Review of the Week: 1 - 7 April

Black-winged Stilt, Abbotsbury, Dorset (Photo: Katie Horrocks)

Reports of Hoopoes at two sites in Devon on 2nd preceded a couple of records from the Isles of Scilly — on St Mary's and St Agnes, both on 7th. Tuesday also saw a small arrival of Wrynecks: two were on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire, with another on the Pembrokeshire mainland at Giltar Point, a fourth on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd, and a fifth on St Agnes, Scilly, with news of another at Morwenstow, Cornwall, on Monday. An Alpine Swift was reported over Pegwell Bay, Kent, on 6th and there was belated news of a male Woodchat Shrike at Porthgwarra, Cornwall, on 31 March. A male Serin was at Hemsby, Norfolk, on 3rd, with others in Dorset at Corfe Castle on 4th and Portland Bill on 7th.

Both Scottish Harlequin Ducks continued throughout the week, but it seems we may have bid farewell to the Balranald American Coot — reported as still present on 3rd, there was no sign over the following days. The Co Kerry Black Scoter was still at Rossbeigh on 3rd but there was no sign of the Northumberland bird.

Harlequin Duck, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire (Photo: Ron McIntyre)

As predicted, the White-billed Diver count off Portsoy crept into double figures this week, with at least 10 seen from RV Gemini Explorer on 4th (though just three were seen from land); another was off Port Skigersta, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, on 6th. Three drake King Eiders were reported, with males off Burghead and Spey Bay on 4th as well as the male returning to the Ythan Estuary on 5–6th. The female remained off Ruddon's Point, Fife. The Wirral's first Surf Scoter continued off Hoylake, while two drakes were in Deer Sound, Orkney, on 2nd; three were seen off Old Colwyn, Conwy, that day with single males continuing in Suffolk and Lothian.

White-billed Divers, Portsoy, Aberdeenshire (Photo: Tim Marshall)

One of the highlights of the week was the discovery of a flock of four Ring-necked Ducks — including three males — at Standlake, Oxon, on 4th. Lingering to 7th, the foursome represent a rare multiple occurrence in a landlocked English county, with a pair even seen mating! The drake in east Norfolk was last seen at Hardley Street on 2nd while females remained in Northamptonshire and Co Sligo and a new male was found at Lough Beg, Londonderry. Five Lesser Scaup were seen, including new birds at Trimley Marshes, Suffolk, on 7th and Castleplunket, Co Roscommon, to 4th.

Mating Ring-necked Ducks in Oxfordshire (Video: Jason Coppock)

The drake American Black Duck was still on Tresco, Scilly, on 6th but was rather overshadowed by arriving summer migrants. A drake American Wigeon was new at Loch of Harray, Orkney, on 7th, with lingering males still in Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire. Eight Green-winged Teal were also seen nationwide, but the only scarce geese were Black Brants in East Yorkshire and Suffolk (2). Two Cattle Egrets continued to find Dungeness, Kent, to their liking, while Glossy Ibises hung around in Cambridgeshire, Nottinghamshire and Co Waterford.

The white-morph Gyr was seen again on Inishbofin, Co Galway, on 7th and the second-calendar-year White-tailed Eagle — ringed on Mull in June 2014 — continued to show in County Durham, being seen at Westgate, Stanhope and Chapel Fell before 4th. A handful of Rough-legged Buzzards lingered on, with reports from Highland, East Yorkshire, Norfolk (2) and Essex. We carried an impressive 164 Osprey reports during the week, with a noticeable spike on 6th and 7th.

Rough-legged Buzzard, Halvergate Marshes, Norfolk (Photo: Keith Bilverstone)

A Red Grouse on the Isle of May, Fife, from 5–7th was an utterly perplexing record and somewhat upstages last March's male at Flamborough Head.

Red Grouse, Isle of May, Fife (Photo: David Steel)

The Lesser Yellowlegs was still at Rogerstown Estuary, Co Dublin, on 5th. The second-winter American Herring Gull was reported again in Cornwall at St Just on 3rd and Drift on 6th, though it continues to prove fleeting and evade a wider audience. Laughing Gulls remain in Cheshire and Co Cork, the former making visits to Seaforth, Lancs, on 5th and 7th. First-winter Bonaparte's Gulls continue to show well at Radipole Lake, Dorset, and Tramore, Co Waterford, and adults remain at Ormsary, Argyll, and Cardiff, Glamorgan. The latter site also claimed an adult Ring-billed Gull on 7th; first-summer birds were new at Barassie, Ayrshire, on 1st, Pendeen, Cornwall, on 6th and Bantry, Co Cork, on 3–4th. The peak count was of three adults at Sandymount, Co Dublin, on 3rd.

Laughing Gull, New Brighton, Cheshire (Photo: Richard Smith)

Bonaparte's Gull, Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset (Photo: Lee Fuller)

Ring Ouzel reports rose sharply as the week progressed, with a strong arrival on the Isles of Scilly on 7th suggesting that peak passage is imminent — no doubt next week we will be reporting on birds back at familiar spring haunts. Other arriving migrants included the first wave of Common Cuckoos and a few Nightingales, Common Whitethroats and Reed Warblers. The two Penduline Tits finally moved on from Darts Farm, Devon — last seen on 4th, they called in at Seaton the following day before disappearing. Meanwhile the long-staying Little Bunting was still at Forest Farm, Glamorgan, on 7th.

Ring Ouzel, Crabtree Hill, Gloucestershire (Photo: Lewis Thomson)

Penduline Tit, Darts Farm RSPB, Devon (Photo: Mark Leitch)

Following its discovery last week, a Scarce Tortoiseshell was seen again at Peewit Hill in Felixstowe, Suffolk, on 2nd, while there was belated news of another photographed at Fowlmere RSPB, Cambs, on 21 March. Then, during warm conditions during the afternoon of 7th, a third individual was discovered at Pulborough Brooks, W Sussex. It lingered just long enough to be twitched by a lucky few but disappeared after a couple of hours; the wait for a truly twitchable insect goes on ...

Scarce Tortoiseshell, Felixstowe, Suffolk (Photo: Will Brame)

Scarce Tortoiseshell, Pulborough Brooks RSPB, West Sussex (Photo: Jan-Paul Charteris)

Western Palearctic news

It was a quieter week around the region, with one of the highlights a mini-influx of Semicollared Flycatchers to Romania. Just the country's second was at Vadu on 2nd and it was closely followed by the third at Eforie Sud on 4th. Late news concerned a male Eastern Black Redstart in Gard, France, during late March, and the Asian Desert Warbler was still on Noirmoutier Island, Vendée. The male Wallcreeper remained in Namur, Belgium, to at least 6th, and the Dark-eyed Junco was still at Groningen, Netherlands.

Semicollared Flycatcher, Romania (Photo: Jozsef Szabo/rombird.ro)

Other lingering highlights included the Brown Shrike and Pygmy Cormorant in Catalonia, Spain, and the female Grey Hypocolius still at Ashkelon, Israel. A Masked Booby at Jahra Pools Reserve, Kuwait, on April Fool's Day was a national first.

Grey Hypocolius, Israel (Photo: Yoav Perlman)