Weekly birding round-up: 30 Jan - 5 Feb 2024
Given the time of year, we might have been forgiven for thinking the week just gone would be a quiet one – but those just don’t seem to come around anymore these days, do they? If there wasn’t a great deal of movement amongst birds as a whole, there were certainly some notable new headliners to be found, and the reappearance of another notable recent(ish) duck. We’ve known worse weeks, certainly.
Cornwall last enjoyed a Sociable Lapwing in the winter of 2020/21, a bird initially seen at Crows-an-wra on 27th November 2020, and lastly at Bude Marshes on 20th February 2021. Back then, this was a huge Cornish bird, only a third record for the county, and the first since October 1987.
This week, Cornish birders were treated to a second bite at the latter-day cherry. Indeed, the bird in question was attracting birders from up country too, as it settled at Ruan Lanihorne on 1st-5th. Sometimes distant, but incontrovertibly a Sociable Lapwing, a species that’s become decidedly scarcer in a British context since the turn of the century.
That last Cornish bird was the first in Britain since 2008. It’s hard to shake the feeling that these are blockers in the making. Two in the space of the past five years is an unexpected Cornish largesse. Where – and when – the next British bird will be found remains to be seen.
Ireland, as we know, has been playing host to a settled Double-crested Cormorant on Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim) more or less continuously since 14th February 2022; and before that, a bird near Ballylongford (Co.Kerry) from late November 2021.
For Irish birders, then, perhaps not such a big deal at a national level. But at a county level, it’s a very different story, not least in Co.Wexford where there’s no prior accepted record of the species. That changed this week with the discovery of a bird on 1st in the harbour at Slade; while the Doon Lough individual remained there in Co.Leitrim on 5th.
The interminable wait for another twitchable British example, meanwhile, goes on…
Last seen in Somerset at Greylake RSPB on New Year’s Day, we might have been forgiven for thinking the drake Baikal Teal in question had done a bunk. On the other hand, the Somerset Levels offer a vast area of damp, teal-friendly space in which for the bird to lose itself in the meantime, so it’s seemingly never gone away, merely gone unseen.
For there it was again at Greylake RSPB on 30th, where it remained a daily fixture until the week’s end on 5th. In the meantime, of course, Somerset also scored a female bird at Catcott Lows NR on 6th… Maybe she’ll come back out of the woodwork someday soon too.
There are a few birders out there who’ve felt the sting of a probable Brunnich’s Guillemot as it slipped past their seawatching vantage point and through their fingers, either seen not quite well enough to be certain of its identity or, arguably worse still, seen well enough to be sure, but not with sufficient compelling evidence to convince those who adjudicate on such matters.
It hurts, right? This week, a probable Brunnich’s was seen off Scarborough (North Yorkshire) on 2nd.
A Little Auk meanwhile was seen from Hook Head (Co.Wexford) on 1st; and two off Westray (Orkney) on 5th.
Up on Shetland, a White-billed Diver was found off Skaw on Unst on 1st.
As we complacently expect nowadays, there were still plenty of Glossy Ibis to go around this week – indeed, just maybe more than ever, if the report of a possible 15 birds seen flying down the Usk Valley at Abergavenny (Gwent) on 2nd is taken into account. That report notwithstanding, almost 20 birds were noted again nationwide, with three once more at Fremington Pill (Devon) on 31st, and three again at Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire) on 3rd-4th notable confirmed gatherings.
Lancashire & North Merseyside continues to confound where The Goose Formerly Known As Canada is concerned, with the seemingly resident hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose at Lunt Meadows LWT still on 31st-4th joined in the dailies by a report of an additional Cackling Goose there on 3rd.
Red-breasted Geese continued to delight this week, not least in Norfolk where sightings came thick and fast at Blakeney Freshmarsh, Cley, King’s Lynn, Morston, and Salthouse as the days wore on. One was again seen in Essex at Wallasea Island RSPB on 30th and again on 4th; and the regular Budle Bay (Northumberland) individual was still present on 30th-5th.
In Scotland the white Snow Goose remained at Dingwall (Highland & Caithness) on 30th-5th; the North Uist (Western Isles) bird remained there on 3rd; the individual on Tiree (Argyll & Bute) was again noted on 2nd; and the blue morph remained present at Llay Pools (Wrexham) on 30th-5th.
A Black Brant was seen on 4th in East Yorkshire at Long Bank Marsh.
Heading into the quackers, and we’ve top drawer scoters to start us off. In Norfolk, the drake Black Scoter reappeared off Holkham Gap on 31st-3rd, and was to prove a potent draw for twitchers.
Perhaps garnering less attention, but no less rare for all that, the drake White-winged Scoter was again seen off Inch (Co.Kerry) on 3rd-5th.
Two Surf Scoter remained off Gormanstown (Co.Meath) on 1st, and two off Inch (Co.Kerry) still on 5th; a drake was seen off Curracloe (Co.Wexford) on 4th-5th, while the juvenile was still present at Restronguet Creek (Cornwall) on 30th.
A drake King Eider was seen off Joppa (Lothian) on 5th.
A handful of American Wigeon were seen lately in Scotland, with two drakes at Cloddach Quarry (Moray) on 30th particularly notable among their number. Elsewhere, single birds remained at Loch of Ayre (Orkney) on 30th, Crook of Baldoon RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway) on 31st-4th, and Newshot Island (Clyde) on 1st-5th still. Another Orcadian sighting came from Loch of Graemeshall on 4th, with confirmation that day also of the lingering presence of the Loch of Spynie (Moray) individual too.
Green-winged Teal, on the other hand, were significantly more numerous, with 16 birds seen across Britain and Ireland in recent days, one of which was adding a little extra western lustre to the Somerset Baikal Teal, sharing Greylake RSPB with it on 31st-4th.
Several Ferruginous Duck remained settled at their chosen stations this week – in Norfolk, two birds were still present on Filby Broad on 30th-3rd; the drake remained at Misson (Nottinghamshire) on 30th-4th; the drake was still at Warwick Racecourse (Warwickshire) on 30th-3rd; and the drake was once more seen in Hampshire at Titchfield Haven NNR on 1st-3rd.
Ring-necked Ducks pushed towards 30 birds in total logged across Britain and Ireland, helped in no small part by the flock of five seen on Rostaff Turlough (Co.Mayo) on 3rd, and four at Shapwick Heath NNR (Somerset) on 4th. Elsewhere, duos were present on Lisvane Reservoir (Glamorgan) still on 31st-5th, at Wet Moor (Somerset) on 30th, in Co.Limerick at Lough Gur on 3rd, and on Lough Gara (Co.Sligo) still on 5th.
The steadfast flock of five Lesser Scaup remained on Lower Tamar Lakes (Devon / Cornwall) on 30th still. One remained in Devon at Slapton Ley on 1st-4th, while in Pembrokeshire single birds were still present at Bosherston Lily Ponds on 30th-1st, and Penberry Reservoir again on 2nd-5th. On 4th Abberton Reservoir (Essex), already no stranger to a notable American duck this winter, scored three drakes and an additional probable female; by 5th, this had firmed into five birds present there.
Finally, the drake Canvasback remained at Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 31st still.
It wasn’t just Cornwall this week that was enjoying the appearance of a notable new shorebird. Albeit somewhat less uncommon than a Sociable Lapwing, the appearance of a Long-billed Dowitcher at Carlton Marshes SWT on 2nd will nevertheless have been a pleasant surprise for Suffolk birders. In East Sussex, meanwhile, the wintering bird remained at Cuckmere Haven on 30th-4th.
Long-billed dowitcher
— Chris Darby (@ChrisDDarby) February 2, 2024
Carlton Marshes 02/02/2024@SuffolkBirdComs @LowestoftLizard @BINsBirder @SuffolkBirdGrp @SWTBroadsWarden pic.twitter.com/jtm1mlTsxA
Over in Somerset, the female Kentish Plover was again seen at Burnham-on-Sea on 30th-5th.
The Lesser Yellowlegs remained regularly seen in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh RSPB still on 30th-5th.
Finally to Scotland, where the recent Grey Phalarope proved settled this week at Longhaugh Point (Clyde) on 30th-5th, and another bird was reported off Ferny Ness (Lothian) on 31st.
Were it but for final confirmation, the probable Franklin’s Gull in Exeter (Devon) on 1st-2nd would have found itself in the headlines this week, further augmenting the already strong showing from the English southwest.
A handful of Ring-billed Gulls were seen at their regular sites again this week – one in Cornwall still on the Hayle Estuary on 30th-5th; another at Strathclyde Loch (Clyde) still on 30th-3rd; and in Ireland still at Blackrock (Co.Louth) on 30th-5th, and Tralee Bay Wetlands (Co.Kerry) on 30th-5th.
Numbers of white-wingers remained on the low side, with around 30 Glaucous Gulls again noted, and 40 Iceland Gulls, with no appreciable single site gatherings of either to report beyond three of the latter species on North Uist (Western Isles) on 1st.
The honours were fairly evenly divided between England and Scotland where Kumlien’s Gull were concerned lately. The third-winter remained at Widnes (Cheshire & Wirral) on 30th-3rd, while a juvenile was again seen in Cornwall on Hayle Estuary on 1st and 4th, and an adult in Cornwall also on 4th at Mousehole; while in Scotland, the second-winter was still present on Unst (Shetland) on 2nd, and the adult at Helmsdale (Highland & Caithness) on 31st-4th still.
A possible first-winter American Herring Gull was seen in Cornwall at Mousehole on 4th.
The usual Pallid Harrier suspects were still very much to the fore in Norfolk and Wales this week. The second-winter female continued to drift around the Warham Greens area of Norfolk on 30th-5th; and in Wales, sightings came in recent days at Llanrhidian Marsh (Glamorgan) on 31st and 5th; Pen-clawdd (Glamorgan) again on 1st; Salthouse Point (Glamorgan) again on 5th; National Wetlands Centre WWT (Carmarthenshire) on again on 30th-31st and 4th; and Castlemartin Corse (Pembrokeshire) once more on 30th, 1st, and 3rd-4th.
The Rough-legged Buzzard was still to be found in North Yorkshire at Rosedale Moor on 30th-4th, with a second individual noted there on 3rd-4th. Another was found in Lincolnshire on 3rd at Ruckland.
Nothing startling to report on the passerine front this week, but a few familiar faces were hanging grimly on. Starting in East Yorkshire, the adult male Black-throated Thrush was seen at Watton NR again on 3rd.
Wintering Great Grey Shrikes remained near Tomintoul (Moray) on 30th-3rd; on Ramsley Moor (Derbyshire) on 31st-1st; on Budby Common (Nottinghamshire) on 30th-4th; and near Llyn Brenig (Denbighshire) on 30th-1st.
And what of Waxwings? There were still decent flocks to be found, should the birding fates look kindly upon local patches this past week.
The Penduline Tit put in another appearance at Lough Beg (Co.Cork) on 4th.
In Shetland the Black-bellied Dipper remained tucked deep in the sheltered depths of the Burn of Lunklet on 30th.
The recent Richard’s Pipit was again seen outside Awre (Gloucestershire) on 31st-1st.
A Serin played hide and seek with Kent birders at Sandwich Bay on 2nd; and there was a further unconfirmed report of a bird in Cornwall at Roscathnoe Reservoir on 3rd.
Last but not least, on 3rd a couple of Little Bunting came out of the woodwork – one in Dorset at West Morden, and the other in Kent at Godmersham Park, the latter still present on 4th-5th.
Our notable overseas news this week primarily consisted of the Lesser Moorhen still present in Cape Verde on Sal on 4th.
That and a dead Allen’s Gallinule in the Netherlands at Eemshaven on 5th, a national first, albeit not one in any sort of condition to be twitchable. Northern Europe appears to be on the very periphery of what’s possible for them.
So what lies in store for us in the week ahead?
Snow for some, if the forecasts are to be believed. The novelty of that got old decades ago, but what remains undiminished is the anticipation of the next rare thing. And what do the past few decades suggest that might be in the days ahead?
Gulls of all rare complexions, obvs. And we must doff a respectful cap to the week’s potential for something outrageous, given that since the turn of the century it’s delivered a moribund Allen’s Gallinule on Portland (Dorset) on 10th February 2002, and a perkier Northern Mockingbird found in Devon at Exmouth on 6th February 2021.
Back down to earth with a gentle bump, it’s worth noting that the coming week has been strikingly fruitful for Black Duck in the past half century, with seven British and Irish records involving eight birds on the books. Given what a good winter it’s already proven to be for American wildfowl, it’s surely one to look out for.
Jon Dunn
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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