Weekly birding round-up: 5 - 11 Sep 2023
Another week just gone, and one with something for everyone – our first Nearctic passerine of the autumn checked in to Shetland, and lured some folk to twitch it from the British mainland; a county first was found on the Scottish mainland, and then there were a couple of lingering booby species out there for good measure. Not to mention a decent fall of Wrynecks, and our first Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn. Autumn generally seems to be shaping up nicely.
We’re barely getting started on the serious business of the autumn, and our Nearctic passerine account is already open this week, courtesy of Shetland and spanking Yellow Warbler found on Foula on 5th, and still present there around its favoured hebe bush throughout the week until 11th.
If you wanted to find your own Yellow Warbler, you could do much worse than visiting Shetland and checking out hebes. Those purple-flowered shrubs seem to have a powerful allure for them, judging by archive photos of prior Shetland and Western Isles records. And Shetland – this week’s bird being the third county record of the species, it’s shaping up to be as close to a classic location for Yellow Warbler as anywhere can be for a species with barely more than a handful of national records.
Britain’s only had six prior birds, from the first on Bardsey (Gwynedd) on 29th-30th August 1964 to our last, on Portland (Dorset) on 21st August 2017. The latter bird was notable in being found on the same day as another in Ireland on Mizen Head (Co.Cork). While lightning wasn’t striking twice this week in the multiple bird regard, an early American wood warbler is surely a propitious omen for the weeks to come.
The weekend was drawing to a close on the afternoon of 10th when news broke of the first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper for Angus at Montrose Basin. Just enough hours of daylight remaining in the day for a quick dash should one have found oneself in east Scotland with a yearning to catch up with what, in a Scottish context, never mind through an Angus lens, is a top drawer rarity. Daylight remaining, yes, but not the bird – there was no further sign of it as the evening wore on.Shetland and Orkney have, between them, three past records, the most recent being the Orcadian sighting of 20th-23rd July 2012 on Westray. But mainland Scotland, that’s a different kettle of fish – it’s just had two prior birds to date. The first was a bird found on the Clyde Estuary on 13th October 1956; and the latest a one-day bird at Aberlady Bay (Lothian) on 17th August 1985.
It’s fair to say it’s been a while, then. At least the Clyde Estuary bird stuck around for nine days. It remains to be seen what the tenure of this week’s bird will prove to be, but as day broke on 11th, the signs were looking good, and the bird was showing again at Montrose Basin, albeit at times proving elusive.
Granted, there was a rarer still booby elsewhere in Britain this week, but for crowd-pleasing convenience that doesn’t involve schlepping down to Cornwall, getting oneself out to Scilly, and then onwards on a small boat to encircle a lighthouse, it’s hard to gainsay the adult female Brown Booby that, in recent days, abandoned the coast of North Yorkshire for a few days residency off Cleveland.
Still present in North Yorkshire off Hunmanby Gap on 5th, by 6th she’d passed through Co.Durham and Northumberland and had settled upon Cleveland for a while. From 7th-11th she was settled on the numbered, coloured buoys off South Gare, making seeing her practically a formality.
Meanwhile, further north, the week began with an immature bird seen on 5th from Pettycur Car Park (Fife) and, on 6th, at Cramond Island (Lothian). Nor were these to be the only Scottish records of the week, for another probable was seen heading east past Lossiemouth (Moray) on the morning of 9th, and a possible at Tarbat Ness (Highland & Caithness) on 10th.
Back in Norfolk, a county that’s flirted with reports of Brown Booby in recent weeks, a possible seen distantly off Kelling Quags on 11th in the morning had, by late morning, been upgraded to a confident shout after all.
We hardly need telling that Kent is THE place in Britain for Short-toed Treecreeper sightings – around three quarters of all our British records owe themselves to the county. While Dungeness lays claim to most of these, that’s not to say that the rest of the county’s coast isn’t in the running. Recently, Langdon Cliffs NT is beginning to prove a happy hunting ground.
What was presumed to be the same bird hung out there from 21st September to 3rd November 2019… followed last year by another found on 7th April. This week, still another was found there in the evening of 6th.
Still finding ourselves unable to relegate the Scillonian Red-footed Booby to the almost-rans of the main body of text, the first-summer bird in question remained hanging around Bishop Rock this week on 5th-11th, and still proved able to pull a crowd.
While the English and Irish southwest are deservedly vaunted seawatching locations, it takes some more perseverance and patience to stay the course and earn just rewards in the north of Scotland. Orkney’s North Ronaldsay has some track record in that regard, and this week pulled a Fea’s Petrel sp out of the bag on 5th.
Wilson’s Petrels weren’t quite done with us yet, and keen eyes in Ireland scored birds on 9th from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) and a pelagic off Skibbereeen (Co.Cork), and on 10th from Annagh Head (Co.Mayo).
A small number of Leach’s Petrels were noted in recent days – one at sea on 8th between Liverpool and Belfast; two on 9th from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare); one from Lossiemouth (Moray) on 10th; and, on 11th, four from Bridges of Ross, two from the Ullapool / Stornoway (Highland & Caithness / Western Isles) ferry, and one from Brandon Point (Co.Kerry).
Annagh Head (Co.Mayo) comfortably had the best of the 17,500 Great Shearwaters seen this week, with a tally of 11,800 coming from there on 10th. Cory’s Shearwater numbers, finally, took a bit of a dive, with a mere 4,800 birds logged over the week – Annagh Head (Co.Mayo) also getting the highest count, with 1,450 seen from there on 10th.
Numbers of Balearic Shearwaters were very much down again, with around 700 birds reported – Portland (Dorset) getting the highest daily counts, culminating in a peak of 141 birds off there on 8th.
Skua numbers fell somewhat this week, with around 45 Pomarine Skua and 40 Long-tailed Skua logged lately. Apart from four birds seen from Annagh Head (Co.Mayo) on 10th, there were no significant counts of the former species as ones and twos trickled through; and seven Long-tailed Skua off Canvey Island (Essex) on 8th were notable.
Finally, the Double-crested Cormorant was again seen at Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim) on 9th.
A little variety crept back into the weekly long-legged beasties, with some scarce herons popping out of the woodwork once more.
In Cornwall, a juvenile Purple Heron was lurking at Marazion RSPB on 7th-11th; while three were reported over Mizen Head (Co.Cork) on 7th; and another juvenile was found on 10th at Fernleigh Park (Warwickshire).
A Night Heron appeared at Worth Marsh (Kent) on 5th, while another was present in Co.Durham for a week until 11th at a private fishing lake at Ouston.
The week was a little busier than late for Glossy Ibis. Starting in Ireland, in Co.Wexford sightings came thick and fast – three birds at Tacumshin on 7th-9th and Ring Marsh on 8th; while on 9th two were still at the latter site, with two also seen that day back at Lady’s Island Lake. Three birds were seen in Devon at Fremington Pill on 6th-7th, with two still present there on 10th; two Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire) again on 7th, with one remaining there by 11th; two at Dungeness (Kent) still on 9th, with one still present on 10th; and two at Aldeburgh Town Marshes (Suffolk) on 5th-8th. The single bird remained in Cambridgeshire at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB on 5th-11th, while back in Kent a single bird was found on Sheppey at Capel Fleet on 9th-10th, a singleton was found in Poole Harbour (Dorset) in Wareham Channel on 10th, and another was reported over Wheldrake Ings YWT (North Yorkshire) on 10th also.
The Spotted Crake remained at Ogston Reservoir (Derbyshire) on 5th-11th; and Corncrake were found on St Kilda (Western Isles) on 5th, and on 10th on Fair Isle (Shetland) and at Spurn (East Yorkshire).
Decent duck news began to dry up a bit this past week, perhaps reflecting diverted attention on the east coast of Scotland and northern England to matters more seabird-related…
But, for the first time in months, we’ve a honker to report – an interior Todd’s Canada Goose seen briefly at Marshside RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 10th.
Starting the quackers in Lothian, the drake Stejneger’s Scoter was still present off Musselburgh on 5th, as was the immature drake Surf Scoter, while the second-summer drake King Eider was last reported from there on 6th.
Two Blue-winged Teal remained at Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire) on 6th, with at least one still present in the area on 9th-11th.
An American Wigeon was seen on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 9th-10th.
In Co.Mayo, a drake Black Duck was seen on 11th at Leam Lough.
Finally, the drake Ferruginous Duck was once more noted at Draycote Water (Warwickshire) on 5th-8th, and a drake in Norfolk at Cantley Beet Factory on 11th.
Into the shorebirds now, and the meat in the week’s sandwich – there were plenty of pleasing birds on the move, and some promising signs of what’s hopefully to come.
Buff-breasted Sandpipers proved to be fairly numerous, with a dozen or so birds noted this week. Scilly had a good spell for them, with two birds seen on St Martin’s on 5th, and one present on St Mary’s on 9th. Across the water in Cornwall one was present around the Land’s End airfield area on 5th-7th; another at Marazion still on 5th-6th; and another at Davidstow airfield on 5th-10th still. Another airfield was proving popular with the species for, at Dale airfield in Pembrokeshire, a single bird was to be seen on 9th. Birders visiting Cleveland this week had the additional incentive of a bird present at Saltholme RSPB on 7th-11th. In Scotland two were present on South Uist (Western Isles) on 5th-11th, and one on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) on 6th. Irish sightings came from Pilmore (Co.Cork) on 5th, Keadue Bar (Co.Donegal) on 7th, and Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 10th-11th. As the week drew to a close, another was found in Suffolk at Minsmere RSPB on 11th, and a bird was seen on the Gann Estuary (Pembrokeshire).
Slightly more Pectoral Sandpipers were seen this week, with some 20 birds logged across Britain and Ireland as a whole, including two at Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire) on 10th, and three at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 11th. With a certain inevitability, fair numbers of this and the former species surely meant there had to be some scarcer fare out there for the finding, and so it proved – though what was found on Guernsey represented a near(ish) miss for a southern English county…
A Baird’s Sandpiper was found on Barra (Western Isles) on 7th-10th.
In Co.Cork, a Semipalmated Sandpiper seen initially at Owenahincha on 5th settled at Rosscarbery on 6th-11th.
A Spotted Sandpiper settled on the Isle of May (Fife) on 6th-7th, and another was found at Swanbridge (Glamorgan) on 10th.
A probable Terek Sandpiper was belatedly reported from Canvey Island (Essex) on 6th.
Temminck’s Stints were found this week at Carrahane Strand (Co.Kerry) on 7th; Hickling Broad NWT (Norfolk) on 8th; and Greatham Creek (Cleveland) on 9th, and Saltholme RSPB (Cleveland) on 10th-11th.
The week was a good one for American Golden Plovers, almost inching into double figures. English birds remained at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) on 5th-10th, and at Cockersand (Lancashire & North Merseyside) again on 7th. Lancashire & North Merseyside also supplied sightings at Banks Marsh NNR on 9th-11th, and Glasson on 10th. In the northeast, records came from Greatham Creek (Cleveland) on 7th, and Hornsea (East Yorkshire) on 9th and again on 11th. In Scotland, one remained on Lewis (Western Isles) on 5th-11th, with another present on South Uist (Western Isles) on 6th-7th. Lastly, in Ireland birds were seen at Inch Island Lake (Co.Donegal) still on 5th-8th; and at Poyntzpass (Co.Armagh) on 7th-10th.
A Kentish Plover was found on the Hayle Estuary (Cornwall) on 5th, with another seen at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 9th.
Dotterel were beginning to build a head of steam this week, with 16 birds noted over the course of recent days. Small trips of three were seen over Porthleven (Cornwall) on 7th, and two at Garreg Lwyd (Carmarthenshire) on 9th.
Our long-staying Long-billed Dowitchers remained on Sanday (Orkney) on 6th-11th, and at Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 5th-11th.
The recent Red-necked Phalaropes remained at Hollesley Marshes RSPB (Suffolk) on 5th, and at North Cave Wetlands YWT (East Yorkshire) on 5th-9th.
A Grey Phalarope was seen from the Oban/Barra ferry (Argyll & Bute/Western Isles) on 5th, with two more seen at sea from the pelagic off Skibbereen (Co.Cork) on 9th, and one from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 11th.
Finally, the Lesser Yellowlegs was still present at Montrose Basin (Angus) on 5th-9th; a possible bird was reported from near Rosemullion Head (Cornwall) on 6th; another bird was found in Ireland at Rosscarbery (Co.Cork) on 8th-11th; and one more on 10th-11th at Port Carlisle (Cumbria).
Lesser Yellowlegs at Rosscarbery today - no respect for this rarity from the Black-tailed Godwit! #phonescoped #rare pic.twitter.com/WY8tpqi5pb
— Gemma (@BC_Gemma) September 11, 2023
A little under 30 Sabine’s Gulls continued to enliven seawatches in Britain and Ireland this week – three being seen from Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 8th; two from Arranmore (Co.Donegal) on 5th; and single birds on 5th from Flamborough and Hornsea (East Yorkshire); on 7th from the Scillonian; on 8th from Out Head and Fife Ness (Fife); on 9th from Rathlin Island (Co.Antrim), and from the pelagic off Staithes (North Yorkshire); and on 10th from Papa Westray (Orkney), Kinnaber (Angus), Malin Head (Co.Donegal), and Annagh Head (Co.Mayo). On 11th final birds for the week were found from the Scillonian, where four individuals were noted; six were seen at sea some six miles off Bude (Cornwall); in Ireland off Bridges of Ross, where another four were seen, and Annagh Head, where a singleton was logged; and a possible was seen in North Yorkshire at Filey Brigg.
Three Bonaparte’s Gulls were again seen this week – in Dublin (Co.Dublin) on 5th; Garretstown (Co.Cork) on 6th; and at Oare Marshes KWT (Kent) on 6th.
The adult Ring-billed Gull remained at Blennerville (Co.Kerry).
A Glaucous Gull was reported from Westport Quay (Co.Mayo) on 8th; another was seen on Islay (Agryll & Bute) on 9th; and one was outside Sunderland (Co.Durham) on 11th.
Iceland Gulls, meanwhile, were found on 6th on Barra (Western Isles), and on 8th at Cape Clear (Co.Cork). Another was reported on 11th from Udale Bay RSPB (Highland & Caithness).
After an absence of reports that almost stretched throughout the week, in Dorset the first-summer Forster's Tern was again seen in Poole Harbour at Arne RSPB on 9th-11th.
Pick of the reports were the discovery of a male Red-footed Falcon in Kent on 8th at Graveney Marshes, and a female elsewhere in the county on 11th – she was seen heading to roost at the north end of Bough Beech Reservoir that evening.
For autumnal favour, we could look no further than the continuing recent run of Pallid Harriers - the Shetland bird was last seen heading south fromm Sumburgh on 8th; one at Cuckmere Haven (East Sussex) on 5th preceded a bird on the Isle of Wight at Shorwell on 7th-8th; and a final bird for the week was found inland at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) on 9th.
A juvenile Pallid / Montagu’s Harrier was seen in Ireland at Brownstown Head (Co.Waterford) on 6th; while a female Montagu’s Harrier was seen in Co.Cork at Coolmain Head on 8th, and a juvenile on 11th at Old Parish (Co.Waterford) perhaps accounting for the unresolved bird earlier in the week.
A Black Kite was found on Bardsey (Gwynedd) on 6th.
Some decent variety cropped up amongst the passerines this week, and we’ll kick that off on Lewis (Western Isles), where a Lesser Grey Shrike was found at South Galson on 8th. That’s the first of its kind this year in Britain and, if we discount the released bird from the Spanish reintroduction scheme that turned up on North Uist in 2021, the first for the county since their one and only prior accepted record, a one-day bird on South Uist on 29th May 1964. Had it only stuck around, this week’s bird would have stirred some local interest.
(There’s an extraordinary contrast between the Western Isles (one record), Orkney (five accepted records), and Shetland, which currently has 48 accepted records. On the other hand, the Western Isles has our one and only record of Long-tailed Shrike, a record that shows no sign any time soon of being equalled elsewhere, so can’t be complaining…)
A small arrival of Woodchat Shrike pitched into the English southwest in recent days – birds being seen on Scilly on St Mary’s on 7th and St Martin’s on 9th-11th, and on Lundy (Devon) on 6th.
Red-backed Shrikes crept into double figures with 10 birds logged this week. One remained in London at Osterley Park on 5th-11th; while other lingering birds remained at Abbot’s Cliff (Kent) on 5th-10th and on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 5th-6th. Additional sightings came from Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) on 6th-7th; St Mary’s (Scilly) on 7th-10th; Samphire Hoe CP (Kent) on 7th; Reculver (Kent) on 8th; and on 9th at Lowestoft (Suffolk), Fingringhoe Wick EWT (Essex) (still present on 10th-11th), and Rousay (Orkney). On 10th one was found at Pendeen (Cornwall), and another reported from Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk); and on 11th further birds in Cornwall at Cadgwith and Land’s End.
If the week belonged to any early autumn migrant, however, it was this one. Wrynecks were arriving en masse lately, and nowhere more so than Scilly – St Mary’s alone boasted at least nine birds on 6th, while Bryher that day held another seven, the latter island rising to 10 birds by 10th. How many were in the islands as a whole? Britain and Ireland as a whole was blessed with around 100 birds reported this week, though this is surely well beneath how many were actually passing through unseen by birders.
While the average non-birder may overlook a furtive Wryneck, the same can’t be said for a Hoopoe. They too made it into double figures this week, with birds noted on Scilly on St Martin’s on 5th, and St Mary’s on 6th and 8th; on Wallasea Island (Essex) on 5th; on Skokholm (Pembrokeshire) on 6th and 9th-11th; in Cornwall at Helford Passage on 7th, Pendeen on 8th, and in Nanquidno and Kenidjack Valleys respectively on 9th, remaining in the former at least on 10th-11th; in Devon on 9th near Beer, and on Lundy on 9th-11th; in Co.Cork on Cape Clear on 7th-11th, and Dursey Island on 9th-10th; and at Ballyconneely (Co.Galway) on 9th. On 11th one was found in Co.Cork at Glenbradagh, following another report in the county on 10th at Goleen; and a final bird was discovered on Valentia Island (Co.Kerry) on 11th also.
Equally colourful, but considerably scarcer this week, a Bee-eater was found in Kent on 9th near Stansted, and two at Todber (Dorset) on 9th.
The Isle of Wight held a Golden Oriole this week, seen at Bonchurch Woods and Dunnose on 6th-8th.
A Red-rumped Swallow was found in Dorset near Wimborne on 9th; and another on 11th at Kilnsea (East Yorkshire). Two more were reported passing over Beeston Bump (Norfolk) on 11th.
In Pembrokeshire the Short-toed Lark remained at Dale Airfield on 5th-9th.
And so to the warblers, and the welcome news that the autumn is now officially under way as the first Yellow-browed Warbler has made it to our shores, being seen on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 7th-10th.
The week was a good one for Western Bonelli’s Warbler, with five confirmed birds and a further possible candidate too. Confirmed birds were seen at Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 5th, Cape Clear (Co.Cork) on 6th-11th, Three Castles Head (Co.Cork) on 9th and then, on 11th, on St Mary’s (Scilly) and Rathlin Island (Co.Antrim). Further Bonelli’s Warbler sp were seen in Cornwall at Morvah on 6th, and on Lundy (Devon) on 10th.
An Arctic Warbler was seen in Shetland on Mainland at Exnaboe on 5th.
A twitchable Aquatic Warbler was found on 10th-11th at Beeding Brooks (West Sussex), and another was trapped and ringed on 11th at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall).
Marsh Warblers were found on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 5th, and at Galley Head (Co.Cork) on 9th-10th.
Booted Warblers were seen at Porth Joke (Cornwall) on 5th and Crookhaven (Co.Cork) on 7th, with another possible on St Mary’s (Scilly) on 6th.
There were still Melodious Warblers on the move this week, with two found on Great Saltee (Co.Wexford) on 6th, and singletons seen on 7th on Dursey Island (Co.Cork); on 8th at Pendeen and Kenidjack Valley (Cornwall); on 9th on Fair Isle (Shetland); and on 10th-11th at Nanjizal Valley (Cornwall), while the Kenidjack bird remained present on 10th also. A further probable remained on Skellig Michael (Co.Kerry) on 5th.
Fair Isle also landed an Icterine Warbler on 7th-8th. Additional birds elsewhere were trapped and ringed at Calf of Man (Isle of Man) on 7th, and seen at Collieston (Aberdeenshire) on 7th, and Kilbaha (Co.Clare) on 7th-11th.
A Savi’s Warbler was found on 9th at Sandwich Bay (Kent).
Barred Warblers were fairly numerous this week, with 30 birds noted throughout. Out Skerries (Shetland) held three on 8th, following Fair Isle’s three on 5th; and duos, also in Shetland, were present on Unst on 5th and Mainland at Quendale on 6th.
The juvenile Rose-coloured Starling remained on Lundy (Devon) on 5th-9th, and another was seen on 7th on The Lizard (Cornwall). On 10th two were seen at Pendeen, and one at Nanjizal and Polgigga (Cornwall); and another on Galley Head (Co.Cork).
The Bluethroat was once again seen in Gloucestershire at Slimbridge WWT on 10th.
A handful of widely scattered Citrine Wagtails were found this week – in the north, on Shetland Mainland at Bakkasetter on 8th, and North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 6th-7th; and down in Cornwall at Marazion on at least 8th-11th, and potentially on 7th also.
A Blue-headed Wagtail was found on 8th on Walney Island (Cumbria).
Another autumnal indicator came in the form this week of a Red-throated Pipit at Pendeen (Cornwall) on 7th, with another probable in the county on 11th at Sennen Cove.
25 Common Rosefinches spoke volumes about where we’re at in the year’s proceedings, the only surprise perhaps being that more weren’t found in Shetland on the wake of recent southeasterlies. Nonetheless, three birds on Foula (Shetland) on 6th-7th, and three on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 7th-9th were still decent hauls; and birds found in the south and southwest of England (at St Aldhelm’s Head (Dorset) on 9th, St Mary’s (Scilly) on 7th-9th, and Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 8th) tell us we may yet expect more easterly surprises to come. Rosefinches always feel like an indicator species for better things…
The first Little Bunting of the autumn appeared out of the fog on Sumburgh Head (Shetland) on 7th.
Further south, it was all about the Ortolan Buntings, with birds found in Cornwall at Porth Joke on 5th, and Pendeen on 7th; in Devon at Budleigh Salterton on 6th-8th and Start Point on 7th; on Portland (Dorset) on 7th; over Wanstead (London) on 7th; and, in Ireland, on Tory Island (Co.Donegal) on 9th. On 10th additional birds were found at Soar (Devon), Kingsdown (Kent), and a possible over Cotgrave (Nottinghamshire).
We alluded to it earlier in the shorebirds, so it’s only right to start the further afield news this week in Guernsey where a Solitary Sandpiper was an excellent find on 5th-10th.
The Solitary Sandpiper, La Societe Guernesiaise reserve Pre d'Enfer Guernsey, Bailiwick Islands this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/Gc0obUEklZ
— Alderney Bird Observatory (@BirdAlderney) September 10, 2023
Western Europe’s seawatching action wasn’t confined to England this week, with more wayward seabirds coming in the form of a Brown Booby found at sea some 100 miles off Lorient (France) on 5th and, in Spain, a White-chinned Petrel seen from Estaca de Bares on 8th.
Further quality shorebirds lately came in the form of a Sociable Lapwing in Poland at Paczkowski Lake on 7th, and a Cream-coloured Courser at Logatec in Slovenia on 7th also.
Cream-coloured Courser, Cursorius cursor photographed Zapolje-Logatec, C Slovenia by Domen Tavcar on 2nd September 2023 - 2nd record for Slovenia pic.twitter.com/ib6QMY519v
— Tarsiger (@TarsigerTeam) September 7, 2023
Finally, in Iceland a Cliff Swallow was still present at Keflavik on 6th, and 10 birds were on the Azores on Terceira on 10th.
Mid-September. Now there’s a time of year to conjure with. Back in the day, this was approaching the prime Scilly season, before that shifted into October – a time of Common Nighthawks, Solitary Sandpiper, a good Nearctic warbler or two…
But look elsewhere – this is a time when, in the past decade or so, some real quality has been found offshore in other islands. It’s hard to look beyond the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher of 15th-23rd September 2020 on Tiree (Argyll & Bute), or the Wilson’s Warbler on Dursey (Co.Cork) on 18th-21st September 2013, but if we go back a little further and raid the Shetland archive, there’s the Sandhill Crane of 1991 and, from the east, the Hawk Owl of 1983, and the Pallas’s Reed Bunting that pitched onto Fair Isle on 17th-18th September 1981.
Some real blockers in amongst that little lot, to say the least.
And we needn’t write off the British mainland – the coming week boasts, after all, the extraordinary record of Tufted Puffin bobbing on the murky waters of the Swale in Kent on 16th September 2009, and the Amur Falcon found on 14th September 2008 at Tophill Low NR (East Yorkshire).
We’re now in the territory where almost anything can, and does, happen in the world of lost birds. The early part of the coming week, at least, seems to have some westerlies mixed up in it, so let’s take a punt of something Nearctic getting through. With four past records from the coming week, representing some 10 percent of our total records for the species as a whole, an early Bobolink doesn’t feel too much like shooting for the stars…
Jon Dunn
12th September 2023
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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