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Weekly birding round-up: 12 - 18 Sep 2023

Migration continued to absolutely roar out of the early autumn blocks this past week, with migrants from all quarters turning up in Britain and Ireland, some quality scarcities and downright rarities amongst them. And it’s only mid-September – there’s so much more still to come. But for now, the week that just was.

 

Another week, another Nearctic warbler – autumn 2023 is already shaping up nicely in this regard, and one wonders what’s waiting in the wings in the weeks to come. Somebody who knows a thing or two about finding rare American warblers is Will Miles, he of St Kilda (Western Isles) Blackburnian Warbler fame in 2009. Until last autumn’s obliging Scillonian bird, that was one of the ultimate wood warbler blockers, the first of its kind since the 1988 bird on Fair Isle.

Will would have been well aware of that last Shetland record – it was one of the mythical rarities that seemed destined to remain unattainable for the generations of birders who followed. A little like Tennessee Warbler - in the wake of the two birds trapped and ringed on Fair Isle in September 1975, a couple more birds grudgingly filtered through to us – one on Orkney in September 1982, and another on St Kilda in September 1995 – before Dougie Preston’s superb Yell (Shetland) find in September 2020 – a bird that remained on the island into the first week of October, to the delight of a steady stream of admirers.

But back to Will, and St Kilda. He’s a regular out there in autumn and, this week, he did the warbler double – following finding a Blackburnian Warbler in 2009 with the discovery of a fine Tennessee Warbler there on 15th.

Will’s set to remain on St Kilda for a while yet, so there’s plenty of time for him to add to the lustrous warbler haul he’s amassed to date on there. He’s surely working up to a first for Britain… Prairie Warbler, anyone? In the meantime, his latest find remained on St Kilda with him until the week’s end on 18th.

While not really within sight of one another, the Western Isles as a whole contrived one of those clichéd east-meets-west birding moments this past week with the west’s Tennessee Warbler sharing the county with something no less colourful but from a more easterly vector – a smart Roller found on Vatersay on 12th-14th.

Like said warbler, this was only the second record for the species in the Western Isles. Barra claimed the first back on 29th-30th September 2013. A decade later, here was the next.

We’ve been blessed with more than a few long-staying rarities in recent weeks, but our next headline bird was their utter antithesis – picked up on call, seen motoring through Spurn on 16th, Yorkshire’s first ever Upland Sandpiper wasn’t hanging around. Just a handful of observers were in the right place at the right time for this one – a bird that, had it only paused for even a short while, would have drawn a crowd quickly.

The longer we’re all collectively in this birding game in Britain and Ireland, the more the law of diminishing returns is inevitably going to bite. The lifers get fewer and further between. The national firsts too, as the list of possibilities is wrung ever drier. Even county lists are, by dint of time passing and sustained observer effort, filling up. Finding a first for your county is a proper kudos event, without question.

What never happens – can you think of any examples of this happening lately, if ever – is two county firsts being found on the same day, at the same location. It’s unthinkable, really.

But that’s exactly what happened this week on Brownstown Head (Co.Waterford) where a warbler found on 17th was resolved as the day progressed as the county’s first ever Paddyfield Warbler and then, as light faded from the sky, was joined in the same ditch by a female / first-winter male Black-headed Bunting - also a county first!

But never mind county firsts – these are top flight rarities in an Irish context, let alone a Co.Waterford perspective. The Paddyfield Warbler is only the sixth Irish record, coming 13 years after the last, a two-day bird on Loop Head (Co.Clare) in October 2010. And Black-headed Bunting? Well, that’s only slightly less rare, with 10 past Irish records, but a similarly long wait since the last one, a bird that spent five days on Galley Head (Co.Cork) in September 2009.

All in all, events of 17th will render it an unforgettable day of Irish birding for those blessed to be present on Brownstown Head. Happily for all concerned from further afield, both birds remained there on 18th.

With migration so firmly under way, it’s perhaps timely to relegate the long-staying seabird rarities to the main section of the Round Up. Their presence is almost able to be taken for granted in the last couple of weeks, so they can find a home here with the resident Double-crested Cormorant on Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim) – also still present there this week on 15th.

So, first and rarest of the rare booby duo is the Red-footed Booby still present in recent days at the Bishop light off Scilly – seen there on 12th-15th.

Next up is the adult female Brown Booby hanging around the buoys off South Gare (Cleveland) on 12th-18th still, and still proving very popular with a steady stream of admirers. An immature bird, meanwhile, was seen again off Hound Point (Lothian) on 16th and again on 17th, heading towards Cramond Island the vicinity of which it hung around on 17th-18th.

Yet another Scopoli’s Shearwater was seen from the Scillonian on 14th near Scilly. What a year it’s been for them...

The Scillonian was to prove a fruitful seawatching platform this week, with a Barolo Shearwater seen from there south of Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 18th. Another was belatedly reported passing St Ives (Cornwall) on 16th; and another possible was seen offshore from Helmsdale (Highland & Caithness) on 18th.

Some 9,000 Cory’s Shearwaters were logged during the week, with a peak count of 4,100 off Pendeen (Cornwall) on 12th. Numbers of Great Shearwaters were more subdued, with some 2,700 recorded, of which 2,000 seen at sea off Brixham (Devon) on 13th made up most of their number.

Devon also gave us the best of the still rather low numbers of Balearic Shearwaters, with a count of 498 seen from Dawlish Warren NNR on 16th accounting for a substantial proportion of the 1,500 seen nationwide this week.

The east coast was greatly enlivened over the course of the week by multiple sightings of Fea’s Petrel sp, starting on 12th by a bird tracked heading north past Hartlepool Headland (Cleveland), and later Hendon and Marsden (Co.Durham). Additional northbound sightings came on 13th past Sandilands (Lincolnshire), and on 15th in Northumberland at Longhoughton Steel and Beadnell. Then, on 16th, a probable was seen southbound in the morning off Eyemouth (Borders), and a possible later that morning at Low Hauxley (Northumberland). On 17th, further south, a possible was reported heading north past Thorpeness (Suffolk).

Some 35 Leach’s Petrels were logged across Britain and Ireland in recent days, with three birds seen from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 13th.

Numbers of skuas were steady with around 115 Pomarine and 260 Long-tailed noted, albeit there was inevitably duplication as birds streamed along the east coast in particular. Of the latter species, 26 birds seen passing Whitburn CP (Co.Durham) on 13th were the highest single site count.

The week was notable for confirmation of one of the worst-kept secrets in recent British birding, that Glossy Ibis had finally bred in Britain – an event that, in the wake of the colonisation of Britain in recent decades by other formerly southern long-legged beasties, and the seemingly permanent presence of the species lately in Britain, had long felt inevitable. Small parties remained this week in Britain – three in Devon at Fremington Pill still on 12th, with two still present there on 16th-17th; a peak count of four birds in Hampshire at Titchfield Haven NNR on 14th; two still in Kent at Dungeness on 13th-15th; and two still in Suffolk at Aldeburgh Town Marshes on 12th-17th. Additional single birds were seen around Hengistbury Head (Dorset) on 13th-16th, at Carew (Pembrokeshire) on 12th-14th, Penrith (Cumbria) on 16th, over Skippool (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 17th, and still present in Cambridgeshire at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB on 12th-13th.

Pick of the rest of the long-legged beasties was, comfortably, the Squacco Heron found on 18th in Cornwall at the duck pond in Polgigga.

In Cornwall, the juvenile Purple Heron remained at Marazion Marsh RSPB on 12th-18th; another was still near Lower Quinton(Warwickshire) on 12th; one was seen in Derbyshire at Combs Reservoir on 12th; and another Cornish sighting came from Mawgan Porth on 15th.

In Co.Durham the Night Heron remained at the private fishing lake at Ouston on 12th.

The Spotted Crake remained at Ogston Reservoir (Derbyshire) on 12th-13th, with another reported from Stanpit Marsh (Dorset) on 14th, and one present at Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 18th. A Corncrake was found on Rathlin Island (Co.Antrim) on 12th, and another on 18th on Brownstown Head (Co.Waterford).

Our honkers and quackers were a quiet bunch, for the most part, in recent days. Starting in Lancashire & North Merseyside, the interior Todd’s Canada Goose was again seen at Marshside RSPB on 13th.

The best of the ducks was the drake Black Duck on Leam Lough (Co.Mayo) on 15th still.

In East Yorkshire two Blue-winged Teal remained at Tophill Low NR on 12th, with at least one still present on 14th-16th and then, on 18th, both birds again confirmed as present.

A drake Ferruginous Duck was still to be seen in Norfolk at Cantley beet factory on 17th; and another once again at Draycote Water (Warwickshire) on 18th.

Finally, the second-summer drake King Eider remained at Musselburgh Lagoons (Lothian) on 14th.

Pick of the non-headlining waders this week has to be the first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper for Angus, still present as the week began at Montrose Basin on 12th.

Buff-breasted Sandpipers went from strength to strength this week, with St Kilda (Western Isles) alone notching up first one bird on 15th, and then a second individual on 16th-18th. Elsewhere single birds remained at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) on 12th-14th; Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland) on 12th-13th; Davidstow Airfield (Cornwall) on 12th-16th; St Mary’s (Scilly) on 13th-14th; on the Gann Estuary (Pembrokeshire) again on 15th; and on Dale Airfield (Pembrokeshire) on 15th-16th still. Additional birds were found at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 12th; North Uist (Western Isles) on 14th; Myroe Levels (Co.Derry), Derrymore (Co.Kerry), and Mweenish Island (Co.Galway) on 17th; and in Shetland on Foula on 16th-17th, and Mainland at Eshaness on 18th.

Pectoral Sandpiper numbers meanwhile remained around the 25 individuals mark across Britain and Ireland, with a couple of sites scoring multiple birds – three seen at the peerless Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 12th-13th, two at Aldeburgh Town Marshes (Suffolk) on 14th-18th, and two at Myroe Levels (Co.Derry) on 17th.

A White-rumped Sandpiper blew into Seafield (Co.Clare) on 18th.

In the Western Isles, on Barra the Baird’s Sandpiper was once again seen on 18th while, on Benbecula, a Semipalmated Sandpiper was discovered on 18th also.

A Temminck’s Stint remained settled at Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland) on 12th-18th; and another was found in Norfolk at Potter Heigham Marshes on 12th-13th.

A Pacific Golden Plover was found at Ogston Reservoir (Derbyshire) on 12th, but wasn’t seen there again subsequently.

American Golden Plovers enjoyed another good week, with half a dozen birds seen. One was again present on Holy Island (Northumberland) on 12th and 17th; one remained at Banks Marsh NNR (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 12th-15th, with another sighting in the county at Lytham on 16th; and another was still to be seen on Lewis (Western Isles) on 15th. Additional birds were found on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 13th-15th; at Tawin (Co.Galway) on 15th; on Whalsay (Shetland), where a mobile bird confirmed on 16th-18th had probably arrived there on 15th; at Blanket Nook (Co.Donegal) on 16th-17th; and on Baleshare (Western Isles) on 18th.

A few Dotterel were still on the move this week. Two birds were present at Davidstow Airfield (Cornwall) on 13th; two were lingering on Bryher (Scilly) on 14th-18th; two were seen at Langdon Cliffs NT (Kent) on 14th; and single birds were noted at St Agnes Head (Cornwall) on 12th-16th, North Point Pools (Norfolk) on 12th, trapped and ringed on Lundy (Devon) on 15th, on 17th-18th at Bredon Hill (Worcestershire), and on 17th at Newport (Pembrokeshire).

An unconfirmed report of a Black-winged Stilt on Lelant Saltings (Cornwall) on 13th was followed, on 14th, by a sighting again at White’s Marsh (Co.Cork).

White’s Marsh, however, had bigger fish to fry this week with the discovery there of a Long-billed Dowitcher on 14th-17th. Settled birds, meanwhile, remained at Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 12th-18th, and on Sanday (Orkney) on 14th.

A Wilson’s Phalarope was found at Kilbaha (Co.Clare) on 16th.

A dozen Grey Phalarope before Monday 18th included, in their number, a couple of duos – two birds logged at Wolla Banks and Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 13th, and two seen from St Ives (Cornwall) on 16th. On 18th the pace quickened somewhat, with 16 birds logged, including seven past Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare), and six off Cape Cornwall (Cornwall).

Perhaps as many as half a dozen Lesser Yellowlegs marked a good week for the species in Britain and Ireland. British birds were seen at Port Carlisle (Cumbria) still on 12th-14th; Newport Wetlands NNR (Gwent) on 15th-18th; in Norfolk at Titchwell RSPB on 16th and Holme Dunes NWT on 17th; and a further possible at Heysham (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 15th. Irish sightings came from Rosscarbery (Co.Cork) on 12th-18th still, and at Blanket Nook (Co.Donegal) on 16th-18th.

And it’s at Blanket Nook where we wrap up the week with, on 16th, the Black-winged Pratincole again seen there.

Some 60 Sabine’s Gulls noted over the course of the week meant their presence in our waters continued steadily lately. Some sites were fortunate to encounter multiple birds – two at Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 13th; two at Anderby Creek (Lincolnshire) on 13th; three at Wolla Bank (Lincolnshire) on 13th; three at Hound Point (Lothian) on 16th; and duos past St Ives (Cornwall), Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire), Rathlin Island (Co.Antrim), and South Shields (Co.Durham) on 18th.

A first-winter Bonaparte’s Gull was found at Sherkin Island (Co.Cork) on 16th.

Sherkin also gave us a rare commodity for the time of year, let alone the week – an Iceland Gull on 12th.

Down in Dorset the first-summer Forster's Tern remained in Poole Harbour at Arne RSPB on 12th-15th.

A Caspian Tern was seen passing through Holy Island (Northumberland) on 17th.

Lastly, a White-winged Black Tern was found on 16th at East Halton Skitter (Lincolnshire), with another sighting in the county on 18th at Freiston Shore RSPB.

Where rare raptors were concerned, the week was (almost) all about Pallid Harriers - one was seen in Fife at East Lomond on 15th; and a report of a probable on the Isle of Wight on 15th was followed by a confirmed juvenile on the island on the same day at Compton Down.

Then, on 17th, a juvenile was found in Essex at Wallasea Island, preceding emerging news of a reported bird on 15th at Blue House Farm EWT; and a further juvenile was seen in Scotland at Insh Marshes RSPB (Fife). The Wallasea bird remained there on 18th, and another was found that day in Norfolk at Snettisham CP.

A Montagu’s Harrier was found on 17th in Devon at Froward Point.

A Pallid / Montagu’s Harrier was seen flying over Walmsley Sanctuary CBWPS (Cornwall) in the morning of 18th.

While Co.Waterford was making the news this week with a couple of passerine county firsts, Shetland landed itself a couple of warblers that, for there, are virtually annual between them, but in a national context served as a timely shot across our bows that autumn is firing on all cylinders – in the morning of 18th, news of a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler on Noss was followed, shortly afterwards, by the trapping and ringing on Fair Isle of that island’s 100th Lanceolated Warbler. A further Lanceolated Warbler was found on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) later in the day.

Once considered a knotty and intractable rarity, we’re many of us more accustomed nowadays to Blyth’s Reed Warbler - a handful were found this week, and surely are the vanguard of yet more to come soon. This week’s birds were seen 16th-18th on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) and on 16th on Fair Isle (Shetland), on Mainland Shetland at Bakkasetter on 17th, and on Yell and Unst (Shetland) on 18th. A further probable was found on 18th on Shetland Mainland at Noness.

A mobile Booted Warbler was found on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 17th.

The recent Aquatic Warbler remained in East Sussex at Beeding Brooks on 12th-13th.

Cape Clear (Co.Cork), meanwhile, held onto its Western Bonelli’s Warbler on 12th-16th, with another found this week on St Mary’s (Scilly).

A Greenish Warbler was again seen on Great Saltee (Co.Wexford) on 15th, while Noss (Shetland) put icing on the Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler cake with a Greenish also found on the island on 18th.

Fair Isle (Shetland), enjoyed an Arctic Warbler on 15th-17th, joined on the island by a second bird on 17th-18th. Another was found on 18th on North Ronaldsay (Orkney).

Numbers of Yellow-browed Warbler were beginning to rise, albeit not to the vast numbers we’ve enjoyed in some recent autumns. It’s early days yet for them though. This week, hinting at their recent ubiquity, birds away from the northern isles were reported from more unusual quarters – a bird seen on Anglesey on 13th at Carmel Head, and another in Oxfordshire in Eaton Wood. Overall, some 65 birds were noted over the course of the week, with 10 on Fair Isle on 18th the best count.

Melodious Warblers weren’t quite done with us yet – birds being seen this week on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 12th; Hook Head (Co.Wexford) on 12th-18th; at Pendeen (Cornwall) on 13th-14th; St Ann’s Head (Pembrokeshire) on 14th-16th; and a probable at St Levan (Cornwall) on 15th.

An Icterine Warbler was reported from Thorne Moors NNR (South Yorkshire) on 13th; while one remained at Kilbaha (Co.Clare) on 16th; and another was found on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 18th.

Around 40 Barred Warblers were seen in recent days, many of them in Shetland, with Fair Isle (Shetland) landing two birds on 13th and then five on 17th, and Unst four more on 17th also; but birds trapped and ringed as far south as Portland (Dorset) on 14th and on Lundy (Devon) on 17th hinting at a wider arrival.

St Mary’s (Scilly) accounted for a Woodchat Shrike on 13th-15th; further birds were found in Dorset at Seatown on 14th-15th, and at Marazion Marsh RSPB (Cornwall) on 18th.

Red-backed Shrikes were somewhat down on the prior week, with lingering birds accounting for at least half of those seen lately – one at Osterley Park (London) still on 12th-14th; one again at Beeding Brooks (East Sussex) on 12th-13th; and one still present at Sennen Cove (Cornwall) on 14th-16th. Additional birds were seen on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 13th, and Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 15th; and a further probable bird was found on Tresco (Scilly) on 16th.

Sticking with Scilly a moment, an Alpine Swift was noted on St Agnes on 13th.

A dozen Hoopoe were seen this past week, with Pembrokeshire enjoying a fine run of records – here birds were noted at Dale Airfield still on 12th-13th; on Skokholm on 12th-15th still; at Martin’s Haven on 14th; and on Skomer on 15th. Elsewhere in Wales one had made it to Anglesey at Aberffraw on 16th. Running west to east across southern England, one was seen on St Agnes (Scilly) on 13th; in Cornwall, birds at Pendeen on 14th, Nanquidno on 15th-18th still, and Marazion on 18th; and on Wallasea Island (Essex) on 15th. Irish birds were logged on Cape Clear (Co.Cork) still on 12th; at Newport East (Co.Waterford) on 12th; and Valentia Island (Co.Kerry) still on 12th-16th.

Some 50 Wrynecks nationwide meant the species was still widely distributed, although the density of birds across Scilly again this week will doubtless represent something of a (not unpleasant!) headache for the county recorder in due course.

A Red-rumped Swallow at Hartland Moor (Dorset) on 12th was somewhat overshadowed by news of a Cliff Swallow found aboard a ship in Seaforth Docks (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 17th – alas, dead on arrival, but we’ve not given up hope entirely of a live one just yet.

Half a dozen Rose-coloured Starling were seen lately – one still present on Lundy (Devon) on 12th-17th, and another still in Cornwall at Polgigga on 12th also; additional Cornish sightings from Pendeen on 12th, and Predannack Head and Longdowns on 15th; and in East Sussex at Seaford Head on 16th.

A Bluethroat was once again seen in Lincolnshire at Alkborough Flats NR on 12th and 15th; another was found on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 17th-18th; and one more on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 18th.

The first Red-flanked Bluetails of the autumn checked in on 17th on Fair Isle (Shetland) and Sammy’s Point (East Yorkshire), the latter remaining on 18th too; and on Mainland Shetland at Sandwick on 18th.

Red-breasted Flycatchers were also beginning to move – birds being found this week at Gramborough Hill (Norfolk) on 13th, Yell (Shetland) on 14th, and North Foreland (Kent) on 15th. Then, on 17th, a small east coast fall – birds found Northumberland at Newton Pool and on Holy Island, in East Yorkshire at Easington and Spurn, and in Norfolk at Wells Woods. The Holy Island bird was still present on 18th, when another was found in East Yorkshire at Flamborough and, thin on the ground in Shetland to this point, one more was found on Unst that morning.

The recent Citrine Wagtail remained in Cornwall at Marazion on 12th at least, with subsequent reports coming from there up to and including 14th. Another was reported latterly from Farlington Marshes HWT (Hampshire) on 15th.

A Grey-headed Wagtails were found on 16th on Lundy (Devon) and at Kilnsea Wetlands NR (East Yorkshire).

A probable Richard’s Pipit was noted at Welney WWT (Norfolk) on 16th; and a Tawny Pipit at Happisburgh (Norfolk) on 16th.

Common Rosefinch numbers continued to burgeon, with some 30 birds logged. Several islands hosted multiple birds – in Shetland, Fair Isle peaked with four on 18th; two were seen on Out Skerries on 13th; two were in Lerwick on Mainland on 16th; and at least four birds on Unst on 16th. North Ronaldsay (Orkney) peaked with three birds on there on 14th.

North Ronaldsay also gave us the first Rustic Bunting of the autumn on 16th.

Out Skerries (Shetland) scored a fine trio of Little Bunting on 15th, with two remaining there on 16th, and numbers rising to four there on 18th. Another was found on Whalsay (Shetland) on 18th, with an Orkney bird seen that day also on North Ronaldsay.

Finally, Ortolan Buntings were noted over Hampstead Heath (London) on 13th and Meppershall (Bedfordshire) on 16th, with another probable over Clapham (London) on 13th; heard over Gorran Haven (Cornwall) on 16th; and seen at Pendeen (Cornwall) on 18th.

Germany kicked the overseas news of this past week with a small hint of the warblerish delights that were bound for us later in the week in the form of a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler at Saarland on 12th.

Closer still to home, on Guernsey the prior week’s Solitary Sandpiper was still present on 12th and, remarkably, had been joined on the island by a second individual that day.

In Spain, a White-backed Vulture was seen on 14th near Algeciras.

Finally, we could only cast envious eyes towards Iceland where, on 16th, two Cliff Swallows were present at Bakkatjorn; and the Canary Islands where another bird was seen on 17th on Fuerteventura.

We’re now coming into the third week of September and it’s fair to say that this is getting towards the pointy, business end of autumn. We can expect multiple arrivals in Shetland and Scilly alike any day now.

And that’s just the birders. What of the birds?

The end of the week just gone, and the end of the week ahead at the time of writing, appear bookended by big low pressure systems in the north Atlantic and some reasonably tightly packed isobars coming fairly straight at us. Something from the west is surely this way bound…

(Though let’s not write off Shetland and an eastern passerine of note just yet – some decent southeasterlies at the end of the preceding week were already delivering on 18th, and there’s a fair chance something will come out of the woodwork from that in the next few days).

But something from the west… what could we will that into being? Given the past two weeks have given us Yellow Warbler and Tennessee Warbler, we should be hoping for our Nearctic warbler hat-trick. And what precedent exists in the coming days…

Warblers of the calibre of Black-and-white, Hooded, Northern Parula and Chestnut-sided have all been historically found in Britain in the days of the week ahead. We’d happily go for any of those but, given our past fortnight has gradually been ratcheting up the warbler quality, we’re maybe due a real unblocker in terms of rarity and aesthetics alike. Look no further than another chance of a Magnolia Warbler like the absolute stunner found on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 23rd September 2012, and imagine the scenes should that be found somewhere even remotely accessible.

Jon Dunn

19th September 2023

 

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

 

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