Weekly birding round-up: 02 - 08 May 2025
A solid week, the week just gone, with a decent influx of Red-footed Falcon to savour, but perhaps a slightly underwhelming week where migration as a whole and rarities in particular were concerned given the time of year. Perhaps the coming week will put that all right. But for now, what of the days just gone?
The Western Isles have enjoyed precious few Solitary Sandpiper down the years, with just three records to date sitting on the books – their first, a one-day bird on North Uist on 20th October 1990; another, this time on Lewis for two days on 23rd-24th October 2003; and their last, a five day bird on St Kilda on 27th-31st August 2007.
A couple of points to note there. It’s been almost 20 years since their last… and all the prior birds have been autumnal arrivals. Both stats were to change this week, with the discovery of a spring bird on Lewis on 5th-6th.
By and large an autumnal vagrant in these parts, spring birds can and do crop up from time to time. Scilly enjoyed one such on St Mary’s on 18th May 2020, and Foula (Shetland) another on 6th-9th May 2009. Not without precedent then, and certainly not unwelcome for Hebridean birders this past week.
We’ll start this week’s seabirds in Ireland where, on 5th, the adult Double-crested Cormorant remained on Lough Gill (Co.Sligo).
Ireland also held on to Pacific Diver at Ballyhiernan Bay (Co.Donegal) on 5th-6th, and another seen in Co.Cork at Toormore on 4th-7th.
Two White-billed Diver were seen from Brora (Highland & Caithness) on 2nd; and singletons from Portsoy (Aberdeenshire) on 2nd-7th still; South Nesting Bay (Shetland) on 3rd again; off Lewis (Western Isles) on 5th; and off Unst (Shetland) on 8th.
A mere 25 Pomarine Skua were logged during the week, a significant drop on the previous week’s passage.
A Cory’s Shearwater was for a third consecutive week seen off the East Yorkshire coast, again from Spurn on 5th.
A Balearic Shearwater was noted from The Lizard (Cornwall) on 6th, and another from Capstone Point (Devon) on 8th.
We’ll kick off the long-legged beasties in Hampshire, where another sighting of an elusive Black Stork came from Acres Down on 4th.
Down on Scilly, the male Little Bittern was once again seen on St Mary’s on 2nd.
Just a couple of Night Heron were logged this week – one on 3rd over Kessingland (Suffolk), and another on 6th at Shapwick Heath NNR (Somerset).
Purple Heron on the other hand enjoyed something of a renaissance, with around a dozen birds noted nationwide. Suffolk proved to be a hotbed of sightings, with two birds seen at North Warren RSPB on 3rd, and two at nearby Thorpeness Meare on 4th.
On the other hand, Glossy Ibis were having a quiet week by their standards, just about creeping into double figures across Britain and Ireland as a whole, with a dozen birds seen – the only site to enjoy multiple birds being in Co.Wexford at Ring Marsh, where two were seen again on 4th.
Finally, in Norfolk a Corncrake was heard only at Welney WWT on 4th.
It won’t be long now before the honkers and quackers lose their honkers altogether for a while, with summer edging ever closer our way. This week a Black Brant held on – being seen in East Yorkshire at Easington on 2nd, and again in the Kilnsea Wetlands NR area on 4th-5th.
Further up the east coast, the female Cinnamon Teal remained in Northumberland at Buston Links on 2nd-8th, while the drake was still present in Scotland at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 2nd-8th also.
Back in East Yorkshire, the female Blue-winged Teal was seen again at Tophill Low NR on 5th-7th, while the female remained at Rainham Marshes RSPB (London) on 2nd-4th.
Green-winged Teal were, all of a sudden, becoming a scarce commodity – birds were logged this week at Filey Dams YWT (North Yorkshire) on 2nd; at Newport Wetlands (Gwent) on 3rd still; at Marshside RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) still on 5th; on Inishbofin (Co.Galway) on 6th; at Little Woolden Moss (Greater Manchester) on 7th still; and at Nanquidno (Cornwall) on 8th.
Ireland gave us two of the week’s quartet of American Wigeon sightings – at Lough Neagh (Co.Armagh) again on 4th-5th, and at Lurgangreen (Co.Louth) on 5th-8th. Northumberland also supplied sightings at two locations – at East Chevington NWT still on 2nd, and once again at Druridge Pools NR on 3rd-8th.
A drake Ferruginous Duck was seen in Somerset at Ham Wall RSPB on 6th, and another at Draycote Water (Warwickshire) on 7th.
Numbers of Ring-necked Duck continued to freefall this week, with just three reported – one at Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset) on 3rd still; another in East Yorkshire at Tophill Low NR on 2nd; and one in Ireland at Muckrush (Co.Galway) on 4th.
Were it not for the English northwest we’d have been without Lesser Scaup at all in recent days – however, two were seen on 4th at Hale Head (Cheshire & Wirral) and, later on, at Oglet (Lancashire & North Merseyside).
East Wemyss (Fife) held onto a drake White-winged Scoter on 2nd-6th, with two present there on 3rd-4th again; while a drake was seen at Methil (Fife) on 3rd and 5th also. A second-winter drake was again seen at Yellow Craig (Lothian) on 2nd-5th.
A Surf Scoter also continued to be seen at East Wemyss (fife) on 2nd-6th; another was at Gairloch (Highland & Caithness) on 6th; and two were seen off Fetlar (Shetland) on 5th-8th. Away from Scotland, the recent Devon bird was still present at Three Beaches Headland on 2nd.
A varied week of waders commences with a small arrival of Black-winged Stilt in our midst – a single male at North Warren RSPB (Suffolk) on 2nd-4th was followed, on 4th, by two birds on the north Kent coast at Oare Marshes KWT, and on 5th-8th by two birds in Devon at Seaton Marshes.
Just shy of 40 Dotterel were seen this week, with the largest party being nine birds at Ingleborough (North Yorkshire) on 5th-8th, equalled by nine at Beal (Northumberland) on 8th.
A male Kentish Plover arrived at Tyninghame Bay (Lothian) on 8th.
An American Golden Plover was seen at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 4th.
Picking up the pace, a little over 20 Temminck’s Stint were logged during the week, with Blue House Farm EWT (Essex) particularly blessed – here numbers rose from a single bird on 3rd to two on 4th, and three on 5th-7th.
A couple of Pectoral Sandpiper were seen lately – one in Wales at National Wetlands Centre WWT (Carmarthenshire) on 3rd-7th, and another on Foula (Shetland) on 4th-5th.
In Cambridgeshire the fine Spotted Sandpiper remained in situ at Grafham Water on 2nd-6th.
North Yorkshire was blessed with two Lesser Yellowlegs this week, at Nosterfield LNR on 2nd-8th, and Filey Dams YWT on 2nd-8th also. The recent individual remained at Harper’s Island (Co.Cork) on 2nd-3rd.
A Long-billed Dowitcher was seen on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 6th-7th.
Finally, the Red-necked Phalarope was still to be seen at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) on 2nd-3rd.
Pick of the gulls lately was by some margin the adult Ross’s Gull seen heading north past Marske (Cleveland) on 4th.
A Sabine’s Gull was seen going north past King Edward’s Bay (Northumberland) on 7th.
In Co.Fermanagh the adult Ring-billed Gull remained at Enniskillen on 3rd.
Just a trio of Glaucous Gull were seen lately – one at Girdle Ness (Aberdeenshire) still on 2nd-8th; another on Bann Estuary (Co.Derry) on 3rd; and one on Orkney at Stenness on 7th.
Girdle Ness (Aberdeenshire) also retained an Iceland Gull on 4th-5th; while additional Scottish sightings came from Ullapool (Highland & Caithness) on 3rd, Newhall Mains (Highland & Caithness) on 5th, Banff (Aberdeenshire) on 6th, and Rerwick (Shetland) on 7th. One was again seen at Beachy Head (East Sussex) on 5th-6th.
There was a time when any week that featured reports of both Booted Eagle and Lammergeier would have been greeted with wry cynicism, but we know better than that now…
A possible pale morph Booted Eagle was seen over Norwich (Norfolk) on 2nd; while an unconfirmed report came of a possible Lammergeier seen in Devon at Two Bridges on 5th.
This was followed on 7th by a juvenile pale morph Booted Eagle seen heading north over Carlton Marshes SWT (Suffolk).
What was incontrovertible this week was the influx of Red-footed Falcon - a marvellous arrival of at least 50 birds into Britain and Ireland, with some sites enjoying multiple birds – not least Carlton Marshes SWT (Suffolk), where five seen on 2nd-3rd rose to at least seven present there on 4th (10 birds were reported that day), with seven still present there on 8th. Elsewhere two were lingering at Ouse Fen RSPB (Cambridgeshire) on 2nd-8th; two were seen at Worth Marshes RSPB (Kent) on 3rd; two at Baston Langtoft Pits (Lincolnshire) on 5th; two in Co.Wexford near Kilmore Quay on 4th; three in Co.Clare on 4th at Ballycar; and two on 8th at Kuggar (Cornwall), and three at Croft Pascoe Pool (Cornwall).
These rather threw the week’s Black Kite into the shade, but sightings of the latter continued to trickle in, not least from Cornwall – here reports came from Penzance on 2nd, over the A30 near Camborne on 3rd, and on 4th at Treeve Moor and Porthgwarra. One was seen on 2nd on North Ronaldsay (Orkney); another was reported on 2nd at Boughton Fen (Norfolk); and birds were seen on 4th at Capel St Mary (Suffolk) and Stodmarsh NNR (Kent). On 6th another was seen at Chapel-en-le-Firth (Derbyshire); and on 8th, one more at Oare Marshes KWT (Kent).
Kent also boasted a male Montagu’s Harrier at Chamber’s Wall on 2nd; and another on 8th at Patrington (East Yorkshire).
Our weekly passerines section commences with Hoopoe, which continued their spring of ubiquity for another week with 16 individuals seen and heard in Britain and Ireland.
Still more colour was coming our way in the form of Bee-eater this week – four were seen in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea on 2nd, and four mobile birds on 3rd in Suffolk at a variety of coastal sites. Singletons were seen on Bardsey (Gwynedd) on 4th, at Burnham-on-Sea (Somerset) on 6th, and still present at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 2nd. On 7th three were seen at West Wittering (West Sussex); and on 8th one over Great Ormes Head (Conwy).
At least 20 Golden Oriole added further flair to the week, with Scilly particularly blessed with their kind as the days wore on.
A handful of Wryneck were noted in recent days – at Elderslie (Clyde) on 2nd; at Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 3rd and 6th; at Ouse Washes RSPB (Cambridgeshire) on 3rd and 6th; at Winterton Dunes NNR (Norfolk) on 3rd; at Bawtry (South Yorkshire) on 3rd; singing at Goathland (North Yorkshire) on 8th; and at Barlaston (Staffordshire) on 8th.
A Woodchat Shrike was found at Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire) on 2nd; while on 8th birds were seen in Norfolk at Holkham Freshmarsh and latterly Burnham Overy Dunes, and at Coward’s Marsh (Dorset).
A Red-backed Shrike was on Kelling Heath (Norfolk) on 8th.
Back in the news this week, a Pied Crow was once more seen in Co.Galway, this time at Mervue on 3rd-5th.
Short-toed Lark remained on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 2nd-8th, and St Mary’s (Scilly) on 2nd-4th. Another this week was seen at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 3rd.
A scatter of Red-rumped Swallow were seen this week – on Scilly on Tresco on 3rd, and St Martin’s on 4th; on Bardsey (Gwynedd) again on 2nd; and reported from Weetslade CP (Northumberland) on 6th.
A Western Bonelli’s Warbler was in song at Sandwich Bay (Kent) on 8th.
In Cambridgeshire the singing Great Reed Warbler remained at Ouse Fen RSPB on 2nd-8th.
The singing Savi’s Warbler at Marazion Marsh RSPB (Cornwall) was also proving settled, remaining there on 2nd-8th.
A male Subalpine Warbler sp was found in Cornwall at Kynance Cove on 2nd-3rd, while a female was present on Tresco (Scilly) on 2nd, and another on Skomer (Pembrokeshire) on 8th. A male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was present on Cape Clear (Co.Cork) on 2nd; and a male Western Subalpine Warbler was trapped and ringed on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 8th.
The singing male white-spotted Bluethroat remained in Gloucestershire at Slimbridge WWT on 2nd-8th, while a red-spotted individual was present on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 6th.
A first-summer male Citrine Wagtail was found on Bryher (Scilly) on 7th.
A fewGrey-headed Wagtail were found this week – one was present on Bryher (Scilly) on 4th-5th; another at Blue House Farm EWT (Essex) on 5th; one on 5th at Steart (Somerset); and final birds at Kilnsea (East Yorkshire) on 7th-8th, and on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 8th.
For another week, some half a dozen Serin were seen lately. One lingered up on Shetland, where the recent Unst bird was still to be seen on 2nd-5th; one was seen on St Martin’s (Scilly) on 2nd; one was seen at Birling Gap (East Sussex) on 3rd, and one in off the sea at Selsey Bill (West Sussex) on 6th with it or another seen there the following day too; a bird was in Kent at North Foreland on 4th; and another was seen on 4th at Meols (Cheshire & Wirral).
As ever lately, we start the overseas news in the Netherlands where the drake Spectacled Eider was still to be seen off Texel on 3rd-7th.
In France, the Bridled Tern was still on Ile aux Moutons on 3rd, and the Western Reef Heron at Les Aresquiers on 3rd also; and the Elegant Tern at Polder de Sebastopol on 8th still.
A West African Crested Tern was seen at Malaga (Spain) on 3rd.
On Cyprus the Lesser Moorhen remained at Agia Varvara on 2nd-7th.
In Kuwait the Indian Pond Heron remained at Sulaibikhat on 5th.
The coming week, if we’re of a wildly optimistic disposition, features all sorts of enticing historic American fare on these shores – from the relatively commonplace in the form of half a dozen apiece Slate-coloured Junco and White-throated Sparrow, to the rather rarer sparrows (two apiece of Song Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow), and finally to the really rarified stuff – single records of Lark Sparrow at Waxham (Norfolk) on 15th-17th May 1991, and Brown-headed Cowbird at Seaburn (Co.Durham) on 10th May 2010.
Which is all very well, and may yet transpire to be in one form or another in the coming week, but it’s all a bit long-shot, isn’t it?
The coming week seems set to bless us with some light easterlies, and that should surely mean a Thrush Nightingale is coming our way sooner than later. More Red-footed Falcon seem like a formality given recent days’ precedent – maybe we could get a wayward Roller or Lesser Grey Shrike?
And surely a Rustic Bunting is a possibility?
Jon Dunn
9 May 2025
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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