Weekly birding round-up: 26 Sept - 2 Oct 2023
The highlight of the week was the discovery by Micheal O'Briain of the first Cape May Warbler for Ireland, in County Mayo at Corrymore West, Achill Island on 29th September: only the ninth record for the Western Palearctic following birds at Paisley, Clyde on 17th June 1977, at Baltasound, Unst, Shetland on 23rd October-2nd November 2013, four on the Azores between 2019 and 2022, and singles in Norway on 23rd September 2020 and Iceland on 25th September 2021. The Irish bird was a bright first-winter male and performed to all-comers until at least 2nd October.
Blackburnian Warbler was the bird of autumn 2022 when the fourth record for Britain spent 7th-29th October on Bryher, Scilly and was twitched by hundreds. The first for Ireland was present las week on Skellig Michael, County Kerry on 20th September and was followed by yet another this week; at Geosetter, Mainland, Shetland where it was present and well-watched for much of the day on 26th September having been found by Will Carter. This is the tenth record for the Western Palearctic with others in Iceland (1987), Azores (2017 and 2023), and France (2019).
With North American wood warblers being discovered almost daily it is easy to forget that Yellow Warbler remains an extremely rare bird with just seven previous British records and five records in Ireland. This, the second this autumn in Scotland following one on Foula, Shetland on 5th-8th September, was discovered on Tiree, Argyll at Kilmolouaig by Theo de Clermont and David Jardine on 30th September and remained there until at least 2nd October during which time it was twitched from the mainland.
Most remarkably a Black-and-white Warbler trapped on Bardsey, Gwynedd by Steve Stansfield on 27th September proved to be a new bird following others earlier ringed there on 21st and 23rd September 2023! These were the first Black-and-white Warblers ever to have been ringed in Britain or Ireland and bring the total of records across the two countries to 24 individuals. Bardsey Bird Observatory staff did their upmost to organise a twitch for this bird but so far nobody has successfully twitched any of the Black-and-white Warblers this autumn.
A delightfully confiding Veery on Shetland at Lunna, Mainland on 29th September-2nd October was a great find by Marion Barlow. This is the twelfth for Britain and only the sixteenth for the Western Palearctic but the fourth on Shetland since 2005 with all of them found there between 22nd September and 2nd October.
An American Robin was belatedly reported as having been present in Cornwall on The Lizard at Caerthillian Cove on 26th September: a very early date for this species in Britain with the previous earliest being one on Tresco, Scilly from 10th October 2006. The last three reports of this species in Cornwall have not gone on to become accepted records.
The Bay-breasted Warbler - the highlight of last week - remained on Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire until 26th September but there was no more boats. The second record for Britain.
The female Northern Parula discovered on St Martin's, Scilly on 23rd September but promptly lost reappeared in the same tree on 25th September and remained on show there until the following day allowing the first successful twitch for this species in Britain since September 2010.
Another mega found on the morning of 23rd September was the Philadelphia Vireo at Castlebay, Barra, Western Isles where it promptly disappeared only to resurface at the same spot on 1st October. With Philadelphia Vireos in Ireland in October 2008 and October 2020 it is easy to forget what a seismic mega this bird is in Britain with just one previous record: on Tresco, Scilly on 10th-13th October 1987.
The Alder Flycatcher remained on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire until 28th September and the identification was supported by analysis of mitochondrial DNA; the first British record to be confirmed in this way.
It is incredible that Magnolia Warbler could ever be so far down a list of highlights but this is testament to autumn 2023. Both of the birds from last week lingered with the original bird at St Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire present until 26th and the other at Baglan, Glamorgan until 29th September; the latter an astounding find at that location.
Two Tennessee Warblers in one week has happened before - on Fair Isle, Shetland in late September 1975 - and following one still at Brevig, Barra, Western Isles on 27th September another was found at Feal, Fetlar, Shetland on 29th September, the latter the eighth British record.
Cliff Swallows have become also rans this autumn but singles briefly in County Waterford at Dungarvan on 26th and in Devon on Lundy on 29th September were both county firsts.
Another first was two Bobolinks together. A Bobolink found on St Agnes, Scilly on 25th September was presumably the bird relocated on St Mary's on 27th when it was suspected flying west over Sandy Lane before being relocated at nearby High Cross Lane on 29th only to be joined by a second bird on 30th September-1st October.
The Baltimore Oriole on Rathlin Island, County Antrim was still present on 26th September an a new bird was discovered on Dursey Island, County Cork on 29th September; representing the tenth record for Ireland but fourth this autumn.
Red-eyed Vireo is the most regular of the North American landbirds in Britain and Ireland but 13 in one week is some going. Up to five were recorded on Barra, Western Isles including three together there at Castlebay on 26th September, and singles in Devon on Lundy on 26th September, on Calf of Man, Isle of Man on 26th September-1st October, on Tiree, Argyll on 26th September-2nd October, on Dursey Island, County Cork on 28th-29th September, on St Agnes, Scilly on 28th September-2nd October, at Hook Head, County Wexford on 29th September-2nd October, and on the east coast of England in East Yorkshire at Bempton Cliffs on 30th September-2nd October and at Spurn on 2nd October.
The seabirding highlight of the period was the third South Polar Skua of the pelagic season to be identified at sea off the Isles of Scilly by Scilly Pelagics, six miles north of St Martin's on 29th September. Other rarities comprised a Black-browed Albatross seen at sea in the English Channel from a ferry off Devon on 26th September, the adult Double-crested Cormorant still at Doon Lough, County Leitrim on 28th, and a Barolo Shearwater identified passing Pendeen Watch, Cornwall on 29th September, whilst perhaps four different individual Brown Boobies were recorded this week with one passing Bridges of Ross, County Clare on 26th, one in Lothian at Granton Harbour on 28th, one at sea one mile south of Berry Head, Devon on 29th, and one passing Eyemouth, Borders again on 30th September.
More routine seabirds included the continuing Cory's Shearwater fiesta with 3,383 logged including on 27th 1,200 passing Falmouth, Cornwall, 490 off Prawle Point, Devon, and 245 off St Mary's, Scilly, whilst away from southwest England one moved north at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire on 26th. 12,864 Great Shearwaters were logged with peak counts including on 27th a remarkable 7,000 estimated passing Berry Head, Devon and 3,500 off Falmouth, Cornwall, with 300 from the bows of the Scillonian III between Cornwall and Scilly on 2nd October, and in the North Sea on 26th two passed Sheringham, Norfolk, and one moved east at Kinghorn, Fife. Balearic Shearwater totalled 1,526 including up to 28 off Portland Bill, Dorset on 26th and a county record of 600 passing Falmouth, Cornwall on 27th when 214 were logged at Berry Head, Devon, and ten bird days in the North Sea included birds seen from Lincolnshire and Suffolk on 28th, Norfolk, East Yorkshire (3 on 26th), and North Yorkshire. Despite westerly winds Leach's Petrel made a poor showing with just 21 logged between Devon (one at sea off Morte Point on 26th), Cornwall (six including five on 27th when three passed Pendeen Watch), Lancashire (2), and the Western Isles. Notable skuas comprised 22 Long-tailed Skua bird days on seawatches but with none inland or lingering, and most notable counts of four at Boulmer, Northumberland on 27th and four at Kinghorn, Fife on 28th, and 70 Pomarine Skua bird days with Berry Head, Devon stealing the show with 15 passing on 27th and six on 30th September, and nearby three off Dawlish Warren on 28th September with in Cornwall five off Lizard Point and three off Falmouth on 27th September.
The juvenile Black Stork at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire remained throughout having arrived there on 11th August, hopefully it won't end up leaving in an RSPCA ambulance. A juvenile Purple Heron at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire on 29th was a site first whilst on the same date the long-staying juvenile showed again at Marazion Marsh, Cornwall, and on 28th September a Night Heron was reported at Radley, Oxfordshire. A total of 35 Glossy Ibis was recorded with five at Ringaskiddy, County Cork on 29th September, up to four in County Wexford at Lady's Island Lake, and three each in Cornwall at Trewey Common, Devon at Fremington, Kent at Dungeness, Suffolk at Aldeburgh Town Marshes, and still at Titchfield Haven NNR, and notable singles in in flight near Budworth Mere, Cheshire and at Halstow Marshes, Kent on 26th, at Langford Lakes, Wiltshire on 28th, Weybourne, Norfolk on 30th, Saltholme, Cleveland on 30th September-1st October, Goldcliff, Gwent on 1st October, and on St Mary's, Scilly all week albeit mobile throughout. Corncrakes were on Shetland where singles were noted on Fair Isle on 28th and Out Skerries on 29th September, and in County Cork one was at Barry's Head on 1st October. A Spotted Crake on was flushed at Quendale, Mainland, Shetland on 28th September.
An adult Red-breasted Goose that arrived at Budle Bay, Northumberland on 27th September was first seen there with Brent Geese but immediately swapped to feed in stubble fields with Barnacle Geese at Elwick until at least 2nd October. This is likely to be the same individual as present with Svalbard Barnacle Geese by the Solway in Cumbria between 27th December 2022 and 17th February 2023 and where it is likely to soon return. Accompanying Pink-footed Geese were a Todd's Canada Goose at Banks Marsh, Lancashire on 30th September and an adult white morph Snow Goose in Clyde at Carstairs Junction until 30th September whilst a white goose seen distantly with Pink-footed Geese at Findhorn Bay, Moray on 2nd October was probably also of this species. A Tundra Bean Goose lingered on Fair Isle, Shetland on 26th September- 1st October whilst the over-summering bird in the English Midlands was still at Upper Bittell Reservoir, Worcestershire on 30th September.
The adult male Black Duck in County Mayo on The Mullet at Cross Lough was present throughout where it was first found on 14th November 2020. Two of the three previous records of Black Duck in County Mayo have also been characteristically long-stayers; one from 8th January 2001 until 14th December 2006, and another from 21st February 2009 until 4th April 2013. The two Blue-winged Teals remained at Tophill Low and Watton, East Yorkshire until 1st October with one still present the following day, and the adult male American Wigeon remained at Kilnsea Wetlands, East Yorkshire throughout
Diving ducks included an adult male Lesser Scaup new at Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross on 2nd October, at least four Ring-necked Ducks comprising a female at Lisvane Reservoir, Glamorgan throughout, one at Loch a' Chnoic, Highland on 30th September, a female on South Uist, Western Isles on 30th September-2nd October, and at least one at Inch Island, County Donegal on 2nd October, and three male Ferruginous Ducks with one still at Draycote Water, Warwickshire on 29th September, and others at Feltwell, Norfolk on 1st October, and Broom, Bedfordshire on 1st-2nd October; the latter being the first in that county since 2014.
Seaducks included the second-summer male King Eider still at Musselburgh Lagoons, Lothian on 30th September, and six Surf Scoters with new juveniles in Hampshire at Keyhaven Marshes on 26th-27th September and inland at Corbally Road Reservoir, County Antrim on 29th September-2nd October, one passing Bridges of Ross, County Clare on 28th September, at Tarbat Ness, Highland on 29th September, and regular adult males at Roseisle Forest, Moray still on 27th September and off Bremore, County Dublin on 1st October.
A superb juvenile Stilt Sandpiper found at Loch Paible, North Uist, Western Isles on 1st October was the first of this species this year in Britain and Ireland whilst a first-winter Wilson's Phalarope at North Point, Wells, Norfolk on 28th September-2nd October was well-watched unlike the elusive adult Sharp-tailed Sandpiper that remained at Blacktoft Sands, East Yorkshire until 27th September.
Other Nearctic waders comprised three juvenile Baird's Sandpipers: one at Vaul, Tiree, Argyll throughout and new birds at Ardivachar, South Uist, Western Isles on 29th-30th September and at Goswick, Northumberland briefly on 1st October, a juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper at Ardivachar, South Uist, Western Isles on 26th-30th September whilst the third Semipalmated Sandpiper for Lincolnshire was discovered at Frampton Marsh on 2nd October. A juvenile Spotted Sandpiper at Balscadden Bay, County Dublin remained throughout whilst another on the Isle of May, Fife on 26th-27th was presumably the same individual as that present there on 6th-7th September. A new juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher was discovered at Buckroney Marsh, County Wicklow on 29th-30th September with the juvenile still in County Cork at White's Marsh, Clonakilty on 1st October, and adults at both Cley, Norfolk and on Sanday, Orkney throughout. Five Lesser Yellowlegs comprised birds at Rosscarbery, County Cork on 26th-29th, Drinagh, County Wexford and Buckroney Marsh, County Wicklow on 28th, and present throughout at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire and Loch Stiapabhat, Lewis, Western Isles. Just three White-rumped Sandpipers this week with one at Myroe Levels, County Londonderry on 26th September, one passing west offshore at Sheringham, Norfolk on 2nd October, and an adult at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire throughout. At least 17 American Golden Plovers included an adult at Saltholme, Cleveland on 26th September, two juveniles together on Tiree, Argyll and an adult at Crowland, Lincolnshire on 29th September, an adult at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire on 30th September, lingering adults in Lancashire and Northumberland, and up to four on the Shetland Isles. Thirty Pectoral Sandpipers were recorded at 24 locations including three together at both Burton Mere Wetlands, Cheshire on 29th September and Aldeburgh Town Marshes, Suffolk on 1st October, with two at North Point, Norfolk on 27th-28th September and Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire on 1st October, and one well inland at Bodymoor Heath, Warwickshire throughout, whilst Buff-breasted Sandpiper was represented by nine singles recorded between County Clare, County Wexford, Cornwall, Lincolnshire, Orkney, Scilly, and Shetland.
Other notable waders included a Temminck's Stint at Steart, Somerset on 30th September-2nd October, at total of 10 Dotterel including two together in Gwynedd at Morfa Dinlle on 29th September with one in flight at Dungarvan, County Waterford on the same day, and one at Esha Ness, Mainland, Shetland on 30th September-2nd October, three Red-necked Phalaropes with a first-winter at Cors Ddyga, Anglesey throughout and others at Pennington Marshes, Hampshire on 26th-29th and Sandwich Bay, Kent on 27th-30th, and 165 Grey Phalarope bird days during the week with Ireland producing the high counts where 10 at Loop Head, County Clare on 26th September and three nearby at Kilkee on 28th September-1st October, four at Bloody Foreland, County Donegal on 29th September, nine at Tawin, County Galway and seven at Scraggane, County Kerry on 1st October. Birds were well inland were at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset on 26th-29th, Valley, Anglesey on 29th September-1st October, Fairford, Gloucestershire on 30th, Hemingbrough, North Yorkshire on 1st-2nd, Chasewater, Staffordshire on 2nd, and Dartmouth Park, West Bromwich, West Midlands throughout.
An Azorean Yellow-legged Gull was identified at Blennerville, County Kerry on 27th September and an adult was still on The Mullet, County Mayo on 2nd October, where this subspecies has now been recorded for the last 20 months. The adult Bonaparte's Gull was still at Kinnegar Shore, County Down on 29th September, a second-winter Ring-billed Gull was at Ardivachar, South Uist, Western Isles on 29th September, two Iceland Gulls (Northumberland and Western Isles) and three Glaucous Gulls (Argyll, Orkney, and Western Isles) were logged with 22 Sabine's Gull bird days were all singles except for two passing both North Uist, Western Isles and Sheringham, Norfolk on 29th September, whilst one at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire on 26th September was the only other seen in the North Sea this week.
The second-winter Forster's Tern remained at Arne, Dorset throughout having first been seen in Poole Harbour on 23rd April, and in County Waterford the adult White-winged Black Tern remained along the Colligan River, Dungarvan all week.
A juvenile Northern Harrier in County Mayo on The Mullet until 1st October had first been located on 25th September, whilst in Cornwall a juvenile male was identified around Croft Pascoe Pool, Goonhill Downs, The Lizard between 28th September and 2nd October. At least three juvenile Pallid Harriers were on show with the male in Essex at Wallasea Island present until 1st October, at least one on the Shetland Isles mobile around South Mainland throughout, and a new bird on Sanday, Orkney Isles on 1st-2nd, and, the now rarer than Pallid Harrier, Montagu's Harrier was at Bilboa, County Carlow on 26th September; a juvenile.
The popular juvenile Red-footed Falcon remained at Eglingham, Northumberland until 29th September with another reported in flight over Durham, County Durham on 29th, and five Honey Buzzards were logged most notable of which were juveniles on Shetland at Mid Walls, mainland on 27th September and flying over Dursey Island, County Cork on 2nd October.
A male Snowy Owl was on Shetland at Ronas Hill, Mainland on 2nd October where birds have been reported on and off since 28th February 2019.
Five Hoopoes were reported comprising three in Cornwall, and others in Cumbria at Aldingham until 29th September and reported in Powys at Cradoc on 26th September whilst at least 32 Wrynecks were logged including at least seven on the Isles of Scilly (with four on St Mary's alone on 1st October), up to two in Somerset at Dunster Beach on 26th-29th September, and one lingering at Benacre, Suffolk on 27th September-2nd October. A Short-toed Lark was on St Agnes, Scilly throughout and another was at Scatness, Mainland, Shetland on 30th September-2nd October.
Shrikes comprised the stunning adult male Turkestan Shrike on Fair Isle, Shetland throughout, five Red-backed Shrikes with singles on Orkney (North Ronaldsay), Isles of Scilly (St Mary's), Shetland (Fetlar and Loch of Spiggie, Mainland), and Suffolk (Landguard), and in Cornwall a first-winter Lesser Grey Shrike at Pensilva, Bodmin Moor throughout being the first in that county since 1983, and a first-winter Woodchat Shrike remained at Marazion until 2nd October.
Leaf warblers included the first Radde's Warbler of the year for Britain and Ireland, on Fair Isle, Shetland on 28th September, the vocal Iberian Chiffchaff at Caher East, County Cork throughout, a first-winter Greenish Warbler on Shetland at Grutness, Mainland on 30th September-1st October, at least one Arctic Warbler on Shetland on Yell at Arisdale Burn on 26th-27th and Gutcher on 29th September, and a total of 81 Yellow-browed Warblers logged from 63 sites including on Shetland three on Whalsay on 28th September, on Unst on 29th, and at Hoswick, Mainland on 30th September, and five on Fair Isle on 2nd October.
Reed and bush warblers were headlined by a first-winter Eastern Olivaceous Warbler at Long Nab, Burniston, North Yorkshire on 26th-27th, with an Icterine Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles on 26th-30th September, single Melodious Warblers on Bryher, Scilly on 26th September and Nanjizal, Cornwall on 2nd October with the long-stayer still at St Ann's Head, Pembrokeshire on 30th September, up to two Marsh Warblers at Quendale, Mainland on 1st-2nd October, and four Blyth's Reed Warblers on Shetland comprised birds on Fair Isle on 26th-27th, on Unst at Haligarth on 27th, and on Mainland at Hestingott on 28th September and Isleburgh on 2nd October.
A River Warbler on Shetland at Brae, Mainland on 1st-2nd October proved elusive but still popular whilst on Fair Isles two different Lanceolated Warbler were responsible for sightings there on most days during the week. A first-winter Subalpine Warbler species at Wester Quarff, Mainland, Shetland on 1st-2nd October was identified as an Eastern Subalpine Warbler on the latter date whilst a total of 33 Barred Warblers included two on Fair Isle, Shetland on 26th September and three on North Ronaldsay, Orkney the following day with one inland from the coast in Devon at Colyford Common from 29th September-2nd October.
An Isabelline Wheatear at Southwold on 26th September was the sixth to be identified on the Suffolk coast since the first there on 1st October 1998, a first-winter male Eastern Stonechat species at Lunna, Mainland, Shetland on 2nd October was a pale individual and so likely to have been a Siberian Stonechat, a female or first-winter male Red-flanked Bluetail was a notable find in inland Wales at Dyfnant Forest, Powys on 29th September, a Bluethroat remained at Sound, Mainland, Shetland throughout with another was on North Ronaldsay, Orkney on 26th-27th September, and a total of 20 Red-breasted Flycatchers included 11 on Shetland, three in County Cork and two on Scilly.
Wagtails included on Shetland a first-winter Eastern Yellow Wagtail at Haroldswick, Unst on 26th-30th September and a first-winter Citrine Wagtail in Lerwick, Mainland, Shetland until 1st October, whilst pipits included two American Buff-bellied Pipits still on St Kilda, Western Isles on 26th September where up to four different individuals had been present recently, a Red-throated Pipit in flight at South Stack, Anglesey on 1st October, Olive-backed Pipits on Shetland on Foula on 28th September-1st October and at Voxter, Mainland on 2nd October, and following a Richard's Pipit on Fair Isle, Shetland on 30th September-1st October others were located on Orkney (North Ronaldsay) and Shetland (Unst) on 2nd October.
Four Rose-coloured Starlings comprised a juvenile at Lizard, Cornwall on 27th September-2nd October, a juvenile on Cape Clear, County Cork on 29th September-1st October, and two together on Rousay, Orkney on 1st October, and a total of 22 Common Rosefinches included two on Unst, Shetland on 26th September, four on Fair Isle, Shetland on 28th September, and on 1st October two on both Skokholm, Pembrokeshire and St Mary's, Scilly.
Buntings included Rustic Buntings on Shetland Mainland at Wester Quarff on 27th-28th September and at Durigarth briefly on 1st October, Ortolan Buntings on Lundy, Devon on 30th September and at Spurn, East Yorkshire on 2nd October, just 11 Lapland Buntings with two on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles on 27th September the only multiple occurrence, and a total of 21 Little Buntings all except three were of which were on Shetland and included four on Unst on 29th September, three on Fair Isle on 29th-30th September, and two at Out Skerries on 29th September and East Burra on 2nd October.
The highlight of the week in the Western Palearctic was the reidentification of the apparent Connecticut Warbler found on Corvo, Azores on 25th September as the first Mourning Warbler for the Western Palearctic, it remained on the island until 29th September. Other Nearctic landbirds on Corvo comprised up to six Black-and-white Warblers, two each of Philadelphia Vireo, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, and Yellow Warbler, and single Yellow-throated Vireo, Wilson's Warbler, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Cliff Swallow, Grey-cheeked Thrush, and Red-eyed Vireo.
Nearctic landbirds elsewhere were up to six Cliff Swallows in Iceland on 26th September, a Red-eyed Vireo in Norway in Rogaland at Kvitsoy on 27th September, a Yellow Warbler in France in Finistere on Ouessant on 30th September-1st October, a Black-and-white Warbler in Belgium in West Flanders at Zeebrugge and the Belted Kingfisher in Spain in the Basque Country at Lekeito both throughout.
Otherwise on the Azores a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron was on Flores at Ponta Delgada on 30th September-1st October, a Northern Harrier on Corvo on 26th September when a Short-billed Dowitcher was still with two Semipalmated Plovers on Terceira at Cabo da Praia.
In France a Semipalmated Plover was in Finistere on Ouessant on 26th September-1st October with a Northern Harrier at Ile de Sein on 26th September and over Plovan the following day, an American Buff-bellied Pipit on Ile de Sein on 30th September-1st October, and an Upland Sandpiper at Capestang, Hérault on 1st October. In Belgium a Spotted Eagle flew over Zwijnaarde, Ghent on 27th September and a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler was at Zeebrugge, West Flanders on 30th September-2nd October.
On the Channel Islands an Amur Wagtail at Longis Bay, Alderney on 29th September adds to the bizarre emerging pattern of occurrence of this unexpected vagrant subspecies of White Wagtail to the Western Palearctic of which there have been four previous records here:
- 5th-6th April 2005 Seaham, County Durham, Britain
- 1st-2nd November 2008 Kalleberg, Farsund, Vest-Agder, Norway
- 27th November-2nd December 2015 Kujala, Paijat-Hame, Finland
- 20th May-3rd June 2023 Foula, Shetland Isles, Britain
Vagrants have also been recorded in Oman (September 2015), Kazakhstan (May 2018 and December 2021), and UAE (January 2021) and although the majority of these records are accepted by national rarities committees Hadoram Shirihai and Lars Svensson in their magnum opus 'Handbook of Western Palearctic Birds' suggested that some or all of the above occurrences could be aberrant Pied Wagtails and not leucopsis.
We are currently at a peak time in the calendar for new species to be added to national and regional lists with memorable additions in this week in history including:
- 3rd Brown Shrike (Western Palearctic, Sweden 1984) and Common Yellowthroat (Ireland, 2003)
- 4th Prothonotary Warbler (Western Palearctic, Azores 2019), Blue-winged Warbler (Ireland 2000), and Grey Catbird (Britain 2001)
- 5th Palm Warbler (Western Palearctic, Iceland 1997), Eastern Kingbird (Ireland 2012), and Blackburnian Warbler (Britain 1961)
- 6th Least Flycatcher (Western Palearctic, Iceland 2003), Tennessee Warbler (Ireland 2020), and Thick-billed Warbler (Britain 1955)
- 7th Wood Thrush (Britain 1987), and Least Bittern (Ireland 2019)
- 8th Bateleur (Western Palearctic, Iraq 1954), Canada Warbler (Ireland 2006), and Alder Flycatcher (Britain 2008)
- 9th Siberian Accentor (Britain 2016) and Indigo Bunting (Ireland 1985)
With so many Nearctic species in that rollcall combined with the incredible westerly bias of recent weeks if further new birds are to be found in Britain and Ireland then birds from North American seem most likely. Of the 22 species of Nearctic landbird that are accepted as already having occurred in the Western Palearctic but not yet in either Britain or Ireland 19 have been recorded in autumn at an obvious point of first arrival - namely either the Azores or Iceland - and these species form a logical hitlist for birders searching for firsts here, in taxonomic order:
- Northern Flicker
- Eastern Wood Pewee
- Least Flycatcher
- Western Kingbird
- Northern Shrike
- White-eyed Vireo
- Warbling Vireo
- Lincoln's Sparrow
- Prothonotary Warbler
- Connecticut Warbler
- Mourning Warbler
- Cerulean Warbler
- Black-throated Blue Warbler
- Palm Warbler
- Yellow-throated Warbler
- Prairie Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Dickcissel
- Blue Grosbeak
Here's hoping.
Chris Batty
3 October 2023
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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