Weekly birding round-up: 25 - 31 May 2021
This cold, cold spring continued to stutter and splutter this week like a particularly fitful fire. Surely, at some point, the embers are going to flare apocalyptically but finally, this week, we got some more bursts of flaming life that hinted at what might yet come to pass. The weather warmed up a touch, high pressure parked itself over us and, yes, there were some birds on offer over the course of the hot Bank Holiday weekend…
Eyes cast to Scandinavia could have been forgiven this week for lusting after rarer fare – an accessible Caspian Plover would do us very nicely indeed, thank you – but in the absence of that, one of the classic late spring / early summer arrivals was playing a quality understudy – not least because it was found in a pub garden. Birds andbeer? Now we’re talking…
Birders visiting the Derlwyn Arms in Upper Brynamman on 26th had a lot to thank the landlady for – firstly for having a well-stocked bird feeding station in the pub garden, but also for serving some liquid refreshment on the terrace to those celebrating catching up with Carmarthenshire’s second ever Black-headed Bunting. The county’s first, also a male bird, spent 18th-24th June 2012 at Porthyrhyd. Alas, this latest bird, whilst confiding this week on 26th, wasn’t such a long-stayer, and wasn’t reported from the pub garden again latterly…
They’re an annual bird in Britain, but that’s not to understate the quality of a Black-headed Bunting - they’re smart birds and, as this week’s individual testifies, are either absent or barely there on many county’s lists. The timing of this arrival is absolutely classic – May and, in particular, June are the prime time for wayward birds to be found in Britain.
Since a blank year back in 1981 we usually manage at least two or three birds annually in Britain and Ireland – sometimes, significantly more. Birders on the east coast could be justifiably hoping to find one in the weeks to come but, as this week’s Welsh bird goes to show, you never know where one might turn up. A classic local patch mega for anyone lucky enough to bump into one.
While, since the 1990s, Calandra Larks have been turning up here a little more regularly than hitherto, that’s not to say they’re anything approaching commonplace. We’ve 20 accepted British records to the end of 2019, with a couple more waiting in the wings – both on Fair Isle (Shetland), one in 2020, and one only a couple of weeks ago on 8th-15th, the latter a record-breaking long-stayer.
Fair Isle, as we said when that last bird hit the headlines, has some magnetism and proven form for the species. This week, it heavily underlined the island’s claim to being the place to catch up with a Calandra Lark in Britain – as the second bird of the year was discovered on the isle at Meadow Burn on 29th, remaining there until 31st. Another quality find for Alex Penn, who’s surely building up to a Bimaculated Lark any day now…
Fair Isle's second Calandra Lark of the spring today, 14 days since the first was last seen, and an adult male Quail ringed - check out those ear coverts! @FI_Obs pic.twitter.com/KBEbgnSAHb
— Max Hellicar (@MaxHellicar1) May 29, 2021
Two Calandras in one year is remarkable, but not entirely without precedent – there are two years on the books when two birds have been found – 1997 and 1999. But two birds in one year on one tiny island? That’s pure Fair Isle for you.
One of the closing significant birds of our mostly locked down 2020 was a Slate-coloured Junco reported on 1st December as present in a Hammersmith (London) garden for around a week. It might as well, under the prevailing circumstances, have been on the moon where British birders were concerned.
Or Iceland – a settled bird saw much of the winter period out there near Heidmork. More recently, a couple of juncos graced Holland; a conventional Slate-coloured in Freisland at Koudum, and a Cassiar’s at Maasvlakte. The omens, then, were fairly promising for us to see one here at some point in the spring…
And so it’s proved as, in the closing hours of 31st, we learned that there’s a Slate-coloured Junco in a Lothian garden four miles from the coast. No more details than that, so there’s shades of 2020 repeating themselves there at the time of writing. It’s a county first, so local birders will, no doubt, be keen to see it should further information be forthcoming.
Another second record for the year, but this time not lightning striking twice in one place – this week saw the discovery of our second Great Spotted Cuckoo of 2021, an adult bird at Brownstown Head (Co.Waterford) on 29th, following the bird that was perhaps the ultimate nocmig record earlier in the year, recorded in the small hours of 31st March over Stroud (Gloucestershire).
While Britain has over 50 past accepted records, the species retains a rarer cachet in Ireland, with just eight birds on the books to the end of 2018, the first of which dates way back in the mists of time, being caught alive on Omey Island in March 1842; two of which were picked up dead; and only two live, accepted birds of which date to after 1980.
One of these was an obliging bird, remaining at Carnsore Point (Co.Wexford) for 12 days between 3rd-14th April 2002, and the last of which was a one-day bird at Ringaskiddy (Co.Cork) on 15th February 2009. Another Irish bird was hotly anticipated then… and this was Co.Waterford’s first record, putting a cherry on the cake for local birders.
The weekend was also marked by a third bird for 2021, this time back in Britain – a first-summer individual found in the afternoon on the north Cornish coast at Tehidy CP on 30th – a frustratingly brief bird as it promptly flew off, and was lost to sight – but was seen nearby again, in flight, in the afternoon of 31st.
Rounding off the headlines for the week, a female Little Crake was heard calling at Baker’s Fen in Wicken Fen NT (Cambridgeshire) at night on 29th-30th. Needless to say, actually getting eyes on this bird will be unlikely, to say the least… but with a shade over 100 accepted British records, the species remains a prize, not least for Cambridgeshire birders – the county only has one latter day record to its credit, also a female heard calling at Ouse Fen RSPB on 15th-21st May 2018.
Could it be – whisper it – that the Double-crested Cormorant in Co.Kerry is now resident there? It’s starting to look that way, with it still happily fishing the waters around Carrig Island again this week on 25th-30th – sharing the site with a White-winged Black Tern on 30th for added value.
Shetland continued to retain some smart, summer-plumaged White-billed Divers, with one again seen off Lamba Ness on Unst on 26th-28th; another noted from Laxfirth on the east side of Mainland on 28th; and two again in South Nesting Bay in central Mainland on 30th.
Staying in Shetland, the returning Long-tailed Skua continued to haunt the south Mainland on 25th-26th, being noted on those days at Toab and Loch of Spiggie; another was seen from Unst on 25th. The week’s only other individual was found on Blackpool North Shore golf course (Lancashire) on 25th.
Pomarine Skuas were only a little more numerous, just about scraping into double figures this week – all single birds, bar two seen from Starr Gate (Lancashire) on 25th, and two in Dunnet Bay (Highland) on 27th.
The week’s long-legged beasties were, once again, headed by Black Storks - with a possible bird at Weir Wood reservoir (East Sussex) on 26th followed, the next day, by bird seen in Surrey at Frensham; and a possible bird seen on 29th in Cornwall over Woon Gumpus Common followed, on 30th, by one seen over St Just and, in the afternoon, in fields at Morvah. On 31st that bird had moved to St Ives; while another probable was seen that morning at near Coombe Abbey (Warwickshire).
Making up in volume what they perhaps lack in sheer rarity, Purple Herons had a strong showing this week, with around a dozen birds logged nationwide. One lingered at Summer Leys NR (Northamptonshire) on 27th-29th, with another found on 27th in Cornwall at Nanjizal, one lingering on 27th at Rimac (Lincolnshire), and a probable seen circling high above Wykeham Forest (North Yorkshire) that day too. One was still present at Dunworly Marsh (Co.Cork) on 28th-31st; a bird settled at Hickling Broad NWT (Norfolk) on 28th-30th; one was found at Fishlake Meadows HIWWT (Hampshire) on 29th; and one was seen again on the Isle of Wight at Brading Marsh RSPB on 29th-31st. In East Yorkshire on 30th, one was spanging restlessly around the Easington, Spurn and Kilnsea area; one was seen in Kent at Grove Ferry NNR; and a probable bird was seen at Lodmoor RSPB (Dorset). On 31st one was found in Essex at Stanford-le-Hope.
Cornwall’s Nanjizal was doing well for scarce herons this week, with a Night Heron also seen there on 28th; another bird was found on 25th up country at Lodge Lake (Buckinghamshire).
Settled Glossy Ibises continued to brighten many birders’ days – single birds remained at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB (Cheshire) on 25th, with a further report from there the following day, and another Cheshire sighting on 26th also at Elton Hall Flash; at Dungeness (Kent) still on 25th-29th; at Carr Vale NR (Derbyshire) still on 25th-26th; at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) still on 25th-31st; and at Blacktoft Sands RSPB (East Yorkshire) again on 29th and 31st, and Alkborough Flats NR (Lincolnshire) once more on 30th. A further sighting from the northwest came from Marshside RSPB (Lancashire) on 28th-29th.
A Corncrake was heard in song at Heacham (Norfolk) on 31st.
If it finally felt like summer had arrived, judging by the rising mercury and tang of barbecue smoke across much of the country this weekend, that feeling was reinforced by the relative dearth of interesting honkers and quackers.
Indeed, were it not for our past winter’s staple, Ring-necked Ducks, we’d be out bang out of duck… Five widely scattered drakes, however, gave us a little something to get our teeth into. In the far north, one remained at Loch of Brow (Shetland) on 25th-30th; one remained on Loch Oire (Moray) on 28th-30th; in the English southwest, birds lingered at Foxhole (Cornwall) on 25th-28th, and Beesands Ley (Devon) on 25th; and, in Ireland, one was seen in Co.Kildare on Liffey reservoir on 25th-30th.
Wrapping up this pared down section, there was another showing for our honorary wildfowl, the resident adult male Pied-billed Grebe, still present this week on 28th-31st at Loch Feorlin (Argyll & Bute).
Kent continued to hold onto its Collared Pratincole at Cliffe Pools RSPB in recent days, with it being seen regularly throughout 25th-31st.
Further exotica was on offer on the other side of the Thames Estuary – in Suffolk, two Black-winged Stilts pitched down at Trimley Marshes SWT on 28th-31st.
A trio of Temminck’s Stints were logged this week – one lingering at North Point Pools near Wells (Norfolk) on 25th-26th still, another present at Rutland Water’s Egleton NR (Leicestershire) on 27th-28th, and one again at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 30th.
A couple of Nearctic waders showed up in the southwest – an adult American Golden Plover at Exminster Marshes RSPB (Devon) on 28th-31st, and a Pectoral Sandpiper further west, at Treeve Moor (Cornwall) on 28th-29th.
The female Red-necked Phalarope remained in Northumberland at Grindon Lough on 25th-31st, with further individuals present at Pennington Marshes (Hampshire) and Summer Leys NR (Northamptonshire) on 31st; but the week’s most colourful wader had to be the brick-red adult female Grey Phalarope that dropped in to Chichester Harbour (West Sussex) on 28th.
Still present for another week, and perhaps getting the hang of the local ice-cream snatching ways, in Cornwall the first-winter American Herring Gull remained at Newlyn on 27th-29th.
In West Yorkshire, the adult Franklin’s Gull was again seen at St Aidan’s RSPB on 27th.
A brief, probable adult Laughing Gull was seen on 30th in Devon at Paignton.
In Dorset, the first-winter Bonaparte’s Gull was once more seen at Lodmoor RSPB on 25th-26th, whilst another was present in Co.Wexford near Carnsore Point on 28th.
More local colour came in the form of a couple of Sabine’s Gulls this week – one noted from South Stack RSPB (Anglesey) on 25th, and the other at Burnham-on-Sea (Somerset) on 29th.
White wingers were becoming conspicuous by their relative absence – a dozen Glaucous Gulls were noted nationwide, of which two on North Uist (Western Isles) on 25th-27th were the best of it; and a dozen Iceland Gulls were seen nationwide, with again North Uist recording the largest single site tally, with three birds present on the island on 29th.
Last but not least, a White-winged Black Tern was found on 30th in Co.Kerry at Carrig Island.
Black Kites dominated the week’s raptor news, with a succession of report as the days wore on. The week kicked off on 25th with one seen coming in off the sea at Swalecliffe (Kent), and another noted in Essex near Wrabness. On 26th, an unconfirmed report came of a bird in Highland at Torness. Back in Kent on 27th, one was seen passing over Cliffe. Returning to Highland again, one was seen over Clachnaharry on 28th, while further reports that day came from Burton (Dorset) and near Bath (Somerset). On 30th two were reported from Ruan Lanihorne (Cornwall), while elsewhere in the county sightings of a single bird came from Polgigga, Skewjack Farm, Land’s End and Ludgvan Churchtown. 31st was kicked off with Cornish sightings at Bosavern and on Bodmin Moor near St Breward, and another was seen in Kent at South Swale NR.
A ringtail Montagu’s Harrier was seen in the evening of 25th at Tinker’s Marshes (Suffolk).
In Shetland, a Rough-legged Buzzard continued to haunt the Lang Kames on Mainland, being seen in the Dury area on 26th-27th; while, on 30th, one was seen heading high north over Norwick on Unst.
A possible male Lesser Kestrel was seen in flight over Beddington Farmlands (London) in the afternoon of 30th.
Finally, the resident female Snowy Owl out on St Kilda (Western Isles) was still alive and well there on 27th.
We’ll kick of the passerines with warblers, as there was a first record for the year to be seen and heard amongst their number this week. Starting with that, 2021’s first Blyth’s Reed Warbler was found on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 28th, with another that day on Brownstown Head (Co.Waterford), an urban bird found in song in East Sussex in the Brighton Pavilion gardens on 29th, and one more found in song on Coll (Argyll & Bute) on 31st.
Marsh Warblers began to show up too - Shetland landed a couple on 25th, one out on Whalsay and one on Mainland in the lush depths of the Swinister Burn – followed as the week drew to a close on 30th by a bird present at Beachy Head (East Sussex) and, on 31st, by birds found at Southwold (Suffolk), Ryhope (Co.Durham), Tory Island (Co.Donegal), and Burnham Overy Dunes (Norfolk).
A Great Reed Warbler was found croaking away at Besthorpe NWT (Nottinghamshire) on 30th-31st.
While the year’s first Greenish Warbler remained on the Isle of May (Fife) on 27th, another was found in East Yorkshire on 31st at Kilnsea, with a further probable bird nearby on Spurn too that morning.
The male Iberian Chiffchaff remained in song in Suffolk at Foxhall Heath on 27th-29th; another possible bird was found singing in Hampshire at Fishlake Meadows HIWWT on 29th.
Ireland had already enjoyed a Sardinian Warbler this year, but this week it was the turn of Britain to be graced by one of these uber-smart birds – a really showy male that was feeding actively along the lichen-smothered walls of Sumburgh Farm (Sheland) on 29th and 31st.
Shetland also landed an Eastern Subalpine Warbler, present on Fair Isle on 28th; preceded by another found in East Yorkshire at Spurn on 27th-29th; and followed by one on Barra (Western Isles) on 30th.
A probable Western Subalpine Warbler on Great Saltee Island (Co.Wexford) on 28th preceded the finding of another probable male bird on Skomer (Pembrokeshire) on 30th; the latter swiftly followed by a confirmed female bird trapped and ringed on neighbouring Skokholm on 31st.
A final, female, Subalpine Warbler sp was found on Unst (Shetland) as the week drew to a close on 31st. We’re surely due a Moltoni’s any day now…
Icterine Warblers were seen in pleasing numbers this week, not least in Shetland, which supplied over half of the national tally of some 30 birds, with three present at Swining on Mainland and three on Fair Isle, both on 27th, particularly notable.
Rounding up the warblers, a couple of singing Savi’s Warblers remained in full reeling voice this week – one at Heslington East (North Yorkshire) on 27th-27th, and the other in Wales at the National Wetlands Centre WWT (Carmarthenshire) still on 28th.
Some 25 Red-backed Shrikes were found this week, for the most part down the east coast from Shetland to Essex, but with westerly outliers seen in Devon and, as the week drew to a close, Cornwall and Scilly.
Four Woodchat Shrikes were found this week – a bird at Kessingland Sluice (Suffolk) on 28th; one apiece for Portland (Dorset) and The Lizard (Cornwall) on 29th, with the latter still present the following day; and one at Land’s End (Cornwall) on 30th-31st.
A Great Grey Shrike was settled on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 25th-31st.
Far more notable were the Lesser Grey Shrikes found on 31st just outside Whitby (North Yorkshire), and out on Skomer (Pembrokeshire). Like the Welsh Black-headed Bunting, this is a classic time of year for one… or two… or more…
Speaking of which… A Rose-coloured Starling was found on St Agnes (Scilly) on 31st with two seen nearby on Bryher, single birds in Newquay and on The Lizard (Cornwall), one in Pembrokeshire at Trefeiddan Common, and one more on Portland (Dorset). Are we in for an ongoing influx? In the magnificent seven found this week, the signs are certainly looking good.
Some traditional spring migrants were in shortish supply this week – just two Hoopoes were seen, a mobile individual inland in Warwickshire at Wellesbourne on 26th, and one in Cornwall on 31st at Mullion Cove; and one Wryneck was noted, on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 27th-29th.
Eyes trained to the skies in Scilly picked out an Alpine Swift over St Mary’s on 27th, and a Red-rumped Swallow on St Martin’s on 28th-29th. A further Red-rumped Swallow was found at Marston (Lincolnshire) on 25th, while two were seen in Kent at North Foreland in the evening of 27th, a possible bird was seen on 30th at Blyth (Northumberland), and one had made it as far north as North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 31st.
For sheer exuberance and exoticism, it’s hard to beat the sight or sound of a Golden Oriole - 35 birds were logged this week, many of which were treating us to their rich, fluting song.
A Waxwing was seen on 30th in Highland at Durness. Worth noting in passing at this juncture, a bird that would have comfortably made the top of the headlines… a wholly unconfirmed report of a Cedar Waxwing inland at Cowley (Oxfordshire) on 25th. Stranger (but not much) things have happened…
Two mobile Bee-eaters were bouncing around the north Norfolk coast on 27th, seen passing west through Overstrand, Salthouse, Cley, Stiffkey and Titchwell… and may well have accounted for the individual bird(s) seen at many sites on the same stretch of coast on 28th-29th. Further English records this week came from Hannington (Hampshire) on 25th; heard at Walmer (Kent) on 25th; at Blackwater estuary (Essex) on 27th; on 29th at Spurn (East Yorkshire) and on St Mary’s (Scilly); and two birds were reported over Chapel St Leonards (Lincolnshire) on 29th also. On 30th the St Mary’s bird remained, but was joined in the news by single birds at Coverack (Cornwall), Smoo Cave (Highland) and Loch of Trondavoe (Shetland), and some multiple birds too – four over Normanby (Lincolnshire), and 10 birds in off the sea at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire) – the latter flock presumably accounting for those seen on 31st near Whitby Abbey (North Yorkshire). Single birds were seen or heard on 31st on St Agnes (Scilly), and at Samphire Hoe CP (Kent). One remained in Shetland on Unst on 25th-31st.
Shetland was, for a while, knee-deep in Bluethroats, or at least what passes for knee-deep in these changed times. Old accounts of eye-watering spring falls in the islands now seem scarcely credible to our shifted baseline expectations… Shetland accounted for 10 of the week’s 16 birds, with trios on Fair Isle, Out Skerries and Unst on 25th particularly impressive. Also notable this week was the white-spotted bird found in song at Strumpshaw Fen (Norfolk) on 23rd-27th.
A Thrush Nightingale was found at Brook (Isle of Wight) on 31st – a first for the island.
Scarce wagtails, such a feature of mid-May, were now becoming more of a footnote to recent events. Blue-headed Wagtails were present at Druridge Pools NR (Northumberland) on 25th-26th still; Kilnsea Wetlands (East Yorkshire) on 27th; on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 28th; and at Winforton (Herefordshire) on 29th. A further probable male was noted at Connor Downs (Cornwall) on 29th.
Probable female Grey-headed Wagtails, meanwhile, were seen at High Rid reservoir (Greater Manchester) and on Yell (Shetland) on 25th; a male bird was found on 30th-31st at Spurn (East Yorkshire); and a further male was found out on St Kilda (Western Isles) on 31st.
Fair Isle (Shetland) really was firing on all cylinders this week, with the island’s lily gilded a little further by a Tawny Pipit on there on 28th. We all know they’re becoming a rare commodity in a British context, but they’re scarcer still this far north, let alone away from Fair Isle – we go back a full decade for the last bird on Mainland, seen at Sumburgh on 15th May 2011.
There’s something of a sense of mild anti-climax where autumnal Common Rosefinches are concerned, with rosefinch feeling like something of a misnomer – less so with spring birds, as finding one always carries the possibility of a smart red male bound within it. Birds of varying hues were found this week, of which a singing male on Skokholm (Pembrokeshire) on 29th, one in song on Lundy (Devon) on 30th, and a male on Mizen Head (Co.Cork) on 29th were the only non-Shetland birds; with an additional probable bird seen at St Justinian (Pembrokeshire) on 30th. The Shetland birds were seen at Loch of Spiggie on 25th; at Quendale on 25th, where two birds were present; at Vidlin on 26th; on Fair Isle and Out Skerries on 29th; and on Bressay and Foula on 30th.
A singing male Serin was found at Durlston CP (Dorset) on 26th. Further English examples were seen at Beachy Head (East Sussex) on 26th, and Praa Sands (Cornwall) on 29th; one was reported from near Barrow-in-Furness (Cumbria) on 30th; and one more was on Portland (Dorset) on 31st.
Finally, a punch of real spring colour came in the north where, on Shetland, a small fall of Rustic Buntings were most welcome on the outer isles – two on Fair Isle on 25th-26th rose to three there on 27th-28th, with one still present on 29th-31st; and two more were found on Foula on 28th. On 31st more birds were found on Mainland – one at Loch of Melby, and another at Quendale. A possible Little Bunting was reported from Holy Island (Northumberland) on 31st.
We almost never start the overseas news in Faroe, but that’s where we’ll kick things off this week, courtesy of a couple of decent ducks – a drake Black Duck on Sandoy on 25th, and a female Steller’s Eider off Suðuroy on 29th.
Moving into Scandinavia, Sweden remained busy – with the female Caspian Plover still present at Sandnaset on 25th-26th; and, on 25th, a Calandra Lark on Bjorko and a Black-headed Bunting at Horsstens.
https://twitter.com/koffelager/status/1397229704478957577?s=20In Denmark, another Black-headed Bunting was found at Grenen on 25th. Norway, meanwhile, held onto its drake Harlequin Duck at Yttergard on 30th.
Finland, meanwhile, had the bird of Scandinavia’s week – a cracking male White-throated Robin trapped and ringed at Korsören on 30th, the second national record.
To Holland next where, on 25th-31st, a Scops Owl was heard in song at Delft; and a Black-winged Pratincole was found at Woudt on 29th.
Poland’s first Black-faced Bunting, a male bird, was found at Hel on 29th. A Sociable Lapwing was present at Nadolany on 26th.
Finally, in Israel, the Lappet-faced Vulture was again seen at Hai Bar on 25th.
The first week of June really marks the point when spring migration starts to get interesting. As the late, great Tim Cleeves sagely observed, the big one travels late and alone…
Historically, the coming week is marked by some absolute stonkers – the White-crowned Black Wheatear that graced Kessingland (Suffolk) on 1st/2nd-5th June 1982… the Fox Sparrow at Copeland Bird Observatory (Co.Down) on 3rd-4th June 1961… the Tree Swallow on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 6th-10th June 1990… and, more recently, Britain’s first Citril Finch, present on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 6th-11th June 2008, and the White-throated Robin that rocked our world in Cleveland at Hartlepool Headland on 6th-10th June 2011.
What we’re saying, then, is that we could land the sort of passerine rare this week that stops everything…
Then again, there will be other birds on the move, and ones that are statistically more likely to appear on our radars this week. It’s a good week for rare waders, and while we might be hoping for an outrageously eastern plover of some description, there’s a fair chance of a good sandpiper – 23 historic records of Broad-billed Sandpiper and eight of Terek Sandpiper give ample food for thought. Eyes to the estuaries, people…
Jon Dunn
1 Jun 2021
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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