Weekly birding round-up: 8 - 14 Nov 2022
So that was the second week of November. A week that, for many, one would have been forgiven for thinking as more like something in late summer rather than late autumn, so mild was the weather at times. A pattern, grimly, repeated right across Europe.
Northern Europe in mid November....has *never* been this warm in recorded history... #ActOnClimate pic.twitter.com/mn2mOivc3O
— Prof. Dan Parsons @LboroUniversity ??????????????? (@bedform) November 12, 2022
In general, the birding was getting a little quieter – but not completely. There was still plenty of time and scope for one or two truly rare surprises, and a modest supporting cast of lesser rarities too. And, this week, Ireland was the place to be.
Swinhoe’s Petrels remain an enduring enigma in the Western Palearctic as a whole, let alone in Britain or Ireland. A Pacific seabird, yet in the past two decades only 2007 and 2014 have gone by without at least one report of a bird somewhere in the Western Palearctic. They’re annual, but you’d not put money on one being seen reliably anywhere. They just crop up, every now and again, from Israel to Norway, and all manner of coastal locales in between.
And those are just the confirmed birds. Being seabirds, there are our fair share of slightly leftfield, harder to confirm European records too. The last two British reports, for example, number a possible bird sound recorded over Scarborough in the small hours of 27th June 2020, and a possible bird last seen as an abandoned corpse on a sandbank at Meols (Cheshire) on 6th September 2019, a Peregrine’s dinner.
But Britain isn’t doing half badly for them, really. Since our first, that famous female trapped in a ringing session at Tynemouth (Northumberland) on 26th July 1999, we’ve enjoyed a sum total of seven birds accepted to the end of 2021 and, amongst them, some faithful and returning birds coming to nets at tape-luring ringing sessions in Northumberland and Shetland.
Ireland, on the other hand, hasn’t been so blessed. To date the country has enjoyed just two accepted birds – the first seen from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 15th August 1985, and the other bird trapped on Great Skellig (Co.Kerry) on 1st July 2000. For Irish birders, then, Swinhoe’s Petrel remained one of the ultimate birding prizes.
That changed just a little this week, with Ireland’s third and Co.Cork’s first ever Swinhoe’s Petrel seen passing close inshore at Ballycotton in the mid-afternoon of 11th. Mid-November, and it’s still worth setting up shop and sea-watching…
That find came in the wake of news of a stupendous 19 birds seen off Israel’s Eilat on 7th. That’s heck of a lot of birds, but doesn’t do anything to clarify what’s going on with them away from their Pacific heartlands. For now, they’re still a Western Palearctic mystery waiting to be unlocked, and the wait for a vaguely twitchable Irish bird goes on.
Additional news from Ireland this week perhaps added a little credence to one of the prior week’s more curious records – that being the two Wood Ducks that came in off the sea at Helston Loe Pool (Cornwall) on 6th. What could be a better supporting cast than a couple more rare quackers turning up around about the same time?
Those Wood Ducks may, ultimately, fail to make the adjudication grade. We’ll wait and see, but not hold our breath. Happily, the same can’t be said of this week’s arrivals, a pair of Buffleheads that pitched down onto Carrowmore Lake (Co.Mayo) on 12th. Unringed, fully-winged, and not hanging around – rather like the Wood Ducks that had moved on by the following day, so too did the Buffleheads.
A brief stay, then, but that never did a duck any harm in the eyes of the authorities, and these are surely set fair to be accepted as Co.Mayo’s first record for the species.
With the significant exception of Co.Cork, which was as we’ve seen was writing the seabird headlines lately, the week was predictably getting a little quieter on the seawatching front.
A little quieter, but not entirely becalmed. Almost 1,000 Great Shearwaters meant that particular recent notable birding event was still not done with us, albeit that picture was somewhat skewed by one day’s seawatching at Galley Head (Co.Cork) on 11th – that site alone accounting for 850 birds.
Our sole Cory’s Shearwater was a bird that spent a couple of days lingering off the Isle of May (Fife) on 10th-11th. Balearic Shearwaters were similarly in short supply, with single birds noted from Start Point (Devon) on 8th and Pendeen (Cornwall) on 9th.
Isle of May was having a good week all told, being the best vantage point from which to see Little Auks - on 10th 105 birds were seen from there, while a bird found on the cliffs of the island on 9th spent the night there before heading off with its passing companions the following morning. Elsewhere this week some 125 birds were seen, including a particularly wayward individual off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 8th.
Amazing to have a Little Auk roost right outside the low light at @IofMayBirdObs. Left roost at 0711 after clumsily pirouetting around the rocks and looking generally perplexed! Little cracker!!!! ?? pic.twitter.com/kJgKXRw1hT
— CiaranH (@CiaranH13) November 10, 2022
The English southwest as a whole was doing well for Leach’s Petrels, accounting for most of the 160 or so birds seen nationwide during the week. Peak count was 60 seen passing Thurlestone Bay (Devon) on 8th.
Numbers of skuas were dwindling lately, with neither Pomarine or Long-tailed Skua ascending far into the dizzy heights of double figures. Almost 35 of the former species were logged in recent days; the latter species was represented by singletons on 8th seen at Newquay Airport (Cornwall), Berry Head and Thurlestone Bay (Devon), and Milford-on-Sea (Hampshire); at Pendeen (Cornwall) on 9th; and in Weymouth Bay (Dorset) on 11th; two birds off Galley Head (Co.Cork) on 11th; and three birds at Ballycotton (Co.Cork) on 13th. Dungeness (Kent) accounted for sightings of a probable bird on 11th and again on 12th.
Two White-billed Divers were seen this week in Scotland – one from North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 11th, and one on 10th from Brora (Highland & Caithness) – while further south, a possible bird was seen from Seaton Point (Northumberland) on 12th.
Finally, in Co.Leitrim the Double-crested Cormorant remained on Doon Lough on 8th.
In the absence of any variety, it fell once more to
Glossy Ibises to carry the notable long-legged beastie banner this week. Mirroring the preceding week, a shade over 20 birds were recorded, with a couple of sites making up a significant proportion of those – nine birds were seen again in Cambridgeshire at Ouse Fen RSPB on 13th, and four in Hampshire at Titchfield Haven NNR on 11th and 13th.
Starting the honkers and quackers with The Goose Formerly Known As Canada, Dumfries & Galloway provided interior Todd’s Canada Goose sightings at Southerness still on 8th and Mersehead RSPB on 11th. Four possible birds were seen in the morning of 13th on Tiree (Argyll & Bute).
In Ireland, the two Snow Geese remained on The Mullet (Co.Mayo) near Aghernagallagh on 11th, with a further possible blue morph reported from Kirkby-in-Furness (Cumbria) on 11th; and a possible at Titchwell (Norfolk) on 14th.
Black Brant sightings came again from The Fleet in Dorset at Herbury on 11th and Wyke Regis on 12th; the recent bird was again seen in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea Wetlands on 10th-12th; two were present in Essex at Mersea Island on 10th; and another in Norfolk at Stiffkey on 14th.
Six Green-winged Teals were seen lately – birds still present at Tain Links (Highland & Caithness) on 10th, and on the Lossie estuary (Moray) on 12th-13th; and additional birds found at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) on 8th-10th, in Wigtown harbour (Dumfries & Galloway) on 12th-13th, on 13th in Somerset at Catcott Lows NR, and on 13th-14th at Buckroney Marsh (Co.Wicklow).
We also got a quarter of drake American Wigeons this week – birds still present at Crook of Baldoon RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway) and Loch of Spiggie (Shetland) on 9th, Shapwick Heath NNR (Somerset) on 9th-13th, and Bardney Pits (Lincolnshire) on 8th-13th.
In Co.Mayo a drake Black Duck was settled on Termoncarragh Lough on 11th-12th – one assumes this may be the resident Cross Lough bird having relocated slightly to the north.
A Marbled Duck of unknown origin was found on Holy Island (Northumberland) on 13th-14th.
The female Ferruginous Duck remained in Co.Donegal at Inch Island Lake on 10th-12th. Three birds (or hybrids) were reported from Ormesby Broad (Norfolk) on 13th, with a confirmed drake there the following day.
16 Ring-necked Ducks were logged this week across Britain and Ireland, all singletons bar two still settled on Lisvane reservoir (Glamorgan) on 8th-14th, and two present at Moor Green Lakes NR (Berkshire) on 14th.
Both of our notable scoters remained available for those so inclined – in Lothian the drake White-winged Scoter was still in the Musselburgh area on 8th-9th and, in Northumberland, the drake Black Scoter was still present off Cocklawburn Beach on 8th-13th.
A probable Surf Scoter was present distantly off Old Colwyn (Conwy) on 13th.
We finish in Lothian where, off Musselburgh, the drake King Eider was again seen on 12th-13th.
For another week we retained a good variety of Nearctic waders, albeit quantity was, as we’d expect at this point in the year, beginning to reduce somewhat. Pick of the bunch, and perhaps set to be the case for some weeks or months to come, was the settled Wilson’s Snipe still present on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 8th-12th.
Up on Benbecula (Western Isles), the recently found White-rumped Sandpiper remained at the week’s beginning on 8th.
Scotland also gave us the week’s sole Pectoral Sandpiper, a bird found on 9th at West Freugh Airfield (Dumfries & Galloway).
It was Ireland that provided something new on the sandpiper front, in the form of a Spotted Sandpiper settled into Leixlip reservoir (Co.Kildare) on 8th-14th.
A trio of American Golden Plovers remained at their respective locales – one still on Myroe Levels (Co.Derry) on 10th; one still on North Uist (Western Isles) on 11th; and on Annagh Marsh (Co.Mayo) again on 11th.
In Norfolk, the juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher was still present around Cley and Salthouse on 8th-13th.
Just one Lesser Yellowlegs was seen this week – the recently found individual still present at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 7th-12th.
Fair numbers of Grey Phalaropes continued to be seen daily, with a weekly tally of some 25 birds recorded across the region. Of these, the best single site tally was comfortably logged in Cornwall at Pendeen on 9th, where half a dozen birds were recorded.
The best of the week’s larids were firmly a number of lingering south coast Sabine’s Gulls – heralded by the discovery the prior week of a settled and showy individual at Port Lympne (Kent) on 4th, that bird continued its residency until 13th, but was joined in the new reports by daily sightings of birds in and around Chesil Cove (Dorset), with at least two birds present there on 10th-11th; and three seen at Bridport on 9th. Neighbouring Devon peaked with two birds seen in Thurlestone Bay on 8th. Overall, some 25 birds were seen nationwide in the course of the week, including sightings from both sides of northern England – singletons being logged at Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 9th, and Starr Gate (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 10th.
Northern England also gave us a Bonaparte’s Gull, still present in Northumberland at Stag Rocks on 8th-14th; while the Irish adult remained at Rough Point (Co.Kerry) on 13th.
A baker’s dozen Glaucous Gulls marked a modest increase in numbers nationally this week, with a couple of sites notching up multiple birds – duos being seen on Unst (Shetland) on 9th, and Spey Bay (Moray) on 11th.
A handful of Iceland Gulls were seen too, somewhat more widespread than the prior week’s offering and with less of a Scottish bias. Scottish birds were seen on 9th near Sandwick (Shetland),on 9th and 13th at Ardmair (Highland & Caithness), and on 14th at Lochinver (Highland & Caithness), where two birds were seen; a Welsh individual at Fishguard (Pembrokeshire); and birds in the English southwest on 10th on the Dart estuary (Devon) and off Hengistbury Head (Dorset). A final bird was reported in flight in Liverpool (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 14th.
Harriers once again dominated the weekly raptors of note lately. With no news emanating from Co.Offaly, it fell to Norfolk to initially give us our rarest of those – a juvenile Pallid Harrier being seen again at Warham Greens on 8th and again on 13th; another sighting coming from Morston Quay on 14th; and a further possible over Holkham Freshmarsh on 10th. Another juvenile bird was seen in Borders over Newcastleton Forest on 9th, and a final juvenile in Cornwall at Nanjizal Valley on 14th./p>
A little variety came from Ireland where, on 11th-14th, a sub-adult male Montagu’s Harrier was haunting Ballyheigue (Co.Kerry).
Our only Rough-legged Buzzard of the week was a bird seen coming in off the sea at Port Mulgrave (North Yorkshire) on 14th.
For another week, we’ll start the passerines with Pallid Swifts but, after a fortnight of dozens of them, the influx petered out in recent days – just two or three were seen lately. Scotland accounted for two birds, one lingering at Portnockie (Moray) on 8th-14th, and the other at Carse of Ardersier (Highland & Caithness) on 8th; and a further probable bird was seen down in Hampshire at Mill Field LNR on 8th.
While they may have become a little passé (at least, for those fortunate enough to have been touched by the recent influx), the same can’t be said for Penduline Tit - it’s always a pleasant surprise to bump into one of these charismatic birds. Birders in the northwest were blessed this week by first a bird seen at Pennington Flash CP (Greater Manchester) on 9th, and then on 12th a bird trapped and ringed at Woolston Eyes NR (Cheshire & Wirral).
The same goes for Red-rumped Swallows. Not the rarest by any stretch, but whose day was ever made worse for seeing one of them? Or several… The week began with two birds still present in Kent at Foreness Point on 8th-11th, with another found along the coast at Deal on 10th-11th; three birds arrived in Suffolk and hung around the Walberswick area on 10th-13th; a single bird was seen around Kilnsea and Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 11th; and a final probable bird was reported further north still at Balintore (Highland & Caithness) on 9th.
A handful of late warblers of interest continued to be seen this week. Starting in Shetland, the Hume’s Warbler remained at Grutness on 12th; another was found down in Cornwall at Swanvale NR on 9th; and a final bird on 13th on Blakeney Point (Norfolk). A possible bird was present on Holy Island (Northumberland) on 14th.
Numbers of Yellow-browed Warblers continued to flat-line, with some 30 birds logged nationwide. Two were trapped and ringed in Cornwall on 14th in Penryn (Cornwall).
A Pallas’s Warbler remained on Isle of May (Fife) on 9th still; and further birds were found at South Foreland (Kent) on 11th-13th, with two birds there on 13th; on The Lizard (Cornwall) on 12th; on 13th at Frakkafield on Shetland Mainland; on 13th-14th at St Abb’s Head (Borders); and on 14th at Hook Head (Co.Wexford).
Dusky Warblers were seen on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 8th-14th still, on Shetland at Quendale on 8th-13th still, at Collieston (Aberdeenshire) on 12th, and on Blakeney Point (Norfolk) on 13th-14th.
Radde’s Warblers, meanwhile, were seen on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 9th and 12th-14th, and on Portland (Dorset) on 12th.
A probable Marsh Warbler remained on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 11th; while a Blyth’s Reed Warbler was found in a Lerwick (Shetland) garden on 9th.
Shetland also provided our sole Barred Warbler of the week, in the lush depths of the Swinister Burn on Mainland on 9th.
A few late Wrynecks were recorded in recent days – one still present at Barcombe (East Sussex) on 8th; and additional birds on 10th at Fairlee (Isle of Wight), on 12th-14th on Portland (Dorset), on 12th on St Mary’s (Scilly), and on 13th on The Lizard (Cornwall).
A handful of Great Grey Shrikes were found this week – one lingering in Kent on Hothfield Common on 8th-14th; one in West Sussex at Black Down NT on 9th-12th; one or two seen in Shetland on Whalsay on 9th and 12th; a Norfolk bird at Berney Marshes RSPB on 11th; one in Wales near Llyn Brenig (Denbighshire / Conwy) on 12th-14th; and a bird on 13th-14th at the traditional wintering site of Thursley Common NNR (Surrey).
The recent Waxwing arrival continued in fits and starts, still not a full-blown nationwide influx just yet, but shaping up nicely – around 325 birds were recorded this week, with a flock of 80 in Aberdeen (Aberdeenshire) on 14th the largest aggregation logged.
A Rose-coloured Starling was seen on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 8th.
An elusive Short-toed Lark was found on 14th at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall).
November is a classic time of year for a Black-throated Thrush to be borne into Britain on a tide of Redwings and Fieldfares and, sure enough, one made a fleeting pit-stop on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 9th.
St Mary’s (Scilly) wasn’t letting autumn go without a fight this week, landing a Red-flanked Bluetail there on 9th-12th, with a probable seen on 14th too; another unconfirmed report came of a bird in Co.Wexford at Hook Head on 12th. While their meteoric trajectory from British mega to annual scarce migrant is well-charted, they remain distinctly rare in Ireland, so this would have been a welcome bird had it firmed into something more concrete.
Ireland’s second Isabelline Wheatear remained on Toe Head (Co.Cork) on 8th; while the Welsh individual was again seen at Mynydd Mawr (Gwynedd) on 9th and 12th-14th.
In Northumberland, the confiding Pied Wheatear continued to delight all comers at Whitley Bay on 8th-12th. Belated news concerned another bird in Dorset on Portland on 29th October.
The probable Eastern Yellow Wagtail was still present on the Isle of Wight at East Cowes on 8th.
Not content with just a Blyth’s Reed Warbler this week, the same Lerwick (Shetland) garden also scored an Olive-backed Pipit on 8th. Another was present on Skokholm (Pembrokeshire) on 13th.
Shetland also held onto a Red-throated Pipit at Norby on 8th; another was seen in Cornwall at Nanjizal Valley on 11th.
On St Mary’s (Scilly) the American Buff-bellied Pipit was again seen on 10th.
St Mary’s also boasted a Richard’s Pipit on 9th. Further birds this week were present at Stretham (Cambridgeshire) on 10th, at Awre (Gloucestershire) still on 11th-13th, over West Bay (Dorset) on 12th, and in Gloucestershire on 12th at Hempsted. A probable bird was at Plump Wood (North Yorkshire) on 10th.
That Lerwick garden – you know, the Blyth’s Reed and OBP garden – also scored an Arctic Redpoll on 9th. Perhaps this was all a just reward from the birding gods for homeowners Rebecca Nason and Phil Harris’s Shetland Seabird Tours winning a national tourism award this past week…
Lingering Common Rosefinches remained on Portland (Dorset) on 9th and North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 11th; and another was found at Kirkpatrick Durham (Dumfries & Galloway) on 8th.
Serins were found on 13th on Portland (Dorset) and The Lizard (Cornwall), and on 14th on Hook Head (Co.Wexford).
Last but not least, a Little Bunting was found on Yell (Shetland) on 9th.
Where else could we possibly start the overseas news this week than in Germany, where the Red-breasted Nuthatch continued to delight birders at Tonsheider Wald on 8th-11th; while the Western Olivaceous Warbler remained on Heligoland on 8th.
The Netherlands got itself still another Alpine Accentor sighting, this time a brief bird at Hoek van Holland on 8th.
The recent Eastern Long-legged Buzzard saw out the week in France at Thibie still on 14th. A Sociable Lapwing was present on 13th at Nuisement-sur-Coole.
In the Channel Islands, the Blyth’s Pipit remained on Guernsey on 8th-12th.
A brief Crag Martin was found on 13th in Denmark at Mando.
A Stejneger’s Scoter was found in Poland on 13th at Krynica Morska.
Switzerland’s first Common Yellowthroat remained at Magadino on 8th-12th.
Spain was having a busy week, with a couple of Nearctic waders of note in Galicia heading the show – a Short-billed Dowitcher at Ria de Foz on 7th-13th, and a Least Sandpiper at Cecebre on 9th. Additionally, a Brown Booby was seen at Isla de las Palomas on 9th and then, on 14th, belated news broke of an Eastern Long-legged Buzzard present on 13th in Andalucia at Mirador del Estrecho, present in the area since September.
The coming week, at the time of writing, looks set to be one of two halves. That’s to say, different and persistent prevailing winds depending on where in Britain and Ireland you happen to find yourself.
In a nutshell, some persistent prevailing westerlies for the western side and, for the northeast and Shetland in particular, some southeasterlies. What could all of this portend?
It’s certainly not too late for a Nearctic wader – we’re coming into Killdeer territory in mid-November, with the coming week boasting four past records; while a Spotted Sandpiper feels like a decent bet for a self-found tick too.
Mid-November also remains a good time for a Pine Bunting to drop in – and they’ll surely be in the back of the mind of many a Scottish birder this coming week.
Jon Dunn
15 Nov 2022
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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