Weekly birding round-up: 24 - 30 Aug 2021
We dared to hope in the closing remarks of the prior week’s round up that August might have another decent rare wader in the pipeline for us and, during the week just gone, the month duly went and delivered, right on cue and on the cusp of the Bank Holiday weekend. Birding rarely gets as accommodating as that.
A shade over 10 years had elapsed since our last British White-tailed Lapwing, the popular, leech-munching bird that toured Britain in the summer of 2010 before settling in at Dungeness (Kent) for 11 days in mid-July. Then, earlier this year, on 2nd June Kent birder Bryan East found Britain’s seventh White-tailed Lapwing at Stodmarsh NNR - an encounter that proved to be all-too-brief as the bird soon departed after being hassled by the local Lapwings.
We speculated at the time that it might be seen elsewhere in Britain in the weeks to come but, sadly, that didn’t prove to be the case. It had, apparently, really done a bunk.
Or had it? Events this past week might lead us to wonder if it’s been tucked away somewhere, out of sight, during the past couple of months as, on 26th, a White-tailed Lapwing was discovered at Blacktoft Sands RSPB (East Yorkshire). That’s either Britain’s seventh or eighth example of the species but, more pertinently for Blacktoft, it’s the 52nd species of wader to be recorded there – a truly stellar site, as if we needed telling.
A stellar site and, it must be said, a stellar bird, judging by the images and videos that were forthcoming in the days that followed – at times a ridiculously showy individual, and being present into Bank Holiday Monday on 30th it was allowing anyone so inclined plenty of opportunity to get themselves to East Yorkshire. Throw in the incentive of making it a local double with the semi-resident Black-browed Albatross still present at Bempton Cliffs RSPB this week, and East Yorkshire was looking like a decidedly popular birders’ Bank Holiday weekend destination.
Following neatly on from the week’s headline bird, staying in East Yorkshire for (much of) another week the adult Black-browed Albatross remained at Bempton Cliffs RSPB on 26th-29th. Not entirely exclusively, though – presumably the same bird accounted for the sighting of an adult Black-browed Albatross off Sheringham (Norfolk) at 1:45pm on 26th, a few hours after the Bempton bird was last seen and a few hours before it reappeared there. Sheringham’s 95 miles away from Bempton – barely a blink in an albatross’s eye.
We suggested the week was likely to yield a Fea’s / Desertas Petrel, so prime a time of year was it, and sure enough in recent days one was tracked heading north up the northeast coastline on 27th, being seen from Cowbar Nab (Cleveland), Whitburn (Co.Durham), and Tynemouth, Newbiggin and Craster (Northumberland). Birders in the northeast got a second bite at the cherry on 31st with another bird tracked heading north, seen initially off Cowbar and, latterly during the morning, from Hartlepool (Cleveland), Whitburn, and then in the afternoon from Fife Ness (Fife), Fishtown of Usan (Angus), and Girdle Ness and Donmouth (Aberdeenshire).
Just a couple of Wilson’s Petrel were logged this week – one seen, sure enough, from a Scilly pelagic on 24th, and the other on 29th from a pelagic off St Ann’s Head (Pembrokeshire). A Leach’s Petrel was noted at sea off Arisaig (Highland) on 28th.
Large shearwaters remained in precious short supply – a single Great Shearwater was noted on 28th from Balbriggan (Co.Dublin), and further birds from Scilly pelagics, with three seen on 29th, and two on 30th. Cory’s Shearwaters meanwhile were seen on 24th from Easington (East Yorkshire), on 26th in Norfolk at Sheringham, Cromer, Salthouse and Cley (with two birds seen at the latter site), and on 28th from Cromer again and, in Ireland, at Fanad Head (Co.Donegal). On 30th one was seen from South Gare (Cleveland), and two probables from St Mary’s Island (Northumberland).
Balearic Shearwaters, on the other hand, had another solid week with around 960 birds again logged nationwide of which 320 in Lyme Bay (Devon) on 27th was the largest single site count.
Finally, it was something of a game of two halves where skuas were concerned. Numbers of Pomarine Skuas were fairly modest, with around 50 birds noted; while Long-tailed Skuas, on the other hand, enjoyed a bit of a moment with some 210 individuals reported over the course of the week. Of the latter, 51 at Shell Ness (Kent) on 30th were comfortably the highest single site tally.
We start our wander through the week’s long-legged beasties once more in Lincolnshire, where the juvenile Black Stork was still to be seen at Frampton Marsh RSPB on 24th and 27th-28th, with an interlude back at Freiston Shore RSPB on 28th again.
Then to Purple Herons - starting in Somerset, one was in the promising surroundings of the Somerset Levels at Catcott Lows NR on 26th-29th; while another was found in Essex at Bowers Marsh RSPB on 28th. A probable was noted in Essex in flight over Chelmer Park on 28th; while another probable adult was seen flying over Beaumaris (Anglesey) on 26th.
Norfolk got in on the probable act with a probable Night Heron heard over Norwich in the evening of 27th.
There’s little more unequivocal than our burgeoning numbers of Glossy Ibises and, of the 20 logged nationwide this week, the flock of five birds at Berry Fen (Cambridgeshire) on 25th-28th were once again the highest count; while two birds were seen at the National Wetlands Centre WWT (Carmarthenshire) on 25th-26th and again on 28th. One individual found on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 26th was taken into care, but subsequently died. Not all of these wandering ways pay off for the birds concerned…
Almost out for a duck this week on the rarity duckpond, we were saved a blank section by the sighting of a young drake King Eider in Shetland in Basta Voe on 30th and, also on 30th, the eclipse drake Ring-necked Duck seen again in Cornwall at Foxhole.
There’s masses to go at this week amongst the shorebirds, including a number of settled birds of one rarity hue or another, but we start with belated news from Ireland where a Semipalmated Plover was sound-recorded at Lissagriffin (Co.Cork) back on 1st. Ireland’s last record was, you may recall, also sound-recorded at Lissagriffin back on 2nd July. Two bird theory, anyone?
We head to Shetland next where, on Fetlar, the Black-winged Pratincole was seen at Funzie intermittently on 24th-30th. That wasn’t the end of the story this week, however, as on 24th a report of pratincole sp at Annesley Pit Top (Nottinghamshire), thought to be probably Black-winged, was followed later that morning by an unconfirmed report of a Black-winged Pratincole at water meadows near Mottisfont (Hampshire) and then, on 30th, a pratincole sp again back in Nottinghamshire at Newington Flash in the afternoon, thought to be probably a Collared Pratincole.
In Lincolnshire, the Pacific Golden Plover remained at Frampton Marsh RSPB on 25th-26th. On Orkney, the adult American Golden Plover was still present on North Ronaldsay on 24th-27th, while another bird was found on Shetland at Sandwick on 26th-30th, and in Cornwall records on 29th came from over Nanjizal Valley and not-a-million-miles-away St Levan.
Dotterel this week were noted at Polgigga and nearby Gwennap Head (Cornwall) on 26th, with two birds at the latter site; at Coleraine (Co.Derry) on 26th; on Bryher (Scilly) on 28th; on 29th, from Soar (Devon), and Park Head (Cornwall); and, on 30th, on The Lizard (Cornwall), and Tresco (Scilly).
A White-rumped Sandpiper was found on 26th at Aberlady Bay (Lothian).
Also on 26th, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper was reported from Cliffe Pools RSPB (Kent).
Pectoral Sandpipers, meanwhile, were seen on 24th at Bishop Middleham (Co.Durham), on 27th on Tiree (Argyll & Bute), on 29th on Berrow Beach (Somerset) and Auchlossan (Aberdeenshire), and on 25th at Hickling Broad NWT (Norfolk) – the latter site also sporting a Long-billed Dowitcher on the same day.
Our other Long-billed Dowitchers of the week remained at the WWT National Wetlands Centre (Carmarthenshire) on 24th-28th, and the other seen again in Norfolk at Potter Heigham Marshes on 30th.
A handful of Temminck’s Stints were logged in recent days – on 25th and again on 28th-30th at Monks House Pool (Northumberland); on 27th at Cuckmere Haven (East Sussex) and Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire), where two birds were seen; on 28th at Lodmoor RSPB (Dorset); and on 28th-30th at Cotswold Water Park (Gloucestershire).
On Scilly, the adult Lesser Yellowlegs remained on Tresco on 24th-26th.
A Red-necked Phalarope was found on 26th in Kent at Stodmarsh NNR, with another seen on 28th at Freiston Shore RSPB (Lincolnshire); Grey Phalaropes were seen this week on 24th, when one was reported from Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk), and on 27th, when one was seen from the Scillonian.
Last seen in Lancashire & Merseyside at Ainsdale NNR on 22nd, the adult Elegant Tern show moved on this week to Cumbria where, on 27th, it was found at Hodbarrow RSPB – presumably also accounting for the probable bird seen distantly on 28th at Silecroft (Cumbria).
The week was a good one elsewhere for other rare and scarce tersn. Starting in Ireland, the adult male Least Tern remained at Portrane (Co.Dublin) on 24th; and in Co.Louth, the adult Forster’s Tern was still present at Soldier’s Point on 24th-30th.
Another Forster’s Tern was reported from near Ferrybridge (Dorset) on 24th. While that report came to nothing further, a juvenile White-winged Black Tern was confirmed from Ferrybridge and, latterly, Lodmoor RSPB (Dorset) on 25th. A probable White-winged Black Tern was seen on The Fleet (Dorset) at Cuttcleaves Cove on 27th.
A Caspian Tern was lingering offshore at Southwold (Suffolk) in the morning of 24th.
Moving on to the gulls, it was another good week for Sabine’s Gulls, with around 30 reported, though there may have been an element of duplication on some well-watched stretches of Kent and Norfolk coastline. Two birds were seen from Cley (Norfolk) on 27th.
In Shetland, the second-winter Bonaparte’s Gull was still present on Unst at Norwick on 24th-25th; and the adult bird was still present at Oare Marshes KWT (Kent) on 24th-30th. A further adult individual was seen on 29th-30th at Belfast Lough RSPB (Co.Antrim).
The adult Ring-billed Gull was still present at Blackrock (Co.Louth) on 27th-29th.
Finally, our only white-winger this week was a Glaucous Gull on the Lossie estuary (Moray) on 24th-30th.
But for events of recent times, an unconfirmed report of a Lammergeier seen on 27th at Fernworthy reservoir (Devon) might have been greeted with raised eyebrows and a healthy degree of scepticism. We know better, now, and any report of a vulture deserves a second glance…
A handful of Black Kites were noted in recent days – one on 24th high over Whitesands Bay (Pembrokeshire); another on 26th over Conyer (Kent); and, in Co.Cork, at Cape Clear on 24th and Garinish Point on 30th.
A female Montagu’s Harrier was seen in Norfolk at Warham Greens on 24th; and the recent male bird remained on Foulness Island (Essex) on 30th in an area with no general access.
While the female Snowy Owl continued her residency out on St Kilda (Western Isles) on 25th, another individual was seen this week – up on Ben Macdui (Aberdeenshire) on 27th. Neither particularly accessible, then…
There’s no denying the biggest passerine news of the past week, and that was the large and widespread arrival of Wrynecks into Britain – a wave of birds that extended right across to the Welsh islands, and included a fair few inland birds too. How many went unseen last week? Some 80 birds were found and, of these, some sites boasted multiple individuals – three apiece were present on Bardsey (Gwynedd) on 25th and Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 27th. Even London got a look-in, with a single bird found at Alexandra Park on 28th.
Nine Bee-eaters were flirting with the English Channel at Beachy Head (East Sussex) on 26th.
Two reports came in of a couple of Hoopoes this week – one at Dymchurch (Kent) on 26th and, in Ireland, one in Dublin (Co.Dublin) on 24th.
A Golden Oriole was seen again on 30th near Newington (Nottinghamshire).
Red-backed Shrikes were starting to get on the move this week, with a few birds noted in recent days – single birds at West Bexington (Dorset) on 24th-25th; Gramborough Hill (Norfolk) on 24th-25th; Blakeney Point (Norfolk) still on 24th-28th; Arne RSPB (Dorset) on 25th; Over (Cambridgeshire) on 26th; and on Sanday (Orkney) on 28th. A further possible bird was seen at Filey (North Yorkshire) on 24th.
A possible Short-toed Lark was noted over St Anthony Head (Cornwall) on 25th.
Of the scarce and rare warblers, Fair Isle (Shetland) was once more doing well for itself, with the recent Booted Warbler again seen on there on 28th, and the first of the autumn’s Arctic Warblers checking in – one present on 27th joined by a second bird on there the following day.
Nationally, Greenish Warblers refused to hand over the baton though, and remained dominant, just about scraping into double figures again this week. One remained on Foula (Shetland) on 24th-25th; while in East Yorkshire birds remained at Kilnsea on 24th-25th and Flamborough on 24th. One was found in Norfolk at Horsey on 24th, while one was seen on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 24th-25th. North Yorkshire scored birds at Saltwick Nab on 25th-27th and near Whitby on 27th. A probable bird was seen briefly in Lincolnshire at Saltfleetby Theddlethorpe NNR on 26th, while one was found in Scotland at Ardmair Point (Highland) on 28th. Finally, a bird made it to Ireland on 27th, being seen on Great Saltee Island (Co.Wexford) that day.
Returning to Fair Isle (Shetland) for a moment, it provided the anomaly to the rest of the week’s Melodious Warblers, with a bird seen on there on 24th. Otherwise, Wales and the English southwest had the monopoly this week… In Wales, birds were logged on Grassholm (Pembrokeshire) on 24th; and on 25th at Great Ormes Head (Conwy) and Holyhead (Anglesey). English birds were seen at Land’s End (Cornwall) on 24th, Soar (Devon) on 25th, and on Portland (Dorset) again on 25th.
The week’s widely scattered, slim pickings of Icterine Warblers numbered one at Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 25th; another on Dursey Island (Co.Cork) on 27th; and one on Skomer (Pembrokeshire) on 28th. Either a Melodious or an Icterine Warbler was found on 28th at Maer Lake CBWPS (Cornwall).
Barred Warblers, however, were more numerous – some 25 birds were logged nationally, including duos at Kilnsea (East Yorkshire) on 25th, on Out Skerries (Shetland) on 27th, and on Barra (Western Isles) on 28th.
The last of the week’s scarce warblers was the first of the autumn’s Yellow-browed Warblers, and further proof that the season is now upon us – a bird found on 28th at Lerrocks Farm Red Kite Centre (Forth).
In shorter supply than of late, just five Rose-coloured Starlings were noted in recent days – at Dungarvan (Co.Waterford) still on 27th; at Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire) on 24th; on Skye (Highland) on 25th; in Coleraine (Co.Derry) on 26th; and on Orkney at Stromness on 29th.
A Bluethroat was found on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 29th-30th.
While with any luck we’re in for another autumn with plenty of Eastern Yellow Wagtails, for now at least some Citrine Wagtails were keeping it old school this week. Birds were present on Scilly at Porth Hellick Pool on 25th-26th and Tresco on 26th; near Cove (Borders) on 26th; and a probable was heard on Bardsey (Gwynedd) on 27th.
A probable female Blue-headed Wagtail was seen on 28th at Cut End (Lincolnshire).
Firing a similar autumnal shot across our bows as the Forth Yellow-browed Warbler this week, an Olive-backed Pipit was found on 29th in Cornwall at Trevellas Coombe.
Shetland and Orkney continued to share the honours where Common Rosefinches were concerned – at least one bird on Unst on 24th (Shetland) had risen to four scattered over the island by 27th; two were logged on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 24th and 27th, with one still present on 28th; one was seen on Papa Westray (Orkney) on 26th; and one remained on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 27th-28th.
In a quiet week for overseas news, the biggest event was the lingering presence of the first Pallas’s Fish Eagle for Belarus, still present on 25th-28th at Wolma fish farm.
Much closer to home, the Pygmy Cormorant remained in Holland at Plas Laagraven on 24th-28th, while in Switzerland another bird was seen in Geneva on the River Rhone on 25th.
Let’s get 31st August out of the way, and hasten into the first week of September – the month, lest we forget, that once upon a time was when all the good birds used to be found on Scilly and Shetland. Our perception of when autumn’s ‘good weeks’ are has shifted… but we need only take a look at the rarities of yore to know that September, given half a chance, can deliver the goods. Even the first week…
Past records of Black-and-white Warbler and Tennessee Warbler hint at the potential for Nearctic passerine vagrancy – both date to 1982, in Cornwall and Orkney respectively. More recently, the Purple Martin on Lewis (Western Isles) on 5th-6th September 2004 hammers the point home. Given half a chance, something monster this way could come.
Alas, the charts for the coming week suggest some light easterlies wafting across towards us from Scandinavia are way more likely than some screaming, hurricane-fuelled westerlies. Maybe we should set our sights lower, head to the east coast, and look for a self-found Arctic or Greenish Warbler…
Jon Dunn
30 Aug 2021
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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