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Weekly birding round-up: 25 Apr - 1 Mar 2023

Spring sometimes feels like the autumn’s poor relation – while the latter season regularly features weeks with explosive rarities, sometimes spring returns more of a damp squib – some southern overshoots providing welcome colour, but genuine birding fireworks? They’re far from guaranteed. Coming in the wake of a week that featured a long-anticipated first for Britain, we might have assumed the week just gone would be a quiet affair. Try telling that to birders in Fife… or, as the week drew to a close, in Northumberland. On the basis of 2023 thus far, spring is the new autumn.

 

Rarities, let alone firsts for Britain, found on bank holiday Mondays really have to be the ultimate mixed blessing. On the one hand, how convenient not to have to arrange time off work (or develop a timely dose of flu) in order to travel to see them. On the other hand, all those well-laid plans for quality family time, overdue DIY, or simply recharging your batteries are blown clear out of the water. And that’s before we even get started on the extra non-birding traffic that’s bimbling around between you and said mega.

At least the mega in question this week was found in the morning of 1st May, allowing pretty much anyone so inclined a decent span of daylight hours to make the effort to get to Low Newton-by-the-Sea (Northumberland).

And what a bird – Britain’s first Grey-headed Lapwing, discovered at Newton Scrapes by Gary Woodburn and Richard Lowe. Britain’s first, and only the fourth to be recorded in the Western Palearctic.

I remember, years ago, discussing over a curry and some beers potential new additions to the British list with the late Tim Cleeves, a man who knew a thing or two about finding those chimaeras. Tim suggested Grey-headed Lapwing was a fair longshot. Events have borne his wisdom out, as the migratory species is extending its Asian wintering range both south and westwards, with vagrant records coming from Australia and closer to home too – in Oman in 2012, Turkey in 2018, Norway and Sweden in 2019, the Netherlands in 2019, and Slovenia in 2021.

Further comfort can be drawn from the fact that it doesn’t seem to be a species popular with the avicultural community – and the Northumberland bird is blissfully free of any of the bling one might assume bird-fanciers would slap on the legs of their charges. To all intents and purposes, this looks and feels very much like the real deal – still present and showing well throughout 1st, this was the perfect twitchers’ antidote to any blues inspired by the fleeting nature of the Black-winged Kite of the week before.

 

It’s not so very long since Britain’s first confirmed Stejneger’s Scoter appeared off the coast of Scotland, lingering off Lothian on 10th-20th December 2022. It had been a long time coming, with British birders casting envious eyes towards Ireland, where a long-staying adult drake on 1st February – 11th April 2011 at Rossbeigh (Co.Kerry) had allowed ample time for Irish birders to fill their boots.

We might have been forgiven for thinking we’d have a long wait until another British sighting was forthcoming, but events off Lower Largo (Fife) this week were to blow those fears clean out of the water. News broke in the evening of 28th of a drake present in the scoter flock there and, happily, it was still present there over the weekend on 29th-1st.

Nor, as we shall see, was it alone…

 

A little later in the evening of 28th, after news of said Stejneger’s Scoter was out in the ether and whetting birders’ appetites for some seaduck action the following morning, additional inducement to head to Lower Largo was forthcoming, in the form of news of a probable White-winged Scoter also present there during the day. Dawn on 29th couldn’t come soon enough…

While the prospect of a scoter double (or, indeed, a treble if we include the trio of Surf Scoters also present at Lower Largo) would have been mouth-watering enough, nobody could have anticipated what was about to unfold there in the morning of 29th. First, the welcome news that there was indeed a nailed-on drake White-winged Scoter present as well as the drake Stejneger’s Scoter… and then, shortly afterwards, the dawning realisation that there were, in fact, two drake White-winged Scoters to be seen simultaneously there.

Were that not enough, reports followed later in the morning of three White-winged Scoters. By any standards, unforgettable duck action in Fife. Two drakes were still to be seen there on 30th-1st.

 

In many regards Orkney can stand square and tall beside Shetland in the rarity stakes – it’s had more than its fair share of massive birding moments down the years, after all. When it comes to Pine Buntings, however, Shetland’s southerly neighbour has been somewhat overshadowed.

The bald statistics speak volumes – Orkney has 10 historic records to its name, compared with Shetland’s 20 records to date. Worse still, from an Orcadian birding perspective, their last bird was a long time ago – back in the mists of time in 1995, when a male bird spent a day on North Ronaldsay on 17th June.

North Ronaldsay, to that point, had exerted a curious magnetism over the species, with all but one of Orkney’s records having been found on there. The only exception to that rule being Orkney’s first record, another male bird, this one found on Papa Westray on 15th October 1943.

Almost three decades of waiting since the 1995 bird came to an end this week on Papa Westray with the discovery of a smart male bird on the island on 29th. While autumnal birds make up the bulk of Britain’s previous Pine Bunting records, April birds aren’t wholly without precedent – half a dozen have been found in the month down the years. Nonetheless, the shock value of finding one of these über-smart birds isn’t to be underestimated...

 

Pushed down the headlines by a host of new birds found this past week, there’s no relegating the gambelii White-crowned Sparrow in East Sussex at Hope Gap to the main body of passerine text just yet. It’s a county first, after all, and an absolute stonker at that. Remaining present throughout the week until 29th, it continued to please a steady stream of admirers, and will doubtless continue to do so until such time as it moves on.

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the country, further Nearctic passerines were passing between Orkney and Shetland… and more of them anon.

 

Eyes cast seawards off Scotland may have been notching up rare scoters this week, but there were also White-billed Divers to be seen too. Moray sightings came from Roseisle on 25th-1st; Cullen on 25th-27th, with two birds latterly present there from 26th onwards; and in Spey Bay on 26th. One remained off Portsoy (Aberdeenshire) on 26th-27th. Orkney scored singletons off North Ronaldsay and Westray on 27th. Shetland, meanwhile, retained at least one in South Nesting Bay off Mainland on 27th-1st, and another seen off Uyea on 26th.

Numbers of Pomarine Skua logged in recent days slowed down again, with singletons seen on 27th from St Catherine’s Point (Isle of Wight) and between Stornoway and Lewis (Highland & Caithness / Western Isles); on 28th off Portland (Dorset); and on 29th from North Foreland (Kent) and Portland. The pace quickened again just a little on 30th, with duos seen from Splash Point and Beachy Head (East Sussex), and Dungeness (Kent). A single bird was seen on 1st off Flamborough (East Yorkshire).

A Balearic Shearwater was noted off Portland (Dorset) on 29th, and there again on 30th.

Finally, the adult Double-crested Cormorant was still present at Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim) on 27th.

 

Heading up the long-legged beasties this week was yet another flavour of heron for 2023 – a Squacco Heron, seen initially in Cornwall in a Dobwalls garden on 26th before flying off, and then again on 29th-1st near Lanreath, both records presumably relating to the same bird.

For yet another week, the influx of Night Herons into Britain and Ireland showed no sign of abating, with around 30 well-scattered birds again seen across the region. Once more, there were several sites that enjoyed multiple birds – three at Watermead CP (Leicestershire) on 26th-1st; three at Combe Valley CP (East Sussex) on 29th; two still on St Kilda (Western Isles) on 25th-26th; two at Worth Marsh (Kent) on 30th; three at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 29th; and a peak count of four birds at Skibbereen (Co.Cork) on 27th.

Fair numbers of Purple Herons were again seen in recent days – on 25th in Smerwick Harbour (Co.Kerry), and on Sheppey (Kent) at Capel Fleet; on 25th and 29th at Standlake (Oxfordshire); on 26th at West Bridgford (Nottinghamshire); and on 29th at Needingworth Quarry Lakes (Cambridgeshire), Floodplain Forest NR (Buckinghamshire), and Tirfounder Wetlands (Powys). More sightings came on 30th from Trimley Marshes SWT (Suffolk), Buckroney Marsh (Co.Wicklow), and on 29th-30th at Tirfounder Wetlands (Glamorgan). The Trimley Marshes bird was still to be seen there as the week drew to a close on 1st.

Reports came in of a shade over 25 Glossy Ibises this past week, with Somerset proving particularly busy in this regard – four birds were seen at Ham Wall RSPB on 25th-26th, and Chew Valley Lake on 27th-30th. In Kent, the regular two birds continued to bother the local Coots at Dungeness RSPB on 25th-1st. Three birds remained at Lough Aderra (Co.Cork) on 30th.

Corncrakes began popping up again this week, with two rasping birds on Inishbofin (Co.Galway) on 27th, and another that day on Islay (Argyll & Bute). A singing Spotted Crake was heard daily in Oxfordshire at Otmoor RSPB on 25th-1st.

 

Late news of a possible honker of interest came in the form of a probable Todd’s Canada Goose at Rockcliffe Marsh (Cumbria) on 1st.

At this juncture in the weekly Round Up you don’t need telling that the past week was largely about the ducks, but in addition to a stellar cast of Scottish scoters there were other quackers of interest too. Some of them were even outwith Scotland.

But starting in Fife, a drake American Wigeon was present on the Eden estuary on 27th-1st.

A drake Blue-winged Teal was a fine find in Lincolnshire on 1st at Frampton Marsh RSPB.

Green-winged Teals remained at Idle Valley NR (Nottinghamshire) on 25th-30th, and in Cheshire & Wirral at Frodsham Marsh on 25th and again at Heswall on 29th-30th. Suffolk provided our other English sighting, at Hollesley Marshes RSPB on 27th. A final Irish bird was found on 1st on Achill Island (Co.Mayo).

Three Ferruginous Ducks were still to be seen on Filby Broad on 25th, with at least two still present there on 27th, and one on 30th.

Ring-necked Ducks continued to just about make it into double figures nationally, with 10 birds reported in recent days. In Cornwall the female was still at Helston on 25th-26th; in Devon the drake was still at Beesands Ley on 25th; and in Somerset the Blagdon Lake bird remained there on 25th-30th. Additional English birds remained in Herefordshire at Bodenham GPs on 25th, Appleford GPs (Oxfordshire) on 26th-29th, and at Old Moor RSPB (South Yorkshire) on 25th-1st. One lingered in Wales at Ynysfro reservoir (Gwent) on 25th-26th still; and Scottish sightings came from Balgray reservoir (Clyde) on 26th-30th, Linlithgow Loch (Lothian) on 25th-29th, and Boat of Garten (Highland & Caithness) on 27th-1st still.

Just one Lesser Scaup was noted lately – this being the drake still on Audenshaw reservoirs (Greater Manchester) on 26th.

Scotland did well for Surf Scoters this week, with a peak count of half a dozen birds seen from Roseisle (Moray) on 27th, and additional birds seen from Lower Largo (Fife) throughout, rising to three birds present there on 29th-1st.

The second-winter drake King Eider remained at Elie (Fife) on 25th-29th, with the drake in Shetland again seen in Bluemull Sound on 28th, and a drake on the Ythan estuary (Aberdeenshire) on 1st.

The unringed and fully winged drake Hooded Merganser continued to haunt Whinfell Tarn (Cumbria) on 25th-1st.

 

For yet another week, and surely auguring well for the patter of tiny feet in the months to come, Black-winged Stilts continued appear here and there in Britain and Ireland. Starting in Co.Cork, two birds remained on Cape Clear on 27th-30th; one was seen on Lough Clubir on 27th; and two at Squince Lagoon on 27th-30th. Wales enjoyed a good week, with two birds seen on the River Clwyd near Rhyl (Denbighshire) on 25th, and three at the National Wetlands Centre WWT (Carmarthenshire) on 28th. Single birds were seen at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB (Cheshire & Wirral) on 27th, Bridgwalton Quarry (Shropshire) on 28th-1st, Belvide reservoir (Staffordshire) on 26th-27th, Dungeness RSPB (Kent) still on 25th, and at Blithfield reservoir (Staffordshire), Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) and Hickling Broad NWT (Norfolk) on 30th; two birds remained at Lodmoor RSPB (Dorset) on 25th-28th, two were seen at Hollesley Marshes RSPB (Suffolk) on 30th, and a second bird at Dungeness on 30th also. Suffolk’s Boyton Marshes RSPB held three birds on 1st, with three that day also at Frampton Marsh RSPB, and a singleton in Staffordshire at Branston GPs.

Dotterels continued to filter through this week, albeit still in fairly modest numbers – all single birds bar a quartet that settled at Choseley Drying Barns in Norfolk on 27th-30th, and duos seen on 1st at Waxham (Norfolk) and on North Ronaldsay (Orkney). Singletons were noted on 25th-26th at South Stack RSPB (Anglesey), on 25th-27th at Great Ormes Head (Conwy), on 25th at Llangwyryfon (Conwy), on Tresco (Scilly) still on 25th, and at St Aldhelm’s Head (Dorset) on 29th.

The appearance of Temminck’s Stints this week also augurs well for more wader passage in the weeks to come – birds being seen at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 25th-1st, in Norfolk at Hickling Broad NWT on 26th and Titchwell RSPB on 26th-27th, and in Lancashire & North Merseyside at Southport on 1st.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was still present on Islay (Argyll & Bute) at Loch Gruinart RSPB on 25th, and additional birds were found on 29th at Cors Ddyga RSPB (Anglesey), and on 1st at Abberton reservoir (Essex).

Two of our recent Long-billed Dowitchers were hanging on for another week – these being the birds at Cley (Norfolk) on 27th-1st, and at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB (Cheshire & Wirral) still on 25th-29th.

 

Best of the gulls this week were the lingering Bonaparte’s Gulls in Cornwall and Co.Cork respectively – in Cornwall, still bouncing between the Hayle estuary on 25th-1st and Marazion again on 29th; and in Co.Cork still to be seen at Ballydehob on 26-29th. Another was seen in Co.Wexford on 25th at Tacumshin.

The adult Ring-billed Gull was still lingering on Loch Turret (Perth & Kinross) on 25th-1st; and another, second-winter, bird was seen in Limerick (Co.Limerick) on 26th.

Glaucous Gulls grew ever fewer and further between this past week. Cornish sightings came from Newlyn on 25th and Mousehole on 28th; Shetland sightings at Spiggie on 25th, and the Quendale area on 28th-29th; additional Scottish birds were noted on Skye (Highland & Caithness) on 25th-30th, North Uist (Western Isles) on 26th, and in Peterhead harbour (Aberdeenshire) on 30th; and one in Northumberland at Marshall Meadows on 30th. One was seen in Ireland at Reenard Point (Co.Kerry) on 30th, with another that day at Ring (Co.Cork), and one on 1st at Oysterhaven Creek (Co.Cork).

Around 15 Iceland Gulls were also noted – again, all singletons bar two birds in Orkney on Westray on 26th.

A probable Gull-billed Tern was reported from Pendennis Point (Cornwall) on 28th, and a confirmed bird past Landguard NR (Suffolk) on 30th.

Both recent Forster’s Terns were again seen this week, albeit the Dorset bird was inevitably attracting rather more attention than the long-staying Co.Galway individual. The former, first-winter bird continued to drift around Poole Harbour, being seen variously at Lytchett Bay, Brownsea Lagoon and off Arne RSPB during 25th-1st. The latter, adult bird was once more seen in Co.Galway at Inishroo on 29th.

 

After the high adrenaline news of Britain’s first Black-winged Kite in the prior week, rare raptor news sadly was thinner on the ground in the past week, with no further sign of the bird of the moment.

We begin what was seen in North Yorkshire again, where the recent Black Kite continued to lurk near the National Bird of Prey Centre at Duncombe Park on 25th. Another was seen at Lady’s Island Lake (Co.Wexford) on 28th. Additional sightings came from North Yorkshire at Helmsley on 29th-30th, at Higger Tor (South Yorkshire / Derbyshire) on 30th, and on 1st at Bincombe Hill (Dorset).

A Montagu’s Harrier was reported from near Mullion (Cornwall) on 28th; further birds on 30th at The Naze (Essex), Walberswick (Suffolk), and Carlton Marshes SWT (Suffolk); and, on 1st, the first-summer female again on The Lizard, and a male at Seamer Carr (North Yorkshire). Another bird (or a Pallid) was seen in the evening of 29th at Sheringham (Norfolk). On 30th a probable Pallid Harrier was seen in Norfolk at Waxham.

A possible Red-footed Falcon was seen fleetingly at Tyttenhanger GPs (Hertfordshire) on 30th.

Finally, a possible Snowy Owl was reported from the Gloup area of Yell (Shetland) on 27th.

 

We bid a sad farewell to Alpine Swifts in British and Irish airspace this past week, with a full week passing without any news of a single bird. Their arrival this year will live long in the memory.

A shade under 20 Hoopoes were logged again this week; pleasingly, a few Wrynecks began to trickle in too – birds being seen at Lee Common (Buckinghamshire) on 25th, Lackford Lakes SWT (Suffolk) on 26th, Tresco (Scilly) on 27th, and trapped and ringed at Walsey Hills NOA (Norfolk) on 29th.

A probable Golden Oriole was reported from Hardcastle Crags (West Yorkshire) on 26th.

Settled Woodchat Shrikes remained on Scilly on Gugh on 25th-29th, and St Mary’s on 26th-1st. Another was found in Dorset at Langton Matravers on 25th, and one more on 30th-1st on Great Saltee Island (Co.Wexford).

The Penduline Tit remained at Seamer Tip Pools (North Yorkshire) on 25th; two were reported again from Oare Marshes KWT (Kent) on 30th.

A Short-toed Lark was lingering on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 26th-29th.

A handful of Red-rumped Swallows were seen this week – one on Scilly on Tresco on 25th; another on 25th at Lytchett Bay (Dorset); a further bird on 28th at the north end of Windermere near Ambleside (Cumbria); and an Irish sighting in Co.Cork on 30th at Lough Aderra briefly. A probable bird was seen on 1st near Edgehill (Warwickshire).

A possible Iberian Chiffchaff with a frustratingly anomalous song was heard near Shoreham-on-Sea (West Sussex) on 25th-26th. More of them, and with typical tunes, surely set to be found in coming weeks.

A Yellow-browed Warbler was a notable find at this point in the year on Shetland at Pool of Virkie on 29th-30th, with another this week on 29th also at South Gare (Cleveland), the latter reported again there on 1st.

Somerset’s magnificent Levels drew the attention of a singing Great Reed Warbler on 28th-1st.

A Bluethroat was present at Abbotsbury Swannery (Dorset) on 29th-30th.

In Suffolk the Eastern Yellow Wagtail remained at Carlton Marshes SWT on 29th-1st.

Numbers of Blue-headed Wagtails logged this week took a bit of a tumble. Birds were seen on 25th at Shotwick Fields (Flintshire), Flamborough (East Yorkshire), and Leasowe (Cheshire & Wirral); on 25th-27th at St Gothian Sands LNR (Cornwall); on 27th at Holland Haven CP (Essex); on 28th at Southwold (Suffolk); and on 30th at Gronant (Flintshire) and Holkham Freshmarsh (Norfolk), with another reported from Yell (Shetland).

A possible Black-headed Wagtail was seen on 27th at Shustoke reservoir (Warwickshire); a probable Ashy-headed Wagtail at Southport (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 1st; and a probable Grey-headed Wagtail at Morfa Nefyn (Gwynedd) on 1st.

A Richard’s Pipit was seen briefly at Welwick Saltmarsh YWT (East Yorkshire) on 1st.

Devon scored a brief Serin at East Prawle on 1st.

A Little Bunting was found on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 30th.

Finally, into the headlines had either bird been found on Orkney or Shetland soil, a Song Sparrow and a Slate-coloured Junco had a near-miss with Britain, passing between North Ronaldsay and Fair Isle on board the immense Federal Severn, Norway-bound on 25th.

 

Our overseas news this week starts and finishes in Norway where, on 27th, Revtangen was the place to be, hosting both Black-winged Pratincole and Western Sandpiper.

 

Hot on the heels of two consecutive weeks that featured firsts for Britain, it’s on the one hand tempting to say we’re on for the hat-trick and predict something outlandish is in the pipeline… and on the other hand, to err on the side of caution and assume that lightning, having struck twice, isn’t going to do so again any day soon. Maybe that’s it for the year as a whole where additions to the British list are concerned?

(But hopefully not).

The first week of May provides a generous array of historic precedent and possibilities, from all points of the compass and all walks of birding life. At the time of writing the forecast looks set for easterlies in the early part of the week and, latterly, some decent south-easterlies too. It’s surely not too early for a wayward Thrush Nightingale somewhere on the east coast, or perhaps a smart summer-plumaged Citrine Wagtail?

 

Jon Dunn
2 May 2023

Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos

 

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