Weekly birding round-up: 9 - 15 Aug 2022
The week just gone was a week of two national firsts – one lingering, just a little while, in Britain, and another offshore of Ireland. While the former was to prove ultimately transitory, and the other was reserved simply for those present on the pelagic in question, there was succour out there for all of us – warblers were on the move, and that could mean only one thing – autumn is officially under way.
Two past, one-day, at sea, loosely Scillonian records of Scopoli’s Shearwaters had left a seemingly unscratchable itch for British birders by the time 2020 dawned. And then, as we all know, we were treated to the unthinkable, a twitchable bird – one seen initially off Co.Durham that went on to spend 9th-11th August 2020 on the waters between Lothian and Fife. You could actually rock up, on land, and see a Scopoli’s Shearwater…
At the time it felt unreal, and there was always the nagging feeling that this would be a one-off opportunity. Seeing rare seabirds isn’t meant to be that easy. Future records of Scopoli’s would, surely, be back out at sea.
Spare a thought then, for Irish birders, in the wake of this shearwater living dream. There simply had to have been Scopoli’s Shearwaters out there off southern Ireland in the past. It just needed someone to get lucky in the future, to be on a boat out there at the right moment to connect with one. The old school, pelagic way.
This week, the stars finally aligned for those on the Shearwater pelagic trip out of Baltimore (Co.Cork) on 13th with what, judging by the images, were envy-inducingly close views of a bird that very shortly set the antennae of those on board a-jangling. What was to prove, subject to formal acceptance, to be Ireland’s first Scopoli’s Shearwater.
With more pelagics scheduled from Co.Cork and Scilly alike in the days to come, it’s perhaps a timely juncture to remind oneself of what to look for in a putative Scopoli’s Shearwater’s underwing plumage. And if you’ve not got a place booked on one of those pelagics? Ah, it’ll be alright. There’ll be another twitchable, viewable-from-dry-land, bird one of these days…*
*that is, never
They divide opinion, gulls. One birder’s luscious larid is another’s bin bag botherer. So it wasn’t totally unexpected last week that, amidst the appreciative noises Britain’s first Cape Gull elicited, there were some dissenting voices. One or two nay-sayers who voiced words to the effect that they wouldn’t have bothered even if it had been close to home, let alone over an hour’s drive away.
But they were very much in the minority. As the new week dawned there were still plenty of birders who were making their way to Cambridgeshire’s Grafham Water to acquaint themselves with a British Cape Gull. Who knows when the next one will be found? Have they been going overlooked all along? One or two birders at Grafham were prepared to admit, candidly, that they probably wouldn’t have given the Cape Gull more than a cursory glance had they seen it on their local patches amongst a handful of Great Black-backed Gulls.
Anyway, musings about the likelihood of any of us having the confidence, dedication and, frankly, skills of Richard Patient aside, his find of the year was still present at Grafham Water on 9th-10th. Not that those bald dates tell the whole story, for there were those who visited the site but came away empty-handed. Cape Hope gave way to Cape Fear. When it departed on 10th, that was it – it wasn’t to return. Where next for it? And will anyone actually look twice at it and know it for what it is?
As we’d very much expect at this point of the year, Wilson’s Petrels remained a fixture in the news – the main disappointment, for Shetland’s intrepid pelagic crew, being that they didn’t score one west of the archipelago in recent days. The same couldn’t be said for Scilly, where one bird on the pelagic of 9th was followed by three on 11th, two more on 14th, and a further three birds on 15th; nor Co.Cork, where amongst other good things on 13th two Wilson’s were noted. A land-based sighting came from Pendeen (Cornwall) on 14th, but all that had gone before was supplanted on 15th with news of at least nine birds seen on a pelagic out of Dungarvan (Co.Waterford).
A Leach’s Petrel was seen passing the Skellig Islands (Co.Kerry) on 11th, whilst another was seen from Lewis (Western Isles) on 13th.
Those Scilly pelagics were the place to be for Cory’s and Great Shearwaters alike this week, with the highest tallies of both species – some 125 individuals apiece – accounted for on 15th. More soberly, it’s worth noting that dead and moribund Gannets were also being recorded from the recent Scilly pelagics – presumably bird flu victims.
Portland (Dorset) was very much in the ascendancy where Balearic Shearwaters were concerned lately, with a peak count of 165 birds on 11th. A pelagic off Devon’s Start Point on 14th blew that clean from the water with some 800 birds logged that day.
Skuas remained relatively few and far between. Single Pomarine Skuas were seen on 9th from Coll (Argyll & Bute), on 12th from Brora (Highland & Caithness), and on 14th from a Shetland pelagic, and from Cramond Island (Lothian) before, on 15th, the pace quickened a little – three being seen that day passing Weybourne Camp (Norfolk), and another single at Tarbat Ness (Highland & Caithness). Single Long-tailed Skuas were seen on 9th over Brampton (South Yorkshire), on 13th off Beacon Point (Northumberland) and, on 15th, off Whitburn (Co.Durham).
Once again heading up our long-legged beasties this week was the settled adult Squacco Heron in West Sussex at Pagham Harbour LNR on 9th-15th.
In Kent, the first-summer Night Heron was intermittently seen again at Oare Marshes KWT on 9th-15th.
Kent also held onto its recent juvenile Purple Herons, with sightings once more at Stodmarsh NNR on 9th-15th and Grove Ferry NNR on 9th-14th, with two birds again seen at the latter site on 14th. Elsewhere, one was present at Rye Harbour (East Sussex) on 9th; while the recent individuals were still present at Cors Ddyga RSPB (Anglesey) on 10th-11th, and in Derbyshire at Willington GPs on 9th-14th.
Glossy Ibises remained omnipresent, with around 35 individuals seen in Britain and Ireland. The highest count came, once more, from Cambridgeshire where 11 birds continued to haunt Berry Fen’s environs on 9th-13th.
While Knepp continues to pump (sorry, ‘re-wild’) White Storks out into the British countryside, it comes as something of a sweet relief to report on a wild Black Stork at large – one was seen this week on 14th over Moorends (South Yorkshire). For now, at least, nobody’s making any claims that wanderers of their kind to our shores need artificial augmentation.
A feature of recent days were the numbers of Spotted Crakes found around England. Starting in Devon, the recently discovered bird remained at Slapton Ley on 9th-15th; augmented by birds noted at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 10th, North Cave Wetlands YWT (East Yorkshire) on 12th-15th, Tresco (Scilly) on 13th-15th, Low Newton-by-the-Sea (Northumberland) on 13th and 15th, on 14th-15th at Blacktoft Sands RSPB (East Yorkshire), and on 15th at Snipe’s Marsh (Norfolk).
Last night was the first time I've ever put a camera trap out at Newton Pool. This morning, I heard a spotted crake there giving a single "whit" type call (I've never heard this before). I couldn't resist checking the memory card a bit sooner than planned.?? pic.twitter.com/mjUDJoFoty
— Gary Woodburn (@Gary_D_Woodburn) August 13, 2022
Just as it was looking set to be a fixture in Shetland ready for the arrival of the autumn’s usual consignment of birders, the drake Harlequin on Unst apparently thought better of it – still present at Norwick on 9th-11th, and showing painfully well, there was nothing further to be seen of it from 12th onwards – painfully for those who’d made the long journey north specifically to see it.
Moving south, the drake Black Scoter was still present off Blackdog (Aberdeenshire) on 10th. The same site also held onto its recent drake Surf Scoter on 9th-14th.
In Lothian, the King Eider was still to be found off Musselburgh on 10th-13th.
In England, the Midlands remained a hotbed of Ferruginous Duck action. Two birds continued to linger at Draycote Water (Warwickshire) on 9th-12th; in Northamptonshire the juvenile was still present at Daventry CP on 9th-15th; and a further record came from Nottinghamshire in recent days where a bird was found at Holme Pierrepont on 12th-15th.
On Anglesey, the drake Ring-necked Duck was once more seen at Valley Lakes RSPB on 14th.
Ireland’s contribution to the quackers this week came from Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) on 15th, where the drake Black Duck remained to be seen.
Finally, our honorary wildfowl was still present in Argyll & Bute, where the adult male Pied-billed Grebe was again recorded at Loch Feorlin on 12th-15th.
The past week went by relatively uneventfully where rarer waders were concerned, without any new shockers in our midst. That said, there was still a fair Nearctic contingent to be seen…
A quartet of White-rumped Sandpipers were available – at least one was still present in East Yorkshire, with sightings coming from Spurn on 10th and 14th, Beacon Ponds NR on 13th, and Kilnsea on 15th; one remained at Eyebrook reservoir (Leicestershire) on 9th-10th; another popped up again at Snettisham RSPB (Norfolk) on 12th, 14th and 15th; and the redoubtable wader hotspot of Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) was at it again with a bird on 12th-15th.
A handful of Pectoral Sandpipers were again noted in recent days. Birds lingered at Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 9th-14th and at Kilcoole (Co.Wicklow) on 9th-10th. Further birds were found on the Eden estuary (Fife) on 12th, and at Blacktoft Sands RSPB (East Yorkshire) on 13th-15th. Another possible bird was seen at Dundrum (Co.Down) on 13th.
Temminck’s Stints were seen at Sidlesham Ferry Pool (West Sussex) on 9th-14th, and Deeping Lakes LWT (Lincolnshire) on 10th.
A few Dotterel were on the move this week – individuals being sound-recorded in Cambridgeshire at Chesterton on 13th and 14th, and seen in Norfolk on 15th at Burnham Overy Dunes and Scolt Head NNR.
An American Golden Plover) was found on 13th-15th at Rosslare Back Strand (Co.Wexford).
The Lesser Yellowlegs remained present on Tresco (Scilly) on 9th-14th.
Scilly pelagics accounted for a single Grey Phalarope on 13th and 14th apiece. The two Red-necked Phalaropes remained on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 11th-12th.
A probable Collared Pratincole over Newquay Airport (Cornwall) on 12th wasn’t seen again. Someone should have a word with air traffic control for losing that one.
Finally, a family party of five Black-winged Stilts (two adults and three young) found on 11th at Doddington (Cheshire) were down to four individuals by 13th-15th, having mislaid one of the adult birds.
On (and around) Scilly this week the now-you-see-me, now-you-don’t adult Laughing Gull put in a couple more appearances – on St Agnes on 10th, and then some three miles southwest of the island on 13th, and again at sea from the pelagic on 14th.
In Kent, the adult Bonaparte’s Gull at Oare Marshes KWT was made of more steadfast stuff, being seen there regularly on 9th-15th; the Mull (Argyll & Bute) individual was once more seen there on 14th-15th.
An adult Ring-billed Gull was found on 13th at Aberlady Bay (Lothian).
Adult Sabine’s Gulls were seen in recent days passing Longhoughton Steel (Northumberland) on 12th, and from the Scilly pelagic of 13th. Another bird was noted from Pendeen (Cornwall) on 14th, and Cornwall supplied two more on 15th, at Pendeen and Porthgwarra respectively.
If anything, numbers of white-wingers were up a smidgen this week – winter is coming, after all… Iceland Gulls were noted at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 12th and on the Lossie estuary (Moray) on 13th. Glaucous Gulls meanwhile were seen in Co.Derry at Coleraine again at Burger King on 10th-14th, and on the Bann estuary on 11th; in Lerwick (Shetland) still on 12th; and on South Uist (Western Isles), what’s either a juvenile Glauc or a hybrid was once more seen on 13th.
Co.Louth was the epicentre of Irish rare tern action lately, with the reliable Forster’s Tern still at Soldier’s Point on 13th-15th, and Least Tern at Baltray on 13th also.
Finally, the weekly Caspian Tern was supplied by a bird seen in Norfolk at Sidestrand on 14th followed, on 15th, by presumably the same individual at roost at Breydon Water in the evening.
For still another week, a handful of Black Kites provided raptor interest. The recent bird was again seen at Nant Yr Arian (Ceredigion) on 9th, with another that day at Doon Hill (Lothian); and a further bird was found in Scotland at Loch Caolisport (Argyll & Bute) on 12th. On 14th a final bird was found in Cornwall at Drift reservoir.
A Snowy Owl was reported from the Swining area of Mainland Shetland on 14th.
It really must be autumn, as we’re starting the passerines with warblers, and some variety amongst them at that. Following the prior week’s Aquatic Warbler trapped and ringed at Longham Lakes (Dorset), the county began to hit its stride this week, with further birds found in ringers’ nets in Lytchett Bay on 12th and 13th, and another at Abbotsbury on 14th. Away from Dorset one was trapped and ringed in Gwent at Newport Wetlands NNR on 13th – a fine Welsh record, that – and additional birds were extracted from the nets in Devon at Slapton Ley on 14th, and in Cornwall at Nanjizal Valley on 15th.
Icterine Warblers also began to put in a concerted appearance on the south and east coasts, with a handful of birds drifting in – one on The Lizard (Cornwall) on 11th-13th followed by further birds at Flamborough on 11th and 13th; on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 12th; in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea on 12th and Spurn on 13th; at Prestwick Carr (Northumberland) on 13th; and, on 15th, in Norfolk at Wells Woods and Winterton South Dunes.
Nor did it stop there. The first Barred Warblers trickled in too – one on St Mary’s Island (Northumberland) on 9th followed, on 15th, by another on Fetlar (Shetland).
St Mary’s (Scilly), meanwhile, landed a Melodious Warbler on 12th. Another – or an Icterine – was on the island on 14th, while a further Melodious was found in Cornwall’s Kenidjack Valley on 15th.
In London, the long-staying Iberian Chiffchaff was still in Regent’s Park on 15th, marking its 100th day there on 11th.
Further glimmers of birds on the move came in the form of a Short-toed Lark on Foula (Shetland) on 13th, and Wrynecks on 12th on St Mary’s (Scilly) and at Brockenhurst (Hampshire). The latter species got the bit between their teeth on 15th, with two seen that day on Skomer (Pembrokeshire), and singletons on Fair Isle (Shetland), and at Winterton South Dunes (Norfolk).
In East Yorkshire, the male Turkestan Shrike remained by Bempton Cliffs RSPB on 9th-15th.
In Norfolk, the breeding party of half a dozen Bee-eaters were still going strong at Trimingham throughout the week, with a young bird finally seen at a nesthole on 11th, and two young visible by 15th. Further birds were noted elsewhere in recent days – at Tring (Hertfordshire) on 10th, at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) on 14th where four birds were seen, at Mablethorpe (Lincolnshire) on 14th where a party of three birds were noted, and in Hampshire on 14th at Bedhampton, where a bird was heard only.
In Shetland, the adult Rose-coloured Starling remained on the outskirts of Lerwick on 9th-14th, with another seen in Dublin (Co.Dublin) on 12th.
Lastly, the male possible iberiae Spanish Wagtail remained on Rathlin Island (Co.Antrim) on 9th-15th.
Starting the overseas news close to home, in France the Bridled Tern was still settled this week on Île aux Moutons on 9th, and the Elegant Tern was still present at Grau de Piemanson on 9th also.
Spain’s Elegant Tern was still to be seen at Puerto de los Urrutias on 10th; and the Western Reef Egret at Platja d’Aro on 9th-10th.
And then, all the way out in the mid-Atlantic in the Azores this week, on Pico a Snowy Egret was found on 9th, while the Semipalmated Plover also remained on there on 11th. The recent Brown Booby remained on Sao Miguel on 12th. Of interest, it’s the seventh record for the archipelago.
The week to come looks, at the time of writing, like we may be due some fairly direct westerlies at some point. Which could, of course, in addition to making for some salt-caked optics for anyone perching on a headland to sea-watch, augur well for Nearctic waders – Baird’s and Semipalmated Sandpipers being the very least we should dare hope for.
Is it too early in the autumn to shoot for the stars? Events of five years ago, on 21st August 2017, suggest not. That was the memorable day on which Yellow Warblers were found on both Portland (Dorset) and Mizen Head (Co.Cork). One of those sulphurous gems would get the autumn’s rare passerine account really up and running in the coming week…
Jon Dunn
16 Aug 2022
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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