Weekly birding round-up: 2 - 8 Aug 2022
Never a dull moment, is there, in the British birding scene? While the first week of August might seem like a timely moment for some quiet reflection on the cusp of the autumn that lies ahead, the birds clearly had very different ideas. One from the south, another from the northwest, and both bursting with star quality.
While the support act this week was relatively unattainable for most, our main headlining bird was eminently twitchable. Quite how many family Sunday lunches and family days were left in tatters is, however, quite another story…
It’s one thing to confidently say a species is going to turn up in Britain one of these days. It’s a leap further to infer said species is overdue. That a Willet is going to be found here at some undefinable point in the future has gone beyond cliché and into the realms of parody.
Yet, all that said, there was certainly a sense of a degree of inevitability where the vetula subspecies of Kelp Gull, known colloquially, thanks to its southern African origins, as Cape Gull, was concerned. They’d been on the move north for some years, and the writing was, if not on the wall, then certainly on a signpost pointing broadly in our general direction.
The Western Palearctic’s first record was, after all, not a million miles from us – an adult bird found in France amongst Yellow-legged Gulls in the somewhat unprepossessing surroundings of the Paris Zoo in January 1995. It seemed on the one hand deeply unlikely and yet, on the other hand, where else could it have come from if not the wild? As such, it was given the benefit of the doubt as the first for both nation and region.
Maybe it wasn’t so surprising after all – during the 1980s the species began to spread up the west coast of Africa. By 2008 four adult birds were identified at Khniffiss Lagoon in Morocco and, in 2010, breeding was confirmed there for the first, but certainly not the last time in the Western Palearctic. As further breeding records came to light, so too did the realisation that this adaptable species had flipped its calendar, casting aside its former Southern Hemisphere life cycle to breed in the Northern Hemisphere spring.
And that wasn’t all. With growing awareness of the species came more records from northwest Africa, mainly adult or near-adult birds, often associating with Lesser Black-backed or Yellow-legged Gulls. There was a feeling they were standing on our very doorstep…
…but it wasn’t until 2013 that we finally got a further European record. Or rather, three, as adult birds were found between May and August on the Portuguese coast. Spain was hot on Portugal’s heels with its first in 2014. Thereafter, Iberian records have become semi-regular in the April-October window – and, mirroring the northwest African situation, they’re usually hanging out with Lesser Black-backed or Yellow-legged Gulls.
Given the propensity for Yellow-legged Gulls to disperse northwards in midsummer, and the continuing expansion of Cape Gulls in their African homeland, the potential for one of the latter to wander further north than the Iberian Peninsula was abundantly clear. Nonetheless, were one to do so as far as Britain, canny money would have been placed on it being found in a southern English coastal county…
Vagrant birds don’t always play by the rules though. Coming completely from leftfield then was this week’s most remarkable of records – the discovery by Richard Patient of a Cape Gull at Grafham Water on 7th. That’s Cambridgeshire. Inland.
And, even more remarkably still, found mid-morning, allowing ample time for excuses to be made, existing plans to be dashed, and hasty exits made towards Grafham Water.
Where, better yet, the bird continued to show admirably well all afternoon and into the evening. What’s more, it was still present as the new week dawned on 8th (and had apparently also been seen there on 2nd) and continued to draw crowds from near and far. Gulls aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it takes a cold-hearted birder not to be impressed by this slab-billed beast.
Wow! My first Mega in Cambs - and it’s only a first for Britain to boot ?? Amazing Cape Gull at Grafham Water found by Richard Patient. Even if you’re not a gull person, this bird is a beaut! @CambsBirdClub pic.twitter.com/a9DwySSmFE
— Rachel Lennard ???? (@rachel_lennard) August 7, 2022
At this rate, we’re running out of putative additional gulls to admit to the British list. Black-tailed Gull next, anyone?
For a while, until news of a certain gull broke over the course of the weekend, this week’s headliner was an absolute shoo-in. What else, after all, could be expected for an absolutely stonking drake Harlequin Duck?
And who else would we expect to uncover such a mega on Unst at Norwick than Dave ‘Super’ Cooper? The man is an unstoppable bird-finding machine, with a succession of cracking birds to his credit. Nonetheless, setting eyes on something quite as colourfully monstrous as a drake Harlequin must rank right up there with the very best of finds.
And a genuine bolt from the blue at that. Almost all of our past 20 records of the species have occurred between October and April, with a spike in the months of January and February. Indeed, we’ve just the one prior summer record – a drake found on St Kilda (Western Isles) on 18th June 2007.
Shetland is no stranger to Harlequins, boasting three previous records, involving four birds – two on Fair Isle on 11th January – 2nd February 1965; one at Sullom Voe on Mainland on 16th January – 25th February 1987; and one on Fair Isle for a day on 15th October 1999. The auguries, then, might be fairly good for this one hanging around for a while… Were it, unthinkably, to make it into September it would prove to be an extremely popular bird with the autumn’s intake of birders to the isles.
For now, happily for those Shetland birders who couldn’t make it to Unst on the day of discovery of this week’s individual, this week’s bird was to prove an amenable beast, remaining present on and just off the beach at Norwick on 5th-8th.
Most notable of the week’s seabirds was, by its very absence, the long-staying Black-browed Albatross at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire) – with no sightings there throughout the week, it may have finally done a bunk after a dry breeding season in the north. Last seen off Flamborough on 3rd, have we seen the last of it for this summer?
We’ve surely not seen the last of Wilson’s Petrels - indeed, the Scilly season is just warming up. One bird on 2nd was followed this week by two noted from a pelagic off there on 6th, and half a dozen on 8th. On 3rd, land-based sightings came from Pendeen (Cornwall) and Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare).
Scotland provided a handful of Leach’s Petrel records – two seen in the Minch off Gairloch (Highland & Caithness) on 3rd, and one from the ferry between Ullapool and Stornoway (Highland & Caithness / Western Isles) on 6th.
Cornwall’s headlands were at it again on 2nd, with sightings of Fea’s / Desertas Petrel that day from Pendeen and Porthgwarra.
The Scilly pelagics gave us the best of the week’s 70 or so Great Shearwaters, with 40 seen from the trip out on 6th; some 280 Cory’s Shearwaters were noted nationwide, with Porthgwarra (Cornwall) accounting for the highest single site tally – 176 birds logged off there on 2nd.
It was Devon that supplied the best of recent days’ Balearic Shearwaters, with some 170 birds seen at sea off Brixham in the evening of 7th the best single site tally of the 300 birds logged overall this week.
Skuas were in short supply lately – Pomarine Skuas were noted from Carsington Water (Derbyshire) on 2nd; in the Minch off Gairloch (Highland & Caithness) on 3rd, where two birds were seen; from the ferry between Ullapool and Stornoway (Highland & Caithness / Western Isles) on 6th, where two birds were also noted; and at Ardnamurchan (Highland & Caithness) on 8th. A single Long-tailed Skua was seen from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 3rd, while two individuals were seen from Cornwall’s Rame Head that day also.
Our long-legged beasties section this week was, once more, headed by the fine lingering adult Squacco Heron in West Sussex at Pagham Harbour LNR on 2nd-8th.
Both recent Night Herons were again seen in recent days – the first-summer at Oare Marshes KWT (Kent) on 2nd-3rd, and the adult in Norfolk at Cley once more on 5th.
Elsewhere in Kent, two juvenile Purple Herons were again noted at Grove Ferry NNR on 4th and 7th. A single bird was seen at adjacent Stodmarsh NNR on 2nd-3rd and once more on 6th. On Anglesey, another bird was present at Cors Ddyga RSPB on 3rd and 5th-7th. Further birds were seen in Derbyshire over Willington GPs on 7th, and at Coward’s Marsh (Dorset) on 7th also; the Willington bird was again seen there fleetingly on 8th.
Our Glossy Ibis population remained strong for another week, with some 40 birds logged over the course of recent days. Of these, the highest count was 11 birds again in Cambridgeshire at Barleycraft Lake on 7th.
A Spotted Crake was in Devon at Slapton Ley on 8th.
While Shetland was stealing the quacker limelight in recent days, anyone so inclined to head north to twitch a drake Harlequin Duck could have done far worse than making a pitstop in Aberdeenshire, where the drake Black Scoter was still present off Blackdog on 2nd-7th. He shared the site on those dates with a drake Surf Scoter; and, in Angus, the Lunan Bay Surf Scoter was also still to be seen on 5th.
Further Scottish seaduck distraction came in the ever-present form of the King Eider still resident off Musselburgh (Lothian) on 4th-8th.
Recent Ferruginous Ducks remained at Draycote Water (Warwickshire), where two birds lingered until 8th, and in Northamptonshire at Daventry CP where the juvenile drake also hung around until 8th.
On Anglesey, the drake Ring-necked Duck was still present at Valley Lakes RSPB on 3rd-4th; and the Achill Island (Co.Mayo) individual was once more seen on 3rd.
Lastly, our honorary wildfowl was still present in Argyll & Bute – the adult male Pied-billed Grebe at Loch Feorlin at the week’s end on 8th.
The week began with two of our recent headlining waders still present in their chosen counties, but neither was for staying for any longer than the opening days of the week. In Lincolnshire, the adult Stilt Sandpiper stayed put at Alkborough Flats NR on 2nd-3rd; and, in Cornwall, the Least Sandpiper remained at Drift reservoir on 2nd-3rd also.
The good autumn showing of White-rumped Sandpipers continued for another week, with birds noted at Eyebrook reservoir (Leicestershire) on 4th-8th; Ferrybridge (Dorset) on 5th; Kilrenny Mill (Fife) on 5th; Belvide reservoir (Staffordshire) on 6th; and in East Yorkshire around the Spurn area on 4th-7th. How many birds were accounting for the East Yorkshire sightings? Two birds were seen on the Humber Estuary on 7th…
In Co.Wicklow, the Semipalmated Sandpiper remained at Poulaphouca reservoir on 2nd.
A handful of Pectoral Sandpipers were found this week – on 2nd in the Western Isles on Harris and North Uist; on 3rd-8th at Kilcoole (Co.Wicklow); on 4th at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford); at Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 7th-8th; and on 5th-6th again at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire).
A possible Buff-breasted Sandpiper was reported from Norfolk at North Point Pools on 5th.
The recent Temminck’s Stint lingered in Lancashire & North Merseyside at Condor Green on 2nd-7th.
Set to, hopefully, be a fixture in the news for weeks to come, American Golden Plovers) were found in Ireland at Trawmore Bay (Co.Mayo) on 2nd, and at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 5th-7th.
Lesser Yellowlegs remained present in Hampshire at Normandy Marsh still on 2nd-5th, and on Tresco (Scilly) on 2nd-8th.
Two Red-necked Phalaropes remained on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 5th-8th; a surpriseGrey Phalarope was found sheltering on Fair Isle’s coast (Shetland) on 7th.
https://twitter.com/AlexPenn_1/status/1556329537188896769?s=20&t=n_nmvNYZXjgL_jw2vKmKdwFinally, having gone AWOL from Potteric Carr YWT (South Yorkhire) on 30th, the family of half a dozen Black-winged Stilts were refound this week at Messingham Sand Quarry LWT (Lincolnshire) on 5th-6th.
Two of our recent Bonaparte’s Gulls remained available this week, with the most amenable of them being the settled adult in Kent at Oare Marshes KWT on 2nd-7th. In Argyll & Bute, the adult remained on Mull on 3rd-4th, and presumably accounted for the individual seen off neighbouring Staffa on 5th before being seen back on Mull on 7th-8th. On 7th another bird was found in Wexford harbour (Co.Wexford).
A Sabine’s Gull was seen from Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire) on 3rd; and another from the Scilly pelagic of 7th.
The Scilly pelagic of 8th went one better, with the discovery of presumably the same adult Laughing Gull last seen on Tresco on 27th July, this time three miles southwest of Bishop Rock.
White-wingers remained in short supply for another week. An Iceland Gull was once more seen at Tarbat Ness (Highland & Caithness) on 4th, with another in Wexford harbour (Co.Wexford) on 7th; and Glaucous Gulls in Shetland at Hestingott on 4th and Lerwick harbour on 8th, and in Orkney at The Loons RSPB on 7th and Marwick Bay on 8th.
Ireland’s rare terns remained present this week – the Least Tern still near Portrane (Co.Dublin) on 3rd, and the Forster’s Tern still at Soldier’s Point (Co.Louth) on 3rd-8th.
Great to see the Forster's Tern yesterday at soldiers point, Dundalk. Flew right past the point and down the navy bank. Managed a couple of flight photos. @LouthBirdNews @LouthBWI pic.twitter.com/71KWrh300V
— Dean McSound (@dean_mcsound) August 7, 2022
On 8th, the Elegant Tern was found on Aughinish Island (Co.Clare).
Hampshire’s recent adult Whiskered Tern stayed put a little while longer at Fishlake Meadows HIWWT on 2nd-4th before, rather unexpectedly, reappearing there on 7th. Where had it been in the meantime?
Finally, could a week go by of late without a Caspian Tern? Of course it couldn’t just yet – another was seen this week passing The Lizard (Cornwall) on 3rd.
Following a report of the recent Black Kite again at Nant Yr Arian (Ceredigion) on 4th, another was seen further north on Anglesey on 7th at Llyn Coron; and, on 8th, one was seen in Lothian at Belhaven Bay.
A Montagu’s / Pallid Harrier ringtail was found on 7th heading south over Potten Hall (Suffolk).
Still heading up the week’s passerine news, and at this rate hanging around long enough to be joined there by further scarce and rare shrikes as migration gets under way in coming weeks, the Turkestan Shrike remained in East Yorkshire by Bempton Cliffs RSPB on 2nd-8th.
In Norfolk, the breeding party of half a dozen Bee-eaters were still going strong at Trimingham throughout the week.
In Dorset, an Aquatic Warbler was trapped and ringed at Longham Lakes on 7th. The halcyon days of birds regularly seen at this time of year at Marazion (Cornwall) seem impossibly long ago now. A genuinely twitchable bird would be well-received nowadays.
2nd ringing session of the weekend was one on the Stour to remember. 100 birds of 15 spp including this one which I had only heard members of the group go on and on about! Definitely lucky to see an AQUATIC WARBLER in the hand, very lovely bird @hoopoe2016te @jsparker_ @_BTO pic.twitter.com/gxSl0QyQQ7
— Dr Jenny Coomes (@JayCee_161) August 7, 2022
London’s Iberian Chiffchaff was once more seen in Regent's Park on 3rd and 7th, occasionally showing well.
Another tiny glimpse of the autumn ahead of us came in the form of an Icterine Warbler on the clifftop at Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 8th.
A few widely scattered Rose-coloured Starlings came out of the woodwork this week – one in Wales at Teifi Marshes NR (Ceredigion) on 2nd, another in Cornwall in St Buryan on 5th, one in Lerwick (Shetland) on 7th, and a final bird on 8th at Renvyle (Co.Galway).
A male Grey-headed Wagtail was found on 7th on South Uist (Western Isles).
At Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) the male Black-headed Wagtail was once more seen on 3rd.
A male possible iberiae Spanish Wagtail was seen on Rathlin Island (Co.Antrim) on 6th-8th.
Breeding success was reported from Shetland this week, where a pair of Blue-headed Wagtails have fledged young at Virkie this summer. Another bird was seen at Whitley Reed (Cheshire) on 7th.
One of the highlights of the summer has been the success of a breeding pair of Blue-headed Wagtails at Virkie. The first attempt failed but at least 4 chicks fledged from the second. Just one previous Shetland record (also 1 Yellow, 3 Grey-headed). @NatureInShet @ukrbbp pic.twitter.com/1yz8DgMyEf
— Roger Riddington (@RogerRiddington) August 6, 2022
And nor was this the only happy news emanating from Shetland in recent days – confirmation came from Fair Isle that a pair of Common Rosefinch have fledged a chick, a first island breeding record.
Starting the overseas news once more in the Azores, another wader shot was fired across our bows this week, with the discovery of a Solitary Sandpiper on Sao Miguel on 2nd.
Staying offshore a moment longer, on the Canary Islands an African Royal Tern was seen on Gran Canaria on 3rd.
The Bridled Tern remained obstinately settled in France at Île aux Moutons on 3rd-6th, while an Elegant Tern was still present at Grau de Piemanson on 3rd-4th.
Spain too retained an Elegant Tern at Puerto de los Urrutias on 3rd; and Western Reef Egrets on the Jarama River at San Martin de la Vega on 2nd-7th, and Platja d’Aro on 2nd-4th.
Returning to islands, not a million miles from us this time, and some further food for wishful thought… partly inspired by the Paddyfield Warbler found on Jersey on 4th, but largely by the Western Orphean Warbler found on Texel (Netherlands) on 4th.
While both of the past week’s headlining birds were both properly unexpected bolts from the blue, we can’t reasonably dare to hope lightning will strike twice in as many August weeks. The week to come will, surely, be a little quieter than the one just gone.
But hot. Oh so very hot...
The week to come remains in the heart of wader migration, and let’s keep the focus on the fairly attainable rather than the outrageous stuff of dreams. Both Wilson’s Phalarope and Baird’s Sandpiper boast double figures of historic records for the coming days. British and Irish birders alike could get lucky with one of either, given a fair following wind.
Jon Dunn
9 Aug 2022
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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