Weekly birding round-up: 20 - 26 Mar
A fairly quiet week, the one just gone, though not so much if we look at the calibre of the rarities that lingered in these parts. Green shoots of spring were to be seen here and there, but the main event remains tantalisingly just over the horizon…
Ireland’s first Oriental Turtle Dove remained this week in the Harmony Hill area of Lisburn (Co.Antrim) until 26th, providing a welcome chance for those slower off the mark to make their way to catch up with this excellent, long-staying bird.
Also pleasingly settled, the recently found American Bittern remained in Co.Cork at Cuskinny NR, being seen occasionally there on 20th-22nd.
Found at Lady’s Island Lake (Co.Wexford) on 26th, we might not unreasonably assume the American Coot there that afternoon is one and the same as that last seen at Tacumshin on 5th Febuary… easily overlooked, if it’s one and the same it’s been lurking unseen somewhere in the area in the meantime.
Last seen towards the end of the last week’s recording period, the Black-winged Kite in Norfolk reappeared this week over the weekend in the Ludham Bridge area, being seen there on Sunday 22nd, and remaining present into the following day too.
Starting the weekly seabirds once more in Ireland, Pacific Diver remained at Achill Island (Co.Mayo) on 20th-22nd, and Coolsiva Quay (Co.Clare) again on 21st-22nd.
Numbers of White-billed Diver picked up somewhat, edging once more into double figures. Two sites held multiple birds – two remained off Inverkeithing (Fife) on 20th-25th; and three were seen at Portsoy (Aberdeenshire) on 22nd. Singletons were seen at Burghead (Moray) on 20th; Loch Venachar (Forth) on 20th-25th; Pease Bay (Borders) again on 21st; at Gullane Point (Lothian) on 21st; at Loch Sunart (Highland & Caithness) on 21st; and Gills (Highland & Caithness) on 22nd.
Two Balearic Shearwater were seen from Slapton Sands (Devon) on 22nd.
Wrapping the seabirds up in Ireland, the Double-crested Cormorant was again present at Lough Gill (Co.Sligo) on 25th.
Flickers of the spring, Glossy Ibis aside, came in the form of a Purple Heron at National Wetlands Centre WWT (Carmarthenshire) on 22nd…
…and Night Heron in Somerset in Yeovil on 22nd, and near Nether Stowey on 23rd; and another in Devon at Brixton on 26th.
An early Corncrake was seen in Nottinghamshire near Newstead on 24th.
There were still honkers and quackers aplenty on offer in recent days, though some erstwhile stalwarts continue to move on to pastures and ponds anew. Starting with The Goose Formerly Known As Canada, interior Todd’s Canada Goose were present at Marshside RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 22nd and 26th, on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) again on 23rd, with one still at Drimvore (Argyll & Bute) on 25th and a possible also on 25th at Colgagh Lough (Co.Sligo); while hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose were seen at Martyr’s Stake (Dumfries & Galloway) on 20th-26th, Lissadell (Co.Sligo) on 21st still, Drimvore (Argyll & Bute) on 25th still, at Crook of Baldoon RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway) on 25th also, and on 26th still on Islay (Argyll & Bute).
Marshside RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) gave us a Snow Goose on 21st-25th decamping to Southport Marine Lake again on 26th, while in Scotland sightings came from Pettinain (Clyde) on 20th, and Collieston (Aberdeenshire) again on 21st. Two were seen on 26th at South Slob (Co.Wexford).
Ross’s Goose were seen in Argyll & Bute at Drumlemble on 21st still and near Machrihanish on 24th-25th, and in Cumbria near Lessonhall on 24th-26th.
East Yorkshire gave us a Black Brant still at Kilnsea on 20th, with two near there again on 26th; while in Ireland birds were seen at Webb’s Field (Co.Wicklow) on 23rd, and in Co.Dublin at Dalkey Island on 24th still. 16th-19th still. A Grey-bellied Brant was present at Webb’s Field on 23rd also, and a possible at Dalkey Island still on 24th.
The Red-breasted Goose remained on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 22nd-26th.
Half a dozen lingering American Wigeon were logged during the week. The Shetland bird remained at Loch of Spiggie on 20th-21st; one was seen again in Orkney at Sanday on 21st; 16th; one was remained at Bishop Middleham Quarry (Co.Durham) on 20th; the Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) individual was still present there on 21st-23rd; the Eyebrook Reservoir (Leicestershire) bird remained there on 20th-22nd; and one on the Teifi Estuary at St Dogmaels (Pembrokeshire / Ceredigion) on 21st still.
Green-winged Teal meanwhile held up their end of the late winter / early spring compact, with a little over a dozen birds reported throughout the week.
The week began with the female Redhead still on Lough Yganavan (Co.Kerry) on 20th; and, in Essex, the drake Canvasback remained on Abberton Reservoir on 20th-23rd.
Familiar Ferruginous Duck remained at Ryton Pools CP (Warwickshire) on 20th-24th, and Bubbenhall on 23rd; a drake was seen at Carlton Marshes SWT (Suffolk) on 22nd-23rd; and a bird at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB (Cambridgeshire) again on 25th.
Four sites held duos of Lesser Scaup this past week – at Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 20th-22nd, again on Clifton Pits (Worcestershire) on 22nd-26th, at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 21st and, on 26th, on Chew Valley Lake (Somerset). A single bird was seen at Walton Reservoir (Surrey) again on 22nd-24th.
Some 50 Ring-necked Duck in Britain and Ireland this week was a decent showing once more, with Ireland still enjoying the lion’s share of them, the peak count remaining the flock of 12 on Lough Yganavan (Co.Kerry) on 26th still, and eight seen on 25th at Urlaur Lough (Co.Mayo).
In Co.Donegal the first-winter drake Harlequin Duck remained off Curransport on 20th-26th.
Harlequin Duck (Male) “Ireland’s First” still showing well In Harbour @ Magheraroarty Pier, Co. Donegal on 20th, March, 2026. (Video on 21st) ?? pic.twitter.com/7jPcl0eGSR
— Vittorio Caschera (@Victor_Caschera) March 23, 2026
The first-winter drake King Eider was seen again at Loch Fleet (Highland & Caithness) on 20th and once more on 26th.
The second-winter drake White-winged Scoter was still present at Port Seton (Lothian) on 21st-24th, with a drake seen at Methil (Fife) on 21st-22nd. The second-winter Stejneger’s Scoter was still present in Fife at Methil on 20th-22nd.
A Surf Scoter was seen in Conwy at Penmaenmawr on 21st-22nd; and the Vatersay (Western Isles) bird remained there on 24th.
All of a sudden, the weekly waders began to look rather sparse and thin on the ground lately...
Long-billed Dowitcher were seen this week on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) again on 20th, and in Co.Wexford at Tacumshin again on 22nd.
Lesser Yellowlegs meanwhile remained in Cornwall at Truro on 20th-21st, in Denbighshire at Rhyl on 21st-26th, and on Rathlin Island (Co.Antrim) still on 24th.
Providing some welcome variety, an American Golden Plover was found on 26th at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford).
Ever busier on the Bonaparte’s Gull front, with the past week threatening to break into double figures of individuals noted the length of Britain and Ireland. Cornwall supplied sightings at Marazion on 20th-23rd, and at Hayle on 20th-21st; one remained in Devon on the Plym Estuary at Blaxton Meadow on 20th-22nd; Somerset enjoyed a bird at Cheddar Reservoir on 21st-24th; up on Shetland birds were seen on Unst still on 21st-22nd, and at Loch of Hillwell on Mainland on 21st; while in Ireland sightings came from Quilty (Co.Clare) still on 21st, and Lough Beg (Co.Derry) on 22nd.
Ireland gave us all of our weekly Ring-billed Gull, at Enniskillen (Co.Fermanagh) on 20th-22nd still; at Blackrock (Co.Louth) still on 21st; at Tralee Bay Wetlands (Co.Kerry) still on 22nd-26th; at Cork Lough (Co.Cork) again on 23rd-26th; at Barnaderg Bay (Co.Galway) still on 23rd; and at Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) on 23rd.
A second-winter Kumlien’s Gull was seen in Shetland at Loch of Hillwell on 21st-23rd; an adult in Cornwall at Sennen on 22nd and 24th; and an adult at Shotton Pools (Northumberland) on 26th. Loch of Hillwell gave us two of the week’s 20 or so strong>Iceland Gull on 22nd; while some 15 Glaucous Gull during the week included two at Waxham (Norfolk) on 23rd, and two at Fraserburgh (Aberdeenshire) on 25th.
Lastly, the adult Forster’s Tern continued to hang around Brownsea Island NT in Poole Harbour (Dorset) on 20th-24th, and was seen again at Holes Bay on 25th.
The juvenile Northern Harrier was still to be seen at Cahore Marsh (Co.Wexford) on 21st.
In Wales, the second-winter female Pallid Harrier was present at Llanrhidian Marsh (Glamorgan) on 20th-21st, and again at National Wetlands Centre WWT (Carmarthenshire) on 22nd.
A possible Rough-legged Buzzard was seen in Northumberland at Kings Law on 21st; while in Norfolk one was present at How Hill NR on 22nd, and a further report that day came from Happisburgh.
A Black Kite was seen in Kent on 20th at Tenterden; a probable was also seen that day in East Sussex at Rye Harbour. Three birds were reported in Northamptonshire at Evenly Woods on 21st, with two again reported there on 22nd.
Suddenly, spring was upon us, with the vanguard of Hoopoe driving into the west – 14 birds in all were noted during the week, with two present at Churchtown South (Co.Cork) until 21st, and an inland bird away from the west in Leicestershire at Whitwick on 21st-24th.
A Great Spotted Cuckoo was reported from St Martin’s (Scilly) on 22nd, but sadly wasn’t relocated.
A female Bluethroat appeared at Cot Valley (Cornwall) on 21st-24th.
Meanwhile in Kent the wintering Red-flanked Bluetail remained at Crockham Hill Common on 20th-22nd.
Great Grey Shrike sightings reduced to Stoney Cross Plain (Hamshire) still on 22nd-23rd, Buckherd Bottom (Hampshire) still on 25th, and near Ingham (Lincolnshire) still on 21st-26th.
Two Waxwing remained in East Yorkshire at Goole on 20th-26th; one was seen in Edinburgh (Lothian) on 22nd; one in Kirkwall (Orkney) on 24th; and 10 were present in Co.Durham at Thornley on 24th.
Both of our wintering Hume’s Warbler remained on site this past week, in Lowestoft (Suffolk) on 20th-24th, and at Lea Marston (Warwickshire) on 20th-26th.
A Yellow-browed Warbler was reported, heard only, at Hartshill Hayes CP (Warwickshire) on 21st.
In Cornwall the Dusky Warbler remained present at Boscathnoe Reservoir on 20th-25th.
A Zitting Cisticola was still to be seen in Suffolk at Walberswick on 21st-22nd.
Also in Suffolk, a Richard’s Pipit was noted over Lowestoft on 22nd.
A Serin was seen heading north over Porthcurno (Cornwall) on 23rd, and a male was briefly in song at Kenidjack (Cornwall) on 26th.
Finally, in Hampshire the Great-tailed Grackle was still in Holbury on 21st-23rd, and seen in flight at Hill Head on 26th; and the probable remained in Lancashire & North Merseyside at Speke Hall on 20th-26th.
We start the overseas new in the Netherlands once more, where the Black-faced Bunting remained on Texel on 20th-21st.
The French Belted Kingfisher remained on the Canal de Nantes a Brest on 25th.
In Portugal, the male Summer Tanager was still present at Porto on 21st; while in Spain the Cape Gull remained at Laredo on 23rd.
In Slovenia, a Sociable Lapwing was seen at Lake Ptuj on 24th.
On the Azores, a Snowy Egret was present on Sao Miguel on 20th.
On Cape Verde, Sao Vicente held onto its Black-headed Heron on 22nd-23rd, and a Red-billed Quelea still on 22nd.
An Asian Koel was present in Kuwait at Wafra on 22nd-24th.
And finally, in Azerbaijan, a personata Masked Wagtail was seen on 24th at Kurdexani.
So, we head into April, bidding goodbye this week to a March that featured snow in London as lately as the week just gone. We’ve had signs of spring recently on the birding front, but some reminders that, for all the clocks will be changing, winter may be reluctant to let us go just yet.
But first, we’ve the final five days of March to navigate. Historically they’ve sprung precious few surprises – we’re very much in the hinterland between winter and spring. Five past records of Killdeer serve as a reminder that waders are very much on the move at this point in the year, so maybe a northbound bird of the previous year could liven the coming week up.
Jon Dunn
27 Mar 2026
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos and to everyone who contributed throughout the year.
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