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Weekly birding round-up: 31 May - 6 Jun 2022

It’s not often that the opening headlines remain the same salvo that announced the previous week’s Rarity Round Up, and still more unusual that the birds concerned should both be raptors, but there it is – both of our recent star attractions were sitting pretty in England and Scotland alike. And as for Ireland? A returning mega was there too. Something for almost everyone then… but the week’s biggest potential new bird hadn’t read the script.

 

We waited decades for an Eleonora’s Falcon to give itself up to us, and as all who made the pilgrimage this past week to east Kent would surely attest, it was well worth the wait. The second-summer pale morph bird remained faithful to the Worth area from 31st through to the morning of 4th, delighting all comers in the meantime, and continuing to share her airspace with a first-summer female Red-footed Falcon for good measure.

Deteriorating weather in the afternoon of 4th seemed to draw a line under things, with no sign of either bird – or many dragonflies, for that matter – on the wing there. And so it remained on 5th-6th. Is that the end of the story, or have both birds merely relocated inland to more sheltered microclimates? The coming days will surely tell all.

 

Whoever would have thought we’d find ourselves with a twitchable Scottish Short-toed Eagle any time in our lifetimes? It simply didn’t seem plausible. Then again, the old chestnut that large raptors and vultures don’t cross the English Channel has been thoroughly blown out of the water in recent years, so why wouldn’t a Short-toed Eagle keep on trucking north?

Still present this week in the Loch Grudie area of Highland & Caithness on 31st-5th, Scottish birders now have what may prove to be a once in a lifetime opportunity to catch up with a Short-toed Eagle almost on their doorsteps. And speaking of doorsteps – how many birders’ homes did this bird pass, unseen, above on its long journey across Britain?

 

We speculated a couple of weeks ago about the imminence and likelihood of the return of the adult male Least Tern to Co.Dublin this year. Sure enough, this week we learned he was back with the Little Terns near Portrane on 3rd and, on 4th, that he’d been there for a week already.

Given the duration of his stay there last summer, there’s probably barely an Irish birder who twitches who hasn’t already caught up with him, but nonetheless, it’s good to hear he’s back. Still present there until 6th, he’s hopefully going to be settled in the ternery for another summer.

 

In the wake of news of a White-throated Needletail found in Iceland on 3rd, the very most optimistic of us might have wondered if one would be found in Britain any time soon. And, for a while on 5th, birders on Fair Isle (Shetland) might have been forgiven for wondering if the next bird to scythe up out of a geo in front of them was going to be that bird…

The afternoon began with news that a White-throated Needletail had come aboard the MV Ortelius near Fair Isle and been released in the evening of 4th. By mid-afternoon, fresh impetus was lent to the search when it appeared the bird had been released in the morning of 5th near the island. And, by the late afternoon, the sequence of events had changed once more, reverting to the bird being found on 4th some 65 nautical miles east of Duncansby Head, where it crash-landed on the MV Ortelius and was immediately returned to the air – the Fair Isle connection seemingly coming from the news being belatedly reported when the vessel was in proximity to the island.

Confusing? Well, yes. The certainty was that nobody on Fair Isle set eyes on a White-throated Needletail when looking for one on 5th – but had some consolation in the island’s fifteenth Red-rumped Swallow.

And as for the needletail? There’s no saying it won’t be seen again, maybe in Shetland, or Orkney, or even mainland Britain (or Norway). Fingers crossed.

 

Continuing to delight a new generation of birders and adopting the traditional Albert moniker, the adult Black-browed Albatross remained at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire) this week on 31st-6th.

The first Wilson’s Petrel of the season clocked in on 6th from a Scilly pelagic. Plenty more of these to follow, of course…

Skua passage fell off a cliff this week, with just a couple of Pomarine Skuas seen from Dawlish Warren NNR (Devon) on 2nd, one more at sea off Eigg (Highland & Caithness) hanging around the MV Shearwater on 2nd-5th, and a Long-tailed Skua seen from the ferry between Lochmaddy and Uig (Western Isles / Highland & Caithness) on 4th.

A White-billed Diver was seen from the Foula ferry off Walls (Shetland) on 31st, with another found that day in Highland & Caithness off Tarbat Ness. One was seen from Lothbeg Point (Highland & Caithness) the following day and, on 6th, one was again seen from Foula.

These scraps aside, it was beginning to feel like the summer seabird doldrums were upon us. Unless, of course, you’re keeping an eye on events in northern Scotland where avian flu continues to wreak a devastating effect on our breeding seabirds. Gannets may be the most obvious victims, but it’s surely not confined to their number on the cliffs.

 

Where it had been Co.Cork’s turn the preceding week to enjoy a rare heron double, this week the baton was passed to Scilly where, on St Mary’s on 4th, the discovery of a male Little Bittern on Porth Hellick Pool was followed later in the day by the sight of a Night Heron in flight over the same location. The former bird at least remained present on 5th-6th.

Back in Co.Cork, the Squacco Heron remained at White’s Marsh on 31st-6th, with the Purple Heron seen again there on 3rd and 5th also.

Further Purple Herons noted this week were one still in Suffolk at Minsmere RSPB on 1st-6th, another in Lancashire & North Merseyside at Lunt Meadows LWT on 4th, one more at Beddington Farmlands (London) on 5th, and one seen on 6th at Potter Heigham Marshes (Norfolk).

Our summering population of Glossy Ibises in Britain and Ireland were still holding firm, with some 45 birds logged over the period. Chief amongst these were 11 in Cambridgeshire at Ouse Washes RSPB on 1st; while half a dozen remained at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) on 31st-6th; and Somerset’s peak count on the Levels were a quartet at Catcott Lows NR on 4th.

 

The rarity duckpond continued to be a peaceful place for the most part, as we’d expect at this juncture in the year.

Co.Mayo’s resident drake Black Duck was once more seen at Cross Lough on 3rd-6th.

In Co.Derry, meanwhile, two American Wigeons were logged on Lough Beg on 2nd. Another drake was found on 5th-6th at Skinflats Lagoons RSPB (Forth).

In Staffordshire, the female Ferruginous Duck was again seen on Belvide reservoir on 2nd-6th.

The drake Lesser Scaup remained in Merseyside at Marshside RSPB on 31st-6th.

A few drake Ring-necked Ducks continued to linger like a persistent jubilee bank holiday hangover – birds being logged still at Dungeness (Kent) on 31st-5th; on Bingham’s Pond (Clyde) on 2nd-4th; on Achill Island (Co.Mayo) on 1st-3rd; and on Lough Neagh at Oxford Island NNR (Co.Armagh) on 4th.

In Scotland, the first-winter drake King Eider remained off Musselburgh (Lothian) on 31st-6th, while a drake was seen from mainland Shetland in Olas Voe on 4th-6th.

 

If our ducks were largely about resolutely settled birds, the roving adult White-tailed Lapwing was anything but, continuing to spang around England at the start of the week – present in Cheshire at Woolston Eyes NR on 31st before decamping to the West Midlands and the temporary delights of Sandwell Valley RSPB on 1st. And thereafter? No sign of it. Betcha it pops out of the woodwork again before too long…

In Kent where, last year, the White-tailed Lapwing story began, a couple of Black-winged Stilts were seen at Stodmarsh NNR on 3rd.

The American Golden Plover remained present in Co.Wexford at Tacumshin on 31st-6th, sharing the site with a White-rumped Sandpiper on 1st-6th.

A female Kentish Plover was seen Glamorgan at Kenfig NR on 1st-2nd.

Wales also accounted for one of the week’s Pectoral Sandpipers, seen on Skokholm (Pembrokeshire) on 2nd; the other, also seen on 2nd, being at Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland).

A Temminck’s Stint was seen in Shetland at Pool of Virkie on 1st, but not thereafter.

In Co.Cork the strong>Lesser Yellowlegs remained on Clogheen and White’s Marshes on 31st-2nd; and another made an appearance in Clyde at Frankfield Loch on 4th.

Finally, Red-necked Phalaropes were noted this week in Highland & Caithness at Insh Marshes RSPB on 2nd; at Idle Washlands (Nottinghamshire) on 3rd; passing over Fair Isle (Shetland) on 5th; and at Welney WWT (Norfolk) on 6th.

 

The gulls side of things were looking decidedly sorry for themselves this week, barely able to muster even half a dozen of either regular white-winger. Providing the interest fell, therefore, to a couple of Ring-billed Gulls - the first-summer individual still off Benbecula (Western Isles) in Stinky Bay on 2nd; and an adult lingering at Glen Turret (Perth & Kinross) on 3rd-4th.

And so to terns, where the week’s biggest Irish news resides up in the headlines; but in Co.Wexford, the Gull-billed Tern was also still present at Tacumshin on 31st. Another was present in Dorset at Abbotsbury Swannery on 1st – perhaps the same bird as that seen the previous week at the other end of the Fleet at Radipole Lake RSPB.

In Northumberland, the adult surinamensis American Black Tern was still looking settled at Long Nanny on 31st-6th.

A White-winged Black Tern was found on 6th in Cheshire at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB.

 

Headlining megas aside, the supporting cast of scarce and rare raptors was once again not looking too shabby either this week, though alas the reports of a possible Long-legged Buzzard on The Lizard (Cornwall), while continuing to emanate from there on 31st-1st, came to nothing more concrete.

Starting in Kent, the female Red-footed Falcon continued to share the Worth area with her Eleonora’s Falcon companion until 4th. Further birds were seen at Lakenheath Fen RSPB (Suffolk) on 2nd; Great Ryburgh (Norfolk) on 2nd; Hartland (Devon) on 3rd; and Crathie Wood (Aberdeenshire) and Nanjizal (Cornwall) on 5th.

Numbers of Black Kites reported were dwindling this week, with the most reliable site being the Calf of Man (Isle of Man), where sightings came on 31st and 4th. Elsewhere birds were noted at Gwithian (Cornwall) on 2nd and Dungeness (Kent) on 6th; and a possible at Whitley Reed (Cheshire) on 3rd.

 

Fair Isle didn’t have a monopoly on monochrome near-misses this week, as this section of the Round Up kicks off with news of another possible Little Swift, this time one seen in Northumberland, at Seahouses in the evening of 1st. Are we going to get a pinned down bird this year?Last reported in Cornwall at Praze-an-Beeble on 30th, had the recent Roller relocated in the county? One was reported near Mawnan Smith on 2nd.

Some 20 Bee-eaters were logged this past week, widely scattered from the Western Isles to Scilly and with Norfolk claiming the largest of the small flocks – a quartet seen on 2nd at Heacham and Titchwell, and four again on 5th at Trimingham.

A Wryneck was present on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 31st; and a week later, on 6th one was seen on Foula (Shetland).

Spurn (East Yorkshire) landed itself a Hoopoe on 6th.

Around 20 Golden Orioles were recorded this week, a slight drop on the prior week, but still a decent national haul.

A first-summer male Woodchat Shrike was locally popular in recent days in North Yorkshire, setting up shop near Scaling Dam reservoir on 2nd-6th.

Shetland had the lion’s share of the small haul of Red-backed Shrikes this week – two being seen on Fair Isle on 1st-2nd, one on Bressay on 31st, followed by one on Out Skerries on 6th – with two more birds noted to the south, a female on Holy Island (Northumberland) on 4th, and a female at Burnham Overy Dunes (Norfolk) on 5th. Then, on 6th, a small arrival dropped onto the east coast of England – birds being found at Spurn (East Yorkshire), Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire), and Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk).

Searchers for the White-throated Needletail that never was on Fair Isle (Shetland) had the compensation prize of a Red-rumped Swallow on 5th-6th. Another of the latter species was reported from Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 6th.

If anything was the beating heart of the passerine news this week, it had to be the warblers with lingering quality and new arrivals alike providing plenty of variety and interest. Starting in London, the singing male Iberian Chiffchaff was still in Regents Park on 31st-6th, while the probable was still down in Hampshire at Otterbourne on 3rd-5th.

Barra (Western Isles) got the week under way with an Eastern Subalpine Warbler on 2nd. Another bird, a female, was present on Foula (Shetland) on 5th-6th, a new bird in addition to the prior female Subalpine Warbler sp also on the island on 31st still, and was joined in the news on 5th-6th by another female Subalpine Warbler sp in Norfolk on Blakeney Point.

Proving the specific identity of a female Subalpine Warbler sp will be an enduring headache for birders – photos of the tail feathers needing to be absolutely spot on if they’re to pass muster. Thankfully a male in song is a different matter – one such was found this week on Unst, a male Moltoni’s Warbler in the garden of dreams at Valyie on 5th.

Some 15 Icterine Warblers this week were almost the exclusive preserve of Shetland – the exceptions being birds trapped and ringed at Dungeness (Kent) on 2nd, and Hartlepool Headland (Cleveland) on 4th. Fair Isle (Shetland) had the best of it, with five birds present on there on 2nd.

Still belting it out in Norfolk, the Great Reed Warbler remained at Snettisham CP on 31st-4th, with a second individual again reported from there on 1st. Further birds were found this week in song at Grafham Water (Cambridgeshire) on 31st and Langford Lowfields RSPB (Nottinghamshire) on 4th-6th.

Marsh Warblers began to filter through in recent days, though not in any great numbers. One was present on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 31st-3rd, with two birds on there on 2nd; Fair Isle and Out Skerries (Shetland) logged one apiece on 1st, with another on Fair Isle on 5th; one was found at Folkestone (Kent) on 1st; and St Kilda (Western Isles) landed itself a bird on 5th. On 6th birds were in song on Bardsey (Gwynedd) and Whalsay (Shetland), with a further possible on St Agnes (Scilly).

Also modestly beginning to mount in numbers, as we’d cautiously hope for at this point in the late spring or early summer, Rose-coloured Starlings began to be found here and there this week. On 1st, a bird was seen in a Fawley (Hampshire) garden; on 2nd, one was found in Cornwall at Predannack; 3rd saw birds found in Shetland around Grutness and Sumburgh, and at Flamborough (East Yorkshire); an adult was discovered on 4th at Abergwili (Carmarthenshire), with another that day at Bridgend (Glamorgan). On 5th birds were found near March Haigh reservoir (West Yorkshire), Borth (Ceredigion), and Craigforth (Forth), the March Haigh bird remaining until 6th. A final bird was seen on 6th on Lundy (Devon).

A possible eastern stonechat sp was seen in Norfolk at Horsey on 1st.

Fair Isle (Shetland) racked up a Bluethroat on 2nd and 4th; while additional scattered individuals were found on Bardsey (Gwynedd) on 2nd and at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire) on 4th.

Bardsey’s best bird of the week, however, was a singing Thrush Nightingale on the island on 2nd followed, on 3rd, by another brief island sighting on Lundy (Devon).

A Red-breasted Flycatcher lingered on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 1st-2nd.

Just four Blue-headed Wagtails were noted this week – at Pool of Virkie (Shetland) still on 31st-3rd; on 2nd at Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB (Lancashire) and Moulton Marsh (Lincolnshire); and on 3rd at Spurn (East Yorkshire). A Grey-headed Wagtail was found on 6th on Skomer (Pembrokeshire).

Fair Isle (Shetland) held onto its recent Serin on 31st-2nd, with another seen at Holmpton (East Yorkshire) on 3rd, and a further individual reported from Keil Point (Argyll & Bute) on 6th.

So far, so seasonal. North Ronaldsay (Orkney), however, broke the mould with an Arctic Redpoll on 31st.

Back to Fair Isle, where Common Rosefinch were seen on 31st and 2nd-3rd; and additional birds elsewhere were noted on 2nd on North Uist (Western Isles) and Embleton Quarry NR (East Yorkshire). On 5th, further individuals were found at Sumburgh Farm and adjacent Grutness (Shetland), and in Co.Cork at Knockadoon Head and Ballycotton – the latter, alas, a ringed bird killed by a cat. 6th was marked by more birds found – on Tory Island (Co.Donegal), and Calf of Man (Isle of Man).

On Unst (Shetland) the Rustic Bunting was again seen on 31st-3rd; and another was found in Cornwall at Nanjizal on 3rd.

Finally, finishing with some Nearctic passerines… belated news came this week of another Slate-coloured Junco, this one seen on 25th May in Cornwall at Port Isaac; while what would have been a headlining bird had it only been confirmed concerned the news of a possible White-crowned Sparrow seen in a field at Mellon Udrigle (Highland & Caithness) on 31st.

 

We surely have to start the overseas news in Iceland this week, where the country’s second-ever White-throated Needletail was a brilliant find at Heiðmörk on 3rd. On 2nd, a White-winged Scoter was seen off Suðurnes.

Another White-winged Scoter was seen this week, but in Sweden – at Svenska Hogana on 5th.

The Western Swamphen was still in the Netherlands at Het Nieuwe Waterschap on 1st-5th; and a Lesser Spotted Eagle was seen over Achtmaal on 5th.

In Spain, a Western Reef Egret was at Platja d’Aro on 2nd, and a singing White-throated Sparrow was present at Praza de Palloza on 2nd also.

An American Royal Tern was found in Portugal on 3rd at Ria de Alvor.

Out on the Azores, a Semipalmated Plover was present on Pico on 2nd.

And finally, it seems appropriate to finish where we began this week’s Round Up, with a rare raptor – a female Amur Falcon was seen on Sal on 1st, the first record of its kind for Cape Verde.

 

And here we are, rattling into the second week of June. If the tempo of spring migration is easing by this stage, that’s not to say the coming week doesn’t have form for some quality latecomers for the local patch-worker.

Black-headed Buntings are far from slavishly bound to coastal counties, with a fair history of inland records to their credit too – and are a classic mid-June arrival. Black Storks, on the other hand, could turn up overhead just about anywhere and, for now at least, and unlike their White Stork cousins, remain untainted by any introduction schemes muddying the waters.

Nope, neither’s the rarest of birds. But both have a reasonably attainable local feel to them. And if neither’s good enough, well, we all know June likes to spring a surprise on us. There’s plenty of time yet for that.

 

Jon Dunn
7 Jun 2022

Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos

 

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