Weekly birding round-up: 8 - 14 Oct 2024
During the week three new species were added to the combined British and Irish yearlist - Isabelline Wheatear, Siberian Rubythroat, and Blyth's Pipit - bringing the total so far to 424 (including three provisional species and three species aggregates) of which 394 have been twitchable during the year.
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Exceptional news on 10th of a juvenile pale morph Booted Eagle photographed in Cornwall just outside St Just over Nanquidno Valley: only a mile or so from where a juvenile dark morph Booted Eagle had been photographed on 20th May 2024. Large raptors are notoriously itinerant and this factor alone dissuaded many would-be twitchers from travelling to Cornwall immediately. Therefore, only a handful of observers saw the bird on 11th when it passed southwest over Kenidjack at 11:45 and was then relocated heading east over Land's End at 12:15, south over Carn Bosavern at 13:15 and finally flying south southwest at Kelynack at 13:42. Despite a concerted effort that afternoon and over the following days it has yet to be relocated.
The Booted Eagle there in May was the first to be photographed here since the famous pale morph that was present in Ireland and then Britain between February 1999 and June 2000 that is held in Category D of the British List. In the interim 24 years Booted Eagle has been suspected in Britain on a further 31 occasions including confident claims in Devon (2001), Kent (2002, 2007, 2009, and 2014), Suffolk (2010 and 2021), Hampshire (2010), Lincolnshire (2013), West Sussex (2013), and Norfolk (2015).
Currently Booted Eagle is not accepted as having occurred in Britain and Ireland as a wild bird and is held in Category D; Category D being defined by the keepers of the British List, the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee, as 'species that would otherwise appear in Category A, except that there is reasonable doubt that they have occurred in Britain in a natural state. Species placed only in Category D form no part of the British List, and are not included in the species totals'. The individual in 1999-2000 was a juvenile pale morph first seen in Ireland at North Slob, County Wexford on 7th February 1999 before wandering within Ireland relocating to County Dublin, County Waterford, and County Wexford during March, Counties Wexford and Down in April, then County Dublin again in June and July before reaching Rathlin Island, County Antrim in late August. A month later it had moved to Britain and was in Kent on 28th September before relocating to west Cornwall from 25th October until 28th November - often around Drift Reservoir but also frequenting the same airspace as both 2024 birds. In February 2000 it was relocated wintering in Somerset before wandering to Devon in March, Kent in April and then making a final appearance on 22nd June over North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles. Following the assessment of this record a joint press release from the Irish Rare Birds Committee, Northern Ireland Birdwatchers' Association Records Committee, and the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee was prepared and this can be viewed online http://www.irbc.ie/announcements/announce3.php . In due course the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee will reconsider the status of Booted Eagle in Britain once the British Birds Rarities Committee has ratified the identifications of the 2024 birds.
A confiding juvenile Little Crake was a superb find at Bosherston Lily Ponds, Pembrokeshire on 9th-14th. The first in Wales since 2000 and the first to be twitchable there since the famous bird at Shotton, Flintshire on 18th-23rd April 1987. However, this is the sixth time this millennium that a Little Crake has lingered in southern Britain in autumn with birds in Cornwall (2004), Gloucestershire (2005), Devon (2014), Suffolk (2014), and Buckinghamshire (2023).
The first Wilson's Snipe for Ireland was shot near Coleraine, Couunty Londonderry on 28th October 1991 and identified by an academic undertaking research on behalf of the International Snipe Hunters Club. The first acceptable record for Britain was one watched on the Isles of Scilly at Lower Moors, St Mary's between 9th October 1998 and 7th April 1999 with a further 11 individuals accepted in Britain since, all on the Isles of Scilly and all but one - on St Agnes on 11th October 2008 - on St Mary's watched from the hides at Lower Moors and Porth Hellick Pool.
In 2024 a Wilson's Snipe was tentatively identified at Lower Moors, St Mary's on 7th October and what was presumed to be the same bird was seen in flight there on 10th but then on 13th two Wilson's Snipes were identified at Lower Moors and it was demonstrated that neither was the bird photographed on 7th. The only previous years with multiple occurrences on Scilly are 2007 and 2017 when four and three birds were accepted respectively.
The highlights amongst seabird sightings was yet another South Polar Skua at sea 28 miles north of the Isles of Scilly - a moulting juvenile and the tenth to be identified between Britain and Ireland this year since 5th July 2024 of which six have been in the waters around the Scilly - and a Scopoli's Shearwater was photographed in County Galway from the ferry near Cleggan Harbour on 12th.
A total of 7,027 Cory's Shearwater bird days this week including daily maximums of 568 passing Peninnis Head, St Mary's, Scilly on 8th, 478 off Trevose Head, Cornwall on 9th, 600 off Inishbofin, County Galway 10th, 262 from the bows of the Scillonian on 11th, 550 logged at Bridges of Ross, County Clare on 12th, 500 passing Peninnis Head again on 13th, and 350 off Botallack, Cornwall on 14th. Away from the core distribution in the southwest and west, in Scotland on 12th three were at sea east of Barra, Western Isles and one flew past Tiree, Argyll, whilst from the English North Sea coast singles were seen at Whitburn, County Durham on 8th, Easington, East Yorkshire on 10th, and at two sites in Northumberland on 13th.
There was 5,388 Great Shearwater bird days including daily maximums of 1,000 off Pendennis Point, Cornwall on 8th and still 362 there the following day, 550 off Inishbofin, County Galway on 10th, 41 at sea east of Barra on 11th with a spectacular 1,000 the following day, two off St Agnes, Scilly on 13th before 200 at sea around those islands on 14th. Just 76 Balearic Shearwater bird days with county maximums of on 8th 16 in Cornwall at Pendeen Watch, two of Peninnis Head, and nine off Dungeness Point, Kent, on 9th six from the Scillonian, and four off Portland Bill, Dorset on both 9th and 12th. Nine Leach's Petrels comprised one in Hampshire off Weston Shore on 9th with three from the Scillonian the same day, one from Troon, Ayrshire on 12th, three at sea between Ullapool, Highland and Stornoway, Western Isles on 13th, and one at sea east of Barra the following day.
Significant late news from September concerned a dark morph Red-footed Booby photographed on 6th on a boat at sea approximately 40.25 kilometres south of Clonakilty, County Cork. Although a first for Ireland, it won't count in the national total as as an 'at sea' record because in Ireland records within the national Exclusive Economic Zone but more than 30km from land are published in the Irish Bird Report but are excluded from the statistics. So Red-footed Booby joins Bermuda Petrel and Red-billed Tropicbird on a select list of such seabirds.
Following early reports of Little Auks in Lothian on 21st September and Cornwall on 1st October there were five singles this week from the 9th onwards: in Northumberland (2), Orkney Isles, Shetland Isles, and East Yorkshire.
An elusive immature Black Stork was at Kithurst Hill, West Sussex on 9th-10th was perhaps the same individual seen earlier in Hampshire on 28th September, with Purple Heron reports limited to Huntspill, Somerset on 12th and a juvenile at Cley, Norfolk the following day. Approximately 14 Glossy Ibises included up to three at Titchfield Haven, Hampshire, two at both Etton, Cambridgeshire on 10th-11th and Tacumshin, County Wexford on 11th-13th, and singles in Cornwall, Devon, County Galway, Kent, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, and Somerset. A good autumn for Corncrakes continued with singles in Cleveland at Loftus on 8th, reported at Little Kimble, Buckinghamshire on 10th, and on Scilly on St Martin's on 11th and St Agnes the following day.
In Argyll the adult Red-breasted Goose returned to Islay, Argyll with Greenland Barnacle Geese on 11th for a fourth consecutive winter, whilst potential vagrant Snow Geese were with Pink-footed Geese in Lincolnshire at Read's Island throughout, still in Moray at Findhorn Bay on 10th, and in Highland at Loch Watten on 10th-12th, whilst two remained together with Greylag Geese at Mersehead, Dumfries and Galloway on 11th-14th.
61 Taiga Bean Geese were counted on their wintering grounds on Slamannan Plateau, Forth with flocks enroute there noted in Fife on 10th passing North Queensferry (14) and Crail (11). The Tundra Bean Goose remained at Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire until 13th whilst another flew over Thornwick Bay, East Yorkshire on 14th.
The adult male American Wigeon remained in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea throughout (in autumn 2023 it remained there until 5th November before relocating to Tophill Low) whilst a female was identified at Loch of Wester, Highland on 11th-12th. Another returning bird was a male Green-winged Teal at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire, it having been present there last winter between 5th November 2023 and 21st February 2024.
The adult male Canvasback was still at Abberton Reservoir, Essex on 13th, and the adult male Lesser Scaup remained at Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire throughout but another at Staines Reservoir, Surrey was present only on 12th. Six Ring-necked Ducks comprised lingering birds in the Western Isles on Lewis until 12th and in Argyll on Tiree until 13th, returning birds in Cumbria at Longtown and County Mayo at Carrowmore Lake on 12th, and new birds in Argyll on Islay on 10th and on Vatersay then Barra, Western Isles on 14th. Four Ferruginous Ducks were all within the slightly suspicious East Midlands nucleus of this species at Shawell, Leicestershire (2), Stanford Reservoir, Leicestershire/Northamptonshire, and Draycote Water, Warwickshire.
A second-winter male White-winged Scoter identified on the Shetland Isles at Wadbister from 11th had been present already since 29th October but overlooked as a Velvet Scoter whilst in Lothian a presumed returning adult male White-winged Scoter off Craigielaw Point on 13th had been present 7th when it was misidentifed as a Stejneger's Scoter. Three adult male Surf Scoters were also off Craigielaw Point on 14th whilst elsewhere males reappeared in Northumberland at Cambois on 11th and in Moray at Roseisle on 11th-12th.
The Spotted Sandpiper that arrived in Fife at Cameron Reservoir on 25th September remained throughout and is presumably set to winter there, whilst a juvenile Baird's Sandpiper in County Wexford at Bannow Bay on 8th was a new bird (and not one of these present elsewhere in that county between 24th September-6th October), as was a Long-billed Dowitcher at Shanagarry Marsh, County Cork on 8th. Elsewhere, the adult Long-billed Dowitcher remained at Dawlish Warren, Devon throughout and another adult on Orkney showed again on North Ronaldsay on 10th-13th. The juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Pilning Wetland, Gloucestershire until 8th with others new at Wells, Norfolk on 13th-14th, and on the Isles of Scilly on 14th on both Tresco and Bryher, whilst Pectoral Sandpipers were limited to singles at Nosterfield, North Yorkshire on 11th-14th and at Dawlish Warren on 14th. The most abundant Nearctic wader this week was American Golden Plover with eight individuals located comprising five in Ireland (County Clare, County Cork (2), County Kerry, and County Londonderry), and singles on Barra, Western Isles until 10th, in Cornwall in flight over Porth Joke on 11th, and at Acle, Norfolk on 13th. Just five Dotterel were seen with singles on St Kilda, Western Isles on 11th-13th, at Titchwell, Norfolk on 14th, and up to three itinerant birds on the Isles of Scilly, and eight Grey Phalaropes all being flybys other than a lingering bird in the harbour at Bridlington, East Yorkshire until 10th.
On 12th an adult Bonaparte's Gull was new in Highland at Loch Fleet and an adult Azorean Yellow-legged Gull showed again in County Mayo on The Mullet at Annagh, where it now appears to be resident. Nine Sabine's Gulls were all singles other than two passing Sheringham, Norfolk on 10th with the most notable singles being at Huttoft Bank, Lincolnshire and from the Scillonian both on 9th.
An Iceland Gull was at Troon, Ayrshire on 8th and nine Glaucous Gulls included three on Shetland (where a third-winter was present on Unst at Uyeasound throughout), and singles in Borders, County Down, County Durham, Northumberland, and Orkney.
On 11th Black Kites arrived both on Cape Clear, County Cork and on Scilly - over St Agnes and then St Mary's before departing - whilst on 12th both adult male Northern Harriers were confirmed as still present at Tacumshin, County Wexford.
Four Pallid Harriers comprised a second-winter male new in Pembrokeshire at Nine Wells on 8th and then at the Hen Harrier roost at Dowrog Common from 9th-14th, the juvenile still in East Yorkshire at Skeffling on 11th on the same day that a ringtail flew north over The Solent from Osborne Bay, Isle of Wight to Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, and in Norfolk the returning adult female remained at Warham Greens throughout.
An excellent total of 18 Hoopoes included three in Ireland, two in Scotland, and one in Wales - at Swansea, Glamorgan on 8th-12th - with popular individuals in England at Lower Foulridge Reservoir (Lancashire), North Walsham (Norfolk), Holy Island (Northumberland), and on the Isles of Scilly. Thirteen Wrynecks included singles in Ireland at Brownstown Head (County Waterford) on 8th and Inishbofin (County Galway) on 8th-11th with the rest in England and including six on the Isles of Scilly on 9th with four on St Mary's alone.
The first-winter Isabelline Shrike species - probably a Daurian Shrike - remained at Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire until 10th and a faecal sample was secured for analysis: mtDNA of vagrant Isabelline Shrike species tested in Europe typically suggests Turkestan Shrike as the identification. Eight Red-backed Shrikes included long-stayers at Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire until 9th, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly until 10th (2), Yell, Shetland Isles until 11th, and five Great Grey Shrikes were located: in Berkshire, Cornwall (two including one at Davidstow Airfield on 12th-14th), Essex, and East Yorkshire.
A Golden Oriole was at Saltash, Cornwall on 8th was not seen again whilst a Penduline Tit at Meare Heath, Somerset on 8th will hopefully reappear there later in the autumn.
Two Short-toed Larks this week with one on St Mary's, Scilly on Peninnis Head throughout and another on Dursey Island, County Cork on 12th-13th, and eight Shorelarks comprising six at traditional wintering sites in East Anglia - four in Suffolk at Kessingland and two in Norfolk at Titchwell - and transient singletons at Flamborough head, East Yorkshire on 10th and Fair Isle, Shetland on 13th.
Notable leaf warblers comprised a Greenish Warbler on Shetland on Unst at Norwick throughout, an Iberian Chiffchaff calling in County Cork at Toor Pier from 11th-14th, a Radde's Warbler in Dorset on Portland at Wakeham on 12th-13th, a Western Bonelli's Warbler in Cornwall at Sennen on 13th and Dusky Warblers in East Yorkshire at Spurn Point on 8th and at Galley Head, County Cork on 14th.
Pallas's Warblers were on Shetland at Vidlin, Mainland on 9th and on Anglesey at South Stack on 11th, and there were four Arctic Warblers, all on 8th-9th: Mizen Head County Cork, Inishbofin County Galway, Bridge of Fitch Shetland, and Spurn East Yorkshire.
Reed and bush warblers were represented by on Shetland a Lanceolated Warbler still on Fair Isle on 8th and a Paddyfield Warbler on Unst at Norwick on 13th, a Marsh Warbler in Cornwall at Pendeen on 9th, and on 10th a Booted Warbler on Orkney on North Ronaldsay and a Blyth's Reed Warbler at Howth Head, County Dublin.
Sylvia Warblers were headlined by two unidentified Subalpine Warbler species in western County Cork on 8th - on Dursey Island and at Mizen Head - and a suspected Turkestan Lesser Whitethroat halimodendri on Unst, Shetland on 11th-13th where it was trapped and ringed. Previously, genetically confirmed Turkestan Lesser Whitethroats in Britain have occurred as early as 23rd September but the majority have arrived between 11th and 30th October. An impressive total of 28 Barred Warblers was logged of which 16 were on Shetland and included three on Yell on 11th, four on the Western Isles on Barra, two each in County Cork and Orkney, and singles in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea on 8th, Northumberland on Holy Island on 8th-9th, Lothian at Barns Ness on 10th-14th, and in Conwy at Great Ormes Head on 12th.
Of the robins and chats a female Siberian Rubythroat glimpsed on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles on 13th takes pride of place whilst a Red-flanked Bluetail in Cornwall on the Lizard at Kynance Cove on 12th-14th was well-received it being only the third county record and the first there since 2007.
An Isabelline Wheatear delighted the crowds on The Garrison, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly on 11th and Eastern Stonechat species remained in-situ at Cromer, Norfolk until 9th, and in Northumberland at Amble until 13th and on Holy Island throughout.
Four Bluethroats were all on Shetland; up to two on Fair Isle and singles on Unst at Norwick on 9th-14th and at Channerwick, Mainland on 10th-13th, whilst Red-breasted Flycatcher continued its good run with 13 recorded including eight on Shetland where two were together at Laxfirth, Mainland on 8th-9th, three on Scilly, and on 11th singles on Holy Island, Northumberland and at Port Nis, Lewis, Western Isles.
Four juvenile Rose-coloured Starlings comprised singles on Scilly on St Mary's on 11th-12th, in Hampshire at Andover on 12th-13th, at Tenby, Pembrokeshire on 14th, and in Cornwall on The Lizard throughout.
The first Blyth's Pipit since 2021 was identified on Bryher, Isles of Scilly on 14th whilst other pipits included a Red-throated at Land's End and Porthgwarra on 13th,
Olive-backed Pipits were on Shetland at Kergord, Mainland on 8th, Haroldwick, Unst (2) on 10th, Sullom, Mainland on 11th, with up to two on St Agnes, Scilly on 10th-12th, and nine Richard's Pipits including two at Happisburgh, Norfolk until 9th and two on Gugh, Scilly on 11th with others in Cornwall, Gwynedd, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Scilly.
Finches included a Serin reported at Minsmere, Suffolk on 8th, a Coues's Redpoll identified on Fair Isle, Shetland on 9th-14th, and a total of 11 Common Rosefinches of which six were on Shetland and the balance were in County Galway on 10th, Orkney on 10th-11th, West Sussex (trapped and ringed at Lancing) on 13th, County Cork on 13th-14th, and East Yorkshire on 14th.
Just two Little Buntings - at Shetland on Unst at Baliasata on 10th and at Thornwick Bay on 11th-14th - was a poor showing, whereas just two Ortolan Buntings (on St Mary's, Scilly until 9th, and reported at Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk on 12th) was more expected. In total 36 Lapland Buntings were recorded most notable of which were singles at Oldbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire on 10th and Calf Hey Reservoir, Lancashire the following day, with four together at Ardivachar, South Uist, Western Isles on 13th.
As we now expect every October, Corvo, Azores was the hub for Nearctic landbirds with the headline act this week a Warbling Vireo - just the second for the Western Palearctic and Corvo - on 9th-10th, Black-throated Blue Warbler on 13th-14th (twelfth for the WP), two Philadelphia Vireos (now 30 records on the Azores), still a Bay-breasted Warbler and an American Redstart there on 8th, alongside an Ovenbird, two Northern Parulas, Black-and-white Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Bobolink, Cliff Swallow, Grey-cheeked Thrush, four Red-eyed Vireos, Green Heron, and a Semipalmated Plover. On nearby Flores an American Redstart on 11th-13th, Yellow Warbler on 8th-11th, as well as Common Yellowthroat, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-eyed Vireo, Great Blue Heron, and Semipalmated Plover. On 13th the Little Blue Heron was still on Terceira and a Double-crested Cormorant on Faial.
In mainland Europe the standout bird was the third Flesh-footed Shearwater (or 'Sable Shearwater') for the Western Palearctic in Portugal at Peniche on 12th, with the Yellow-crowned Night Heron still at Quinta do Lago, Algarve on the same day, and a West African Crested Tern at nearby Faro at Ria Formosa on 13th. In Spain a dark morph Trindade Petrel passing Estaca de Bares, Galicia on 9th will - if accepted - be the first record of this species in the Western Palearctic away from Macaronesia.
Further north the first White-rumped Swift for Germany was at Bruckmühler Kiesweiher, Bavaria on 13th whilst the Northern Mockingbird in North Rhine-Westphalia was still at Bonn at Feldflur Rheidt Am Schafott on 11th. In France a Brown Booby in Poitou-Charentes flew south past Ile de Re on 8th and the Forster's Tern was still at Anse du Curnic, Finistère on 12th. In Sweden an Asian Desert Warbler in Västernorrlands län at Storholmen on 13th.
A Lanceolated Warbler on Suðuroy was the second for the Faroe Islands and further afield an adult Lesser Flamingo on Santo Antao at Ponta de Sol on 11th was the first for Cape Verde.
15th-21st October is a peak period in the calendar for new species to be added to national and regional lists with memorable additions in this week in history including:
15th Tickell's Thrush (Western Palearctic, Germany 1933), Chestnut-eared Bunting (Britain 2004), and Citrine Wagtail (Ireland 1968).
16th Yellow-throated Warbler (Western Palearctic, Azores 2013), Northern Parula (Britain 1966), and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Ireland 1988).
17th Blue Grosbeak (Western Palearctic, Azores 2018), Pectoral Sandpiper (Britain 1830), and Veery (Ireland 2018).
18th Eastern Wood Pewee (Western Palearctic, Azores 2015), Indigo Bunting (Britain 1996), and Siberian Thrush (Ireland 1985).
19th Black-throated Green Warbler (Western Palearctic, Germany 1858), Chestnut Bunting (Britain 2015), and Northern Parula (Ireland 1983).
20th Prairie Warbler (Western Palearctic, Azores 2012), Western Olivaceous Warbler (Britain 2023), and Pallid Swift (Ireland 1913).
21st Pale-legged Leaf Warbler (Britain 2016) and Taiga Flycatcher (Ireland 2018).
As in 2023, a Dark-sided Flycatcher on the European mainland this October focuses our attention on potential megas from the east and other species that would be new for Britain and Ireland that have been accepted as vagrants to northern Europe during October in this millennium (and so will surely will reach here) are Mugimaki Flycatcher (Norway 2017), Pied Bushchat (Finland 2010), Mongolian Finch (Norway 2018 and Sweden 2020), and Grey-necked Bunting (Netherlands 2004, Finland 2006, and Germany 2009). Even in this eastern autumn more likely, of course, are new for the year Hume's Warbler, Pied Wheatear, White's Thrush, Pine Bunting, or River Warbler with some of the most regular Nearctic species still missing being Red-eyed Vireo, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Laughing Gull.
Chris Batty
15 Oct 2024
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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