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Weekly birding round-up: 29 Aug - 4 Sep 2023

It’s fair to say that autumn is now firmly upon us as we stride out of August and chart a new course into September. The week’s birds firmly reflected the changing of the seasons, with lingering quality seabirds augmented in the news by a continued scatter of decent scarce and rare passerines, and mounting numbers of scarcer waders too. Everything to play for now in the weeks to come, but what of the week just gone? Here’s the round up.

 

Much as events were moving on elsewhere in the British birding world this past week, it’s proving impossible to dislodge the recent Red-footed Booby either from its perch atop the Bishop Rock Lighthouse or our headlines. It is, after all, only the second of its kind for Britain, and a generally extremely obliging one at that.

Seen daily until 4th, this most amenable of rarities continued to delight a steady stream of admirers for another week.

The week began with another report of the recent Brown Booby also at the Bishop (Cornwall) on 29th but, as the day unfolded, there was no further sign of it there.

The weekly Brown Booby story was far from over, for in the North Sea stuff was happening. With a certain inevitability, there was a report of a possible bird off Cley (Norfolk) on 29th followed, on 1st, by something more concrete once more from Scotland – an adult seen heading north past Eyemouth (Borders) in the evening.

Nor was that the end of the story. Birders in East Yorkshire were taunted in the morning of 3rd, with news of a Brown Booby on the sea off Flamborough. It was drifting further out to sea and, eventually, was frustratingly lost to sight.

Finally, on 4th, something Yorkshire birders could really get their teeth into. Sitting on the rocks at Filey Brigg (North Yorkshire) shortly before 8am, there was an adult bird. And then, shortly after 8am, there it wasn’t. Another flit.

A little under an hour later it was located not far away on the sea at Hunmanby Gap and, off and on, there it remained on the water throughout the day that followed before, later in the evening, a probable was seen on the sea off Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire). A fine way for Yorkshire birders to wrap up the week.

It’s a well-rehearsed story now – once a staple of late summer and early autumn, Aquatic Warbler’s status as a British rarity has heightened over the course of recent years, becoming increasingly infrequently found here, and especially so in the field and outside of a ringer’s nets. They were always a quality find but, nowadays, as Europe’s only officially globally threatened passerine species, they’re as golden as their plumage.

Step forward Will Brame on 30th with a superb Aquatic Warbler at Landguard NR (Suffolk). It’s been six years since the last twitchable bird, an individual in Dorset in 2016, a damning testament to the dismal fortunes of the species. This week’s bird showed off and on at Landguard through the remainder of the day on 30th, giving those so inclined a fair chance to catch up with it.

Large shearwaters were once again this week showing no signs of quitting the abnormally warm waters off the southwest of England, with some seriously high tallies of Cory’s Shearwater in particular coming over the course of the week. Around 20,000 birds were reported in recent days and, while there will inevitably be some duplication in that figure, at least 5,000 seen from The Lizard (Cornwall) on 2nd and 5,000 from Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 3rd give a taste of the scale of things out there. Great Shearwaters, while not approaching those sorts of numbers, were nonetheless still a fairly significant presence – some 11,000 birds were noted this week, of which 5,000 off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 3rd were the highest single site count.

We’re getting accustomed to there being at the very least a sniff of a Scopoli’s Shearwater every week lately, and sure enough there were a couple of candidates in recent days – a probable near Bishop Rock (Scilly) on 30th, and a further possible seen from the Scillonian near Wolf Rock on 1st.

Balearic Shearwaters finally kicked into gear this week, with around 2,800 birds logged along the south coast of Britain. Peak counts came from St Catherine’s Point (Isle of Wight) on 29th, where 516 birds were seen; and Portland (Dorset), where 537 were noted on 2nd.

The Scilly pelagics weren’t quite done with us yet and, in addition to the daily joy of the Red-footed Booby, a few Wilson’s Petrels were also seen – two birds on 29th, one on 31st, and two again on 4th. Another was found on 3rd off Annagh Head (Co.Mayo).

Scottish at-sea Leach’s Petrels have been a weekly feature of late, and more were recorded this past week – seen from the Ullapool / Stornoway ferry (Highland & Caithness / Western Isles) on 1st; and from the ferry between Oban and Barra (Argyll & Bute / Western Isles) on 4th. Another was present off Hilbre (Cheshire & Wirral) on 30th, and three were seen from South Uist (Western Isles) on 3rd.

Skua numbers were a little up on the prior week’s proceedings, with around 100 Pomarine Skuas and 60 Long-tailed Skuas logged lately. Peak counts were 18 of the former species off The Lizard (Cornwall) on 3rd, and four of the latter species off Southwold (Suffolk) on 2nd.

An early Little Auk was seen at Torness (Lothian) on 29th.

Finally, in Ireland the adult Double-crested Cormorant remained at Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim) on 1st.

After a busy week in the preceding period, the week just gone was a quieter one for long-legged beasties. Chief amongst them was the juvenile Black Stork again seen at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 30th.

A few small parties of Glossy Ibis continued to linger – three birds apiece at Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire) on 29th-2nd, and Lady’s Island Lake (Co.Wexford) on 29th still; two at Aldeburgh Town Marshes (Suffolk) on 29th-1st still; and two at Dungeness on 30th-4th. A single bird remained settled in Cambridgeshire at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB on 29th-4th. A singleton was seen in Suffolk on King’s Fleet on 4th.

A Spotted Crake was seen on 31st-4th at Ogston Reservoir (Derbyshire); and Corncrake on 30th at Welwick Saltmarsh YWT (East Yorkshire), and on 4th at Samphire Hoe CP (Kent).

The rarity duckpond remained a fairly unruffled and quiet place this week, with a few recent stalwarts providing some highlights. Starting in East Yorkshire, the two Blue-winged Teal continued to hang around the Tophill Low NR area on 29th-4th.

The eclipse drake American Wigeon remained on Lough Beg (Co.Derry) on 29th still.

Scotland, and Lothian in particular, was still where the rarest of the quackers was to be found – here the drake Stejneger’s Scoter remained present off Musselburgh Lagoons on 29th-1st and again on 4th, with the immature drake Surf Scoter also seen off there on 29th-4th, and the second-summer drake King Eider also still present on 29th-4th for good measure.

We stay in Lothian for just a moment, where the juvenile Broad-billed Sandpiper found at Tyninghame Bay (Lothian) on 25th was again seen there in the morning of 30th. Did this bird also account for juvenile found at Holy Island (Northumberland) in the afternoon of 30th?

Before we return to Holy Island, which was enjoying a terrific week for waders, the rest of the sandpipers…

A Semipalmated Sandpiper was found at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 1st-4th. Tacumshin was also enjoying a good week of waders, and more of that too anon… Another was found in Ireland on the Muckross Estuary at Clonakilty (Co.Cork) on 3rd-4th.

Also marking the turning of the seasons and, doubtless, the imminent arrival of more of their ilk, Buff-breasted Sandpipers began to appear lately – one remained on South Uist (Western Isles) on 29th; and new birds were found on 1st-4th at Marazion (Cornwall), on Bryher (Scilly) on 2nd, on Berneray (Western Isles) on 2nd and South Uist on 3rd; at Davidstow Airfield (Cornwall) on 3rd-4th; at Ballycotton (Co.Cork), and Blennerville (Co.Kerry) on 3rd, with another probable that day on Lewis (Western Isles); and back on South Uist on 4th.

Pectoral Sandpipers began to arrive in some numbers, with a little over a dozen birds logged this past week in addition to the lingering individual at Sandymount (Co.Dublin) still on 30th-4th. New birds were seen at Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire) on 29th-4th; Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 29th-3rd; Carrahane Strand (Co.Kerry) on 29th-4th; Cors Ddyga RSPB (Anglesey) on 29th; Alderburgh Town Marshes (Suffolk), The Lizard (Cornwall), and North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 30th, the Suffolk bird remaining until 3rd; Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 30th-2nd; at The Cunnigar (Co.Waterford) on 31st-1st; on Lewis (Western Isles) on 1st; at Skinflats Lagoons RSPB (Forth) on 2nd-4th; at Trimley Marshes SWT (Suffolk) on 2nd; at Maiden’s Hall Lake (Northumberland) on 3rd-4th, and Stithians Reservoir (Cornwall) on 3rd; again on North Ronaldsay on 3rd; and once more at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 4th.

A single Temminck’s Stint was seen at Oare Marshes KWT (Kent) on 1st; two birds at Brancaster (Norfolk) on 2nd; and one more at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 3rd-4th.

And so we come back up the east coast to Holy Island (Northumberland), where all three species of golden plover were up for grabs on 29th – adult individuals of both Pacific Golden Plover and American Golden Plover hanging out with the local Golden Plovers there that day. Additional American Golden Plovers remained at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) on 29th-4th and Cockersand (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 29th-3rd; another was found on North Uist (Western Isles) on 30th-4th; and final birds over Rathlin Island (Co.Antrim) on 3rd, and on Lewis (Western Isles) and Inch Island Lake (Co.Donegal) on 4th.

A Dotterel was reported over Pendeen (Cornwall) on 30th, and two were seen at Bockhill Farm (Kent) on 2nd.

In Ireland, the Greater Sand Plover remained steady at The Cull (Co.Wexford) throughout the week on 29th-4th.

The adult male and his three juvenile Black-winged Stilt charges remained at Wombwell Ings (South Yorkshire) on 30th. Another juvenile was seen in Ireland at Lisselan (Co.Waterford) on 31st-1st – where had that bird hatched this year?

Speaking of birds coming out of the woodwork in Ireland, the lingering Black-winged Pratincole popped up again in Co.Donegal at Blanket Nook on 1st and Inch Island Lake on 1st-2nd.

Ireland gave us yet another fine wader this week with the discovery of a juvenile Wilson’s Phalarope at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 1st-3rd; and another was found on 3rd-4th at Dunnet Bay (Highland & Caithness).

The recent Red-necked Phalarope remained at Hollesley Marshes RSPB (Suffolk) on 29th-4th, and another was found at North Cave Wetlands YWT (East Yorkshire) on 2nd-4th.

Finishing with Nearctic birds, in a nod to what’s to come during September, the long-staying Long-billed Dowitchers remained on Sanday (Orkney) on 1st-4th, and at Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 29th-4th; and the recent Lesser Yellowlegs was again seen at Montrose Basin (Angus) on 1st-3rd.

Numbers of Sabine’s Gulls strongly contracted this past week, down from many dozens the week before to little more than a mere dozen in the week just gone. Two birds were noted off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 29th; and single birds from North Bull Island (Co.Dublin) and at sea off Anglesey on 29th; on 30th from Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire), South Gare (Cleveland), and the Scillonian; and on 1st from Marske (Cleveland), in Cornelian Bay and at sea off Staithes (North Yorkshire), Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire), and Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare). On 3rd additional birds were seen at Shell Ness (Kent), South Uist (Western Isles), and Point Lynas (Anglesey), the latter site scoring two birds. Final birds were seen from Harris (Western Isles) and Skellig Michael (Co.Kerry) on 4th.

Irish sightings of Bonaparte’s Gulls came again from Dublin (Co.Dublin) on 29th-4th, Garretstown (Co.Cork) on 30th, and Kinnegar Shore (Co.Down) on 31st-3rd; while in Britain the adult also remained at Oare Marshes KWT (Kent) on 29th-2nd.

The lingering Glaucous Gull was still to be seen on South Uist (Western Isles) on 1st, and the recent Yell (Shetland) bird again on 3rd.

A Gull-billed Tern was seen heading along the Thames at Grays (Essex) on 2nd.

Sightings of Caspian Tern came on 29th from Sheringham (Norfolk) and Woodhall Spa Airfield LWT (Lincolnshire).

Finally, in Dorset the first-summer Forster's Tern remained in Poole Harbour, being seen around Arne RSPB and Brownsea NT on 29th-4th.

A distinct suggestion of autumn was in the air with the discovery this week of hopefully the first of several Pallid Harriers to come. On the morning of 2nd sightings of a juvenile came from Fife, heading away from the Isle of May, and passing north over Barnsmuir. On 3rd-4th another was seen loitering around the south Mainland of Shetland near Boddam and Spiggie.

A possible Montagu’s Harrier was noted at Clayhanger (West Midlands) on 30th.

A Black Kite was found at Dungeness RSPB (Kent) on 3rd.

We kick off the passerines this week with the lingering quality that was the meena Oriental Turtle Dove found last week on South Uist at Boisdale – and still present as the new week began there on 29th and again on 31st and 3rd-4th.

More anticipated migrants continued to show up in fair numbers this week – some 30 Wrynecks nationwide included two present at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) on 2nd; while 20 Red-backed Shrikes were well scattered from Shetland to Scilly, with two birds on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 1st, and two seen on St Mary’s (Scilly) in the course of the week also.

St Mary’s held onto a Woodchat Shrike on 29th-2nd, with another sighting coming from the archipelago on St Agnes on 30th. A further bird was found on 3rd at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire).

A Hoopoe remained on Sherkin Island (Co.Cork) on 30th, with additional birds found this week in Devon at Exeter on 29th-30th, and in Orkney on Mainland at Evie on 2nd and Stromness on 3rd-4th.

In Pembrokeshire the Short-toed Lark remained settled at Dale Airfield on 30th-3rd.

A possible Red-rumped Swallow was reported from Drakelow Wildfowl Reserve (Derbyshire) on 2nd.

And so to the warblers. While Suffolk stole the laurels in their regard this week with the headlining Aquatic Warbler, neighbouring Norfolk didn’t do so badly either, with a Western Bonelli’s Warbler found at Holkham Pines on 31st. Additional Western Bonelli’s were found on 3rd on St Mary’s (Scilly) and Lundy (Devon).

Greenish Warblers meanwhile were seen in Lerwick (Shetland) still on 29th; on the Isle of May (Fife) on 2nd-3rd; at Alnmouth (Northumberland) on 3rd; at Dingle Marshes RSPB (Suffolk) on 3rd; and much further afield aboard the MV Balmoral some 118 miles off Aberdeen (Aberdeenshire) on 30th.

Fair Isle (Shetland) enjoyed a solid run this week with a Booted Warbler on 30th, a Marsh Warbler on 29th-1st, and a Blyth’s Reed Warbler trapped and ringed there on 2nd. Another Blyth’s Reed was trapped and ringed at Fife Ness (Fife) on 2nd; and a Marsh Warbler at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 3rd.

Melodious Warblers continued to be found this week, with a handful of birds noted. A probable on The Lizard (Cornwall) on 29th was followed by confirmed birds at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 30th, Nanquidno (Cornwall) on 1st, St Mary’s (Scilly) on 2nd, St Buryan (Cornwall) on 2nd, Tory Island (Co.Donegal) on 2nd, Lundy (Devon) on 3rd, and Skellig Michael (Co.Kerry) on 4th.

Icterine Warblers meanwhile were less numerous – one was trapped and ringed at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 29th; a bird was present at Blakeney Point (Norfolk) on 1st; and another at Landguard NR (Suffolk) on 2nd.

If the week belonged to any warbler, it was probably Barred Warbler and, once more, it was Fair Isle (Shetland) that figured most strongly – of the 19 birds recorded in in Britain this week, the peak count came from Fair Isle where seven of these hefty beasts were logged on 1st.

The territorial and confiding Rose-coloured Starling remained on West Burra (Shetland) on 29th-1st; and additional birds were found on 3rd-4th on Lundy (Devon), at Land’s End (Cornwall) on 3rd, and Donna Nook (Lincolnshire) on 4th.

A Bluethroat was found at Alkborough Flats NR (Lincolnshire) on 3rd.

The first Thrush Nightingale of the autumn was trapped and ringed on 3rd at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall).

A Blue-headed Wagtail was found on 4th at Rufford (Lancashire & North Merseyside).

Numbers of Common Rosefinches began to mount this week, particularly in Shetland, where numbers peaked with four birds on Fair Isle on 1st, and four on Foula on 3rd, in addition to singletons elsewhere on Yell on 31st and Out Skerries on 1st. Away from there, one was trapped and ringed on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 2nd and it or another was seen there on 4th; and another was seen on 2nd (and possibly also 4th) at Kilnsea (East Yorkshire).

An Ortolan Bunting was seen sporadically on The Lizard (Cornwall) around Kynance Cove on 30th-2nd; a probable bird was noted over Sheepcote Valley (East Sussex) on 31st; and further examples were found at Hoylake (Cheshire & Wirral) on 2nd, and Slimbridge WWT (Glouucestershire) on 3rd.

The biggest story of the overseas news this week was unfolding at the Western Palearctic’s north-western frontier where, on Iceland, numbers of Cliff Swallows began to mount as August drew to a close, from an unprecedented three birds at Innri-Njarðvík on 30th, to an incredible 17 birds in the country as a whole on 31st, including no fewer than seven in Keflavik alone! Throw in another four birds seen departing Iceland, bound for Ireland on board the TS Gunnila on 30th, and that’s 21 birds in just a few days…

To put this into some context, prior to this there were only five previous accepted Icelandic records, the last of which were two birds seen in late August 2019. The time of year, then, is auspicious for the species, as are circumstances a little closer to their home – unprecedented numbers have been seen lately in Newfoundland, involving flocks of dozens of birds and, in some cases, in excess of 100 birds. Huge numbers have clearly been displaced in the USA, and surely more European records are only a matter of time.

That Ireland-bound vessel, the TS Gunnila is at the time of writing sitting at anchor in Bangor (Co.Down). Even if its avian passengers have succumbed or decamped before making landfall, surely at least one bird is going to make it to Britain or Ireland under its own steam… The last British record comes from this time of year too, seen on Skye (Highland & Caithness) on 27th August 2019. Ireland, surprisingly, only has one prior record, from the late autumn of 1995, a year that delivered some superb Nearctic passerine vagrants to our shores.

One swallow famously does not a summer make, and perhaps the same goes for Cliff Swallows in autumn, but it’s also worth noting that Newfoundland was blessed recently with small numbers of Prairie Warblers - one for the Icelandic crews to keep an eye cracked for in the coming week…

Staying at the Western Palearctic’s fringes, a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was found on Tenerife in the Canary Islands on 1st.

In Spain a Sudan Golden Sparrow was found at El Bujeo on 29th, and a South Polar Skua off Estaca de Bares on 30th.

We tend not to hear much from Greece in these quarters, but this week a Yellow-billed Kite was seen at Antikythera on 30th.

A rare raptor a little closer to home came in the form of a Lesser Spotted Eagle at Etang de Notz in France on 31st; while a South Polar Skua was seen at sea in Baie d’Audierne on 3rd – if accepted, this will constitute a first record for France.

Really, there’s no need this week for preamble and justification for any wishful thinking – just look at what’s been happening in Newfoundland and, a little closer to home, in Iceland this past week. The auguries were never better for a British or Irish Cliff Swallow.

Will the fickle weather systems swirling around out there in the Atlantic prove conducive this week? Time will tell…

Jon Dunn

5th September 2023

 

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

 

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