Weekly birding round-up: 28 Mar - 3 Apr
This, this was more like it. Spring properly getting under way this week with scarce herons and passerines on the move, and some rarer fare besides – three counties this week enjoyed the opportunity to unblock birds that were decades overdue in putting in another twitchable appearance.
With a bird having been seen recently as close to Britain as Jersey (well, okay, that’s closer to France than Britain, but it’s in our general vicinity), a sighting on the British mainland didn’t seem too big an ask.
Scilly was enjoying a fall of southern delights on 2nd, with multiple Hoopoe and Night Heron, and a Woodchat Shrike, so the writing was on the wall that day that something really good might be coming in that general direction.
However, it was the turn of Cornwall to score the big one that afternoon, with a fine Alpine Accentor found at Nanjulian Cliff, between Nanquidno and Aire Point.
From a national perspective, last year’s bird in Buckinghamshire at Pitstone Hill will have scratched an itch for many, but from a Cornish perspective this week’s bird was bigger news – the county’s only modern(ish) record was a one-day bird at Rough Tor on 4th November 1990; before that, you’re looking back to a male bird in song for three days at Lantivet Bay on 14th-16th June 1932. Not quite a first for the county then, but potentially a huge unblocker for local birders, and happily to that end still present at Nanjulian Cliff on 3rd.
One that Cornish birders could be forgiven for feeling a little more blasé about, the pale morph juvenile Booted Eagle that’s spent weeks in the county continued its wandering residency for yet another week, being seen intermittently in recent days here and there.
On 29th-30th it was lingering near Sancreed, with a sighting on 30th of a possible west of Pendeen at Levant Beam Engine. On 31st it was confirmed near Pendeen at Woon Gumpus Common; then on 1st seen over Penzance. This was followed on 2nd by a sighting of a possible over Three milestone.
No news of the Forster’s Tern from Dorset as the week began didn’t augur well, but could its absence possibly be explained by the bird seen passing Morecambe (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 28th?
That turned out to not be a flash in the pan, for there the bird was again in the latter county on 30th on the Wyre Estuary around Skippool Creek. A great bird for county listers, this one, as the last dates back over 30 years to 16th August 1992 at Formby Point.
Were this one and the same as the Dorset bird, it was certainly covering some ground – on 31st there it was again at Shipstal Point and on the lagoon on Brownsea Island, and at the latter location it continued to be seen on 1st-3rd.
It was quite the week for county listers getting a chance to unblock tricky birds, as a Least Sandpiper that dropped in to Medmerry RSPB (West Sussex) on 2nd, found in the morning, and remaining there into the evening, was the first for Sussex since a bird that spent a week at Sidlesham in July 1995.
Presumably this was the same one last seen on 23rd March at Needs Ore Point (Hampshire) and, potentially, that’s the same bird that was settled for so long in Somerset in the later winter period. It was seen again at Medmerry RSPB for just half an hour in the early afternoon of 3rd. Where next for this restless soul?
Numbers of White-billed Diver to be seen off Portsoy (Aberdeenshire) rose a little to five individuals seen from there on 31st; double figures surely beckon someday soon. Elsewhere one was seen off Lossiemouth (Moray) on 28th, and two off there on 29th; while one remained off Lunna (Shetland) on 29th.
As the new month dawned, the pace quickened on 1st – Lunna now boasting two birds, while three were seen in Orkney from Eday. On 2nd, two remained off Portsoy.
It was Devon’s turn for a Purple Heron this week, a bird being noted over Aveton Gifford on 30th. On 1st Scilly scored sightings on St Agnes and St Mary’s; while another island bird was seen on Skomer (Pembrokeshire); one remained on St Mary’s on 2nd-3rd, with at least three birds in total present there on the latter date. Another was seen on 3rd near Skibbereen (Co.Cork).
St Mary’s was getting busy on 2nd with other herons – three Night Heron gathered at Lower Moors as the afternoon wore on, at least one of which remained there on 3rd.
As for Glossy Ibis, Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire) came roaring to the fore again this week, with eight birds logged there on 31st, at least seven still present on 1st, and eight again confirmed there on 3rd. Overall, around 25 birds were seen across Britain and Ireland and, apart from Hampshire’s largesse, further sites with multiple birds noted were Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset), where two were seen on 28th; Langford Lowfields RSPB (Northamptonshire), with two birds on 30th-1st again; Deeping Lakes LWT (Lincolnshire), with a duo on 29th still; and in Co.Wexford, where two remained at Tacumshin on 28th-31st, and two were seen at Carnsore Point on 31st. On 1st three were seen in flight at Capel Curig (Conwy).
Back to starting the honkers and quackers with The Goose Formerly Known As Canada, in Cumbria an interior Todd’s Canada Goose was seen again on 30th at Old Sandsfield and, on 31st, at Rockcliffe Marsh. A hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose was seen again on 1st on Islay (Argyll & Bute).
Those two same Cumbrian sites, and the same dates, also accounted for a Red-breasted Goose again this past week; the Islay (Argyll & Bute) individual was seen again there on 1st.
In Shetland the settled Ross’s Goose remained on Mainland at Toft on 30th-1st, while the Galston (Ayrshire) bird was still there on 1st.
Orkney continued to hold a Snow Goose on North Ronaldsay on 28th-30th, while the Gwynedd bird remained at Dinas Dinlle on 28th-30th. Two dropped in to Alkborough Flats NR (Lincolnshire) on 3rd.
A Black Brant was again seen in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea Wetlands NR on 28th.
Numbers of Green-winged Teal continued to contract this past week, with 12 birds in all noted across recent days. American Wigeon fell a little too – five birds were seen, these being one still at Loch of Hillwell (Shetland) on 29th-3rd; the bird at Druridge Pools NR (Northumberland) on 28th-3rd; one still in Co.Wexford at Killurin on 31st; the Co.Kerry bird still at Milltown Bridge on 2nd; and one in East Yorkshire at Hedon on 3rd.
Two Ferruginous Duck remained this week at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB (Cambridgeshire) on 28th, with a drake still there the following day.
Around 35 Ring-necked Duck in recent days represented another small fall on the preceding week. Notable counts were four still on Brierfield Turlough (Co.Roscommon) on 1st; three present at Blanket Nook (Co.Donegal) on 31st-1st; two still at Gouthwaite Reservoir (North Yorkshire) on 28th-2nd; two at Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset) on 28th-30th; two on North Uist (Western Isles) on 3rd; and two on Inishmore (Co.Galway) on 3rd also.
Eight Lesser Scaup were seen during the week – two remained at Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 29th-31st; and single birds at Longham Lakes (Dorset) on 28th-3rd; Whelford Pools (Gloucestershire) on 28th-3rd; at Loch Leven (Perth & Kinross) on 29th; on South Uist (Western Isles) on 30th; on Chew Valley Lake (Somerset) on 28th-3rd; and at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 31st still.
In Lothian, a drake White-winged Scoter was off Gullane Point on 28th-30th, and Yellow Craig on 30th; while one was seen in Fife at Buckhaven on 30th-31st again.
A drake Black Scoter was seen in Co.Kerry off Rossbeigh on 28th.
In Devon the Surf Scoter remained off Three Beaches Headland on 28th-30th; while two were seen in Fife off Buckhaven on 29th-31st still.
Finally, in Shetland the drake Bufflehead remained at Loch of Hillwell in the south Mainland on 28th-31st, while the American Coot was again seen at Loch of Spiggie on 30th and 3rd.
In Dorset, the recent Dotterel was seen at Ferrybridge on 28th-29th; another was seen on 1st at Nether Wasdale Common (Cumbria).
A male Kentish Plover was found in Cornwall on 3rd at Helston Loe Pool.
Two Long-billed Dowitcher were seen during the week, these being the Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) individual still present there on 31st, and the Bowling Green Marsh RSPB (Devon) bird again there on 31st-3rd also.
A couple of Bonaparte’s Gull were logged during the past week – one in Cornwall again at Hayle Estuary RSPB on 30th, and another at Stevenston Point (Ayrshire) on 28th.
Sightings of Ring-billed Gull were getting fewer and further between, with just a couple of birds noted lately. A first-winter was again seen in Cork (Co.Cork) on 29th, while the Hayle Estuary RSPB (Cornwall) adult was still there on 28th-30th.
The advent of spring and warmer weather seems to have marked a turning point for Glaucous Gull, with just two birds recorded during the week – one at Blyth (Northumberland) still on 28th, and another at Ullapool (Highland & Caithness) on 29th-30th. Iceland Gull meanwhile held their own, with some 15 individuals again noted across the region.
In Shetland the Kumlien’s Gull was once more seen on Unst on 30th-31st; the Aber Ogwen (Gwynedd) juvenile remained present there on 29th-1st; a further juvenile was seen at Carne (Co.Wexford) on 31st, and another Co.Wexford sighting came on 1st-2nd at Lady’s Island Lake. On 2nd a bird was seen at Milltown Bridge (Co.Kerry), while on 1st the adult was again seen at Helmsdale (Highland & Caithness).
The prior week’s adult White-winged Black Tern remained at Monikie CP (Angus) on 28th-30th; and on 1st, an adult was found at Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland).
A Black Kite was seen in Kent this week on 31st at Charlton Wood and Worth Marsh RSPB. On 2nd another was seen in Norfolk at Croxton, while a possible was reported in Devon at Paignton; on 3rd, one was seen in Devon near Kingsbridge.
In Norfolk, the female Pallid Harrier remained around Warham Greens on 28th-2nd; while the second-winter male was again seen in Pembrokeshire on 3rd at Castlemartin Corse.
Here today and gone tomorrow, most of the prior week’s Hoopoe had better things to be doing than hanging around. A few did, and not a day went by this past week without a handful being reported, but we were a long way off the numbers recorded during the prior week’s influx – that is, until 2nd, when it all kicked off again with some 75 birds reported, making up a large proportion of the 110 or so seen during the week as a whole to that point, with around 40 more added on 3rd for good measure. Notable tallies on 2nd were seven birds at Galley Head (Co.Cork), and at least nine on St Mary’s (Scilly).
Co.Galway gave us a Pied Crow in Galway on 31st-1st; while another, seen on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 28th-29th had likely been present on the island for three or so days beforehand. An unconfirmed report came of a bird in Co.Galway on 3rd at Headford.
The first Wryneck of the spring arrived on 2nd, being found on Cape Clear (Co.Cork).
Scilly’s excellent day on 2nd, with multiple Hoopoe and Night Heron on St Mary’s alone, also boasted a Woodchat Shrike on St Mary’s – the latter being seen again on 3rd also.
An early Red-backed Shrike also checked in to Scilly, a female found on St Martin’s on 3rd.
Our three recent Great Grey Shrike continued to be noted lately – the Cannock Chase (Staffordshire) bird still on 29th-31st, the Hatfield Moors NNR (South Yorkshire) individual still on 29th, and the Devon bird near Bellever Tor still on 28th-31st.
A female Western Subalpine Warbler was found on 2nd at Galley Head (Co.Cork), and remained present there the following day.
A Bluethroat was seen at Helvick Head (Co.Waterford) on 28th.
In Buckinghamshire, the Richard’s Pipit remained outside Newport Pagnell on 30th, with another reported in the county on 30th near Ivinghoe Beacon; a possible was in Kent at North Foreland on 31st.
A probable Tawny Pipit was seen briefly on 3rd at Oysterhaven (Co.Cork).
Among daily reports of scattered Blue-headed Wagtail came another putative iberiae Iberian Wagtail, a possible at Farlington Marshes HWT (Hampshire) on 30th; and a cinereocapilla Ashy-headed Wagtail at Worth Marsh RSPB (Kent) on 30th.
A Serin was seen on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 3rd.
Finally, the wintering Little Bunting remained anchored at Send (Surrey) on 29th-3rd.
Still showing no signs of moving on, the Dutch Spectacled Eider remained off Texel on 29th-3rd.
In Denmark the first-winter male Indigo Bunting remained at Tjæreby on 28th-2nd; and a Sandhill Crane was seen near Store Vildmose on 2nd.
In Germany the Western Orphean Warbler remained in Eching on 2nd-3rd.
Sociable Lapwing were seen this week in Romania at Ciocile on 28th, and in Spain at Laguna de el Oso on 30th-31st. Spain also scored a Rough-legged Hawk at Santo Domingo de las Posadas on 3rd.
Closer to home, an American Herring Gull had been present on Guernsey at Perelle since 7th March, and remained on the island until 29th.
Further afield, the Indian Pond Heron remained in Kuwait at Sulaibikhat on 29th; and the Lesser Moorhen in Tunisia at Asif Tifnout on 2nd.
Another Lesser Moorhen was seen on Cyprus on 3rd at Agia Varvara.
@cyprusbirds #cyprusbirding
— Mike Barth Photography ???? (@mikebarthbirdin) April 3, 2025
Lesser Moorhen top lifer for me this morning at Agia Varvara, Cyprus this morning. Possibly the first record in Cyprus and one of only a handful in the WP. Credit to @AndersG2211 the finder pic.twitter.com/wEZ2di14bn
We’re now into April, and spring’s starting to move through the gears. It’s only going to get better from here onwards.
The passerine possibilities start to get way more varied and interesting at this juncture in the year, with various fair numbers and flavours of Subalpine Warbler showing up on our historic radar in the coming week, and duos of interesting fare such as Crested Lark, Slate-coloured Junco, and Alpine Accentor also providing precedent and food for thought in equal measure.
With the past week having provided us with an Alpine Accentor and the first of the spring’s Subalpine Warbler sp, picking a longshot from the above is enticing stuff. We’re certainly at the time of year when a displaced Nearctic passerine may be heading northwards, so let’s take a punt on a Slate-coloured Junco…
Jon Dunn
4 Apr 2025
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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