Weekly birding round-up: 16 - 22 May 2023
In what proved to be a busy week for waders nationwide, the stand-out bird has to be the adult male Semipalmated Plover found in the morning of 19th at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford), and still present there as the day drew to a close, allowing anyone so inclined to make the pilgrimage to pay their respects.
It took until 2016 for Co.Wexford to get its first record of the species, a first-summer bird that spent 11th May – 9th June at Tacumshin – a record followed in quick succession by another adult bird there on 26th July of the same year. It’s not been such a long wait then for the next county bird, and it firmly cements Tacumshin’s reputation for the species – a species that we entertain a nagging suspicion surely goes overlooked in under-watched nooks and crannies of western Ireland and Britain.
Every day, as they say, is a school day, and this week some of us learned a new feature for the identification of adult Pacific Divers - namely that the black of their throats extends in a solid bar beneath the base of the vertical black-and-white lines on their necks, breaking those lines’ progress to their counterparts on the breast.
This all came to light when Brydon Thomason found a potential adult Pacific Diver off Fetlar (Shetland) on 18th – the neck pattern feature, seen clearly in his images of the bird, swiftly confirming its identity. Chatter in the birding firmament divided between those of us who had no idea hitherto of the feature and those who said everyone had known it for ages… turns out everyone hadn’t, but now we’ve all no excuse with any future spring birds in unexpected places, and a good reason to look at past images of adult ‘Black-throated Divers’ to see if there are any historic surprises lurking in the wings. One suspects there may well be…
Another bird was found this week in Ireland which, with two Scandinavian records also seen lately, adds a little momentum to the theory doing the rounds that there may even be a minor passage of Pacific Divers on this side of the Atlantic at this time of year – the Irish bird being found in Co.Cork at Toormore on 21st.
We’ve already had one sighting of an Elegant Tern so far this year, this being the bird that dropped into Lodmoor RSPB (Dorset) on 24th April, but this week it was the turn of Inishroo (Co.Galway) to land itself a sighting on 21st.
Inishroo is, of course, no stranger to them – it took over from Lady’s Island Lake (Co.Wexford) in hosting a summering adult bird last year, present at Inishroo on 18th-26th July. We’ll see in the weeks to come if and where this bird settles down again…
For the most part, our records to date of Short-toed Eagle have had a southern English bias, albeit with the remarkable anomaly of the summering bird in Highland & Caithness in 2021 and 2022.
That took something of a change this week with the sighting of a bird seen heading north over Ambleside (Cumbria) at breakfast time on 22nd. Maybe that’s the Scottish bird heading back to its summer quarters?
Though a couple of Pacific Divers were stealing the limelight, another decent seabird was noted in the past week – this being the Black-browed Albatross noted off Skellig Michael (Co.Galway) on 16th. British birders will be awaiting the return – hopefully – of the summering Yorkshire bird in the days and weeks to come…
Skua passage remained muted, with around 35 Pomarine Skuas logged over the course of the week, of which 14 birds seen passing Shetland’s Eshaness on 16th were the highest single site count; and some 40 Long-tailed Skuas also recorded, of which 31 birds seen from North Uist (Western Isles) on 16th were comfortably the best count.
Two Balearic Shearwaters were seen from Portland (Dorset) on 18th.
Once more heading up the week’s long-legged beasties, fair numbers of Glossy Ibises were again noted in recent days – 30 birds, for the most part in England – just two Irish birds were recorded, at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 20th-22nd. Another decent flock was seen amongst that English number – a dozen birds seen over Botley Wood (Hampshire) on 16th.
Some 15 Night Herons were logged, the species continuing to be seen far and wide for still another week. On 16th-22nd a bird remained at Cahore Marsh (Co.Wexford), and another was found at Eastbourne (East Sussex) on 16th; on 17th two were again seen at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe NNR (Lincolnshire), and singletons at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall), Bembridge Ponds (Isle of Wight), and on Benbecula (Western Isles). Two were seen over Brograve Mill (Norfolk) on 18th, with a single bird that day at East Coast NR (Co.Wicklow); back in Norfolk on 19th a single bird was present at Horsey. On 20th two were found at Abberton reservoir (Essex), and single birds over Radstock (Somerset) and Normandy Marsh (Hampshire). On 21st one was found in Hertfordshire at Hillfield Park reservoir, another at Shotesham (Norfolk), and a bird reported from Sullom on Shetland Mainland was present there for its third day by that juncture. The Hillfield Park reservoir bird remained present in Hertfordshire on 22nd.
The Squacco Heron remained at Combe Valley CP (East Sussex) on 16th-17th.
Purple Herons again scaled the giddy heights of double figures in Britain this week. Kent gave us sightings at Stodmarsh NNR on 16th-17th and nearby Grove Ferry NNR on 17th, and at Dungeness on 18th-20th; Norfolk birds were noted at Martham Broad and near Winterton on 16th; one was seen in Suffolk on 18th at Trimley Marshes SWT; a bird remained on Lundy (Devon) on 17th-21st; a Cornish sighting came from Bowithick on 16th; and, in Wales, one more was seen at the National Wetlands Centre WWT in Carmarthenshire on 20th-21st.
A Corncrake was heard at Welney WWT (Norfolk) still on 19th-21st, and the Spotted Crake was again heard at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) on 16th-20th.
There was definitely a feeling of change and the turning of the seasons in the air this week where honkers and quackers were concerned, with declining numbers of notable examples of the latter the order of the day. Nonetheless, a Black Brant in Norfolk at Snettisham RSPB on 17th managed to contribute a wintery note.
Moving to Scotland to start the ducks, the drake American Wigeon remained on Mull (Argyll & Bute) on 16th-21st, while the Eden estuary bird was once more reported from there on 17th, and a final drake was found in Shetland’s South Mainland at Scatness and Spiggie on 22nd.
Green-winged Teals were found at Alkborough Flats NR (Lincolnshire) on 18th, and on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 20th.
In Ireland, the resident drake Black Duck was still present on Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) on 19th-21st.
Two Ferruginous Duck were again reported from Filby Broad (Norfolk) on 18th, with one still present on 21st, and birds seen in the county at Ormesby Little Broad and Hickling Broad NWT on 22nd; a female bird was seen intermittently at Holme Pierrepont (Nottinghamshire) on 18th-20th, and at Colwick CP on 19th.
Just one steadfast Ring-necked Duck was noted for much of this week – still present at Old Moor RSPB (South Yorkshire) on 16th-20th and followed, on 21st, by a drake at St Aidan’s RSPB (West Yorkshire).
A drake Lesser Scaup put in an appearance at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR (Lincolnshire) on 16th-17th.
The drake King Eider remained on the Ythan estuary (Aberdeenshire) on 20th-21st.
A drake White-winged Scoter and a drake Surf Scoter were seen on 21st east of Leven (Fife).
As we saw in the headlines, waders were beginning to get interesting this week. While Ireland stole the laurels in the form of a Semipalmated Plover, Orkney wasn’t doing too badly for itself on 20th, where David Roche struck Papa Westray patch gold in the form of a Semipalmated Sandpiper joined, less than an hour later, by a Broad-billed Sandpiper. The former remained there the following day but the latter, only the third of its kind for Orkney and the first since 1999, had departed by daybreak.
Not that it was the only Broad-billed Sandpiper of the week. Another bird preceded it on 18th at Burnham Deepdale (Norfolk), while Shetland scored another on Foula on 21st, and Budle Bay (Northumberland) an individual on 22nd.
A handful of Pectoral Sandpipers were seen during the week – singletons at Carr Lane Pool (Cheshire & Wirral) on 16th-17th; still present at Balormie Pig Farm (Moray) on 16th; and at Pennington Flash CP (Greater Manchester) on 18th. A probable was seen on Benbecula (Western Isles) on 22nd.
Temminck’s Stints flooded onto our shores this week with some 70 birds recorded across the days. Peak counts came from Trimley Marshes SWT (Suffolk), where five birds were seen on 16th; Abberton reservoir (Essex), where five birds were present on 18th; Hickling Broad NWT (Norfolk), where four were seen on 19th; Welney WWT (Norfolk) also notched up four birds on 18th; at Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland), where four birds were seen on 20th; and at Barway Lakes (Cambridgeshire) where four birds were seen on 22nd.
No week lately is complete without Black-winged Stilts strutting their funky stuff here, and this week was to prove no exception. Best of them were four birds that settled on Worth Marsh (Kent) on 18th-20th in the wake of a quartet seen at Dungeness on 17th. Duos were noted at Rainham Marshes RSPB (London) on 17th, Welney WWT (Norfolk) on 18th, and Aldeburgh Town Marshes (Suffolk) briefly on 19th. Additional singletons were seen on 16th-17th still at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire), Hoveringham GPs (Nottinghamshire) on 18th, at Steart WWT (Somerset) briefly on 20th, and at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 21st-22nd. Welney WWT’s tally had risen to three birds by 22nd, with two that day at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk), and two seen at Bank Island (North Yorkshire).
Dotterels continued to filter through… One remained at Norfolk’s Choseley Drying Barns on 16th-17th; two on North Uist (Western Isles) on 16th still had dropped to one bird on 17th-19th; four on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) still on 16th quickly fell to two on 17th and one by 19th; three were seen at Tetney Lock (Lincolnshire) on 17th; seven passed over Holy Island (Northumberland) on 18th; a single bird was present at Cairnsmore of Fleet (Dumfries & Galloway) on 20th; and two were seen at Pengenffordd (Powys) on 21st.
Male Kentish Plovers gave more welcome colour too – birds being found at Saltfleetby NNR (Lincolnshire) on 17th, Landguard NR (Suffolk) on 18th, and The Naze (Essex) on 19th.
Sightings of American Golden Plover came from the east coast at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 17th, and on 19th-22nd at Paull Holme Strays (East Yorkshire).
In Norfolk the first-summer Long-billed Dowitcher was again at Ken Hill Marshes on 17th and 21st, and also seen at Holme Dunes NWT on 18th.
A final Nearctic wader for the week came in the welcome form of a Lesser Yellowlegs on Inch Island (Co.Donegal) on 16th-17th.
It’s almost time for terns to take the baton and lead in the Gulls ‘n’ Terns sections… But for now, in Cornwall the first-summer Bonaparte’s Gull remained on the Hayle estuary on 19th-20th.
10 Glaucous Gulls were seen this week, with two sites notching up multiple birds – two were seen on Bressay (Shetland) on 18th, and two on Lewis (Western Isles) on 20th. No such largesse from Iceland Gulls - a mere half dozen birds were logged, at Londonderry (Co.Derry) on 16th, Toab (Orkney) on 18th, Balure (Argyll & Bute) on 20th, and on 21st-22nd on Lewis (Western Isles), on 21st on Skye (Highland & Caithness), and on 22nd in Lerwick (Shetland).
In Dorset the first-winter Forster’s Tern was seen intermittently at Brownsea Island NT on 16th-19th.
A White-winged Black Tern settled for a while at Seaforth LWT (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 19th-20th, and another was noted passing Dungeness (Kent) on 22nd.
Apart from a bird seen at Pegwell Bay (Kent) on 19th, Norfolk was the centre of Caspian Tern action this week, with a bird seen at Hickling Broad NWT on 17th and 19th-22nd, augmented by sightings elsewhere at Potter Heigham Marshes on 18th, Martham Broad on 18th, and Horsey Mere on 20th, 21st and 22nd.
To the headlines had it only been confirmed, a possible Lesser Kestrel was seen at North Foreland (Kent) on 16th.
Doubtless the recent Yellow-billed Kite would have been in mind for Cornish observers of Black Kite on 18th at Carharrack, Perranworthal and Perranwell, and on 21st at Carnyorth Common, The Lizard, and Stithians reservoir… Additional birds this week were reported on 20th from Wilverley Inclosure (Hampshire), Pembroke (Pembrokeshire), and Esclusham Mountain (Wrexham); on 21st in Dorset at Stanpit Marsh; and on 22nd at Wimpole Hall NT (Cambridgeshire).
The recent Pallid Harrier continued to be popular in Shropshire at Long Mynd on 16th-20th.
Nationally we enjoyed a good run of Montagu’s Harrier sightings this week – at Breydon Water and Halvergate Marshes RSPB (Norfolk) on 16th; Portmore Lough RSPB (Co.Antrim) still on 16th, and Belfast International Airport (Co.Antrim) on 17th; on 18th at Cruagh Wood (Co.Dublin); on 19th in Norfolk near Docking, and at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford); and at Fenstanton (Cambridgeshire) and Zennor (Cornwall) on 20th, with another possible at Healing (Lincolnshire).
The female Red-footed Falcon remained at Stodmarsh NNR (Kent) on 16th, and another bird was found on 18th at Hornsea Mere (East Yorkshire).
Finally, an adult male Snowy Owl was found on 22nd on Fair Isle (Shetland).
Kicking off the passerines with warblers, in Shetland on Mainland the male Western Subalpine Warbler continued to oblige at Quendale on 17th-21st, while the male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was equally handy in Lerwick still on 16th-21st. A further Western Subalpine Warbler was trapped and ringed on Portland (Dorset) on 20th, and another on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 22nd. Subalpine Warbler sp were found on 21st on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) and at North Foreland (Kent), and on 22nd on Shetland on Out Skerries, Unst, and Fair Isle – the latter bird being trapped and ringed and considered a possible Moltoni’s Warbler.
Two of our recent singing Great Reed Warblers held on into another week – one still in Somerset at Ham Wall RSPB on 16th, and the Pensthorpe Water Fowl Park (Norfolk) bird still present there on 16th-22nd. Additional songsters were found at Minsmere RSPB on 16th-20th, Idle Valley NR (Nottinghamshire) on 19th, and Martin Mere WWT (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 21st.
A Blyth’s Reed Warbler was discovered on 21st in song at Kilnsea (East Yorkshire).
In East Sussex the Iberian Chiffchaff remained in song at Abbot’s Wood near Hailsham on 16th-17th, and the recently found bird remained present near Ruspidge (Gloucestershire) in Staple Edge Wood on 16th-22nd.
The first Icterine Warbler of the spring was found on 21st-22nd on the Isle of May (Fife).
A Savi’s Warbler was singing on 22nd at Blacktoft Sands RSPB (East Yorkshire).
A Woodchat Shrike remained on Portland (Dorset) on 16th.
Red-backed Shrikes remained on 16th at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire) and South Gare (Cleveland). Additional birds were found on 16th-18th at Flamborough (East Yorkshire), on 18th-19th at Barns Ness (Lothian), and on 19th at Scalby Lodge (North Yorkshire). On 22nd in East Yorkshire Spurn and Kilnsea landed birds, while two were seen in Lothian at Barns Ness and one at Torness Point.
A Great Grey Shrike was found on 21st in Shetland’s Mainland besides Firths Voe.
The week began with the recent Hoopoe still commuting back and forth between Bressay and Noss (Shetland) on 16th. Additional birds were seen on 17th at West Bexington (Dorset), on 18th on Mull (Argyll & Bute), on 18th-20th at New Arley (Warwickshire), on 20th on Papa Westray (Orkney), and on 22nd at Worth Matravers (Dorset).
The week proved to be a good one for Bee-eaters, with flocks noted at several locations. In East Yorkshire a dozen birds were seen on 18th at Driffield, and on 19th at Holmpton, Kilnsea and Spurn. 13 birds were seen on 19th-20th at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire); and a dozen on 20th at Hickling Broad NWT (Norfolk). Two birds were seen on 19th on Portland (Dorset), and three also that day at Tarmon (Co.Mayo). On 21st 12 birds were noted in Suffolk at Chillesford, 14 nearby at Butley, and four at Felixstowe; and single birds at Spalding (Lincolnshire) and Newhaven (Derbyshire). On 22nd four were seen in Kent at Langdon Cliffs NT.
Out in the garden in #Butley #Suffolk when that liquid ‘prrrup’ call initiated scrambled skywatching. Eventually 14 Bee-eaters graced the village for 30 mins or so - magic. @BirdTrack #patchgold #selffound @MirandaGomperts pic.twitter.com/DTmNgToOcd
— Andy Clements (@_AndyClements) May 21, 2023
Just a few Golden Orioles were seen lately – one at Bookham Common (Surrey) on 16th, another at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 20th, one at Yoxford (Suffolk) on 21st, and a report of another on 21st at Glascairn Wood (Highland & Caithness). On 22nd singing birds were found on Bryher (Scilly) and at Ogston reservoir (Derbyshire).
Isle of May (Fife) was enjoying a good run of scarce migrants this week, and added to its tally on 22nd with a Red-breasted Flycatcher.
The male Bluethroat remained at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 17th, while a female was found on 19th on North Ronaldsay (Orkney), and a female on 21st on Fair Isle (Shetland).
Belated news came on 22nd of a male Black-eared Wheatear recently in Devon at Hound Tor on 20th. Devon has two historic records of the species, both seen on Lundy, in May 1974 and June 1984 respectively – another chance to see one locally was arguably overdue.
On Shetland the male Grey-headed Wagtail remained on Fair Isle on 16th-18th; another was present at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) on 16th-17th also; a bird in Wales at Cemlyn Bay NWWT (Anglesey) on 21st; and two on Isle of May (Fife) on 22nd.
Some half a dozen Blue-headed Wagtails were seen this week – on 18th at Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) still, Swineham GPs (Dorset) again, and at Newton Scrapes (Northumberland) and Flamborough (East Yorkshire); on 19th at Barmston (East Yorkshire) and Balnakeil (Highland & Caithness); and on 21st on Unst (Shetland).
Serins were found in recent days at Kenidjack (Cornwall) on 17th, and Lundy (Devon) and Sidestrand (Norfolk) on 18th.
A Common Rosefinch was found on 18th at Landguard NR (Suffolk).
Finally, a late Arctic Redpoll was seen on 19th briefly on Westray (Orkney).
Scandinavia continued to dominate the overseas news for another week, not least in Norway where, on 21st, a male Pallas’s Reed Bunting was found on Utsira, a first record for Norway; and a Green Warbler was trapped and ringed on Sula.
Male Pallas’s Bunting, Emberiza pallasi photographed at Utsira B.O. Rogaland - the 1st record for Norway pic.twitter.com/pvGmRL5bPc
— Tarsiger (@TarsigerTeam) May 21, 2023
Given Britain and Ireland enjoyed a Pacific Diver apiece this week, it was interesting to see birds also found in Scandinavia – one in Norway at Kviljoodden on 18th, and another in Denmark off Skagen on 19th.
The Norwegian Green Warbler had a counterpart elsewhere in the Western Palearctic – a bird trapped and ringed on Antikythera on 16th was the fifth Greek record, hot on the heels of the fourth, also trapped and ringed on the island earlier in the month on 4th.
Spring 23: Day # 51
— Antikythira Bird Obs (@AntikythiraBird) May 16, 2023
Another day with low numbers but with our second Green Warbler of the season! The 1stLinnet was a bonus.
More info: https://t.co/Tcsuvwy1K9 pic.twitter.com/uhA7BhLXK6
In Austria a White-tailed Lapwing was found at Berndorf on 18th.
Germany’s run of Slender-billed Gull records continued on 20th with a bird seen on 20th at Wiesmet.
The Bridled Tern remained in France on Île aux Moutons on 21st.
The year continues to rattle along, and here we go flying into the final week of May. But what might be flying our way?
Wader watchers can take inspiration from the first Broad-billed Sandpipers of the year in the week just gone, and find ample precedent for the week to come in the 40 odd past records of the species from the coming week. Another seems a fair bet at this juncture. A longer, but still decent punt would be a Terek Sandpiper - 13 records owe themselves to the coming week.
Given a helpful waft of south-easterlies, we might expect some quality passerines too. The coming week is a good one for Roller and Lesser Grey Shrike, and nobody’s day was ever the worse for bumping into either on their local patch.
Jon Dunn
16 May 2023
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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