Weekly birding round-up: 30 Apr - 6 May 2024
An exciting week with the headline birds being an Alpine Accentor in Buckinghamshire, an Elegant Tern in County Mayo, and a spectacular fall in the north and east including two Collared Flycatchers. The week brought a total of fourteen species new to the 2024 yearlist, taking it to 342 species.
An Alpine Accentor in Buckinghamshire at Pitstone Quarry was an outstanding discovery by a botanist on 5th May. Found in the early afternoon the bird showed to all-comers well into the evening and was the first county record. Although a most unexpected find it mirrors occurrences of other montane European passerines in being on (relatively) high ground well inland, for example, previous records of Alpine Accentors in Gwynedd on Snowdon on 20th August 1870 and in Cornwall at Rough Tor on 4th November 1990, a Rock Bunting in North Yorkshire at Bolton Abbey on 8th May 2012, Blue Rock Thrushes in Gwynedd at Moel-y-gest on 4th June 1987 and in Elan Valley, Powys on 11th April 2007, Rock Thrushes in Devon at Ivybridge on 25th May 2004 and in Gwent at Pwll Du on 13th October-3rd November 2017, Crag Martins at Truleigh Hill, West Sussex on 21st September 2008 and in Chesterfield, Derbyshire on 8th-19th November 2015, and Wallcreepers in Lancashire at Sabden on 8th May 1873, in Dorset at Chilfrome on 24th April 1920, and wintering at Cheddar Gorge, Somerset in winters 1976-1977 and 1977-1978. In the future Snowfinch may follow and, looking further afield, perhaps one day the first Kurdish Wheatear for Britain will be found on an inland escarpment, as the first for France was atop Puy de Dôme, Auvergne on 17th-19th May 2015.
An adult Elegant Tern with Sandwich Terns in County Mayo at Sruhill Lough, Achill Island on 30th April and 1st May was a yellow-billed individual (as opposed to reddish or orange-billed) and so is probably the same bird as that present last summer in Ireland in the tern colony at Inishroo, County Galway on 21st-28th May, and again earlier there on 18th-26th July 2022, in County Clare at Aughinish Island on 8th August 2022, and initially in Ireland at Lady's Island Lake, County Wexford on 4th-12th July 2022. Extrapolating further it is logical that this is the same bird that was present in Britain in 2012 on Anglesey at Cemlyn Bay on 4th-30th July and then in Lancashire and North Merseyside between 1st August-1st September, and visiting Cumbria on 27th August, and then in 2023 was seen briefly in Dorset at Lodmoor on 24th April. However, linking records of Elegant Tern in Europe across time and space is becoming increasingly difficult as the species now breeds in Spain (where three were seen together at El Raco de l'Olla, Valencia this week).
This week saw an exceptional arrival of weather-induced spring drift migrants and associated rarities to north and eastern counties with the headline birds being two male Collared Flycatchers: on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles on 2nd and at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire on 3rd-4th May, a stunning male Citrine Wagtail in Essex at Holland Haven on 2nd May (although tantalisingly distant, a striking individual showing some characters suggesting or mimicking Black-backed Citrine Wagtail subspecies 'calcarata'), a first-summer male Eastern Stonechat species - probably a West Siberian Stonechat nominate subspecies 'maurus' - at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire on 2nd-4th May, an elusive Thrush Nightingale on Shetland at Symbister, Whalsay on 4th-6th May. All of these species were new for the year as were Icterine Warbler, Common Rosefinch (up to two on Fair Isle on 2nd-5th), Red-breasted Flycatcher (a first-summer Kilminning, Fife on 3rd-6th), and Ortolan Bunting (a male at Hornsea Mere, East Yorkshire on 6th May); all species typically associated with late May not early May.
Evidentially three Wrynecks on 30th April (Highland at Dunbeath, Lincolnshire at Saltfleetby, and Shetland on Out Skerries) and on the following day a further Wryneck (in Bedfordshire at Broom) and a Red-backed Shrike on Shetland at Channerwick were harbingers of the great fall to come on 2nd May when Fair Isle alone logged 14 Wrynecks and six Icterine Warblers, with six Red-backed Shrikes there following day, four Red-spotted Bluethroats on 3rd-4th, and a Little Bunting on 5th, with elsewhere on Shetland seven Wrynecks on Out Skerries on 3rd May. On the Orkney Isles North Ronaldsay also peaked on 2nd May with four Wrynecks and two Red-backed Shrikes with a Little Bunting there also on 6th May. Further south a male Red-backed Shrike was in song at St Abb's Head, Borders on 3rd-6th May with a female in Aberdeenshire at Sands of Forvie on 4th, a female Grey-headed Wagtail was identified in Oxfordshire at Port Meadow on 3rd May, and a Bluethroat was at Tynemouth, Northumberland on 4th May. Over the course of the week scarce migrant totals included 39 Wrynecks, 18 Red-backed Shrikes, 12 each of both Red-spotted Bluethroat and Icterine Warbler, six Grey-headed Wagtails, and two Little Buntings.
Pomarine Skua passage continued albeit weak with birds logged passing east along the English south coast between Porthgwarra, Cornwall and Dungeness, Kent on five days this week with peak tallies of three at Porthgwarra and two at Berry Head, Devon on 30th April, seven at Portland Bill, Dorset on 1st May, nine at Dungeness (half the total for the week at this site) and three at Splash Point, East Sussex on 5th May. Elsewhere, single Poms were recorded in Wales in Glamorgan at Mumbles on 1st and Port-Eynon on 3rd May, and in Scotland on the Western Isles at Ardvule Point, South Uist on 5th May with only Long-tailed Skua report concerning two at nearby Gerinish the following day.
In Scotland nine White-billed Divers were logged including, most notably, two together in Argyll at Loch Scridain, Isle of Mull, Argyll on 4th May, with the others in Moray at Roseisle until 4th, in the Western Isles at Port Nis, Lewis on 4th, on the Shetland Isles at sea off both Out Skerries and Vatsetter, Yell on 5th, and in Aberdeenshire singles at Macduff, Portsoy, and Troup Head all on 6th May. Balearic Shearwaters were limited to Devon on 30th April when two passed Berry Head and one was off Shoalstone.
A good showing of Purple Herons with 10 individuals noted in England including lingering birds on the Isle of Wight at Brading Marsh, in West Sussex at Pagham Harbour, and in Wiltshire at the Cotswold Water Park all until 5th May, in Kent at Minster Marshes and Sandwich Bay from 20th April-5th May, with others in Cornwall at Marazion Marsh on 30th April, Somerset at Shapwick Heath on 4th May, Derbyshire at Belper and East Sussex at Rye Harbour on 5th, and in Leicestershire at Aylestone and Worcestershire at Grimley on 6th May. Just three Night Herons comprised flyovers on the St Mary's, Isles of Scilly and at Laydwalk, West Midlands on 4th May and a day-roosting bird at Filey Dams, North Yorkshire on 5th May. Fourteen Glossy Ibises included wintering birds still at Allerton Bywater, West Yorkshre on 30th April, Middleton, Lancashire on 1st May, and both Stiffkey, Norfolk and Hollesley, Suffolk throughout, one on the Isle of Man at Glascoe on 1st-3rd May, singles in Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire and Pembrokeshire, two in flight at West Beckham, Norfolk on 2nd, and one at Snettisham, Norfolk and three still together at Ham Wall, Somerset throughout.
Two of the wintering Red-breasted Geese remained with Dark-bellied Brent Geese: between Thornham and Titchwell, Norfolk until 4th May and a Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire until 5th May when accompanied by a Black Brant. A further Black Brant remained at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire until 4th.
Notable diving ducks included five Lesser Scaups with long-staying birds on show again at Woolston Eyes, Cheshire on 4th May (female), Loch Leven, Kinross on 5th May (male), Blanket Nook, County Donegal on 6th May (male), and new males at St Aidan's, West Yorkshire on 4th May and Ripple, Worcestershire on 5th May; the latter just the second record for that county following the first in 2006. Seven Ring-necked Ducks included lingering males in Devon, County Dublin, Highland, Merseyside, and the female still in Northamptonshire at Irthlingborough and Clifford Hill throughout, a new male in County Galway on Inishbofin on 6th May, and in Cornwall a male returned to Foxhole, Cornwall on 2nd May for its fourth consecutive summer at that site. A new Ferruginous Duck was discovered in Gloucestershire at Whelford on 6th May whilst the lingering male remained in Warwickshire at Napton Reservoir throughout; the latter bird extending the curious pattern of occurrence of this species in that county since August 2021 with birds being present in all seasons and including pairs in spring and early autumn juveniles hinting at local breeding (collectively probably more likely an indication of escaped rather than vagrant birds). Six Surf Scoters comprised two passing Porthgwarra, Cornwall on 30th April, a first-winter female in County Galway at Gurteen Bay on 4th-5th May, two males together in Lothian at Gosford Bay on 5th May, and the first-winter male present in Suffolk at or near Walberswick throughout.
Seven male Green-winged Teals this week with singles in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Borders, County Cork (on Cape Clear on 2nd May), Devon (at Budleigh Salterton on 2nd-5th May), Lancashire (new at Martin Mere on 5th May) and on the Shetland Isles. Piquing the interest of some was male Cinnamon Teal in Northumberland at Bamburgh on 3rd-5th May. Previously a male Cinnamon Teal present at Loch Tuamister, Lewis, Western Isles on 13th May-16th June 2004 was assessed by the BOURC but ultimately was not added to Category A of the British List nor to Category D ('Species that would otherwise appear in Category A, except that there is reasonable doubt that they have occurred in Britain in a natural state'). Cinnamon Teal is a frequent escape in Britain and has even bred here in the wild (for example at Frensham, Surrey in 1995). However, it is rare enough to be notable in Scotland and contiguous counties with just two further records for Scotland logged in the exhaustive Scottish Ornithologists' Club Online Scottish Bird Report: a male at Aros Estuary, Isle of Mull Argyll, on 20th September 2001 (presumed to have escaped locally) and a male at Musselburgh Lagoons, Lothian on 10th April 2003. Based on its breeding and wintering range Cinnamon Teal is not an obvious candidate for vagrancy to the Western Palearctic (and the sole official Western Palearctic record, in Morocco, was seemingly actually a misidentified Garganey) and spring records in Britain in northern locales are probably best explained by zugunruhe (migratory restlessness) in escaped birds rather than wild vagrants.
An adult male Smew in Lothian at Seafield Pond on 6th May was the first report in Britain for more than a fortnight of a species for which summer records in Britain in the past have included certain escapes. With respect to the origin of this particular individual it being an adult male here so late in spring and that it was attempting to mate with ducks from a different genus were further red flags.
Nearctic waders comprised a Pectoral Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire at Loch of Strathbeg on 3rd May, a first-summer American Golden Plover in Norfolk at Buckenham Marshes on 4th-5th May, Long-billed Dowitchers in Norfolk at Cley until 2nd May and at Tacumshin, County Wexford until the following day, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Old Hall Marshes, Essex on 1st-5th May with further wintering birds in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh, County Louth at Lurgangreen and East Yorkshire at Swine Moor all still present on 6th May. Just three single Black-winged Stilts returned to their previous breeding sites in Essex at Bowers Marsh (from 2nd May), Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh (throughout although visiting Cowbit on 2nd May), and in Yorkshire (where one alternated between St Aidan's and Edderthorpe Flash throughout).
A depressingly meagre total of just eight migrant Dotterel this week included a lingering male at Aldeburgh, Suffolk until 5th May, upland birds in Lothian at Carnethy and Scald Law between 1st and 4th May, and singles in Cornwall, Devon, Orkney Isles, Norfolk and Northumberland (mainly flyovers). Nine Temminck's Stints in the period with singles in Devon (at Exminster Marshes on 3rd-4th May), Kent, Lancashire (at Newton Marsh on 5th-6th May), Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Sussex, and Yorkshire (inland at North Cave Wetlands and Nosterfield on 4th May).
Four Bonaparte's Gulls included adults new-in on St Kilda, Western Isles on 2nd May, in the Cotswold Water Park, Gloucestershire on 3rd, and at Buckroney, County Wicklow on 4th, and a first-summer still lingering at Swineham, Dorset on 5th May. The territorial adult Ring-billed Gull was still at Loch Turret, Perthshire on 5th May where it was first seen on 13th June 2009 (having been found at Strathclyde Loch, Clyde on 9th February 2008). A second-winter Kumlien's Gull was in County Kerry at the Skelling Islands on 2nd May with around island totals of five Glaucous Gulls (four of these in Scotland) and 10 Iceland Gulls (six in Scotland, three in England, one in Northern Ireland).
Rare terns included the second-winter Forster's Tern present in Poole Harbour, Dorset throughout, the first White-winged Black Tern of the year in Northumberland at Caistron on 3rd May, a Whiskered Tern (another first for the year) passing east at Dungeness, Kent on 6th May, two adult Gull-billed Terns still together on the Western Isles on South Uist at Orosay on 6th May (with presumably one of the same seen on North Uist at Paible on 1st), with a further adult Gull-billed Tern in Scotland at the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire briefly on 6th. Away from their breeding areas passage Roseate Terns were noted at Brownsea Island, Dorset on 4th May and both Bream Cove, Cornwall, and Dungeness, Kent (2) on 6th May.
Two juvenile Pallid Harriers were located on passage at The Skerries, Anglesey on 3rd May and at Cleeve Hill, Gloucestershire on 6th May whilst Black Kites were reported in Nottinghamshire at Hoveringham on 30th April (perhaps the same individual as present in the county on 3rd-4th April that was actively moulting its outer primaries and so unlikely to have been either a fresh arrival when found nor have departed immediately), Kent at Deal on 3rd May and North Foreland on 4th May, and Greater Manchester at Doffcocker on 6th May. A Red-footed Falcon in Cornwall at Crousa Downs on 1st May was followed by two birds at Hickling Broad, Norfolk between 2nd and 4th May. Following another poor winter for Rough-legged Buzzards singles were seen in North Yorkshire at Upton on 1st May and between Easington and Spurn, East Yorkshire between 4th-6th May (with apparently two different individuals responsible for the latter sightings). An adult male Montagu's Harrier at Spurn, East Yorkshire on 1st May was relocated at Tophill Low on 6th, with an adult female on the Isles of Scilly until 2nd May, a first-summer male at Greylake, Somerset on 1st-6th May, and others on 5th at Sheringham (Norfolk), Tacumshin (County Wexford), and Hornsea Mere (East Yorkshire). Early Honey Buzzards were reported from 30th April with singles noted in Anglesey, Norfolk, Pembrokeshire, and Wiltshire, with two together at Dounreay, Highland on 4th May being most unexpected.
Aside from drift migrants, rare passerines this week were headlined by a male Eastern Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles at Scatness on 3rd and Quendale on 6th May, a male Spanish Wagtail on the Isle of Man at Glascoe on 3rd-5th, a probable Ashy-headed Wagtail on Rathlin Island, County Antrim on 6th, transient male Iberian Chiffchaffs singing on the Wirral at Leasowe on 3rd and in Lancashire at Roddlesworth on 5th, the territorial adult male White-spotted Bluethroat at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire throughout, and Savi's Warblers reeling at North Cave, East Yorkshire throughout, Middleton Lakes, Staffordshire on 1st May, and at Stonetown, County Louth from 2nd May. In the absence of any wintering Rose-coloured Starlings in early 2024 one on the Isle of Man at Langness on 6th May was the first of the year.
Scarcities of southern origin included the first Short-toed Larks of the spring on the Isles of Scilly on Bryher then St Agnes between 30th April-2nd May, inland in London at King George V Reservoir on 2nd May, on Anglesey at South Stack on 3rd May, and at Freiston Shore, Lincolnshire on 6th May, Alpine Swifts briefly in Devon at Axminster on 5th May and in London at Edmonton on the following day, and coastal Serins at Beachy Head, East Sussex on 30th April, and on 1st May at Land's End (Cornwall), Langdon Hole (Kent), and St Catherine's Point (Isle of Wight).
The excellent spring for Woodchat Shrikes continued with eleven located this week comprising four on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, two in Lincolnshire (at Anderby Creek and East Halton) on 30th April-2nd May, Cornwall at Sennen on 1st May, Somerset at Steart on 1st-4th May, London at Rainham Marshes on 3rd-4th May, Shetland Isles on Foula on 4th May, and in County Kerry at Listowel on 6th May. Perhaps fifteen Bee-eaters were recorded including on 3rd a single on the Western Isles on Barra and Mingulay and on Tiree, Argyll, on 6th flocks of six on the Isles of Scilly and four in flight over Littleover, Derbyshire, and another on wires at Portland Bill, Dorset. Nine Hoopoes were well spread but elusive with the most popular being one at Southwold and Blythburgh, Suffolk between 2nd and 6th May. Following the exceptional early April influx of Golden Orioles into southwest Britain more records have followed with perhaps eleven recorded this week most notable of which was one at Kilnsea between 30th April and 2nd May, and up to two between West Runton and Muckleburgh Hill between 4th-6th May.
A Shorelark was seen briefly at South Shields, County Durham on 30th April.
Around continental Europe the Yellow-billed Egret was still in Spain in Extremadura at Alcollarín, Cáceres on 2nd May, a Black-winged Kite was in Sweden at Skåne län at Löddesnäs on 3rd, a Red-necked Nightjar in France in Bouches-du-Rhône at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer on 4th, a Sandhill Crane and a Steppe Eagle in Denmark on 5th both migrating over Skagen with an adult male White-winged Scoter in Finland at Lågskär, Lemland the same day, and on 6th May a White-tailed Lapwing in Poland at Siemianowka Reservoir, Podlaskie.
Further afield on Cape Verde a Trindade Petrel was at sea off Raso and a Yellow-billed Egret on Santiago both on 30th April when a male Wood Duck was on the Azores on São Miguel at Lagoa Azul. An immature Bateleur was a second national record for Georgia at Udabno on 1st May, and a Yellow-billed Stork in Israel lingered at Eilat on 1st-6th.
The trans-Atlantic cruise liner 'Oasis of the Seas' brought four Grey Catbirds to Western Palearctic waters on 29th April (when a Northern Parula was also onboard) with at least one Grey Catbird still on the ship on 2nd May by which time the vessel had docked and departed Cádiz and had arrived at Málaga, both Andalucia, Spain.
The coming week, 7th May-13th May, in history has seen many great rarities with firsts for Britain including Bimaculated Lark in Devon on Lundy on 7th May 1962, Dalmatian Pelican in Cornwall at Gwithian on 7th May 2016, Sardinian Warbler in Devon on Lundy on 10th May 1955, Collared Flycatcher on the Shetland Isles on Whalsay on 11th May 1947, and Pallid Swift in Kent at Stodmarsh on 13th May 1978, with first Irish from this week being Franklin's Gull in County Kerry at Black Rock Strand on 10th May and Tawny Pipit on Great Saltee, County Wexford on 11th May 1953. However, more likely than another Bimaculated Lark are the appearances of more regular rarities still to be recorded this year such as Broad-billed Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Black Stork, Great Reed Warbler, Tawny Pipit, and Red-throated Pipit.
Chris Batty 7th May 2024
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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