Weekly birding round-up: 20 - 26 Sep 2022
Some weeks there’s just no polishing or rolling in glitter. And that, to be frank, was how this past week was shaping up to be until the final roll of the dice on Monday. A week that, sure, had some fair birds in it, but really wasn’t what we’d be hoping for in terms of either sheer quality or absolute volume at this promising point in the year. And then Oxfordshire played an absolute blinder…
Think Oxfordshire and suburban megas, and what springs to mind? In all fairness to the county, not an awful lot. The fabulously confiding orientalis Rufous Turtle Dove that overwintered in Chipping Norton in 2010/11 has to be the county’s jewel in the crown in this regard, and the one many of us would have stirred ourselves to go and see.
Inland counties, after all, are generally impoverished where rare birds are concerned compared to their coastal counterparts. It’s just how these things go.
And think Common Nighthawk, and where would you expect one of those to be found in a British context? Scilly, obviously, boasting as it does 14 of the 26 accepted British records to date. And away from there? Well, coastal counties. Even London’s ushered onto the coast by the wide mouth of the Thames, for all it boasts a couple of past records.
For any precedent of an inland county Common Nighthawk we need to go back to 1971, and a bird that was seen on 18th and 21st October at Bulcote (Nottinghamshire). Not, I wager, a bird that many people saw.
The same, surely, cannot be said of this week’s inland bird, found in Oxfordshire’s Wantage on 26th, perched cool as a cucumber upon a suburban garden fence. And there it stayed throughout the day, delighting all incredulous viewers who dropped everything to get there before dusk fell and, doubtless, bemusing the area’s non-birding residents as to what all the fuss was about.
Will it hang around? Time alone will tell. One would assume it’s going to be hard to relocate as the new week dawns, but never say never. One thing’s for sure, our American vagrant account is well and truly open for autumn 2022.
Seen in the prior week at Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim) on 15th, it was perhaps not such a great surprise to learn the Double-crested Cormorant was back there again during the current week on 23rd. Having lasted this long, one wonders how long its Irish tenure can now extend?
Getting many a birder’s autumn off to a good start, the juvenile Roller remained in Devon at Bere Ferrers until 24th. Granted, in the overall scheme of things not the rarest of species, but there’s simply no denying the magnetism these funky birds exert over us.
If your own correspondent at RBA Towers seems a little jaded this week, there’s some good cause. It’s never fun to miss a bird on your doorstep, especially if it’s a long-awaited house-tick. Step forward the White-billed Diver found at the foot of my Whalsay (Shetland) drive on 23rd – present offshore for about an hour, that wasn’t quite long enough for me to get home to connect. Woe.
While numbers of large shearwaters were down, they weren’t out completely. Around 220 Cory’s Shearwaters logged in Britain and Ireland were largely dominated by the count of 150 seen from Cape Clear (Co.Cork) on 21st; while of the 110 or so Great Shearwaters seen nationwide a tally of 33 birds from the Scilly pelagic of 22nd was the highest count.
Balearic Shearwaters were dwindling at this point in proceedings, with a shade over 500 birds noted overall in the course of the week. Dorset’s Portland had the best daily counts, with a peak of 140 seen from the Bill on 25th.
A handful of Leach’s Petrels were seen in the earlier days of the week – a single bird on the Scilly pelagic of 22nd; two from Bloody Foreland (Co.Donegal) on 23rd; one from the Lochmaddy / Uig (Western Isles / Highland & Caithness) ferry on 23rd; and one passing Chanonry Point (Highland & Caithness) on 24th. Some 25 birds were logged nationwide on 26th, with eight seen from Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire) the best single site tally.
Skuas were dwindling now, with around 50 Pomarine and some 30 Long-tailed Skuas logged lately. Of the latter, five birds seen from Longhoughton Steel (Northumberland) on 22nd were comfortably the highest count.
A Little Auk was reported heading past Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 24th; another was seen in Co.Clare from Loop Head on 25th.
Finally, an unconfirmed report of a possible Black-browed Albatross passing the summering site of Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire) on 21st wasn’t followed by any further positive news.
Our weekly sojourn with the scarcer long-legged beasties begins, this week, in Kent where a Night Heron was hanging out at Lade GPs on 21st-23rd.
As for Purple Herons, sightings came from Lancashire & North Merseyside this week where a juvenile was seen at Martin Mere WWT on 20th-25th and at Brockholes LWT again on 22nd; and Warwickshire, where another juvenile was found on 24th at Lighthorne.
Some 30 Glossy Ibises represented a little bit of a fall on recent weekly national totals, but still served as a healthy reminder that our most recent nascent colonist is still very much in our midst. Needless to say, the highest count came once more from Cambridgeshire where 20 birds were seen on 25th at Berry Fen.
Spotted Crakes were dwindling, with just confirmed bird(s) reported on 20th on St Mary’s and on 24th from Tresco (Scilly), and another probable on 20th seen briefly at Finchampstead (Berkshire).
Finally, a Corncrake was found in Cornwall on 23rd near Porthcurno; and another in Suffolk at Tinker’s Marshes on 25th.
And so to the quackers, an enduringly slimline section (for now) that was dominated by scoters – not least the reappearance of the drake Black Scoter in Northumberland off Cocklawburn Beach on 23rd.
A short video of the North American drake Surf Scoter at Gulberwick, #Shetland. That bill is just zany! @RareBirdAlertUK @BirdTrack @ScottishBirding @PromoteShetland @SteelySeabirder @NLFerries @ShetFilmArchive @SunnysidePri @Britnatureguide @SaversSea @mcsuk @ShetlandWild pic.twitter.com/Xsl3QBRj23
— Hugh Harrop Wildlife (@HughHarrop) September 26, 2022
A locally popular drake Surf Scoter gave endearingly close views at times in Shetland at Gulberwick on 23rd-26th; further drakes remained off Blackdog (Aberdeenshire) on 20th-23rd, and Rossbeigh (Co.Kerry) on 20th-22nd; and another new bird was seen passing Pendeen (Cornwall) on 24th.
Sticking with Ireland, the drake Ring-necked Duck was once more seen on Achill Island (Co.Mayo) on 21st; and, on Lewis (Western Isles), the recent drake was once more seen there on 24th.
Back in Shetland, the drake King Eider was once more seen in the mouth of Basta Voe off Yell on 25th.
Our sole honker of note was the Snow Goose seen with Pink-footed Geese on 26th at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB (Cheshire & Wirral).
Finally, our honorary wildfowl, the Pied-billed Grebe on Loch Feorlin (Argyll & Bute) remained present there on 25th.
Fair Isle (Shetland) continued to hold onto at least one of its recent trio of Great Snipes, with a bird again seen on there on 20th-21st.
Scottish islands, on the whole, were meanwhile set to enjoy a modestly good week for waders from the west. Fair Isle landed a Long-billed Dowitcher on 21st-24th, while its southern, Orcadian counterpart, North Ronaldsay, also scored a bird on 21st-24th.
Orkney wasn’t quite done with us, with a Semipalmated Sandpiper on Westray on 22nd-23rd; another was found on South Uist (Western Isles) on 25th.
In the Western Isles, Lewis and South Uist were blessed with a Buff-breasted Sandpiper on 20th and 23rd-25th respectively; another was seen on Achill Island (Co.Mayo) on 22nd; and on 24th additional birds were found on Sanday (Orkney), near Morfa Dinlle (Gwynedd), on Brownstown Head (Co.Waterford), and at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) where two birds were seen briefly. The Morfa Dinlle bird remained present on 25th-26th.
A Baird’s Sandpiper was present at Blanket Nook (Co.Donegal) on 20th, followed by another on 23rd-26th at Meikle Loch (Aberdeenshire).
Numbers of Pectoral Sandpipers remained solid, with some 25 birds seen nationwide – mostly singletons, but some duos amongst them for good measure.
In East Yorkshire, the recent Temminck’s Stint remained on Canal Scrape on 20th-24th.
The German-ringed Kentish Plover was back at Burnham-on-Sea (Somerset & Bristol) on 24th-25th.
The adult American Golden Plover also remained settled at Cemlyn Bay NWWT (Anglesey) on 22nd-25th, while another was found on 22nd at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire). On 26th a couple of new birds were logged – one out on St Kilda (Western Isles), and another from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare).
A Pacific Golden Plover flew over Donna Nook (Lincolnshire) on 25th.
The Dotterel was still to be found on Great Ormes Head (Conwy) on 20th-23rd, with another Welsh bird seen on 21st-22nd at Whiteford NNR (Glamorgan). Further singletons were logged at Middle Soar (Devon) and on The Lizard (Cornwall) on 24th, and at Skiddaw (Cumbria) on 26th.
A juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs was found on 25th at Scorton GPs (North Yorkshire).
Just a few Red-necked Phalaropes were logged this week – one remaining persistent at Brockhall GPs (Herefordshire) on 20th-21st still; another on 21st at Dungeness (Kent); and a final bird at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB (Devon) on 26th.
Grey Phalaropes were, thanks to Cornwall at the end of the week, more numerous – initially, one was seen in Norfolk at Salthouse and Cley NWT on 20th-22nd; a bird was noted from Newlyn (Cornwall) on 21st; and another off Lewis (Western Isles) on 23rd. On 24th birds were seen from Bardsey (Gwynedd), Pendeen (Cornwall), and from the boat to Great Saltee (Co.Wexford). On 25th two possible birds were seen from Weybourne (Norfolk). And then, on 26th, Pendeen notched up 25 birds in addition to a further scattered five elsewhere nationally.
For a second consecutive week the numbers of Sabine’s Gulls recorded were but a shadow of what had gone before. Nonetheless, we almost made it into double figures, with a couple of duos recorded amongst them – two seen from the Scilly pelagic of 22nd, and two off Bloody Foreland (Co.Donegal) on 23rd. Single birds were seen from the Scillonian on 22nd; Pendeen (Cornwall) on 23rd; Iona (Argyll & Bute) on 23rd; Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 23rd; and Amble (Northumberland) and Low Hauxley (Northumberland) on 24th, with two seen from the latter site that day; another probable was noted on 24th in Norfolk at Happisburgh. On 25th a bird was seen from the ferry between Ullapool and Stornoway (Highland & Caithness / Western Isles). The week ended on 26th with four seen from Brandon Point (Co.Kerry); two from Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire); and single birds off Pendeen and St Ives (Cornwall), Bardsey (Gwynedd), and Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare).
Numbers of Glaucous Gulls climbed somewhat lately – single birds were noted from Quilty (Co.Clare) on 20th; in Lerwick harbour (Shetland) on 20th-26th; on 21st on Fair Isle (Shetland) and at Cairnbulg (Aberdeenshire); at Mullaghmore (Co.Sligo) on 23rd; on Skye (Highland & Caithness) on 24th; at Vassa Voe (Shetland) on 26th; and the persistent bird was still going large at Burger King in Coleraine (Co.Derry) on 21st.
Just one Iceland Gull was reported this week, at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) on 20th.
The Ring-billed Gull remained at Blackrock (Co.Louth) on 25th.
The preceding week’s smorgasbord of rare raptors, confirmed and rumoured alike, wasn’t set to be repeated in the week just gone. Indeed, far from it, for our only rare raptors of note were a juvenile Red-footed Falcon in Cornwall at Foxhole on 23rd followed by two birds at Hickling Broad NWT (Norfolk) on 25th, one of which remained the following day…
…and, also in Cornwall, a second-winter male Pallid Harrier at Goonhilly Downs on 24th-25th, having been present there for a few days beforehand.
Starting our flit through the week’s notable passerines with the warblers, in Shetland the steadfast Western Bonelli’s Warbler remained at Quendale Mill until 21st, having put in a decent stint and been bird of the week for many a visiting birder during the duration of its stay.
Shetland also played host to a few Arctic Warblers in recent days – one remained at Scousburgh on 20th; individuals were trapped and ringed on Fair Isle on 20th and 21st; and another put in a fleeting appearance on Yell on 20th, disappearing after being on the receiving end of some constant hassle from a couple of Yellow-browed Warblers.
And for the past week, the latter species seemed to be easily the commonest migrant passerine in Shetland, with barely a patch of bushes or dense cover not resounding with their calls. That’s not to say we were knee-deep in them as in some recent classic years – there were a shade over 310 birds logged nationwide this week, so we were a long way off those weeks in the past when we’ve scaled the dizzy heights of over 1,000 birds. Still, 18 birds on Fair Isle (Shetland) alone on 20th illustrates that, when other birds weren’t making it through to us, obdurate Yellow-browed Warblers still were.
Further south, an Iberian Chiffchaff at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 22nd spoke of birds coming from a different vector altogether.
A possible Dusky Warbler was a surprising find on 23rd in Crystal Palace Park (London).
On 23rd-24th Melodious Warblers were found on St Kilda (Western Isles) and The Lizard (Cornwall).
An Icterine Warbler was on Blakeney Point (Norfolk) on 24th-25th.
A Blyth’s Reed Warbler was found at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 20th.
A few Barred Warblers were seen again this week, but their numbers weren’t much to write home about – away from Shetland and Orkney just a handful of birds were to be seen, at Warkworth (Northumberland) on 23rd, Kilnsea (East Yorkshire) on 24th and 26th, and Tresco (Scilly) on 25th, with another possible at Marske (Cleveland) on 23rd also. Shetland notched up birds on Fair Isle on 20th, at Lunna on 22nd-23rd, on Out Skerries on 22nd, and on Unst and Foula on 24th, the Unst bird remaining the following day too. Orkney’s haul were birds on Westray on 20th-21st, North Ronaldsay on 22nd, and Sanday on 23rd.
A Woodchat Shrike on Unst (Shetland) on 24th-25th was the best of the shrikes this week. Scattered Red-backed Shrikes were also seen – birds prepared to linger a while at Lodmoor RSPB (Dorset) on 20th-26th; on Barra (Western Isles) on 20th-26th; at Walberswick (Suffolk) still on 20th-22nd; and on Unst (Shetland) on 23rd-25th. Additional birds were seen on 23rd in Plymouth (Devon) and at Hornsea Mere (East Yorkshire); and on 25th on St Mary’s (Scilly), at Burley (Hampshire), Holkham Pines (Norfolk), Cuckmere Haven (East Sussex), and Medmerry RSPB (West Sussex)
After weeks of high national tallies, numbers of Wrynecks lately took a bit of a dive, down to a mere 35 birds recorded in recent days, still widely spread from Scilly in the south to Shetland in the north.
Highland & Caithness provided our only Hoopoe sightings, around Polbain on 20th-21st and at Hill of Forss on 23rd.
Single Bee-eater were seen or heard at Whitburn CP (Co.Durham) and Bonchurch and St Catherine’s Point (Isle of Wight) on 20th.
Bucking the trend for an otherwise almost dismally quiet week on the whole for migrant passerines, a handful of Rose-coloured Starlings were to be found – lingering birds on Lundy (Devon) on 21st-24th still, and at Rustington (West Sussex) on 20th-23rd; and fresh faces on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 20th, at Abbotsbury (Dorset) on 21st, and at Roches Point (Co.Cork) on 22nd-25th.
The northern isles scored a trio of Bluethroats - birds seen in Shetland on Fair Isle on 21st-22nd (and found dead on 23rd), and on Unst on 23rd-24th; and on Orkney’s North Ronaldsay on 22nd-24th. Another was reported from St Martin’s (Scilly) on 22nd.
Norfolk landed a Red-flanked Bluetail at Trimingham on 20th.
A Red-breasted Flycatcher was found in Kent at Dungeness on 21st, followed by another at Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 24th and, on 25th, back in Kent another bird on Sheppey at Leysdown-on-Sea. On 26th a final bird for the week was found on the University of Exeter Penryn Campus (Cornwall).
An unconfirmed, belated, report came of a phoenicuroides / rufiventris Eastern Black Redstart in Cornwall at Porthleven on 21st.
In Dorset, the Citrine Wagtail was still present at Lodmoor RSPB on 20th, but not thereafter. That species is, perhaps, now to be supplanted in the weekly news by Eastern Yellow Wagtails - our first of the autumn being found late on 26th near Walls (Shetland).
Richard’s Pipits were seen in Cornwall at Land’s End on 20th and Marazion Marsh RSPB on 21st; and another was at Covenham reservoir (Lincolnshire) on 21st.
A probable Red-throated Pipit was present on St Mary’s Island (Northumberland) on 20th.
Some 20 Common Rosefinches were seen this week, for the most part in Shetland. Here the peak count was four birds on Unst on 23rd.
A confiding hornemanni Arctic Redpoll was found on Shetland on Lunna on 26th.
A Little Bunting spent a couple of days at Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 20th-21st.
A possible Rustic Bunting flew in off the sea at Holy Island (Northumberland) on 20th.
The Ortolan Bunting remained at Lavernock (Glamorgan) on 20th; another was seen on Portland (Dorset) on 22nd.
It’s reached the point of the autumn where we have to start the overseas news regularly on the very periphery of the Western Palearctic, in the Azores. There, this week, on Corvo a Red-eyed Vireo on 20th rose to two birds by 21st; and also on 21st there were Tennessee Warbler and Northern Waterthrush to be seen. On Sao Miguel a Solitary Sandpiper was found on 20th.
Northern Waterthrush, Seiurus noveboracensis photographed at Cancelas, Corvo yesterday by Paul Dufour - 19th record for Azores and 33nd for WP pic.twitter.com/aI4iiuQHYG
— Tarsiger (@TarsigerTeam) September 22, 2022
In France, the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was at Marais de Mullembourg still on 21st.
Dutch birders scored a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler at Erlecom on 23rd while, on 26th, a Fea’s / Desertas Petrel flew past Westkapelle in the late evening.
Also comparatively on our doorstep, in Norway a Two-barred Greenish Warbler was present at Røst on 23rd, the second national record of the species.
Two-barred Greenish Warbler, Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus photographed at Røst Fuglestasjon yesterday by Steve Baines - 2nd record for Norway pic.twitter.com/h8VOgeblsd
— Tarsiger (@TarsigerTeam) September 24, 2022
The Sandhill Crane was seen again this week, still in Finland but now at Tyrnava on 22nd.
Poised on the cusp of October, and with the first hints of eastern birds coming in over the top into Shetland as the past week just closed, it’s time to pick a crowd-pleaser as a prediction for the coming week. A crowd-pleaser for anyone based in Shetland, as numbers of visiting birders have noticeably swelled here lately – but also one that, were it to be found anywhere in Britain is bound to go down well.
Jon Dunn
27 Sep 2022
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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