Weekly birding round-up: 7 - 13 Feb 2023
Another winter week was passing us, for the most part, quietly by with some steady, settled rarities at hand and not an enormous amount of new action to quicken the pulse. And then, just as the week was drawing to a close, an Arctic flourish and some belated bunting news changed the headlines entirely.
The week was drawing to a largely uneventful close when news broke in the afternoon of 13th that a Brünnich's Guillemot had been found off the north of the Shetland Mainland by a regular Shetland Oil Terminal Environmental Advisory Group survey. Not only found, but alive and kicking – the fate of so many historic accepted British records being a terminal one of a rather different nature, having been discovered in the past as tideline corpses.
But not this fine beast – alive and well and afloat in Yell Sound offshore from Ollaberry. Not a bird that’s likely to prove remotely twitchable for locals, let alone anyone from further afield, but it’s good to know they’re out there, and may serve as a timely omen for somebody with keen eyes and a dose of good fortune further south in Britain.
Nor was that to prove the week’s grand finale for, shortly afterwards in the afternoon of 13th, more breaking news – and this time, from about as far away in the south from Shetland as it was possible to go. Another Arctic bird and, were this one to prove twitchable, an individual that we can safely say would prove very popular indeed.
It’s been five years since Dorset last enjoyed a Ross’s Gull, and that alone would contribute to the bird found on 13th being warmly received in those parts. Judging by how appealing neighbouring Hampshire’s recent Sabine’s Gull turned out to be with visiting birders, one imagines that its rarer counterpart would go down a treat too. But who would have predicted that Dorset’s next Ross’s Gull would be found inland?
’Cos let’s be honest, we think of them as being a strictly coastal treat, on the rare occasion one’s found, let alone in southern England. But, as the afternoon of 13th wore on, there was no doubting it – the bird was the real deal, and continued to show well as daylight faded to dusk. With any luck this will stick around for a few days now – should it still be present come the weekend, you’d imagine it would be attracting a steady stream of admirers.
Dorset’s last bird, in 2018, spent 11 days kicking around Weymouth in late February and early March. The bird before that put in an even longer stint, notching up 66 days on the Dorset/Hampshire hinterland at Stanpit Marsh, albeit that was back in the summer of 1974. Let’s hope this latest bird doesn’t prove to be a one-day affair.
The week began, however, in the wake of the discovery of Gwynedd’s first ever Baikal Teal at Foryd Bay and, to the delight of birders both local and from further afield, it stuck around throughout the week, still present until 13th.
Situated at the western end of the Menai Strait, Foryd Bay is on Anglesey’s doorstep, so doubtless there’ll be some island birders hoping this fine drake makes the short flight to pay them a visit…
While the headlines are usually reserved for national rarities, there are times when exceptions have to be made. The discovery of a wayward Ptarmigan on the summit of Ward Hill on Hoy on 7th certainly qualifies as one such – the first record of this habitually montane British species on low-lying Orkney for almost two centuries.
One might reasonably assume Orkney was a stranger to Ptarmigan, but the encyclopedic Birds of Scotland says otherwise. Until 1831, Orkney had a small population of them on, rather appropriately, Hoy – presumably they were already under pressure from grazing sheep by the point at which the last birds were, reportedly, shot.
Stunned earlier to be sent this photo, from Ward Hill summit, Hoy today by Graeme Campbell. Orkney's first Ptarmigan! Utterly unexpected record. At least 50 miles from the nearest Scottish summit with them. A feat of vagrancy up there with Varied Thrush & Yellow-browed Bunting! pic.twitter.com/unP2Lg0Iq0
— Martin Gray (@peediepuss) February 7, 2023
There are periodic records of wandering birds away from their Highland heartlands, so it’s perhaps not completely out of leftfield that one should make it to Orkney. But, given there’s no record of any from Orkney for such a long time, and the species has declined in a national context in the intervening period, one wouldn’t have put money on a bird being found any time soon. Just goes to show, with birds you just never can tell.
It comes to something when a species with fewer than 10 British records on the books is relegated to an afterthought in the headlines behind a wayward grouse, but as the bird in question – a male Black-faced Bunting – was trapped and ringed at a private site in Shropshire this week the occurrence, while eye-catching, is from a twitching perspective somewhat moot.
Those of us of an older vintage will remember the discovery of Britain’s first bird, wintering at Pennington Flash (Greater Manchester) in 1994. That bird was trapped and ringed on 8th March, and remained there until 24th April, gradually gaining some traction with twitchers of the day – at first, coming in the wake of decades of cagebird trade, there was some scepticism expressed about its likely origins, but those dark mutterings gradually subsided. In the decades that followed, we’ve had five further autumnal records and one more spring bird, this being our last to date, a male on Unst (Shetland) on 14th May 2018.
So there’s nothing not to like about them, really. And this week there’s even a corroborative evidence coming from elsewhere in western Europe, with Spain’s second Black-faced Bunting found in Valencia on 12th. Late winter birds happen.
But that’s about all we’ve to tell you about the circumstances of Britain’s latest bird at the time of going to press. The landowner’s wishes for privacy have, of course, to be respected.
Still proving reliable at Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim), the Double-crested Cormorant was still present there on 8th and again on 13th.
A Pomarine Skua was seen from The Lizard (Cornwall) on 9th, hot on the heels of a probable off Cape Cornwall the previous day.
Glossy Ibises continued to delight here and there, though larger aggregations remained but a memory, at least for now. Small parties comprised two birds still at Fremington Pill (Devon) on 7th-9th; two still at Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset) on 9th-13th, with at least one still present on 13th; two still at Dungeness (Kent) on 11th; and two still at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 9th. In Suffolk, sightings of a single bird came from Minsmere RSPB on 10th, Slaughden again on 11th, and over Aldeburgh Marshes on 13th. A single bird was still hanging around Titchfield Haven (Hampshire) during the week, being seen in flight there on 11th and 13th.
As usual at this time of year, we begin our waddle through the scarce and rare honkers and quackers with The Goose Formerly Known As Canada. In England, the interior Todd’s Canada Goose was again seen at Banks Marsh NNR (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 8th-12th; and, in Ireland, the hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose remained on The Mullet (Co.Mayo) on 7th-12th, while in Scotland Islay (Argyll & Bute) sported a hutchinsii bird on 9th-12th, and in Norfolk the recent bird put in another appearance, this time at Holme Dunes NWT on 11th-12th.
Also on The Mullet (Co.Mayo), a Snow Goose was seen on 7th, with both the blue and white morphs being seen together again there on 12th between Barnagh East and Monaghrory, and a blue morph was found on 8th-10th near Shannonbridge (Co.Offaly / Co.Tipperary). The white morph was again seen in North Yorkshire at Thruscross reservoir on 11th.
The adult possible Grey-bellied Brant was still present in Co.Dublin on 7th-12th at Blackrock College; and the adult again in Co.Louth at Lurgan Green on 11th.
In East Yorkshire, the Black Brant was again seen at Skeffling on 7th-10th; the Hamford Water (Essex) bird was still present there on 9th-13th; and another was reported from Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 7th.
On Islay (Argyll & Bute), the Red-breasted Goose was again seen on 10th-12th at Loch Gruinart RSPB.
American Wigeons lingered in recent days in Lincolnshire at Woodhall Spa LWT on 7th-12th; in Somerset at Shapwick Heath NNR on 8th-12th still; at Loch of Lowes SWT (Perth & Kinross) on 7th still; and on Islay (Argyll & Bute) still on 9th-11th. An additional bird was found in North Yorkshire on 12th at Hellifield Flash.
Numbers of Green-winged Teals held firm for another week, with many lingering birds. In Scotland, birds remained on Lewis (Western Isles) on 7th-12th; at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) still on 7th; on Loch Spynie (Moray) on 8th-10th still; and in Highland & Caithness at Tain still on 9th-11th, and Alturlie Point on 13th. In Northumberland the bird remained at Colt Crag reservoir on 8th; and the recent Dorset individual was still present at Stanpit Marsh on 9th. The Co.Cork individual remained settled near Union Hall on 7th; the individual on Termoncarragh Lough (Co.Mayo) remained there on 10th-12th; the Lough Leane (Co.Kerry) bird was still there on 11th; the Achill Island (Co.Mayo) bird remained on 11th; and on 13th a bird was noted on Lough Beg (Co.Derry). Another was reported from Kingsmill Lake (Cornwall) on 7th; and the Isle of Man bird remained at Poyllvaaish on 11th.
At least one Ferruginous Duck remained on Filby Broad (Norfolk) on 7th, with three again present there on 11th-13th; and, in Ireland, the drake was still on Ballysaggart Lough (Co.Tyrone) on 8th.
Some 30 Ring-necked Ducks were logged again this week – all singletons bar four birds on Lough Fern (Co.Donegal) still on 11th; two birds still present on Talley Lakes (Carmarthenshire) on 7th-11th; two still on Lough Beg (Co.Derry) on 10th-13th; and two still on Lisvane reservoir (Glamorgan) on 11th-13th.
Lesser Scaups remained present on South Uist (Western Isles) on 7th-12th; on the Somerset Levels at Ham Wall RSPB on 8th-12th; and on Staines reservoir (Surrey) on 7th-12th.
The first-winter female White-winged Scoter remained off Achill Island (Co.Mayo) on 7th-13th, while the Lothian drake put in another of its periodic appearances off Musselburgh again on 12th-13th.
In Northumberland the drake Black Scoter was again seen from Stag Rocks on 12th.
A busier week than of late for Surf Scoter, with half a dozen birds reported. In Wales, one remained off Benllech (Anglesey) on 7th-13th, and two drakes were still intermittently present at Llanddulas (Conwy) on 7th-13th. Two birds were again seen from Rhunahaorine Point (Argyll & Bute) on 7th-13th; one remained off Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 9th-11th; a bird was reported offshore from John Muir CP (Lothian) on 8th, followed on 13th by a drake seen distantly from Gullane Point again.
Both recent second-winter King Eiders remained, respectively, at Redcar (Cleveland) on 9th-13th, and off Musselburgh (Lothian) on 9th-10th.
The here today, gone tomorrow Harlequin Duck made another fleeting appearance on Barra (Western Isles) again on 12th.
Finally, in Ireland the drake Hooded Merganser was still present at Rosduane (Co.Mayo) on 10th-13th.
Ireland still retained the best of the waders, with the first-winter Greater Yellowlegs still present at Tallow Bridge (Co.Waterford) until 13th.
In Norfolk, the first-winter Long-billed Dowitcher remained constant at Cley on 7th-13th.
In Somerset the ringed female Kentish Plover was seen again at Burnham-on-Sea on 11th.
Lastly, a Grey Phalarope was seen off Mablethorpe (Lincolnshire) on 12th.
After a stay that’s been pretty much without precedent, the extremely popular adult Sabine’s Gull at Budds Farm sewage works (Hampshire) finally appeared to bow out this week, last being reported from there on 9th.
Ireland remained dominant where Ring-billed Gulls were concerned this week. At least one adult was still at Tralee Bay Wetlands (Co.Kerry) on 7th-10th; the Ring (Co.Cork) bird remained there on 9th; a second-winter was present at Achill Island (Co.Mayo) on 9th-10th; on 11th-13th a bird was found at Enniskillen (Co.Fermanagh); another was seen on 11th at Black Rock (Co.Kerry); while on 11th-12th the bird remained at Blackrock (Co.Louth). The settled bird remained in Cornwall at Lelant Saltings on 7th-13th; another was a fine inland bird at Little Marlow GPs (Buckinghamshire) on 10th; and an unconfirmed report came of a bird in Hamsphire at Blashford Lakes HWT on 11th.
Numbers of Glaucous Gulls remained more or less unchanged, with around 35 were seen nationwide – the best site for them being Unst (Shetland) again, with seven birds logged on there on 8th.
Iceland Gulls meanwhile began to gain a little traction, with some 70 birds seen across the week. Peak counts came from North Uist (Western Isles) on 11th where nine were seen; Lerwick (Shetland) again, where seven birds were present on 11th; and Killybegs (Co.Donegal), where six birds were seen on 9th rising to seven present by 13th.
The week was a busy one for Kumlien’s Gulls - two were present in Lerwick harbour (Shetland) on 11th; sightings of an adult in Cornwall came from Mousehole again on 7th, St Buryan on 8th, and Trevescan on 9th; the Cambridgeshire adult clocked in again at Smithey Fen on 7th-8th; and an adult was present at Killybegs (Co.Donegal) on 9th.
Finally, in Cornwall, a probable third-winter American Herring Gull was seen at Mousehole on 7th.
Still proving an almost daily fixture this week – being unreported on 8th only – the juvenile female Pallid Harrier remained in the Warham Greens area of Norfolk on 7th-13th.
A Rough-legged Buzzard was seen on Orkney Mainland at Click Mill again on 11th.
Kent’s superb run for wintering warblers continued apace this week, with a new Hume’s Warbler found in Folkestone on 11th-13th gilding the lily of the Dover bird, still also present in the county on 8th-13th. In Somerset, the bird also remained at the sewage works outside Compton Dando on 7th-12th.
Back in Kent, the Pallas’s Warbler remained at Swalecliffe on 7th-9th; and the recently found bird was still in Co.Durham at Willington on 7th-13th.
The Yellow-browed Warbler remained at Martin Mere WWT (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 7th-13th.
Back in Kent, two Penduline Tits were again seen at Elmley NNR on 7th; while two came back out of the woodwork at West Rise Marsh (East Sussex) on 10th and again on 12th.
Numbers of Waxwings held steady, with some 70 again logged nationwide over the course of the week – of these, the best of them were the up to 30 birds still present in Edinburgh (Lothian) at Sighthill until 12th.
Our only Great Grey Shrikes remained the bird in Hampshire around Shatterford still until 13th, and the Langdale Forest (North Yorkshire) individual still on 12th./p>
Both recent first-winter Rose-coloured Starlings remained faithful to their west country haunts for another week – in Somerset still at Wiveliscombe on 10th, and in Cornwall at Sennen still on 7th-8th.
Also still present in Cornwall for another week, the Isabelline Wheatear was still to be found at Holywell Bay on 9th-13th.
Up in Dorset, the Richard’s Pipit remained at Wyke Regis on 7th-13th, while another was found in Kent at Sandwich Bay on 7th, and final bird on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 12th-13th.
The probable Eastern Yellow Wagtail put in another appearance in Suffolk at Carlton Marshes SWT on 13th.
A Black-bellied Dipper was reported from Aberdeen (Aberdeenshire) on the River Dee on 8th, but wasn’t seen thereafter.
And finally, returning to Cornwall, the two Little Buntings were still going strong between Cot Valley and Boscregan until 13th.
Sweden’s winter wonders were both still in place this week – these being the male Siberian Rubythroat in Trollhattan still on 8th-9th, and the Baltimore Oriole still present at Förslöv on 8th-9th also.
In Belgium the Pygmy Cormorant remained in Antwerp on 8th, and the Moustached Warbler was still to be seen at De Gavers on 10th.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, scored a japonicus Asian Buff-bellied Pipit at Polder Nieuw-Bonaventura on 7th-13th – a national first.
Tantalisingly (relatively) close to Britain, France landed an absolute screamer on 12th-13th in the form of the country’s first ever Grey-tailed Tattler at Etang de Thau. The Eastern Long-legged Buzzard remained at Thibie on 12th also.
Grey-tailed Tattler, Heteroscelus brevipes photographed at Étang de Thau, Languedoc-Roussillon, photo by Mathieu Garcia - the 1st record for France and 7th for Western Palearctic pic.twitter.com/suHoh56CCO
— Tarsiger (@TarsigerTeam) February 12, 2023
Spain, meanwhile, scored a Black-faced Bunting at Albufera de Valencia on 12th, only the second national record.
In Poland, the recent drake Stejneger’s Scoter remained at Krynica Morska on 9th.
In Israel the Brown Booby was again seen offshore from Tel Shikmona on 8th, and the Pied Bushchat was still present on 9th at Ma’or. On 11th-12th a Three-banded Plover was seen at Hazore’a fishponds.
Finally, out in the Azores, the Great Blue Heron remained on Terceira on 12th.
The coming week is one to conjure with. It’s a given that it’s a good time for American Herring Gulls, with 16 accepted British and Irish records in the past 30 years. Most of which were found in Ireland, so there’s a strong suggestion there that the coming week might feature an Irish smicker.
And then there are a couple of tasty passerines. Those of us of sufficient vintage may harbour fond memories of February 1996 – it was a magnificent Waxwing winter, with some really chunky flocks on the go. And, in one such, in Nottinghamshire, what should be found but a Cedar Waxwing on 20th in Nottingham. Scenes ensued.
Speaking of scenes, just imagine the carnage that would ensue were history to repeat itself where Rock Bunting is concerned. The coming week marks the anniversary of the discovery of a bird in East Yorkshire at Spurn on 19th February 1965 – a bird set to remain there until 10th March of that year. Many of us would settle for a twitchable one-day bird now, let alone one prepared to hunker down for 20 days.
More reasonably, the coming week is the one when, historically, Great Spotted Cuckoos start to appear on the radar. Still a longshot, of course, but not entirely without precedent – three accepted records number two in the Channel Islands and the most recent, in 2009, in Co.Cork. It just takes a decent southerly airflow, and who knows…
But yeah. Probably an American Herring Gull. In Ireland.
Jon Dunn
14 Feb 2023
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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