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Weekly birding round-up: 8 - 14 Mar 2022

We got some incoming this past week, with pioneering Sand Martins and Wheatears making landfall and filtering north. All good news, marking a week of change, and the old pulse quickens a little at the prospect of spring migration getting a full head of steam up in the weeks to come. But what of the week just gone? A tale of lingering megas in Britain and Ireland alike…

 

We might be lacking a stellar new mega to headline this week, but it’s impossible to be jaded when you’ve a heavyweight bird of the calibre of an Egyptian Vulture to turn to every day in the news. And, indeed, to go and pay one’s respects to, as a steady stream of birders continued to make their way to the Ardmullen area of Co.Roscommon over the course of the week.

Few went away disappointed, as it continued to be fairly reliable throughout the week. That is, until 13th, when there was no sign whatsoever of it. And with no further news on 14th, we’re left wondering if that’s the show over after all. Is it wandering again? There are, surely, plenty more dead sheep to be found in the heart of Ireland, so British birders probably shouldn’t get their hopes up too soon…

 

Not as rare as said vulture – though that’s not saying much, given how few British and Irish records there’ve been to date – the Double-crested Cormorant was, however, made of rather more compliant stuff, as it stayed in Co.Leitrim at Doon Lough until 14th.

 

Guess who’s back? Either having not decamped to Staffordshire after all in the wake of heavy rainfall saturating the Lancashire landscape, or simply returning to its favoured haunts once the water levels dropped, the Belted Kingfisher was belatedly reported from near Brockholes LWT (Lancashire) again on 9th.

That shot across our bows meant it came as no great surprise when, in the morning of 14th, news broke that it was back on the River Darwen at Roach Bridge. Inconvenient on two counts – re-found after the weekend, and wellingtons still recommended. But hugely welcome for anyone who’s not caught up with it yet. It could be decades before we’re treated to another wintering bird.

 

It was a decidedly quiet week for seabirds, with the late appearance of the Pacific Diver again at Crookhaven (Co.Cork) on 14th the pick of the scant bunch.

Even the late winter stalwart White-billed Divers were in short supply – one seen from Burghead (Moray) on 8th prefacing sightings off recent hotspot Stag Rocks (Northumberland) on 10th-12th before, on 14th, the Burghead bird was once more noted there.

Cornwall gave us our only Pomarine Skuas - single birds seen from Pennance Point on 8th, and St Anthony Head on 12th.

A Little Auk was seen from Musselburgh (Lothian) on 13th; and two on the sea off Burghead (Moray) on 14th.

 

Testament to some long-legged beasties moving north this week were the arrival of a couple more Great White Egrets in Shetland on 14th – unlike much of the UK now they’re resident breeding birds, egrets of any hue remain pretty rare in those quarters. It’s hard to say whether our usual weekly host of Glossy Ibises was augmented by any fresh arrivals, but certainly there were birds on the move over the weekend just gone – sightings of single birds at hitherto ‘new’ sites spoke of wandering ways in their number.

Once again, some 65 birds were logged across Britain and Ireland in the course of the week. Peak counts came from the usual quarters, with the largest aggregation the flock of 10 birds on the Isle of Wight at Brading Marsh RSPB on 11th, closely followed by eight birds still in the Chapel Amble area of Cornwall on 10th-12th. Ireland’s highest tally were half a dozen birds seen at Lough Aderra (Co.Cork) on 11th.

 

Heading up the honkers for another week, the adult Ross’s Goose remained in the Newtonhill and Old Portlethen area of Aberdeenshire on 10th-13th.

In Norfolk, the Red-breasted Goose remained on the north coast on 8th-14th, swapping Blakeney Freshmarsh on 8th-9th for Cley on 10th-14th. In Essex, one was seen again around South Fambridge on 12th and at Blue House Farm EWT on 14th.

North Norfolk continued to host a Black Brant at Salthouse and Cley on 8th-14th; two remained in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea on 8th; one was again seen on Thorney Island (West Sussex) again on 14th; and one was seen in Poole Harbour (Dorset) at Newton Bay on 12th-13th.

A possible Grey-bellied Brant was again in Dublin (Co.Dublin) on 14th.

We continued to enjoy an embarrassment of riches where Snow Geese were concerned this week. Trios of white morphs remained at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 8th-13th and around Loch Spynie (Moray) on 12th-14th; two blue morphs were at South Slob (Co.Wexford) still on 11th; and single birds were seen at Thruscross reservoir (North Yorkshire) on 7th-11th, Banks Marsh NNR (Lancashire) again on 12th-13th and Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB on 14th, and at Drumlemble (Argyll & Bute) on 13th-14th.

The Goose Formerly Known As Canada next. Interior Todd’s Canada Geese were seen at Banks Marsh NNR (Lancashire) still on 11th-13th, on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 10th, at Mersehead RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway) again on 13th, and at Termoncarragh Lough (Co.Mayo) on 12th. Termoncarragh Lough also boasted an hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose on 12th; other birds were seen on 9th at Lissadell (Co.Sligo), and on North Uist (Western Isles) on 10th still. A Cackling Goose was still present at Killard (Co.Clare) on 8th.

Both drake Baikal Teals remained settled for another week at, respectively, Swine Moor (East Yorkshire) still on 8th-14th and at Greylake RSPB (Somerset) on 9th-14th.

American Wigeons meanwhile remained at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 8th-10th; in Scotland at Crook of Baldoon RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway) and on South Uist (Western Isles) on 8th; and in Ireland at Ballyallia Lake (Co.Clare) still on 11th-12th.

Also in Ireland, the drake Black Duck was still present on Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) on 10th-14th.

Green-winged Teal numbers held up, with ten or eleven birds seen in Britain and Ireland as a whole. Starting in the very north, on Shetland one was present on Loch of Spiggie on 8th and Loch of Hillwell again on 13th; further Scottish birds were seen at Ladybank (Fife) still on 8th-10th, on Orkney again at Inganess on 13th, and reported from Ardfern (Argyll & Bute) on 10th. English examples remained at Oare Marshes KWT (Kent) on 8th-14th, Smithey Fen (Cambridgeshire) on 8th, Priory CP (Bedfordshire) on 8th-10th, Colt Crags reservoir again on 13th, and Rye Harbour NR (East Sussex) again on 14th; and one was logged at Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland) on 8th. Ireland’s sole record was the individual once more at East Coast NR (Co.Wicklow) on 13th-14th.

Some 40 Ring-necked Ducks recorded across Britain and Ireland still represents a whole lotta birds at this juncture in the late winter / early spring. Once again, the half dozen at Margam Opencast (Glamorgan) on 9th-14th were the highest single site count; though trios were noted on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) still on 9th-14th and at Siblyback Lake (Cornwall) again on 10th.

In Oxfordshire, the drake Ferruginous Duck remained on Allen Pit on 8th-9th.

Lesser Scaups were still very much out there and, given their high numbers in recent months, the suspicion remains that one or two may yet go overlooked in some under-watched areas. Four were still present this week on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 12th; duos remained on South Uist (Western Isles) on 8th-10th and at Woodend Loch (Clyde) still on 8th-14th. Single birds remained on Benbecula (Western Isles) on 8th-10th, Lewis (Western Isles) on 14th, and at Abbotsbury (Dorset) on 8th.

Northumberland’s drake Black Scoter remained off Cocklawburn Beach (Northumberland) on 8th-10th; while in Lothian, the drake White-winged Scoter was still present on the waters around Musselburgh on 9th-13th.

Musselburgh again accounted for three of the week’s Surf Scoters, still present off there on 8th-10th; while three were seen from Pendine (Carmarthenshire) on 8th still. In all, 10 birds were seen in Britain and Ireland in recent days.

In Lothian, the first-winter drake King Eider was still to be found off Musselburgh and Fisherrow on 8th-12th; and the drake was still off Nairn (Highland) on 8th.

Finally, our honorary waterfowl – the American Coot was still present on Lough Yganavan (Co.Kerry) on 13th-14th.

 

With no sign of the White-tailed Lapwing around Lincolnshire’s East Halton Skitter on 7th-8th, had we tempted fate in last week’s Rarity Round Up? Had it – whisper it – actually departed at last?

Of course it hadn’t. Which was good news for the mighty Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire’s shorebird hotspot, where the bird turned up on 9th and, with the odd absence, remained faithful until 14th.

Ireland’s settled Semipalmated Plover was still sitting tight at Crookhaven (Co.Cork) on 13th-14th.

In Somerset the German colour-ringed Kentish Plover was again seen at Burnham-on-Sea on 11th-14th.

In Lancashire, the Long-billed Dowitcher was once more seen at Fluke Hall on 10th and again on 12th-14th.

A Grey Phalarope was seen in Northumberland passing Boulmer on 12th.

Finally, in Suffolk the Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Minsmere RSPB on 8th-14th, and the Irish bird was again seen at Rahasane Turlough (Co.Galway) on 13th.

Pick of the week’s gulls ‘n terns both remained in Ireland’s Co.Galway again, in the form of the settled first-winter Ross’s Gull still present on Mutton Island on 8th-13th, and the adult Forster’s Tern hanging around Traught on 8th-10th still.

Glamorgan’s adult Bonaparte’s Gull continued to hang around Cardiff Bay and Cosmeston Lakes on 8th-13th; while a first-winter was seen along the coast at Porthcawl on 9th. In Dorset an adult bird was present at Lodmoor RSPB on 9th; and one was seen in Hampshire on 13th at Blashford Lakes HWT.

Ring-billed Gulls flirted with double figures for Britain and Ireland this week. Co.Kerry accounted for one at Blennerville again on 10th, one at Kerry Head on 11th, two still at Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre on 12th-14th, and yet another sighting of an adult at Dingle on 13th; elsewhere in Ireland, one remained in Cork (Co.Cork) on 12th, and an adult was seen in Enniskillen (Co.Fermanagh) on 14th. English sightings came again from Chew Valley Lakes (Somerset again on 8th and 13th, Blashford Lakes HWT (Hampshire) on 12th and 14th, and on the Hayle estuary (Cornwall) again on 12th and 14th. In Scotland, an adult was still to be seen in Lothian in Holyrood Park on 8th-14th.

Numbers of Glaucous Gulls picked up a little this week, with 40 birds logged around the region and, of these, a predictable peak count of six birds again at Killybegs (Co.Donegal) on 10th. Iceland Gulls meanwhile held firm, with some 80 birds noted in recent days and, once again, the Western Isles bagging the highest numbers – a dozen were logged on North Uist alone on 10th.

As for Kumlien’s Gulls, British birders again enjoyed a wide scatter of birds. The wandering third-winter individual was seen again in Cambridgeshire at Tanholt GPs on 8th and Smithey Fen again on 12th; the adult bird remained in Newlyn (Cornwall) still on 8th-13th; the juvenile remained on Barra (Western Isles) on 8th-12th; a juvenile was seen again in Shropshire at Ellesmere on 12th; and a juvenile made pitstop in Dorset at Lodmoor RSPB on 8th.

 

In Ireland the juvenile Northern Harrier remained in Co.Offaly at Lough Boora Parklands on 12th-14th.

Gilding the Irish raptor lily still further, a dark morph Gyr was found on 14th at Power Head (Co.Cork).

An adult Rough-legged Buzzard was seen passing over Sculthorpe Moor NR (Norfolk) on 8th.

 

While Wheatears and Sand Martins began to arrive in some welcome numbers this week, there were still some wintering passerines of note to be seen in recent days – and at least one quality new arrival.

In Norfolk, on 12th-14th, a female eastern Stonechat sp considered to be probably Stejneger’s was to be seen at Holme NWT. This coincided with the discovery on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 13th of a male eastern Stonechat sp. That’ll be spring, springing, right there.

In East Sussex, the Hume’s Warbler remained at Eastbourne on 11th-12th; while the Kentish individual was once more seen at Bockhill Farm Wood on 12th. In Cambridgeshire, the Yellow-browed Warbler was still present at Milton CP on 9th-12th.

In other warbler news, London’s Dusky Warbler resurfaced at Walthamstow Marsh NR on 8th-14th.

In Somerset, the three Penduline Tits lingered at Weston Airfield on 8th-13th.

The West Runton (Norfolk) Short-toed Lark was still present there on 8th-9th.

Four Great Grey Shrikes were once more seen in recent days – in Denbighshire at Llyn Brenig still on 8th-14th; at Comberton (Cambridgeshire) still on 8th-14th; at Backley Bottom (Hampshire) on 9th-12th still; and in Cropton Forest (North Yorkshire) still on 8th-14th.

In Highland, four Waxwings were still present at Nethy Bridge on 10th-13th with at least one still present on 14th, while the Whitby (North Yorkshire) bird was again reported from there on 8th, but not latterly; and an unconfirmed report came of a single bird in West Yorkshire at Headingley on 13th.

The Hoopoe remained at Duxford (Cambridgeshire) on 10th-13th. Elsewhere in the county came one of the week’s more startling reports – an unconfirmed report of a Roller seen in flight over the reedbeds at Fowlmere RSPB on 12th.

In Cornwall, the wintering Rose-coloured Starling remained at Lower Boscaswell on 8th.

Reappearing in the passerine news this week, the female Serin was once again noted in Hertfordshire at Maple Cross on 8th-13th.

Finally, last but not least, Little Buntings were again seen in recent days at Poundgate (East Sussex) on 8th-12th, and Knettishall (Suffolk) on 9th.

 

Pretty peaceful times where overseas news was concerned this week, the wider WP rather reflecting the seasonal hiatus we’re in closer to home. Spring is coming, though, and the sap’s rising – certainly on the Dutch/Belgian border at Emmadorp, where the Song Sparrow remained on 8th-14th, and was even in song at times. Further Dutch news concerned the continuing presence of the Western Swamphen at Het Nieuwe Waterschap on 9th-13th still, and the Pygmy Cormorant still present in Utrecht on 9th.

In Germany, the meena Western Rufous Turtle Dove remained at Schonberg Nordost on 11th-14th.

The male Siberian Rubythroat remained in Sweden this week at Vargön on 12th; in Denmark, the drake White-headed Duck was still to be seen on Selsø Sø on 8th.

We close where we began the Round Up’s headlines, with a Belted Kingfisher - in this instance, the bird out on the Azores still on Terceira on 11th.

 

The third week of March dawns and, before you know it, we’ll be heading into April and staring down the barrel of May. It’s that time of year when it’s tempting – and I’m as guilty of this as the next birder – of daydreaming, prematurely, of good birds that it’s still a little early for reasonably expecting just yet.

There’s no getting away from the start of the week though, when it looks like we’re to be kissed by a succession of warm southerlies and, latterly, southeasterlies and easterlies. At the very least, we’ll be getting more pioneering Wheatears filtering through…

…and what else? While the trio at Weston Airfield in recent weeks have perhaps made us a little complacent about Penduline Tits, one or two would still be a welcome self-find for many. Failing that, perhaps a cheeky early Little Bittern…

 

Jon Dunn
15 March 2022

Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos

 

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