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Weekly birding round-up: 6 - 12 Jun 2023

June did its level best this week to remind us that spring was far from done with us just yet, with several substantial rarities found over the course of recent days. Alas the most highly coveted of them all was on one of Shetland’s more remote outposts, and hadn’t read the script.

 

Some rarities retain an aura about them, no matter how many records have fallen since the first. There’s just a certain je ne sais quoi about them, an indefinable element of greatness. And then there’s Blue-cheeked Bee-eater which, let’s be honest, you’d need to be dead inside not to appreciate.

Shetland’s western frontier, Foula, pulled an absolute cracker out of the bag this week with the discovery of a stonking example of Blue-cheeked Bee-eater there on 10th. Cue some justifiable panic amongst those twitchers who still yearn for a British example of the species, and some mild consternation as some discovered that Foula isn’t the easiest place in the British Isles to get to, let alone at short notice.

Shetland has, of course, already been graced by a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater that, for twitchers of an older vintage, provided a welcome opportunity to see a relatively long-staying bird. One found on Mainland at Tingwall on 20th June 1997 did the very decent thing and stuck around for a fortnight until 3rd July. Needless to say, subsequent British examples have all been one-day birds…

…which, at the time of writing, appears to be the case with this individual on Foula as, by the evening of 10th, there was no further sign of the bird in question, leaving behind it a trail of thwarted plans and the lingering suspicion that the Bee-eater reported from Sandness on the Shetland Mainland the prior day may have been something rarer altogether.

 

Another week, another rare Nearctic sparrow… and not even a first of its kind for Britain this year which, given we’re talking about a White-crowned Sparrow, says a lot about what a brilliant year it’s already been for wayward sparrows here.

The first of 2023 was, of course, the gorgeously showy bird that spent 22nd-29th April settled at Hope Gap (East Sussex) – a duration of stay that allowed many an admirer their chance to catch up with it.

All that said, this was down on the English south coast and, were you a birder living in the north of Scotland, that’s a big ask to travel down there. Their time came this week with the discovery of another bird on 10th at Girdle Ness (Aberdeenshire) though, alas, it wasn’t seen again there in the following days.

 

On the subject of both rarities that never lose their lustre, and species that in the not too distant past have given ample chance for their admirers to catch up with them, Eleonora’s Falcon ticks both boxes. For starters, the wait for a twitchable bird proved interminable after the first record, the two-day bird at Formby Point (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 8th-9th August 1977. And it was only last year that Kent finally scratched the itch with the obliging Sandwich Bay area bird present on 26th May – 4th June.

Further records came from Norfolk and Kent later in the year. Would another bird elicit the same level of attention that first Kentish bird had generated? Well, if it was found in Scotland and settled there for a day or two, surely yes.

Alas for Scottish birders, the dark morph noted this week heading south over Craighleath Island (Lothian) on 9th wasn’t seen again subsequently.

 

Flying in the wake of the previous three heavyweight rarities, Collared Flycatcher should, on paper at least, have a lot of heavy lifting to do in order to hold its own against them. Then again, there are still fewer than 60 accepted British records to the end of 2020, and it’s not an annual sight on these shores even now. And whose day was ever made worse for seeing one?

Just ask the birders working North Ronaldsay (Orkney) and Fair Isle (Shetland) this week. The week’s Collared Flycatcher action began with a female trapped and ringed on the former island on 7th, and still present there the following day…

…while on 9th a male was found in Shetland’s most southerly outpost, Fair Isle.

 

Shetland was, by that stage in the week’s proceedings, already cooking with gas, an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler having been discovered on 7th down at Quendale Mill.

To say Shetland has something of a dominance where the species is concerned in a British context would be a bit of an understatement. Almost half of the British records to date owe themselves to the archipelago, and Shetland’s tally, as of this week, now stands at 11 birds, the last of the pale grey wraiths being a five-day bird on Fair Isle on 16th-20th June 2019. This week’s bird wasn’t hanging around so long and, after sightings on 9th, it wasn’t reported from Quendale again.

 

Not entirely surprisingly, but nonetheless a pleasant event, this week marked the return of the adult Least Tern to Ireland for another summer, being found on 11th near Portrane (Co.Dublin) and, latterly, at Baltray (Co.Louth) in the Little Tern colonies there.

Last seen at Baltray on 13th August 2022, the bird remained at Baltray this week on 12th and will, hopefully, be settling in for the next couple of months in the area.

 

Several White-billed Divers lead the charge in the seabird news this week – two individuals seen in Shetland, off Out Skerries on 9th and a bird reported from Unst on 10th; the Lewis (Western Isles) individual still present off there on 10th; and another seen in Dunnet Bay (Highland & Caithness) on 10th-12th.

Notable skuas were almost done with us for now – with just a Pomarine Skua seen from the ferry between Barra and Tiree (Western Isles / Argyll & Bute) on 7th, and a Long-tailed Skua off Benbecula (Western Isles) on 9th.

Portland (Dorset) began to exert some more magnetism for Balearic Shearwaters, with a single bird on 8th followed by four off there on 9th, five birds on 10th, and a single bird on 11th. A singleton was seen heading west past nearby Chesil Beach on 10th; and another that day in Cornwall off Porthgwarra.

A Barolo Shearwater was reported from Lundy (Devon) on 9th, having been identified there amongst the Manx Shearwaters from a sound recording.

But finally, the first of the season’s Wilson’s Petrels was seen on a Scilly pelagic on 12th.

 

News in the long-legged beasties side of things was dominated this week by the return of the male Little Bittern to Ladywalk NR (Warwickshire) on 6th-8th. First noted there for two days last year on 19th-20th June, it seems like this year’s visit may prove similarly fleeting.

No week this spring has been complete without Night Herons and, as we transit into summer, their presence in Britain and Ireland continues without interruption. In Cambridgeshire one remained near Earith on 6th, with two birds seen there on 7th and one on 11th, and one at Ouse Washes RSPB on 9th-10th followed by four present there on 11th, and three still on 12th. A bird was seen in flight over Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 8th; one was again seen in Hampshire at Fishlake Meadows HIWWT on 7th-8th; and one in flight on 11th over Dingle Marshes (Suffolk). On 12th the pace quickened, with birds seen at Marazion Marsh RSPB (Cornwall), Ancaster (Lincolnshire), and Ponsonby (Cumbria). Irish sightings came from Lough Oughter (Co.Cavan) on 7th, South Slob (Co.Wexford) on 10th where two birds were present, and Ventry (Co.Kerry) on 11th-12th.

The week began with Purple Herons seen near Earith (Cambridgeshire) on 6th and on St Mary’s (Scilly); another probable sighting came from the latter site on 9th. In Northamptonshire a bird was logged at Summer Leys NR on 8th and 10th-12th; and one was found on 9th in Cornwall near Lanreath.

Next, Glossy Ibises… In a relatively quiet week again for them, the highest single site count were three birds at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 8th-12th. Two were seen in Cambridgeshire near Earith on 8th, while in Norfolk a single bird at Cantley Marshes RSPB on 6th-7th was followed by two present there on 9th-10th. In Suffolk a single bird was seen at Aldeburgh Town Marshes still on 7th and 10th-11th, and Carlton Marshes SWT on 8th-9th. Another single bird settled at Beeding Brooks (West Sussex) on 9th-10th. On 11th two were present at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB (Cambridgeshire); one remained there the following day, with a sighting from Ouse Washes RSPB that morning also.

Finally, a Corncrake was still in song at Welney WWT (Norfolk) on 11th-12th.

 

Into the week’s increasingly denuded quackers, and a few new faces were cropping up to enliven the rarity duckpond of late. Starting in Cambridgeshire, a drake Blue-winged Teal turned up at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB on 10th-12th.

Green-winged Teals meanwhile were seen again on 7th at Ladywalk NR (Warwickshire), and on 7th-9th again in Highland & Caithness at St John’s Loch; and another bird was found on 6th at Buckenham Marshes RSPB (Norfolk).

The American Wigeon was again seen on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 8th-11th.

In Ireland, the resident drake Black Duck was still present on Cross Lough (Co.Mayo) on 10th.

In Norfolk, the female Ferruginous Duck remained on Hickling Broad NWT on 6th-8th. A drake was seen at St Aidan’s RSPB (West Yorkshire) on 11th.

This was a good week for Lesser Scaup in Highland & Caithness, with sightings coming on 7th-8th at Loch Watten and, on 9th, on St John’s Loch.

Ring-necked Ducks meanwhile picked up a little with a handful of birds found. On 7th-9th a drake was present at Goldcliff Pools NR (Gwent); a report came of a drake at Worth Marsh (Kent) on 8th; one was reported as still present at Bodenham GPs (Herefordshire) on 9th; on 10th-11th a drake was found at Skinflats Lagoons RSPB (Forth); and a drake was again seen at Fairburn Ings RSPB (West Yorkshire) on 10th-12th.

Finally, startling news from Cumbria, where the drake Hooded Merganser was once more seen at Whinfell Tarn on 8th. It would need to be careful not to outstay its welcome… or do something even sillier for its credentials, like come to bread.

 

Where waders are concerned we’d surely best start with the territorial Broad-billed Sandpiper still displaying in Shetland at Levenwick on 6th-11th.

A handful of Pectoral Sandpipers were logged this week – birds still seen in recent days at Meikle Loch (Aberdeenshire) on 6th-10th, and at Blanket Nook (Co.Donegal) on 6th-9th; and new sightings coming from Northumberland at Long Nanny and Seaton Point on 9th, and Druridge Pools NR on 10th-12th; and a final probable seen briefly at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 10th.

A White-rumped Sandpiper was found on 11th-12th at Hatfield Moors NNR (South Yorkshire).

On 6th single Temminck’s Stints were seen on South Uist (Western Isles) and on Meikle Loch (Aberdeenshire); the latter bird remained until 8th at least, with three birds present at Meikle Loch by 10th.

Happy news came from Lincolnshire, where a pair of Black-winged Stilts had hatched out four young by 6th. All hatchlings were still going strong on 8th-12th. Surely there will be news of more breeding success in the days to come… but for now, additional birds were seen this week at Abergele (Conwy) on 6th; Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB (Cheshire & Wirral) on 6th-7th; Etton Maxey Pits (Cambridgeshire), where two birds were present on 6th-7th; Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) still on 8th-12th; and at Hickling Broad NWT (Norfolk), where one bird was still to be seen on 6th-12th, with two birds seen there on 8th. On 11th two were seen at Pennington Flash CP (Greater Manchester), and one again at Potter Heigham Marshes (Norfolk).

A female Red-necked Phalarope was seen in Dorset at Ferrybridge on 10th; another at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 11th; and a probable in Dorset at Hengistbury Head on 12th.

A Dotterel was seen on South Uist (Western Isles) on 12th.

Finally, a Lesser Yellowlegs was found in Lincolnshire at Manby Flashes on 8th.

 

Terns continued to put in a good early summer showing for another week, not least in Northumberland where the adult surinamensis American Black Tern remained settled at Long Nanny on 7th-12th.

Caspian Terns were seen on 8th in Lincolnshire at Baston Langtoft Pits, on 9th in Cambridgeshire at Longstanton, and on 11th in Cleveland at Saltholme RSPB and Greatham Creek. Saltholme Creek RSPB held onto the bird on 12th, with another sighting that day at Hurworth Burn reservoir (Co.Durham).

A couple of Gull-billed Terns were also seen – one on 7th at Loughor (Glamorgan), and another on 8th-9th at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford).

Scotland gave us another report of a Sabine’s Gull this week, seen on 8th at sea between Cairnryan and Larne (Dumfries & Galloway / Co.Antrim).

White-wingers grew ever scarcer for another week. Glaucous Gulls were on Barra (Western Isles) still on 6th, found on Orkney Mainland at Stromness on 7th and North Uist (Western Isles) on 8th, and at Dale of Walls (Shetland) on 11th. Iceland Gulls meanwhile were seen on 6th on Tiree (Argyll & Bute), on Orkney Mainland at Kirkwall on 8th-11th, at Rothesay (Argyll & Bute) on 8th, and on Lewis (Western Isles) on 12th.

 

A female Red-footed Falcon was found on 10th at The Naze (Essex). A possible male was noted passing west over Weybourne Camp (Norfolk) on 12th.

A report of a possible Montagu’s Harrier on 9th at Salthouse (Norfolk) was followed, on 10th, by ringtails seen at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) and Kingston (Kent).

 

Starting the passerines where the headlines kicked the whole Round Up off, a handful of Bee-eaters were recorded in Britain this week – one reported from the Shetland Mainland at Sandness on 9th was followed by a confirmed bird on Unst on 11th; birds were heard only on 6th at Sizewell (Suffolk) and Margate (Kent); and single birds were seen at East Chevington NWT (Northumberland) on 8th, and Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire) on 10th. Additional single birds were found on 11th at North Warren RSPB (Suffolk), Wilford Bridge (Suffolk), and Dungeness (Kent).

A Hoopoe was seen in Pantmaenog Forest (Pembrokeshire) on 8th.

Back on Shetland, a Wryneck was found on Burra on 6th, and reported as still present there on 10th. Another was on Out Skerries on 11th.

Some 20 Red-backed Shrikes were logged nationwide this week. A Great Grey Shrike was reported from Lewis (Western Isles) on 10th; and Woodchat Shrikes were found on 11th at Easington (East Yorkshire), and on 12th at Bigton (Shetland).

Numbers of Golden Orioles seen and heard were more modest this week – birds were noted at Henfield (West Sussex) on 6th; Barra (Western Isles) on 6th; on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 6th-12th; at Standford reservoir (Northamptonshire) on 7th; at Darlington (Co.Durham) on 7th; at Rosthwaite (Cumbria) on 8th; near Besthorpe (Nottinghamshire) on 8th-10th; and on 11th at Church Norton (West Sussex), Kergord (Shetland), and Barra (Western Isles).

Topping the headlines had it only come to something, a probable Nutcracker was reported on 9th in Portsmouth (Hampshire) near Kingston Cemetery.

A Red-rumped Swallow was seen on Shetland Mainland at Lunna on 6th.

A singing male Iberian Chiffchaff was reported from Walsey Hills NOA (Norfolk) on 10th, but couldn’t be relocated subsequently.

A Greenish Warbler was present on Out Skerries (Shetland) on 9th.

A Savi’s Warbler was in song at Leven Carrs (East Yorkshire) on 7th.

In Norfolk the Great Reed Warbler continued to linger at Pensthorpe Water Fowl Park on 6th-12th; the Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland) individual was also still present on 6th-12th; another was heard again at Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset) on 10th; and a final bird was trapped and ringed on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 12th.

Some 25 Marsh Warblers were noted again this week. Their rarer counterpart, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, notched up a handful of records too – almost all in Shetland, on Noss on 9th; on Foula on 9th-10th; at Boddam on Mainland on 10th; trapped and ringed on Whalsay on 10th; and trapped and ringed on Fair Isle on 11th; with the exception being one found on North Uist (Western Isles) on 11th.

A Paddyfield Warbler was seen at Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 12th.

A male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was found at Boulby (Cleveland) on 6th. A probable Western Subalpine Warbler was found on 12th on Bressay (Shetland).

Icterine Warblers remained at Kilnsea and Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 6th, another was found on 7th in song at Conwy RSPB (Conwy), and additional birds on 12th on Foula and Fair Isle (Shetland).

An unconfirmed report of a Melodious Warbler in song at Beachy Head (East Sussex) came on 12th.

A Rose-coloured Starling was reported from Lewis (Western Isles) on 7th, with another adult found that day at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk), the latter bird at least remaining present until 9th. One was present in Ash (Kent) on 10th, and another found on 10th in Co.Kerry at Ventry. On 12th one was found inland at Carlton (Nottinghamshire).

The male Bluethroat was once more seen at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 10th-12th.

On 8th Grey-headed Wagtails were seen at Spurn (East Yorkshire) and Point of Ayre NR (Isle of Man); one was found on 11th at Blakeney Point (Norfolk), and another probable reported that day at Hale (Cheshire & Wirral); and a final probable bird on Lewis (Western Isles) on 12th. A Blue-headed Wagtail was found on 6th near Queensferry (Lothian).

In Kendal (Cumbria), the recent singing Common Rosefinch remained in its favoured garden on 6th-12th. Additional birds were seen this week on Barra (Western Isles) on 7th and 12th; in Shetland on Fetlar on 9th and 11th, and Unst on 9th and 10th.

A Serin remained on Portland (Dorset) on 6th-7th, and another was seen at South Foreland (Kent) on 10th and 12th.

Another candidate for the headlines had anything come of it, a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak was reported from a Corby (Northamptonshire) garden on 6th.

Finally, an Ortolan Bunting was found on Papa Stour (Shetland) on 7th.

 

It’s impossible to start the overseas news anywhere but Spain, where the Ancient Murrelet remained in the mouth of the River Odiel near Huelva on 6th-11th. Spanish birders will know this is almost certainly their one and only shot at this species – a conclusion perhaps shared by more than a few Western Palearctic listers too.

In Germany, a Trumpeter Finch was seen at Marienhafe on 7th.

Iceland scored a Stejneger’s Scoter off Selvik on 9th.

 

Quite how we’re already pushing into the third week of June beggars belief, but there it is – the year’s fairly rattling along, and at this point we’re looking at the scraps from the table of spring migration.

Notable waders are still a distinct possibility, with rarified precedents for the coming week of the calibre of Long-toed Stint and Great Knot to look to for inspiration. Setting our sights somewhat lower, half a dozen historic Collared Pratincole and three past Black-winged Pratincoles suggest one of their ilk is a possibility.

None of which is to write off the chance of a decent passerine at this late juncture. The coming week famously boasts that sparrow, the Cley Rock Sparrow of 14th June 1981, and passerines don’t get much rarer than that in a British context.

Nor should we discount a warbler or two. In the past decade alone the coming week offers records of Green Warbler, Paddyfield Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, and Asian Desert Warbler. Most, but not all of them found in Shetland, granted, but there’s no reason why someone on the east coast may not be similarly blessed. Norfolk and Shetland, after all, have already scored one apiece of them in the past week.

The week ahead also offers precedent for the discovery of River Warblers, with four past records. Two in Shetland, one in Northumberland, and one inland – the latter at Linford GPs (Buckinghamshire) on 15th-16th June 1997. While the former warbler species might feel like the preserve of those with coastal local patches, the latter species remains one that might, just might, turn up almost anywhere.

 

Jon Dunn
13 Jun 2023

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

 

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