Weekly birding round-up: 11 - 17 Jul 2023
The week just gone was, not unreasonably given the time of year, a quiet(ish) one.* Though try telling that to Irish birders where a national third record was almost as momentous as a national first, given the wait that had elapsed since the last bird.
*That is, quiet until the very last knockings on 17th. When all hell duly broke loose in Norfolk.
There’s nothing quite like news breaking, after dark, of a mega bird seen earlier in the evening. On the one hand, there are some positives to report – hours of darkness stretch ahead and there’s some working time in hand to get on site by dawn. There’s the possibility the bird in question will have gone to roost where last it was seen, and will be there to greet the dawn with those who’ve gathered in hope.
Then again, if it’s done a bunk and is never seen again, the recriminations will be stinging. It was showing well for how long yesterday evening? Over an hour? Etc.
Happily for all concerned, there’s no need for anyone to lean into the sort of mithering our tribe is occasionally prone to. There’s a happy ending to this week’s late-breaking news story…
Late on 17th news emerged of a Black-winged Kite showing well earlier in the evening over the fields at Hickling Broad NWT (Norfolk), visible from the Stubb Mill viewpoint. As one would imagine, by first light on 18th there were a fair few folk on site waiting to see if the bird was still in the area. At first, nothing… and then the news everyone wanted to hear: still present there at 6:45am, sat in a tree. Yes, it was distant. But it was still there. Britain’s second confirmed record of Black-winged Kite.
It comes hot on the heels of our first, found and videoed by Martyn Owen earlier in the year in Powys, near Newtown on 18th April. Could this be the same bird, a bird that’s spent three months quietly hanging around somewhere unseen in Britain? Or was the Powys bird the first signs of a profound sea-change in the species’ British status? Time alone will tell, but the main thing, as we go to press, is that the new week gets under way with a twitchable Black-winged Kite on our hands. I daresay a few employers will have heard creaky-voiced declarations of illness today…
Granted it took a couple of days to sort it out, but the bird of the week by some margin has to be Ireland’s third ever Black-winged Pratincole, found at Blanket Nook (Co.Donegal) on 14th, its identity confirmed on 16th.
Pratincoles of any complexion are rare enough in an Irish context, but the wait for another Black-winged has seemed fairly interminable for Irish birders. The first was shot back in the mists of time at Belmullet (Co.Mayo) on 23rd August 1935… and the last was almost half a century ago, a one-day bird that was seen on 5th August 1974 at Ballycarry (Co.Antrim).
That this week’s bird stuck around for longer than a single day was notable enough in itself – and its identity, once resolved, will have ensured it wasn’t short of Irish admirers over the course of 16th and 17th.
Speaking of Irish rarities, another that would have been warmly welcomed would have been the Roller seen in a Ballinrostig (Co.Cork) garden sometime in the prior week. That’s not much information to go on, to be fair, but what’s a little more concrete is that Ireland has just 20 accepted records of the species, and Co.Cork only supplies three of them. Given that almost all the Irish precedents were one-day birds, any chance of seeing another on Irish soil would be welcome, provided news breaks in time for a half-decent effort to be made. Clearly not the case with this bird though.
Meanwhile this week, the recent Isle of Wight Roller remained at Brading Marshes RSPB on 11th.
Coming hot on the heels of the Barolo Shearwater heard in song near the bird observatory on Cape Clear (Co.Cork) in the dying hours of 10th, at least two more birds were seen during the week just gone, helpfully during daylight hours.
On 15th birds were seen passing both Brandon Point (Co.Kerry) and Porthgwarra (Cornwall) – with what might (or might not) be the same bird as the latter individual seen once more on 16th passing close inshore off Porthgwarra.
We’ve still some weeks of the fruitful sea-watching season stretching out ahead of us. Will there be more Barolo Shearwaters to come? And what else besides?
There was definitely a feeling of gathering momentum again this past week off the shores of Britain and Ireland – not least where large shearwaters were concerned, with some 190 Cory’s Shearwater noted over the course of recent days. Cornish vantage points were enjoying the best of it, with double figure counts notched up off Porthgwarra, Pendeen and Cape Cornwall, the best of which were 35 birds noted from Pendeen on 16th, closely followed by 27 birds seen from Porthgwarra earlier in the week on 13th.
Belated news broke this week from Porthgwarra where, in the preceding week on 8th, a Scopoli’s Shearwater was photographed. If accepted, that will make it the fourth British record, following the first at sea south of St Mary’s (Scilly) on 2nd August 2004, another photographed at sea off St Mary’s on 11th July 2019, and the popular, lingering bird that not only gave three twitchable days in the Firth of Forth (Lothian / Fife) on 9th-11th August 2020 after being initially seen from Whitburn (Co.Durham) on 21st July, but was latterly noted from Mundesley and Trimingham (Norfolk) on 15th August. As rare seabirds go, the latter bird is hard to reproach with such a prolonged and extensive viewing period off the east coast. This week’s bird, while wonderful of course for its observers at the time, serves mainly as a shot across our bows to pay close attention to large shearwaters at this time of year.
Saturday 15th July 2023 - Cornwall Birds (CBWPS) Scopoli’s Shearwater off Porthgwarra. https://t.co/t8ZyqHOJXc
— Prof W (@birdingprof) July 15, 2023
Great Shearwaters, for now at least, were significantly less numerous than Cory’s, with barely double figures seen across the region as a whole. The week began with singletons noted on 11th from the Scilly pelagic, off Porthgwarra (Cornwall), and Start Point (Devon). Porthgwarra notched up one more on 14th, and two on 15th. Two were seen on 13th 15 miles offshore from Seven Heads (Co.Cork). Pendeen (Cornwall) gave us two more on 15th, and a single bird seen there on 16th.
Some 900 Balearic Shearwaters were tallied across the region this past week, with some notable single site counts amongst that aggregate total. Devon was the place to be for them, with Start Point accounting for 207 birds on 11th, and 248 birds on 15th; and the week’s highest single site count coming from Berry Head where, on 14th, 361 birds were seen.
Eighteen Wilson’s Petrels were logged this past week, with still more land-based records featuring highly among their number. At sea, however, five were seen from the Scilly pelagic of 11th, and one on 13th; three at sea fifteen miles off Seven Heads (Co.Cork) on 13th; and one at sea two miles off Slea Head (Co.Kerry) on 17th. In Cornwall, two were noted from The Lizard on 11th, and one from Porthgwarra on 14th. Irish birds were seen as follows – one in Dingle Bay (Co.Kerry) on 12th; two off Seven Heads (Co.Cork) on 14th; two from Brandon Point (Co.Kerry) on 15th; and one from Kilcummin Head (Co.Mayo) on 15th.
A Leach’s Petrel was seen at Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 12th.
Some 20 Pomarine Skuas represented a drop on the preceding week’s tally. We did slightly better, however, for Long-tailed Skuas of late, with a handful of birds noted – one seen from Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 13th; two from the Scilly pelagic of 13th; a probable off Dawlish Warren NNR (Devon) on 15th; a bird off Walmer Beach (Kent) on 16th; and another on 16th past Porthgwarra.
A distinctly unseasonal Little Auk was reported from North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 13th.
Amongst the reports of long-legged beasties, Night Herons continued to haunt our waking dreams for another week. Birds remained at Adwick Washlands RSPB (South Yorkshire) on 11th-16th, and at Ouse Washes RSPB (Cambridgeshire) on 11th-17th, and the recent individual was again noted in Oxfordshire near Sutton Courtenay on 15th. Two more probable birds were seen in Co.Mayo at Westport on 13th, and a confirmed bird on 17th in Hampshire at Fishlake Meadows HIWWT.
The first-summer Purple Heron remained at Gosforth Park (Northumberland) on 11th-17th.
Norfolk and Suffolk remained the focal point for Glossy Ibis sightings this week, the exception to that general rule being one again in Kent at Dungeness on 12th. In Suffolk, one remained at Boyton Marshes RSPB on 11th; and two birds were seen at Aldeburgh Town Marshes on 13th. In Norfolk, two were seen at Cantley Beet Factory on 13th again; two at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB on 15th; and one at Hickling Broad NWT on 17th. An Irish sighting came from Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) still on 16th.
Not a great deal of new excitement on the placid waters of the rarity duckpond this week – pick of the lot still being Norfolk’s first Lesser Scaup, still present this week on Colney GPs on 12th-17th, and the other recent bird again on Grafham Water (Cambridgeshire) on 13th.
The drake Ring-necked Duck remained at Carlton Marshes SWT (Suffolk) on 12th-16th, while the drake also remained on Lisvane reservoir (Glamorgan) on 12th-17th.
The elipse drake American Wigeon was again reported from Fampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 16th-17th.
In Ireland the resident drake Black Duck was once more seen on Termoncarragh Lough (Co.Mayo) on 15th.
Finally, in Scotland the second-summer King Eider was to be found at Musselburgh Lagoons on 11th-17th.
If the past week’s waders were notable for anything, it had to be the prominence of Pectoral Sandpipers, with a notable upsurge in their numbers – the prior week’s cumulative quartet was easily surpassed, with at least a dozen birds noted in the course of recent days. Some sites even scored more than one individual – duos were seen at Holland Haven CP (Essex) on 13th, and Old Hall Marshes RSPB (Essex) on 16th. Elsewhere, single birds were noted at Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland) on 11th and 16th again; at Snettisham RSPB (Norfolk) on 12th-13th; Pennington Marshes (Hampshire) on 13th; at Newport Wetlands NNR (Gwent) on 13th-17th; on the Isle of Man at Stinking Dub on 14th-16th; on Castle Island (Northumberland) on 15th-16th; at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) on 16th-17th; on Westray (Orkney) again on 16th-17th; and on Lewis (Western Isles) on 17th. Another possible bird was seen in Leicestershire at Egleton NR on 16th.
The Temminck’s Stint was still present at Kilnsea Wetlands (East Yorkshire) on 11th.
In Orkney the Pacific Golden Plover was again seen on North Ronaldsay on 11th-13th; another was present at Ballycotton (Co.Cork) on 15th-17th. An American Golden Plover was found on 17th on Skokholm (Pembrokeshire).
The Norfolk Long-billed Dowitcher remained at Cley NWT on 11th-17th; another was seen at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 16th-17th.
Established Black-winged Stilts continued to go from strength to strength at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire), where 10 birds remained on 11th-17th; at Eddersthorpe Flash (South Yorkshire), where the family unit of six birds remained on 11th-16th; and at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire), where the lone male bird was still to be seen on 11th-17th.
Finally, the report of a possible Red-necked Stint at Boulmer (Northumberland) on 12th came to nothing further. Last seen being flushed, it wasn’t re-found, and remains a wistful footnote to the weekly waders rather than a headlining bird.
Now well-settled in to Oare Marshes KWT (Kent), the returned adult Bonaparte’s Gull was seen there on 11th-17th, showing well at times.
White-winged gulls this week were about as commonplace as dry spells during the weekend’s Global Birdfair – which is to say, few and far between. Glaucous Gulls were seen on the Lossie estuary (Moray) again on 12th, and on Barra (Western Isles) again on 14th. An Iceland Gull was present at Rerwick (Shetland) on 11th.
The week began strongly for Caspian Terns, with two birds present in Norfolk at Breydon Water and Potter Heigham Marshes on 11th, the latter site holding them on 12th also; and two birds also seen on 11th further north, at East Chevington NWT (Northumberland). One more this week was present in Co.Dublin on Broadmeadows and Rogerstown Estuaries on 13th-17th; and on 17th a final bird was found in Nottinghamshire at Slaynes Lane North.
Co.Dublin also retained the adult male Least Tern in the Little Tern colony at Portrane on 11th-17th.
In Northumberland the adult surinamensis American Black Tern was last reported from Long Nanny on 11th.
A White-winged Black Tern was found in Co.Wexford at Lady’s Island Lake on 11th.
Begging the question of where it’s been hiding in the meantime, the first-summer Forster's Tern reappeared in Dorset this week at Lytchett Fields RSPB on 15th.
And finally, an orange-billed tern sp was seen for five minutes at Northam Burrows CP (Devon) on 17th. One to watch for in the days to come.
Nothing to see here. Moving swiftly on…
The passerines begin with, once more, the Trimingham Trio of Bee-eaters, still present in Norfolk this week on 11th-17th. A single bird was seen at Hebburn (Co.Durham) on 12th; and two at Land’s End (Cornwall) on 17th.
A Turkestan Shrike was reported from Flintshire on 13th between Gronant and Point of Ayre, but no further positive updates were forthcoming. On North Ronaldsay (Orkney) the Red-backed Shrike remained present on 15th-17th.
North Ronaldsay also held a Short-toed Lark on 17th.
An Alpine Swift was found on 11th at Port Carlisle (Cumbria); followed by another later in the week at Bembridge Ponds (Isle of Wight) on 15th.
Further intriguing swift news came on 15th from Surrey, where a possible Little Swift was seen over Kenny Hill Dog Adventure Park.
A couple of Scottish Rose-coloured Starlings were found this week – one in Shetland at Dale on 11th-16th, and another in Argyll & Bute at Carradale on 16th-17th.
An adult male Bluethroat was trapped and ringed at Woolston Eyes NR (Cheshire & Wirral) on 15th.
Finally, a singing male Common Rosefinch remained in a garden near Muir of Ord (Highland & Caithness) on 11th.
As a mounting heatwave gripped southern Europe, northern Europe made most of the overseas running this past week. Starting in Iceland, a drake Stejneger’s Scoter was seen on 15th at Austurland off the Thvota River.
In Denmark, a Steppe Grey Shrike was found on 11th-17th at Hirtshals; and a Steppe Eagle over Skagen on 17th.
Germany, meanwhile, scored at female Steller’s Eider at Eider-Sperrwerk on 15th-17th.
On Sicily, the Grey-headed Gull was once more seen at Pantano Longarini on 17th.
Finally, down in the hot zone, two subpersonata Moroccan Wagtails were found in Andalucia (Spain) at San Fernando on 12th.
So that’s the penultimate week of July upon us already, and we should perhaps turn our attention back towards seabirds in a week that, historically at least, is fairly subdued where all prior rarities are concerned.
Of the seabirds, among the usual suspects one does stand out, just a little. Granted, a Swinhoe’s Petrel remains a daunting longshot in this predictions game, but with four of the seven past accepted British records coming from the week ahead, it’s surely worth a little punt…
Jon Dunn
18 Jul 2023
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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