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Weekly birding round-up: 23 - 29 Jul 2024

Quiet times, these.

We bemoaned the lack of a big ticket item from either the shorebirds or the seabirds in the preceding week, but the week just gone delivered magnificently on both scores. Something on the dry land in the north of England, and several somethings at sea in the far southwest. And a decent scattering of supporting cast waders and seawatching rewards in between. Something for everyone, then.

 

July’s as good a month as any for a Greater Sand Plover on these shores, with five past records owing themselves to the month – making up a quarter of all British and Irish records to date. And, if we were to pick an area of Britain in which one might be found, the wise money would be on the north-east coast, for the past four accepted British records (involving three birds) to the end of 2022 all relate to northeasterly coastal counties:

Beacon Ponds (East Yorkshire) – 14th-15th July 2018.

Tyninghame (Lothian) – 27th June – 6th July 2020.

Strathbeg Lagoon and St Combs (Aberdeenshire) – 20th-21st August 2022; latterly seen at Redcar (Cleveland) on 25th August – 1st September 2022.

So it was pretty much written in the stars then that one should be found this past week, and in a north-eastern coastal county…

Of course, it doesn’t work like that, and rarities are nowhere near so predictable (unless they’re a boomerang Pacific Swift, apparently). But what a happy coincidence that a male Greater Sand Plover should be found in the final week of July, and in Northumberland – a northeast English county that’s yet to be blessed with one of these dapper birds.

Found on 24th at Newbiggin, this leschenaultii bird proved to be an obliging beast, hanging around there throughout the week until 29th, at times showing very well indeed. Maybe, as it’s far from the first in the region, not drawing quite the crowd it might otherwise have done so, but nonetheless a deservedly popular individual.

 

It’s maybe a little too soon to call Scopoli’s Shearwater a predicted annual vagrant to the waters of Scilly, but that apparent temerity may not prove to be so outlandish after all, given events of last year and, lately, this past week…

Let’s rewind the clock a little first though. The first British record was found 9km south of St Mary’s on 2nd August 2004. Over a decade elapsed before our next confirmed bird, in much the same area, 10km south of St Mary’s on 11th July 2019.

2020 gave us the remarkable wandering bird tracked along the British east coast from Norfolk to Fife and points in between. But last year things heated up a little, to say the least – birds were identified off Scilly on 28th July, 30th July (at least three birds), 31st July, 6th August, 7th August (two birds), 8th August, 11th August, 17th August, 19th August, 20th August, 26th August (two birds), 27th August, 15th September, and 15th October.

That’s a lot of sightings in one extended late summer / autumn period. So to say that we might have hoped for at least one more to be picked up this year, given observer effort off Scilly these days, and that last year’s bumper crop, doesn’t seem such a vainglorious ambition after all.

And so it proved this week, with the discovery of two Scopoli’s Shearwater from the Scilly pelagic of 26th; followed by a singleton seen 3 miles southwest of Wolf Rock in the morning of 27th. They’re back – and surely will be seen again multiple times during August?

And providing food for thought for those venturing offshore elsewhere – two possible birds were seen from a pelagic out of Penzance (Cornwall) on 28th.

 

Now this, this was more like it. A week where sea-watching from land and pelagics further from shore alike were richly rewarded. The shearwaters and petrels were a-coming…

Let’s start with pelagics, and a big shout out to the pioneers heading out to the Celtic Deep off Pembrokeshire on 26th, where four Wilson’s Petrel were logged, a new Welsh day record.

Naturally, the lion’s share of pelagic Wilson’s fell to the Scilly pelagic team – those rich Scillonian waters yielded at least 46 birds logged over the course of the week, with a highest count of 19 birds on 25th.

Elsewhere at sea, two birds were noted off Tory Island (Co.Donegal) on 24th; one was seen south of Slea Head (Co.Kerry) on 25th; single birds in Falmouth Bay (Cornwall) on 27th and 28th; and four from the pelagic off Penzance (Cornwall) on 28th. Two passed Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) during an epic seawatch on 27th…

That Bridges of Ross seawatch also yielded a finger-numbing tally of 2,756 Cory’s Shearwater - the highest count of a week that delivered around 8,250 birds noted around Britain and Ireland as a whole. Great Shearwater also kicked out of the starting blocks, with around 1,400 birds noted during the course of the week, of which 350 seen from the Scilly pelagic of 26th and 350 at sea off Falmouth (Cornwall) on 28th were the best returns.

Around 40 Balearic Shearwater marked a much more peaceful time for these dusky birds – the highest single site tally being a modest seven birds seen from St Ives (Cornwall) on 23rd.

A couple of Leach’s Petrel were noted during recent days – one trapped and ringed on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on the night of 24th, and another heard overnight that night at Glenarm (Co.Antrim).

Skuas remained in short supply as a whole. A handful of Pomarine were noted – one off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 24th, another from the Scilly pelagic on 25th, one at sea off Falmouth (Cornwall) on 28th, one off Downderry (Cornwall) on 28th also, and singletons seen on 29th from Cailiness Point (Dumfries & Galloway), and Mousehole (Cornwall). Long-tailed Skua, meanwhile, were seen from The Lizard (Cornwall) on 24th; Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) on 26th; Bridges of Ross (Co.Clare) on 27th; the Scilly pelagic of 28th; off Cape Clear (Co.Cork) on 29th, where two birds were seen; with another reported on 29th from the Farne Islands (Northumberland); and another probable seen off Canvey Island (Essex) on 24th.

And it wasn’t all about the sea-watching this week – a first-summer Pacific Diver was a fine find on 28th at Coolsiva Pier (Co.Clare), and reportedly still present there the following day.

We finish the seabirds still in Ireland where, on 25th, the adult Double-crested Cormorant was again seen on Doon Lough (Co.Leitrim).

 

We can start the long-legged beasties in Shetland this week – on the whole, something of a stranger to the scarcer southern herons compared with the rest of Britain. That said, the recently reported Night Heron was once again seen there on Mainland at Dale of Walls on 25th.

A scatter of Purple Heron were also noted lately – birds on 24th at West Rise Marsh (East Sussex) and over Castleford (West Yorkshire), and another on 24th-29th at Exminster Marshes RSPB (Devon).

Glossy Ibis threatened to make double figures across Britain and Ireland as a whole, with a decent scatter of single birds recorded. In Ireland, sightings came from Co.Wexford at Tacumshin on 23rd and 26th, Lady’s Island Lake on 26th, and Ballyteigue Burrow on 28th. British birds were seen at Deeping Lakes LWT (Lincolnshire) still on 23rd-28th; at Worth Marsh (Kent) still on 23rd-29th; at Breydon Water (Norfolk) on 25th-26th and 29th; at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) still on 26th; in Hampshire again at Titchfield Haven NNR on 24th; and over Snettisham RSPB (Norfolk) on 28th. A probable was noted over Newbottle (Co.Durham) on 26th.

 

Once again foremost amidst the notable quackers this week, the drake Stejneger’s Scoter remained settled off the coast of Lothian, being seen in the Musselburgh Lagoons and Fisherrow area on 23rd-29th still.

A Blue-winged Teal was again seen at Tophill Low (East Yorkshire) on 28th.

The eclipse drake Lesser Scaup was once more seen on Loch Leven (Perth & Kinross) on 23rd.

And finally, drake Ferruginous Duck were seen this week on Willen Lake (Buckinghamshire) still on 23rd-25th, and again there on 28th-29th; and at Draycote Water (Warwickshire) still on 27th-29th.

 

If any one site owned the week just gone, it was surely Snettisham RSPB (Norfolk), where the quality waders were coming thick and fast. Foremost amongst them were White-rumped Sandpiper, with a peak count of three birds present amidst the seething masses of birds on 23rd-25th, with at least one bird still present on 26th-27th. Elsewhere, another was found at Dungeness RSPB (Kent) on 27th, with it or another just down the coast at Rye Harbour NR (East Sussex) on 28th. Another possible flew past Sennen Cove (Cornwall) on 28th.

But back to Snettisham RSPB. Here too was a Semipalmated Sandpiper on 23rd-27th… and a Pectoral Sandpiper on 23rd-28th.

Numbers of the latter species were on the rise elsewhere – further Pecs appeal being forthcoming at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancashire & North Merseyside) on 23rd-24th; Pagham Harbour (West Sussex) on 24th-25th; Blue House Farm EWT (Essex) on 25th-29th; at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB (Cheshire & Wirral) on 27th; and at Myroe Levels (Co.Derry) on 28th-29th.

But for show-stopping sandpiper glamour, nothing could hold a candle to the bird at Cheddar Reservoir (Somerset) this week – an adult Spotted Sandpiper going full Dalmatian there on 25th-26th.

A couple of Temminck’s Stint checked in too – one apiece at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) on 23rd-27th, and another at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire) on 25th-26th.

Up to North Ronaldsay (Orkney), an adult American Golden Plover was to be seen on the island on 24th-26th.

The Long-billed Dowitcher remained at The Cull (Co.Wexford) on 29th.

Lesser Yellowlegs remained settled in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh RSPB still on 26th, and at Finningley (Nottinghamshire) on 24th-28th again. A further bird was found at St Andrews (Fife) on 24th-29th.

Lastly, two sightings of Grey Phalarope were made from Lewis (Western Isles) on 27th.

 

Our stalwart Kentish adult Bonaparte’s Gull remained settled at Oare Marshes KWT on 23rd-28th still. Another adult bird was to be seen on 29th at Carnfunnock Bay (Co.Antrim).

Though perhaps they oughtn’t to be our opening bin bag bothering salvo – for novelty alone at this time of year, the first-summer Ring-billed Gull seen in Co.Clare at Kilkee on 26th is arguably the more notable bird; and nor was it the only one of its kind in Ireland this week, for the adult was once more seen on 28th at Blackrock (Co.Louth).

A Sabine’s Gull was seen at Coquet Island (Northumberland) on 28th.

Just the merest hint of white-wingers this week – a Glaucous Gull reported on the sea off Tarbat Ness (Highland & Caithness) on 26th; and an Iceland Gull reported on 29th from Leith (Lothian).

Tern news calmed down this week, with just a trio of notable birds to report upon. Starting in Cleveland, a Caspian Tern was seen on 27th initially at Seaton Snook and latterly on Bran Sands, and again at both sites on 28th. On 29th it was reported from Greatham Creek in the afternoon.

The adult female surinamensis American Black Tern was again seen on Coquet Island (Northumberland) on 25th.

Finally, in Ireland the adult Least Tern was still present around Portrane (Co.Dublin) on 23rd-28th.

 

Once again, the usual recent trio of notable raptor species featured in the dailies over the course of the past week. This week, it fell to Kent to provide our Red-footed Falcon, a bird seen perched at Seasalter on 25th.

In Lincolnshire, the first-summer male Montagu’s Harrier was still to be seen at Gibraltar Point NNR on 23rd-25th. A ringtail was seen on 28th at Spurn (East Yorkshire).

Finally, a Black Kite was seen in Northumberland at Grindon Lough on 24th; a possible bird was seen from a moving vehicle at Greatham Creek (Cleveland) on 25th; and a further unconfirmed report came of a bird at Butterwick Low (Lincolnshire) on 25th.

 

Ever more peaceful times for the notable passerines lately… well, that is, apart from the startling news that a Paddyfield Warbler had been trapped and ringed at an undisclosed site in Staffordshire on 28th. To say that must have been a surprise in the nets, given both time of year and location, would be something of an understatement.

In Suffolk, a female Red-backed Shrike was seen at Cavenham Heath NNR on 24th; and a juvenile was found on 28th at Cliffe Pools RSPB (Kent).

The recent possible Greenish Warbler was heard again in Chelmer Park (Essex) on 23rd.

We finish with another garden adult Rose-coloured Starling, this time found in Scarborough (North Yorkshire), on 27th.

 

Given events in Northumberland this week, it’s curious to compare what was going on in Scandinavia lately – a Siberian Sand Plover briefly on Norrskar Island (Finland) on 22nd, and a bird seen on 25th in Sweden at Hammarby.

Norway, meanwhile, was enjoying a Song Sparrow at Steinkjer on 24th-26th; while belated news concerned a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater on 19th at Skarsvag.

The Pygmy Cormorant was still to be seen in Denmark at Slotsmosen on 29th.

Finally, in Israel the Yellow-billed Stork remained at Eilat on 26th.

 

We’ll surely settle for the same again this coming week, please – at least one apiece of quality shorebird and seabird…

Ample precedent exists to give cause for optimism on both fronts as we head into the first week of August. The Red-necked Stint that spent three days at Ballinskelligs (Co.Kerry) on 1st-3rd August 2011 serves as a timely reminder that this time of year can do better for peeps than Semipalmated Sandpiper - though, to be fair, nobody’s ever going to complain about finding one of those either.

Likewise, the Bulwer’s Petrel seen from Galley Head (Co.Cork) on 1st August 2013 reminds us, not that we need telling, that the sea-watching stakes are now high. Surely the Scilly pelagics will eventually connect with one of these… though, more reasonably, it’s definitely time for a Fea’s / Desertas / Zino’s Petrel of one flavour or another.

 

Jon Dunn

30 July 2024

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

 

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