Weekly birding round-up: 17 - 23 Oct 2023
Another week, another first for Britain. 2023 has been quite the year, and as autumns go this has been a particularly memorable example. The week was dominated by the intensity of Storm Babet, a tragically ferocious and disruptive weather system.
On the coattails of the storm, aided and abetted by high pressure over Scandinavia, birds were being swept into north-eastern Britain by persistent and sustained south-easterlies – Shetland experienced an unprecedented influx of steely blue-grey Continental Coal Tits, perhaps not unexpectedly given the early warnings of their irruption we’d heard from Scandinavian birders, where tens of thousands of birds had been seen on the move in recent weeks. Surely nobody, however, could have anticipated what would prove to be the bird of the week…
Life-long Whalsay birder John Lowrie Irvine knows a thing or two about finding rare warblers on the isle. There will be a number of twitchers out there who owe him a debt of gratitude for, amongst other birds down the years, the male Ruppell’s Warbler he found on the island on 3rd October 1990, a bird that was trapped and ringed on the day of discovery and obligingly went on to extend its stay until 19th October – making it eminently twitchable.
That was, at the time, only the third British record for the species and, to this day, there’ve only been two subsequent birds, the last in 1995. Rare stuff, then. But not John Lowrie’s finest hour, as this week he hit the birding equivalent of the jackpot – a first for Britain, and one within sight of his home too.
The first your own correspondent knew of unfolding events was a message from John Lowrie on our local island WhatsApp group on 20th announcing he’d found an Acro/Iduna, and asking those of us on the island to come along to lend a hand with it – this would be just two of us as, unfortunately as it would transpire, one of our four-strong number, Whalsay stalwart Brian Marshall, was away from Shetland at the time.
In the meantime John Lowrie shared a back of camera image. At first glance we thought it was an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. Shortly afterwards, with daylight bleeding from the sky, Steve Jones and I found ourselves watching the bird alongside John Lowrie as it fed actively in a corner of the dense plantation at Skibberhoull known, on the island, simply as Frankie’s.
The bird was positively hyperactive, quite the opposite of the last, skulking, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler the island hosted on 12th-16th September 2015. That bird habitually lurked in deep cover, only occasionally giving itself up. This individual, on the other hand, was often in the open, but constantly in motion – moving quickly through branches, pausing occasionally in the open at close quarters, and even making brazen fly-catching sorties overhead and well outside the plantation. Sometimes, colliding with the week’s other big Shetland news, it shared a tree with a Coal Tit…
Watching it, the three of us didn’t have a penny-dropping moment, though John Lowrie did mention Western Olivaceous Warbler in passing – offhand, we couldn’t recall specific features for it. The bird appeared to tail-pump a couple of times, though with hindsight having watched it for hours the following day, this was probably just it balancing itself as it actively foraged.
Later that evening John Lowrie messaged again, to ask about the tail pumping observation – Shetland birder and former Fair Isle Bird Observatory warden Paul Harvey had raised the possibility of the bird being a candidate for Western Olivaceous Warbler - tail-pumping would be an indication of Eastern.
Our friend, Whalsay regular and Western Palearctic rarity finder extraordinaire Pete Stronach, ran through diagnostic or indicative features with us, and we tried to resolve those against what we could see on the photographs we’d taken between us. Features like the shape of the bill were pretty subjective on the basis of what we had at that point. It was clear we would need to try again in the morning…
From dawn on a raw and cold 21st we were back at Frankie’s, where the bird remained, though at first neither as active nor confiding as it had been the prior evening. We continued to try to make sense of its bill shape, still a very subjective task in the field. What was certain was that the bird wasn’t tail-pumping, and it remained resolutely silent.
An hour or so later Paul Harvey and Roger Riddington joined the two of us – we now had two former Fair Isle Bird Obs wardens on the case… An hour later, by the time a small cadre of other Shetland birders had arrived, we hadn’t advanced much further. The long, rounded tail and pale lores, the plain sandy colour, and the bird’s behaviour seemed suggestive of Western Olivaceous, but the consensus was that the only way to be certain of its identity would be to examine it in the hand. And even then, there’s overlap in a number of the stated biometrics for Eastern and Western Olivaceous so, in the absence of DNA analysis, the bird would need to be well in the Western range to be confidently claimed as what would prove to be a first for Britain.
Permission for Phil Harris to set up a mist net in the corner of the plantation was secured from the landowner, and within five minutes of the net being erected the bird had self-trapped itself. Phil, Paul and Roger retired to process the bird; John Lowrie and I to my car to warm up.
The bird was processed quickly and efficiently and, with that, came the news we had all been hoping for – it was a strong and confident fit for Western Olivaceous Warbler.
The bird was promptly released back in its favoured corner of the plantation, where it immediately resumed its former foraging behaviour. As the day wore on, the weather deteriorated, but the bird continued to show well for those determined to brave the lumpy ferry crossing from the Shetland mainland. By Sunday, however, the weather was truly atrocious, combining foul wind and persistent rain. Unfortunately for those who had not been able to make the crossing on 21st, there was no further sign of the bird at Frankie’s.
So, a first for Britain, and only a third record for northern Europe following one on Eggegrund (Sweden) in September 1993, and another more recently on Heligoland (Germany) in November 2022. Perhaps the latter bird, with this week’s individual, gives some cause for hope for those who weren’t in the right place at the right time this week – maybe they’ll turn up a little less infrequently in future.
Even in this age of immediate news and weekly rarity gratification, there’s still a distinct buzz surrounding the annual publication of the BBRC Rarities Report in the august pages of British Birds. There’s the quiet satisfaction of seeing one’s name in print alongside whatever rare bird you found during the preceding year. The pleasure of reliving the buzz of a successfully twitched mega. The guilty schadenfreude of scanning the Not Proven section for the occasional weirdness of a hitherto unheard-of rarity in a Home Counties garden. Oh, and speaking of surprises, the occasional revelation that you simply weren’t expecting.
This year’s Rarities Report dropped in the past few days and, amongst all the anticipated gems, there was something of a surprise. A bird, present on Out Skerries (Shetland) in October 2010, and accepted as a Black-headed Bunting, had been reassessed and reidentified as a Red-headed Bunting. By the Norwegian Rarities Committee.
(Which presents all sorts of tempting, low-hanging political fruit to pluck about Shetland’s historic status, its comparatively recent inclusion as part of Scotland, etc, but let’s stick with the birds…)
That Skerries record has now been accepted by BBRC as Red-headed Bunting, and is now doing the rounds with BOURC. While it’s wise not to second guess these committees, there has to be decent chance it’s set to be rubber-stamped as Britain’s first acceptable record of the species.
There’ve been other birds that probably were wild and not wire-hoppers, but those babies for years have been thrown out with the escaped cagebird theory bathwater. Another bird to test the water would be most timely, and that’s exactly what we got this week in the shape of a first-winter bird found on Flamborough (East Yorkshire).
Initially reported on 21st (though first seen fleetingly on 19th) with understandable caution as a probable Black-headed Bunting, as the afternoon progressed that upgraded to a stronger call for Black-headed Bunting, albeit always with the caveat of possible Red-headed Bunting attached to it. By the evening it had moved to probable Red-headed… The shifting sands were totally understandable, as non-adult birds represent an identification minefield to navigate.
A day later, as 22nd drew to a close, the news had firmed up – we’d got a Red-headed Bunting on our hands, and a British mainland bird at that. Remaining present on 23rd, this was some consolation, surely, for those keenest twitchers whose plans to trek north to Shetland had been thwarted by circumstance.
No, a Grey-cheeked Thrush isn’t the rarest of Nearctic passerines but, in an autumn hitherto so dominated by birds from the Americas, it would be churlish not to include yet another species in the weekly roll call of the great and good.
Found on Inishbofin (Co.Galway) on 20th, the bird was teasingly wary and mobile and, by the evening, hadn’t been relocated. British birders, with dozens of Grey-cheeked Thrushes to their collective record over the years, have been spoiled for choice – but this was the first Catharus thrush of any complexion in Co.Galway. A worthy headliner after all.
We’re knocking at the door of November now, and yet the seabirds are still not done with us just yet. Sure, numbers of Little Auks are mounting, but the rarer seabirds remain on offer, and just maybe still arriving.
Starting off Scilly, the Red-footed Booby was again seen on the Bishop Rock Lighthouse on 22nd.
In Ireland, the resident adult Double-crested Cormorant was also seen again on Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim) on 22nd.
Back to Scilly, a probable Madeiran Petrel was reported from the Scillonian in the morning of 23rd east of Wolf Rock.
And before we abandon Scilly for nationwide news, there’s some belated business from the week before to deal with – a Scopoli’s Shearwater seen from the Scilly pelagic of 15th.
Nor was that all the belated news – Friday 13th may be infamously unlucky for some, but not it seems for those who saw a South Polar Skua from St Ives (Cornwall) last week.
Phew. Heady stuff. Returning to more conventional fare, numbers of large shearwaters finally began to recede – some 830 Cory’s Shearwaters were logged, of which 300 off Tresco (Scilly) on 20th and 300 in the vicinity of the Bishop Rock (Scilly) on 22nd were the highest tallies; and around 200 Great Shearwaters nationwide, with a peak count of 42 seen from the Scillonian on 23rd.
A little over 40 Balearic Shearwaters meanwhile were seen, predominantly in the southwest of England.
Some 220 Leach’s Petrels were noted over the course of the week, with an impressive 70 birds seen from South Queensferry (Lothian) on 20th.
An unconfirmed report came of a Wilson’s Petrel off Aughris Head (Co.Galway) on 20th.
A shade over 180 Pomarine Skua were seen during the week and, somewhat scarcer, 55 Long-tailed Skua - of the latter, seven birds seen from Kingsbarns (Fife) on 20th were the highest count.
A little over 100 Little Auks were noted, with 11 seen on 20th from St Abb’s Head (Borders) the best tally amongst their number.
Finally, Flamborough (East Yorkshire) scored a fine White-billed Diver on 18th-19th and again on 23rd; an adult was also seen on 22nd off Port Seton (Lothian), and on 23rd from Ferny Ness; a juvenile was also found on 23rd off Burghead (Moray).
Widely scattered Glossy Ibises were seen the length of Britain again this week – the most northerly of which made it as far as Shetland, present at Quendale on 22nd-23rd. Down on Scilly, one remained on St Mary’s on 19th-22nd, while in neighbouring Cornwall two birds settled at Marazion Marsh RSPB on 20th-23rd. In Devon one remained at Fremington Pill on 23rd. Dorset returned sightings over Wareham Channel on 20th, Slepe Heath on 21st, and Portland on 23rd. One was seen at Catcott Lows NR (Somerset) on 22nd.
In Hampshire, three birds remained at Titchfield Haven NNR on 18th-22nd. Three birds remained at Dungeness (Kent) on 20th-23rd. In Suffolk, two were still to be found at Aldeburgh Town Marshes on 18th, and one was seen at Kessingland on 22nd. A bird remained at Stanstead Abbotts GPs (Hertfordshire) on 17th-21st; another was at Deeping Lakes LWT (Lincolnshire) on 17th-23rd. Two birds were seen at Ardfern (Argyll & Bute) on 17th.
Our only Irish sightings this week came from Lady’s Island Lake (Co.Wexford), where four birds were present on 17th still, and at Red Strand (Co.Cork) on 23rd where a single bird was seen.
Back in Cornwall at Marazion Marsh RSPB the juvenile Purple Heron was still to be seen on 17th-22nd; another was seen on 21st on St Mary’s (Scilly); and a juvenile settled at Whelford Pools (Gloucestershire) on 16th-23rd.
In Somerset, the juvenile Squacco Heron was again seen at Ham Wall RSPB on 22nd-23rd.
A Corncrake was found on 18th at Fife Ness (Fife).
We’ll start the week’s honkers and quackers with the former and, in the north, the two lingering Red-breasted Geese of late – one still to be seen at Budle Bay (Northumberland) on 17th-23rd, and the other still out on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 19th-23rd.
The blue morph Snow Goose was still present in Lancashire & North Merseyside, seen at Eagland Hill on 18th; two birds were reported from here on 23rd. The white morph was still at Findhorn Bay (Moray) on 17th; and another on North Uist (Western Isles) again on 19th.
A possible Ross’s Goose was seen between Portmahomack and Tarbat Ness (Highland & Caithness) on 18th.
A Black Brant was back on Dorset’s Fleet off Rodden Hive on 22nd.
Finishing off the honkers with The Goose Formerly Known As Canada, the hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose was still present at Ballygilgan NR (Co.Sligo) on 21st; and an interior Todd’s Canada Goose at Balnakeil (Highland & Caithness) on 23rd.
Ring-necked Ducks were again numerous, with 22 birds logged over the course of the week. Amongst those, two sites boasted multiple birds – two present at Dozmary Pool (Cornwall) on 17th-20th still rose to three birds present there on 21st-23rd; and in Ireland, three on the reservoir near Kilkee (Co.Clare) on 17th had risen to four birds present on 18th, while two were found on Inishmore (Co.Galway) on 23rd.
A probable female Lesser Scaup remained at Dozmary Pool (Cornwall) on 17th-18th.
A female Ferruginous Duck was seen at Clifton Pits (Worcestershire) on 17th; another bird, a female / first-winter drake, was present at Inch Island Lake (Co.Donegal) on 19th.
In East Yorkshire, one of the recent Blue-winged Teals was again seen at Tophill Low NR on 20th-22nd, with both birds again confirmed as present there on 23rd.
Co.Galway was the epicentre of American Wigeon sightings this week – the female remained on Inishbofin on 17th-22nd; and a drake on Inishmore on 20th-22nd. Other lingering birds were the eclipse drake still on Beacon Ponds NR (East Yorkshire) on 17th-23rd, the drake still on Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire) on 22nd, and the female on Foula (Shetland) on 20th-22nd still; and another drake was found at Ardmore Point (Argyll & Bute) on 21st-22nd.
A Green-winged Teal remained on Lewis (Western Isles) on 17th-19th, while another was still in Devon at Dawlish Warren NNR on 17th-22nd. New birds this week were seen at Hayle Estuary RSPB (Cornwall) on 21st-23rd, Longhaven (Aberdeenshire) on 22nd, and Colt Crag Reservoir (Northumberland) on 23rd; two more possible birds, both female / juvenile drakes, were found on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 22nd.
On Scilly, a juvenile Surf Scoter was hanging around off St Mary’s on 19th-21st, with another sighting in the archipelago off Gugh on 21st. Away from here, a female bird was tracked heading along the Suffolk coast on the morning of 19th, seen between Pakefield, Southwold, Minsmere and Thorpeness; and another was found on 22nd-23rd in Scotland at Castletown (Highland & Caithness).
Finally, an unconfirmed report of a female / juvenile drake Stejneger’s Scoter off Crail (Fife) on 21st came to nothing further subsequently.
Cornwall gave us a couple of intriguing reports this week – foremost amongst them a wholly unconfirmed report of a Greater Sand Plover at Sennen on 17th.
As the week drew to an end, what’s perhaps the same Upland Sandpiper that’s been seen intermittently elsewhere in West Penwith was found in a field at Sennen (Cornwall) in the late afternoon of 23rd. Present for just five minutes, it continues to flirt with observers. A steady presence somewhere for a day or two would doubtless be extremely popular.
On 21st a possible Pacific Golden Plover was seen at Dozmary Pool (Cornwall), with an American Golden Plover also present there that day. The former bird was again seen there on 23rd. A dozen more of the latter species were logged this week – on Lewis (Western Isles) still on 17th; near Wheldrake (North Yorkshire) on 17th-19th; at Ballycotton (Co.Cork) on 18th-20th; at Banks Marsh NNR (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 19th and again on 22nd-23rd; on North Uist (Western Isles) on 19th still; on Muckross Estuary (Co.Cork) on 19th-23rd; at Tawin (Co.Galway) on 20th still; on 21st still at Clahane Strand (Co.Clare); and elsewhere on 21st-22nd at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire), on 21st on Omey Island (Co.Galway), and on 21st-22nd at Ferriter’s Cove (Co.Kerry); and on 23rd at Lurgangreen (Co.Louth). Another probable was seen on 21st over Lower Kilminning (Fife), with a probable at Elmley NNR (Kent) on 22nd.
A Dotterel was found on St Agnes (Scilly) on 21st; two more were found on 22nd on The Lizard (Cornwall).
A Baird’s Sandpiper was found on 21st at South Slob (Co.Wexford); on 22nd birds were seen at Clonakilty (Co.Cork) again, and at Harper’s Island (Co.Cork), the latter bird remaining present on 23rd.
Crap pix but delighted to pick up this juv Baird's Sandpiper in a flooded field this morning. Co Wexford. pic.twitter.com/E9ZiNL2h3i
— Paul Kelly (@irishbirdimage) October 21, 2023
A White-rumped Sandpiper was seen again at Myroe Levels (Co.Derry) on 21st, with another that day at Owenahincha (Co.Cork). On 22nd-23rd a bird was sharing Harper’s Island with the aforementioned Baird’s Sandpiper.
Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) retained its recent Semipalmated Sandpiper on 17th; another was still present at Sandymount Strand (Co.Dublin) on 17th also; and a further bird was found at Ballycotton (Co.Cork) on 19th-20th.
A handful of Pectoral Sandpipers were seen this week – two still at Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 19th; further birds remained at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 17th, and Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 17th-19th.
A Great Snipe was found in Suffolk at Gunton on 20th, while the putative Wilson’s Snipe remained on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 18th.
A Wilson’s Phalarope was seen briefly at Ballycotton (Co.Cork) on 19th.
Numbers of Grey Phalaropes soared, with over 130 birds noted over the course of recent days – chief amongst those were a dozen birds seen at Newbiggin (Northumberland) on 21st, following 10 there the previous day.
Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 17th-23rd, Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 17th, Inch Island Lake (Co.Donegal) on 17th, again at Grune Point (Cumbria) on 22nd, and again at Lurgangreen (Co.Louth) on 23rd. Two probable birds were seen on Islay (Argyll & Bute) at Loch Gruinart RSPB on 21st.
The settled Norfolk adult Long-billed Dowitcher remained at Cley NWT on 17th and 23rd, and Stiffkey Fen again on 22nd; the recent juvenile remained in East Sussex at Cuckmere Haven on 17th-23rd; one was again seen besides White’s Marsh (Co.Cork) on 22nd; and another was found on 22nd-23rd at Walmsley Sanctuary CBWPS (Cornwall). On 22nd the recent bird was again seen at Cahore Marsh (Co.Wexford).
Sabine’s Gulls just about scaled the dizzy heights of double figures again this week. Singletons were noted on 17th from Ballyquintin Point (Co.Down), St Mary’s (Scilly), and Southwold, Benacre and Slaughden (Suffolk); on 18th from the Scillonian, in Mounts Bay (Cornwall), and Nybster (Highland & Caithness); on 19th in Chesil Cove (Dorset); on 20th from North Foreland (Kent) and Isle of May (Fife); on 21st from St Ives (Cornwall), and Seaton Sluice and St Mary’s Island (Northumberland); on 22nd at Chanonry Point (Highland & Caithness); and on 23rd, when three birds were seen during the Scillonian’s toing and froing that day.
A first-winter Bonaparte’s Gull was seen on Scilly off St Mary’s on 22nd.
Glaucous Gulls were once more seen in modest numbers, with the start of the week proving busiest – on 17th birds were found at Flamborough (East Yorkshire), Long Nab (North Yorkshire), Hendon (Co.Durham), Burghead (Moray), Westray (Orkney), and Unst (Shetland); on 19th one was seen on Islay (Argyll & Bute); on 21st another at Ballydonegan (Co.Cork); and on 22nd-23rd a juvenile at St Mary’s Island (Northumberland).
A handful of Iceland Gulls were also logged – from Westray (Orkney) on 17th; Fair Isle (Shetland) on 19th; on 21st at Flamborough (East Yorkshire) and Cullercoats (Northumberland); and on 23rd at Ryhope (Co.Durham).
A probable first-winter American Herring Gull was seen from the ferry off Belfast (Co.Antrim) on 21st.
In Dorset the second-winter Forster's Tern was seen again in Poole Harbour at Arne RSPB on 19th.
Finally, a Gull-billed Tern was seen at Seasalter (Kent) on 20th.
Easterlies proved fruitful for bringing us the first flush of Rough-legged Buzzards this autumn – birds being found this week at Afton Down (Isle of Wight) on 20th; in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea Wetlands NR, Easington and Stone Creek on 21st-23rd; a probable on 21st also at Watermead Lake (Buckinghamshire); in Cleveland on 21st at Cowpen Marsh, and on 22nd at Holme Fleet and Greatham; and on 22nd-23rd in Shetland’s South Mainland in the Quendale area.
In Dorset a juvenile Pallid Harrier continued to haunt the Wyke Down area on 18th-20th, having been in the area for perhaps as much as almost a week beforehand. Another juvenile was found on Lundy (Devon) on 19th-20th; on 22nd juveniles were seen at Stone Creek (East Yorkshire) and Loch Heilen (Highland & Caithness), the Stone Creek bird remaining there the following day; and a probable was seen in Norfolk at Titchwell RSPB on 21st. Two more additional probables were reported on 23rd, at St Abb’s Head (Borders) and Kessingland (Suffolk).
The amazing first for Lundy, Pallid Harrier. Quite chuffed with this movie, near dusk at Pondsbury at about 400 metres.. pic.twitter.com/gRozifreGg
— Exminster Marshes (@ExminsterMarsh) October 22, 2023
A possible juvenile Northern Harrier has been seen ‘recently’ at Lurgangreen (Co.Louth).
A Black Kite was seen at Blean (Kent) on 17th.
Finally, a Taiga Merlin was found on 18th at Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare), only the second confirmed record of this distinctive form in Ireland.
As we push towards the later stages of the autumn, now’s a fine time for Pallid Swifts to turn up, and that’s just what happened as the week wore on. On 21st two birds were found on the east coast, one about as far south as that was possible to be, at Botany Bay in Kent, and the other in Norfolk at West Runton. On 22nd birds were seen at North Foreland (Kent), and Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk); with a probable that evening in Suffolk at Kessingland. By 23rd a bird had made it much further north, being found in central Lerwick (Shetland), with another probable seen back in the south at Weir Wood Reservoir (East Sussex).
An Alpine Swift graced Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 21st.
Norfolk also gave us the first of the week’s Hoopoes, seen near Saxlingham on 17th. On 19th one was found at Grainthorpe (Lincolnshire), while on 19th-22nd another was at Harlestone (Northamptonshire). On 21st two westerly English birds were discovered – one in Somerset at Combwich, and the other in Dorset at Hengistbury Head – and an Irish representative in Co.Donegal at Portnoo; while the Chynhalls Point (Cornwall) bird remained present there on that day also. On 23rd birds were found at Waxham (Norfolk), Rushden Lakes (Northamptonshire), and near Whitby (North Yorkshire).
Scilly continued to boast Wrynecks on St Mary’s on 19th-21st, Bryher on 19th, and St Agnes on 21st. A further bird was seen in Cornwall at Porthgwarra on 19th-21st; one near Seaton (Devon) on 22nd-23rd; and Irish birds at Nethertown (Co.Wexford) on 21st-22nd, and Carne and Carnsore Point (Co.Wexford) on 22nd.
On Scilly the adult male Red-backed Shrike remained on St Mary’s on 17th. Another was found on 21st-23rd at Castle Eden Dene (Co.Durham), with a brief probable on 21st at Howick (Northumberland), and a final bird at Wick (Highland & Caithness) on 22nd.
The recent Lesser Grey Shrike remained on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 17th-23rd.
Great Grey Shrikes were on the move now, with several birds seen in recent days. Two lingered on Holy Island (Northumberland) on 19th-21st; one was found at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire) on 19th; single birds were seen in Shetland at Maywick on 20th, Quendale on 20th-22nd, and Geosetter on 22nd; a bird was found at Boarhills (Fife) on 21st-22nd; and a Welsh bird at Great Ormes Head (Conwy) on 22nd. A final bird was reported on 22nd from Nosterfield Quarry (North Yorkshire).
Also very much on the up this week were Waxwings. Some 500 birds were reported over the course of recent days, stripping berries wherever they went.
The Short-toed Lark was again seen on Harris (Western Isles) on 18th.
This, though, was potentially not the lark of the week. Indeed, had the possible Bimaculated Lark seen heading southwest over Flamborough (East Yorkshire) in the late morning of 23rd only been confirmed, we’d have yet another massive, unblocking headliner for 2023.
A handful of late autumn warblers were seen, though not setting the world on fire as such. Radde’s Warblers were found in East Yorkshire on 17th-18th at Flamborough, and on 18th at Spurn; and more unusually, on 21st inland near Ampthill (Bedfordshire). Dusky Warblers meanwhile were seen on Westray (Orkney) on 18th, at Whitburn CP (Co.Durham) on 18th also, and at Freswick (Highland & Caithness) on 22nd.
The first of the autumn’s Pallas’s Warblers checked in this week – one seen deep in Quendale (Shetland) on 23rd.
Yellow-browed Warblers meanwhile remained fairly subdued, with just 130 birds logged nationwide. Perhaps those autumns in the recent past when they arrived in their weekly thousands were anomalous and not the precedent we thought at the time.
A Melodious Warbler was seen in Kenidjack Valley (Cornwall) on 19th.
Barred Warblers maintained their national presence with around a dozen birds noted over the course of the week.
A handful of Rose-coloured Starling were again seen this week – birds being found on 18th at Haverfordwest (Pembrokeshire), and also still present that day on Cape Clear (Co.Cork); on 19th on St Mary’s (Scilly), and at Pendeen (Cornwall); on 22nd on Bryher (Scilly); and on 19th-23rd in Pembrokeshire at Trefin.
The irrepressible thrush-finder of Papa Westray (Orkney), David Roche, was at it again this week, discovering a mighty White’s Thrush on there on 18th.
An unconfirmed report also came of a Black-throated Thrush at Withernsea (East Yorkshire) on 20th.
In Shetland the Bluethroat remained at Bakkasetter on 17th, with a bird also at Norby on 23rd. Another was found in Lincolnshire at Saltfleetby NNR on 21st.
A Red-flanked Bluetail was present at Kilnsea (East Yorkshire) on 17th-22nd, and trapped and ringed there on 18th. Another was found at Easington (East Yorkshire) on 18th also, while one was trapped and ringed that day on North Ronaldsay (Orkney).
A handful of Red-breasted Flycatchers were found this week – on Shetland at Wester Quarff on 18th; also on 18th at Filey (North Yorkshire), and St Mary’s (Scilly); and on 20th on Lundy (Devon). St Mary’s landed another bird on 23rd, with one seen briefly on St Agnes that day also.
An Eastern Stonechat sp, considered probably a Siberian, was present at Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 19th-23rd.
A couple more Pied Wheatears were added to the year’s scoresheet this week, with a bird present at Montrose Basin (Angus) on 20th, and another in Suffolk on 22nd at North Denes.
Fair Isle, in addition to a flood of Coal Tits this week, also scored a Black-bellied Dipper on 20th-23rd.
A probable Blue-headed Wagtail was seen on Tresco (Scilly) on 23rd.
Seventeen Richard’s Pipits were confirmed this week, with three more possibles heading south over Waxham (Norfolk) on 21st. Two were confirmed on Tresco (Scilly) on 19th.
As many as half a dozen Olive-backed Pipits were seen in recent days – on 19th at Hartlepool Headland (Cleveland) and on Isle of May (Fife); on 21st at Welwick Saltmarsh YWT (East Yorkshire); on 22nd on Holy Island (Northumberland); and further possible birds on 21st at Lower Kilminning (Fife), and on 22nd at North Queensferry (Fife).
A Red-throated Pipit was found on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 22nd; it, or another, was found on St Agnes on 23rd.
Common Rosefinches were hard to come by, with just five birds reported this week – one still in Maen Valley (Cornwall) on 17th; another over Trow Quarry (Co.Durham) on 18th; on 22nd, birds on St Mary’s (Scilly) and at Kilnsea (East Yorkshire); and on 23rd on Tory Island (Co.Donegal).
In addition to the hornemanni Arctic Redpoll still present on Unst (Shetland) on 17th-21st, the islands enjoyed a small influx of the less snowbally exilipes form this week – birds being found on Fetlar on 20th, Foula on 21st, Unst on 21st where at least two birds were present, and Mainland at Loch of Bellister on 21st and Vidlin on 22nd.
Nineteen Little Buntings were logged this week, with several sites enjoying duos and one Sparrowhawk enjoying a small snack at one of those – two birds on St Mary’s on 18th being thinned out that afternoon. Two were present on neighbouring St Agnes on 21st-23rd, and two more at Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 19th.
On Inishbofin (Co.Galway) the recent Black-and-white Warbler was still to be seen on 17th-22nd, while Shetland’s Yellow Warbler moved into the lush depths of the burn at Hoswick to weather the weather on 17th-23rd.
Nearctic birds continued to write some headlines elsewhere in the Western Palearctic this week, and arguably nowhere more so than in Romania, where an Ovenbird was trapped and ringed at Chituc on 17th.
While the Belted Kingfisher remained in Spain on the Rio Lea on 17th-23rd, Spanish birders had fresh distraction in the form of a Common Nighthawk found at Vigo on 23rd.
East met west in the islands off the French coast this week, with a Brown Shrike on Ouessant on 17th, and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo on Île d'Yeu on 20th.
Italy landed an island prize in the form of a Moussier’s Redstart on Linosa on 20th.
In Poland, a female Western Black-eared Wheatear was settled at Wyspa Sobieszewska on 15th-20th.
Georgia, meanwhile, was graced by a Pied Bushchat at the Chorokhi Delta on 17th.
From here on it’s Nearctic all the way. We can treat the American Redstart on Iceland at Hellnar on 20th as a mere amuse bouche for the main course on the Azores…
…where Corso was absolutely creaking at the seams this week. For starters, the White-eyed Vireo remained on there on 17th-21st, and a Common Yellowthroat on 17th-18th. A number of species were represented by multiple individuals of their kind this week – with peak counts of two Ovenbirds on 19th-21st; four Red-eyed Vireos on 17th; three Bobolinks on 21st; four Rose-breasted Grosbeaks on 19th; two Semipalmated Plovers on 18th; seven Swainson’s Thrushes on 19th; three Grey-cheeked Thrushes on 21st; and three Indigo Buntings on 19th-21st. Single examples were seen of Cliff Swallow on 18th-19th; Yellow-billed Cuckoo on 17th; Tennessee Warbler on 18th-19th; Yellow-crowned Night Heron on 20th; Tree Swallow on 19th; Baltimore Oriole on 19th; and Scarlet Tanager on 20th.
Flores was pretty busy too. There the Yellow-crowned Night Heron remained on 17th; and single examples were found of Red-eyed Vireo, Ovenbird, and Bobolink on 17th-19th; and Swainson’s Thrush, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Common Yellowthroat, Great Blue Heron, and Green Heron on 18th.
The coming week, the last of October, looks like a game of two halves for Britain and Ireland. Much of the region is set to be battered by westerly winds coming fresh off a big lump of low pressure brewing in the Atlantic. Meanwhile, northeastern Britain seems set to continue anew the recent spell of easterlies. More Coal Tits ahoy, then…
But what else could all of this spell for us? From the west, could Scilly or southwest Ireland be in for a blackberry-munching Rose-breasted Grosbeak? Now is a time when they’re on the move, as the Azores could attest.
And from the east? Olive-backed Pipits are there for the self-finding, for sure, and perhaps another Pied Wheatear or two. Siberian Rubythroat and Siberian Blue Robin both have historic precedent for another consecutive week, and would be warmly welcomed wherever either was found. But could the east spring another really big surprise in this already glittering year of avian prizes? Time will tell.
Jon Dunn
24 October 2023
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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