Weekly birding round-up: 18 - 24 May 2021
The highlight of the week was the arrival of a White-throated Sparrow on the Shetland Isles on Unst. Discovered by Robbie Brookes on 18th at Baltasound in his garden at Ordaal House the bird remained there overnight but by the 22nd it had relocated five miles to the north northeast to Skaw. Although only the second record of White-throated Sparrow for the island of Unst it is the fourteenth spring record of this species on the Shetland Isles. The previous records here (listed below) show a broad arrival period from 5th May until 1st July but with the majority discovered between 10th and 27th May. Three more have been found on the archipelago during the autumn.
- 1966 13th May Fair Isle
- 1973 5th-15th May Out Skerries
- 1978 17th June Fair Isle
- 1987 13th-15th May Unst
- 1987 16th June Kergord, Mainland
- 1989 27th-28th May Frakkafield, Lerwick
- 1998 8th June Noss
- 2003 10th-11th May Fetlar
- 2003 9th June Fair Isle
- 2004 1st July Foula
- 2006 13th May Sumburgh, Mainland
- 2010 19th-20th May Fair Isle
- 2010 21st May Scousburgh, Mainland
This bird was of the less frequently encountered tan-striped morph and thus was clearly not the individual(s) present in Kent and East Sussex between January and 18th April this year. It represents the 53rd record of White-throated Sparrow in Britain.
In Birding World in 1998 Simon Cook wrote a detailed and fascinating account of a voyage aboard a research vessel travelling from the Bahamas to the Baltic Russian province of Kaliningrad on which five Nearctic sparrows joined him. The sparrows arrived aboard the ship on 1st May 1998 when at sea 135 miles off Newfoundland and comprised three White-throated Sparrows, a Slate-coloured Junco, and Swamp Sparrow; the latter species not yet recorded in the Western Palearctic. The Junco and the Swamp Sparrow were only present on the ship for a single day but one of the White-throated Sparrows remained onboard even after the ship had docked in Kiel, Germany on 15th May, having been fed and watered en-route by the crew. During the fortnight the White-throated Sparrow was onboard the ship had passed through British waters taking a course past St Kilda and the Butt of Lewis - both Western Isles - and through the Pentland Firth between the Orkney Isles and Highland. This information added great support to the hypothesis that at least a significant proportion of the Nearctic landbirds in Britain in spring are ship-assisted including those far away from ports
Having first been suspected when glimpsed on Anglesey at Cors Ddyga on 19th April, a Collared Pratincole was photographed on the Wirral at Leasowe on 22nd April but gave further would-be observers the slip. On 1st May it resurfaced in Merseyside at Kirby but again it was only seen by the finders on that day although it was reported there again on 7th May, and then a week later on 14th May when it again flew over Leasowe.
A Collared Pratincole in Kent at Higham Marshes on the afternoon of 16th May may have been a different individual but it certainly behaved in a similarly evasive fashion and was soon lost then only to reappear at nearby Cliffe Pools for a short period on 19th May. On 20th May what was presumed to be the same bird was in north Norfolk spending little over an hour hawking over the marshes between Blakeney, Cley, and Salthouse. However, on 21st a Collared Pratincole was reportedly seen again in Kent at Cliffe Pools, and then on 22nd one flew north over Holkham Park, Norfolk: if all sightings are confirmed as acceptable Collared Pratincoles and the same bird then this series of records takes the phrase 'though mobile' to a new level
The most well-twitched rarity of the week was the stunning Franklin's Gull present in West Yorkshire where it displayed in the Black-headed Gull colony at St Aidan's, Swillington Ings. Found early on 18th May the bird showed to all-comers until 21st only to then disappoint weekend visitors by being absent on both 22nd and 23rd before reappearing there on Monday 24th! This a rare opportunity to see an adult Franklin's Gull in essentially full breeding plumage in Britain.
Presuming that it is accepted as the same bird as present in Yorkshire in 2020 - in West Yorkshire at Bradford and Redcar Tarn on 11th-15th September, and Anglers' Country Park on 10th November, and both North and East Yorkshire in the Lower Derwent Valley on 12th-13th December - it is the fourth record of this species for Yorkshire, including the popular bird at Bolton-on-Swale and Scorton, North Yorkshire on 7th November-6th December 1991, that itself had previously been present in Cleveland intermittently between 19th June and 4th September of the same year. Interestingly the current bird is also believed to be the same individual as that present in Belgium at IJzervallei, West-Vlaanderen on 4th-25th April 2021 where it was undertaking its species characteristic extensive pre-alternate moult that includes all remiges.
Of Franklin's Gull records in Britain the 1996 'Report on rare birds in Great Britain' from the British Birds Rarities Committee includes the perspicacious comment 'this species continues its reputation as the 'Martini Gull': anytime, anyplace, anywhere' and this is even more appropriate today given the amazing scatter of vagrants of this species including, away from well-watched Europe and heading roughly east: Senegal, Mauritania, Morocco, Saint Helena, Libya, Namibia, South Africa, Egypt, Cyprus, Israel, Ethiopia, Kuwait, Seychelles, United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, India, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand! All so far away from its native breeding land of interior western North America or wintering grounds along the Humboldt Current coasts of Peru and Chile, South America.
The rarest seabird was again the first-winter Double-crested Cormorant still present in County Kerry at Reenturk Point, Ballylongford, on 24th, with the adult male Pied-billed Grebe still in Argyll at Loch Feorlin throughout, where it was first discovered in 2014. White-billed Divers continued to be seen with at least two on Shetland around Unst throughout, and an adult flying north over Inverbervie, Aberdeenshire, on 19th. With stormy weathers came skuas including a total of 63 Pomarine logged from coastal watchpoints including eight at sea off the Skelling Islands, County Kerry on 19th, and on 23rd 10 passing skua hotspot Bowness-on-Solway, Cumbria, and six off Dawlish Warren, Devon. Just 26 Long-tailed Skuas felt like a poor return but notably included 19 passing their fans at Aird an Runair, North Uist, Western Isles on 18th, one 'inland' at Tacumshin, County Wexford on 21st, one on territory at Boddam, Shetland Isles from 23rd. Even given the cold spring a Little Auk off North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles on 20th was unexpected.
It's hard to be sure but perhaps 12 different Glossy Ibises were responsible for sightings in Cambridgeshire (including five together on the Ouse Washes on 22nd), Cheshire (new-in at Burton Mere Wetlands on 23rd-24th), Derbyshire, East Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Norfolk (four heading south out of the county at Welney on 20th), Nottinghamshire, and Oxfordshire. Most were first-winter birds and set not to breed this year but a stunning adult was at Frampton and Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, on 19th-22nd. Purple Herons were logged at Brading Marsh, Isle of Wight on 18th-19th, on 20th at Rimac, Lincolnshire, and Stodmarsh, Kent, and most notably a first-summer in County Cork at Grange Bog, Clonakilty on 22nd-24th. A male Corncrake was singing at Hullbridge, Essex on 24th.
An adult Richardson's Cackling Goose was a surprise discovery with 46 tardy Svalbard-bound Barnacle Geese at Loch of Strathbeg, Aberdeenshire on 21st-23rd as what was presumably this same bird had only been located on the Solway twice during the winter: at Caerlaverock on 8th October 2020 and at Mersehead on 2nd March 2021, both sites being in Dumfries and Galloway. A drake Lesser Scaup in Lincolnshire at Manby Flashes on 24th was presumably the same individual as that present at Chapel Six Marshes, Lincolnshire on 29th April, and another near-miss for Norfolk as it sites alongside the Isle of Wight, Northamptonshire, and Surrey as being the only English counties left waiting for their first record of Lesser Scaup. King Eiders were in Highland at Loch Fleet until 18th (a female) and passing east at Chanonry Point on 20th (a male), on Shetland at Ireland and St Ninian's Isle on 22nd-24th, and 'Elvis' the adult drake was still on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire, on 21st. Following the winter bonanza two Ring-necked Ducks lingered on with drakes in Cornwall at Foxhole, St Austell, and on Shetland at Loch of Hillwell throughout.
A Pectoral Sandpiper visited Minsmere, Suffolk briefly on 18th, the only migrant Dotterel of the week was at Balranald, North Uist, Western Isles where it lingered until 19th, a migrant female Red-necked Phalarope graced Coombe Hill Meadows, Gloucestershire on 22nd, with the returning adult female at Grindon Lough, Northumberland present throughout, where it was first seen at this mesotrophic lake on 12th June 2015; perhaps this year she will be joined by a mate. A total of 11 Temminck's Stints comprised birds in Aberdeenshire (2), Cambridgeshire (2), Lancashire (still at Newton Marsh on 18th), North Yorkshire (Scorton on 22nd), Norfolk (4), and Suffolk (Trimley Marshes on 18th.
The identity of a second-summer Baltic Gull Larus fuscus fuscus lingering at Lilbourne, Northamptonshire from 17th was secured on 18th when the code on the black colour-ring it is wearing was read as J129K showing it to have been ringed as a chick on the island of Nordhorsvær, Sømna, Nordland, Norway on 1st August 2019. The same bird visited nearby Shawell, Leicestershire on 18th, where the second-winter Kumlien's Gull remained until 19th. In Cornwall the first-winter American Herring Gull was still in Newlyn on 19th, and up to 11 Glaucous and 18 Iceland Gulls were recorded around Britain and Ireland.
Four Bonaparte's Gulls continued the upturn in occurrence of this species here with first-summers in Highland at Dunnet Bay until 20th, at Lodmoor, Dorset on 19th-24th, and at Burton Mere Wetlands, Cheshire on 23rd, and an adult in County Wexford at Rosslare Back Strand on 21st-22nd.
The inclement weather brought unseasonal Sabine's Gulls to Cape Cornwall, Cornwall on 20th, Severn Beach and Frampton, Gloucestershire on 21st, Aberystwyth (Ceredigion), Goldcliff (Gwent), Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire) all on 22nd, Borth (Ceredigion) on 23rd, and Mousehole (Cornwall) on 24th.
Rare terns were represented by the Caspian Tern still in Norfolk at Potter Heigham Marshes on 18th-19th, a Whiskered Tern briefly off Mudeford Quary, Dorset on 19th, the adult Forster's Tern still in County Galway in Galway Bay on 21st May (where it was first seen in 2003!), a White-winged Black Tern briefly at Lunt Meadows, Merseyside on 21st, and Roseate Terns noted away from their Northumberland stronghold in Aberdeenshire, Anglesey, Cornwall, Northumberland, Suffolk, and West Sussex.
On 19th a Black Kite showed briefly at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, a first-summer female Montagu's Harrier was at Whale Chine, Isle of Wight, a male Rough-legged Buzzard was an unexpected sight over Holyhead, Anglesey, and even more surprising was a Dark-breasted Barn Owl Tyto alba guttata reported as having been seen on St Martin's, Isles of Scilly, however, although the certain identification of Dark-breasted Barn Owl is critically assessed what is rarely considered is that this form is not uncommon in captivity. Otherwise, a male Red-footed Falcon was at Collards Lake, Kent on 24th, and Honey Buzzards showed at raptor watchpoints at Wykeham Forest, North Yorkshire, and Welbeck, Nottinghamshire (2), with further birds noted in Kent at Westbere on 18th and Cliffs End on 19th, and in Norfolk at Stalham on 24th.
Rare swifts were represented by Alpine Swifts in Norfolk on 20th cruising west from West Runton to Hunstanton, in East Yorkshire over Spurn on 21st, and near Rame Head, Cornwall on 22nd. In north Norfolk a series of coastal sightings of an aberrant Common Swift with white dorsally coincided with a seemingly different swift with a neat white rump seen at Cley on at least the 23rd and perhaps the same at Holme Dunes later the same morning where it was thought likely to be a White-rumped Swift.
Red-rumped Swallows were recorded in Kent (Lade on 18th), East Yorkshire (passing Spurn on 18th and 19th), Norfolk (Titchwell on 20th), Devon (at Exminster Marshes on 22nd-23rd), Greater Manchester (Audenshaw Reservoir on 22nd; the second there this spring), and Gwent (Goldcliff on 23rd). At least three Bee-eaters were reported in East Sussex at Bevendean Down on 18th, with singles in Cornwall at Skewjack on 18th, and mobile around Shetland from 20th-24th, relocating from Foula to Unst.
From the south came Woodchat Shrikes to Langdon Hole, Kent on 18th, Iford, Dorset on 18th-19th, and Bawdsey, Suffolk on 23rd-24th, Hoopoes to Wellingborough, Northamptonshire on 18th, and Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire on 18th-19th, Serins in Norfolk at Holme on 18th and in Holt on 20th, in Cornwall at Bude on 19th, and at Dungeness, Kent on 23rd, a seemingly intermediate Spanish/Ashy-headed Wagtail at Skewjack, Cornwall on 19th, Great Reed Warblers at Breydon Water, Norfolk on 19th, Fair Isle, Shetland on 20th-21st, Itchen Valley Country Park, Hampshire on 23rd, a Rose-coloured Starling at Blofield Heath, Norfolk on 21st-22nd, a male Western Subalpine Warbler on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly on 24th. The Iberian Chiffchaff was still singing at Foxhall Heath, Suffolk on 23rd, and Savi's Warblers remained on territory in Carmarthenshire at Llanelli on 22nd and in North Yorkshire at Heslington throughout. Of an impressive sixteen Golden Orioles the most notable was a twitchable singing first-summer male at Willington, Bedfordshire on 22nd, with others in Clyde and Worcestershire lingering from last week. Of six Grey-headed Wagtails recorded the most notable were in Cornwall at Housel Bay on 18th and on Skomer, Pembrokeshire on 21st.
Whilst late heading north were a Lapland Bunting at Ireland, Mainland, Shetland on 19th-20th, a Waxwing at Latheronwheel, Highland on 23rd, and a Shorelark on Unst, Shetland on 23rd-24th.
An arrival of displaced drift migrants bound for Fennoscandia brought good birding around the northern North Sea from 21st with a Rustic Bunting on Isle of May, Fife until 22nd, and others on Fair Isle, Shetland on 22nd with two together there on 24th, and another at Geosetter, Mainland, Shetland on 23rd. Nine Bluethroats were recorded with one on Holy Island, Northumberland on 21st followed by a male Red-spotted at Barns Ness, Lothian on 22nd, and on 24th a female on Orkney at Sandside, Mainland, and an impressive five together on Out Skerries, Shetland. Icterine Warblers arrived at Inverbervie on 21st, up to two at Kilminning on 22nd-24th, and on 24th on Orkney at North Ronaldsay and Mull Head, Mainland, and Shetland on Fair Isle, Unst, and at both Culsetter and Geosetter, Mainland. Six Red-backed Shrikes were located from 21st with two in Fife (Kilminning and Isle of May both on 21st), Borders at St Abb's Head on 22nd, Aberdeenshire at Crawton on 22nd, on 24th on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, and Out Skerries, Shetland. A Greenish Warbler was trapped on the Isle of May, Fife on 23rd, at least three Wrynecks were logged on Shetland with others on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles on 23rd, and at Great Habton, North Yorkshire on 23rd. Marsh Warblers were seen briefly in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh on 23rd, and in London at South Norwood on 24th. Also on 24th was a male Thrush Nightingale in song at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire; only the second record for this famous location.
The absence of the immature male Walrus at Tenby, Pembrokeshire was explained by its appearance at sea off Padstow, Cornwall on 19th May. Cetacean highlights comprised a Humpback Whale on the Shetland Isles off Burra on 18th, a Minke Whale passing Whitburn, County Durham on 20th, the Sei Whale still in the Firth of Forth off Kinghorn, Fife until at least 23rd, and Killer Whales logged in Aberdeenshire, Orkney, and Shetland.
A Long-tailed Blue butterfly was at Alexandra Palace, London on 18th..
In Finland on 18th a Greater Sand Plover in Northern Ostrobothnia at Muhos was the twelfth national record and followed by the fifth White-tailed Lapwing for that country in Lapua at Hirvijarvi on 20th, and just the fourth Caspian Plover; in Southern Ostrobothnia at Alavus on 22nd. Also on 18th the second Rüppell's Vulture for Israel - a juvenile - was rescued from a tower block and taken into care, and in Bulgaria a Spur-winged Lapwing near Dobrogea was the eleventh national record. In the Netherlands the fourth national Little Swift was in Zeeland at Westkapelle on 18th May, and another national fourth was a Western Black-eared Wheatear on Schiermonnikoog, Friesland on 23rd. On 22nd a Black Vulture was in Poland in Cieszanów Podkarpackie, and in Kuwait two Short-tailed Shearwaters were photographed at sea off Quaruh Island: a national first and the fourth and fifth records for the Western Palearctic. On 23rd Sweden saw a Caspian Plover in Norrbotten at Lulea and the Stejneger's Scoter remained in Hallands län at Påarp whilst in Norway a drake Harlequin Duck was in Troms at Yttergard, and an Asian Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica daurica/japonica was at Larvik, Vestfold.
Astounding news from the eastern seaboard of the USA of a Wedge-tailed Shearwater in North Carolina watched from a pelagic at sea off Cape Hatteras on 22nd: nearly 2,000 miles out of range, the first record for the North Atlantic, and perhaps the first record for the whole Atlantic Ocean!
The last week of May is peak spring for real megas and here looking forward by looking back reveals an incredible roll call of greatest hits each day in late May:
- 25th White-chinned Petrel Scapa Flow, Orkney 2020
- 26th Pallas's Sandgrouse Foula, Shetland 1969
- 27th Ancient Murrelet Lundy, Devon 1990
- 28th Aleutian Tern Farne Islands, Northumberland 1979
- 29th Tree Swallow Unst, Shetland 2002
- 30th Pacific Swift Cley, Norfolk 1993
- 31st Short-toed Eagle Morden Bog, Dorset 2014
Other most notable discoveries during this week in history have included four each of both White-throated Needletail and Little Swift, five Trumpeter Finches, seven River Warblers, nine Collared Flycatchers, 15 Collared Pratincoles, and 32 Thrush Nightingales, and with a change in the weather forecast to see high pressure building over Scandinavia for the Bank Holiday weekend there will surely be many exciting discoveries and, at last, the heating can be turned off.
Chris Batty
25 May 2021
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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