Weekly birding round-up: 9 - 15 Jul 2024
While the grounds of Global Birdfair swelled with throngs of visitors over the past weekend, the birding around us was for the most part a quieter, more measured, midsummer affair.
Sure, there were a couple of recent rarities hanging on, both on and offshore, a couple of locally exciting finds, and a few lesser mortals were on the move too, but nothing earthshattering burst onto the news wires to do a Middle Spotted Woodpecker in the middle of Birdfair – if you were there in 1995, you maybe know the truth of what went down that day at Rutland, and it certainly set the rumour mill and the gossips going at the time.
But the week just gone? No such drama, but a decent gull livened up London.
One doubts that anyone would have the temerity to suggest that a bird as immensely mobile as an extralimital swift would ever be considered ‘predictable’, but perhaps that’s the territory we’re vaguely moving into these days with what appears to be the annually returning Pacific Swift seen as the week drew to a close in Shetland.
It was surprise enough when a Pacific Swift was initially found in Shetland at Sumburgh Head on 19th June 2022, let alone what was surely the same bird being seen two days later on 21st June at Noss. The discovery of a Pacific Swift the following year at Sumburgh on 2nd July 2023, and latterly at nearby Boddam on 4th-5th, and Pool of Virkie again on 8th, suggested this might be one and the same bird returning, rather than a striking coincidence.
That a Pacific Swift was found at Pool of Virkie this week on 15th surely says this really is the same bird following the same annual, wayward, trajectory. Its arrival seems to be getting later with every passing year… we’ll look forward to next year’s arrival date with keen interest and, in the meantime, enjoy its stay while it lasts.
Staying in Scotland a while yet, the drake Stejneger’s Scoter spent the week settled off Musselburgh Lagoons (Lothian) until 15th. How long his tenure extend for this year remains to be seen, but for now he’s an omnipresent reminder to check scoter flocks in the weeks to come. There may be further rarities to come.
While Franklin’s Gull isn’t, numerically, the rarest of the bin-bag bothering tribe, with approaching 100 accepted British records to date – to be precise, 86 to the end of 2022 – it’s a very different story in a London context, where to date there’s just been one record, a second-summer bird present at Thamesmead on 13th-16th April 2000.
That this was almost 25 years ago is both a chastening reminder of the accelerating passage of time, and an incentive, were one needed, for London birders to hasten to the sewage works outfall at Crossness on the Thames Estuary this last week, to catch sight of the first-summer Franklin’s Gull that was showing well off there on 13th-15th.
Even the seabirds were having a week off lately, and that really tells you all you need to know about just what a peaceful time the week just gone was. Pick of the bunch for novelty was the lovely White-billed Diver seen just offshore from Fetlar (Shetland) on 9th and 12th.
Scilly gave us four Wilson’s Petrel on the pelagic foray of 9th.
A mere handful of large shearwaters were noted in recent days. On 9th a Cory’s Shearwater was seen from Whitburn CP (Co.Durham), while three were noted from Pendeen (Cornwall) on 10th. On 14th things improved somewhat, with two seen off Tresco (Scilly), and singletons from Newquay, St Ives and Porthcurno (Cornwall); on 15th a single bird was noted from the Scilly pelagic.The Scilly pelagic of 9th logged a single Great Shearwater; and another was seen on 10th from Brandon Point (Co.Kerry).
Even Balearic Shearwater were in utter abeyance lately – one was seen from the Scillonian on 11th; and two from Porthcurno (Cornwall) on 13th, followed by single birds from there on 14th and 15th.
Six Pomarine Skua were seen across the region on 9th, with duos noted from Bulloch Harbour (Co.Dublin) and Porthgwarra (Cornwall); and a single bird was seen from Hurlstone Point (Somerset) on 12th. A Long-tailed Skua was also seen from Porthgwarra on 9th.
With no reports this week of the Yellow-crowned Night Heron at Belcarra (Co.Mayo), our only notable heron this week was the Night Heron flushed at Clogheen Marsh (Co.Cork) in the evening of 13th.
Moving on to Glossy Ibis, and staying in Ireland, one was again seen at Tacumshin (Co.Wexford) on 12th, with two present there the following day.
British sightings centred around Lincolnshire, where several sites took their turn in the limelight – two birds remained at Deeping Lakes LWT on 9th, followed by sightings of singletons at Kirkby on Bain GPS on 9th; Deeping Lakes LWT on 10th; Saltfleetby Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR on 10th; Anderby Marsh on 10th-11th; Freiston Shore RSPB on 11th-12th, with a report of it still present there on 13th; and Cowbit Wash on 15th; while two were again at Deeping Lakes LWT on 13th. Away from Lincolnshire, single birds were logged at Worth Marsh RSPB (Kent) still on 10th-15th; at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 10th again also; on 14th-15th at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) again; and on 14th at Breydon Water and Holkham NNR (Norfolk), and Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire). Also on 14th, two were seen in Hampshire over Luzborough, and three in Somerset at Westhay Moor NNR.
Truly, what a week this was for an almost total absence of notable wildfowl. We’ve got our headlining scoter in Lothian, and that’s about it.
Well, not quite. A Ferruginous Duck was seen at Fairburn Ings RSPB (West Yorkshire) on 13th.
And the drake Ring-necked Duck was still present at Llyn Brenig (Denbighshire) on 14th.
Fortunately, at this time of year we can always rely on the shorebirds to cast something into the news pond that’s going to at least cause a few ripples, if not a splash.
A scatter of decent Nearctic waders were unearthed again this week – on 11th, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Aberlady Bay (Lothian), and a Baird’s Sandpiper on South Uist (Western Isles).
It was Co.Wexford’s turn to shine on 13th-14th, with a Semipalmated Sandpiper found at Ring Marsh. Tacumshin also held a Temminck’s Stint on 13th.
Leicestershire also shone a little, with a Pectoral Sandpiper at Eyebrook Reservoir on 10th-11th. Another bird flew over Nybster (Highland & Caithness) on 14th.
In Hampshire the recent Long-billed Dowitcher remained at Normandy Marsh on 9th-10th, while the Co.Wexford individual was again seen at The Cull on 12th and 14th-15th.
The first-summer Lesser Yellowlegs was still to be seen in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh RSPB on 10th-11th and 15th; another was found this week on 12th at Donabate (Co.Dublin).
In Cambridgeshire the pair of Black-winged Stilt were still sitting tight at Smithey Fen on 9th-11th; and another was seen at Freiston Shore RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 11th, reportedly still present there on 12th-13th also.
Lastly, still proving settled, the adult Black-winged Pratincole remained at Finningley (Nottinghamshire) on 9th-15th.
In Kent the adult Bonaparte’s Gull remained steadfast at Oare Marshes KWT on 9th-15th.
A second-summer Ring-billed Gull was found on 13th at Seafield (Co.Clare).
Ireland continued to deliver the tern goods for another week, with the adult Least Tern still present around Portrane (Co.Dublin) on 12th-14th after a foray to Baltray (Co.Louth) on 11th; and the Forster’s Tern still present at Soldier’s Point (Co.Louth) on 11th and 13th-14th.
An adult Caspian Tern was found on 13th in West Sussex on Adur Estuary RSPB.
In Norfolk, an adult White-winged Black Tern graced Ken Hill Marshes on 13th-15th.
In Northumberland the adult female surinamensis American Black Tern remained at Long Nanny on 9th-12th.
Finally, pleasing Shetland’s resident and visiting birders alike, a Gull-billed Tern settled down in the Pool of Virkie and Scatness area on 12th-15th; with another locally popular bird also found on 14th at Kilnsea Wetlands NR (East Yorkshire).
The first-summer male Red-footed Falcon remained present in Suffolk at Carlton Marshes SWT on 9th-13th still, and the Cumbrian first-summer male was once again seen at Wedholme Flow on 15th.
Meanwhile, in Lincolnshire the recent first-summer male Montagu’s Harrier was again seen at Gibraltar Point NNR on 9th and 11th.
Lastly, a Black Kite was seen in Kent at Snodland on 15th.
Our ever more denuded passerines section is dominated this week by a late bid for glory by Red-backed Shrike - no fewer than five male birds were logged in recent days. Starting in East Sussex, on 9th-13th a bird was present at Winchelsea Beach; on 10th one dropped in to Oare Marshes KWT (Kent), and another was seen near Stallingborough (Lincolnshire); a bird settled at East Chevington NWT (Northumberland) on 10th-15th; another was found at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) on 11th-15th; and in East Sussex a bird was seen at Cuckmere Haven on 14th-15th. A final unconfirmed report came of a bird in Norfolk at Titchwell RSPB on 15th.
A Bee-eater was heard only in Norfolk over Baconsthorpe on 11th.
On 9th, a Marsh Warbler was heard in song at Swinister (Shetland).
Shetland also scored an Icterine Warbler at Hoswick on 9th.
The recent Rose-coloured Starling remained in its favoured Felixstowe (Suffolk) garden on 9th-11th.
The white-spotted male Bluethroat was continued his sojourn at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) on 11th.
Closing the passerines this week, a Serin flew over Nunnery Lakes (Norfolk) on 14th.
In France, two familiar terns cropped up again once more in the weekly news – the Elegant Tern at Polder de Sebastopol on 9th, and the Bridled Tern at Ile aux Moutons on 9th also.
In Denmark the Pygmy Cormorant remained at Slotsmosen on 10th; and a Sandhill Crane was seen at Torup Holme on 11th.
Finland, meanwhile, held onto both male Yellow-browed Bunting and Pallas’s Reed Bunting at Tauvo on 14th.
What might the coming, penultimate, week of July have in store for us? History tells us that the coming week in the past century has been a good one for Pacific Golden Plover, boasting 15 accepted records. Surely one any day now?
While we’re all, quite rightly, going to be obsessing over the seawatching conditions throughout the weeks ahead, we shouldn’t forget the mounting impetus for shorebirds to get on the move. The week ahead, while far from the peak for their kind, is nonetheless traditionally a solid one for White-rumped Sandpiper - not the rarest of waders, sure, but an attainable star to shoot for on many a local patch this coming week.
Jon Dunn
16 July 2024
Many thanks to all this week's contributors for your photos and videos
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