A mix of rarities and possible escapes took the March headlines, writes by Lee Evans

WELL, WITH SOME warm southerly winds mid-month, spring migration started with a rush of migrants during the last week of March, enough to push the cumulative species total to a respectable 294 for Britain and Ireland as we entered April. However, this was short-lived, as April saw a real return to winter, with freezing northerly winds dominating the airflow until at least the 27th! The undoubted highlight of the period under review was the first-year female Greenland Gyrfalcon that had been present on North Uist (Outer Hebrides) since late last autumn. During March, an Icelandic Greylag Goose collided with overhead wires at Balranald RSPB and died, its corpse attracting the attention of the falcon. For more than a week, the bird stood guard over its favoured meal, allowing a stream of observers to successfully twitch this otherwise extremely difficult-to-catch-up-with Arctic vagrant. Realising food was running out, enterprising photographers then moved a dead Mute Swan carcass into position nearby, much closer to one of the RSPB tracks, with some remarkable results. The falcon very quickly took the bait and for the best part of two weeks, fed to within just 30 yards of observers, affording the best views of this formidably beautiful species that had ever been Lee Evans is the UK’S most well-known and fanatical ‘twitcher’, having recorded 585 species in Britain and Ireland, 863 in the wider Western Palearctic and 386 in just one calendar year in the UK. He has written many ornithological publications and runs numerous birding tours throughout the year, including custom-led trips. Visit bbabirding.blogspot.co.uk and uk400clubrarebird alert. blogspot.co.uk obtained in this country. The photographic results were simply out-of-this-world – a once-in-alifetime opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with one of the most enigmatic species of bird that there is. Also emanating from the Arctic, was a fine adult Thayer’s Gull that took up residence at Minsmere RSPB reserve (Suffolk) from 27th-28th March. Although typically erratic in its appearances, it visited both the West Scrape and South Levels during its presence, often roosting with other large white-headed gulls for up to two hours at a time. This was a first for the county and yet another in a long line of recent records of this increasing winter vagrant. What would have surely turned out to be the biggest twitch of the month was, frustratingly, not to be, after Kent bird recorder Barry Wright received excellent photographs of a (Western) Rufous Turtle Dove that had been wintering with Woodpigeons in gardens in Otford, near Sevenoaks (Kent) since 18th February. The bird had remained present until at least 21st March, at which time the residents of the house went away for a long sojourn. Barry received the images on 2nd April when subsequent searches proved negative, but it just goes to show how many avian treasures must go begging in an average year! Special mention must also go to Lady Amherst’s