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Weekly birding round-up: 5 - 11 Mar 2024

Oh, what a week that might have been had a certain eagle in Ireland not worked out quite the way it did. But still, while that excitement was short-lived – and a little more of that anon – there were a few more migrants trickling in. Spring continues to stir…

 

Laying a ghost to rest this week, a juvenile Northern Harrier was confirmed at Ballyvergan Marsh (Co.Cork) on 10th. This follows the sighting of a possible bird there on 26th February. Co.Cork birders need to look back to the autumn of 2020 for their last chance at one, when a juvenile haunted Barrys Head on 2nd-4th October of that year.

 

The fat balls of Kilwinning (Ayrshire) continued to work their considerable charms for another week, giving the first-winter male Myrtle Warbler no good reason to abandon his garden territory any time soon. He remained in situ there this week on 5th-11th.

 

Pick of the seabirds was, naturally, the Double-crested Cormorant still present in Co.Leitrim at Doon Lough on 5th-10th.

That said, Ireland had another contender for seabird-of-the-week, in the form of the Pacific Diver once again seen at Crookhaven (Co.Cork) on 5th.

In Shetland the regular wintering White-billed Diver was again seen in South Nesting Bay on 11th.

A Cory’s Shearwater was seen from The Lizard (Cornwall) on 10th.

Cornwall also gave us two Pomarine Skua, seen from a boat off Falmouth on 11th.

Last but not least, two Little Auks were seen from Kinghorn (Fife) on 9th.

 

Numbers of Glossy Ibis dipped a little, just about remaining in double figures this week, with a dozen birds noted nationwide, and just one in Ireland at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 10th-11th still. All of the British birds involved singletons bar at one site – on the Somerset Levels, Shapwick Heath NNR continued to retain four birds there until 11th.

 

The honkers and quackers continued to provide both variety and volume, a reminder that winter and its wintering wildfowl is far from done with us yet. Starting with the The Goose Formerly Known As Canada, the hutchinsii Richardson’s Cackling Goose remained at Ballintemple (Co.Sligo) on 5th, while two were still settled on Islay (Argyll & Bute) on 9th.

The excellent recent showing of Red-breasted Geese showed no sign of abating just yet. North Norfolk was busy this week, with sightings of a first-winter bird at Stiffkey on 5th, Cley on 6th and 9th, and Blakeney Freshmarsh on 7th; while Essex held two birds at Fleet Head on 6th-8th before things got silly in the county on 10th-11th when three birds were present at Great Wakering; and one was seen in Cumbria on 11th at Burgh-by-Sands. A further bird, of uncertain origin, was seen in Nottinghamshire at Clumber Park on 6th and 9th.

Back in Essex, a Black Brant was also present at Fleet Head on 7th-8th; and another was again seen in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea on 7th.

A possible first-winter Grey-bellied Brant was seen on 9th on Tiree (Argyll & Bute).

Scotland gave us two white morph Snow Goose in recent days – one still in Highland & Caithness near Allness on 5th-7th, and the North Uist (Western Isles) bird still on the island on 6th-10th.

Starting the quackers in Ireland, the drake Black Duck was once more seen in Co.Mayo at Cross Lough on 10th.

The north of England did well for sightings of American Wigeon lately – one in Northumberland at Big Waters NR still on 5th, and North Yorkshire records coming from Bubwith Ings still on 8th-11th, and Long Preston Deeps on 8th. Scottish birds remained settled at Newshot Island (Clyde) on 7th-11th, Crook of Baldoon RSPB (Dumfries & Galloway) on 7th-11th, and Cloddach Quarry (Moray) still on 9th-10th.

While numbers of Green-winged Teal noted in recent days were down a little on the 25 or so birds noted during the preceding week, they still continued to be well-represented nationwide, with some 20 birds noted over the course of the week. Still, one feels, a species that goes overlooked and represents a decent opportunity of a local patch tick wherever Eurasian Teal gather, especially in this of all winter periods.

Ring-necked Duck meanwhile nudged once more towards 30 birds noted across Britain and Ireland. Foremost amongst their number were the small flock at Shapwick Heath NNR (Somerset), where four birds have been noted for weeks now – this past week the regular quartet remained present until 11th, gathering a fifth bird on 9th. Elsewhere, two remained at Lisvane Reservoir (Glamorgan) on 6th-11th; two were seen on South Uist (Western Isles) on 7th still; and in Ireland, two were noted at Tullabrack Lough (Co.Clare) on 5th, and two at Bracklagh Lough (Co.Cavan) on 9th.

The flock of five Lesser Scaup remained settled upon Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 5th, dropping to at least two birds there until 7th. Two remained in Lancashire & North Merseyside at Leighton Moss RSPB on 5th-11th; further British birds were seen at Woolston Eyes NR (Cheshire & Wirral) on 5th again, Northam Burrows CP (Devon) again on 11th, Lochwinnoch RSPB (Clyde) still on 7th-9th, and South Uist (Western Isles) still on 10th. Irish sightings meanwhile came from Lough Neagh NR (Co.Armagh) on 8th-11th still, Knockaderry Reservoir (Co.Waterford) still on 7th-11th, and at Bracklagh Lough (Co.Cavan) on 9th.

In Hampshire the drake Ferruginous Duck was once more seen at Titchfield Haven NNR on 11th.

In Lothian the drake King Eider remained off Musselburgh Lagoons on 6th-11th; while the first-winter bird was again seen at sea off Unst (Shetland) on 10th.

In Cornwall the juvenile Surf Scoter remained off Feock on 5th-8th; and the two drakes were still to be seen off Llandulas (Conwy) on 5th-11th. A further drake was seen from Roseisle (Moray) on 8th-10th. In Ireland, one was seen from Crookhaven (Co.Cork) on 8th-10th, and three in Brandon Bay off Inch (Co.Kerry) on 11th; the latter trio sharing the bay with the drake White-winged Scoter still that day.

Finally, remaining where we started the quackers, in Ireland, the drake Bufflehead was still present at Lough Sheelin (Co.Westmeath) on 10th.

 

Peaceful times once more amongst the wintering waders of interest, with just a few familiar faces keeping up appearances this week, and no startling new additions to their number. We’ll kick off in Somerset where the female Kentish Plover was still present at Burnham-on-Sea on 7th.

In Suffolk, meanwhile, the Long-billed Dowitcher was still at Carlton Marshes SWT on 9th-11th, and the Cuckmere Haven (East Sussex) individual also still present there on 9th-10th; while in Ireland another remained at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 8th.

Lastly, Lesser Yellowlegs were still to be seen in England this week in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh RSPB on 5th-11th, and at Swine Moor (East Yorkshire) on 5th; and in Ireland at Lurgangreen (Co.Louth) still on 11th.

 

The week’s gulls were potentially a very good haul indeed, albeit hamstrung slightly by the usual caveats that hindered either notable bird in question from soaring to the giddy heights of the headlines…

Starting in Scotland, a bird that had been hitherto considered to be a juvenile Kumlien’s Gull on Lewis (Western Isles) since late February was, by 9th, elevated to the status of probable Thayer’s Gull. The bird remained present there on 11th.

Meantime, down in Cornwall a possible first-winter American Herring Gull was seen at Mousehole on 5th.

Free from such uncertainties, an adult Bonaparte’s Gull was found in Herefordshire at Lugg Meadows on 8th. The county’s not done well for them over the years, with a first-winter as recently as 30th March 2023 at Brockhall GPs the first county record. A further first-winter was found on 11th in Cornwall at Penzance.

Back to large gulls, Ireland gave us sightings of Ring-billed Gull at five sites this week – at Tralee Bay Wetlands (Co.Kerry) again on 5th-8th; in Co.Cork at Cuskinny Marsh NR on 5th-10th, Lough Beg on 9th, on the Ring Estuary on 9th, and in Cork at The Lough on 11th; and at North Bull Island (Co.Dublin) on 7th still. British birds this week were the adult still on Hayle Estuary (Cornwall) on 5th-9th, and a first-winter in Pembrokeshire at Angle Bay on 6th.

White-wingers still weren’t much to write home about. Barely 20 Glaucous Gull were logged nationwide, with three seen on North Uist (Western Isles) on 8th the best of the bunch; and North Uist that day also supplied five Iceland Gull, the highest single site count of the 30 or so birds seen as a whole across Britain and Ireland.

A few Kumlien’s Gull continued to feature – in Shetland, the second-winter was still present on Unst on 6th; the adult remained in Highland & Caithness at Helmsdale on 5th-7th; an adult was seen on North Uist (Western Isles) on 8th; while in Cornwall, a juvenile was again seen at Hayle Estuary on 9th-11th, and a second-winter at The Lizard on 5th-9th.

Finally, the adult Gull-billed Tern was still present at Kilkeran Lake (Co.Cork) on 5th-9th.

 

We already know about the best of the week’s raptors, courtesy of Ireland. And before we get on to the other Irish raptor of the moment, we’d best get the usual suspects out of the way once more…

So, Pallid Harrier… the second-winter female was seen regularly again in the Warham Greens area of Norfolk this week on 5th-11th; and in East Yorkshire, the recent juvenile was once again seen, at East Newton on 5th and, on 11th, at Skeffling and Welwick Saltmarsh YWT; while, in Wales, sightings this week came from Llanrhidian Marsh (Glamorgan) again on 5th and Crofty (Glamorgan) on 8th.

In North Yorkshire, one of the recent juvenile Rough-legged Buzzards remained at Rosedale Moor on 5th-8th, while another was seen heading east over Ipswich (Suffolk) on 9th.

All of which preamble brings us to the week’s biggest news, literally if not metaphorically. This, of course, being the Bald Eagle confirmed as present near Baldwinstown (Co.Wexford) on 8th-9th, following some prior reports elsewhere earlier in March and February. At first glance, this wasn’t without some precedent as, after all, Ireland boasts not one but two prior records of this mighty vagrant – a juvenile, unfortunately greeted by being summarily shot, near Garrison (Co.Fermanagh) on January 11th 1973; and another juvenile, found at Ballymacelligot (Co.Kerry) on 17th November 1987, and present in the area into December when it was taken into care, exhausted, and eventually repatriated to the USA.

Given the autumn we had for transatlantic vagrancy, one could be forgiven for feeling the pulse quickening at this week’s news. But alarm bells began to quietly ring – this week’s bird was an adult, not a wandering juvenile and then, worse still, the news on the morning of 9th that the bird, while still present near Baldwinstown, was wearing jesses. An escaped falconer’s bird… and we could all stand down, and go back to imagining the utter furore should this bird have been an unencumbered juvenile. There would have been scenes.

 

Where better to start the passerines than on Scilly where this week, if not the early Great Spotted Cuckoo we were hoping for, a Hoopoe on St Martin’s on 5th-9th was certainly a welcome sign of things to come in the weeks ahead. A further bird was seen fleetingly on 11th in Hampshire at Hedge End.

Elsewhere though, it was largely much as we were, albeit there were some opportunistic migrants on the move – Fair Isle (Shetland) scoring its earliest ever Chiffchaff, for example, on 7th, and Wheatears were beginning to hit the English south coast and push north beyond.

So, still plenty of Waxwing hanging around, and some settled Great Grey Shrike still burnishing that late wintery feel – recent examples of the latter remaining in West Sussex at Black Down NT on 5th-10th, in Norfolk near Weeting on 5th-11th, and in Dorset in Wareham Forest near Woolsbarrow Fort on 5th-11th.

Dorset also held onto its recent Yellow-browed Warbler at Louds Mill sewage works on 5th-11th.

The Richard’s Pipit remained in Cumbria at Ulverston on 7th-11th.

A Serin was noted passing east through Pendeen (Cornwall) on 9th; and another was found on 11th in the overflow carpark at South Huish Marsh (Devon).

Barely lingering much longer, in Norfolk an exilipes Arctic Redpoll was seen near Helhoughton on 7th.

Before we return to Helhoughton for the week’s final passerine flourish, it’s to Kent next where the Little Bunting remained at Godmersham Park on 5th-9th; while Devon, not content with its Serin on 11th, also landed a carpark Little Bunting at Broadsands as the week drew to a close that day. Devon carparks clearly the way ahead for finches and buntings in the coming week...

But finally, back near Helhoughton (Norfolk) on 7th, the day got a lot more interesting than a pale redpoll with the discovery of a fine male Rustic Bunting which, while it could prove elusive, remained there until 11th.

 

Much of our overseas news this week had a distinctly far-away tone to it, and none more so than sightings from Mauritania. We don’t hear much from there, on the whole. But this week, news of an Abyssinian Roller and four Red-billed Firefinch at Nouadhibou on 8th-9th.

A little closer to home, on Corsica a Lesser Moorhen was found on 6th-11th.

In Spain, a Cream-coloured Courser was seen at Parque Natural del Cabo de Gata-Nijar on 7th; and a Pygmy Cormorant at Llobregat Delta on 10th.

The Eastern Imperial Eagle remained on 10th at Fond du Buisson Renard. No jesses on that one…

Another Pygmy Cormorant remained in Belgium in Mol on 10th.

The Dutch Moustached Warbler remained at Grebbedijk on 5th-11th.

Up in Iceland, a drake White-winged Scoter was seen from Orfirisey on 10th.

Out in the Azores, a Great Blue Heron was present on Sao Miguel on 8th, and a Wood Duck on Pico on 10th.

 

The coming week falls squarely in that limbo that’s neither still winter nor yet spring proper, judging by the past records the last half century yields for the days to come.

History tells us there’s still plenty of duck action out there, with past records of Baikal Teal and Bufflehead more eye-catching amongst drifts of Lesser Scaup and King Eider. Similarly, single records of Short-toed Treecreeper and Alpine Accentor tell us that should the birding gods really smile upon us, a decent passerine isn’t totally out of the question.

Odds are, though, that a semi-decent gull will be found this week, somewhere. The coming week boasts low single figures of both Franklin’s and Laughing, and over a dozen past Bonaparte’s. The latter, in particular, feels like a decent bet with two birds seen in Britain in the week just gone as a forewarning, perhaps, of things to come.

 

Jon Dunn

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

 

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