Weekly birding round-up: 7- 13 Jun 2022
There’s no getting away from it – the past week was a pretty quiet one. To be expected at this point in the year, of course, as we catch our breath moving from spring into the dog days of summer, but still… something breath-taking would have been nice. As it happened, we had to make do with a reasonable selection of settled scarce and rare birds, and one or two decent if not show-stealing new arrivals.
It’s almost impossible to relegate the returning Short-toed Eagle in Scotland to the main body of the Rarity Round Up. Even in a busy week, a bird of this stature would command headline status. And this week, with birds of similar substance decidedly thin on the ground, it stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Still present near Loch Grudie (Highland & Caithness) on 7th-8th, Scottish birders have had the chance to fill their boots now.
We’ll start the seabirds with the biggest of them all, the adult Black-browed Albatross still present at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire) this week on 7th-13th.
Just three Long-tailed Skuas were seen this week, noted off Brora (Highland & Caithness) on 8th, and near Newtonmore (Highland & Caithness) and off Colonsay (Argyll & Bute) on 11th.
Shetland accounted for a couple of White-billed Divers in recent days – one spent a couple of days off the Knab in Lerwick on 7th-8th, while another was seen from Whalsay on 9th.
Finally, in a sure sign that spring’s giving way to summer, more Balearic Shearwaters than of late were recorded this week – in Devon, 10 from Prawle Point on 7th, and five from Start Point on 9th; two from the Scillonian on 13th; and singles on 9th off Portland (Dorset) and Downderry (Cornwall).
Down on Scilly, the male Little Bittern continued to show well on St Mary’s Porth Hellick Pool on 7th-13th; while belated news came of another bird in the southwest, on the River Otter outside Budleigh Salterton (Devon) on 9th.
In Co.Cork, the Squacco Heron remained at White’s Marsh on 7th-8th.
Our only Purple Heron of the week was one seen again at Potteric Carr YWT (South Yorkshire) on 8th and 11th-13th.
Some 35 Glossy Ibises were reported in Britain and Ireland over the course of the week. Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) held half a dozen of them, for a while the week’s highest single site tally, on 7th-8th still, but this was supplanted by 10 birds again in Cambridgeshire at Ouse Washes RSPB on 12th.
A Black Stork was seen in flight heading low north-east over Brighton (East Sussex) on 10th.
Finally, a Corncrake was heard in song near Chilbolton (Hampshire) on 7th.
Potentially pick of the quackers this week was the Baikal Teal seen on a pool south of the A332 near Cranbourne Park (Berkshire) on 11th before flying off in the direction of Slough. In its favour, it could actually fly, but as we know from recent experience in East Yorkshire, escaped birds are also at large out there.
Co.Mayo’s resident drake Black Duck was still present at Cross Lough on 7th.
The two American Wigeons remained in Co.Derry on Lough Beg on 10th-11th, while the drake was still settled at Skinflats Lagoons RSPB (Forth) on 7th-13th.
A flighty Green-winged Teal put in a fleeting appearance at Tingwall (Shetland) on 9th.
In Staffordshire, the female Ferruginous Duck remained on Belvide reservoir on 7th-13th.
The drake Ring-necked Duck at Dungeness (Kent) still on 9th-10th was our only representative of its kind this week.
In Scotland, the first-winter drake King Eider remained off Musselburgh (Lothian) on 7th-12th, while the second-summer drake was seen from mainland Shetland in Gruting Voe on 7th.
Finally, our honorary wildfowl, the male Pied-billed Grebe was once more logged on Loch Feorlin (Argyll & Bute) on 11th.
By a country mile the most popular wader of note this week had to be the adult Spotted Sandpiper in full eponymous splendour at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) on 8th-11th. A genuine crowd-pleaser, not least for being the first county record for almost 30 years – Norfolk’s last individual dates back to a wintering bird at Welney on 18th September 1994 – 27th January 1995.
The same sadly couldn’t be said for the Broad-billed Sandpiper seen well but briefly at Grutness (Shetland) on 8th but not thereafter. The last Shetland record was as long ago as 1999, so this would have been a locally well-received bird had it only lingered a while.
A Pectoral Sandpiper was found on 8th at Druridge Pools NR (Northumberland).
Tresco (Scilly) hosted a Temminck’s Stint on 8th-9th.
The American Golden Plover remained at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 7th-10th.
It only took a week to obtain this one decent call. Said American Golden Plover attached. Wexford. pic.twitter.com/9zcyBVIjwC
— Paul Kelly (@irishbirdimage) June 9, 2022
A Kentish Plover was found in Glamorgan at Broughton Bay on 8th.
Two Black-winged Stilts were seen on 13th at White Colne.
First seen in Devon at Horsey Island in the evening of 6th, the first Collared Pratincole for the county in almost a decade was again seen there on 10th-13th, though it could prove distant and elusive at times.
Finally, a Red-necked Phalaropes circled Porth Hellick Pool on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 8th, and further birds pitched down in Kent at Elmley NNR and on Belvide reservoir (Staffordshire) on 13th.
Ever quieter times on the gulls’n’terns front this week, with the former in particular fading into summer obscurity.
A couple of first-summer Ring-billed Gulls in Ireland were the best of them – one on 7th at Annagh Strand (Co.Mayo), and the other on 10th at Seabank (Co.Louth) – while the recent Scottish first-summer remained on Benbecula (Western Isles) on 12th.
White-wingers reduced to almost nothing – some half a dozen Glaucous Gulls and just three Iceland Gulls, the latter a bird still hanging around Stromness harbour in Orkney on 7th-13th, one seen on 12th on Lewis (Western Isles), and a bird on South Ronaldsay (Orkney) in the evening of 13th.
Terns gave us rather rarer fare. For starters, the Least Tern remained in Co.Dublin near Portrane on 7th-13th.
The recent Gull-billed Tern was again seen in Dorset at Abbotsbury Swannery on 9th-10th.
And in Northumberland, the adult surinamensis American Black Tern was still present at Long Nanny on 7th-13th.
Away from Scotland, it was Norfolk that made the running for scarce and rare raptor news this past week, with an unconfirmed report of a possible male Pallid Harrier at Brancaster on 8th, and a female Montagu’s Harrier near Great Bircham on 10th.
Caveats haunted some of the week’s Black Kite reports – a possible in Norfolk at Garboldisham on 9th; a possible at Halfpenny Green (Staffordshire) on 11th; and a probable at Martin Down NNR (Hampshire) on 11th. Confirmed birds were seen on 7th at Godrevy Point (Cornwall), on 8th at Aylesbeare Common RSPB (Devon) and Sandwich (Kent), on 12th at Tedburn St Mary (Devon) and, on 13th, over Dungeness (Kent).
A male Red-footed Falcon was seen in Cornwall on 8th at St Agnes.
We’ll kick off the passerines section of proceedings in Cornwall where the recent Roller was once more reported from near Praze-an-Beeble on 10th, but couldn’t be relocated there thereafter.
On 8th Bee-eaters were seen at Troon (Cornwall) and Flamborough (East Yorkshire); one was seen in Norfolk at Winterton on 10th, with two that day at Sea Palling; one was heard in Norfolk on 11th at Upper Sheringham; two were seen on 12th in Suffolk near Aldeburgh Golf Course; and on 13th single birds were logged at Spurn (East Yorkshire) and Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire).
A Hoopoe was present in an Oban (Argyll & Bute) garden on 11th; while another was found down in a Levington (Suffolk) garden on 13th.
Garden birders had some cause for colourful optimism this week with a small arrival of Rose-coloured Starlings mainly being found in gardens form St Agnes (Scilly) and Redruth (Cornwall) in the south to Oban (Argyll & Bute) in the north. In all, 16 birds were noted in recent days, three quarters of which were outside some lucky soul’s kitchen window.
It’s a traditional time of year for them to be found here, and that’s also a truism where Red-backed Shrikes are concerned. Nine were logged during the week – individuals on 7th at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) and near Malton (North Yorkshire); on 8th-9th at Flamborough (East Yorkshire); on 9th on the Isle of May (Fife), Spurn (East Yorkshire), and near Appletreewick (North Yorkshire); on 10th on Isle of May (Fife); on 11th on Whalsay (Shetland); and on 13th on Kelling Heath (Norfolk).
The first-summer male Woodchat Shrike remained in North Yorkshire near Scaling Dam reservoir on 7th-8th.
A Red-rumped Swallow was seen on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 8th and again on 10th-11th.
Golden Oriole numbers began to settled down after a good run for the species in recent weeks, with seven recorded in the space of the week just gone including one trapped and ringed on Orkney at Rendall on 9th. Surely a fairly unusual British ringing record, one would think.
Singing warblers of one shade of rarity or another were found scattered around England and Scotland this week. Starting their number in London, the singing male Iberian Chiffchaff was still in Regents Park on 10th-13th, while the probable was still presnt in Hampshire at Otterbourne on 8th, and a further possible was in Shrewsbury (Shropshire) on 10th also.
On Unst (Shetland) a singing Greenish Warbler was found at Halligarth on 9th.
another lovely day in Unst: @shetlandnature’s Greenish Warbler this morning and a Rosefinch with @_dsbirding this afternoon ?? pic.twitter.com/lCth6y3pb1
— Lauren Evans (@laurenevans217) June 9, 2022
Blyth’s Reed Warblers were found in song on Barra (Western Isles) on 9th and Point of Ayre (Isle of Man) on 8th.
The croaking Great Reed Warblers remained at Snettisham CP on 7th-13th, and at Langford Lowfields RSPB (Nottinghamshire) on 7th-13th.
Some half a dozen Marsh Warblers were noted over the course of the week, beginning with one still present on Whalsay (Shetland) on 7th. Further single birds were on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 7th-8th and 13th; on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 8th; on Isle of May (Fife) and Anderby Marsh (Lincolnshire) on 9th; and on Unst (Shetland) on 12th. Two were present at Kelling (Norfolk) on 8th.<
Just the one Icterine Warbler was seen this week, found on 8th on Isle of May (Fife).
Isle of May also scored a singing Bluethroat on 8th-9th, with another found on Out Skerries (Shetland) on 10th; and two at sea 17 miles east of Mablethorpe (Lincolnshire) on 7th.
A Red-breasted Flycatcher was present on Unst (Shetland) on 9th.
A possible Grey-headed Wagtail was noted over Heacham (Norfolk) on 10th followed, on 12th, by a confirmed bird on Inishtrahull (Co.Donegal).
Common Rosefinches were almost the exclusive preserve of Scottish islands this week, with birds seen on Barra (Western Isles) and Foula (Shetland) on 7th; on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 8th, 10th and 13th, with two birds present on the latter date; on Unst (Shetland) on 9th; and on Shetland Mainland at Boddam on 12th. Bucking that trend was one at Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 9th.
A Serin was found at Landguard NR (Suffolk) on 10th.
Finally, as predicted last week, a Black-headed Bunting turned up – a female on Unst (Shetland) on 7th.
This week’s news from further afield starts relatively close to home, just off the coast of France on Jersey where, on 10th-12th, a Bridled Tern took up residency in the Les Ecrehous Common Tern colony. A quick sortie across the English Channel to the south coast of England would be most welcome some day soon…
Staying with mobile seabirds a moment longer, the North Sea’s other summering Black-browed Albatross was seen again on 12th passing Sylt in Germany.
In the Netherlands, a Western Swamphen was found on 12th in Almere; on 13th the long-staying Het Nieuwe Waterschap individual was again seen.
Sweden’s White-winged Scoter remained at Svenska Hogana on 8th; Norway, meanwhile, got itself a Stejneger’s Scoter on 9th at Siket.
The recent White-throated Sparrow remained in song in France at Les Bouchoux on 7th-12th.
Its Spanish counterpart was also still present in A Coruna on 8th. Also hanging around in Spain this week, the Western Reef Egret remained at Platja d’Aro on 7th-8th, and the Lesser Flamingo was also still present at Laguna de Fuente de Piedra on 12th.
Mid-June’s upon us now, and while the weather forecast may not be especially auspicious, we all know that this is the point at which the big one, travelling late and alone, might be found…
Granted, on the basis of past records, we’re much more like to score a Lesser Grey Shrike or a Whiskered Tern, but where’s the fun in predicting that? Time to shoot for the stars, and cast our minds back 25 years to 20th June 1997, when what would go on to be a twitchable Blue-cheeked Bee-eater was found in Shetland, a bird that was set to stay there until 3rd July.
A similarly long-staying British mainland record of this lysergic beauty would, perhaps, supplant even the recent Eleonora’s Falcon as a popular crowd-pleaser. And never mind the crowds – another in Shetland would make me ecstatic.
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Merops persicus photographed at Tiszaalpár, Bács-Kiskun by Tamás Vass - 2nd record for Hungary pic.twitter.com/4BBiKeAPco
— Tarsiger (@TarsigerTeam) June 7, 2022
With one seen in Europe as recently as 6th June, in Hungary at Tiszaalpár, as the longest of long shots it ought to be on our radar…
Jon Dunn
14 Jun 2022
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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