Review of the Week: 26th April–2nd May 2007

The week at a glance:

• Egyptian Vulture in Norfolk.
• Blue Rock Thrush in West Sussex.
• Influx of Black Kites.

Potentially one of the sightings of the year, if accepted, was the Egyptian Vulture in Norfolk. Seen early on Saturday 28th at Scoulton, unfortunately it didn't hang around, but there were further sightings reported from Warham and East Barsham the following day. The last record of a wild bird to be accepted was in Essex in 1868. There have been sightings since, but none were felt to relate to wild birds, so could this be the bird that upgrades Egyptian Vulture onto Category A of the British list?

A male Blue Rock Thrush was present at Selsey Bill (W. Sussex) on 30th, but for the second time this year for this species it was too brief for an appreciative audience to gather. Scarcities were still pretty thin on the ground: a Red-throated Pipit was at Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 29th, an eastern-race Subalpine Warbler was trapped on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 30th and a Little Bunting was on Fair Isle (Shetland) the same day. A Grey-headed Wagtail was at Braunton (Devon) and another at Salthouse (Norfolk). Around 15 Hoopoes were reported, along with five Golden Orioles, five Wrynecks and four Red-rumped Swallows. A Bee-eater was at East Fleet (Dorset) on 1st and another at St. David's (Pembrokeshire) on 2nd, and there were three Serin were along the south coast. A Siberian Chiffchaff was trapped at Oxwich (Glamorgan) on 26th and the Iberian Chiffchaff remained at Colney (Norfolk).

Exceptional numbers of Glossy Ibis remained on offer, with seven still around Lizard village (Cornwall) and 14 at Frampton-on-Severn (Glos). Elsewhere singles were at Braunton Burrows (Devon) on 29th and another at West Alvington (Devon) on 30th and 1st, plus one at Pagham Harbour (W. Sussex) from 30th onwards. In Lancashire four 'possibles' passed over Leyland on 1st and the immature remained at Warton Marsh. Another feature of the week was an influx of Black Kites, several of which lingered long enough to be appreciated by the masses, particularly birds in Norfolk and Cheshire. A Snowy Owl was photographed at Aonach Moor (Highland) on 26th and a Black Stork passed over Leyland (Lancashire) on 2nd, with White Storks over Dunstable (Beds) on 29th and Fairburn Ings (W. Yorks) on 1st. A Purple Heron was at Minsmere (Suffolk), a Spotted Crake was at Grove Ferry (Kent) and three Quail were logged.

An obliging Lesser Yellowlegs was at Kenchester Pools (Herefordshire) from 28th onwards with others at Clonakilty (Co. Cork) and Braintree (Essex). The Killdeer remained at Banna Minn (Shetland) as did the Spotted Sandpiper on the Hayle Estuary (Cornwall), plus a Pectoral Sandpiper was seen at Loch of Strathbeg (Aberdeenshire) on 26th. Temminck's Stints were in the Midlands at Netherfield Lagoon (Notts), Doxey Marshes (Staffs) and Rutland Water (Leics) and around 50 Dotterel included 13 at Garreg Lwyd (Carmarthen) and 10 at Pendle Hill (Lancs). Inland birders were treated to an impressive displacement of Bar-tailed Godwits and over 15,000 passed through Dungeness (Kent) over several days' observation.

Whiskered Tern: Lough Beg, Co. Cork (photo: Sean Cronin).

Whiskered Tern: Lough Beg, Co. Cork (photo: Mike O'Keefe).	Whiskered Tern: Lough Beg, Co. Cork (photo: Mike O'Keefe).

Laughing Gull: Countess Weir, Devon (photo: Tim Crawshaw).

A fine Whiskered Tern graced Lough Beg (Co. Cork) from 29th-30th and small numbers of Black Terns were associated with the easterly airflow. Two Gull-billed Terns were reported passing Landguard (Suffolk) on 1st, with singles briefly at Holland Haven (Essex) and Minsmere (Suffolk) on 2nd, and the Forster's Tern remained at Nimmo's Pier (Co. Galway). A 1st-summer Bonaparte's Gull was reported from Draycote Water (Warks) on 30th with perhaps the same bird at Farmoor Reservoir (Oxon) from 1st onwards, with others at Seaton (Devon) on 30th and Tacumshin (Co. Wexford) on 28th. The Laughing Gull remained in Devon, as did the American Herring Gull in the Outer Hebrides, with others in Scilly and Co. Cork. Several White-billed Divers were seen in Shetland with three different birds reported on two dates, plus two were off North Ronaldsay (Orkney) and birds off the Outer Hebrides. Skua passage was reported from a number of watchpoints; 38 Pomarine Skuas passed Dungeness (Kent) on 29th and Shetland had its earliest-ever spring Pomarine Skua on 28th.

There were male King Eiders at Burrastow and Wester Quarff on Shetland and the drake remained at Burghead Bay (Moray/Nairn), whilst the Surf Scoter remained off Rerwick Head (Orkney). There were still three Lesser Scaup on offer, along with half-a-dozen Ring-necked Ducks and four Green-winged Teal and the American Wigeon was last seen at Wheldrake Ings (N. Yorks) on 26th, plus the Marbled Duck remained at Frampton (Glos).