Weekly birding round-up: 18 - 24 Jan 2022
Another relatively quiet week in the depths of winter is under our collective belt, with a few more odds and sods emerging from deep in the woodwork. The odd scarce bunting and warbler, a duck or two, yet another American Coot… Just your average January, then.
“there’s surely a lingering suspicion that where there’s two there might yet be another bird waiting somewhere, unseen, in the wings just waiting to be found…”
Just sometimes wishful thinking in these columns blurs the boundaries of dreams and enters the real world and, as it transpires, last week’s American Coot musings were to prove to have been bang on the money. Both of the birds we already knew about remained on site this week – at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 20th-23rd still, and on Lough Yganavan (Co.Kerry) on 18th-22nd still – but news broke on 21st of yet another bird in Ireland.
And not just in Ireland, but also in Co.Kerry – this a bird that had been present since 14th at Lough Gill. Remaining there until 23rd, Ireland now has an unprecedented three simultaneous American Coots. Any more for any more?
Surely there couldn’t be…
Given their rarity, it’s obviously impossible to become wholly complacent about a couple of Baikal Teals but, given that both of the birds that have heralded the New Year are doing a pretty solid job of sticking around, they’re practically a fixture now in the daily news. There was never a better chance to catch up with one than the start of 2022.
The week began with the Somerset bird still settled at Greylake RSPB on 18th, where it remained until 24th. The East Yorkshire bird went AWOL for a couple of days before returning to Tophill Low NR on 20th, and sat tight there until 23rd.
There’ll be a time, in a quieter winter in years to come, when we look back with considerable nostalgia on this wildfowl double.
Still sitting pretty on Eglwys Nunydd reservoir (Glamorgan), the Pacific Diver remained present and showing well on 18th-24th, with the returning individual also still to be seen at Crookhaven (Co.Cork) on 19th-23rd.
Shetland and Orkney supplied one apiece of White-billed Diver in recent days at, respectively, Skaw on Unst on 19th, and Papa Westray on 20th-22nd. Another possible bird was noted off Stag Rocks (Northumberland) on 18th.
Just a couple of Little Auks were logged this week – one at Fife Ness (Fife) on 19th and another, on 20th, at Newbiggin (Northumberland).
Pomarine Skuas were similarly in short supply, with singletons seen on 19th at Tor Bay (Devon) and, on 20th, at Newbiggin (Northumberland) and Cornelian Bay (North Yorkshire).
It’s getting to the delicious point where we could simply say there’ve been a lot of Glossy Ibises seen in Britain and Ireland for another week as, in recent days, they continued to be seen pretty much the length and breadth of the region, from Shetland in the north to the Isle of Wight in the very south, from Suffolk and Norfolk in the east to Co.Cork in the far west. All in all, some 130 birds were logged this week and, once more, there were some chunky flocks amongst their number.
A peak of 14 birds were seen in Cornwall at Chapel Amble on 18th; 11 remained on the Isle of Wight at the St Helens Bridge roost on 19th-24th; Exminster Marshes (Devon) held 10 birds on 21st; while in Co.Cork eight lingered at Lough Aderra on 19th-22nd.
Once again, the scarce and rare honkers and quackers kick off with the most colourful honker of all, Red-breasted Geese. Both recent birds remained on the east coast – one in Lincolnshire still at Freiston Shore RSPB on 18th-19th, and the settled Essex individual still at South Woodham Ferrers on 21st-24th.
Coming late to the week’s party was news of an adult Ross’s Goose north of Glasgow (Clyde) at Millichen on the afternoon of 24th. There’s got to be a sporting chance this is one and the same bird as that last seen down the road at Hunterston Sands (Ayrshire) on 17th December.
In Moray, three white morph Snow Geese remained at Gilston on 18th. One more was noted this week on North Uist (Western Isles) on 20th. Three white morphs had been present at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) for a week by the time the news broke on 24th.
We did well for Black Brants in recent days, and nowhere better than Kent, where sightings came thick and fast from the north coast – one remained at Hoo on 20th; one was still at Reculver on 19th-24th, with a second bird present on 22nd; and another was seen on 22nd-23rd some way to the west at Oare Marshes KWT. On the other side of the Thames Estuary, Essex wasn’t doing too badly either, with a bird at Mersea Island still on 19th, and one at South Woodham Ferrers on 20th-24th joined by a second bird on 22nd also. Norfolk sightings owed themselves to Cley on 18th again, and Snettisham RSPB on 21st-23rd; and one was again seen in Dorset at Ferrybridge on 19th-20th and between Herbury and Rodden on 23rd. A final bird was seen in Ireland at Lurgangreen (Co.Louth) on 23rd.
A possible Grey-bellied Brant was seen in Highland at Tornagrain on 21st-23rd.
Onto The Goose Formerly Known As Canada, and starting with interior Todd’s Canada Geese, we’ve birds seen this week in Lancashire at Marshside RSPB on 18th and Banks Marsh NNR again on 21st; in Cumbria at Rockcliffe Marsh again on 23rd; and at Doonbeg (Co.Clare) still on 20th, where two probables remained.
Lancashire also gave us sightings of hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose on 22nd, at Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB and Banks Marsh NNR, and on 23rd at Marshside RSPB; one remained in Ireland at Lissadell (Co.Sligo) on 22nd, with two again there on 23rd. A Cackling Goose remained on North Uist (Western Isles) on 20th, with another that day at Doonbeg (Co.Clare).
Heading onto the quackers, and the drake White-winged Scoter was still to be found off Musselburgh (Lothian) this week on 18th-24th; and the drake Black Scoter was again seen in Northumberland on 23rd-24th, now at Ross Back Sands.
Surf Scoters made it into double figures nationwide again this week, with 13 birds recorded. Amongst these were duos at Musselburgh (Lothian) still on 18th-21st; at Mornington (Co.Meath) on 19th; and at Brandon Bay (Co.Kerry) on 21st.
A drake King Eider was seen from Nairn (Highland) on 22nd.
Staying in Scotland, and absent from the news for some time, the promiscuous drake Black Duck was again reported from Strontian (Highland) on 20th.
Three American Wigeons continued to be seen this week, at Crook of Baldoon RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway) still on 18th-23rd, Big Waters NR (Northumberland) on 18th-24th again, and Idle Valley NR (Nottinghamshire) on 18th-24th still.
15 Green-winged Teals were logged in recent days, widely scattered around Britain and Ireland. Amongst those, Barra (Western Isles) and Tain (Highland) had the only multiple sighting, with two birds still present on 22nd and 24th respectively.
Ring-necked Ducks maintained their impressive recent tempo, with some 40 birds again noted across Britain and Ireland. While numbers have melted away somewhat in Cornwall, Co.Sligo continued to hold the most impressive single site gathering, with half a dozen birds still present on Lough Gara on 22nd.
Also featuring highly in the daily news were Lesser Scaups, with the honours largely split between Ireland and Scotland – the exception being the first-winter drake still on Tresco (Scilly) on 19th. In Ireland, one was still present on Lough Ennell (Co.Westmeath) on 18th-21st, with a second bird present on 21st; and another was found on 22nd on Lough Gara (Co.Sligo). In Scotland, the Western Isles gave us the drake still on Lewis on 22nd, and the female still on South Uist on 19th-24th; in Ayrshire, the mobile drake was still in the New Cumnock area on 19th-24th; and, on 24th, two birds remained on Islay (Argyll & Bute).
Finally on the week’s duckpond, the drake Ferruginous Duck was still present at Thorpe Park (Surrey) on 23rd.
Ever the fixture in the Shorebirds news, the adult White-tailed Lapwing remained in Lincolnshire in the East Halton Skitter area still on 18th-24th.
Absent from the news for a while, but all present and correct on 19th-23rd, the Semipalmated Plover was still to be seen at Crookhaven (Co.Cork) this week.
Back in Somerset, a German colour-ringed Kentish Plover was present around Burnham-on-Sea on 18th-24th.
A trio of Lesser Yellowlegs bring the section to a close – one still present at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) on 18th-24th; and, in Ireland, birds still at Rahasane Turlough (Co.Galway) on 18th-22nd, and at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) still on 22nd.
Marking a small change from recent absent weeks, a report came of a possible adult Bonaparte’s Gull at Idle Valley NR (Nottinghamshire) on 19th.
Onto Ring-billed Gulls, and 11 birds logged this past week. Duos were seen in Ireland at Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre (Co.Kerry) again on 20th, and at Goleen (Co.Cork) on 22nd; further Irish individuals were noted at Ring (Co.Cork) on 20th still, and Blackrock (Co.Louth) on 19th-23rd still. English birds remained at Hayle (Cornwall) on 18th-23rd and in Hampshire at Blashford Lakes HWT on 18th-24th; while the adult continued to linger in Scotland at Strathclyde Loch (Clyde) on 18th-24th, the adult was again present at Eastfield (Lothian) on 23rd-24th, and a first-winter was on Lewis (Western Isles) on 23rd.
Numbers of Glaucous Gulls were a little muted, with some 40 recorded over the course of the week – amongst them, the best count being four birds off Skaw on Unst (Shetland) on 20th. Similar numbers of Iceland Gulls were noted nationwide, of which three at Scrabster (Highland) on 18th-19th were the highest single site tally.
In Cambridgeshire, the third-winter Kumlien’s Gull was still proving largely faithful to the pig fields at Heydon on 19th-22nd; a juvenile was noted on Barra (Western Isles) on 20th-24th; in Highland on 23rd, an adult was on Skye and a juvenile at Scrabster harbour; and on 24th an adult was seen flying through Pendeen (Cornwall).
Finally, the adult Forster’s Tern was once more seen this week, now present at Aughinish Island (Co.Clare) on 22nd.
Comfortably making up the sum total of the best of the raptors this week was the juvenile Northern Harrier, still present in Ireland at Lough Boora Parklands (Co.Offaly) on 21st-22nd.
Pick of the passerines this week remained the American Buff-bellied Pipit still present in Devon at Prawle Point on 18th-24th.
The settled Richard’s Pipit remained in North Yorkshire at Filey on 18th-24th, with the recently found individual in Hampshire completing the pipit supporting cast at Loddon Valley on 18th-23rd.
In Co.Durham, the wintering Red-flanked Bluetail remained at Bowlees on 18th-24th.
Both recent Hume’s Warblers were still being seen in recent days in the south of England – one remaining at Bockhill Farm Wood (Kent) on 18th-23rd, and the other still present at Eastbourne (East Sussex) on 18th-24th.
A handful of Yellow-browed Warblers were noted this week – one still present at Milton CP (Cambridgeshire) on 18th-24th; another still present in a Weston-super-Mare (Somerset) garden on 18th-19th; the bird remained at St Austell (Cornwall) on 23rd; the Dungarvan individual remained in Co.Waterford on 23rd; and, in Hampshire, another seen on 20th-24th at Hook-with-Warsash.
In Oxfordshire, the Pallas’s Warbler remained at Abingdon sewage works on 18th-24th.
Three Dusky Warblers were again recorded this week – one still in Kent at Fordwich on 18th-24th, another in Cornwall at St Erth again on 19th; and a final bird reported again briefly at Wheldrake Ings YWT (North Yorkshire) on 23rd.
The three Penduline Tits were still settled at Weston Airfield (Somerset) until 24th.
Another unseasonal Hoopoe was seen in recent days, this one in Warwickshire at Bulkington on 16th-22nd; the recent bird was again seen in Cambridgeshire at Heathfield on 24th.
In Norfolk, the Short-toed Lark was again noted in flight at West Runton on 23rd.
A handful of familiar Great Grey Shrikes were again on show this week. Starting in Scotland, the Glen Feshie (Highland) bird remained present on 18th-23rd, while the Backwater reservoir (Angus) individual was again seen there on 22nd-23rd. In northern England birds remained at Wistow (North Yorkshire) on 19th-24th, and near Killington resevoir (Cumbria) on 20th-24th; while in Hampshire the Backley Bottom bird was again seen on 21st, and the Comberton (Cambridgeshire) bird once more on 23rd-24th.
One flock of 150 birds dominated Waxwing sightings of late – these were seen at Dalcross (Highland) on 18th. Other records this week were somewhat sparser – singletons seen at Wick (Highland) on 21st, Whitby (North Yorkshire) on 22nd-23rd, Budle Bay (Northumberland) on 23rd, and Cairnbaan (Argyll & Bute) on 24th.
The juvenile Rose-coloured Starling remained at Lower Boscaswell (Cornwall) on 18th-24th; another was seen in Layton (Lancashire) on 18th.
Last, but never least, the wintering Little Bunting remained at Upper College Farm (London) on 18th-24th; and another was seen briefly on 24th at Skewjack (Cornwall).
A fairly denuded overseas news section this week has to kick off in Sweden where the rarer counterpart of our English wintering Red-flanked Bluetail remained happily settled at Vargön on 22nd-24th – surely, eventually, we too will get a male Siberian Rubythroat that’s this obliging…
In Belgium, the settled first-winter Ross’s Gull remained at Nieuwpoort on 20th-23rd.
Speaking of settled birds, in Holland the Western Swamphen remained at Het Nieuwe Waterschap on 22nd-23rd, and the resident Pygmy Cormorant at Utrecht on 20th-23rd. The Spotted Eagle was again seen near Kwade Hoek on 23rd.
A Brown Booby was seen at Porto de Peniche in Portugal on 23rd.
In Spain a Sociable Lapwing was seen at La Puebla del Rio in Andalucia on 21st-23rd.
And finally, on Lanzarote (Canary Islands), an Allen’s Gallinule was still alive and kicking on 23rd-24th.
Having shot for the stars last week with one of the year’s wilder examples of wishful thinking, it’s probably prudent to set our sights somewhat realistically lower as we head into the final week of January.
Lower and, being as it’s a bin bag botherer we’re thinking of, somewhat less glamorous than a wayward Rallid. We’re coming to the time of year when there’s nothing more fun than loading a loaf of sliced bread and a bag of sweets in your rucksack (something for all parties concerned there), and donning every waterproof you possess before heading to the nearest docks, landfill, or whatever tip of choice your local large gulls like to hang out at.
Yes, it’s time to start sifting through Herring Gulls searching for a pot of gold. Failing that, an American Herring Gull will have to do…
Jon Dunn
25 January 2022
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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