Weekly birding round-up: 5 - 11 Apr 2022
At this rate looking very much like it’s not going to leave Britain ever again, the White-tailed Lapwing show moved just a little bit further south this past week with the discovery of the long-staying adult bird at Ken Hill Marshes (Norfolk) on April 9th.
Down the years Norfolk’s hosted many a fine shorebird but, to date, that didn’t include a White-tailed Lapwing. This was an absence county listers were understandably keen to put right, and the bird found itself once again the subject of sustained interest as it remained on site until the evening of 10th.
The only question now being whether it settles down in Norfolk for another prolonged sojourn, or makes another half-hearted wander further south still to delight some more county listers. With no sign of it on the north Norfolk coast on 11th, we hear Minsmere RSPB’s nice at this time of year, as is Oare Marshes KWT…
Marking a welcome return for what will, hopefully, be another crowd-pleasing summer at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire), the magnificent Black-browed Albatross remained a faithful and fairly reliable fixture this week, being seen daily there on 5th-11th.
What, then, do we make of the Black-browed Albatross seen from Heligoland (Germany) in the afternoon of 9th? It’s tempting to assume it was our bird making a rapid jaunt across the North Sea, though if the timings of the two reports that day are accurate, it seems improbably fast across the water… but certainly it’s a pleasant daydream to imagine that two lost birds might be sharing the same patch of northern hemisphere sea at one time – and fascinating to speculate what might occur should their paths cross.
Now being reported more intermittently from Co.Leitrim’s Doon Lough, the Double-crested Cormorant was once more logged there this week on 6th-10th. Clearly finding plenty of fish, it appears in no imminent hurry to move on to waters new. The burning question, of course, is what’s become of Ireland’s other wintering star turn, the Egyptian Vulture? It’s surely not gone far… but, if it finally abandons Ireland for mainland Britain, we’re in for one hell of a twitch.
Our final headlining bird this week is, of course, the Belted Kingfisher still present in Lancashire on the River Darwen at Roach Bridge, seen pretty much daily there right throughout the week until 11th. Again, it’s hard to see what’s going to dislodge this magnificent bird from an area of habitat that abounds in fresh waterways in which to hold territory, but time and the coming weeks alone will tell.
Double-crested Cormorant and Black-browed Albatross aside, these were quiet days on the seabird front. There will, of course, be skuas and shearwaters fairly shortly, but not just yet – though a trickle of single and duos of Pomarine Skuas passing Hampshire and Sussex on 11th hinted at things to come.
And so this week we’ve the paltry showing of a Balearic Shearwater off St Ives (Cornwall) on 7th – and two Little Auks passing Ballycotton (Co.Cork) on 10th – and not a great deal else to report.
Apart from, that is, White-billed Divers. The weekend delivered a slew of Scottish sightings on 10th – one still off Unst (Shetland), remaining there on 11th still; one seen from Embo (Highland); and two still off Portsoy (Aberdeenshire), one of which was still present the following day. Elsewhere on 11th, a further bird was seen from Portnockie (Moray).
A single White-billed Diver off the headland west of Portsoy this morning. Also c30 LT Ducks moving east offshore in small flocks. pic.twitter.com/zqf1LrydHy
— Patrick Safford (@patricksafford7) April 11, 2022
Glossy Ibises continued to feature heavily in the daily news, with some 65 birds logged across Britain and Ireland and, amongst them, a number of settled flocks. Best of the bunch were, once again, the 11 birds noted on the Isle of Wight at Brading Marsh RSPB on 9th, closely followed by nine again in Cornwall at Walmsley Sanctuary CBWPS on 10th; while at the opposite end of the country, on Orkney seven birds were still present on Westray on 5th. Flocks of five birds apiece were seen at Fremington (Devon) again on 5th, at Dungeness (Kent) still on 5th-9th, and over Kelling Heath (Norfolk) on 10th.
Ireland wasn’t exempt from this largesse and, at Lady’s Island Lake (Co.Wexford) on 8th, seven birds were still to be seen.
Some nice Glossy Ibis calls from Wexford yesterday. Oystercatcher, Black-headed Gull and Chiffchaff in the background. pic.twitter.com/lSXwr4QY03
— Paul Kelly (@irishbirdimage) April 4, 2022
A couple of Spotted Crakes were again logged in recent days – one in song at Wheldrake Ings YWT (North Yorkshire) on 6th-10th still, and another in Devon at Exminster Marshes RSPB on 5th-10th.
The honkers and quackers begin for another week in Norfolk where, at Blakeney Harbour, the Red-breasted Goose was settled on 5th-11th.
A scatter of white Snow Geese hung around too. In England, Lancashire boasted a bird at Longton Marsh on 6th and Banks Marsh NNR again on 8th-9th. A single Scottish bird was still at Drumlemble (Argyll & Bute) on 5th, while the trio remained on Whalsay (Shetland) on 5th-11th.
In East Yorkshire, a Black Brant was once more seen at Kilnsea on 6th; and on 10th, one again in Essex at Blue House Farm EWT.
A few of The Goose Formerly Known As Canada were also available for another week, not least on North Uist (Western Isles) on 9th-10th where three Cackling Geese were seen. Hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Geese were seen this week on North Uist on 6th and Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 6th also, and on 7th at Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) – the latter site also still holding an interior Todd’s Canada Goose on 7th. Another interior bird was seen in Argyll & Bute on 5th at Stewarton still.
Moving onto the quackers, the drake Baikal Teal was last seen in East Yorkshire at Swine Moor on 5th, but wasn’t reported thereafter. We’ll see how long – weeks, months, years? – we have to wait for another, let alone two present in Britain concurrently.
In Ireland, the drake Black Duck was still present on Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) on 7th and, in Shetland, the more recently discovered drake was again seen on Unst on 5th.
The female Blue-winged Teal was again seen in Cambridgeshire at Berry Fen on 8th and 10th.
Drake American Wigeons were seen in recent days on the Lossie estuary (Moray) on 5th-9th, and at Garlieston (Dumfries & Galloway) on 9th. A possible female was found in Suffolk on 10th at Southwold.
Green-winged Teals almost ascended the giddy heights of double figures again this week, with nine birds recorded across Britain and Ireland. Just one Irish bird was seen – at East Coast NR (Co.Wicklow) again on 9th-10th. English individuals were noted at Lytchett Bay (Dorset) still on 5th-11th; Ouse Washes (Cambridgeshire) still on 5th-6th; Wilstone reservoir (Hertfordshire) still on 5th; Druridge Pools NR (Northumberland) on 6th-8th; at Bridge Marsh (Devon) on 8th; and again at Venus Pool NR (Shropshire) on 10th. Scottish birds were logged at Threipmuir reservoir (Lothian) on 6th-9th still, and on Orkney at Inganess on 5th still.
Numbers of Ring-necked Ducks remained solid for another week, with some 30 birds in all noted across the region. Peak counts came of trios present on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) still on 7th-11th, and at Cromwell Quarry (Nottinghamshire) on 8th.
Two Lesser Scaups remained at Woodend Loch (Clyde) on 6th-11th, while one was again on South Uist (Western Isles) at Loch Bee on 7th, followed by three there on 10th at West Loch Ollay. The fine drake remained in Essex at Abberton reservoir on 5th-11th.
Speaking of drakes, the King Eider was still to be seen at Loch Fleet (Highland) on 5th-11th; the first-winter drake was off Musselburgh Lagoons (Lothian) again on 10th-11th; and one of the wintering drakes was again seen in Shetland’s Bluemull Sound on 11th.
Three Surf Scoters remained this week on those chilly waters off Musselburgh (Lothian) on 9th-11th; one was seen from Roseisle (Moray) on 7th-11th; and the first-winter female once again off Tresco (Scilly) on 9th.
A little variety once more amongst the shorebirds this week, headed by a pioneering early Temminck’s Stint at East Tilbury (Essex) on 8th-11th.
A little further along the east coast, Suffolk continued to hold a couple of decent birds – the long-staying Lesser Yellowlegs still at Minsmere RSPB on 7th-11th, and the Pacific Golden Plover once more at Carlton Marshes SWT on 5th and again on 9th-11th.
In Shetland, Fair Isle’s Lesser Yellowlegs lingered on 6th-7th.
Five Dotterel were found on 11th in Argyll & Bute on Tiree. More of them to follow in the days and weeks to come.
Got a day pass out of Ceredigion this morning and headed down to see the Black-winged Stilt at WWT Llanelli in Carmarthenshire. Here's a short vid of it. Gotta love those pink legs. pic.twitter.com/66fB9m07iX
— Martin Creasser (@PurpleMartinC) April 11, 2022
Still more promise came late in the week on 11th when a Black-winged Stilt was found in Carmarthenshire at National Wetlands Centre WWT.
In Co.Cork, the Pectoral Sandpiper was still present at Ballycotton on 5th.
The pick of the week’s pared down gulls was the second-winter Bonaparte’s Gull still delighting local birders in West Sussex at Chichester GPs on 5th-11th.
A first-winter Ring-billed Gull remained in Cork (Co.Cork) on 9th.
Numbers of Glaucous Gulls continued their downward trajectory, with a paltry 18 birds noted in recent days. Our other stock white-winger, Iceland Gulls fared a little better, with around 55 birds logged nationwide. Of these, five seen on North Uist (Western Isles) on 10th were the highest single site tally.
A couple of adult Kumlien’s Gulls were recorded this week – in Co.Galway, one was once more seen at Omey Island on 5th; and another was found on Orkney’s Mainland at St Peter’s Pool on 5th also. In Cambridgeshire, the stalwart third-winter was once again seen at Smithey Fen on 6th, and the juvenile was again seen on Barra (Western Isles) on 11th.
A Black Kite, seen on the Camel estuary (Cornwall) on 6th, was the extent of the scarce and rare raptors this week.
That said, on 11th the female Snowy Owl was once more seen on St Kilda (Western Isles).
We’ll kick off the passerines this week with warblers, for there was a little going on amongst their number. Pick of the lot were the possible Iberian Chiffchaff heard at Sinfin Moor (Derbyshire) on 7th-8th followed, on 11th, by a confirmed bird trapped and ringed at Hoylake (Cheshire).
Belated news this week concerned another Hume’s Warbler, seen on 2nd in a Hunstanton (Norfolk) garden. The two wintering individuals were once more noted at Eastbourne (East Sussex) on 8th-10th, and still present in Kent at Bockhill Farm Wood on 7th-10th.
@DaveHawkins99 An interesting visitor this afternoon in the garden. I thought this was a chiffchaff but I’m told it’s not. Opinion seems to favour yellow browed warbler or Hume’s leaf warbler. Collins bird guide calls them both ‘vagrant’. pic.twitter.com/5cgHHo4VqP
— Derek Hollis (@Derek_Charnwood) April 2, 2022
Another fine garden warbler came in the form of a Yellow-browed Warbler in Hampshire at Hill Head on 8th; the recent Dorset bird remained in Bridport on 6th-9th.
A trio of Dusky Warblers were noted still this week – in Norfolk still near Stiffkey on 6th-11th; in Kent at Fordwich again on 9th; and at Walthamstow Marsh NR (London) on 9th also.
A Woodchat Shrike brought a welcome hint of southern warmth and colour to Cornwall on 11th, being found on The Lizard that day.
Ireland got a look in too, with a low-flying Alpine Swift seen at Waterford airport (Co.Waterford) in the evening of 11th.
Great Grey Shrikes this week were seen once more at Backwater reservoir (Angus) still on 8th; at Comberton (Cambridgeshire) still on 7th-9th; in Cropton Forest (North Yorkshire) still on 6th-10th; and in Norfolk near Sparham on 10th-11th still.
The Hoopoe remained in Co.Kerry at Dunquin on 5th; another was seen in Lincolnshire on 10th at Deeping St Nicholas and, on 11th, a final bird for the week was seen fleetingly at Kenidjack (Cornwall).
In Cornwall, the Rose-coloured Starling remained at Lower Boscaswell on 5th-11th.
A Serin was trapped and ringed at Landguard NR (Suffolk) on 5th.
And finally, back in Norfolk where the week’s headlines began, the recent Little Bunting was once more seen at Kelling Heath on 11th.
For our overseas news this week it’s impossible to dislodge Spain’s laurels, for both the Black-and-white Warbler remained near Sant Joan de Mediona on 5th-11th, and the Cream-coloured Courser at Parque Natural del Cabo de Gata-Nijar on 6th-8th. No complaints from any of us were either species to occur here any time soon…
Likewise, we wouldn’t turn our noses up at Holland’s Western Swamphen, still present this week at Het Nieuwe Waterschap on 6th-9th.
In Sweden, the male Siberian Rubythroat continued to delight all comers – and to incorporate the sound of camera shutters into its song – at Vargön on 11th.
Given events this past week close to home, we can afford to be more sanguine about both Germany’s sighting of a Black-browed Albatross at Heligoland on 9th; and, in the Azores, the lingering Belted Kingfisher on Terceira on 5th still.
It’s not presumptuous now to flirt with the possibilities the quickening spring offers us for rarities in the week to come. Not least with the weather set to take a turn once more for the warmer and more clement.
There’s some southerlies in the offing. And surely, with Iberian Chiffchaff and Woodchat Shrike found as the past week drew to a close on 11th, that may mean we’re in for something else from warmer climes.
Another Black-winged Stilt or two doesn’t feel like too big an ask. A decent longer shot could be a Little Crake - the coming week boasts five historic records, and the week just gone two across the water in Holland.
Jon Dunn
12 April 2022
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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