Weekly birding round-up: 24 - 30 Jan 2025
Ever more quiet in Britain and Ireland this week, with a general sense of winter birding entering a state of torpor. Our headline birds, at either end of the country, were birds of rare calibre, but bely the overall picture – this was a pretty peaceful week, as one might say befits the last week of January. We’ve been somewhat spoiled so far this year.
With every passing day, the pale morph Booted Eagle in Cornwall begins to look like we can, not unreasonably, describe it as wintering – it seemed pretty settled for another week in the Marazion Marsh RSPB area, with just one blank day (27th) blotting its copybook this past week. It continues to draw admirers from far and wide, and understandably so.
Back into the headlines by virtue of its finally abandoning Foula in the west of Shetland for the more accessible environs of Shetland Mainland, the recent drake Bufflehead disrupted the day of resident and visiting birders alike on 26th when it was discovered at the southern end of Loch of Spiggie. It wasn’t hanging around there for long, and in fairly short order had flown off towards nearby Loch of Brow… where it couldn’t be relocated thereafter.
Happily, on 29th it was relocated once more at Loch of Hillwell, with a foray to nearby (as the duck flies) Scatness that afternoon; and was back at Hillwell again on 30th.
We start the weekly seabirds down in Cornwall, where the adult Pacific Diver continued to haunt the Mount’s Bay area throughout the week, ending up off Mousehole on 26th-30th.
In Scotland, stormy conditions precluded picking out White-billed Diver in the usual northern isles quarters – our only birds this week being one seen passing Dunure (Ayrshire) on 25th, and one off Garron Point (Co.Antrim) again on 29th.
Seawatching in Cornwall was to prove modestly productive this week – on 28th, six Leach’s Petrel were noted from Pendeen, and two from St Ives; while two Balearic Shearwater off Porthgwarra on 25th preceded three from St Ives on 28th.
Pendeen (Cornwall) also notched up a Little Auk on 28th. Further sightings this week involved one off Ballycotton (Co.Cork) on 24th, three seen from the ferry off Garvellachs (Argyll & Bute) on 27th, one off Kinnaird Head (Aberdeenshire) on 29th, and one taken by a Peregrine off Sumburgh Head (Shetland) on 30th.
It was also Cornwall’s Pendeen to which we owe our only Pomarine Skua of the week, seen there on 28th.
Around 20 Glossy Ibis were on offer this week, with many of the now anticipated locations continuing to hold small parties of birds. Our largest aggregation were the steadfast trio in Hampshire at Titchfield Haven NNR still on 25th-30th; while duos were seen in Somerset at Ham Wall RSPB still on 25th-29th, at Chew Valley Lake on 24th-28th still, and at Chew Magna on 28th-30th; and a further twosome still present at Deeping Lakes LWT (Lincolnshire) on 26th.
With none of The Goose Formerly Known As Canada reported this week, we’re straight to Shetland where the Ross’s Goose continued to linger at Scatsa on Mainland on 24th-30th; another was seen in Argyll & Bute on 29th at Stewarton.
A Snow Goose was logged over Llyn Coron (Anglesey) on 25th; while in East Yorkshire two were again seen at Swine Moor on 27th; and one in Scotland still at Montrose Basin (Angus) on 29th.
In Norfolk, a Black Brant remained at Snettisham RSPB on 25th-30th; while another sighting came in Norfolk on 30th at Thornham Harbour.
The recently arrived flock of 24 Lesser White-fronted Geese of Swedish reintroduction scheme origin also put in some time at Snettisham on 26th-30th, after departing Titchwell RSPB. Elsewhere in the county, the lone adult bird was again seen, at King’s Lynn on 25th.
Some 15 Green-winged Teal represented a reduction on recent weeks’ tallies, and American Wigeon too were seen in somewhat reduced numbers – regular birds remained in Shetland around Quendale on 25th-30th; at Crook of Baldoon RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway) on 25th; at Newshot Island (Clyde) on 25th-27th; in Northumberland at Blagdon Hall on 25th-30th; and at Kenfig NNR (Glamorgan) still on 26th. Another first-winter drake was seen at Fail Loch (Ayrshire) on 25th-27th, with a first-winter drake on 30th at Creetown (Dumfries & Galloway); and a drake was found on 30th at Marshside RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside).
In Essex, the drake Canvasback was remained at Abberton Reservoir on 24th-30th.
Just the one Ferruginous Duck this week, this being the female at Tooting Bec Common (London) on 24th-29th still.
If other wildfowl were generally down this week, the same couldn’t be said for Ring-necked Duck, with pushing on for 40 birds still being logged across Britain and Ireland. Several sites enjoyed multiple birds – two were present at Gouthwaite Reservoir (North Yorkshire) still on 26th-30th; two at Roadford Reservoir (Devon) on 25th; in Somerset, two at Ham Wall RSPB still on 26th, and at Shapwick Heath NNR on 28th; two at Rostaff Turlough (Co.Mayo) on 26th; four at Brierfield Turlough (Co.Roscommon) on 29th; two at Lough Derravarragh (Co.Westmeath) on 30th; and two at Dozmary Pool (Cornwall) on 30th.
Some half a dozen Lesser Scaup were logged lately – birds lingering still at Longham Lakes (Dorset) on 25th-30th; at Abberton Reservoir (Essex) still on 27th-28th; at Meadow Lane GPs (Cambridgeshire) still on 26th; a female on South Uist (Western Isles) on 26th; at Northam Burrows CP (Devon) still on 29th; a drake on Rostaff Turlough (Co.Mayo) on 26th; and a possible drake on Lough Derravarragh (Co.Westmeath) on 28th-30th.
In Northumberland, the drake Black Scoter was once more seen from Cheswick Sands on 26th-30th.
The White-winged Scoter was again at Inch (Co.Kerry) on 29th-30th.
Surf Scoter stayed comfortably in double figures, with almost 20 seen this week – the peak counts of their kind being three birds seen from Roseisle (Moray) still on 25th-26th, and four off Inch (Co.Kerry) still on 29th.
Finally, our honorary quacker, the lingering American Coot, remained settled along the sheltered edges of Loch of Spiggie (Shetland) still on 25th-29th.
Our extremely denuded weekly waders begin in Somerset, wherethe county’s first Least Sandpiper remained at Steart WWT on 24th-26th, and again on 29th.
Was close enough to WWT Steart Marshes at the weekend for a trip down for the Least Sandpiper. A worrying couple of hours until it flew in, a lifer for me pic.twitter.com/xJv62liEWj
— Christopher Bill (@chris65bill) January 28, 2025
The wintering Kentish Plover was again seen at Burnham-on-Sea (Somerset) on 29th.
A Long-billed Dowitcher was again present at Exminster Marshes RSPB (Devon) on 24th-25th and once more on 30th.
Lastly, Grey Phalarope were seen on 24th at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire), and on 27th at Porthleven (Cornwall).
Gulls too were having a quieter week than of late. Just one Bonaparte’s Gull was noted in recent days, at Cot Valley (Cornwall) on 25th.
Ring-billed Gull were again the exclusive preserve of the Irish – birds were seen in Co.Cork in Cork still on 24th-30th and at Ring on 25th still; at Blackrock (Co.Louth) still on 25th-29th; at Tralee Bay Wetlands (Co.Kerry) still on 30th; and at Enniskillen (Co.Fermanagh) on 28th.
Numbers of white-wingers remained subdued, with around 20 Glaucous Gull and 25 Iceland Gull to show for the week. A few Kumlien’s Gull provided variety – individuals were seen at Widnes (Cheshire & Wirral) still on 25th and 29th; in Shetland on Unst still on 25th-26th, and on Mainland at Loch of Spiggie again on 28th; on Skye (Highland & Caithness) on 24th; and at Murvey Cove (Co.Galway) on 26th.
All three of our recent Pallid Harrier were once again seen in the course of recent days – these being the juvenile still in Co.Cork at Ballyvergan Marsh on 27th; the second-winter male still in Pembrokeshire at Dowrog Common on 24th-30th; and the adult female around Warham Greens (Norfolk) still on 24th-29th.
Starting the passerines in Northumberland, the American Pipit remained hanging around Ross Back Sands on 25th-27th and again on 30th.
Meanwhile, in Carmarthenshire, the recent Desert Wheatear was still to be seen at Pendine on 24th-25th.
Yellow-browed Warblers remained tucked into St Albans (Hertfordshire) on 24th-26th, and Hallow (Worcestershire) on 25th-30th; a Cornish individual was present at Perranuthnoe on 25th; and another bird was reported from Worcestershire at Monk Wood on 29th.
Recent Great Grey Shrike remained in Essex at Copt Hall Marshes on 25th-30th, and at Hatfield Moors NNR (South Yorkshire) on 25th-27th; another was found in Wales at Rhiwargor (Gwynedd) on 28th.
Yet another twist in the recent Pied Crow tale came this week with the sighting of a bird in Cornwall at Falmouth on 26th; while the Barna (Co.Galway) individual was still present in Ireland on 29th.
A Waxwing was reported from Aberystwyth (Ceredigion) on 29th.
In Cheshire & Wirral the settled Penduline Tit remained at Woolston Eyes NR on 25th-27th.
Last but never least, the recent Little Bunting remained near Boscathnoe Reservoir (Cornwall) on 24th-27th, and again at Send (Surrey) on 24th; while another Surrey sighting at Papercourt Water Meadows on 30th.
Unlikely to be supplanted at the head of the overseas news for however long it remains on station, the drake Spectacled Eider was still to be seen this week off Texel (Netherlands) on 24th-30th.
Germany mixed things up a little with the discovery of a Western Orphean Warbler visiting a feeder at Eching on 22nd-29th. The Sandhill Crane was once again seen this week, on this occasion over Georgsdorf on 28th.
In southern France, the male Moussier’s Redstart remained at Frontignan on 24th-29th; and the juvenile Eastern Imperial Eagle was seen on 24th at Clos des Enganes.
In Spain, the recent second-winter Cape Gull remained at Larendo on 24th.
Heading ever further afield, in Iceland, the White-winged Scoter remained off Reykjavik on 28th.
In Israel the male Pied Bushchat was still at Yokne’am on 24th; while an Eastern Red-rumped Swallow was found at Eilat on 30th.
Phew... Eastern Red-rumped Swallow still present at IBRCE Eilat pic.twitter.com/n4UBMggQDP
— Yoav Perlman (@yoavperlman) January 31, 2025
Another Eastern Red-rumped Swallow was seen on 30th in Turkey at Maydan, with a White-crowned Black Wheatear also logged there.
In Kuwait, the Indian Pond Heron remained at Sulaibikhat on 27th-28th.
A Hooded Vulture was seen in Morocco at Dakhla on 24th.
On Cape Verde, a Black-capped Petrel was seen from Santo Antao on 27th.
Finally, out on the Azores, the Willet remained on Terceira this week on 24th.
Here comes the first week of February, upon us already. Famously, that week contains Groundhog Day, celebrated on February 2nd. Whether the eponymous rodent sees its shadow this coming week has, apparently, some bearing on when spring begins. In the movies, it’s also a day destined to be repeated over and over for the morally redundant weatherman Phil Connors.
We’d surely enjoy an early spring in the birding world if it means some early rarities being found. But for now, we can take a look at what the coming week has delivered in past years, and decide for ourselves whether we’re (un)worthy enough to be blessed with a repeat.
Ducks and gulls provide the most eye-catching pickings of an otherwise rather dismal week in the annals of rarity history. In Ireland, we have the drake Stejneger’s Scoter found on 1st February 2011 at Rossbeigh (Co.Kerry), a bird destined to remain there until 11th April; and a Thayer’s Gull at Killybegs (Co.Donegal) on 2nd February – 11th March 2003. Britain, meanwhile, boasts the Slaty-backed Gull found on 3rd February 2011 at Pitsea Landfill (Essex).
Whether we enjoy an admittedly unlikely repeat of any of those species, or something from leftfield that breaks the mould, let’s hope for something decent to shake things up afresh in the coming week.
Jon Dunn
31 Jan 2025
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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