Weekly birding round-up: 15 - 21 Dec 2020
That’s another week of December under our belt and, oh boy, the year doesn’t get any better or easier does it? Birding has been a source of comfort and inspiration for many of us at various points in the past 12 months, arguably more so than ever before. Heading into the final days of 2020, and with a tough start to the New Year ahead of us, birding is going to be more important than ever.
The week just gone may have been a relatively quiet one on the rarity front, and the weeks ahead may be too – it is midwinter, after all – but that’s not to say there isn’t the potential to find something interesting almost anywhere, from the usual coastal hotspots to well inland. Several settled birds in this week’s round up should continue to provide inspiration to us all that a decent local patch tick could be just around the corner…
We closed the Rarity Round Up of the week ending 30th November with, as is our wont, an optimistic punt in the general direction of a likely rarity that might, just might, be found in the days to come. In the case of that particular Round Up, the presence of a Green Heron in the Azores the prior week was enough to inspire an exhortation to look for “something of that ilk… lurking somewhere damp and bosky near you”.
This week, it transpired that truer words were never spoken, when belated news emerged of an American Bittern seen at Fiskerton Fen (Lincolnshire) between 29th November and 1st December. Seen several times during that period by the original finder, and two other observers, no photographs were taken, but the record’s been submitted to BBRC, so it’s in the system and, if accepted, this would be a first for Lincolnshire.
On 20th a female or first-winter drake Bufflehead was seen flying past the pier at Aghada (Co.Cork) – not a bad surprise find by any standards. With a couple of Irish birds already under our belt in the tail end of 2020, we were already doing well for recent examples of this smart little duck, so this latest individual simply puts the cherry on the cake.
While the Co.Clare bird of 29th November at an undisclosed site was but fleeting, the other of those prior birds, the drake at Quoile Pondage (Co.Down) found on 5th remained there throughout this week until 21st, a deservedly locally popular bird.
In Orkney this week Papa Westray’s prominence as a place from which to witness morning passage of White-billed Divers was further cemented on 15th with seven birds seen passing there that day. Belated news this week came of a Pacific Diver on Loch Ryan (Dumfries & Galloway) in the early afternoon of 12th but not subsequently. Away from the regular Cornish coastal winter sightings, the species remains a genuinely rare one in a British, let alone a Scottish context.
Genuinely rare, yes, but not hen’s teeth rare like a certain diver in Devon this week. While most of us won’t be seeing a white Christmas, the same can’t be said for those fortunate enough to catch up with a frosty albino Great Northern Diver off Salcombe lately – a remarkable and beautiful bird.
A handful of Little Auks were noted again this week – on 17th in Dunnet Bay (Highland) and reported off South Shields (Co.Durham); on 18th one was seen from Dungeness (Kent); and a brief bird was reported from Holkham (Norfolk) on 20th.
Dungeness provided our only Leach’s Petrel of the week, passing there in the late morning of 21st.
Dungeness also supplied the first of the week’s Pomarine Skuas, in the form of two birds noted off there on 16th. Elsewhere, one lingered in Devon off Berry Head and Brixham on 16th-21st; further Devonian sightings came on 17th at Elberry Cove and, on 19th, in Tor Bay. Cornish records came on 18th at Feock and on 19th from Towan Head. A bird was seen further up the English Channel on 19th at Milford-on-Sea (Hampshire).
Silence from Co.Kerry all week either signified the departure of the recent juvenile Double-crested Cormorant or the fact that local birders had all had their fill of it by this juncture. Just when it looked like the former might have been the case, the bird was once more seen near Ballylongford again in the morning of 19th, departing its roost to fly north… repeating the fleeting morning exercise again on 20th, though heading away west on this occasion.
One would think it’s unlikely to move on far, having come this far and found some favourable wintering quarters, but time alone will tell.
Our early winter contingent of Glossy Ibises remained happily dug in still this week and will, for those fortunate enough to have one or two on their doorstep, surely be one of the first notable year ticks of the coming new year. Starting in southern England, the recent quartet of birds remained in Devon at Fremington Pill on 15th-17th; in Dorset, the single bird continued to commute between Hengistbury Head and Stanpit Marsh on 15th-21st; one was seen on the Isle of Wight at Brading Marsh RSPB on 15th-20th; in West Sussex, a bird seen at Pagham Harbour LNR on 17th was surely the individual back at Sidlesham again on 18th-19th; and the settled bird remained at Dungeness (Kent) on 18th.
Norfolk sightings came, on 15th, from Sedgeford and Burnham Overy Mill; on 19th around Cley; and on 20th at Wiveton and Sea Palling. Cambridgeshire continued to hold three birds at Earith Bridge on 15th-21st, with three also noted at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB on 15th; one was seen on 15th a little further north, over Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire).
Cutting back to the west, in Gwent the two settled birds remained at Newport Wetlands NNR on 19th. In Ireland, two remained at Pilmore (Co.Cork) on 16th-18th.
As usual, we’ll start the honkers and quackers with The Goose Formerly Known as Canada but, for a change, the first of their kind was in Norfolk – where an interior Todd’s Canada Goose was seen on 15th and again on 17th at Holme and, latterly, near Thornham on 21st – a popular bird, locally, no doubt. One more interior was logged this week up on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 17th again, with another reported from New Deer (Aberdeenshire) on 19th. A possible Cackling Goose was reported from Lough Swilly (Co.Donegal) on 19th.
A white Snow Goose was seen passing over Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB (Cheshire) on 18th.
A Black Brant was again seen in Norfolk this week at Titchwell RSPB on 15th-17th; on 17th, one was seen in Essex at Mersea Island, with a further sighting at Old Hall Marshes RSPB again on 19th; in Dorset, one at Rodden Hive on 17th was followed by two birds there on 20th, with one on the latter date also in Poole Harbour at Brand’s Bay; one was once more seen at Skeffling (East Yorkshire) on 17th; and one remained in Co.Derry at Myroe Levels still on 18th-20th.
I called in at lunchtime today to see the Black Brant near Titchwell. It’s a stunning bird and has been showing very well among the Dark-bellied Brents ?@OrioleBirding? pic.twitter.com/iFlamcZztq
— Nick Parsons (@NparsonsNick) December 14, 2020
Moving onto the quackers, the drake Black Scoter was still to be seen at Cheswick (Northumberland) on 18th-19th and Goswick on 20th.
Three Surf Scoters remained at Dornoch (Highland) on 15th, with a single drake still at Kinshaldy (Fife) on 17th. A single bird was seen in Ireland at Baltray (Co.Louth) on 17th also.
Sticking with Ireland a moment, the two first-winter female King Eiders were still present this week off St John’s Point (Co.Donegal) on 15th.
For a while this week it looked like we had a female Ferruginous Duck present in Leicestershire at Longmoor Lake on 15th-17th before, on 18th, its identity was resolved as a hybrid Ferruginous Duck x Pochard. In Hampshire, meanwhile, the regular drake was once more seen at Blashford Lakes HWT on 15th.
Ring-necked Ducks remained ever more numerous, with almost 30 birds logged during the course of the week and, amongst them, some duos – two females on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 15th, with a drake elsewhere on Tiree that day also; two females still in Cornwall at Siblyback Lake on 16th-17th; two birds on Belston Loch (Ayrshire) on 17th; two birds on Radley GPs (Oxfordshire) on 19th-21st; and two again on Lough Gara (Co.Sligo) on 20th. Given the dominant westerlies we enjoyed in the latter half of the autumn, one suspects there will be more birds out there waiting to be found.
Settled Green-winged Teals remained at Blennerville (Co.Kerry) on 15th, off Tain Links (Highland) still on 15th-19th, and at Longham Lakes (Dorset) again on 18th-21st. Further sightings this past week came from Benbecula (Western Isles) on 15th-18th, Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 19th-20th, and Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 21st.
In Northumberland the drake American Wigeon was again at Big Waters NR on 19th-20th; and another drake was lingering at Larne Lough (Co.Antrim) on 15th-20th.
We finish again with our honorary waterfowl – the popular Pied-billed Grebe was still present at Chelmarsh reservoir in Shropshire on 15th and again on 17th, but not thereafter – done a flit, or just dug deep into cover at the edges? We’ll see…
Just when it was looking like the Hudsonian Godwit in Fife was settling down to remain there throughout the winter – and was still present on the Eden estuary this week until 17th – than it appeared to do a bunk, not being seen there after that. Surely it will pop out of the woodwork again…
In Moray, the young Pacific Golden Plover was once more seen at Findhorn Bay on 17th.
The adult Kentish Plover was once more logged on Stert Island (Somerset) on 21st.
The adult Long-billed Dowitcher was again seen this week in Cumbria at Campfield Marsh RSPB on 15th-17th.
A quartet of recent Lesser Yellowlegs were sticking around a while yet in recent days – starting on South Uist (Western Isles), one remained on the island on 15th-21st; the adult was still present at Nosterfield NR (North Yorkshire) on 15th-20th; and the Devonian bird was seen again at South Efford Marsh on 19th. In Ireland, the adult remained at Killongford Pools (Co.Waterford) on 15th-19th.
A Grey Phalarope was seen at Ferrybridge (Dorset) on 19th while, on 20th, an inland bird was found outside Langport (Somerset) at Huish Episcopi. At Filey (North Yorkshire), a final individual was seen on 21st.
A little variety kicks off the week’s Larids - a Bonaparte’s Gull seen in Argyll & Bute at Otter Ferry on 17th-18th.
In Cornwall, the recent adult Ring-billed Gull remained at Hayle Estuary RSPB on 15th-20th; further adult birds this week were seen in Ireland at Nimmo’s Pier (Co.Galway) again on 17th and 20th, and at Belfast Waterworks (Co.Antrim) on 19th. Another put in a brief appearance at Bray harbour (Co.Wicklow) on 20th. A possible, brief, bird was reported at Cosmeston Lakes CP (Glamorgan) on 19th.
An adult Kumlien’s Gull was found on Omey Island (Co.Galway) on 16th; a further possible juvenile was seen at Pegwell Bay (Kent) on 19th.
Numbers of both white-wingers held firm this past week, with around 70 Iceland Gulls and 40 Glaucous Gulls once more logged in recent days. Of the former, a peak count of eight birds at Scrabster (Highland) on 20th-21st was followed by four birds apiece for Sheep’s Head (Co.Cork) on 16th and Duncannon (Co.Wexford) on 19th; and, of the bulkier latter species, a peak count of five birds came from North Uist (Western Isles) on 17th.
The week was marked by just a couple of Rough-legged Buzzards - one seen in Suffolk at Felixstowe Ferry on 16th, and the other the adult bird once again in North Yorkshire at Kirkbymoorside on 17th.
Proving more reliable, and more enduringly popular, than Ireland’s other big ticket item in Co.Kerry this week, the Belted Kingfisher in Co.Cork remained at Dunboy on 15th-21st, surely set to see in the new year there now.
Our only Penduline Tit sighting this week came from Hampshire where a bird was noted at Titchfield Haven NNR on 15th – a new arrival, or one of the two birds last seen there on 2nd November?
While the recent Penduline Tits weren’t seen in Somerset at Steart WWT this week, the same couldn’t be said of the settled Eastern Yellow Wagtail there – still present this week until 20th. Meanwhile, in Suffolk the other recent bird was still present at Carlton Marshes SWT on 15th-20th also.
Richard’s Pipits remained this week in Kent at Halstow Marshes on 15th-20th, at Sidlesham (West Sussex) still on 15th-19th, and again in Cornwall near Cot Valley on 17th.
A probable Olive-backed Pipit was sound-recorded over Thursley Common NNR (Surrey) on 17th.
It’s a mark of just what a great autumn we enjoyed for eastern passerine arrivals that this week, on the cusp of Christmas and the New Year, we almost hit double figures for Dusky Warblers. While some remain settled, new birds continue to be found and I’m sure more remain out there for the finding…
This week then, two remained in Kent, at Dungeness until 20th and Minster Marshes until 19th, with a third bird at a site in the county with no general access near Weddington on 15th; the Devon bird was still present at Exwick on 16th-21st; the Cornish bird remained at St Erth on 15th-20th; and the St Mary’s (Scilly) bird was still to be seen on there on 15th-17th. Moving north, the birds remained at Aldreth (Cambridgeshire) on 15th, and at Ainsdale NNR (Merseyside) on 17th; and one more was found in Cheshire at Astbury Mere on 20th-21st.
If those weren’t incentive enough to get you checking the damp margins of local lakes, reservoirs and sewage farms, the possibility of a Yellow-browed Warbler might just do the trick. Birds remained on Scilly on St Martin’s on 15th-19th and St Mary’s on 15th-20th; in Cornwall at Hayle on 15th-20th; in Devon at Clennon Valley Lakes on 15th still; and in Hampshire at Blashford Lakes HWT on 17th. Further birds were found this week in Cornwall at Marazion RSPB on 17th and Coverack on 20th; at Watermead Lake (Buckinghamshire) on 15th; in Norfolk at Snettisham CP on 19th; and on Barra (Western Isles) on 16th.
A handful of Great Grey Shrikes were seen this week – birds seen at Thursley Common NNR (Surrey) still on 15th-16th; in Suffolk at Upper Hollesley Common still on 15th-20th; and in Devon at Soussons Plantation still on 17th-20th. One more was seen on 17th-18th at Budby (Nottinghamshire).
Waxwing numbers remained modest this week, with Elgin (Moray) again enjoying the best of the slim pickings nationally – the flock of 10 birds there on 17th had risen to 15 by 19th, with 11 still present on 21st. Elsewhere, one remained in North Yorkshire at Hunmanby Gap on 15th; two were seen in Dundee (Angus) on 16th, with one that day in Brae on Shetland Mainland; on 17th, a single bird was noted at Kinghorn Loch (Fife); and on 19th two birds were seen in West Yorkshire at Winscar reservoir. Two birds penetrated as far west as Ballymoney (Co.Antrim) on 19th also.
Our two recent reliable Rose-coloured Starlings remained on Portland (Dorset) on 15th-19th and at Amlwch on Anglesey on 15th-21st. Further birds this week were seen at Keswick (Cumbria) on 15th, and at Stoke Fleming (Devon) still on 19th – the latter bird having been present in the area for some three weeks beforehand.
Finally, in Surrey the Rustic Bunting and Little Bunting both remained around Thursley Common NNR on 15th-20th, with the Little Buntings still present at Langford Lowfields RSPB (Nottinghamshire) on 15th-21st, at Traeth Llyfn beach (Pembrokeshire) still on 15th, and on Unst (Shetland) again at Halligarth on 18th; a final probable Little Bunting was briefly on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 20th.
News from further afield was in fairly short supply this week. We’ll start in Israel, where a Greater Painted Snipe was seen at Gan Schmuel fishponds on 13th-15th – a record that, locally at least, paled into insignificance besides Israel’s first ever Wilson’s Phalarope, seen on 18th-19th at Sde Eliyahu; followed in quick succession by Israel’s third ever Lesser Yellowlegs in Ein Hamifratz on 19th.
A Lesser Flamingo was seen in Kuwait on 20th at Sulaibikhat.
Out on the Azores, the Belted Kingfisher remained on Pico on 17th and then, on 21st, a showy Great Blue Heron was found on Terceira.
Coming (a little) closer to home, a Pied-billed Grebe was found on Faroe at Eiði on Eysturoy on 16th – the first record for the island group.
In Sweden, the Eastern Yellow Wagtail remained at Trelleborg on 18th.
Germany’s Pygmy Cormorant remained at Dubbelausee on 19th.
Finally, in Spain a Sociable Lapwing was seen north of Aitona on 15th-20th.
All of which brings us to the end of the final Rarity Round Up of 2020. You don’t need me to remind you that it’s been quite a year, in every regard. Firsts for Britain, Ireland, and the Western Palearctic that included some stupendously lost seabirds, a supporting cast of rarities with, amongst them, some of the ultimate passerine blockers falling at long last, and some vintage autumn migration action from both east and west.
Needless to say, underpinning all of this was the significant matter of Covid-19. We’re all only too well aware that we’re far from out of the woods where that’s concerned, and 2021 may be beset with more of the same restrictions, inhibitions and personal tragedies that provided the bleak counterpoint to 2020’s birding highlights.
But let’s not forget just how good the birding was, at times, this past year, and what it meant to us all at a local or national level. 2021 will be no different in that regard and, at some point in the months to come, life’s going to get a little less complicated and fraught.
I’ll be back with a bumper Christmas and New Year Rarity Round Up in a fortnight’s time so, until then, wishing you all a happy and safe Christmas. Take care, everyone, and good birding.
Jon Dunn
22 December 2020
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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