Weekly birding round-up: 29 Aug - 4 Sept 2018
So this was the week that we finally bid adieu to one of the hottest summers on record – and began to chart our autumn course. That meant more than a changing of the seasons, as migration began, slowly, to pick up some momentum.
Rarity is all relative. One man’s Red-flanked Bluetail is another man’s Blue Tit - it all depends on the location of the garden in which it’s found. So for many a British birder, a Franklin’s Gull, while not exactly commonplace, isn’t exactly cause for dropping everything and hitting the ground running. Down the years, there’ve been plenty to go around, and I’d wager that, should anyone really want to see one, they will have done so by now.
That is, unless you happen to be a birder based in the Western Isles – in which case, with just one previous Franklin’s Gull record in early August 1985 to the islands’ credit fast-receding in the rear view mirror, news this week of an adult bird at Loch Stiapabhat on Lewis in the evening of 31st would be just cause for some celebration.
Alas it didn’t stick around after that evening – though, with plenty of the Western Isles to lose itself in, there’s still a decent chance it may yet be refound.
Lincolnshire’s third Stilt Sandpiper followed the charming habit of a number of relatively recent British examples of its kind this week, and stayed faithful to its chosen new home – in this case, the enticing surroundings of Frampton Marsh RSPB, where the adult bird remained until 3rd.
There may be a decades-long wait for the next Lincolnshire bird, if the interval between the last record and this latest one is anything to go by, but at least this individual has given local birders a decent chance of getting home from their summer holidays in time to add it to their county lists.
Doubtless sharpening more than a few birders’ resolve to examine passage Black Terns a little more closely in future, the dapper juvenile surinamensis American Black Tern remained at Dungeness RSPB (Kent) as the new week began, hanging around there until 30th but not making it into September.
Our seabird news this week was a pale shadow of what August had delivered us during its pomp and splendour – with a couple of
Wilson’s Petrels, seen from Co.Cork pelagics on 1st and 2nd, the highlight of proceedings.
Leach’s Petrels, meanwhile, all hailed from further north – from Fair Isle, or the waters between it and mainland Shetland. Two were present on the island on the night of 30th, one of which was trapped and ringed, while nine were seen from the Good Shepherd on 1st – a boat that makes the Scillonian look positively stable and immovable. Just throwing that word of caution out there should, in the coming weeks, anyone feel irresistibly tempted to take to the sea by some outrageous passerine on Fair Isle…
We didn’t quite manage to scrape into double figures of Cory’s Shearwaters this week – all were seen in Cornwall, where singles at Pendeen and Porthgwarra on 29th were followed by five birds seen from the latter site on 2nd; and a single bird was noted from Botallack on 30th.
Great Shearwaters too continued to drop in numbers – dramatically down on the hordes seen a fortnight ago, or even the 350 seen last week – this week we tallied a mere 25 or so birds in Cornish and Co.Cork waters, with six seen from a Co.Cork pelagic on 2nd being the week’s highest tally.
A little more forthcoming, Balearic Shearwaters, broke into triple figures, with around 120 birds in all seen this week, with a peak count of 29 birds off Portland (Dorset) on 30th.
Pomarine Skuas were fast becoming a distant memory, with some 25 birds in all logged this week – all singles bar two duos, seen from Kingshorn (Fife) on 29th and Filey (North Yorkshire) on 31st respectively. One bird lingered off South Gare (Cleveland) from 29th-2nd.
And speaking of single birds, we’d just the one Long-tailed Skua seen this week – a juvenile, passing Long Nab (North Yorkshire) in the morning of 2nd – until 4th when a small flurry of further birds came in at the last minute: singles off Cley and Sheringham (Norfolk), Spurn (East Yorkshire) and Old Nab (North Yorkshire).
The end of the week that went before was dominated by the discovery of a flock of 51 Cattle Egrets in Devon at South Huish Marsh on 28th. What then would the new week bring by way of these handsome egrets? Those giddy heights weren’t to be scaled again in one super-flock, though Catcott Lows NR (Somerset) proved ever-reliable with various counts culminating in a highest tally of 40 birds on 3rd. Overall, though, around 120 birds were reported nationally over the course of the past seven days, with several double-figure counts coming amongst a wide scatter of birds seen along the south coast from Devon to Kent and, in addition to settled birds at the likes of Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB (Cheshire) and Fairburn Ings RSPB (West Yorkshire), more birds being found inland and to the north too. One circling Queen Elizabeth II reservoir in Surrey on 2nd spoke volumes about the wanderings that were going on.
Away from Dorset’s Littlesea, where the recent juvenile was still to be found on 31st, Purple Heron sightings came from Norfolk, where individuals were seen heading out to sea at Gorleston on 29th and Cley on 1st, and from Kent where on 31st one was seen in the morning at Swalecliffe and, in the evening, at Cliffe Pools RSPB. On 3rd one was seen at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk).
The week began with a Glossy Ibis in Glamorgan at St Athan on 29th-31st; sightings from Devon have been regular lately, and this week was to prove no exception, with birds seen at Exminster Marshes again on 29th, at Fremington Pill still on 30th-31st and again on 3rd, over Powderham on 30th and at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB on 3rd. One was present in Somerset at Blagdon Lake on 1st-2nd while, in Norfolk, sightings on 1st came thick and fast from Strumpshaw Fen, Cantley, and Titchwell RSPB.
A White Stork was kicking around the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire again this week – seen at Eldernell on 30th and then from Dog-in-a-Doublet on 1st-2nd.
Away from Norfolk Common Crane sightings were fairly thin on the ground, with some duos to distract us – a pair of birds at West Carlton (East Yorkshire) on 30th-4th and a pair at Soham (Cambridgeshire) on 30th-1st – and a trio seen in Lincolnshire on 3rd at Market Rasen.
It’s coming to that time of year when Corncrakes are on the move – away from their breeding grounds, these are always a chance and pleasant find. Birds were found this week on Fair Isle on 31st, at Kynance Cove (Cornwall) on 2nd, and in between at Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 31st – the latter bird being found, sadly, dead on the road there the following day.
Settled Spotted Crakes remained this week at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 29th-31st, in Buckinghamshire at Willen Lake on 29th-4th, and in Berkshire at Jubilee River NR on 29th-4th with two birds present there on 2nd-3rd. Birds also remained at Budleigh Salterton (Devon) on 1st-3rd with two birds there on 4th, and in West Yorkshire at Rodley NR on 1st-2nd; one was reported from Clifford Hill GPs (Northamptonshire) on 29th, and finally another was in East Yorkshire on 2nd-4th at Blacktoft Sands RSPB.
We have to kick off our dabble in the rarity duckpond with some quackers that weren’t doing themselves many favours or, at least, may well be blameless but had, for one reason or another, contrived to take a little bit of the gloss off themselves.
Last week’s Marbled Duck in Worcestershire at Camp Lane Pits had a reasonable feel-good air about it – un-ringed and fully-winged, and arriving at a perfectly plausible junction. Two Marbled Ducks, both in Worcestershire at once, began to feel like more of a striking coincidence this week – the Camp Lane Pits bird still present on 29th while, the same day, news emerged of a second bird present since 27th at least at Bransford Golf Course – this latter bird still being present there on 3rd. Of course, they could both be wild, lost birds that have just happened to simultaneously find Worcestershire. That could happen.
After all, stranger things happen all the time with wild ducks. The drake Ferruginous Duck was once more in a pen amongst the captive White-headed Ducks at Washington WWT (Co.Durham) on 1st… while the somewhat less awkwardly-situated drake of the former species was still at Abberton reservoir (Essex) until 4th.
And that brings us, neatly, to the female Hooded Merganser present on the outskirts of Lerwick (Shetland) on the unpromising surroundings of the tiny Pullars Loch until 3rd. I finally caught up with her this week, happily feeding just a few feet away from the roadside. She looked somehow right at home viewed through a wire fence…
A taste of things to come, and perhaps less controversial, came this week in the form of Ring-necked Ducks - single birds seen in Cornwall at Devoran on 30th and Stithians reservoir on 1st, and a drake noted up in Aberdeenshire at Loch of Skene on 31st-1st.
Staying in Scotland, the drake Black Duck was again at Strontian (Highland) on 30th, in the presence of two of his Black Duck x Mallard hybrid offspring.
A possible, eclipse drake American Wigeon was seen on 2nd at Brascote Pits (Leicestershire).
Scotland delivered two Surf Scoters this week – a female at Blackdog (Aberdeenshire) on 29th and, on 30th, a drake still in Lunan Bay (Angus); another female was seen in Ireland at Inny Strand (Co.Kerry) on 30th also.
And finally, a drake King Eider was in Highland on 4th at Hilton of Delnies.
Spared a headline billing simply for the brevity of the sighting (and the fact that we’ve already enjoyed two previous examples so far this year, in Shetland and East Sussex back in May), top of this week’s shorebirds is nonetheless the flyover Terek Sandpiper that ploughed over Dungeness RSPB mid-morning on 31st, but sadly didn’t stop.
Back in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh RSPB the adult Long-billed Dowitcher was more obliging, and remained there on 29th-4th. Further, intriguing, dowitcher sp sightings came from East Yorkshire on 29th and 31st where, respectively, one was seen flying by in the early mornings at Hornsea and Spurn. The former record was described as probably Long-billed - but with September comfortably the best month for our previous British and Irish Short-billed Dowitcher records, one could be forgiven for hoping that the next dowitcher is something rarer than a Long-billed.
It’s also coming to the time of year when Buff-breasted Sandpipers start to be a distinct possibility – this week began with two at Donmouth (Aberdeenshire) on 29th, and was followed by single birds on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 1st-2nd and North Uist (Western Isles) on 1st-2nd, with two on North Uist at Baleshare on 3rd. One was again seen on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 3rd-4th.
A late arrival in the week’s news, on 4th a juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper was found in East Sussex at Cuckmere Haven.
A Pectoral Sandpiper was at Musselburgh Lagoons (Lothian) on 2nd-4th. Another was found in Cornwall on 3rd in Polbathic Creek – like the former species, we’ll be seeing more of these in the coming days.
As predicted last week, a Lesser Yellowlegs was found this week – at Middlebere NT in Dorset on 29th.
An adult American Golden Plover was on the machair on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 29th-2nd; a possible adult Pacific Golden Plover was reported from St Martin’s (Scilly) on 1st.
Three Temminck’s Stints were logged this week – on 31st at Blacktoft Sands RSPB (East Yorkshire) and Martin Mere WWT (Lancashire), the latter bird remaining until 3rd; and on 2nd-4th at Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire).
Numbers of Dotterel on the move showed a typical if modest seasonal increase – three were present at East Soar (Devon) on 29th; one was seen at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire) on 30th; on 31st two were noted at South Foreland (Kent), while elsewhere in Kent single birds were seen at St Margaret’s on 1st and Dungeness on 2nd. On 3rd one was seen at The Lizard (Cornwall).
While just the two Grey Phalaropes were seen this week, at Corsewall Point (Argyll & Bute) on 29th and passing Cley (Norfolk) on 3rd, Red-necked Phalaropes did somewhat better, with birds seen at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 29th, Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) on 30th-4th, Staines reservoir (Surrey) on 31st, Blacktoft Sands RSPB (East Yorkshire) on 31st-4th, and Vange Marsh RSPB (Essex) on 1st-4th. On 4th one flew past Hornsea (East Yorkshire) in the evening.
In addition to the Franklin’s Gull up in Lewis and the American Black Tern still down in Kent, we enjoyed another varied bag of interesting gulls and terns this week – familiar faces and one or two newcomers too.
The adult Bonaparte’s Gull remained at Hilbre Island (Cheshire) on 29th; while another was discovered in Ireland at Dunmoran Strand (Co.Sligo) on 30th-31st.
The adult Ring-billed Gull was in Doorly Park (Co.Sligo) still on 2nd; another was found on 1st at Blackrock (Co.Louth).
Sightings of Sabine’s Gulls, in common with our other seabirds, fell away somewhat this week – sightings on 30th coming in the form of singles off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) and Flamborough (East Yorkshire), and two noted from Horse Shoe Point (Lincolnshire). On 3rd a small resurgence happened, with single birds at Cemlyn (Anglesey) and, in Co.Sligo, at Kilcummin Head and Dunmoran Strand. On 4th singletons were seen passing Spurn (East Yorkshire) and, inland, at Idle Valley NR (Nottinghamshire).
Two Glaucous Gulls were seen again this week – the second-winter bird once more at Llandulas (Conwy) on 1st-2nd, and a third-summer again at Ullapool (Highland) on 1st.
The adult Forster’s Tern was seen once more this week at Soldier’s Point (Co.Louth) on 29th-2nd.
Biggest news of the week came from St Kilda (Western Isles), where the female Snowy Owl once more popped out of the woodwork on 2nd-3rd. In Shetland, meanwhile, one was reported over Cunningsburgh in the evening of 31st – it’s conceivable that the bird last seen in the wilder reaches of the South Mainland on 5th June has been summering, unseen, in the area… but if so, where will it next be found?
On 3rd the first Pallid Harrier of the autumn passage was found in Suffolk at Wherstead – a cracking male bird at that - and was swiftly followed the next day by a juvenile male bird in Cheshire at Parkgate Marsh. Are we on for another big Pallid Harrier autumn? It’s amazing how far we’ve come from the days when this raptor had mythical rarity status.
A Red-footed Falcon was reported on 29th from Sanday (Orkney) – this could be the same bird seen briefly on North Ronaldsay the previous week.
The female Montagu’s Harrier was seen once more this week at Blacktoft Sands RSPB (East Yorkshire) on 31st-4th; a possible female was seen at Burton Lazars (Leicestershire) on 2nd, with a juvenile noted at Alkborough Flats (Lincolnshire) on 2nd also.
We finish our raptors with Honey Buzzards, and birds starting to move in appreciable numbers – 20 were logged in all this week, with multiples at three different sites. Three were logged at Nanjizal (Cornwall) on 31st; three were noted at Luccombe Down (Isle of Wight) on 1st; and two were seen at Ventnor(Isle of Wight) on 2nd.
I think I may have mentioned in the predictions last week that Booted Warbler wasn’t a bad call for an early autumn rare warbler and lo! we got one and possibly two birds, right on cue.
That element of uncertainty only stems from the first of the week’s birds – at Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 30th - migrating from Booted towards a suggested identity of Sykes’s Warbler as time went on – with the supercilium and plain tertials in particular swinging consensus towards the rarer species, though concerns were still being expressed about the perhaps rather atypical bill length. Despite what some might claim with the benefit of hindsight and time to examine photos in minute detail, these two species can be horrors to discern in the field if the bird in question is less than cooperative – I’ve first-hand, chastening, experience to that effect with individuals of each species that turned out to be the other species in question.
No such concerns were exercising the finders of the week’s unequivocal Booted Warbler seen on Out Skerries (Shetland) on 31st.
Not a million miles from Porthgwarra, an Aquatic Warbler was trapped and ringed at Nanjizal on 29th.
Moving up into Devon, a fine Western Bonelli’s Warbler was found in the early morning of 29th also at Berry Head.
An Arctic Warbler found at Culsetter (Shetland) on 31st-3rd proved particularly showy, with another found on 3rd on Yell; meanwhile on Fair Isle a Greenish Warbler was present on 31st-2nd, with another bird on the Northumberland coast at East Chevington on 1st-2nd.
Fair Isle turned up the week’s only Marsh Warbler sightings, a bird seen on 29th and again on 1st; and went on to dominate the week’s already strong showing of some 35 Barred Warblers with a peak count on the island of seven birds on 31st. Others were found as far south as Suffolk and even inland – one trapped and ringed at Rutland Water (Leicestershire) being a terrific inland record.
Melodious Warblers also had a bit of a moment this week, albeit a more modest one – a bird seen on St Martin’s (Scilly) on 29th was followed, on 2nd, by further individuals in Pembrokeshire on Skokholm and Strumble Head; on St Agnes (Scilly); and at St Abb’s Head (Borders) until 3rd, with a further probable bird at Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 2nd. On 3rd one in Shetland at Melby was a terrific Shetland find; another that day was in Ireland at Hook Head (Co.Wexford).
East Yorkshire bossed the week’s sightings of Icterine Warblers, with reports coming thick and fast from Kilnsea between 29th-31st – peak count being three birds there on 29th; Easington claimed a sighting on 30th with one on Spurn on 31st also. One was present at Weybourne (Norfolk) on 30th, with two present on Fair Isle on 31st. On 3rd one was on Foula (Shetland); on 4th one was on Orkney’s North Ronaldsay.
In the absence of an established collective noun for multiple Wrynecks, I’m going to go with a wave of Wrynecks to describe what crashed over southern England this week. Yes, there were a few scattered outliers in Wales and Scotland, but really, the lion’s share of the 40 birds logged this week belonged to the south coast.
A Hoopoe was seen at Cosham (Hampshire) on 1st, with another reported on 2nd from Worms Head (Glamorgan), and one on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 3rd.
Further colour came this week in the form of Red-rumped Swallows seen on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 31st and in Church Stretton (Shropshire) on 1st.
A Golden Oriole was at Purton (Gloucestershire) on 1st, and another was on Lundy (Devon) on 4th.
If any passerine captures the feel of September for me, it’s probably Citrine Wagtail - they always feel a distinct possibility around about now. Birds were present on Spurn (East Yorkshire) and at Culsetter (Shetland) on 31st; on Tresco (Scilly) on 2nd and it or another on St Mary’s again on 3rd-4th; and at Buckenham Marshes (Norfolk) on 2nd. On 4th one was found at Botallack (Cornwall), with another seen in Devon that day at Broadsands.
A Blue-headed Wagtail was trapped and ringed at Hengistbury Head (Dorset) on 31st; another probable was seen in the county at Abbotsbury the next day. A probable Grey-headed Wagtail was on Scilly at Porth Hellick Pool on St Mary’s on 2nd-3rd.
A Tawny Pipit was found in the morning of 30th at Landguard NR (Suffolk); another was present on 31st at East Soar (Devon); and another was on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 3rd. A possible Richard’s Pipit flew over The Lizard (Cornwall) on 3rd.
An early Red-breasted Flycatcher made it onto Fair Isle (Shetland) on 1st, with another down in Cornwall at Pendeen on 4th - plenty more of those to follow shortly…
A first-winter Woodchat Shrike was found on Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 29th – Spurn was having a good spell this week – with a further candidate seen in Dorset at Hartland Moor on 29th also.
The Red-backed Shrike in London at Wanstead Flats remained in the area until 4th. Further birds were found at The Naze (Essex) on 29th; Easington (East Yorkshire) on 31st-1st; on Fair Isle on 1st; at Winterton (Norfolk) on 1st-2nd; and at Colne Point (Essex) on 1st. On 4th one was present at Whitburn CP (Co.Durham).
In East Yorkshire the Pied Crow remained at Flamborough until 2nd at least.
A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was a good find at Torcross (Devon) on 29th-4th; another juvenile was found in Gloucestershire at Severn beach on 1st. An adult was present on Lewis (Western Isles) in Stornoway on 29th-4th, while on St Kilda the adult remained present on 3rd. On 3rd two juveniles were found in Cornwall at Land’s End, while on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) sightings came once more from Kenovay and Balephetrish that day.
Some 30 Common Rosefinches were logged this week, predominantly in Shetland with just single birds found further south on Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 30th and Isle of May (Fife) on 1st. Fair Isle had four birds present on the island on 2nd and five present on 3rd, dropping back to a mere four on 4th.
Just over 20 Ortolan Buntings were seen (and heard) this week – mostly single birds but with duos present on Rame Head (Cornwall) on 31st-2nd, on Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 2nd, and on Portland (Dorset) on 3rd-4th; and duos were heard over Weymouth (Dorset) at night on 1st and 3rd.
Breaking otherwise deathly silence from overseas, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker remained in Iceland at Apavatn on 29th-4th.
On 3rd, in Spain, a Ruppell’s Vulture passed over Tarifa in the afternoon.
A Booted Warbler was found in Poland at Hel on 3rd; a Green Warbler was trapped and ringed in Romania on 2nd at Grindul Chituc.
So that was four out of four with last week’s predictions. If this week’s roll of the rarity dice come in, I’ll be buying myself a lottery ticket a week today…
Early September is when things start to get a little spicier still, so we’ve plenty of past records to rummage through in search of this week’s next big thing. While it’s tempting to play it safe in a week in which a Baird’s or White-rumped Sandpiper is, statistically, almost a certainty, it’s hard to ignore the longshot siren call of the likes of an early Brown Flycatcher - who can forget the adult at Buckton (East Yorkshire) on 5th September 2010? We’re overdue another, with no further British records since that bird…
But that’s the stuff of dreams. How about another passerine that seems within the realms of achievable fantasy for anyone working a section of coast this week? With a dozen past records in the coming days, a Paddyfield Warbler is always a heart-quickening find…
Jon Dunn
5 Sept 2018
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