Weekly birding round-up: 14 - 20 Jun 2022
Midsummer is almost upon us, and the country was divided this week with a hot spell cracking the flags down south, and the north considerably cooler. Cooler literally, but not metaphorically, for it was Shetland’s turn to make the headlines this week with not one but two mega birds in swift succession…
We’ve had our share in recent years of unidentified birds posted by their finders on social media that have transpired to be something very special indeed and, to their roll-call this week, another was added. Andy Howard’s tweet on 19th announcing his discovery of what would prove to be Britain’s tenth and Shetland’s first Pacific Swift was a classic of its kind:
Anyone know what this is? ???????
— Andy Howard (@highland_andy) June 19, 2022
FYI - I know it’s a bird, and I know it’s a swift#sumburgh @RareBirdAlertUK pic.twitter.com/NWHx61HCwo
Andy would be the first to admit he’s more a photographer than a birder, but thanks to his recognising this wasn’t a conventional swift and putting an image out there live from the field, the identity of the bird in question was quickly resolved – and Shetland’s resident and visiting birders were fast out of the blocks and heading to Sumburgh Head.
The bird hung around through the afternoon and into the long simmer dim evening but, alas, was gone by the following morning. Shetland’s black-and-white run wasn’t quite over, however, as on 20th another monochrome mega was announced – also via social media, and also not identified by its finder – a Magpie found on Mainland at Sandness.
Shetland’s one and only prior record was a bird on Fair Isle on 22nd-25th April 1987. While technically not quite as rare in a Shetland context as Pacific Swift, it’s still a top drawer local bird.
With no sign of the adult Black-browed Albatross at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire) since the afternoon of 13th until it reappeared there on 20th, we’re left wondering what became of it. It had been a fairly steady and settled fixture around the gannetry for some weeks now and, while prone to the occasional leave of absence this summer and last, they’ve tended not to extend this long.
With avian flu rife around the North Sea this summer, devastating seabirds from Shetland to Northumberland, on the west coast of Norway and down in the Wadden Sea, any seabird that’s prone to hanging around densely packed breeding colonies must be considered at risk of contracting the virus. The Black-browed Albatross seen off Unst (Shetland) in the evening of 16th – seemingly a different individual to the Bempton bird – was certainly playing with fire, given how prevalent avian flu is up there presently.
A couple of Pomarine Skuas were reported in recent days – one off Bernerary (Western Isles) on 16th, and another probable seen at Marshside RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 18th.
A probable Cory’s Shearwater was seen from Tarbat Ness (Highland & Caithness) on 18th; and a Balearic Shearwater off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 14th.
Finally, a White-billed Diver was off Embo (Highland & Caithness) on 19th.
Given emerging news this week of happy events concerning Black-winged Stilts and Bee-eaters, it feels like only a matter of time before we’re reporting in a similar vein about Glossy Ibises… but, for this past week, all we’re to tell you is that there were still at least 30 birds at large in Britain and Ireland, including a bumper flock of a dozen birds again in Cambridgeshire at Ouse Washes RSPB on 18th-19th.
The Purple Heron remained at Potteric Carr YWT (South Yorkshire) on 14th, with another sighting coming that day in West Yorkshire at Pugneys CP.
Last but not least, a male Little Bittern was at Ladywalk NR (Warwickshire) on 19th-20th.
For a change, we’ve both honkers and quackers of note again this week, courtesy of the discovery of two Red-breasted Geese at Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland) on 18th-20th.
Lough Beg (Co.Derry) remained the epicentre of American Wigeon sightings this week, with two birds still present there on 14th at least and, by 17th, three birds present. Meanwhile, in Forth the drake remained at Skinflats Lagoons RSPB on 14th-19th.
In Shetland the intermittent Green-winged Teal was again seen at Tingwall on 14th.
Staffordshire’s settled female Ferruginous Duck was still sitting tight on Belvide reservoir on 14th-18th.
The drake Ring-necked Duck at Dungeness (Kent) still on 9th-10th was our only representative of its kind this week.
In Scotland, the first-winter drake King Eider remained off Musselburgh (Lothian) on 14th-20th.
And finally, our honorary wildfowl, the male Pied-billed Grebe was still resident on Loch Feorlin (Argyll & Bute) on 16th-18th.
Given how many wandering Black-winged Stilts were spanging around England at one point in recent weeks gone by, it always seemed likely we might be on for at least one pair settling down to breed somewhere suitable. And so it proved for, this week, news emerged of a pair successfully hatching four young in South Yorkshire at Potteric Carr YWT – two young being reported on 15th, three on 16th, and the full quartet on 17th-20th. There’s many a slip twixt hatch and fledge, but they’re off to a fine start thanks to their attentive parents and a legion of dedicated human supporters.
A spanking adult Pacific Golden Plover graced Stithians reservoir (Cornwall) on 15th-16th.
Also on 15th-16th, a probable American Golden Plover was present on the beach between Birkdale and Ainsdale (Lancashire & North Merseyside).
Kent’s recent Red-necked Phalaropes remained at Elmley NNR on 14th; a Grey Phalarope was found in Lincolnshire at Covenham reservoir on 17th.
White-winged gulls continued to be all but a summer afterthought – barely half a dozen Glaucous Gulls were noted in recent days, with two on Lewis (Western Isles) on 18th about as notable as they got; and just three Iceland Gulls.
Sticking with Ireland a moment longer, the Least Tern remained in Co.Dublin near Portrane on 14th, but wasn’t reported thereafter.
Finally, in Northumberland, the adult surinamensis American Black Tern was still settled at Long Nanny on 14th-20th.
American Black Tern at Long Nanny, Northumberland in flyby mode this evening. pic.twitter.com/WKELPGDuVG
— Nick Parker (@nick_m_parker) June 14, 2022
The best of the week’s raptors was a male Red-footed Falcon found on 16th near Coddington (Nottinghamshire); another report came from Nottinghamshire near Southwell on 18th.
More unseasonal was the reported Rough-legged Buzzard on Mull (Argyll & Bute) on 14th.
Black Kites continued to filter in – confirmed birds being logged in Kent at Dungeness on 15th and Appledore on 18th, and further reports coming from East Boldre (Hampshire) on 15th, South Brent (Devon) on 16th, east of Martin Down NNR (Hampshire) on 17th, and over Woodhall Dean NR (Lothian) on 19th.
Rather like the Shorebirds section this week, we’re duty-bound to start the Passerines with the happy news that there’s a rare breeding event taking place in our midst this summer – in this instance, a party of half a dozen Bee-eaters that have taken up residence in a quarry on the outskirts of Trimingham (Norfolk), and remained there until 20th at least.
Some of their number may account for the various reports of ones and twos in Norfolk as the week progressed but, away from the county, others were seen and heard too – three over Felixstowe (Suffolk) on 14th; one at Saltfleetby NNR (Lincolnshire) on 15th; two reported at Brockholes LWT (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 16th; one heard at Landguard NR (Suffolk) on 18th; and one at Lunt Meadows LWT (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 19th. Fingers crossed meantime that the breeding attempt at Trimingham, a first of its kind for Norfolk, proves successful.
An Alpine Swift was seen on 18th at Langdon Hills (Essex), over Dunton Plotlands Lake.
Numbers of Golden Oriole were fading this week, a dim spark of the bright fire that raged in May – three birds were noted, singles at Pulborough Brooks RSPB (West Sussex) on 17th-18th, on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 18th-19th, and at Rainham Marshes RSPB (London) on 18th.
Rose-coloured Starlings continued to delight wherever they were found this week, creeping up into double figures nationally. On 14th-17th Scourie (Highland & Caithness) held a bird, while one lingered on Rathlin Island (Co.Antrim) on 16th-17th; single birds were seen on 14th on Papa Westray (Orkney) and Tresco (Scilly), on 15th on Portland (Dorset) and Malin Head (Co.Donegal), in Wales on 16th at Dinas Dinlle (Gwynedd), on 17th at Cwmbach (Glamorgan) and Woking (Surrey), on 18th at Brede Levels (East Sussex), and on 15th on St Mary’s (Scilly) – the latter bird following hot on the heels of two on neighbouring St Martin’s on 14th, and preceding two birds on St Mary’s on 16th-17th, with at least one remaining until 20th. On 19th further sightings came from St Columb Minor (Cornwall) and Kingston (Moray).
Three Red-backed Shrikes were seen in recent days – one apiece at Old Wolverton (Buckinghamshire) on 14th, on Unst (Shetland) on 15th-16th, and at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 16th.
A Red-rumped Swallow was seen again on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 15th-20th, with another noted this week on Tresco (Scilly) on 15th.
Singing warblers of note remained notable diversions again this week. Starting, once more, in London, the singing male Iberian Chiffchaff was still hanging in there in Regents Park on 14th-20th.
Another Greenish Warbler was found in song this week, on this occasion in Argyll & Bute near Dunoon on 16th.
Kilnsea (East Yorkshire) got itself a Blyth’s Reed Warbler in song on 15th.
The territorial Great Reed Warblers remained at Snettisham CP (Norfolk) on 14th-20th, and at Langford Lowfields RSPB (Nottinghamshire) on 14th-20th.
Two Marsh Warblers were found mixing it up in song on Beeston Common (Norfolk) on 15th, and on 16th at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire).
Further variety came from Kent where, at Dungeness RSPB on 16th, a singing Melodious Warbler was found.
A Blue-headed Wagtail was seen on 18th at Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside).
A Common Rosefinch remained on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 14th; and another was found this week on 18th at the opposite end of the country at North Foreland (Kent).
Kent also supplied our only Serin of recent days, one heard singing at Sandwich Bay on 14th.
Starting last week’s overseas news where we left off the prior week’s news, on Jersey, the Bridled Tern was showing no signs of abandoning the ternery at Les Ecrehous on 14th-15th. Where next for this bird? Apparently not the English south coast…
In France, the White-throated Sparrow remained at Les Bouchoux on 14th-19th.
In the Netherlands, the Western Swamphen was still settled at Het Nieuwe Waterschap on 15th.
Belgium’s King Eider remained at Het Zwin on 14th.
The recent White-throated Sparrow remained in song in France at Les Bouchoux on 7th-12th.
Into Denmark, we find a Griffon Vulture on 14th-15th between Thorsager and Ebdrup, and a Short-toed Eagle at Portlandmosen on 15th.
In Spain the Western Reef Egret remained at Platja d’Aro on 20th.
Finally, out on the Azores a Semipalmated Plover was present on Pico on 17th.
Was this week’s Pacific Swift in Shetland the big one, travelling late and alone? Well, maybe…
It certainly evoked the spirit of 1993, when birders bound for Gimingham (Norfolk) got lucky with the discovery of the first (semi) twitchable Pacific Swift for Britain. The rumours of those who didn’t quite get there in the nick of time that day were to persist for years thereafter. And what were those lucky birders, in the right place at the right time as they passed through Cley, heading to Gimingham to see?
Ah yes. An Oriental Pratincole… which brings us neatly to the coming week. Late June is starting to look like a fairly peaceful time for rarities, but the coming week’s historically not half bad for rarer pratincoles – boasting three Black-winged Pratincoles, and two Oriental Pratincoles to its credit. With our last accepted individual of the latter species dating back to 2010, we’re due another sometime soon…
Jon Dunn
21 Jun 2022
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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