Weekly birding round-up: 2 - 8 Nov 2021
Perhaps, given the general sense of urgency and public unease about the state of the world’s climate, the less said the better this week of the mainstream news headlines made in the south of Scotland where, at COP26, the British Prime Minister saw fit to fall asleep in public during proceedings, but perked up enough to catch a private jet back to London at the end of the conference to ensure he made it to the Garrick Club in time to have dinner with his mates…
Instead, let’s kick off the week’s rarity round up in the north of Scotland where a lost soul of a more innocent nature was making the birding headlines.
Were it not for the wintering individual that spent 3rd January – 11th March 2008 tucked away in Cley (Norfolk), delighting a steady stream of admirers all the while, British birders would be a lot less sanguine about White-crowned Sparrow. At the time, that was Britain’s fourth record, and the first to be twitchable. It was, really, the very definition of a confiding and obliging mega.
The preceding three had given little cause for optimism that the species would ever give itself up easily – the first, a two-day bird on Fair Isle (Shetland) in May 1977 was followed by another the very same month at Hornsea Mere (East Yorkshire), a one-day bird, and then another one-day bird at Seaforth (Lancashire) on 2nd October 1995.
The Cley bird, however, was not only the individual that inked White-crowned Sparrow onto many a list, but also a shot across our bows – they were about to get a little more regular in these quarters. Regular, but never as easy as that bird – from then on, we returned to the prior format of either one- or two-day birds, and/or birds on islands…
But more of them, and that’s the main thing. Since the wintering Cley individual, there’ve been a further seven birds found in Britain, the last of which, a one-day bird on 15th May 2020, was a spectacular lockdown find for eight year old Darcy Cook in her Fetlar (Shetland) garden, and took White-crowned Sparrow’s run in Britain to a fifth consecutive year in the records.
It has to be said that Shetland’s built something of an affinity with the species over the years. From that first on Fair Isle in 1977, two more came in quick succession on Foula in 2017 and 2018, and then along came the Fetlar bird. And, this week, Unst got in on the action, with a ridiculously confiding individual discovered hanging around ruined buildings and sheep crus at the head of the beach at Easting on 5th. Shetland’s somewhat subdued autumn now featured some fireworks after all.
The bird remained present until 8th, working its way around the area, feeding actively, and often approaching onlookers way too close for binoculars or cameras to focus upon. On 7th, I had the surreal experience of it kicking moss onto my jacket as it foraged on top of a wall beside me. So that’s now six consecutive years with a British record of White-crowned Sparrow. While with a bird that has only a dozen British records to its name it feels somewhat presumptuous, I guess we can say it’s annual now?
We need no telling that we’ve already enjoyed some superb Nearctic vagrants this autumn, not least in the form of a certain recent thrush, but belt up people, the year’s just taken another turn for the better this week… and it’s on the British mainland.
It being Lancashire’s first ever Belted Kingfisher, seen – and photographed – on the River Ribble, near Brockholes LWT in the morning of 8th. That’s the good news.
The less good news is that it was last seen flying strongly downstream and hasn’t, at the time of writing at least, been relocated subsequently. One would hope that it might hang around – there’s British and Irish precedent for wintering birds, after all – so maybe this is one that’s going to reappear in the headlines someweek soon…
And so to another passerine, but one that unlike aforementioned sparrow is obdurately far from approaching annual in its appearances – and that’s the subtle charmer that’s Taiga Flycatcher. The mega alert had already had a warm up this week by the time the news of the White-crowned Sparrow broke for, on 4th, it had chimed to break the news that a Taiga Flycatcher had been found on Flamborough Head (East Yorkshire) at South Landing.
Or rather, had been re-found, for it appears likely to be one and the same bird as that last seen on the cliffs below the foghorn station on Flamborough at dusk on 16th October. Such a long stay isn’t without precedent – one of Shetland’s birds spent almost a month dividing its time between, initially, Fetlar and latterly Yell in 2009. Opinions differ, inevitably, about whether we’re talking about one or two birds here – could lightning strike twice in one location in the space of a few week? Well, maybe.
Two bird theories aside, happily for birders on mainland Britain, this individual remained settled at South Landing through the weekend into the afternoon of 7th, allowing ample time for those who wanted to catch up with it to make their pilgrimage. Better yet, on 5th-7th it was sharing the site with a Red-flanked Bluetail. And not just the site – on some occasions, it was even present in the same tree as that former mega.
As birding tributes go, and with thrushes pulsing overhead and streaming inland, this was one of the highest order for Flamborough stalwart DIM Wallace, whose passing we learned of over the weekend. The word legend is bandied around a lot these days, but in the context of Ian Wallace it barely scratches the surface. His sustained contributions to birding, in so many ways and not least his selfless encouragement to generations of young birders, were peerless. His artwork leaps from the paper, birds bursting with jizz, and the vitality that marked the man.
Ian would have enjoyed the birding this weekend on Flamborough. His questing spirit will stride on there in the years to come.
Once again this week, the biggest seabird news came from the smallest of them all, as Little Auks were on the move again – and in some seriously chunky numbers too. The week began with a mere two birds noted from Fife Ness (Fife) on 2nd, but went delightfully loopy as the days wore on, with daily four-figure national tallies on 5th, 6th and 7th, culminating in a weekly overall total of at least 10,500 birds by the close of play on 8th. Chief amongst these were scores from the vantage points in Fife – on 5th, Fife Ness racked up 833 birds, but was blown out of the water by the Isle of May, where 1,182 birds were logged; but even that was supplanted on 7th when Fife Ness scored 1,311 birds. Sure enough, on 8th, the Isle of May fought back, with 1,371 birds noted. All in all, a great spectacle for North Sea sea-watchers, and the arrival of the buffet trolley for peckish Great Black-backed Gulls…
With eyes cast seawards counting Little Auks, other birds were going to be found too and, this week, chief amongst those were White-billed Divers - one was seen from Fife Ness on 5th, with another possible that day noted off Newbiggin (Northumberland); while one or two were seen from Low Hauxley (Northumberland) on 6th. On 7th two were noted from North Uist (Western Isles).
Every couple of days this week a lone Great Shearwater was seen off the northeast coast – on 2nd on the sea off Stag Rocks (Northumberland); on 4th from Hornsea (East Yorkshire); and on 6th from Long Nab (North Yorkshire).
A handful of Leach’s Petrels were also seen this week, though just one in the North Sea, off Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 4th. Further single birds were noted from Tindale Tarn (Cumbria) on 5th, off Arranmore (Co.Donegal) on 6th and, on 7th, in Dunnet Bay (Highland), and off Bloody Foreland (Co.Donegal) where two birds were seen.
That leaves us with Pomarine Skuas to deal with – numbers nationally halved on the prior week, with some 20 birds in all logged nationwide. Of these, half a dozen seen from Cley (Norfolk) on 4th were the highest single site tally, with only the two seen from Fife Ness (Fife) on 4th breaking an otherwise single bird pattern elsewhere.
Numbers of Glossy Ibises took a bit of a tumble this past week, down somewhat compared to their former recent glories, to just 25 birds logged. Chief amongst those were five birds seen intermittently still at Berry Fen (Cambridgeshire), with six again there on 7th; and with other multiples being two still present at Dungeness (Kent) on 4th-8th, two again at Walmsley Sanctuary CBWPS (Cornwall) on 3rd-4th, three seen moving through north Norfolk, noted over Beeston Bump and Titchwell RSPB on 3rd, and three on 7th at Medmerry RSPB and later on West Wittering (West Sussex), remaining at the latter site on 8th.
A Corncrake was reported from Paull Holme Strays (East Yorkshire) on 6th.
Starting the honkers and quackers as usual with The Goose Formerly Known As Canada, an interior Todd’s Canada Goose was again seen in Lancashire at Crawford on 2nd, with two birds noted in Cumbria at Rockcliffe on 7th, and one again in Northumberland at Budle Bay on 8th; while on Islay (Argyll & Bute) the hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose was still present on 3rd-4th.
Also present on Islay, the Red-breasted Goose was still to be seen at Loch Gruinart RSPB on 2nd-4th.
The three white Snow Geese remained at Loch Spynie (Moray) on 2nd-3rd, while in Ayrshire a Ross’s Goose was hanging out with the Pink-footed Geese around Fail on 4th-8th.
A Black Brant was found in Somerset on 6th on the Axe estuary; and another on 7th on the East Sussex / Kent border at Scotney GPs.
Two probable Grey-bellied Brants were logged at Strangford Lough (Co.Down) on 2nd, with a further possible bird at Lurgangreen (Co.Louth) on 7th; and another possible bird in Highland on 3rd at Tornagrain.
Around half a dozen American Wigeons were noted in recent days – confirmed birds at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) still on 2nd; on Islay (Argyll & Bute) still on 2nd-8th; at Marston Vale Millennium CP (Bedfordshire) still on 2nd-6th; at Welney WWT (Norfolk) on 2nd-3rd; at Udale Bay (Highland) on 3rd-8th; and a probable bird at Marazion (Cornwall) on 4th.
Green-winged Teals ascended into double figures again this week, with 11 birds in all noted. In Scotland, two remained on Barra (Western Isles) on 3rd-6th; one was still present on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 6th; one was seen at Skinflats Lagoons RSPB (Forth) on 4th; and a final bird at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 8th. English sightings came from North Cave Wetlands YWT (East Yorkshire) on 2nd-8th still, Nanpean (Cornwall) on 3rd, and Devoran Quay (Cornwall) on 8th. One was present in Ireland at East Coast NR (Co.Wicklow) on 2nd-7th, while the Blennerville (Co.Kerry) bird was again seen there on 7th, and a final bird was found at Courtmacsherry (Co.Cork) on 8th.
The recent female Ferruginous Duck went AWOL for a few days but was back at Belvide reservoir (Staffordshire) on 7th-8th.
Both recent Lesser Scaups were again logged in recent days, namely the drake in Somerset still at Chew Valley Lake on 2nd-8th, and the juvenile still present in Scilly on Tresco on 2nd-7th. Another bird was found, this time in Scotland’s wildfowl hotspot of Islay (Argyll & Bute), present at Loch Skerrols on 3rd-5th.
Numbers of Ring-necked Ducks continued to rise, with some 30 noted across Britain and Ireland. Cornwall’s Dozmary Pool remained the national hotspot, with numbers there climbing to six birds present on 3rd.
In Lothian, the drake White-winged Scoter remained off Musselburgh on 2nd-8th, with three Surf Scoters also present there for good measure on 4th-8th. Other Scottish Surf Scoters were seen off Barra (Western Isles) still on 3rd-6th, Hopeman Point (Moray) on 5th-6th, and Nairn (Highland) on 7th; while one remained in Co.Kerry at Lough Gill on 7th and a further Co.Kerry sighting came on 8th from Smerwick Harbour.
Hopeman Point also continued to account for a King Eider on 2nd-8th; in Shetland, the drake remained in Wadbister Voe on 2nd-6th, with another bird seen off Gutcher on Yell on 2nd-4th.
We may have seen the first frosts of the coming winter on the ground, but try telling winter’s coming to the stalwart White-tailed Lapwing at Blacktoft Sands RSPB in East Yorkshire – still present throughout this week until 8th, and pick of the week’s waders.
In Ireland, the Semipalmated Plover was still present in Co.Cork at Crookhaven on 6th.
A juvenile Pacific Golden Plover was found in Lincolnshire near Deeping St James on 6th-8th; an adult was seen in Cambridgeshire at Thorney Dyke on 2nd and again on 8th.
A wide scatter of American Golden Plovers were logged this week. In Cornwall, one lingered around Crows-an-Wra on 2nd-4th; one was still present in Somerset at Steart WWT on 3rd; one was seen on Shetland on Unst on 6th-7th; one was seen at Strangford Lough (Co.Down) on 3rd; and, on 7th, one was seen in flight at Ballycotton (Co.Cork).
In Suffolk, the late Dotterel was still present at Falkenham Creek on 2nd.
Just three Pectoral Sandpipers were logged this week – birds noted at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) still on 2nd; in Devon at South Huish Marshes on 5th-7th; and in Cornwall at Stithians reservoir on 5th.
4th meanwhile was marked by two probable White-rumped Sandpipers that avoided confirmation – one in flight at Loch Gruinart RSPB on Islay (Argyll & Bute), and the other at Blithfield reservoir (Staffordshire).
On St Mary’s (Scilly), the juvenile Spotted Sandpiper was still present on 2nd-4th.
The only Lesser Yellowlegs this week was one still present at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 5th-7th.
In Northumberland the newly arrived Wilson’s Phalarope remained near Lucker at Newstead Flash on 2nd-7th.
A Red-necked Phalarope was found in Kent at Pegwell Bay on 2nd.
Finally, Grey Phalaropes had a strong showing this week, with around 100 birds in all tallied across the days. Peak counts came from Fife Ness (Fife), where 14 birds on 2nd were bettered by 28 birds on 4th.
Kent was where it was at where Sabine’s Gulls were concerned this week, with two seen from Shell Ness on Sheppey’s eastern extremity on 4th, and a further individual noted off Dungeness on 6th. A more northerly bird was seen from Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 6th also; and a more northerly bird still on 7th from Strathy Point (Highland).
The adult Bonaparte’s Gull continued to haunt the east coast this week, being seen again in Northumberland at Stag Rocks on 3rd-4th, at Seahouses in the evening of 4th, and back at Stag Rocks on 7th; while an adult was seen in the evening of 3rd heading south past Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire).
The adult Ring-billed Gull remained at Blackrock (Co.Louth) on 4th-5th, while the adult remained at Nimmo’s Pier (Co.Galway) on 3rd and an adult was seen at Mutton Island on 8th.
Numbers of both white-wingers picked up a little this week, with some 30 Glaucous and 10 Iceland Gulls logged in recent days. Peak count of the former species came Highland where four birds were seen on 7th passing Ardnamurchan in the space of an hour.
The prior week’s star raptor, the probable dark morph Gyr seen at dusk at Cardiff Bay (Glamorgan) on 30th, returned to the news this week – disappointingly ringed, and all too approachable too on 2nd. One to chalk up to experience.
Frustrating too, in its way, was the possible juvenile Northern Harrier seen on Islay (Argyll & Bute) at Loch Gruinart RSPB at dusk on 4th. We all hate the ones that get away…
And finally, also on 4th, a bird that wasn’t a falconer’s escapee, and was positively identified too – a juvenile Pallid Harrier seen ghosting over The Lizard (Cornwall) in the afternoon.
Sightings of Rough-legged Buzzards picked up the pace a little this week. One was seen again in Essex over Pitsea Landfill on 4th; and further birds were noted that day at Brookland (Kent), Woodwalton Fen (Cambridgeshire), and Swaffham Forest (Norfolk); on 8th one was seen in Kent at Reculver. A final unconfirmed report came of one much further west, near Weymouth (Dorset) on 3rd.
We turn to warblers once more to kick off the passerines, with a small fall of scarce and mildly rare birds mainly along the east coast brightening up these late autumn days lately. Starting in Kent, a Hume’s Warbler was present at South Foreland on 3rd-4th, sharing the site with a Radde’s Warbler that endured until 5th.
Another Radde’s Warbler was trapped and ringed at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 5th.
Dusky Warblers, meanwhile were trapped and ringed at Middleton NR (Lancashire) on 3rd and Kilnsea (East Yorkshire) on 5th; and further sightings came from Wells Woods (Norfolk) on 5th-6th, and Saltfleetby NNR (Lincolnshire) on 8th. One seen ‘recently’ near Sea Palling (Norfolk) was, of course, too vague to be of any practical use to anyone hoping to actually see it.
A handful of Pallas’s Warblers were seen from Shetland, where one remained at Norwick on Unst on 2nd-4th and another was found at Sumburgh on 2nd, to Kent, where one was trapped and ringed at Dungeness on 2nd; and, in between, in Norfolk, birds were found at Blakeney Point on 4th, and Weybourne Camp on 5th-6th and again on 8th.
On St Mary’s (Scilly), the recent Arctic Warbler remained until 4th; while the Western Subalpine Warbler was also still present until 3rd.
A late, westerly Barred Warbler in Somerset at Berrow Dunes LNR on 3rd-7th was a locally popular find; another was at Kenidjack (Cornwall) on 8th.
And speaking of late, wayward warblers, the Melodious Warbler found on 2nd at Sumburgh (Shetland) was every bit as lost and noteworthy as that Somerset bird. Another was found further south on 8th in Norfolk at Wells Woods.
Staying in Shetland a moment, the probable Siberian Stonechat was still present on Yell on 2nd.
A Red-flanked Bluetail was found in Sound on the outskirts of Lerwick (Shetland) on 7th; and, as we mentioned in the headlines, another was gilding the Taiga Flycatcher’s lily at Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 5th-8th.
A Bluethroat was found on the Plym estuary (Devon) on 5th.
Eight Red-breasted Flycatchers were seen this week – starting on Scilly, one was present on St Martin’s on 2nd, while another was seen that day in Cornwall at Pendeen; also on 2nd one was found in Devon on Lundy; one was trapped and ringed on Portland (Dorset) on 5th; in Norfolk, birds were found at Burnham Overy Dunes on 4th, at Titchwell RSPB on 5th-7th, and Sidestrand on 8th; and one was at Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 6th.
Best of the pipits this week was the recent American Buff-bellied Pipit still on The Lizard (Cornwall) on 3rd. Elsewhere in the county an Olive-backed Pipit was seen at Nanjizal Valley on 4th; another of the latter species was reported over Strumpshaw Fen RSPB (Norfolk) on 5th.
Richard’s Pipits just about scraped into double figures this week – birds were noted on 2nd at Flamborough (East Yorkshire) and Long Nanny (Northumberland); on 2nd-3rd still on North Ronaldsay (Orkney); on 3rd at Pulborough Brooks RSPB (West Sussex) and on Bardsey (Gwynedd); on 5th on The Lizard (Cornwall); and on 6th near Eccles (Norfolk). On 8th East Yorkshire sightings came from Kilnsea and Spurn; and one was found in Cornwall at Cligga Head. Additional possible birds were noted in Aberdeenshire at Portsoy on 4th, and in West Sussex at West Wittering on 7th.
Three Rose-coloured Starlings were seen in recent days in the southwest. One remained in Devon at Paignton on 3rd-7th; and on 5th further birds were seen on St Mary’s (Scilly) and Lower Boscaswell (Cornwall), the latter still present on 8th.
In Norfolk, the Short-toed Lark remained at West Runton on 2nd-8th.
A late Wryneck was found on 5th at Kenidjack (Cornwall).
On Mull (Argyll & Bute), the Red-backed Shrike remained at Aros Castle on 2nd-4th. Great Grey Shrikes were seen at Backley Bottom (Hampshire) still on 2nd-8th, at Backwater reservoir (Angus) on 2nd-8th, and Waxham (Norfolk) again on 8th.
The popular Hoopoe remained in Warwick (Warwickshire) on 2nd, while one was again seen on Bryher (Scilly) on 7th; further birds were found this week in Scilly on Tresco on 2nd and 8th, and St Martin’s on 3rd, and a possible bird was seen at Swiss Garden (Bedfordshire) on 3rd.
A possible Pallid Swift was found on 7th passing over Rudry Common (Glamorgan).
Our only Common Rosefinch this week was one reported on 2nd from Durlston CP (Dorset).
A hornemanni Arctic Redpoll was seen on Unst (Shetland) at Halligarth on 3rd; a further probable bird was seen in Co.Kerry on 5th at Lough Gill.
We draw to a close in Cornwall where a Serin was seen on 4th at St Levan and, on 5th, a Little Bunting was noted at Nanjizal Valley. Further Little Buntings were found on 8th at Spurn (East Yorkshire) and Pennard Burrows (Glamorgan).
It’s been a while since Scandinavia topped the overseas headlines but, in a week where a Nearctic sparrow was topping the bill in Britain, the same could be said for the Western Palearctic as a whole. Indeed, given how regular White-crowned Sparrow has been in Britain of recent years, we could be forgiven for casting envious eyes towards Norway in recent days, where Norway’s first – and only the Western Palearctic’s eighth - Savannah Sparrow was found on 2nd at Vollmona.
Nor was Norway done with that – Norwegian birders also enjoyed their second ever Taiga Flycatcher at Orre on 5th, hot on the heels of a Brown Shrike there the day before.
Keeping it Nearctic in Denmark, the country’s first Hermit Thrush was trapped and ringed at Christiansø on 3rd, remaining there the following day too. A Pine Grosbeak was seen flying past Hulsig on 6th.
Less readily settled and obliging, though no less startling in its rarity, Sweden’s first Brown Booby was found on 3rd on a boat off Måseskär. An Eastern Black Redstart remained on Öland on 2nd.
Drawing closer to home, in Belgium the country’s first Western Swamphen remained at Het Vinne on 2nd-8th; and a Wallcreeper was found in Dinant again on 8th.
Holland’s first Eastern Olivaceous Warbler remained settled at Nieuwvliet-Bad on 4th-8th, and the resident Pygmy Cormorant was still present at Utrecht on 2nd-8th; while the not-so-long-ago Greater Sand Plover put in another appearance on Texel on 7th.
In Spain, an American Black Tern was present in Asturias at San Andres de los Tacones reservoir on 7th-8th.
Heading east into the Mediterranean, in Italy a Bar-tailed Lark was found on Sicily on 2nd at Lampedusa.
Israel’s first Chestnut Bunting was trapped and ringed at Eilat on 3rd, remaining there until 5th.
Finally, we’re off to the Azores again. Here, on Corvo, numbers of Great Blue Herons rose from two birds on 2nd to three by 6th-7th; sharing the island with a Myrtle Warbler on 5th, Northern Parula still on 5th-7th, a Killdeer on 6th and an American Coot on 7th.
A Semipalmated Plover was seen on Faial on 6th. Terceira, meanwhile, boasted a Belted Kingfisher and a Snowy Egret still on 2nd, rising to two of the latter species by 6th; and four Great Blue Herons on 2nd.
Could we yet be in for another tasty Nearctic vagrant before 2021 is done with us? Certainly the coming week doesn’t start badly in that respect, with what looks like a decent spell of westerlies barrelling across the Atlantic towards Ireland and Scotland.
There’s maybe a clue or two as to what we might dare to invoke out on the Azores this past week, and certainly historic British and Irish precedent for the second week of November suggests that an American Coot or a Killdeer is well within the bounds of possibility.
But. All of those Azorean Great Blue Herons. Well… We know they can get here, given a fair following wind – Scilly’s had both of our British records to date, and the first of those arrived as lately in the year as the first week of December. So if we’re to shoot for the stars, let’s give those coastal Grey Herons more than a passing glance this coming week…
Jon Dunn
3 Nov 2021
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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