Weekly birding round-up: 7 - 13 Mar 2023
For the most part, another quiet week elapsed in the hinterland between winter and spring without anything startling happening, a spell of northerlies suppressing any chance of much bird action of note. That is, until the end of the week in Co.Waterford, when all hell broke loose in the skies above Dungarvan.
While we’re in the business of predicting imminent Alpine Swifts at this time of year, we wouldn’t normally be allowing them to soar to the giddy heights of the headlines. However, sometimes exceptions have to be made, and an actual flock of Alpine Swifts certainly qualifies as extenuating circumstances.
News coming out of Dungarvan (Co.Waterford) on 13th was, initially, eye-catching enough in itself – not one Alpine Swift, but two seen over the town centre. A mere five minutes later, fresh news came that there were now half a dozen birds scything overhead there. By 4pm that number had risen just a little more, with a flock of seven birds now over Mitchell Street.
Perhaps the townsfolk of Dungarvan were largely unaware of the events unfolding overhead, but I’m fairly certain that any birder unknowingly driving through town and catching sight of them overhead would have been a road traffic accident waiting to happen…
A further unconfirmed report came late in the day of a single bird heading west in Cheshire & Wirral at Saughall at midday on 13th.
Relegated to second place in the headlines by a squadron of Alpine Swifts, there’s nonetheless no gainsaying the rarity of the drake Baikal Teal, still present this week at Forydd Bay on 7th and again on 12th. The clock’s ticking ever louder for it – any Welsh birder who’s not had the opportunity to see it yet, but would like to, would be wise to make the effort sooner than later…
Reported early this week, the Double-crested Cormorant remained at Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim) on 7th.
Marking a change from the usual seabird suspects at this time of year, a Balearic Shearwater was seen from Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 7th, followed by two birds also in the county off Trevedran Cliffs on 12th, and a singleton also on 12th off St Loy.
Two Little Auks were seen passing Lossiemouth (Moray) on 11th.
Given half a chance and some supportive southerlies, and the coming weeks could start to offer a decent chance of a scarce heron or two. Given the weather we’ve just enjoyed, this week wasn’t that week. Nonetheless, there were always Glossy Ibises to enjoy.
Pick of the English birds this week were the quartet still present at Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire) on 8th-10th; elsewhere, two remained at Dungeness (Kent) on 7th-11th, one in Somerset at Ham Wall RSPB still on 11th with two there again on 12th, the recent Aldeburgh (Suffolk) bird still there on 7th, one of the Fremington Pill (Devon) birds still present on 13th, and a bird seen in Dorset over Peveril Point on 9th.
In Ireland, three birds were still present at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 10th.
To the honkers and quackers of note next, and starting as usual with The Goose Formerly Known As Canada. Examples of interior Todd’s Canada Goose remained in Lancashire & North Merseyside at Banks Marsh NNR on 11th, and in Dumfries & Galloway at West Freugh Airfield on 10th still; another possible bird was present in Aberdeenshire at Rattray Head on 8th-9th. The recent hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose remained in Northumberland at Seaton Sluice on 7th, relocating to St Mary’s Island on 7th-8th and back to Earsdon on 13th; and one was again seen on The Mullet (Co.Mayo) on 8th-9th. Two Cackling Geese were seen on North Uist (Western Isles) on 9th-11th.
The two Snow Geese, blue and white morphs respectively, remained on The Mullet (Co.Mayo) on 8th-10th. The white morph remained in Cumbria at Newton Marsh on 7th-11th.
The Red-breasted Goose was still present on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 9th.
The Black Brant remained in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea Wetlands on 8th; and the recent Kentish bird was seen again at Pegwell Bay on 11th. Additional Kent sightings came on 12th from Kingsdown and Seasalter and Dover on 13th while, in Essex on 12th a bird was seen at Great Wakering.
The two possible Grey-bellied Brants remained at Nairn (Highland & Caithness) on 10th.
The drake American Wigeon was still to be seen at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) on 7th-13th; and another was found on 12th at Long Preston Deeps (North Yorkshire).
Green-winged Teals pushed into double figures this week, with a dozen birds recorded across Britain and Ireland. Starting in Scotland, the Tain (Highland & Caithness) bird remained there on 7th, and a bird was seen at Easter Daziel on 13th; the Orkney bird was still present at Inganess Bay on 9th; and Western Isles sightings came from South Uist on 9th, North Uist on 10th, Lewis on 11th-12th still, ad Barra still on 13th. English birds were seen at Port Carlisle (Cumbria) still on 7th, and in Cambridgeshire at Longstanton on 7th-8th. Irish sightings came from Larne Lough (Co.Antrim) on 7th still, Cahersiveen (Co.Kerry) on 7th still, Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 10th still, and Dysert (Co.Clare) on 12th.
Three Ferruginous Ducks were again seen on Filby Broad (Norfolk) on 11th-12th, with a single bird at Hickling Broad NWT on 12th also. The female was again seen in Staffordshire at Aqualate Mere on 12th.
A shade over 30 Ring-necked Ducks were again seen across Britain and Ireland, with Ireland again giving the best single site count – five birds still present on Kilkee reservoir (Co.Clare) on 8th-9th; elsewhere, two remained on Lisvane reservoir (Glamorgan) on 7th-8th, and two were seen at Keohane Quarry (Co.Cork) still on 10th.
The first-winter drake Lesser Scaup remained on Farmoor reservoir (Oxfordshire) on 7th-13th; the female still at Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset) on 8th-13th; the female still on South Uist (Western Isles) on 9th-10th; and a drake at Oxford Island NNR (Co.Armagh) on 10th-11th.
The drake White-winged Scoter remained off Musselburgh (Lothian) on 8th-11th.
Conwy Surf Scoter sightings peaked with three birds seen from Old Colwyn on 7th – one was seen the following day from Llanddulas, where one remained on 12th also.
Finally, the second-winter King Eider was still present off Redcar (Cleveland) on 11th-13th.
Giving the very tiniest suggestion of imminent change, a Dotterel was seen in Norfolk this week at Buckenham Marshes RSPB on 7th.
Norfolk also held onto the first-winter Long-billed Dowitcher at Cley still on 9th. Another was found this week in Orkney on Sanday on 10th-12th.
Down in Gloucestershire the first-winter White-rumped Sandpiper remained at Slimbridge WWT on 7th, and was seen again there on 11th-12th also.
Finally, in Ireland the first-winter Greater Yellowlegs remained at Tallow Bridge (Co.Waterford) on 7th.
Scotland’s recent duo of quality gulls remained present this week for those willing to make the effort involved to travel to see them. In Highland & Caithness the first-winter American Herring Gull was still available at Fort William on 7th-11th…
…while the Ross’s Gull put in further appearances off Kinnaird Head (Aberdeenshire) on 10th-12th, occasionally showing well.
The adult Bonaparte’s Gull was again seen at Ballygalley (Co.Antrim) on 8th-9th.
Completing a triumvirate of honorific gulls, a Sabine’s Gull was seen off Hunmanby Gap (North Yorkshire) in the morning of 9th.
Ireland’s dominance of Ring-billed Gull records continued this week – birds were seen at Carrickfergus Harbour (Co.Antrim) on 8th-12th; Ring (Co.Cork) still on 10th; Blackrock (Co.Louth) still on 11th; Enniskillen (Co.Fermanagh) still on 12th-13th; on the Tarbert estuary (Co.Kerry) on 13th; and at Blennerville (Co.Kerry) on 10th, where two birds were seen, one of which remained on 11th. At least one bird was seen intermittently in Cornwall on the Hayle estuary still on 8th-13th, with two definitely present there on 12th; an adult was found in Greater Manchester on 12th in Oldham; and an adult in Devon on the Teign estuary on 13th.
Some 35 Glaucous Gulls were logged this week, from Shetland in the north to Cornwall in the south. Duos were noted at a handful of locations – Mousehole (Cornwall) on 8th, Eday (Orkney) on 9th, and Yell (Shetland) on 9th. Around 50 Iceland Gulls were noted, with at least half a dozen on North Uist (Western Isles) on 10th the highest single site tally.
In Cambridgeshire the adult Kumlien’s Gull was seen at Dernford Farm reservoir on 7th, again at Smithey Fen on 11th, near Heydon on 12th, and near Foxton on 13th; a third-winter bird was seen from Yell (Shetland) on 10th; and an adult in Shetland on Mainland at Leebitten on 13th.
After drawing a blank in the preceding week, it seemed a nation’s birders were on the look-out for Rough-legged Buzzards this week, with varying degrees of success and certitude. Confirmed birds were seen on Orkney again at Loch of Hundland on 9th and 12th, and Sharperton (Northumberland) on 11th. Additional reports came from Norfolk on 7th at Blakeney Freshmarsh in the morning, and Scoulton in the afternoon; with possible birds reported on 8th in Norfolk between Halvergate and Freethorpe, on 10th near Ugthorpe (North Yorkshire), and on 11th back in Norfolk at Langham.
A Gyr was reported from East Yorkshire over Goole on 10th – this was followed by reports of presumed escaped birds on 12th at Fairburn Ings RSPB (West Yorkshire) and near Camelford (Cornwall).
Enjoying a tiny renaissance this week, the passerines begin with a handful of Yellow-browed Warblers - one again in Bristol (Somerset & Bristol) between Westbury on Trym and Henleaze on 7th-12th; another still present after some absence from the dailies in Lancashire & North Merseyside at Martin Mere WWT on 11th-13th; and a report of a possible bird in Gwent at Goldcliff Pools NR on 11th.
Hume’s Warblers meanwhile remained in Kent at Elmstone on 9th-12th, and in Somerset at Compton Dando on 7th-12th.
In Nottinghamshire the Pallas’s Warbler remained in song near Attenborough NR on 7th-8th.
Some 20 Waxwings this week marked a reduction in their late winter numbers. Peak count amongst those increasingly slim pickings were five birds still present in Suffolk at Ipswich on 9th-11th.
Five Great Grey Shrikes were seen lately – one in Bedfordshire near Eyeworth still on 7th-9th; one in Moray still at Leitir Mhor on 8th-12th; one at Dalkeith CP (Lothian) on 11th-12th; another on 11th-13th again in East Sussex at Black Down NT; and a bird in North Yorkshire near Thirsk on 12th.
The first-winter Rose-coloured Starling remained in Somerset at Wiveliscombe on 9th-12th.
In Cornwall, the Isabelline Wheatear was still present at Holywell Bay on 11th.
An unconfirmed report of eastern stonechat sp came from Keshcarrigan (Co.Leitrim) on 11th, seen in a garden before flying off…
Suffolk’s Eastern Yellow Wagtail remained at Carlton Marshes SWT on 11th-12th.
Two Richard’s Pipits were seen this week – the bird still at Awre (Gloucestershire) on 8th-10th, and the individual on St Mary’s (Scilly) still on 8th-12th.
A possible Arctic Redpoll proved mobile at Furnace Pond (Kent) on 8th-9th; an exilipes bird was found at Dorman’s Pool (Cleveland) on 12th-13th.
Finally, in Cornwall the Little Bunting was still present near Metherell on 7th-9th, and at least one remained between Boscregan and Cot Valley still on 12th; the ringed bird remained in Hertfordshire at Stanborough Reedmarsh on 9th-13th; and another was seen in Hertfordshire at Amwell NR on 9th.
A somewhat quieter week than of late overseas, which isn’t to say it was entirely without birds of note, but a goodly proportion of the birds reported were long-staying individuals.
Starting in Sweden, the male Siberian Rubythroat was still present at Trollhattan on 10th; and the Baltimore Oriole still at Förslöv on 12th.
Over in Iceland, a drake White-winged Scoter was seen at Njarovik on 8th.
Belated news came of a Dusky Thrush in Germany at Berlin’s Landschaftspark Rudow-Altglienicke on 13th, present there by that stage for its 35th day.
In the Netherlands, the japonicus Asian Buff-bellied Pipit was still present at Polder Nieuw-Bonaventura on 11th.
Belgium’s Moustached Warbler remained at De Gavers on 10th-11th.
In France, a Killdeer was found at Etang du Malsaucy on 10th-13th; and the Eastern Long-legged Buzzard remained at Thibie on 12th.
Spain, meanwhile, enjoyed a Sociable Lapwing at Charca de Morantes on 8th, and a male Moussier’s Redstart in Andalucia at Pinar de los Lances on 10th-13th.
Now, the week to come, what of that? We’re heading into the second half of March, and surely some of the first migrants making landfall here will contain amongst their number something rarer?
There’s a chance of some winds coming up across the Bay of Biscay from Spain, and with that, there’s surely the possibility of a Great Spotted Cuckoo - there’ve been historic records for a couple of weeks now, so we’re in the zone.
Jon Dunn
14 Mar 2023
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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