Weekly birding round-up: 4 - 10 Jan 2022
It’s fair to say that, with wintery weather biting in parts this week, our two leading headline birds were very much putting the dead into the dead of midwinter. One significantly rarer than the other, and part of a wider movement of its kind… and some speculative food for thought about the unthinkable day were a twitchable individual to be finally found.
The year wasn’t even a week old before Ireland had landed a national first, in the form of an Allen’s Gallinule on Inishmore (Co.Galway) on 4th. That exciting news was tempered by the sad fact that the bird was found dead.
The timing of the bird fits neatly both with events in Britain in the past, and in the Canary Isles in the present. Britain boasts three prior examples of this periodically irruptive Afrotropical species – one captured exhausted on a fishing boat off Hopton-on-Sea (Norfolk) on 1st January 1902; another moribund individual found on Portland (Dorset) on 10th February 2002; and one picked up dead on St Kilda (Western Isles) on 26th March 2017. There’s a two-fold pattern there – birds found only in the first three months of the year, and either dead or dying. They might be (just about) capable of sustaining the long flight to our northern shores, but it takes a lot out of them to do so.
Even a flight to the Canary Isles can prove too much for an Allen’s Gallinule. Three have been found there in recent days – one moribund on Fuerteventura; another on Tenerife on 4th was taken into care; while one present on Lanzarote on 6th-7th appears to be in better fettle. It’s pure indulgence to imagine one alive and kicking in Britain or Ireland…
6.1.2022 Porphyrio alleni 1w Campo de golf Costa Teguise, Lanzarote (Manolo Salas) pic.twitter.com/Jdgyv57Aao
— Rare Birds in Spain (@rarebirdspain) January 7, 2022
From a national first to a county second record next, and sustaining the developing dead on arrival theme, Lincolnshire’s second Black-throated Thrush had recently lost its vital spark when it was discovered in Lincoln on 4th.
Lincs 2nd Black-throated Thrush (photos received by email). Picked up dead in Bailgate, Lincoln this morning 04.01.2022 (unverified)? pic.twitter.com/4mx4uHICIE
— Lincsbirding (@Lincsbirding) January 4, 2022
That the bird comes relatively hot on the heels of the county’s first record, the popular winter individual seen in Grimsby on 30th January – 4th February 2020, may help to make the loss of this bird a little easier to swallow for keen Lincolnshire county listers. Then again, Black-throated Thrushes have a long history of being found overwintering in Britain, and some birds have put in substantial and, of course, very popular stays. If only this bird had avoided an early demise, it would surely have drawn many admirers.
If nothing else, it’s a shot across our bows that one just might be lurking out there, hanging out with the visiting Redwings, waiting to be found. As always, it’s worth giving a neighbour’s report of ‘a funny bird’ in their garden a second glance. You just never know.
We speculated in last week’s Round Up that the drake Baikal Teal photographed in Somerset at Greylake RSPB on 2nd might be one and the same as that seen in Staffordshire at Aqualate Mere NNR on 21st December. That didn’t seem so fanciful – after all, the Aqualate bird hadn’t been seen subsequently, and the Somerset bird was said to have been present at Greylake for around a week before 2nd.
And besides, how many wild Baikal Teals are likely to be at large in Britain at the same time? There are only seven accepted records on the British list, after all. They’re proper rare.
More of which shortly. This week’s national bird news brightened up on the morning of 8th with the announcement that the drake was once more present at Greylake RSPB. It continued to show off and on there all day, and was still present on 9th-10th too. These latter dates were significant, as they overlapped with the discovery of a drake Baikal Teal further north, at Hornsea Mere (East Yorkshire), on 9th.
Two birds in Britain, then, this week. Meaning either could conceivably be the Staffordshire bird from the closing days of December. Or, indeed, neither might be. An exhortation, were any needed, to pay close attention to the massed ranks of Teal at a freshwater body near you. If lightning can strike twice, who knows what you might bump into.
Still topping the weekly seabird news this week was the Pacific Diver, showing well on Eglwys Nunydd reservoir (Glamorgan) on 4th-10th. We’ve wondered at the absence of any sightings from Cornwall so far this winter – it’s hosted wintering birds in recent years, after all – but that seems to have been put right this past week with one seen from Charlestown on 4th, and a possible off nearby Par on 5th.
The wind’s not been conducive to looking for wintering White-billed Diver in Shetland’s regular site of South Nesting Bay this week, but one was seen from Gloup on Yell on 5th. On 9th, one was seen at Stag Rocks (Northumberland). A further possible bird was seen passing St Andrews (Fife) on 7th.
After a few quiet weeks, Little Auks assumed a little more prominence in recent days, mainly carried by 100 birds noted in Dunnet Bay (Highland) on 4th. A further 25 birds were noted elsewhere, with a peak count of five logged passing Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 8th.
A single Pomarine Skua was seen from Devon’s Berry Head on 6th.
Lastly, a Leach’s Petrel was found on 4th off Weston Shore (Hampshire).
With a shade over 125 birds logged across Britain and Ireland in the past week, the influx of Glossy Ibises was showing no signs of fading away any time soon. Birds were again seen from the very far north, in Shetland, right down to the south coast of England, where a dozen birds remained on the Isle of Wight at Brading Marsh RSPB on 5th-10th.
The latter were, however, far from the only double figure flock out there. Cornwall’s Walmsley Sanctuary CBWPS notched up 18 birds on 5th, 7th and 10th again, but it was Ireland that really stole the laurels – 21 birds remained at Nohoval (Co.Cork) on 4th, with a further 11 seen that day at North Bull Island (Co.Dublin).
As we’d expect, scarce and rare honkers and quackers made up much of the daily news reports over the past week. We’ll start in Essex, where an Red-breasted Goose was present at Wallasea Island RSPB on 8th; while another bird was found further up the east coast on 9th-10th, at Freiston Shore RSPB (Lincolnshire).
Moray continued to provide the lion’s share of Snow Geese this week, with three white morphs seen near Lossiemouth on 5th and 9th, and Findhorn on 6th. A single bird was again seen on North Uist (Western Isles) on 5th; another at Marshside RSPB (Lanashire) on 9th; and the white morph remained at Lissadell (Co.Sligo) on 6th.
With the exception of a bird seen again on The Fleet (Dorset) on 5th, it was eastern England that gave us our Black Brants this week. Norfolk provided sightings at Wells on 4th-5th and Cley on 4th; one was reported from Suffolk at Minsmere RSPB on 7th; a bird was still present in Essex at South Fambridge on 8th; and in Kent, the bird remained off Reculver on 6th-7th.
Moving into The Goose Formerly Known As Canada, interior Todd’s Canada Geese were seen on 4th at Marshside RSPB, and on 9th at Banks Marsh NNR (Lancashire); at Rockcliffe Marsh (Cumbria) on 5th, where two birds were present; at Muckleton on 8th and near Burnham Market (Norfolk) on 10th; and at North Hykeham (Lincolnshire), where a possible bird passed over with Pinkfeet on 4th; while in Ireland two probable birds were seen at Doonbeg (Co.Clare) on 5th-9th, and a final individual was present at Termoncarragh (Co.Mayo) on 7th.
Co.Sligo provided the bulk of the week’s hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Geese, with sightings at Lissadell on 6th still and Ballintemple on 6th-7th. In Lancashire, one was again seen at Banks Marsh NNR on 5th, and one remained on Islay (Argyll & Bute) at Loch Gruinart RSPB on 10th. Two Cackling Goose remained on North Uist (Western Isles) at Loch Scarie on 5th, with another bird seen on the island that day at Loch Grogarry.
Both of our regular rare scoters were still to be seen, intermittently, this past week – the drake Black Scoter still present off Stag Rocks (Northumberland) on 6th-7th and again on 10th, with presumably the same bird seen at Ross Sands (Northumberland) on 9th; while the drake was again seen in Moray from Lossiemouth on 9th also. The drake White-winged Scoter still being reported off Musselburgh (Lothian) on 4th-5th.
Black Scoter off Lossiemouth east beach today pic.twitter.com/KqHXvx8Zb5
— Dave Pullan ?????????????? (@davepullan) January 9, 2022
At least one drake Surf Scoter was also still in the choppy waters off Lothian’s Fisherrow on 4th-9th; three were seen from Gullane Point on 5th, with two off there still on 9th. One remained off Barra (Western Isles) on 8th-9th; a bird was again seen from Lossiemouth (Moray) on 10th; one was again off Broad Haven (Pembrokeshire) on 9th; and down on Scilly, the juvenile was still present off Tresco on 5th and St Mary’s on 10th. In Ireland, the drake remained off Termonfeckin (Co.Louth) on 9th-10th.
In Shetland, one of the recent drake King Eiders was still in Bluemull Sound on 5th-7th.
Ring-necked Ducks continued to dominate the daily duck news, with some 45 birds logged across Britain and Ireland. For a change, Cornwall’s Dozmary Pool didn’t have the highest count, mustering a mere three birds present on 4th – quartets, however, were seen this week on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 5th, at Lough Yganavan (Co.Kerry) on 8th and, on 9th, at Lough Gara (Co.Sligo).
Nine Lesser Scaups were logged this week and, amongst some familiar faces, a bird at a new locality – a first-winter female in Dorset at Abbotsbury on 7th-10th. Was this one of the recent Devon birds? Elsewhere, three remained on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 9th; the two Devonshire females were still present at Slapton Ley on 4th, with at least one still in the area on 5th-10th; one remained on Tresco (Scilly) on 5th-7th; the drake was still in Ayrshire at Auchincross on 4th-9th; and in Ireland, the first-winter drake was still settled on Bateman’s Lake (Co.Cork) on 4th-8th.
Our Ferruginous Ducks this week were the steadfast drake still present at Blashford Lakes (Hampshire) on 5th, the female again at Aqualate Mere (Staffordshire) on 9th, and the drake again at Thorpe Park (Surrey) on 10th.
A dozen Green-winged Teals were logged in recent days, with two sites once again scoring two birds apiece – these being Tain (Highland) once more on 7th, and Booterstown Marsh (Co.Dublin) on 8th.
Our sole American Wigeon this week was a drake found on 10th at Crook of Baldoon RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway).
A superb honorary wildfowl brings the section to a close – in Co.Wexford, the American Coot reappeared at Tacumshin again on 10th.
Once more pick of the waders this week in rarity terms was the long-staying adult White-tailed Lapwing, still present in Lincolnshire at East Halton Skitter on 4th-5th. Where next for this bird? If indeed, anywhere anytime soon – it was reported again from East Halton Skitter on 9th…
Outgunning it, however, in terms of novelty was the Long-billed Dowitcher at Fluke Hall (Lancashire) on 7th-9th – an excellent midwinter find.
An American Golden Plover was found on The Cull (Co.Wexford) on 10th.
On Scilly, the Spotted Sandpiper remained on St Mary’s on 4th-5th.
The Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Ireland at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 4th-8th.
Eight Grey Phalaropes were seen this past week, with a couple of settled birds proving locally popular – these being a very faithful individual in Shetland at Ireland beach still until 10th, and one at Filey Brigg (North Yorkshire) on 7th-10th. Elsewhere, on 4th one was seen at Marazion (Cornwall), and two at Dunnet Bay (Highland); on 6th, Norfolk gave sightings at Stiffkey and Cley; and another was seen in Cornwall at Pendeen on 7th.
Starting the weekly winter gull-fest, the adult Bonaparte’s Gull was again seen in Co.Antrim at Drains Bay on 4th.
Five Ring-billed Gulls were logged in Ireland – at Timoleague (Co.Cork) on 4th-8th, Ring (Co.Cork) on 7th, Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre (Co.Kerry) still on 7th-9th; at Black Rock (Co.Louth) still on 9th; and at Nimmo’s Pier (Co.Galway) still on 9th. Scottish sightings came from Strathclyde Loch (Clyde) still on 4th-7th and Musselburgh (Lothian) again on 5th and 8th-10th. The adult bird remained lobbing around Hayle and nearby Carbis Bay (Cornwall) on 4th-10th.
Numbers of white-wingers continued to tell an unfolding tale of birders bumping into northern gulls on their local patches – some 60 Glaucous Gulls and 60 Iceland Gulls were logged over the course of recent days. Of these, the only single site counts that bettered one or two individuals were a trio of Glaucous Gulls on North Uist (Western Isles) on 7th, a trio of Iceland Gulls at Killybegs (Co.Donegal) on 4th rising to four there on 9th, and four of the latter species seen on 8th on Skye (Highland).
In Cambridgeshire, the regular third-winter Kumlien’s Gull was still intermittently present in the pig fields at Heydon on 5th-9th; a second-winter was seen on North Uist on 9th; a further probable adult was seen in Kent at Dungeness on 8th; and a possible adult on Skye (Highland) on 9th. In Ireland, an adult was in Limerick (Co.Limerick) on 5th, and a juvenile at Kenmare Sound (Co.Kerry) on 7th-8th.
Staying in Ireland a while yet, the juvenile Northern Harrier remained at Lough Boora Parklands (Co.Offaly) on 5th-8th.
On Orkney, a possible Rough-legged Buzzard was reported from Dounby on 5th.
Our recent Nearctic superstars continued to delight, at least in the first half of the week, in Lancashire and Devon respectively. Starting up north, in Lancashire the Belted Kingfisher was still present at Roach Bridge on 4th-6th, but had done a bunk after that. One would assume it’s still somewhere in the area, and may reappear in due course… and certainly, the report of it on the River Calder near Great Harwood on 9th is both plausible and a source of some reasonable optimism.
Meanwhile, down in Devon the American Buff-bellied Pipit was still showing well at Prawle Point on 4th-10th; and the Richard’s Pipit was seen again at Filey (North Yorkshire) on 9th.
Speaking of birds showing well, the Red-flanked Bluetail in Co.Durham was giving itself up to admirers at Bowlees on 5th-10th again.
Pick of the wintering warblers was the discovery of an inland Pallas’s Warbler at Abingdon sewage works on 5th-10th.
Also fond of a damp, bosky patch to hide themselves in, Dusky Warblers remained in Kent at Fordwich on 6th-10th, Walthamstow (London) on 5th-9th, and Wheldrake Ings YWT (North Yorkshire) on 8th.
Still in Kent, the Hume’s Warbler remained at Bockhill Farm Wood on 4th-10th.
The Cambridgeshire Yellow-browed Warbler was still hanging around Milton CP on 4th-10th; while new birds were found in a Brixham (Devon) garden on 5th, and at Dungarvan (Co.Waterford) on 7th-9th.
The three recent Penduline Tits were seen at Weston Airfield (Somerset) still on 4th-9th, albeit with one or two of their number sometimes playing hard to get.
Four Great Grey Shrikes were logged in recent days – three recent birds once again, respectively, in Denbighshire at Llyn Brenig still on 4th-5th; at Wistow (North Yorkshire) on 4th-10th still; and at Backley Bottom (Hampshire) still on 7th-10th. A further bird was found on the Isle of Wight at Chale Green on 8th.
Just 17 Waxwings were seen this week, in a scatter down the east of Britain from Shetland to Norfolk. Only two individuals chose to linger, both of which were in Norfolk – at Cley on 7th-10th, and Sculthorpe NR on 7th-10th.
The juvenile Rose-coloured Starling remained at Lower Boscaswell (Cornwall) on 4th-10th.
Finally, our two wintering Little Buntings remained at Upper College Farm (London) on 4th-10th, and in West Sussex at Iping Common on 4th-10th.
As touched upon in the account of our opening headline bird, the Canary Islands were having a bit of a moment as the old year drew to a close and the new one began. Specifically, a bit of a Rallid moment… three Allen’s Gallinules turned up, in varying states of decrepitude – on Fuerteventura, Tenerife on 4th, and Lanzarote on 6th-7th – and rarer still, two African Crakes, on Fuerteventura and Lanzarote on 30th, both of which were doomed to die of exhaustion.
Meanwhile, further north, in Holland the Western Swamphen remained settled at Het Nieuwe Waterschap on 4th-10th. Meanwhile, the settled Pygmy Cormorant remained at Utrecht on 4th-10th and, on 10th, a Spotted Eagle was seen near Kwade Hoek.
In Belgium the first-winter Ross’s Gull remained at Nieuwpoort on 4th-10th.
In Sweden the male Siberian Rubythroat remained at Vargön on 6th.
Finally, in Israel, the Three-banded Plover was still present at Avney Eitan on 7th.
At the time of writing, late on Monday 10th, I’m watching the live weather charts online and seeing winds blowing out into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa, curling enticingly around the Bay of Biscay and landing squarely upon southern Ireland and southwest Britain. Oh for another Allen’s Gallinule with a decent enough fat score to sustain it long enough for it to find somewhere it can refuel before it conks out…
This, of course, is optimism of the blindest kind. Ain’t gonna happen, surely… So, what’s a more achievable target in the coming week?
If, like me, your new year resolution involves spending more time than hitherto out and about on foot near to home, warblers simply have to be on the radar. We know the past autumn was a stinker where Yellow-browed Warblers were concerned, but a few Duskies made it in, and the lingering presence of a wintering trio in England lately – not to mention this past week’s Oxfordshire Pallas’s Warbler - provide some welcome inspiration. There must be more scarce warblers out there…
Jon Dunn
11 January 2022
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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