Weekly birding round-up: 5 - 11 Dec 2023
The preceding week's cold snap broke in the week just gone, with mild, wetter weather once more coming to the fore. What passes as typically early winter weather in these parts, imminent Christmas winter wonderland cliches notwithstanding. Typical weather, and typically rather quiet on the bird front as a whole.
Well, 'quiet' is all relative. If the general birding tenor and tone of the week was peaceful, news of yet another superb seabird for 2023 struck a very different note...
Until 2023 went utterly Nearctic, the year was shaping up to be most memorable for a superb showing of notable seabirds, with both quantity and quality on offer, and for a sustained period that stretched from the late weeks of summer into the months of autumn. All good things, though, had to come to their natural end.
Or did they? With not so very many days of the year remaining, this week delivered another twist in the seabird tale. News greeted us in the morning of 11th of an intermediate morph Trindade Petrel photographed and filmed off Pendeen (Cornwall) in the morning of 9th.
An absolutely immense find by Steve Rogers and Pete Clement and, with hard evidence to support it, proof positive that putting the hours in, no matter what juncture the year finds itself, can pay handsome dividends.
Pete Clement & myself found this Trindade Petrel pale/intermediate form on Sat 10:05 off Pendeen. Luckily I took a video & stills. Thanks to @Scillypelagics Bob Flood & John Ryan for confirming ID & M Elliott comments as well. Pics are small but crucial features are all there. pic.twitter.com/fjc4o5tE8t
— Steve Rogers (@RunnelStone) December 11, 2023
Maybe a white Christmas is a lot to hope for, particularly in the mild climes of Cornwall, but there won't be many county birders there who head into the festive period feeling anything but elated that Christmas came a little early with the leucophrys White-crowned Sparrow hanging around for a few days and proving reliable at Rosudgeon still this week, present there on 5th-8th, and again on 11th.
Seabird activity enjoyed a second wind this week largely, but as we've already seen, not entirely courtesy of Ireland. Cream of the crop had to be not one but two Barolo Shearwaters noted passing Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) in the early afternoon of 9th.
Adding some extra lustre to the week was confirmation that the Double-crested Cormorant was still present this week on Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim) on 9th also.
Up in Shetland, two White-billed Divers were seen from Yell on 5th.
Around 20 Little Auks nationwide marked a drop in their numbers on the preceding week, with three birds - seen from Southwold (Suffolk) on 7th - the peak count of recent days.
Two large shearwaters were logged this week - in the northeast, a Cory's seen from Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 5th; and in the southwest, a Great Shearwater seen from Pendeen (Cornwall) on 7th.
A Pomarine Skua was seen on 5th on the north Norfolk coast at Cromer and Sheringham, the latter site scoring a sighting again on 8th; on 9th birds were seen from Southwold (Suffolk) and Ilfracombe (Devon); and another Devonian sightings came on 10th at Shoalstone Point.
A little under 20 Glossy Ibises marked a drop in their numbers of late, though some sites continued to hold multiple birds, and fresh birds were picked up elsewhere. In the south of England two remained at Fremington Pill (Devon) on 6th-11th; three at Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire) on 6th-10th still; three still at Dungeness (Kent) on 10th-11th; and two at Westhay Moor NNR (Somerset) on 8th-11th. Three were found in Wales on the Loughor Estuary (Carmarthenshire) on 6th.
What of the honkers and quackers? Quiet times on the whole even here...
A mobile Red-breasted Goose was bouncing around Lancashire & North Merseyside still this past week, with sightings coming from Banks Marsh NNR still on 5th, and then Hundred End on 7th, and Martin Mere WWT on 9th and 11th. On 10th recent familiar faces cropped up once more - one in Essex at Bradwell-on-Sea again, and the Northumberland bird again at Budle Bay.
Recent Black Brant remained at Dungarvan (Co.Waterford) on 6th, and at Birchington (Kent) again on 9th. One was again seen on 10th along Easington Straight (East Yorkshire), and two on 10th from Holkham Pines (Norfolk); the Yorkshire bird being seen again in the area on 11th, and the Birchington bird again that day also.
The white morph Snow Goose was again seen on 10th in Aberdeenshire at Loch of Skene RSPB.
Seven Green-winged Teal were recorded in recent days, a small decline on the preceding week. The settled bird remained in Cornwall at Hayle Estuary RSPB on 5th-8th, with another seen at Kingsmill Lake on 6th, and a bird at Calstock Meadows on 8th-10th. Other settled English birds remained at Grafham Water (Cambridgeshire) on 6th-8th, and at Lunt Meadows LWT (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 5th-11th. A bird remained in Scotland on the Lossie Estuary (Moray) on 5th; and an Irish individual was seen at Belfast Lough RSPB (Co.Antrim) on 8th-9th. A further bird was reported from Tenby (Pembrokeshire) on 10th.
Just two American Wigeon were reported this week, a significant drop in numbers of late. One remained in Northumberland at Big Waters NR on 6th; and another was seen at Malltraeth (Gwynedd) on 8th-11th.
The drake Canvasback remained firmly present in Essex on Abberton Resevoir on 8th-11th. One gets the distinct feeling this bird is in it for the long haul. Just how long that haul has already been, of course, being a moot point.
In Norfolk the Ferruginous Duck remained on Filby Broad on 6th, with two once more seen there on 10th-11th; the drake was still present at Misson (Nottinghamshire) on 5th-8th; and the female / first-winter male remained at Cotswold Water Park (Gloucestershire) on 8th.
If anything marked the muted tone of the week's wildfowl as a whole, it was numbers of Ring-necked Ducks - barely double figures were logged across Britain and Ireland as a whole this week, scraping just a dozen birds. Only Westhay Moor NNR (Somerset) could muster multiple birds, with two present there again on 5th.
Lesser Scaups however weren't letting themselves down. The flock of five birds remained on the Devon/Cornwall border at Lower Tamar Lakes on 5th-10th; the probable drake was again seen at Northam Burrows CP (Devon) on 8th; the drake remained at Chew Valley Lake (Somerset) on 5th-11th; the South Uist (Western Isles) female remained there on 10th-11th; and a drake was seen on Knockaderry Reservoir (Co.Waterford) on 8th-9th.
Finally, a handful of Surf Scoter were again noted this week - two remained in Cornwall in the Feock area on 5th-11th; a bird was noted heading north past Southwold (Suffolk) on 7th; one was seen at the traditional site of Llandulas (Conwy) on 6th; and another on 6th at Roseisle (Moray).
There was precious little to share on the shorebird front, with perhaps the most notable find being a late Dotterel in Oxfordshire near Aston on 7th-8th.
In Somerset, the regular returning Kentish Plover was still present at Burnham-on-Sea on 6th-11th.
Two Grey Phalarope were seen from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 9th, with another that day at Burnmouth (Borders); and a bird was seen off Pettycur (Fife) on 11th.
Lastly, the Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Lincolnshire bird at Frampton Marsh RSPB on 6th-11th; and the recent Southwold (Suffolk) bird popped up again there on 11th.
Here too, in the gulls n terns, a peaceful week, a trend bucked only by Ring-billed Gulls, which enjoyed a modest early winter renaissance. Three or four of their kind were seen - in Ireland at Castletown Bearhaven (Co.Cork) on 5th, and Blackrock (Co.Louth) on 9th-11th still; in Cornwall on Hayle Estuary on 9th-11th; and a further possible on St Mary's (Scilly) on 8th.
A first-winter Bonaparte's Gull was found on 11th at Rathlin Island (Co.Antrim).
On 6th two Glaucous Gulls were seen - one at Draycote Water (Warwickshire), and the other at Salthouse (Norfolk); another was found on 10th on Shetland at Spiggie; and a final Shetland bird on 11th on Yell.
Iceland Gulls fared little better - birds were seen at Corbally Road Reservoir (Co.Antrim) on 5th-8th, and at Ilfracombe (Devon) on 8th; two on North Uist (Westerrn Isles) on 10th, with one also that day on Yell (Shetland); and an additional possible bird on St Mary's (Scilly) on 6th.
In Co.Louth, the juvenile Kumlien’s Gull was still to be seen at Dundalk on 5th.
In Co.Wexford, the juvenile Northern Harrier was again seen on 9th at Wexford Wildfowl Reserve WWR.
Both recent Pallid Harriers were again noted in recent days. In Norfolk, the second-winter female continued to haunt the Warham Greens area on 6th-11th; and in Glamorgan one was again seen at Llanrhidian Marsh on 5th and 10th, with another report of it there on 11th also. Another probable was seen in Wales on 10th at the National Wetlands Centre WWT.
A Rough-legged Buzzard was found in West Yorkshire at Featherstone on 9th, and another on 11th at Sleddale (Cleveland).
The best of the week's passerines was comfortably the male Black-throated Thrush found on 10th in the morning at Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire). Alas it wasn't to prove particularly settled subsequently, though it reappeared there again in the late morning of 11th.
Warblers provided some variety, with a Hume's Warbler at Clennon Valley Lakes (Devon) on 6th-11th the most notable new find of their tribe.
Devon was clearly the place to be. The Pallas's Warbler remained at Dawlish Warren NNR on 6th, while a Yellow-browed Warbler was to be seen again at Broadsands on 6th-11th, Another of the latter species was found in Cornwall at St Ives on 8th, while the Pallas's Warbler remained in Kent at Elmley NNR on 10th also.
A couple of Great Grey Shrikes remained at their favoured sites - one still at Ramsley Reservoir (Derbyshire) on 6th-8th, and another still near Tomintoul (Moray) on 8th-11th. A further bird was found on 10th in Lincolnshire near Doddington.
Waxwings? Yes, still ample of them to go around, and popping up all over the place.
A Hoopoe was reported from Willisham (Suffolk) on 6th.
Almost expected now, somewhere, at this juncture in the passover from autumn to winter, an Eastern Yellow Wagtail was seen on St Mary's (Scilly) on 5th-11th.
The recent Richard’s Pipit was again seen in Somerset at Huntspill on 7th. Additional individuals were found on 11th on Portland (Dorset), and The Lizard (Cornwall).
Two exilipes Arctic Redpoll were present at Fontburn Reservoir (Northumberland) on 5th, with one still to be seen there the following day, and one again on 10th.
Finally, a Serin was seen in Devon at Orcombe Point on 5th.
Our overseas news begins far from home in Kuwait where, on 8th, four Purple Sunbirds were seen in Kuwait City.
Closer to home, in France, the Cream-coloured Courser remained at Hyeres on 5th-6th.
Rattling through December like a train, we're poised upon the cusp of the third week of the month. The new year will be upon us before we know it...
But that's for the near future. In the immediate here and now, what's that third week of December traditionally ripe for?
Historically, it's a propitious time for stumbling across an Ivory Gull, and nobody's day at the coast was ever made the worse for that. But as the past week showed in Devon, it's also a classic time for bumping into a Hume's Warbler, and that could realistically be almost anywhere bosky and insect-rich. A good excuse to have a wander around your local lakes, reservoir margin, sewage farm hedges... all the lovely places.
Jon Dunn
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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