Weekly birding round-up: 7 - 13 Feb
February continued to roll on this week much as the month began, without any startling new rarities to rock the boat, but with some lingering birds of the highest quality in Britain and Ireland as a whole. No complaints from us, then.
Keeping everyone concerned happy for another week, the pale morph Booted Eagle remained in Cornwall in the Marazion Marsh RSPB area in recent days through to 13th, albeit sometimes disappearing for hours on end.
Shetland continued to be the place to be this week for a fine trio of American vagrants, namely the recent Ross’s Goose still hanging around the Scatsta area of North Mainland until 11th; and, in the South Mainland within a couple of miles of one another, the drake Bufflehead still at Loch of Hillwell until 8th, and the more obdurate American Coot still working its way up and down the west shore of Loch of Spiggie throughout the week.
With a residency in the area that’s now extending to three years (14th February marks the three year anniversary of its discovery in Co.Leitrim), we could be in danger of taking the adult Double-crested Cormorant on Doon Lough for granted – there it remained this week until 12th at least.
That would be to do it something of a disservice, given the species’ enduring rarity on these shores. When this one finally packs it in, one would assume we’ll have another long wait for the next bird. It’s one for Irish birders to savour while they can… and for British birders to cast envious eyes at across the water. When will we get a twitchable British example? The wait goes on…
Away from Ireland’s lingering superstar cormorant, this was a very quiet week indeed for seabirds. Indeed, our news was largely restricted to a handful of Little Auk – two seen from Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 7th, and a singleton off Rerwick (Shetland) on 9th.
Onto long-legged beasties, where Glossy Ibis numbers were down somewhat, with around 17 birds logged over the course of the week. Pick of the bunch were the regular trio still at Hampshire’s Titchfield Haven NNR on 7th-12th; while duos were noted at Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset) still on 7th, at Deeping Lakes LWT (Lincolnshire) still on 12th, and at Lady’s Island Lake (Co.Wexford) still on 8th-13th.
We begin, as ever, the honkers and quackers with The Goose Formerly Known As Canada. Cumbria enjoyed an interior Todd’s Canada Goose at Rockcliffe Marsh again on 9th; while hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Geese were represented by two on Islay (Argyll & Bute) until 12th, two still on The Mullet (Co.Mayo) on 10th, and a final bird on 13th at Baldoon Airfield (Dumfries & Galloway).
On Orkney, a Snow Goose was seen on Mainland at Loch of Takerness on 8th-12th; while two were again seen in East Yorkshire at Beverley on 7th.
Islay (Argyll & Bute) held a Red-breasted Goose on 7th-10th, while another report came from Burgh Marsh (Cumbria) on 9th.
In Norfolk the Black Brant remained near Thornham on 7th-9th; an Essex sighting came from West Mersea on 12th. A possible Grey-bellied Brant was seen in Co.Dublin at Dalkey on 12th.
Turning next to the quackers, the drake Black Duck was once more seen in Co.Mayo on Cross Lough on 10th.
Numbers of Green-winged Teal picked up a little, with just shy of 20 birds reported over the course of the week in Britain and Ireland as a whole. Half a dozen American Wigeon were also noted – with two drakes at Ballygilgan NR (Co.Sligo) on 11th the jewel in that particular crown; and singletons seen again in Shetland still around Quendale on 7th-13th; at Crook of Baldoon RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway) still on 7th-12th; at Kenfig Pool NNR (Glamorgan) still on 7th-13th; and a female at Termoncarragh Lough (Co.Mayo) on 10th still.
In Essex, the drake Canvasback remained at Abberton Reservoir on 8th-11th.
Our only Ferruginous Duck this week was the female again at Tooting Bec Common (London) 9th-13th.
Britain and Ireland continued to be a busy place this week where Ring-necked Duck were concerned, with around 30 birds recorded. Numbers at Cornwall’s Dozmary Pool rose from two on 7th-9th to three on 11th and 13th; four remained at Brierfield Turlough (Co.Roscommon) on 13th; and duos were seen at Gouthwaite Reservoir (North Yorkshire) still on 7th-13th, and in Somerset at Ham Wall RSPB on 7th and Shapwick Heath NNR on 9th.
Lesser Scaup again made it to double figures, with 10 birds in total seen this past week. Chief amongst those were three on Loch Leven (Perth & Kinross) on 8th; while two remained at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 7th-13th; and single birds at Longham Lakes (Dorset) on 7th-12th, Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 8th-12th, Carsington Water (Derbyshire) on 7th-13th, Northam Burrows CP (Devon) again on 13th, and on Lough Ennell (Co.Westmeath) on 8th still.
Both recent drake White-winged Scoter remained this week at Gullane Point (Lothian) on 7th-8th, and off Methil Harbour (Fife) on 7th-9th.
Finally, 11 Surf Scoter were logged during the week, with Scottish duos seen from Roseisle (Moray) on 7th still, and off Methil Harbour (Fife) on 8th-9th; and Irish duos noted from Inch (Co.Kerry) and Owenahincha (Co.Cork) on 8th.
The pick of the weekly waders were, once more, to be found in somerset where the county’s first Least Sandpiper remained at Steart WWT on 7th-12th, and the female Kentish Plover was still to be seen at Burnham-on-Sea on 7th-10th.
In Devon the Long-billed Dowitcher remained at Exminster Marshes RSPB on 7th-11th, while in Ireland one remained at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 7th-8th.
A little variety filtered into the gulls this week, primarily in the form of a Bonaparte’s Gull present at Black Rock Strand (Co.Kerry) on 7th…
…while a Sabine’s Gull was reported passing Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 8th.
However, once again the main point of interest was Ring-billed Gull, with Ireland once more enjoying the lion’s share of sightings. Starting in Co.Kerry, sightings came thick and fast this week – an adult still at Tralee Bay Wetlands on 7th; a first-winter at Blennerville on 9th, and an adult there on 10th; and an adult reported from Tarbert Estuary on 9th. In Co.Galway two first-winter birds remained in Galway on 7th-11th; the first-winter was still present in Cork (Co.Cork) on 8th-12th; and the adult still also on 8th at Blackrock (Co.Louth). In Britain, the adult remained at Hayle Estuary RSPB on 7th-13th, with a first-winter bird also seen there on 8th and 10th; and the adult was still at Strathclyde Loch (Clyde) on 7th-13th.
Numbers of Glaucous Gull remained anchored at around a dozen birds reported across the region during the week, with two present on North Uist on 12th the only notable single site count; while around 30 Iceland Gull were logged, with just Loch Oire (Moray) notching up multiples in the form of two birds present there again on 9th.
The adult Kumlien’s Gull remained in Cheshire & Wirral still at Widnes on 7th-8th, while the Helmsdale (Highland & Caithness) adult was also still present at the latter site on 8th. A second-winter bird was present at Loch Oire (Moray) on 10th-12th.
Our steady trio of wintering Pallid Harrier were once again all to be seen during the past week. Starting in Ireland, the juvenile remained in Co.Cork at Ballyvergan Marsh 9th; in Wales, the second-winter male was still in Pembrokeshire at Dowrog Common on 8th-11th, and over Newgale on 12th; and in England, the returning adult female was still around Warham Greens (Norfolk) on 7th and again on 13th.
A probable Rough-legged Buzzard was reported from Daless (Highland & Caithness) on 8th.
After an absence from the news for a short while, the Hoopoe was once again seen this week in South Yorkshire) at Rossington on 11th.
In Essex the Great Grey Shrike was still present at Copt Hall Marshes on 8th-12th; another was found this week near Goodworth Clatford (Hampshire) on 8th-9th.
In Co.Galway the Pied Crow remained settled at Barna on 8th-10th. Belated news of one in Cornwall on 26th January along the Penryn river in Falmouth was followed this week by a probable seen at Treluswell on 7th.
Cheshire & Wirral’s recent Penduline Tit was seen again at Woolston Eyes NR on 8th and 13th.
In what’s been a dismal winter to date for Waxwing sightings, the past week qualified as a good one for these punky winter berry munchers. One in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea on 7th was followed, on the morning of 10th by four birds at Blackhall Rocks (Co.Durham) and, in the afternoon of 10th, by a report of half a dozen at Redcar (Cleveland); and by one bird in Highland & Caithness at Loch Morlich on 10th-11th.
The settled Yellow-browed Warbler remained in Worcestershire at Hallow on 7th-13th, while one was again seen in Bristol at Henleaze on 10th; and a further probable bird was reported on 13th in Somerset at Keynsham.
In Northumberland the American Pipit remained at Ross Back Sands on 7th-10th; while an Olive-backed Pipit was couched in pretty much every caveat going in Cumbria on 8th – an unconfirmed report of a flyover probable at Newbiggin was missing ‘heard only’ for the full house.
Up in Shetland a hornemannii Arctic Redpoll dropped in to North Gluss on 9th.
And finally, the recent Little Bunting was once more reported from Send (Surrey) on 12th.
Most of the usual recent overseas suspects were cropping up once again this past week in the news and, of course, until such time as it heads northwest and causes mayhem somewhere on the British east coast (we’re attempting gamely to manifest this…), the drake Spectacled Eider in the Netherlands is foremost amongst their number, still present this week off Texel on 8th-13th.
In Germany Sandhill Crane were still to be seen Neuholland on 7th, and at Gross Heseper Moor on 9th and 12th; and the Western Orphean Warbler was still coming to feeders in Eching on 12th.
In the south of France, the male Moussier’s Redstart remained at Frontignan on 7th-12th, and the juvenile Eastern Imperial Eagle at Clos des Enganes still on 9th.
In Spain, the second-winter Cape Gull remained at Larendo on 11th.
Up in Iceland, the White-winged Scoter was still off Reykjavik on 11th.
At the time of writing, the coming week seems set to have some periods of southerlies of one heft or another coming our way – is it too early to drop the gulls and ducks and hope for something a little more colourful to make landfall?
Well, it really is pretty early, and the sensible money remains on somebody finding another Bonaparte’s Gull or Lesser Scaup somewhere in Britain or Ireland.
But never say never. The coming week boasts past records of Red-rumped Swallow and Alpine Swift, after all, and even three past records of Great Spotted Cuckoo - two of the latter on the Channel Islands, and the most recent one in Co.Cork at Ringaskiddy on 15th February 2009. It’s a longshot at this juncture, but a coastal bird newly arrived in off the sea would mark a welcome change after a couple of quietish weeks in these quarters where new birds are concerned.
Jon Dunn
14 Feb 2025
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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