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Weekly birding round-up: 22 - 28 Aug 2023

When we used to speak of the Scilly season, we traditionally spoke of the passerine glories that September and October delivered to the islands, but in the wake of recent years’ pelagics, and those of this year in particular, we might need to reappraise that definition…

The pelagic magic showed no signs whatsoever of abating this week, with a star-studded cast of birds on offer for those taking to the water. They rather overshadowed everything else but, if we look beyond them, this was a cracking early autumn week elsewhere in Britain and Ireland too.

 

As we’ll see in the seabirds section of the weekly round up that follows, those blessed to be on the Scilly pelagics this week were spoiled rotten with sightings of other seabirds that, in the distant (and not so distant) past were considered particularly choice species to catch up with. Nowadays Wilson’s Petrels are de rigeur and, in the wake of the events of recent weeks, there’s a distinct impression that Scopoli’s Shearwater might follow suit…

But some seabirds retain a rarity cachet that transcends the aforementioned. While this past week there were many making the pilgrimage to Scilly in the not unreasonable hope they’d connect with the lingering Red-footed Booby, nobody would have predicted with any confidence that some would be doubly blessed with the second South Polar Skua sighting of recent weeks.

And yet there it was on 25th.

In any normal (well, there’s no such thing, but y’know) Scilly pelagic season birds of this calibre would be the jewels in the crown, but this year’s pelagics have been anything but what passes for normal. The jewel in the crown of 2023 was still sitting proud on the Bishop lighthouse this week…

Making perhaps an unassailable case for Bird of the Year in Britain (short of some truly outrageous passerine in the weeks to come, and even then…) the Red-footed Booby remained present and more or less reliable atop the Bishop Rock Lighthouse (Scilly) throughout the week. A twitchable mega seabird, at sea… quite unthinkable, really.

With the Scilly boatmen coordinating their departures to tie in with the arrival of the Scillonian, there was nothing to stop anyone so inclined from heading down to Cornwall and setting off for a day on (and off) Scilly with better than average hopes of actually scoring the Red-footed Booby. And they did – it was seen daily on the lighthouse on 22nd-28th, with a sojourn at sea for good measure on 27th.

One or two of the Scilly pelagic regulars, flushed with success by scoring the Red-footed Booby et al this week, were joking on social media about scoring the booby double there before too long. That sort of thing would, surely, remain the stuff of fantasy…

Or would it?

An unprecedented double act was to unfold, surely one of the all-time great British rarity encounters, in the early afternoon of 28th when, shortly after news was broadcast of the Red-footed Booby still sitting pretty on the Bishop, the mega alert sounded to announce a Brown Booby also on the Bishop.

Just pause a moment and take that in. Brown Booby AND Red-footed Booby, both perched together at the iconic Scillonian lighthouse.

Just when we thought the recent boat-borne euphoria and scenes couldn’t be surpassed, Scilly went and did it again. And both birds sat tight as the day wore on…

Bishop takes 2023. Checkmate.

You can read Mark Thomas's account of the exciting discovery of the Brown Booby here

While Britain’s been blessed with a few – though still less than 20 – prior Greater Sand Plovers, they remain significantly rarer beasts further west in Ireland – to date there’s less than a handful of Irish records, after their first, a one-day bird that dropped into Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 20th July 2016.

As we all know all too well, a one-day bird is a frustrating creature – if time and circumstance don’t permit, you’re going to dip without even leaving the house or feigning a sniffle with work. We like our rarities to be give us a sporting chance…

Happily for Irish birders, in the recent past there was another, more substantial bite at the cherry – an obliging spring male that settled at Tramore (Co.Waterford) on 2nd-5th May 2022.

And this week Irish birders had another decent chance of catching up with this smart shorebird following the discovery of a Greater Sand Plover at Tacumshin in the morning of 23rd. It remained there throughout the morning but, by early afternoon, there was no further sign of it forthcoming. Was this to be another exercise in frustration for all but those who happened to be nearby at the time?

A day passed with no further sign of the bird, and things weren’t looking good until, in the morning of 25th, there it was again – now a little further west on The Cull off Blackstone. Fortunately for local birders, and those from further afield too, it was to remain there throughout the weekend on 26th-28th.

It goes without saying that any Oriental Turtle Dove is a rare beast in a British context – to the end of 2022, we’ve just 14 accepted post-1950 birds. The last such was something of an anomaly – found in midsummer in Easington (East Yorkshire) on 2nd-7th July 2022.

Autumn and wintering birds had been the norm until that point. A July bird raised all sorts of questions – was it a very late spring migrant, or had it been lurking unseen in Britain for weeks or months before landing in the garden of the BBRC Chair?

Perhaps the meena bird found this week on South Uist (Western Isles) on 27th-28th at Boisdale is close enough to September to be attributed to an early autumn migrant. One way or another, it was certainly a pleasant surprise.

Conversely, the middle of the year, the months of June to August, are absolutely the prime time to get lucky for a wayward Sooty Tern. A glance at our few past records tells us that, from time to time, a bird will settle somewhere for a few days and prove obliging. But it also says that many a record is a fleeting one-day fly-by bird…

More curiously, that look at past records will tell you that every south coast English county can boast a past historic Sooty Tern. All, that is, bar one – and that’s Cornwall.

There’ve been just 11 accepted historic post-1950 records, and none of them were Cornish. It was a gaping hole in the Cornish list… one that, should it be accepted, the bird seen heading west past Pendeen on 22nd will plug.

As we’ve already touched upon in the headlines, those Scilly pelagics really are the gift that keeps on giving this year and, this past week, they served up yet more sightings of Scopoli’s Shearwater on 26th, with two birds seen that day; and another on 27th.

One suspects that there may yet be a few birds from recent weeks lurking on camera memory cards that will, in the fullness of time, come out of the woodwork given how many Cory’s Shearwaters have been seen and photographed lately. The BBRC are in for a fun time this coming year making sense of them all… Yet another was found further east on 26th from a pelagic off Brixham (Devon), and two more on 27th from the Scillonian.

Speaking of Cory’s Shearwaters, good numbers were yet again logged during the week – around 6,500 birds, give or take. The peak count came from the Scilly pelagic of 28th when 3,000 birds were tallied. Great Shearwater numbers held firm, with around 2,200 birds noted nationwide – of which the best count also came from that Scilly pelagic on 28th, when around 1,000 birds were seen.

Balearic Shearwaters remained fairly subdued in British waters, though their numbers increased ever so slightly on the preceding week, with some 410 birds noted nationwide. Portland (Dorset) was again having the best of it, with a peak count of 79 birds seen from there on 24th.

No week lately would have been complete without some Wilson’s Petrels and, while their numbers have dwindled now to almost nothing, the Scilly pelagics weren’t to be gainsaid – single birds were seen on them on 24th and 25th. A further bird was seen from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 27th.

Scottish at-sea Leach’s Petrels were the order of the day this week, with single birds seen from the Ullapool / Stornoway ferry (Highland & Caithness / Western Isles) on 22nd, 23rd and 25th; and between Uig and Stornoway on 23rd. Another was seen from Lewis (Western Isles) on 26th, and two from North Uist (Western Isles) on 27th; and Irish sightings came from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 24th, 27th and 28th.

The week was, once again, a very good one indeed for sightings of Fea’s Petrel sp. Specifically, 25th was an excellent day for them, with a bird seen well passing Pendeen (Cornwall), and two Irish records – one apiece for Brandon Point (Co.Kerry) and Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare). Another bird was reported from Pendeen on 27th. Cornwall and Ireland are anticipated quarters for these consummate ocean wanderers, but the last record of the week came from more unexpected quarters – a bird seen from Labost on Lewis (Western Isles) in the evening of 27th.

Skua numbers stayed fairly static this week – around 55 Pomarine Skuas represented little change on the preceding week’s total, and Long-tailed Skuas similarly constant with around 40 birds again seen – notable was a juvenile dark morph inland at Staines Reservoirs (Surrey) on 28th.

Of the long-legged beasties, the past week proved to be a good one for sightings of Purple Heron - birds were noted at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 24th; heading from Bryher to Samson (Scilly) on 24th; at Catcott Lows NR (Somerset) and Milnthorpe (Cumbria) on 25th; at Kenfig Pool NR (Glamorgan) on 25th-26th; and, on 28th, seen over Hitchcock Lake (Bedfordshire).

A Night Heron was seen in Devon at Riverside Valley Park on 24th-26th.

Black Storks continued to enjoy a decent run in Britain, with three areas scoring birds this week – one was hanging around Hampshire on 22nd-28th, being seen variously at Brockenhurst, Woodfidley, Lyndhurst, Stockley Inclosure, and Keyhaven Marshes; another was seen in Norfolk at Snettisham RSPB on 22nd; and the Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) bird was still to be found there on 24th-28th.

Hampshire also did well for itself with Glossy Ibises, with three birds seen at Titchfield Haven NNR on 25th-26th and Hook-with-Warsash LNR on 26th also, and then four at the former site on 28th. Further along the south coast Dungeness (Kent) again held two birds on 24th-27th. In Suffolk two birds remained at Aldeburgh Town Marshes on 23rd-25th. Cambridgeshire retained a bird at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB on 22nd-28th. Finally, three birds were again seen at Lady’s Island Lake (Co.Wexford) on 25th-26th and Tacumshin on 28th.

A Spotted Crake was found on 26th at Alkborough Flats NR (Lincolnshire).

Variety appeared on the rarity duckpond this week with the discovery of two Blue-winged Teal in East Yorkshire on Tophill Low on 24th. At least one of them was present in the area on 23rd-28th.

An eclipse drake American Wigeon was seen on Lough Beg (Co.Derry) on 22nd-25th.

Drake Ring-necked Duck sightings came again this week from Suffolk and Glamorgan where, respectively, one remained at Carlton Marshes SWT on 22nd-23rd, and another on Lisvane Reservoir on 24th.

And so to Lothian, where the drake Stejneger’s Scoter remained present off Musselburgh Lagoons on 22nd-28th, with the immature drake Surf Scoter also seen again there on 22nd-28th; and the second-summer drake King Eider also still present on 22nd-27th.

Away from Co.Wexford, the best of an expanding cast of quality shorebirds this past week was a juvenile Broad-billed Sandpiper found at Tyninghame Bay (Lothian) on 25th.

The settled White-rumped Sandpiper remained at Boulmer (Northumberland) on 22nd-26th.

Ireland did well for Pectoral Sandpipers, though we’re yet to approach some of the single site tallies of recent autumns. Two birds were seen at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 23rd, with one remaining there on 24th-27th; another was found at Kilcoole (Co.Wicklow) on 22nd; and the Sandymount (Co.Dublin) bird remained present on 22nd-28th. English birds were found at Kilnsea Wetlands (East Yorkshire) on 25th, and Greatham Creek (Cleveland) on 25th-26th and Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland) on 27th-28th. One was found on South Uist (Western Isles) on 27th; and on 28th further reports came from Druridge Pools NR (Northumberland) and Marshside RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside).

A Buff-breasted Sandpiper also dropped into South Uist (Western Isles) on 27th.

A Temminck’s Stint was found in Hampshire on 25th at Farlington Marshes HWT; another probable was seen on Islay (Argyll & Bute) at Loch Gruinart RSPB on 28th.

Holy Island (Northumberland) was having quite a week of it, with Pacific Golden Plover there on 24th sharing the site with an American Golden Plover too. Further individuals of the latter species were seen at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) on 22nd-28th still; and at Glasson and Cockersand (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 22nd-28th.

A Kentish Plover dropped into Spurn (East Yorkshire) on 23rd; and a bird was seen at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 25th.

Dotterels this week were found on Lundy (Devon) on 22nd; at Kynance Cove (Cornwall) on 23rd; in off the sea at Foreness Point (Kent) on 24th; at Long Mynd (Shropshire) on 26th; and at East Pentire (Cornwall) on 27th.

After an absence of over a week, what should pop up in Ireland again but the Black-winged Pratincole, seen in recent days in Co.Donegal at Inch Island Lake on 22nd, and back at Blanket Nook on 26th-28th again.

In South Yorkshire the male Black-winged Stilt and his three extant young remained at Wombwell Ings on 22nd-28th, while the female lingered on at Edderthorpe Flash on 22nd-24th. Five birds also remained at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 22nd-24th.

The Long-billed Dowitcher remained on Sanday (Orkney) on 24th-28th, while the Cley NWT (Norfolk) individual was also still to be seen there on 22nd-28th.

A couple of southern Red-necked Phalaropes were found this week – one at Chew Valley Lake (Somerset) on 24th, and the other at Hollesley Marshes RSPB (Suffolk) on 25th-28th.

Seven Grey Phalarope were seen on 27th from Spinkadoon (Co.Mayo); quartets were seen from the Scilly pelagic of 22nd and from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 25th; single birds meanwhile were found off the Scillonian on 22nd, Kilcummin Head (Co.Mayo) on 25th, Pendeen (Cornwall) on 26th, and off the Bishop Rock (Scilly) on 27th.

Finally, and surely the first of several in the weeks to come, Lesser Yellowlegs were seen this week at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 24th, Llangwm (Pembrokeshire) on 24th-26th, and Montrose Basin (Angus) on 27th.

The week was to prove a very lively one for Sabine’s Gulls, with a magnificent combined tally of 75 British and Irish birds logged. Amongst those were some strong single site counts – 16 seen from Pendeen (Cornwall) on 22nd; 10 from Cape Cornwall (Cornwall) on 22nd also; and five from Kilcummin Head (Co.Mayo) on 25th.

The week was, again, also a busy one for Bonaparte’s Gulls - birds being seen in Britain at Oare Marshes KWT (Kent) still on 22nd-28th, and on South Uist (Western Isles) on 22nd; and in Ireland at Kinnegar Shore (Co.Down) still on 24th-28th, in Co.Cork at Harper’s Island on 25th-28th and Garretstown on 26th-27th, and in Dublin (Co.Dublin) on 28th.

An adult Ring-billed Gull was seen at Blennerville (Co.Kerry) on 28th.

Finally for the gulls – almost no white wingers reported this week. That doesn’t happen often in these parts. But then, on 28th, a Glaucous Gull still on South Uist (Western Isles).

In Dorset the first-summer Forster's Tern remained in Poole Harbour, being seen around Arne RSPB on 22nd-28th.

Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) was again briefly visited by a Caspian Tern on 25th.

At least half a dozen White-winged Black Terns were livening things up the length of the country. In the north, one remained on Benbecula (Western Isles) on 22nd-23rd; further Scottish sightings came in the form of a bird at Skinflats Lagoons RSPB (Forth) on 24th-25th, and a possible at Loch Ryan (Dumfries & Galloway) on 24th. Kentish sightings came from Higham Bight on 24th and Pegwell Bay on 26th. In Ireland, one was reported passing Gormanstown (Co.Meath) on 22nd, and another was seen in Co.Dublin at Rush on 24th.

A probable Gyr was seen at Harper’s Island (Co.Cork) on 23rd.

And so we come to the passerines, where autumn continued to move through the gears for another week.

Starting with the warblers, the Booted Warbler remained on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 24th, and another was found on Out Skerries (Shetland) on 25th.

A Blyth’s Reed Warbler was at Halligarth on Unst (Shetland) on 23rd.

Marsh Warblers, meanwhile, were seen on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 26th, at Collieston (Aberdeenshire) on 24th, and on Portland (Dorset) on 27th.

A Western Bonelli’s Warbler was trapped and ringed on Skokholm (Pembrokeshire) on 23rd.

An intriguing report came of a possible Iberian Chiffchaff in Cornwall at Morwenstow on 26th.

Greenish Warblers almost scaled the dizzy heights of double figures, with nine birds logged lately. Birds lingered at Cresswell Pond NWT (Northumberland) on 22nd-24th, Norwick on Unst (Shetland) on 22nd-23rd, at Flamborough (East Yorkshire) on 24th-27th, and in Shetland around the Grutness and Sumburgh area on 24th-26th. Additional birds were found on 22nd on Fetlar (Shetland); on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 24th and 26th; in Lerwick (Shetland) on 26th-28th; on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 26th; and on Mousa (Shetland) on 27th.

Arctic Warblers were, for now, harder to come by – birds were found this week on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 24th, and Whalsay (Shetland) on 26th.

The ringers’ nets remained magnetic for Melodious Warblers for another week, with birds trapped and/or re-trapped on Portland (Dorset) on 22nd and 26th; in Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 22nd; on Lundy (Devon) on 23rd; and Bardsey (Gwynedd) on 23rd-24th. Another was found in Devon at Orcombe Point on 23rd, and another was seen on Lundy on 27th.

Around a dozen Icterine Warblers were logged this week, from Shetland in the north to Devon and Kent in the south. The northern isles held the lion’s share, with Fair Isle (Shetland) sporting three birds on 22nd, and North Ronaldsay (Orkney) two on 25th.

It was much the same story with Barred Warblers, with the best of them the preserve of the north. Of the 18 birds logged nationally this week, two Shetland islands held multiple birds – duos on Out Skerries on 25th, and Fair Isle on 25th-26th.

Fair Isle also gave us one of two Woodchat Shrikes seen in recent days, present on the island on 24th-26th; the other bird was also island-bound, found on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 25th-28th.

Some 25 Red-backed Shrikes were also noted in recent days, with Shetland particularly blessed – three were on Unst at Norwick alone on 24th, while Fair Isle held two birds on 25th.

Around 25 Wrynecks were seen this week, representing something of a drop on the prior week’s tally.

Half a dozen Hoopoe were seen in recent days – one at Instow (Devon) on 24th; another on 25th near Redmire (North Yorkshire); on 27th-28th at Shanagarry (Co.Cork); on 27th at Caerau (Glamorgan); and on 28th at Warden Point (Kent), and at Houton on Orkney’s Mainland.

The Golden Oriole remained on Unst (Shetland) on 23rd.

Three Bee-eaters passed through Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 25th.

A fine and showy Rose-coloured Starling was found on West Burra (Shetland) on 25th-28th; a rather more dowdy juvenile was seen in Orkney at Rousay on 28th.

An Alpine Swift passed through Wilmington (East Sussex) in the late morning of 27th; and another was reported from St Bees Head (Cumbria) on 27th also.

Dale Airfield (Pembrokeshire) held onto its Short-toed Lark on 22nd-28th.

Another sign of autumn proper’s imminence came with the discovery of one, possibly two, Citrine Wagtails at Hoylake Beach (Cheshire & Wirral) on 23rd, and another at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall) on 24th.

The adult male feldegg Black-headed Wagtail was still present at Myroe Levels (Co.Derry) on 22nd-24th.

Common Rosefinches were again seen on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 22nd and 25th; in Shetland’s south Mainland at Quendale on 23rd and Hillswick on 26th; on Yell (Shetland) on 27th; and on Foula (Shetland) on 28th.

Finally, a Serin was found on 27th on Portland (Dorset).

The overseas news really has to start where the British rarity week left off, and that’s with Brown Booby - birds further afield prefaced our Scilly individual on 22nd, being seen in France at Sept-Iles, and on 22nd-23rd off Sylt (Germany).

Before we abandon the booby news, there’s also the small matter of a Red-footed Booby seen at sea between the Azores and Madeira on 23rd. Granted that’s a long way from home, and two birds hardly mark a profound step-change, but there’s a nagging feeling that the times they are a-changing out there on the waters…

Returning closer to home, a Short-billed Dowitcher was found in Spain at Basses d’en Coll on 26th.

In France, an Eastern Imperial Eagle was seen at Lac du Mer on 27th.

Finally, in the Netherlands, the female White-headed Duck remained present at Brabantse Biesbosch on 22nd-25th.

September! Ah… it’s like the return of a long-lost lover. We absolutely bloody love this month, and for good reason – it can deliver some of the year’s finest high notes.

The first week is, of course, early doors in proceedings. The further through the month we get, and the closer we get to the sweet spot where September hands over to October, the better it can be. But let’s not dismiss the coming first days of September completely out of hand. They’ve got some form…

From the west, it’s a good time for Lesser Yellowlegs, while from the east, Great Snipe. Back in the day, this was a good time for Yellow-breasted Bunting, though those days are presumably gone forever now… But given half a chance and some south-easterlies, a half-decent warbler is surely a good bet for a self-found tick for someone. They might not be of the calibre of an Eastern Olivaceous, but there are definitely Greenish and Arctic Warblers on the move, and who’d complain about finding either?

Jon Dunn

29th August 2023

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

 

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