possible interior Todd’s Canada Goose was seen at Edenhall (Cumbria) on 2nd; and a hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose remained at Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) on 6th.

An intermediate morph Snow Goose was seen in Highland at Nigg on 3rd and again on 6th; while a white morph was in the unusual southwestern surroundings of Powderham (Devon) on 5th; and two birds were logged in flight over Pembrey CP (Carmarthenshire) on 6th. Also in Wales, a blue morph was reported on 7th from Tywyn Trewan Common (Anglesey); and two more white morph probables were seen in flight on 7th over Ken Hill Marshes (Norfolk) on 7th also.

Black Brants put in a good showing in recent days. Starting in Dorset, at least two of the recent three birds seen on The Fleet were still present there on 1st-6th, being seen from various vantage points throughout. Essex, meanwhile, accounted for sightings of a single bird at Goldhanger on 1st; at Old Hall Marshes RSPB on 2nd-3rd again; and at West Mersea Hard on 3rd. Norfolk, meanwhile, sported sightings at Cley NWT again on 1st-7th, Gramborough Hill on 1st also, and at Titchwell RSPB on 6th too. Finally, a bird remained in Co.Derry on Myroe Levels on 1st-7th.

Two possible Grey-bellied Brants were seen on 6th at Nairn (Highland).

As we’ve already seen in the headlines, Ireland enjoyed a properly rare duck this week, but news also emerged of another quality quacker in recent days – a first-winter drake Black Duck on Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) on 6th, present on The Mullet at that point for its 23rd day. No doubt the resident Strontian (Highland) bird is still present – perhaps in due course this latest Irish bird will go on to follow in the Strontian individual’s fecund footsteps, fathering some hybrid offspring with the local Mallards…

The drake American Wigeon was still present in Northumberland at Grindon Lough on 5th-7th while, in Ireland, two more birds were seen at Termoncarragh Lough (Co.Mayo) on 6th.

Three settled Green-winged Teals were still to be seen this week, one apiece on North Uist (Western Isles) still on 3rd, at Longham Lakes (Dorset) still on 5th-7th, and at Blennerville (Co.Kerry) on 5th still; while, at Cross Lough and Termoncarragh Lough (Co.Mayo), further birds were found on 6th.

Numbers of Ring-necked Ducks were again solid, with 21 logged over the course of the week. Notable amongst them were two small flocks of three birds on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) still on 1st, and at Cotswold Water Park (Gloucestershire) on 3rd-5th – the latter trio being the birds seen the prior week in Hertfordshire at Wilstone and Startop’s End reservoirs.

Single birds, meanwhile, were noted at Talley Lakes (Carmarthenshire) on 1st-5th, with two birds present here on 6th; at Pine Lake (Lancashire) still on 1st; at Knockaderry reservoir (Co.Waterford) on 1st-6th; on Slapton Ley (Devon) still on 1st; at Cosmeston Lakes CP (Glamorgan) still on 2nd-4th; on Kilmardinny Loch (Clyde) on 3rd-4th; on Loch Shiel (Highland) on 2nd-5th; on Pencarreg Lake (Carmarthenshire) on 3rd; on Loch na Bo (Moray) again on 4th; on Cameron reservoir (Fife) on 5th-6th; at Fin Lough and Lough Inchiquin (Co.Clare), and Kinghorn Loch (Fife) on 6th-7th; and at Knock Lake (Co.Dublin) still on 7th.

All three of our recent King Eiders were once again noted this week – in Ireland, the two female birds remained off St John’s Point (Co.Donegal) on 2nd; while in Pembrokeshire the juvenile drake was still present at Little Haven on 1st-6th. On 5th a drake was seen flying past Nairn (Highland).

Moving to Lothian now, the drake White-winged Scoter was still off Fisherrow and Joppa on 1st-2nd; while the regular drake Surf Scoter was also noted from Joppa on 1st. Further drakes of the latter species were seen from Dundrum Outer Bay (Co.Down) on 3rd and off Harris (Western Isles) still on 7th; while a juvenile bird was at Garrettstown (Co.Cork) on 6th.

We finish with our latest honorary waterfowl – the showy Pied-billed Grebe still delighting all comers at Chelmarsh reservoir in Shropshire on 1st-7th.

 

Both of our recent big ticket shorebird items featured again this week. Starting with the most recent of all, the Sociable Lapwing in Cornwall remained at Crows-an-Wra on 1st-4th, but appeared to have done a flit on 5th. At lunchtime on 6th came some welcome news – it had been seen in flight at Skewjack that morning – and as the afternoon unfolded, it commuted between there and Crows-an-Wra, last being seen at dusk heading north out of Skewjack with the local Lapwings.

Meanwhile, there was welcome news coming out of Fife – the Hudsonian Godwit was still present on the Eden estuary on 3rd-7th. Dare we hope it’s settling in for the winter now?

In Moray, the juvenile Pacific Golden Plover was once again seen in Findhorn Bay on 7th.

Moving into northern England, both recent Long-billed Dowitchers were still present in North Yorkshire and Cumbria respectively – the first-winter at Scorton GPs on 1st-2nd, and the adult again at Anthorn on 3rd.

Back in North Yorkshire, the adult Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Nosterfield NR on 1st-5th; in Norfolk, the first-winter was still present at Wiveton on 1st-6th; while in Ireland, the adult remained at Killongford Pools (Co.Waterford) on 4th-7th. A further sighting this week came at the week’s close on 7th on South Uist (Western Isles).

Ireland added one more wader to the week’s haul – a confiding Spotted Sandpiper on the puddles at Bremore Point (Co.Dublin) on 3rd-4th and again on 6th.

Finally, the recent Grey Phalarope remained at Marshside RSPB (Lancashire) on 1st-3rd, with another settled bird on the sea off Filey Brigg (North Yorkshire) on 2nd-5th. Further sightings this week came from Cley (Norfolk) on 1st and in Northumberland at Cullernose Point on 5th-6th and Longhoughton on 5th only.

 

Pick of the week’s gulls was an adult Ring-billed Gull in Cornwall at the traditional site of Hayle Estuary RSPB on 1st-7th; another was seen in Ireland at Killimer (Co.Clare) on 4th; and one more on 6th at the Llys-y-Fran reservoir (Pembrokeshire) gull roost.

Providing food for thought on Scilly this week was a possible second-winter American Herring Gull on St Mary’s on 4th.

Other than them, though, it was all about the white-wingers – albeit in somewhat more muted numbers than during the preceding week. Around 55 Iceland Gulls were logged, of which a count of five birds at Duncannon (Co.Wexford) on 1st were the highest single site tally.

In Cambridgeshire the second-winter Kumlien’s Gull remained at Dernford Farm reservoir on 5th; an adult bird was seen on Papa Westray (Orkney) again on 6th.

Numbers of Glaucous Gulls were down a touch, with around 25 birds recorded nationally this week – of these, North Uist (Western Isles) once again provided the highest single site tally with half a dozen birds present on there on 1st.

Lastly, in Co.Galway, the Forster’s Tern was again seen at Nimmo’s Pier on 6th.

 

Our only Rough-legged Buzzards this week were a brief bird at Blackmoorfoot reservoir (West Yorkshire) on 2nd and, on 6th, the adult male again in North Yorkshire at Rosedale Head.

This was not, however, the best raptor of the week – that accolade has to go to the white Gyrfalcon seen at Termoncarragh Lough (Co.Mayo) on 6th. Sharing the site with two American Wigeons and a Green-winged Teal, that will have made for an intoxicating day’s birding…

 

We’ll start once again in Kent where, this week, the lingering Crag Martin extended its stay to 4th, commuting along the coast between Kingsdown and Samphire Hoe and, in so doing, becoming the longest-staying individual to date in Britain – a stay that appeared to conclude after 14 days.

One suspects that the Belted Kingfisher in Co.Cork may be in for a longer stay still, as it remained happily dug in and finding plenty to eat at Dunboy on 1st-7th.

New passerines of note were in fairly short supply this week, with the best of the rest being the small flock of four Penduline Tits found on 6th-7th at Steart WWT (Somerset); another individual was found on 6th, at Langford Lowfields RSPB (Nottinghamshire), and also remained there the following day.

Steart WWT also continued to host an Eastern Yellow Wagtail on 1st-7th; while one was again seen in Suffolk at Carlton Marshes SWT on 5th-6th.

A couple of Richard’s Pipits popped out of the woodwork this week – one south of Cot Valley near Kelynack (Cornwall) on 2nd; and the other at Sidlesham (West Sussex) on 4th-7th.

Still present in Cornwall, the adult male Red-breasted Flycatcher remained at Church Cove on The Lizard on 1st-6th.

A Dusky Warbler was found at Donna Nook (Lincolnshire) on 5th; one remained on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 1st-7th; and fresh bird was found in Cornwall at St Erth on 6th-7th.

On Portland (Dorset) the pair of Pallas’s Warblers were still present on 1st. An unseasonably late probable Marsh Warbler was seen further east in the county at Durlston CP on 1st. A final Pallas’s Warbler was trapped and ringed on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 6th.

Numbers of Great Grey Shrikes logged this week took a tumble, with just three birds reported – one remained at Upper Hollesley Common (Suffolk) on 1st-5th; another was still present at Bransbury Common (Hampshire) on 1st-2nd, and another report from the county came on 4th from Slufters Inclosure.

Kent enjoyed a smattering of Waxwing sightings in recent days – one was heard at Strood on 1st; four were seen at Pegwell Bay CP on 2nd; six were seen at allotments in Canterbury on 4th, with two nearby on 6th; and four were seen flying over Cliftonville on 5th. Elsewhere, one remained in Lerwick (Shetland) on 1st-2nd; two were seen in Elgin (Moray) on 2nd-7th; two were noted in Nairn (Highland) on 3rd-6th; one was in Grimsby (Lincolnshire) on 5th; the week’s biggest flocks were seen in Norfolk - on 5th a flock of 10 birds at Wymondham and, on 7th, a flock of 10 birds in Norwich; and one was seen flying over Grantown-on-Spey (Highland) on 7th; two more passed through Whitburn (Co.Durham) in the early afternoon of 7th.

In Gwent, a Hoopoe was seen on 7th at Portskewett.

Two of our recent Rose-coloured Starlings were still to be seen throughout this week – the juvenile still on Portland (Dorset) on 3rd-7th, and the adult at Amlwch on Anglesey on 1st-7th – while the St Buryan (Cornwall) bird finally checked in again on 7th.

The male Parrot Crossbill was seen again in Wakerley Great Wood (Northamptonshire) on 1st.

Finally, in Surrey the Rustic Bunting and Little Bunting both remained around Thursley Common NNR on 1st-7th; while the Little Bunting remained at Langford Lowfields RSPB (Nottinghamshire) on 1st-6th also; and another Rustic Bunting was found in Fife at Kingsbarns in the morning of 7th.

 

Further afield, Sweden was having a good week of it. On 1st-6th an Asian Desert Warbler was seen on Öland; a tschutschensis Eastern Yellow Wagtail was seen on 1st-7th at Trelleborg; and, on 2nd, a Blyth’s Pipit was found at Roback.

Finland, meanwhile, landed a Rufous Turtle Dove at Sastamala on 4th.

A Pygmy Cormorant was seen in Germany on 7th at Dubbelausee.

Moving offshore, in the Azores the Green Heron remained on Sao Miguel on 3rd, while the Belted Kingfisher was also present that day on Pico.

In Kuwait, the Western Palearctic’s record of Forest Wagtail was found at Jahra Pools on 7th, with two birds noted there that morning. Will an example of these distinctive, strongly marked wagtails ever make it to Western Europe?

Finally, news emerged this week of a Pale Crag Martin in Malta at an undisclosed site on the island on 1st – present, at that point, for its ninth day.

 

Taking a look at the forecast for the week ahead, it looks very much like the eastern side of the country is in for a dose of southerly or south-easterly winds in at least the first half of the coming week. Indeed, on Wednesday and Thursday the wind seems to be heading straight to Shetland from somewhere east of Ukraine. Were this October, we might be feeling cautiously optimistic that augured something tasty in the days to come…

…but this is the second week of December, and most migration is but a receding memory. So short of something really loopy and out of leftfield, our options are, perhaps, a little limited.

A late Desert or Pied Wheatear feels distinctly possible but, if we’re to set our sights a little higher, what about a Little Bustard? The coming week features six historic records of these smart birds.

(It also sports six records of Pallas’s Sandgrouse, dating back to the glory years of the late 19th century irruptions. Not gonna happen, is it… though, if 2020 has taught us one thing, it’s to expect the unexpected…)

 

Jon Dunn
8 December 2020

Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos

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