Weekly birding round-up: 8 - 14 Aug 2023
The seawatching season continued apace this week, with more quality birds picked out in Britain and Ireland alike. Lingering quality shorebirds continued to grace their chosen locales, and a new rare wader was inbound as the week drew to a close. But that wasn’t the biggest news as dusk gathered on Monday 14th…
The week was almost over on 14th, with barely an hour of daylight left in the day when, shortly after 8:30pm, news broke of a Red-footed Booby in Scilly, perched on the Bishop Rock Lighthouse. As rarity messages go, that takes quite some beating. And there it sat as the light drained from the sky at the end of another remarkable week of seabirds in Britain and Ireland this late summer.
One presumes it’s one and the same bird as that seen a week previously at sea a little over a mile southwest of Bishop Rock – it was certainly in Bob Flood and Joe Pender’s minds that it just might be there as they had been keeping an eye on famous landmark in the belief that if the booby was hanging around Scilly the lighthouse was the obvious place it would roost. To the incalculable joy of all on board the MV Sapphire, they suggested it would be worth checking the lighthouse on the way home after the Monday pelagic… and there the bird was, posing impeccably for a boatload of delighted birders.
30 minutes before tonight's Red-footed Booby 'event' Bob Flood @Scillypelagics had announced we would head home via Bishop Rock 'just in case there's a Booby sitting on top'. How we chuckled. 'There will be photographic opportunities', he said. 30 mins later.... pic.twitter.com/s5daLJWpFn
— James Walsh (@JamesWalsh60) August 15, 2023
2CY Red-footed Booby on Bishop Rock Lighthouse stil pic.twitter.com/tgAX6EDLmr
— Scilly Pelagics (@Scillypelagics) August 14, 2023
And, should it prove to be even semi-reliable in the vicinity of Bishop Rock in the coming days, we might be forgiven for looking at the Sapphire and uttering the immortal line “you’re gonna need a bigger boat"…
The last few weeks’ high numbers of Cory’s Shearwaters have, as we know, swept with them an equally unprecedented quantity of Scopoli’s Shearwaters - those at sea on the regular Scilly pelagics have reaped a rich harvest of sightings (and they continued this week, with birds seen on 8th and 11th), while additional birds have been seen from Cornwall too. But Ireland… until this week, it’s not had any of the action.
That all changed on 12th with the discovery of Scopoli’s Shearwater off, in the morning, Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) and then, in the early afternoon, Annagh Head (Co.Mayo). To date Ireland had only one prior record, a bird seen at sea two miles off Fastnet Rock (Co.Cork) on 13th August 2022. There is, of course, the suspicion that they’ve been going under the radar hitherto, but they’re very much on British and Irish birders’ minds now, and we may yet find they’re to prove near annual going forwards.
First found in Lothian off Gullane Point on 10th December 2022, and latterly off the Fife coast at Lower Largo from 28th April – 13th May this year, the return of the drake Stejneger’s Scoter to the area in the latter half of 2023 was not, perhaps, wholly surprising, but was none the less welcome for all that.
Seen off Musselburgh Lagoons (Lothian) in the morning of 12th amongst a flock of several hundred Velvet Scoter, the drake Stejneger’s remained in the area until the week’s end on 14th, joined there on the latter date by an immature drake Surf Scoter for good measure. Given the additional presence earlier in the year of two drake White-winged Scoters in the area, there’s a feeling of imminence about at least one of them also being picked out any day now…
The week was set to finish with a flourish out on the Isle of Man where, as 14th drew to a close, a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was found at Stinking Dub.
The species remains a decently rare beast in a British and Irish context, with 32 and nine past records respectively. The current century started strongly with multiple records in the period 2000-2012 but, thereafter, they’ve dried up almost entirely in the past decade – with just three birds to show in that period, a juvenile at Carrahane Strand (Co.Kerry) on 7th October 2016, an adult that spent 17th-19th August 2022 at Clogheen Marsh (Co.Cork), and a one-day bird last year…
…a one-day bird that dropped into the Isle of Man at Stinking Dub on 29th August 2022. Coincidences do happen, of course, but surely this week’s bird is one and the same as that last year? Either way, bound to be a locally popular bird – but will it stick around for longer than a day? Only the new week will tell.
Away from Ireland and Scilly, where still further Scopoli’s Shearwaters made the headlines for yet another week, the best of the rest in recent days was a Barolo Shearwater seen heading west off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 12th – the sixth sighting of the species there since 14th July.
Large shearwaters, meanwhile, continued to be logged en masse. The figures for Cory’s Shearwaters in particular were again eye-watering, with some chunky single site counts made during the week in Ireland – 4,542 birds noted from Toe Head (Co.Cork) on 11th, and 3,750 from Annagh Head (Co.Mayo) on 12th. Some 2,100 Great Shearwaters seen in Britain and Ireland combined represented a rather smaller presence, but nonetheless still numerous.
Balearic Shearwaters on the other hand continued to be very much the poor relation, with some 160 birds noted across the region in the course of the week.
Some 65 Wilson’s Petrels in Britain and Ireland as a whole was, on the basis of the preceding week, a reduction in their numbers here, but still represented a very solid showing of their kind. Scilly continued to be their mecca, with pelagics scoring some 30 birds overall, and a peak of a dozen logged on 8th. Ireland’s peak count were 10 birds seen from a pelagic off Courtmachserry (Co.Cork) on 13th. Welsh sightings, meanwhile, included another from Pembrokeshire at sea off Neyland on 9th and Ceredigion’s first ever record of the species, an unfortunate bird taken by a Peregrine off New Quay on 13th.
A Leach’s Petrel was seen at sea off Dingle (Co.Kerry) on 8th; and three birds were trapped and ringed at Birsay (Orkney) on 11th.
Around 40 Pomarine Skuas were again seen around the region’s coast this week. Single Long-tailed Skuas were noted from North Ronaldsay (Orkney), where a moribund individual present on 9th-10th was augmented by a further bird seen passing on 10th; on 10th from Helvick Head (Co.Waterford), Girdle Ness (Aberdeenshire), and Withernsea (East Yorkshire); on 11th at sea off Skye’s Portree (Highland & Caithness); and on 12th from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare). On 13th three birds were seen at sea off Courtmacsherry (Co.Cork), and singles from Mweenish Island (Co.Galway), Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire), and The Lizard (Cornwall); the latter site scored another on 14th.
Chief amongst the week’s long-legged beasties, Black Storks continued to make their presence known, not least in Kent – a bird seen initially at Pegwell Bay on 11th went a-wandering on 12th, being seen at Sandwich Bay, Deal, Ringwould and Bockhill Farm; and again on 13th, around Sandwich and out to Tankerton – finally, on 14th, it lodged on the Isle of Sheppey at Capel Fleet. Elsewhere, sightings came from Butley (Suffolk) on 9th, and Freiston Shore RSPB and Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 11th-12th.
As ever these days, Glossy Ibises were a daily sight somewhere or other in Britain and Ireland. Birds remained at Dungeness (Kent), where one on 8th was followed by two still on 9th-13th; at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB (Cambridgeshire) on 8th-14th; at Aldeburgh Town Marshes (Suffolk) again on 10th-13th, with two there on the latter date; and at Lady’s Island Lake (Co.Wexford) again on 10th, with three birds present there again by 13th. Suffolk proved a fruitful county with additional sightings of a singleton at Boyton Marshes RSPB on 8th, and on 10th at Minsmere RSPB and North Warren RSPB. A single bird was seen over Strumpshaw Fen RSPB (Norfolk) on 10th. Away from East Anglia, a bird was seen in Devon at Exminster Marshes RSPB on 8th.
A Night Heron was reported again from Fishlake Meadows HIWWT (Hampshire) on 11th; and an adult bird was again seen on the River Blackwater at Fermoy (Co.Cork) on 14th.
The week proved to be a good one for sightings of Purple Heron, with a juvenile on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 10th followed by additional birds seen on 11th at Westhay Moor NNR (Somerset), and Point of Ayre NR (Isle of Man).
A Corncrake was found at Porth Joke (Cornwall) on 11th; and a Spotted Crake was found on 13th at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB (Cheshire & Wirral), with another reported from Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire) on 9th.
Quiet times once more on the rarity duckpond this week. In Suffolk the lingering drake Ring-necked Duck remained at Carlton Marshes SWT on 9th-13th.
Lothian was, of course, where the main action was to be found. In addition to the headlining scoter, the second-summer King Eider was still to be seen at Musselburgh Lagoons on 8th-14th, and an immature drake Surf Scoter also off Musselburgh on 14th.
Still settled in Ireland, the Black-winged Pratincole remained present at Blanket Nook (Co.Donegal) until 14th.
In Shetland, meanwhile, the adult Hudsonian Godwit settled into a routine of hanging out with the local Oystercatchers on the grassy areas beside the runways at Sumburgh Airport, still showing well there until 14th.
The Pacific Golden Plover was once more seen on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 11th-12th.
An adult American Golden Plover remained on Myroe Levels (Co.Derry) on 10th-13th, joined there by a second individual on 10th.
Orkney also enjoyed a White-rumped Sandpiper on Westray on 11th-14th, while the Long-billed Dowitcher remained on Sanday on 8th-9th – the Cley NWT (Norfolk) individual of the latter species was still present there on 8th-14th.
Some half a dozen Pectoral Sandpipers were noted in recent days. Birds remained at Seabank (Co.Louth) on 8th, Walmsley Sanctuary CBWPS (Cornwall) on 9th, and at Martin Mere WWT (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 8th-14th. Additional birds were found at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 8th-9th, at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 10th-14th and, on 14th, at Belvide Reservoir (Staffordshire) and Dorney Common (Buckinghamshire).
The remains of the year’s successful breeding season for British Black-winged Stilts were still to be seen this week – Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) peaked with seven birds noted there on 11th and 13th (and a report of 10 birds still on 9th), while in South Yorkshire five birds lingered around Eddersthorpe and Houghton Flashes on 8th-13th, and were at Old Moor RSPB on 14th.
A Grey Phalarope was seen from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 11th, followed, on 13th, by seven from the Scilly pelagic, two from the Scillonian, two passing Tiree (Argyll & Bute), and two off Lewis (Western Isles).
A Red-necked Phalarope settled on the brackish pool at Grutness (Shetland) on 8th-9th, and another individual was seen at sea between Stornoway and Ullapool (Western Isles / Highland & Caithness) on 12th.
Finally, we had a wholly unconfirmed report of a Lesser Yellowlegs seen in Kent at Elmley NNR on 12th.
Pick of the gulls this week was the adult Franklin’s Gull that made a brief appearance on the Bann Estuary southwest of Portstewart (Co.Derry) in the evening of 10th.
In Kent the adult Bonaparte’s Gull remained at Oare Marshes KWT on 8th-12th. The Mull (Argyll & Bute) bird was again reported from Duart Point on 13th; and an adult was present at Skerries (Co.Dublin) on 14th.
Some variety given the time of year came in the form of an adult Ring-billed Gull present at Mutton Island (Co.Galway) on 11th-12th.
The week was a good one for Sabine’s Gulls, with around 35 birds in all noted over the course of the days. Ireland was the place to be, with two seen from Ballycotton (Co.Cork) on 11th, six from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 12th, and 10 from Brandon Point (Co.Kerry) on 12th. Coastal Ireland, or inland Pugney’s CP (West Yorkshire) – for was there a more locally pleasing adult bird than that present there on 13th-14th?
White wingers were still present, albeit in small numbers. Will we get a blank week this year? Four Glaucous Gulls were seen, these being the second-summer still present at Timoleague (Co.Cork) on 10th, one again on Yell (Shetland) on 14th, a bird on Orkney Mainland at Birsay Bay on 14th also, and a final bird for 14th on Lewis (Western Isles).
In Gwynedd, the recent showy Bridled Tern began to play harder to get, being seen intermittently at Afon Wen on 8th-9th before departing to pastures new.
In Dorset the first-summer Forster's Tern was made of more obliging stuff, being seen around Arne RSPB on 8th-14th. Dorset also supplied tantalising sightings of an orange-billed tern sp at Arne RSPB on 9th, and Brownsea Island NT on 12th.
A juvenile White-winged Black Tern was seen passing Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 13th, and an adult was found on 14th at Shapwick Heath NNR (Somerset).
A Black Kite was found in Wiltshire near West Dean on 9th, and another over Honing (Norfolk) on 13th.
Two Montagu’s Harriers remained in the Blue House Farm EWT area (Essex) until 10th, with a ringtail also seen at Fingringhoe Wick EWT on 12th. A further possible bird was seen at Hawnby (North Yorkshire) on 8th, and a definite juvenile near Long Stratton (Norfolk) on 13th.
Once again, though not surprisingly given the dates in question, it was a rather quiet week on the passerine front.
Starting in the northern isles, two Red-backed Shrikes remained on Foula (Shetland) until 14th; and one was still to be found on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 12th. A further first-winter was found in Lincolnshire at Anderby Creek on 12th-14th.
On 14th a Hoopoe was seen on the Isle of Wight at Haddon’s Pits NT.
A Red-rumped Swallow was seen at St Andrews (Fife) on 10th.
An Alpine Swift was found on 14th at Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire).
A Marsh Warbler was trapped and ringed at Kingfishers Bridge NR (Cambridgeshire) on 13th.
A Bee-eater was seen over Pegwell Bay (Kent) on 13th; another brief Kentish sighting came on 14th from West Hougham.
Dale Airfield (Pembrokeshire) scored a fine, pale Short-toed Lark on 10th-14th.
We’ll kick off the overseas news close to home in France where, this week, there was plenty going on. A Brown Booby was seen on 8th at Sept-Îles; an Elegant Tern on 9th at Île d'Yeu; the Eastern Long-legged Buzzard again on 9th-10th at Thibie; two Pygmy Cormorants at Petit Camargue Alsacienne on 11th; and Sooty Tern still at Barre a l’Anglais on 14th.
A Melodious Warbler was trapped and ringed in the Channel Islands on Alderney on 11th.
In the Netherlands the female White-headed Duck remained present at Brabantse Biesbosch on 8th-14th.
The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper remained in Poland at Biala Olecka on 11th.
In Denmark a Steppe Eagle was noted at Rodhus on 9th.
The prior week’s Brown Booby was still on board the MS Silja Serenade in Swedish waters on 8th, when it was taken into care.
A mighty eight Bulwer’s Petrels were seen from Estaca de Bares on the north Spain coast on 11th.
In Italy, the Grey-headed Gull remained at Pantano Longarini on 8th.
Further afield, on Cape Verde the White-faced Whistling Duck remained on Sal on 8th-12th.
And finally, in Egypt a juvenile Bateleur was seen at Saint Catherine on 12th.
We’ve already invoked the possibility of Bulwer’s Petrel in these parts in recent weeks, and events off Spain’s Estaca de Bares this week will have done little to dampen down British and Irish seawatchers’ more fervid fantasies in this regard, but what else might the coming week portend if we’re lucky?
Staying at sea, the days to come are a classic time for a Fea’s / Desertas Petrel and, while many of us dare to dream bigger than them these days (how times have changed!) there’s no denying they still have the lustre of the truly special, unpredictable rarity for those fortunate enough to cross paths with one.
That said, it’s a good time of year to be checking coastal estuaries for stints and peeps. There ought to be a good bird or two lurking amongst the Dunlin… All three of the Nearctic classics have good form for the days to come, so eyes peeled for Baird’s, Semipalmated and White-rumped Sandpipers - all of which are fine self-find birds wherever you stumble across one.
Jon Dunn
15 Aug 2023
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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