Weekly birding round-up: 21 - 27 Feb 2023
For the second consecutive week, a rarity found in the dying gasps of the preceding week didn’t do the decent thing and hang around. First the Dorset Ross’s Gull, and this week the Yorkshire Black-throated Thrush, both having done an overnight bunk by the time the new week dawned.
Such inconsiderate behaviour. Happily, a certain duck was back again to redress the karmic balance somewhat.
Last seen in Gwynedd at Forydd Bay on 13th February, there’d been no subsequent positive news of the smart drake Baikal Teal there. Or anywhere nearby, presumably as much to the chagrin of hopeful Anglesey birders across the water as that of Gwynedd’s birding community. It had, by all appearances, done one.
And then, out of the blue, a fortnight later, there it was again this week sitting pretty on a small pond at Forydd Bay in the afternoon of 24th. It was there again the following day and, on 26th-27th, back in the bay itself. Turns out the Welsh Baikal Teal show isn’t over just yet after all.
So settled it’s practically part of the weekly furniture now, the Double-crested Cormorant remained at Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim) on 23rd-27th.
Shetland again gave us a couple of White-billed Diver sightings – the regular bird again in South Nesting Bay on 26th, and off Yell on 27th. Another was found in the Western Isles off Vatersay on 26th.
A trickle of Little Auks were noted this week – single birds to begin with, Shetland notched up two on 22nd, off Sumburgh and Yell respectively; while another was seen from Tarbat Ness (Highland & Caithness) on 25th. On 26th four were noted from Beadnell Point (Northumberland), while singletons in Northumberland that day were seen from Seaton Sluice and Tynemouth, and another in Co.Durham at Whitburn CP.
It was another fair week for Glossy Ibises, with their fortunes stabilising now after the cold winter at least some of them have endured. The usual southern county suspects were all still present – two in Devon at Fremington Pill on 22nd-25th; two in Somerset at Ham Wall RSPB on 21st-25th; four in Hampshire at Titchfield Haven NNR on 22nd-25th, with at least two still present on 26th; and two in Kent at Dungeness on 22nd-27th.
Suffolk again produced sightings of a single bird at Aldeburgh on 23rd-27th. A more northerly bird was present at iPort Lakes in Doncaster (South Yorkshire) on 21st. A final report of a single bird came from Barnstaple (Devon) on 25th.
Three remained in Ireland at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 26th, and a single bird was seen on 27th at Lough Aderra (Co.Cork).
Commencing the scarce and rare honkers and quackers with The Goose Formerly Known As Canada, we’ll begin with interior Todd’s Canada Geese. On 21st a bird was seen near Cardurnock (Cumbria), while on 21st and again on 25th-26th an individual was in Lancashire & North Merseyside at Banks Marsh NNR still. Islay (Argyll & Bute), meanwhile, held two birds on 22nd, and a hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose on 21st. Another hutchinsii bird was once more seen on The Mullet (Co.Mayo) on 25th and, at the week’s end, another was found on 27th in Northumberland near Beehive Flash, with a possible Cackling Goose that day also in Norfolk at Halvergate Marshes.
Cumbria also proved fruitful for Snow Goose this week, with a white morph seen at Campfield Marsh RSPB on 21st and 24th, near Calvo on 25th, and at Silloth on 26th. The white morph was again seen in North Yorkshire at Thruscross reservoir on 23rd-26th. A white morph was seen passing over Wick (Highland & Caithness) on 26th. In Ireland, the blue morph was still present at Little Brosna Callows (Co.Offaly / Co.Tipperary) on 22nd, and the blue and white morphs still present on The Mullet (Co.Mayo) on 26th.
Islay (Argyll & Bute) retained its recent Red-breasted Goose on 21st-27th.
A Black Brant was again seen at the regular site of Mersea Island (Essex) on 21st; another probable bird was reported from the north Kent coast at Cliftonville on 23rd; and then, on 27th, sightings of birds came in from Kilnsea Wetlands (East Yorkshire) again, and North Foreland (Kent).
Two possible Grey-bellied Brants were present at Nairn (Highland & Caithness) on 26th.
Numbers of American Wigeons took a little dive this week, with just the recent drakes at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) on 21st and 26th-27th, and Blagdon Hall (Northumberland) again on 23rd and 26th-27th reported.
Some half a dozen Green-winged Teals also represented a reduction on recent levels. Scottish birds remained at Tain (Highland & Caithness) on 21st-27th; and on Lewis (Western Isles) on 25th-26th. The Manx bird was again seen at Poyllvaaish (Isle of Man) on 21st. In England, the Port Carlisle bird remained in Cumbria on 27th. Irish sightings came from Marfield Lake (Co.Tipperary) on 22nd; Larne Lough (Co.Antrim) on 22nd-26th still; and Inch Island (Co.Donegal) on 23rd-25th.
Three Ferruginous Ducks were seen intermittently on Filby Broad (Norfolk) on 21st-25th, with four birds confirmed as present on 26th; at least one of that quartet remained there on 27th.
Some 25 Ring-necked Ducks were seen in recent days in Britain and Ireland, with a handful of Welsh sites hosting them holding more than a single bird – these being Rosebush reservoir (Pembrokeshire) on 23rd-26th still, where two birds remained; Talley Lakes (Carmarthenshire) on 25th, where two birds were still to be found; and Lisvane reservoir (Glamorgan), where two birds lingered on 27th.
With no reports of the Staines reservoir drake, we’re left with two female Lesser Scaups still present for another week – the South Uist (Western Isles) bird still there on 24th, and the Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset) individual seen more regularly on 21st-26th.
Absent from the news throughout the week, it took until 26th for both our White-winged Scoters to be reported again – the female still present off Achill Island (Co.Mayo), and the drake in the Musselburgh area of Lothian again. Same story for the Northumbrian drake Black Scoter, which also took until 26th to be confirmed as still present off Stag Rocks.
Wales was still doing well for Surf Scoters lately, with two drakes still present off Llanddulas (Conwy) on 21st and again on 26th, while the single bird remained off Benllech (Anglesey) on 23rd-25th. In Scotland, the recent bird remained off Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 25th, while a drake was seen off Harris (Western Isles) in the Sound of Taransay on 25th. Best of all this week, three birds were seen in Co.Kerry on 25th in Brandon Bay.
Finally, in Redcar (Cleveland) the second-winter King Eider was still proving steadfast on 21st-27th, and a drake was seen from a vessel off Hascosay (Shetland) on 27th.
Very little change to be found amongst the waders this week, with the newly found first-winter White-rumped Sandpiper at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) remaining a constant there on 21st-27th…
…and the first-winter Long-billed Dowitcher still present at Cley (Norfolk) on 21st-24th, relocating to just outside Stiffkey on 26th, but returning to Cley again on 27th. Mixing things up a little, however, was the reappearance of the individual of the latter species again at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB on 21st and 24th. Where’s that dowitcher been hiding in the meantime?
Less elusive entirely, in Ireland the first-winter Greater Yellowlegs remained at Tallow Bridge (Co.Waterford) on 22nd-27th.
A somewhat quieter week than those of late where gulls were concerned was headed by the reappearance in the dailies of the adult Bonaparte’s Gull still at Ballygalley (Co.Antrim) on 24th.
Scotland got its first American Herring Gull of the year, a first-winter reported on 26th as present on Lewis in Stornoway since 24th, and which was seen again there on 27th.
Ireland again dominated sightings of Ring-billed Gulls, not least in Co.Kerry – here birds were seen on 24th at Dingle, where an adult and a first-winter were present; and near Tralee at Spa on 24th also. Elsewhere, adults were seen at Enniskillen (Co.Fermanagh) still on 21st-27th, Blackrock (Co.Louth) still on 24th-26th, and at Cuskinny Marsh NR and Ring (Co.Cork) again on 25th. The only British sightings came from Cornwall’s Hayle estuary where, at Lelant Saltings, the settled adult on 21st-24th still was joined there by a first-winter bird on 24th.
White-wingers continued their steady late-winter presence across the region for another week. Some 35 Glaucous Gulls were again noted, overshadowed once more by Iceland Gulls which managed a more respectable 60 birds logged – of the latter, Killybegs (Co.Donegal) was the place to be, scoring 10 birds present there on 23rd, comfortable eclipsing Britain’s best site this week, which remained Lerwick Harbour (Shetland), where half a dozen remained on 25th.
The week proved better for Kumlien’s Gulls, with six birds noted across the days. British birds were adults again in Cambridgeshire at Smithey Fen on 21st-25th, in Cornwall at Mousehole again on 22nd and 26th, and the juvenile on Unst (Shetland) at Uyeasound still on 27th. In Ireland, adults were seen at Omey Island (Co.Galway) still on 21st, and at Reenard Point (Co.Kerry) on 23rd; while a second-winter was present at Killybegs (Co.Donegal) on 23rd.
Finally, the adult Forster’s Tern in Co.Galway was seen on 23rd at Loughnahulla Bay, and on 26th at Claddagh Beach and Doorus.
In Orkney, the Rough-legged Buzzard was seen again on Mainland at Click Mill on 25th, and Loch of Hundland on 26th. Norfolk landed itself a bird on 26th at Thornham; and another probable bird was seen over Wykeham Lakes (North Yorkshire) on 25th.
But what of the juvenile female Pallid Harrier in Norfolk? With no sightings this week from the Warham Greens area, it may be that one of the winter’s highlights has finally moved on to pastures news.
Norfolk did, however, provide a sighting of a probable white Gyr seen from a moving vehicle near Horsey on 26th; this was put into some context the following day by the appearance of a bird bearing jesses at Old Lakenham. Is there any other pastime apart from falconry where the practitioners knowingly let something presumably pretty expensive and with an occasional mind of its own fly off into the blue? Even drone ‘pilots’ have more control over their toys…
A harbinger of spring put in an appearance in Dorset on 26th – a Black Kite following the plough near Winterborne Kingston. On 27th a probable was seen elsewhere in the county at Tarrant Rushton Airfield, and another was reported from Henfield (West Sussex).
They say that one swallow doesn’t a summer make, and perhaps the same can be said of one Red-rumped Swallow and spring, but there’s no denying that the appearance of one this week in Co.Kerry at Lough Leane on 23rd is a most welcome omen of migration to come in the weeks ahead.
Meanwhile, Kent continued to stake its claim as the new wintering grounds for Hume’s Warbler with a third bird discovered in the county this week at Elmstone on 22nd-24th. The recent Folkestone bird also remained present this week on 21st-27th still; while, in Somerset, the Compton Dando individual was also sitting pretty there on 21st-25th still.
Also enjoying a late run of wintering form, another Pallas’s Warbler was found this week – a bird set to be popular near Attenborough NR (Nottinghamshire) on 23rd-27th. Further north, the Willington (Co.Durham) bird was still present on 21st-26th.
In what’s felt like something of an absence in recent weeks, what we’ve not had unearthed at a sewage treatment works is a Dusky Warbler - there is, surely, one out there somewhere waiting to be found? This week, granted not in the vicinity of a sewage works, a probable bird was heard in Norfolk at Letheringsett Ford on 24th and, after going dark for weeks, the bird in Wiltshire was once more seen at Barton Farm CP on 26th-27th.
Coming back to signs of incipient spring, the Hoopoe was again seen this week in Pembrokeshire at Marloes on 21st.
Proving that winter isn’t quite done with us yet though, modest numbers of Waxwings continued to be reported – some 40 birds in all, and no large aggregations amongst their number.
Three Great Grey Shrikes were something of a minor triumph given how few appear to have wintered here this year. In Hampshire, the Shatterford bird was still present on 21st-27th; the Harwood Forest (Northumberland) individual was again seen there on 23rd-25th; and another was found near Tomintoul (Moray) on 23rd-26th.
The two Penduline Tits remained in Somerset at Ham Wall RSPB on 21st-23rd, with at least one still present there on 24th. In East Sussex, one was heard only at Rise Marsh on 21st still.
Enlivening a late winter week for those in Yorkshire, an eastern stonechat sp, thought to probably be a Siberian Stonechat, was discovered on Totley Moor (South Yorkshire) on 22nd-25th.
In Cornwall, the Isabelline Wheatear remained at Holywell Bay on 21st-25th.
Suffolk’s Eastern Yellow Wagtail was proving reliable at Carlton Marshes SWT still on 21st-27th.
Two of our recent Richard’s Pipits were still being seen this week – one at Awre (Gloucestershire) still on 21st-27th, and the other on St Mary’s (Scilly) still on 22nd and again on 26th.
A hornemanni Arctic Redpoll was seen in the morning of 26th at Hoswick, but wasn’t relocated thereafter.
Finally, in Cornwall the two Little Buntings were still present between Cot Valley and Boscregan on 21st, with another bird seen in the county at Metherell on 24th-25th. An additional bird was trapped and ringed inland at Stanborough Reedmarsh (Hertfordshire) on 21st.
Further afield, there was a mouth-watering array of rarities to be had this week. Starting close to home, in the Netherlands the japonicus Asian Buff-bellied Pipit remained at Polder Nieuw-Bonaventura on 25th, and an Alpine Accentor was found at The Hague on 23rd.
Speaking of accentors, a Siberian Accentor was found in Poland at Rokocin on 23rd-27th.
A drake Stejneger’s Scoter was seen in Germany at Schwedeneck on 21st.
Belgium scored a Pine Bunting at Korbeek-Dijle on 21st-23rd.
In France the Grey-tailed Tattler remained at Etang de Thau on 21st-26th; the Eastern Long-legged Buzzard was still present at Thibie on 25th-26th; the Forster’s Tern was still at Goulven on 27th; and the Sociable Lapwing lingered at Lacassagne on 21st-25th.
Portugal also retained a Sociable Lapwing, still present at Chainha on 22nd-27th.
In Spain, the Black-faced Bunting remained at Sèquia Nova de Silla on 21st-23rd.
The latter species is having quite the run lately, with another found this week, in Israel at Ma’ayan Zvi on 21st-24th, this being only the second national record. Israel also scored a striking Masked Wagtail at Ma’ayan Tzv on 22nd-27th; the Pied Bushchat remained at Ma’or on 23rd; and the Three-banded Plover was still at Hazore’a fishponds on 21st-23rd.
Mega (not mine): Black-faced Bunting at Maayan Zvi, found on Tuesday by Chen Faibis, ringed today and ?? by @YosefKiat
— Yoav Perlman (@yoavperlman) February 24, 2023
2nd record for Israel pic.twitter.com/8E4K1FdbL6
Two Verreaux’s Eagles were seen in Jordan at Wadi Rum on 22nd.
An Oriental Turtle Dove was found on Cyprus at Paphos on 23rd.
The recent Semipalmated Plover remained on the Canary Islands, on Tenerife still on 27th.
The Great Blue Heron remained on Terceira (Azores) on 26th.
Last, but by no means least, Sweden’s male Siberian Rubythroat was still present in Trollhattan on 21st-23rd, while the Baltimore Oriole was also still hanging on at Förslöv on 22nd-26th.
The first week of March is upon us, and whichever way you paint it, there’s definitely a feeling of spring in the air. There’s plenty of it to come, of course, and winter may not be quite done with us yet, but that Co.Kerry Red-rumped Swallow this past week surely was a shot across our bows.
However, at the time of writing the weather may not be doing much to reinforce that early promise. There’s a big lump of high pressure anchored over us with the wind coming down the east coast from the north – that may firmly slam the door in the face of any other optimistic passerines drifting our way from the south.
But by the latter half of the weekend, there’s a glimmer of hope. Maybe another green shoot of spring will emerge, perhaps on the southern Irish coast. Something like an Alpine Swift doesn’t feel like too great a leap of faith, albeit it is still very early in proceedings, and historic precedent tells us that American Herring Gulls continue to exert a black-hole-like gravitational pull at this time of year.
Jon Dunn
28 Feb 2023
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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