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Weekly birding round-up: 11 - 17 Oct 2022

Even by October standards, the week just gone was a bit special. Those persistent westerlies worked their magic, and how… with first records for England and Wales alike, and a fine supporting cast of lesser Nearctic vagrants for good measure. But really, the week was all about just one bird, a bird destined to make national newspaper coverage and, above all, many birders very happy indeed. One of the great, perennial blockers was about to fall.

 

There are no words. Except, of course, there must always be words. In the wake of events on Scilly in the past week, they ought to be as glowing as the bird itself.

One of the ultimate blockers finally fell in recent days. Britain’s first Blackburnian Warbler was a one-day bird on Skomer (Pembrokeshire), back in the relative mists of birding time on 5th October 1961… Our second record came nearly 30 years later, another one day bird near the Observatory on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 7th October 1988… and our last record, while it hung around for a little longer on 12th-14th September 2009, was about as difficult to twitch as they come, being out on St Kilda (Western Isles).

A bit of a theme developing there, then. All on islands, and all enjoyed by the merest handful of fortunate observers. For that alone, we’d have been yearning another bite at the cherry, an obligingly settled bird somewhere more accessible.

But just LOOK at first-winter male Blackburnian Warblers… is there a prettier young American wood warbler at this time of year? Arguably not. So yeah, this was a blocker that we craved a chance to connect with. And, on precedent at least, probably didn’t hold out a great deal of hope we’d ever really get a fair go at.

Step forward, this week, Scilly and, in particular, the man of the moment, John Judge. Given the supply of rapid transatlantic weather systems that had been dropping choice Nearctic birds into Western Europe lately, hopes of finding something decent would have been elevated even before John found himself face to face with a luminous first-winter male Blackburnian Warbler on Bryher in the early afternoon of 13th. But all the same, just imagine how that must have felt…

Cue absolute scenes on Scilly as the news broke and resident and visiting birders scrambled for the inter-island boats. Unhelpfully low tides made for some dramatic landings, embellishing many a successful twitcher’s account with an element of mild daring that went beyond the usual risk associated with the last sweaty sausage roll in a petrol station’s hot cabinet in the small hours of an overnight drive to god-knows-where.

As the news reverberated further afield, those who could drop everything did just that, and headed west. And, joyously, the bird stayed put on Bryher into the weekend, showing at times outrageously well, and still present as the week drew to a close on 17th.

Quite frankly, with the first English record of Blackburnian Warbler under its belt, and a twitchable example at that, Scilly could remain resolutely birdless for the rest of the autumn and we’d consider the Scilly season of 2022 a resounding success. But that’s not what’s gonna happen… there will surely be more birds to come.

We’d already had a couple of American wood warbler shots across our bows by the time the main headlining act was found on Scilly on 13th. The first of those, in Ireland on 12th, we’ll come to in just a moment. Another national first, however, has to take precedence.

Remember where Britain’s first Blackburnian Warbler was found? That’s right, in Pembrokeshire, and the county was at it again this week on 12th with the discovery of a spanking Tennessee Warbler on Skokholm.

Only the sixth record for Britain as a whole, and the first for Wales, the bird appeared weak and, unfortunately, after disappearing from sight into dense vegetation wasn’t seen again subsequently. A reminder, perhaps, of just what a toll a transatlantic crossing can take on a passerine – one wonders how many ditch into the sea before they can make landfall… while of those that do survive the crossing, some will inevitably be in worse fettle than the Scillonian Blackburnian Warbler, or the Myrtle Warbler in Ireland that comes next in this week’s dazzling selection of wood warblers.

Found barely an hour before the Welsh Tennessee Warbler, Irish birders had a notable warbler all their own this week – indeed, it was only Scotland’s birders who were going without – in the form of only the second Irish mainland Myrtle Warbler, found on 12th on the Loop Head peninsula at Kilbaha (Co.Clare).

In one of those coincidences that birding loves to throw at us, Ireland’s only previous mainland bird was also on Loop Head, way back in 31st October – 2nd November 1986.

1986? Now there’s a year to conjure with. A year that also featured a couple of other notable American birds in the course of October and November that would be welcomed warmly anywhere in coming weeks – a Grey Catbird on Cape Clear (Co.Cork), and a Chimney Swift on Scilly. But we digress…

Back to the past week, the Myrtle Warbler did the decent thing and stayed put at Kilbaha until 17th.

Look, I know, Blackpoll Warblers aren’t usually found in the rarefied stratosphere of the weekly headlines… but in a week where one brings the total of American wood warbler species recorded up to a round four, it’s earned its place.

Found on Inishbofin (Co.Galway) on 16th, it’s not the first British and Irish record of the species for the autumn – that accolade fell to the Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) bird of 2nd October – but it’s the first Irish bird of the year and, from an Irish perspective, still a solid bird – there’s just a dozen accepted records of the species on their books to the end of 2018.

Co.Galway’s provided three of those prior birds, two of which were on Inishbofin, including the last accepted Irish record – present on the isle for two days on 7th-8th October 2018. Co.Cork’s enjoyed a couple of subsequent birds in 2020 and 2021 respectively, but Inishbofin remains an auspicious island upon which to hope to find one. And what else will Ireland as a whole yield in the coming week? Something, surely…

If there’s one American vagrant that Scilly can justly lay claim to a total monopoly upon, it’s Wilson’s Snipe. There have, though, been putative birds seen elsewhere down the years, but none with the compelling evidence of underwing or tail feathers required to nail them down completely.

(Either photographic evidence or, in the case of the one and only non-Scilly record on the books to date, a corpse – a bird shot in Co.Derry at Coleraine on 28th October 1991).

They must, surely, go overlooked elsewhere in Britain and Ireland. Yet, to date, apart from that misfortunate Derry bird, the sum of our accepted British and Irish records all reside in Scilly.

To that roll-call can be added another bird this week with the discovery of a Wilson’s Snipe on St Mary’s at Porth Hellick Pool on 14th. Or rather, on 11th, for it wasn’t until 14th that the bird’s identity was resolved and the news released. While some Blackburnian Warbler twitchers won’t have had time to take in this cherry on the cake, it’s certainly added lustre to the week for anyone based on Scilly for longer than a day trip, and at the time of writing on 17th was still present.

Maybe birders’ attention was turned elsewhere this week, or just maybe things were finally calming down on the seawatching front. One way or another, the week just gone was somewhat quieter than of late where seabirds of note were concerned.

Though not completely without incident. On 14th a Black-browed Albatross was seen at sea some 50 miles NE of Stromness (Orkney) while, on 12th-14th, the adult Double-crested Cormorant was once more seen at Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim).

Then, as the week drew to a close on 17th, a Fea’s / Desertas Petrel was seen from the Scillonian near Wolf Rock.

Decent numbers of Great Shearwaters remained in south-westerly waters lately – around 1,400 birds were logged this week, of which the highest count was easily the 1,200 birds seen at sea 16 miles off Plymouth (Devon) on 11th.

Cory’s Shearwaters were now rather less numerous, the national tally for the week dropping approximately fourfold from the 800 birds of the prior week to a more modest 160 birds, for which the Scilly pelagic of 11th did most of the heavy lifting, providing 140 birds that day.

Numbers of Balearic Shearwaters were also a pale shadow of what had gone before, with a mere 180 birds recorded across the week. Of those, the peak count were 29 birds seen from Downderry (Cornwall) on 13th.

Precious few Leach’s Petrels were seen in recent days. Single birds were noted on 11th from the ferry between Oban and Castlebay (Argyll & Bute / Western Isles); on 12th off Sumburgh (Shetland) and Landguard NR (Suffolk); on 14th from Arranmore (Co.Donegal) and Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare); and on 17th from Lewis (Western Isles).

Fair numbers of Pomarine Skuas were noted over the course of the week, with around 65 birds recorded nationwide. Comfortably the best of these were 22 birds seen from Arranmore (Co.Donegal) on 14th, and 16 birds from North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 11th. Long-tailed Skuas were more muted with barely a dozen birds recorded, and just a couple of sites bettering a single bird – three were seen from Arranmore on 14th, and duos from the Lochmaddy / Uig ferry (Western Isles / Highland & Caithness) on 15th and Lewis (Western Isles) on 16th.

Finally, two Little Auks were seen from Fife Ness (Fife) on 14th, heralding five off Nybster (Highland & Caithness) on 17th.

Chief amongst our notable long-legged beasties were, as ever, Glossy Ibises this week, with their numbers settling back to what this year has been the new normal – around 30 birds recorded in the space of the week. As ever, the best of those were the steadfast flock of nine individuals in Cambridgeshire, and outliers remained as far north as Skaw on Unst (Shetland) and Co.Wexford to the west, where four birds remained at Lady’s Island Lake on 11th.

Ireland had another trick up its sleeve this week with a Night Heron sound-recorded over Lissagriffin (Co.Cork) at 6am on 13th.

A Purple Heron was found in Hampshire at Farlington Marshes HWT on 11th.

The centre of the British birding world this week, Bryher (Scilly), also landed itself a Corncrake on 14th.

The honkers and quackers next and, in a sure sign of the changing seasons, we’re kicking off with a variety of The Goose Formerly Known As Canada. The week began with a hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose at Loch Leven (Perth & Kinross) on 11th, and two possible interior Todd’s Canada Geese on Islay at Loch Gruinart RSPB (Argyll & Bute) that day also; a confirmed example of the latter was present on Islay at Loch Gorm on 16th. A Cackling Goose sp was present on North Uist (Western Isles) on 14th-15th. On 16th hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose sightings came from Islay (Argyll & Bute) at Loch Gruinart RSPB and Bridgend, with the latter belatedly morphing into a probable taverneri Taverner’s Cackling Goose.

Co.Mayo’s recent pair of Snow Geese remained on The Mullet in the early part of the week at least, with the blue morph again at Dún na mBó on 12th and the white morph at Annagh Marsh on 13th. Another bird was present on Orkney’s Hoy on 15th.

One of the first of the winter’s Black Brants was found on 15th at Leigh-on-Sea (Essex).

Into the quackers, a Blue-winged Teal was an excellent Lincolnshire find on Winter’s Pond on 15th-17th, while two more arrived in Smerwick Harbour (Co.Kerry) in the evening of 17th hot on the heels of a Ring-necked Duck found there earlier in the day.

A possible Green-winged Teal was present at Abbotsbury Swannery (Dorset) on 16th-17th.

Drake American Wigeons remained on Grafham Water (Cambridgeshire) on 11th-16th; on Inishmore (Co.Galway) on 14th; and on Ballo reservoir (Fife) on 13th-17th.

The first-winter drake Ferruginous Duck was still sitting pretty on Draycote Water (Warwickshire) on 13th.

Ring-necked Ducks continued their recent run of westerly-fuelled good form for another week, with over a dozen birds logged in Britain and Ireland. Birds were seen on Achill Island (Co.Mayo) on 11th-13th still; on Lower Talley Lake (Carmathenshire) on 11th still; on Shetland at Eshaness still on 11th-16th, and Loch of Spiggie on 14th-17th; on Orkney’s Peedie Sea on 14th-16th; in the Western Isles on Benbecula on 11th-13th and South Uist on 15th-16th; on Loch Leven (Perth & Kinross) on 11th; on Lisvane reservoir (Glamorgan) on 12th-16th, with two birds there on 16th-17th; at Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire) on 12th-13th; and in Ireland at Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) on 13th-16th, Knockaderry reservoir (Co.Waterford) on 13th, Inch Island (Co.Donegal) on 15th, and Smerwick Harbour (Co.Kerry) on 17th. A further bird was present on 17th at Appleford GPs (Oxfordshire).

In Shetland the drake King Eider continued to colour up in Scalloway Harbour on 11th-16th.

The Northumberland drake Black Scoter remained off Cocklawburn Beach on 11th-17th, while the drake Surf Scoter was still in Sound of Taransay (Western Isles) on 11th.

Starting the week’s waders in the very north, Shetland’s second record of Black-winged Stilt was a welcome sight for Yell’s resident birders and those from elsewhere in the isles who keep a Shetland list on 12th-17th.

Keeping it Western Palearctic in origin a while yet, the female Kentish Plover was again seen in Somerset at Burnham-on-Sea on 15th-17th; while a Dotterel was heard at Holmpton (East Yorkshire) on 13th, and another was seen at Polgigga (Cornwall) on 16th.

Rarer still was the juvenile Collared Pratincole seen at Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland) on 13th. Presumably this bird also accounted for the pratincole sp seen on 12th at Cresswell Pond NWT (Northumberland) and on 15th at Alkborough Flats NR (Lincolnshire).

On North Ronaldsay (Orkney) the Great Snipe remained present on 11th-14th. Another was reported from Stronsay (Orkney) on 14th.

Saltholme RSPB also held onto its recent Lesser Yellowlegs this week on 11th-17th, while the two birds remained settled in Cornwall on the Hayle estuary on 11th-17th.

American Golden Plovers continued to pop up here and there lately – one was present on Holy Island (Northumberland) on 11th-14th; the recent Tiree (Argyll & Bute) bird remained on 13th; further Scottish birds were seen on Lewis (Western Isles) on 14th and at Port Seton (Lothian) on 15th-17th; Cornish sightings came from Crowdy reservoir on 13th and Davidstow Airfield on 14th-15th; one was present in Wales at Llanrhystud still on 15th-17th; while in Ireland birds were seen at Carrahane Strand (Co.Kerry) on 13th-14th and Myroe Levels (Co.Derry) on 15th-17th.

A handful of White-rumped Sandpipers were found lately – one on South Uist (Western Isles) on 13th, another on Inch Island (Co.Donegal) on 15th-16th, and a final bird at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 16th-17th.

The recent Buff-breasted Sandpiper was still on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 12th, while another was found on the Isle of Man at Castletown Golf Links on 14th.

Just half a dozen Pectoral Sandpipers were logged lately – single birds at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) still on 11th-16th and Dernford Farm reservoir (Cambridgeshire) still on 11th-17th; at Grindon Lough (Northumberland) on 11th; at Buckenham Marshes RSPB (Norfolk) on 12th-17th; at Long Nanny (Northumberland) on 15th-17th; at Grafham Water (Cambridgeshire) on 14th; and on 16th at Collingham Pits and Slaynes Lane (Nottinghamshire) – the latter site also holding the bird on 17th, while another was found at Cotswold Water Park (Wiltshire) on 17th also.

The Spotted Sandpiper remained on its lonely St Kilda (Western Isles) station on 17th still.

East coast Long-billed Dowitchers were seen at Musselburgh Lagoons (Lothian) on 13th and Huttoft Bank Pit LWT (Lincolnshire) on 15th.

Orkney retained its Red-necked Phalarope on North Ronaldsay on 13th-15th, and another was found on 16th-17th at Rye Harbour NR (East Sussex). Once again though, the week was owned by Grey Phalaropes, with some 90 birds recorded overall. Of these, notable counts came from Annagh Head (Co.Mayo), notching up seven birds on 13th followed by 14 from there the next day.

A handful of Sabine’s Gulls were seen by ardent seawatchers lately – singletons from Fife Ness (Fife) and Newbiggin-by-the-Sea (Northumberland) on 13th, Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 14th, Pendeen (Cornwall) on 15th, and Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 16th; and two off Arranmore (Co.Donegal) on 14th.

A couple of Irish Ring-billed Gulls provided some variety to the roll-call of usual suspects – an adult at Dundalk (Co.Louth) on 15th-16th, and a second-winter on 15th at Castlebar (Co.Mayo).

The adult Bonaparte’s Gull was again seen at Rough Point (Co.Kerry) on 16th.

Another week, and another half dozen or so Glaucous Gulls - several of which were familiar faces. The recent Lerwick (Shetland) bird remained on 12th-16th, while the Coleraine (Co.Derry) individual was still waxing fat on Burger King on 11th-13th. Additional sightings came from North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 11th-12th; Sumburgh (Shetland) on 11th; between Unst and Yell (Shetland) on 12th; on Inch Island (Co.Donegal) on 15th; and at Cromane (Co.Kerry) and Fair Isle (Shetland) on 17th.

Seven Iceland Gulls represented a bit of a lift for the species – the settled bird was again seen at Magheroarty (Co.Donegal) on 11th; Fair Isle (Shetland) got a bird on 12th-13th; another was seen on Holy Island (Northumberland) on 13th; Killybegs (Co.Donegal) notched up a bird on 14th; one was seen at Grutness (Shetland) on 16th; and additional birds on 17th on Lewis (Western Isles) and at Ballinskelligs Abbery (Co.Kerry).

In Co.Louth the regular Forster’s Tern remained at Soldier’s Point on 11th-16th.

Lastly, an adult Whiskered Tern was an autumnal surprise at Forfar Loch (Angus) late on 16th, and remained there the following day.

The week was decidedly quiet where raptors of note were concerned, with mainly reports of Black Kites making the running – an unconfirmed report of a bird in Glen Nevis (Highland & Caithness) on 14th, a possible seen near Lytchett Matravers (Dorset) on 15th, another Dorset sighting around Witchampton on 16th, and a probable in Norfolk over the A47 bypass at Dereham on 17th.

Reports of Rough-legged Buzzard came on 16th from Norfolk’s Langham and Blickling.

In the fading hours of the week, a first-summer male Red-footed Falcon was found at Thorne Moors NNR (South Yorkshire).

Those headlines tell us all we need to know about the tenor of the week – the Yanks were coming, and just how. By the time the Blackburnian Warbler was found on Scilly, it represented the eleventh Nearctic landbird species and twenty-third individual of the same to be found in Britain and Ireland since 26th September.

It comes as little surprise then that there were a handful of Red-eyed Vireos out there for the finding this week – birds being uncovered on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 11th, Lehanmore (Co.Cork) on 14th-17th, on 15th at Tregeseal (Cornwall) and on 15th also at Seaton Point (Northumberland), and on 17th on Mizen Head (Co.Cork). Those westerly birds were as we’d expect, but east coast records are significantly rarer events – this was only the third Northumbrian record of the species.

Ireland’s first Alder Flycatcher kicked off the week still present on Inishbofin (Co.Galway) on 11th.

Back on Scilly, the recent Swainson’s Thrush remained on Tresco on 11th-12th; while Scottish birders saw a chink of Nearctic light and hope on 16th-17th with the discovery of another bird on North Uist (Western Isles).

For a while, it sounded like Tresco had landed something rarer still – a putative Two-barred Greenish Warbler on there on 12th-13th. As the first day wore on some observers began to suggest it might, instead, be a Yellow-browed Warbler and then, as we know, birders’ attention on the archipelago was abruptly drawn elsewhere.

The latter species was certainly present throughout Scilly this week, with several islands scoring one or more birds. From a national perspective, around 200 birds were recorded this week – not large numbers by any means, but testament nonetheless to the enduring ability of Yellow-browed Warblers to reach us despite the prevailing wind direction at the time.

Eastern warblers on the whole though were in short supply. A Dusky Warbler was unearthed on Shetland at Ocraquoy on 11th; while Radde’s Warblers were seen on St Agnes (Scilly) on 13th-14th and Cape Clear (Co.Cork) on 14th-16th.

A probable Pallas’s Warbler was heard only with a tit flock at Marazion Marsh (Cornwall) on 13th.

A Blyth’s Reed Warbler was found on Tory Island (Co.Donegal) on 16th-17th.

Back on Scilly, a Melodious Warbler was showing on St Mary’s on 13th-14th; and another found on 16th in Cornwall in Kenidjack Valley.

We did a little better for Barred Warblers this week with a shade over a dozen widely scattered birds logged from Shetland to Scilly, and Kent to Co.Galway.

Shrikes of any kind remained thin on the ground. In Shetland the probable homeyeri Great Grey Shrike was still hanging about, nailing mice around Hillswick on 11th-12th; in Cornwall, the Woodchat Shrike was still present at Pendeen on 13th-16th; and Red-backed Shrikes were seen at Kenfig Pool NNR (Glamorgan) on 13th-16th, and Mizen Head (Co.Cork) on 14th.

Wrynecks this week were almost entirely the sole preserve of the English southwest and, in particular, Dorset, where birds were seen at Longham Lakes on 13th, Portland on 14th and 16th-17th, and Halstock on 15th. Elsewhere, offshore birds were found on Lundy (Devon) on 11th and St Martin’s (Scilly) on 11th and 15th; and mainland birds on 16th at Grimley (Worcestershire) and on The Lizard (Cornwall).

A Hoopoe was reported from a garden in Rodmell (East Sussex) on 11th, and another from Wells (Norfolk) on 16th.

Short-toed Lark sightings came from Scilly’s St Agnes on 14th and St Mary’s on 15th-17th; and another possible bird passed over Thompson Common (Norfolk) on 14th.

A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was present at Mullion (Cornwall) on 13th-14th; and further examples on 17th in Suffolk at Benacre, and in Cornwall at Pendeen.

Bluethroats meanwhile were initially the stuff of Shetland alone – birds were seen this week on 11th on Unst and Fair Isle, and on 14th on Mainland at Grutness – that is, until 16th-17th when a bird was found on St Mary’s (Scilly), alongside a Little Bunting on 16th for good measure; and another bird was present on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 16th.

As the week wore on, a small blast of south-easterlies the previous day delivered a Red-flanked Bluetail to Dale of Walls (Shetland) on 16th and, more notably for birders in the area, another near Cardiff (Glamorgan) at Wenallt on 16th-17th.

Shetland also held onto the settled eastern stonechat sp thought likely to be Siberian Stonechat at Quendale on 11th-17th.

A few Red-breasted Flycatchers turned up lately – one at Blacksod (Co.Mayo) on 13th-15th, another on Bryher (Scilly) on 14th, and an adult male on Unst (Shetland) on 17th.

The Western Isles was having a good day on 16th, with not only the Swainson’s Thrush on North Uist but also, on Lewis, the discovery of a Pechora Pipit.

The American Buff-bellied Pipit was once more seen on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 17th.

Scilly enjoyed Olive-backed Pipit sightings on St Agnes on 11th and St Mary’s on 11th-16th; and one was again seen at Brae (Shetland) on 16th-17th.

Numbers of Richard’s Pipits were quietly on the up – birds were found this week at Awre (Gloucestershire) on 12th-17th; Park Head (Cornwall) on 13th; Bardsey (Gwynedd) on 14th; on 15th at East Hills (Norfolk) and on 15th-17th at Low Newton-by-the-Sea (Northumberland); and on 16th at Ongar Hill (Norfolk) and Stinchcombe Hill (Gloucestershire). Further probable birds were noted on Portland (Dorset) on 11th, and on 13th on Unst (Shetland) and Lewis (Western Isles).

A probable Grey-headed Wagtail was found on 16th at Easington (East Yorkshire).

Given the time of year, the paucity of Common Rosefinches remained striking. One lingered on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 11th-17th, with two present on 15th; one was still to be found on Inishbofin (Co.Galway) on 11th-16th; and another bird on Inishmore (Co.Galway) on 17th.

The recent drifts of Arctic Redpolls showed no signs of thawing just yet – two were seen on Papa Westray (Orkney) on 11th; and single birds on Westray (Orkney) again on 12th; in Shetland at Staney Hill on 11th, Unst on 11th-15th, and Fair Isle on 11th-17th; and on Barra (Western Isles) on 11th-15th. On 16th additional birds were found on Yell (Unst) and North Ronaldsay (Orkney).On 17th duos in Shetland were seen in Gulberwick and at West Burrafirth. Two probable birds were seen on Shetland Mainland at Ocraquoy on 11th but not again latterly.

Additional chunky finch variety came from Shetland where two Parrot Crossbills were found on Unst on 16th-17th.

A Little Bunting was again seen on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 11th and it, or another, again on 16th-17th. Another was present on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 17th, with an additional possible bird seen fleetingly in the morning that day at Low Newton-by-the-Sea (Northumberland).

And finally, not quite making the headlines thanks to being at one remove from us, but perhaps representing a final shot across our bows in terms of potential in the near future, on 14th two White-throated Sparrows and a Slate-coloured Junco were present on a ship at sea 82 miles north of Butt of Lewis (Western Isles). Present on board since the ship left Canada, it’s a reminder that not all birds make the transatlantic crossing under their own steam.

With those stowaways off the coast of Scotland in mind, we’ll start the overseas news in Sweden, where a Slate-coloured Junco was found at Karlstad on 12th, the second national record of the species.

Running around the rest of Scandinavia this week, Denmark retained its Yellow Warbler at Agger on 13th-16th; Norway scored a Two-barred Greenish Warbler on Kvitsøy on 11th; and Finland a Pygmy Cormorant at Sunilanlahti on 13th.

Birding news on Iceland, meanwhile, took a turn for the surreal with the discovery by Guðríður Ester of the country’s first mainland Ruby-crowned Kinglet in her Stokkseyri garden on 12th – just two days after she’d found a Common Yellowthroat in the selfsame garden. Both birds remained there until 13th.

Moving back down into mainland Europe, the Netherlands’ first record of Yellow-billed Cuckoo was found at Maasvlakte on 12th – a typically wing-drooping, shattered bird, it didn’t have much energy left in the tank and sadly went on to drown later in the day in a canal.

In France, Ouessant remained dominant, holding onto its Baltimore Oriole on 11th, Northern Harrier on 11th-13th, and a Red-eyed Vireo on 12th-14th. Elsewhere, the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was still present at Noirmoutier on 11th.

A Crested Honey Buzzard was found over Cyprus at Akrotiri on 11th.

And so to the Azores to wrap things up. Starting with Corvo, two Red-eyed Vireos on 12th rose to four birds by 14th; Scarlet Tanager and Hudsonian Whimbrel were both also seen on 12th, while a Bobolink lingered on 12th-13th. Five Semipalmated Plovers were seen on 13th, as was a Brown Booby that remained present until 16th, Great Blue Heron on 13th-16th, Magnificent Frigatebird on 13th-16th; and on 16th Dickcissel and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Flores, meanwhile, provided Green Heron on 11th and Wood Duck on 13th.

The coming week, historically, offers an intoxicating array of past rarities to whet our appetite. Indeed, some of the most desirable passerines from east or west feature in it. There’s a lot to play for, no matter what direction the wind blows.

Given the stellar cast of American wood warblers we’ve enjoyed lately, it seems churlish to ignore the possibilities that past records suggest: Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Cape May Warbler, Northern Parula, and Chestnut-sided Warbler have all occurred once in the coming week in the past; Black-and-white Warbler boasts two records. Any of the above would do nicely - Chestnut-sided in particular would induce paroxysms in the twitching fraternity.

But why limit ourselves to the west? The east historically has plenty to offer to in the coming days. Some of the more choice buntings on the British list have occurred this week - Chestnut, Chestnut-eared, and Black-faced…

…but never mind them. Let’s talk about chats. The week to come boasts single records of both Siberian Blue and Rufous-tailed Robins, but the stand-out species has to be Siberian Rubythroat, with six accepted records on the books, all but one of which were in Shetland.

The exception to that rule being the bird found in the afternoon of 19th October 1997 in Dorset at Osmington Mills – a bird that, while besmirched by swirling rumours of foul-play at the time, has perhaps been somewhat vindicated by the passage of time and the upsurge in subsequent British records. However, it was one that only the quickest out of the blocks managed to connect with, and at a quarter of a century ago, is receding in our rear-view mirrors these days. Another bird on the British mainland would be warmly received for sure.

 

Jon Dunn
18 Oct 2022

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

 

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