Weekly birding round-up: 13 - 19 Sep 2022
With a sustained and decidedly unhelpful spell of northerlies slamming into us in the past week, autumn rather hit the buffers for a while, with both seabird passage and passerine migration in particular very much in abeyance, at least for now. We’re only just passed midway through September, so there’s still plenty of time yet in which outrageous things can happen. And this past week? There was a surprise or two there as well…
Last reported from Co.Leitrim back in April, perhaps the last thing any of us were expecting this week was the reappearance of the Double-crested Cormorant that so enlivened the Irish late winter and early spring.
But there it was, this week on 15th at Doon Lough again, almost five months to the day since it was last seen there. A turn up for the books, for sure, though perhaps not one that’s destined to attract a great many admirers given how obliging it was during the months of its previous tenure, and given that birders have other things on their minds right now with migration in full swing.
Still, it’s never a bad thing to have a lingering mega in our midst, so no complaints. Which reminds me, I wonder what’s become of the Egyptian Vulture?
In a week where notable new arrivals were decidedly thin on the ground, it’s rather fitting that our other main headline bird should also be one that’s featured here before, albeit considerably more recently than the aforementioned cormorant.
Found only last week at Howth in Co.Dublin on 12th, the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler remained there on 13th-17th to the delight of all who made the pilgrimage to connect with it. These pale, snouty warblers have considerable chutzpah in the field and, once seen, will feature highly on the most-wanted list for the dedicated coastal local patch birder.
It had to happen eventually and, this week, the seawatching glamour that’s been cast over us for weeks on end finally came to its natural conclusion. No more enticing reports of Band-rumped Petrel sp, Bulwer’s Petrel, or even Fea’s / Desertas Petrel.
That said, as the week started to wind down late on 18th, a distant and brief Black-browed Albatross was seen from Prawle Point (Devon). But on the whole, though, it was a quieter week than of late.
Though try telling that to those on the pelagics off Cape Clear (Co.Cork) for, in an otherwise fairly peaceful time for large shearwaters, they notched up some 2,000 Great Shearwaters on 17th and 600 birds on 18th. Prior to that, around 200 examples of the species had been seen, with the best counts, of around 60 birds apiece, coming from the Scillonian on 14th and 16th; also notable this week were the 17 birds seen passing North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 18th.
As for Cory’s Shearwater it was a much quieter affair, with barely 30 birds noted all week, of which a dozen from a speculative Scilly pelagic on 14th were the best tally.
Numbers of Balearic Shearwaters fell through the floor, with a mere 60 birds logged all week, the best of which were 25 birds logged off Portland (Dorset) on 19th.
On 18th five Wilson’s Petrels were seen at sea around 80 miles off Mizen Head (Co.Cork).
Two Leach’s Petrels were seen from the Ullapool / Stornoway ferry (Highland & Caithness / Western Isles) on 16th.
Numbers of skuas remained strong, with around 100 Pomarine Skuas recorded, and in the region of 190 Long-tailed Skuas, though as ever the possibility of duplication of records exists on the well-watched stretches of the east coast. Nonetheless, amongst the latter species some single sites notched up decent day counts – 11 were seen from Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 15th, bettered only by Scarborough (North Yorkshire) where a dozen birds were noted on 16th.
A little wintery variety came in the form of a White-billed Diver tracked north on the morning of 15th, seen initially passing Whitburn CP (Co.Durham) and then, fifteen minutes later, Seaton Sluice (Northumberland); and a Little Auk noted off Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 18th.
After an excellent spell for the species in recent weeks, just two Purple Herons were seen this week, these being the settled individual in Derbyshire still present at Willington GPs on 13th-17th, and another at Brockholes LWT (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 19th.
Providing a little variety to the long-legged beasties, a juvenile Night Heron was found on 18th at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall), and another on 19th over Romsey Abbey (Hampshire).
Numbers of Glossy Ibises remained steady, with some 35 birds noted in Britain and Ireland in the course of the week. As usual, Cambridgeshire held the best of them, with 10 birds seen at Ouse Fen RSPB on 19th; though small flocks remained in Hampshire and Kent, where peak counts came, respectively, from Hook-with-Warsash LNR with five birds on 13th, and Dungeness RSPB with four birds on 15th.
Some Glossy Ibis passed over me giving some nice calls. Luckily I was recording at the time. Wexford. @shelister pic.twitter.com/Czj1sZk8hI
— Paul Kelly (@irishbirdimage) September 19, 2022
Spotted Crakes were something of an afterthought compared with what’s gone before in prior weeks, with just a handful being noted lately – individuals on Calf of Man (Isle of Man) still on 16th; at Marston (Lincolnshire) on 15th; at Potteric Carr YWT (South Yorkshire) on 17th; and on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 19th.
A couple of Spotted Crake pics from Newton Pool in mid August. Not been out birding since unfortunately. pic.twitter.com/9F4ctntSWd
— Gary Woodburn (@Gary_D_Woodburn) September 15, 2022
Lastly, a Corncrake was seen on Skokholm (Pembrokeshire) on 19th.
Honkers and quackers for a change this week. With some wintering geese on the move it was, perhaps, no great surprise to have an example of The Goose Formerly Known As Canada pitch down – an interior Todd’s Canada Goose found at Marshside RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 17th.
A fresh face kicks off the quackers too – a drake Ring-necked Duck on Lewis (Western Isles) on 13th-16th.
In Northamptonshire the young drake Ferruginous Duck was once more seen on Daventry reservoir CP on 15th.
The drake Black Duck, meanwhile, remained resident on Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) on 14th-17th.
In Lothian, the second-winter King Eider remained off Musselburgh on 13th-14th.
A drake Surf Scoter was seen from Rossbeigh (Co.Kerry) on 18th, while drakes were again seen on 19th at Blackdog (Aberdeenshire) and in Gosford Bay (Lothian).
Finally, our honorary wildfowl, the adult male Pied-billed Grebe, remained on Loch Feorlin (Argyll & Bute) on 17th.
The remarkable Fair Isle (Shetland) Great Snipe story took another turn this week with news on 17th that all three recent birds were still on the island in the previous couple of nights – a confident assertion made from the ringing records, as all three had been trapped and ringed, found with the use of thermal imaging gear. What a very modern world we live in…
Nearctic waders continued to make most of the other running this week, albeit we generally weren’t talking about remarkable numbers or, in some cases, absolute certainty. An unconfirmed report of a Long-billed Dowitcher at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB (Devon) on 14th came to nothing further…
…our only report of White-rumped Sandpiper was a possible at Barmouth (Co.Derry) on 15th, while our only report of a Baird’s Sandpiper was a probable on Westray (Orkney) on 17th.
There was, happily for Kent birders, no ambiguity about the Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Sandwich Bay on 17th – an excellent county bird that. In more usual quarters for the species, two remained at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 13th-15th, with one still present there on 17th.
Tacumshin was also dominating the Pectoral Sandpipers this week, with a peak count of four birds on 17th the best single site tally in Britain and Ireland. Some 30 birds in all were recorded in recent days nationwide – all singletons bar six at Kiltiernan Turlough (Co.Galway) on 19th, Tacumshin’s burgeoning flock that peaked with four birds on 17th, three seen on 19th at Lough Beg (Co.Derry), and two birds seen at Aldeburgh (Suffolk) on 15th-19th.
As the week drew to a close on 18th a Spotted Sandpiper was found out on St Kilda (Western Isles).
Adult American Golden Plovers remained settled at Cemlyn Bay NWWT (Anglesey) on 15th-19th and at Seaforth LWT (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 13th; another was seen at Carrahane Strand (Co.Kerry) on 15th; while a fresh juvenile was found on North Uist (Western Isles) on 17th.
Barely any Dotterels were found this week – one was again noted on Great Ormes Head (Conwy) on 17th-19th, while further singletons were seen at The Cheviot (Northumberland) on 14th, and Bockhill Farm (Kent) on 18th.
A handful of Temminck’s Stints were again noted in recent days – birds seen at Ballycotton (Co.Cork) still on 13th-14th; at Weir Wood reservoir (East Sussex) on 14th-15th; and at Kilnsea Wetlands and Spurn’s Canal Scrape on 16th-19th. An additional probable bird was seen on St Cuthbert’s Isle (Northumberland) on 18th.
Red-necked Phalaropes remained a steadfast presence in the daily news bulletins, with a number of lingering birds once more augmented by a few new faces. One remained in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea Wetlands on 14th-17th; on 13th recent birds were still present at Llyn Coron (Anglesey) and Little Marlow GPs (Buckinghamshire); and the Brockhall GPs bird remained in Herefordshire on 14th-19th. Further sightings came from the Hayle estuary (Cornwall) on 14th, and Kent, where a bird at Worth Marsh on 14th was followed by a further reported bird at Scotney GPs on 15th; on 18th-19th a bird was seen at Middlemarsh Wetlands (Lincolnshire).
Numbers of Grey Phalaropes however diminished, with some 20 birds noted in the course of the week, scattered around the British coast with a northerly outlier on Shetland. The week’s highest count were half a dozen seen from a boat off Portstewart (Co.Derry) on 18th.
Sabine’s Gulls began to dwindle compared with recent weeks’ performances, and we struggled to reach double figures for Britain and Ireland as a whole. Birds were seen in recent days at sea off Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 13th; at Strathy Point (Highland & Caithness) on 13th also; on 14th from Corsewall Point (Dumfries & Galloway); on 15th from Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire); on 16th from Bardsey (Gwynedd) and Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk), with another reported that day from Frinton-on-Sea (Essex); on 17th at Magilligan (Co.Derry); and on 18th from Flamborough (East Yorkshire) and Balintore (Highland & Caithness). Another sighting came from Flamborough the following day for good measure.
In Kent, the adult Bonaparte’s Gull remained present at Oare Marshes KWT on 13th-14th.
Fresh Nearctic larid loveliness came on 18th in the form of an adult Franklin’s Gull found in Co.Cork at Lissagriffin.
Perhaps in the wake of persistent northerlies of one flavour or another it wasn’t so surprising that a few more white wingers were found this week. Starting with Glaucous Gulls, birds were noted on 14th at Barmouth (Co.Derry) and between Lunan and Boddin (Dumfries & Galloway); on 15th on the Lossie estuary (Moray); on 17th on North Uist (Western Isles) and Fair Isle (Shetland); and on 18th at Oglet (Lancashire & North Merseyside).
In Ireland the Iceland Gull remained at Magheroarty (Co.Donegal) on 13th-19th, while another was found at South Gare (Cleveland) on 17th.
The juvenile White-winged Black Tern remained at Longham Lakes (Dorset) on 13th-16th.
This was quite a week for near-misses and maybes on the raptor front, but more of them anon. The main news, and certainly the most popular bird, was the magnificent juvenile male Pallid Harrier that enlivened a lunch break in Norfolk at Holkham on 13th, and remained in the area until 15th (with a possible, distant sighting again on 18th). A probable ringtail was also seen this week in Dorset at St Aldhelm’s Head on 17th.
A Montagu’s Harrier, meanwhile, was seen from St Catherine’s Point (Isle of Wight) on 15th.
Gloucestershire supplied our only Black Kite of the week, a bird noted at Rodborough Common on 14th.
The week was another good one for Red-footed Falcons, with a few birds to be seen. A juvenile lingered in Kent at Seasalter on 14th-15th, with a possible female reported along the coast at Oare Marshes KWT on 17th too. The Marton Mere LNR individual remained in Lancashire & North Merseyside on 13th-15th; and the recent Norfolk bird was again seen at Hickling Broad NWT on 13th and 18th-19th.
Ah, Norfolk… a couple more raptor reports of note came from here this week – one of a possible Rough-legged Buzzard at Attleborough on 16th and, more potentially earth-shaking still, an unconfirmed report of a Short-toed Eagle seen going north over King’s Lynn in the afternoon of 13th.
If that weren’t potential headliner intrigue enough, a possible dark morph Eleonora’s Falcon was seen passing over Heathrow Airport (Surrey) on 14th.
It’s fair to say that migrant passerines were struggling to find us this past week, with numbers considerably down on what had gone before during the prior week. Which isn’t to say there weren’t a handful of new birds found – there were, but the lingering suspicion may be that some of these were simply coming out of the woodwork after the main event (for now) had passed.
Starting with the warblers, on Shetland the recent Western Bonelli’s Warbler remained at Quendale Mill until 19th; in the wake of a Bonelli’s Warbler sp on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 14th, a Western Bonelli’s Warbler was found on neighbouring Bryher on 15th-17th.
Greenish Warblers were reduced to two birds this week – seen at Weybourne Camp (Norfolk) on 13th and Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 14th.
Arctic Warblers were similarly denuded – two were seen in Shetland on 13th, one on Unst and the other in the tempting depths of Swinister Burn; a bird was found at Fife Ness (Fife) on 14th; a singing bird was present on Barra (Western Isles) on 14th-16th; one made it as far west as Helvick Head (Co.Waterford) on 18th; and on 19th two were pulled from the nets in Scousburgh (Shetland), and another found in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea.
Numbers of Yellow-browed Warblers took a bit of a hit too, down to some 20 birds until 19th, when a further 30 were found nationwide, including nine on Fair Isle (Shetland) alone. Surely they’ll bounce back more strongly still in the days and weeks to come.
Our trio of Blyth’s Reed Warblers were about as widely scattered as it was possible for them to be – one seen on the Skellig Islands (Co.Kerry) on 13th followed by further birds on 14th on The Lizard (Cornwall) and Unst (Shetland).
St Martin’s (Scilly) got itself a Melodious Warbler on 17th, hot on the heels of an Icterine Warbler present there on 14th. Another of the former species was on The Lizard (Cornwall) on 18th-19th; additional Icterine Warblers were found on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 14th, Galley Head (Co.Cork) on 18th, and St Mary’s (Scilly) on 19th.
Barred Warblers just about scaled the heights of a dozen birds found this past week and, again, they were widely scattered though most were in the north of Britain. Outliers were found in Norfolk at Kelling Water Meadow and Overstrand on 13th; on Tory Island (Co.Donegal) still on 15th; and on Bardsey (Gwynedd) on 17th.
We just about made it into double figures of Red-backed Shrikes - individuals seen this week on 13th on Fair Isle (Shetland) and at Filey (North Yorkshire); on 13th-15th at Loch of Spiggie (Shetland); on 13th-16th at Egleton NR (Leicestershire); on 13th-17th on St Mary’s (Scilly); on 14th at Shoebury (Essex); on 14th-15th at Shingle Street (Suffolk) and Worth Marsh (Kent); on 14th-19th at Walberswick (Suffolk); and, on 19th, at Lodmoor RSPB (Dorset), Gang Warily Pond (Hampshire), and Unst (Shetland).
Perhaps more of a surprise, this early in the autumn, was the discovery of a Great Grey Shrike in Hampshire at Latchmore Bottom on 16th.
Some 85 Wrynecks were reported again this week – down on recent showings, but still a lot of them coming out of the woodwork overall – always a pleasure to find one of these cryptic birds.
The same can be said of Bee-eaters - no day was ever the duller for bumping into one of them. Single birds this week were found on Portland (Dorset) on 14th-15th; on 15th at Luccombe Down (Isle of Wight), Durlston CP (Dorset), and Aldeburgh (Suffolk); and on 19th back on the Isle of Wight at Mottistone.
A handful of Hoopoes gave alternative colour – one still at Polbain (Highland & Caithness) on 13th; one at Embleton (Northumberland) o 13th; a Walberswick (Suffolk) bird on 14th; and one at Porth Wren (Anglesey) on 15th.
The ultimate colourful kicks this week came late, courtesy of news in the evening of 19th that the recent Roller was still hanging around Bere Ferrers (Devon).
A Short-toed Lark was at the traditional Scilly site of the airfield on St Mary’s on 14th-19th.
The weekend began on 17th with a Red-rumped Swallow found at Ventnor Downs (Isle of Wight), with another probable seen on Lundy (Devon) and a report from Swineham Point (Dorset) too also on 17th. On 18th the latter bird was again seen in the area before flying north; and on the Isle of Wight one was seen heading east over Luccombe Down.
A small arrival of Rose-coloured Starlings served as a reminder to check for them at this time of year – birds being seen on 13th-14th at St Just (Cornwall), on 15th at Thurso (Highland & Caithness), on 15th-19th on Lundy (Devon), and on 19th on Portland (Dorset) and at Rustington (West Sussex).
Our recent run of good form with Citrine Wagtails continued lately, with as many as half a dozen birds logged this past week. The recent Cornish bird was still present at Walmsley Sanctuary CBWPS on 13th; one was seen in Dorset at Lodmoor RSPB on 15th-19th; another was found on the outskirts of Lerwick (Shetland) on 15th-19th; probables were found in Lincolnshire on 14th at Gibraltar Point NNR and Frampton Marsh RSPB; and a possible on 15th over Ventnor Bay (Isle of Wight).
Lodmoor RSPB (Dorset) also landed two Blue-headed Wagtails on 15th, with at least one still present on 17th.
A possible Richard’s Pipit was reported from Gramborough Hill (Norfolk) on 17th; and another possible on 17th at Swithland reservoir (Leicestershire).
Numbers of Common Rosefinches dropped like a stone this week, with just 15 birds noted nationwide. Best of these slim pickings were two birds present on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 14th, and two on Unst (Shetland) on 19th.
North Ronaldsay (Orkney) had further variety though, in the form of a hornemanni Arctic Redpoll found on 15th, and a Little Bunting on 13th.
Scilly held onto an Ortolan Bunting on St Mary’s on 13th-18th; one was found in Glamorgan at Lavernock on 19th; while another probable was noted at Sandwich Bay (Kent) on 14th.
Starting the overseas news fairly close to home, in France the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper remained at Anse du Gois on 13th, while a Western Sandpiper was found in Tregunc at Loch Coziou-Nord on 15th-16th.
In the Netherlands, a Sociable Lapwing was seen on 13th at Ulft.
A Sandhill Crane flew southwest over Sannanlahti (Finland) on 17th.
A little succour for British birders came in the form of a White’s Thrush in Norway at Froya on 18th. Maybe there are a few Sibes almost on our doorstep…
Iceland’s recent spell of good form continued with a Tennessee Warbler at Keflavik on 17th-18th.
Arguably even more remote and abstract for British birders, out on the Azores a Cape May Warbler was found on Corvo on 16th, hot on the heels of two Great Blue Herons there on 15th.
If I had a pound for every time in the past week somebody said to me that the northerlies hitting Shetland were coming over the top, and could bring something tasty from Siberia with them, I’d have… well, probably enough for a cheap pint.
The point being, even in the face of brisk northerlies, we’re by nature an optimistic bunch, us birders. Speaking of blind optimism, what do the dying days of September traditionally mean for us, and what straws can we clutch at as we blunder into a new week?
Westerlies could certainly be our friend, ushering in either moribund Nearctic cuckoo option, Black-billed or Yellow-billed - the coming week has past records of both. And waders too – it’s a prime time for Baird’s Sandpipers in particular, but peeps deserve a close look too, as we’ve seen in the past week as close to us as France.
It’s just plain wrong to ignore the fact that the coming week boasts two outrageous Empidonax flycatchers, and both of them found on the eastern side of Britain – Norfolk’s Alder Flycatcher of 25th-27th September 2010, and the Acadian Flycatcher that dropped to Dungeness’s (Kent) shingle on 22nd September 2015. And, oh my days, it’s the anniversary of the discovery of our one and only Yellow-throated Vireo too, seen on 20th-27th September 1990 at Kenidjack.
These are the stuff of sheer fantasy. Perhaps a shade more realistic is a reminder that it’s time to start checking pipits for American Buff-bellied Pipit - formerly an outrageous rarity, but one that’s being found with more regularity in recent years. Definitely a contender for a self-found tick in the week(s) to come…
Jon Dunn
20 Sep 2022
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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