2017’s rare birds
A comprehensive review in words and pictures of the rare birds seen in the UK and Ireland throughout 2017!
The resonances of 2016 were still being felt as waves of aftershock well into 2017. After all, how do you top a year which featured Lammergeier, Purple Swamphen and seeming flocks of Siberian Accentors? Luckily, every year produces its own particular brand of magic, and though not quite up to 2016 standards in some ways, 2017 more than made up for it in others. In January, a couple of rare divers were dominating proceedings, delighting all-comers. There was the Pacific Diver at East Chevington NWT, Northumberland from 18 January, turned up 10 years on from the north-east of England’s first (and until 2017, only) Pacific Diver. In south Lincolnshire, there was a little bit of history repeating, with a White-billed Diver fishing the inland site of the River Witham by Woodhall Spa. This bird was retracing the fishing grounds of a less fortunate member of its species which was found nearby on the same river back in 1996 (and ended up dying after catching an angler’s hook). The 2017 bird spent a healthy two weeks on the river and was seen flying off strongly south, after being flushed by a boat. January also produced a few Pine Buntings, presumably left over from the previous autumn’s influx. These included a female at Venus Pool, Shropshire, and another at Felmingham, Norfolk (only reported widely in March), and males at Dunington, North Yorkshire and Sittingbourne, Kent (the latter staying until late February). Several rarities hung on from December, including the Gloucestershire Blue Rock Thrush, the Derbyshire Dusky Thrush, the Devon Desert Wheatear and a couple of Eastern Black Redstarts at opposite ends of England (Cornwall and Northumberland) and the Mainland, Shetland, Killdeer. A new Black-throated Thrush (a female) was found at Adwick Marshlands RSPB, South Yorkshire, but perhaps the star bird late on was a Red-flanked Bluetail at Wern Ddu, Glamorgan (from 26 January to late February). In a similar vein to the bluetail, it was a winter shock when a Bluethroat was discovered apparently wintering at Willow Tree Fen LWT, south Lincolnshire on 10 February. Although not one of the rarest birds per se, this obliging male proved to be one of the star individual birds for many, during the year. It stuck around until well into March (seemingly becoming somewhat dependent on mealworm hand-outs from visiting photographers); long enough for it to have started to do short bursts of sub-song and to grow genuine sapphire blue throat feathers. February also brought a couple of ‘megas’: including
an American Royal Tern on Guernsey, which remained in the Channel Islands until mid-november, at least. There was also a Siberian Accentor (presumably having lingered since the autumn), found at a private site at Invergordon, Highlands. There was a mini-wave of Little Buntings, with one at Great Barford GP, Bedfordshire and others in Devon, Hampshire and Cornwall. An even more notable ‘influx’ in February saw Cattle Egrets arriving in numbers, including a roost of at least 16 birds at Helston Loe Pool, Cornwall, and other Cattle Egrets being found at more than 30 sites across the country. By the third week of March, there were more than 75 Cattle Egrets in Cornwall, including more than 35 at Frenchman’s Creek and more than 20 at St Clement. All this activity was a precursor to the exciting news that a pair of Cattle Egrets had bred at Burton Mere Wetlands, Cheshire. Of course, this was not the only extraordinary breeding story during the year...
Spring fair
A Glaucous-winged Gull on Fair Isle, Shetland, was one of the top stories for March and would have been massive, if only it had had the decency to stay for more than a day. Also only around for a short period was a Baillon’s Crake found on the beach at Porthchapel, St Levan (near Land’s End) Cornwall (10 March)! A dead Allen’s Gallinule was found on St Kilda during the month. More accessible in March (and very much alive) was a female/first-winter Red-flanked Bluetail at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk, on 25th, which was conveniently close to the visitors’ centre. And while on the blue theme, the Gloucestershire Blue Rock Thrush finally left its Stow-on-the Wold rooftop winter home after 26 March. But, remarkably, the bird was re-found at Beachy Head East Sussex on 6 April. Plumage details (and a drooping wing) confirmed that this was indeed the same bird. And its apparent migration to the south gave reassurance to some birders who were beginning to doubt the thrush’s truly wild credentials. Bonaparte’s Gull numbers started to increase slightly during March, with individuals seen at Helston Boating Lake, Cornwall, Swithland Reservoir, Leicestershire (a county first), Ayrshire and Devon. Even more were seen in April, with further birds in Oxfordshire, Dorset, Essex and Aberdeenshire.
A UK first
A first for the UK was the highlight of a typically busy April: a female Red-winged Blackbird at North Ronaldsay, Orkney (from 29 April to 14 May). Its prolonged stay gave ample opportunity for mainland UK twitchers and listers to get up there to tick it. Though not a ‘UK first’ a very rare spring find was a Hermit Thrush on Noss, Shetland, on 19 April. And
continuing the rare thrush theme, a male Rock Thrush was found on St Martin’s, Scilly, on 10 April. With another turning up in South Wales later in the year, 2017 was certainly a good year for Rock Thrushes. The latter part of the month saw a significant influx of Black-winged Stilts into the country, with several multiple occurrences. In the next few weeks, several pairs of these spring visitors would settle down to do what spring birds do: find a territory, mate and lay eggs. Prominent successful pairs included one (with four young!)at Potter Heigham, Norfolk, at Cliffe Pools RSPB, Kent, and one pair at the Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire (with failed breeding at nearby Welney WWT, Norfolk). About 20 sites had Red-rumped Swallows during April and there were at least 11 Subalpine Warblers and eight Alpine Swifts during the month. More cryptically, a few Dark-eyed Juncos also turned up in gardens across the country (with a few more in May). One of the most exciting birds of the month was the male Pallid Harrier at Dunsop Bridge, Lancashire, which was regularly seen in skydancing display, presumably to any local female Hen Harriers ‘clinging on’ in the north-west of England… May kicked off with a Lesser Kestrel on Noss, Shetland, (1st) the second major bird for the island in two months (and the same island also had Ortolan, Grey-headed Wagtail, Crane, multiple Bluethroats and Rustic Bunting, in May). On Foula, also Shetland, there was a Two-barred Greenish Warbler. Later in the year, a second would appear at St Aldhelm’s, Dorset (15th October). In May, though, the star Dorset bird was a Spectacled Warbler at Portland on 8th, the ninth for the UK and the first record for the county. Once more, a Black-browed Albatross returned to Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorkshire, being seen on 13 May, as well as 16th and 18th. Presumably the same bird would return in mid-june and, on 28 June, it was even seen to land in among the breeding Gannets! A couple of Spotted Sandpipers were very popular during the month (at Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire, and Buttermere, Cumbria) not least because both showy birds wore the fully spotted regalia. From the south and east, Red-footed Falcons had a good spring, with at least 40 seen during May including a remarkable five at Spurn, East Yorkshire, on 28 May.
One good tern
A Gull-billed Tern seen flying over the Ouse Washes RSPB on 15 May was the first for Cambridgeshire. Over the next months, this bird was relocated at several sites around the country. And, it was not the only rare tern to go on tour. A red-ringed Caspian Tern also performed a bit of a grand tour (from 20 June). After spending a long spell in South Wales, it was located in Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire (in July), then had a spell in West Yorkshire, before a further spell in west Norfolk. On 2 June, a Sooty Tern flew past Uisead Point, Argyll. The first week of June brought even more rare tern news, with a colour-ringed Elegant Tern at Hayling Island, Hampshire, and later Pagham Harbour, West Sussex (from 10th), being a known individual of pure ancestry and so potentially another first for the UK. Previous birds have always had an element of doubt about their genetics… In mid-june, during a bit of heatwave, a beautiful male Yellow-rumped Warbler was a sensational find on the Pembrokeshire island of Skokholm (18th). A few days later a White-throated Needletail was discovered on Barra, Outer Hebrides (22nd). Back to rare breeders, one of the major news stories of the year was of a small colony of Bee-eaters appearing in a quarry at East Leake, Nottinghamshire
(from late June). Sadly, despite being monitored and protected, it was impossible to control the weather (and its effects on insect ‘food’ supplies). And it appeared that a cold snap in July ended the Bee-eaters breeding hopes. Later the group of birds were relocated in Leicestershire, but did not breed there, successfully, either. Perhaps this year…
Late summer goodies
July brought another hugely popular and hugely rare bird, a first-summer female Amur Falcon, to Polgigga, Cornwall (6 July). Looking exhausted on its first day, it had perked up somewhat by the next, being still present in the early morning, departing at 9.30am. It was rediscovered on 17th at St Buryan (Cornwall) and was still in the area on 21st but not seen subsequently. Seabirds were a big feature of the summer, with very good numbers of Great and Cory’s Shearwaters, particularly off south-west England. It was also an exceptional season for Wilson’s Petrels, with 15 seen on a single pelagic trip off Scilly. Much later (in fact 2 November) a Cory’s Shearwater turned up inland at Rutland Water (and a couple of days later at Pitsford Reservoir, Northamptonshire). Late summer into autumn featured two North American wood warblers presumably blown over by the prolonged hurricane season; a Yellow Warbler at Culverwell, Portland, Dorset (21 August); and a female American Redstart on Barra, Outer Hebrides (7 September). The latter was the first properly twitchable individual since 1985! Scilly and Shetland started a bit of a rare bird archipelago play-off during September. Shetland produced Yellow-breasted Bunting (Out Skerries), Black-billed Cuckoo (Mainland), Siberian Thrush (Unst). Scilly countered with a probable Tennessee Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Meanwhile, as autumn rarities started pouring in, the UK mainland fought back with a Scops Owl at Ryhope, Co. Durham, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler at
Burnham Overy Dunes, Norfolk, and Stilt and Least Sandpipers together at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset.
October delights
Inevitably, rare birds went from strength to strength in October. St Agnes, Scilly, had a ‘hot’ spell, with Eastern Orphan Warbler, Cedar Waxwing and a moribund Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Meanwhile, the larger island of St Mary’s had Isabelline Wheatear and Wilson’s Snipe. Perhaps the best looking rarity of the whole autumn was a male Siberian Blue Robin trapped on North Ronaldsay, Orkney (8 October). Sadly, only a few got to witness this dazzler. Shetland produced a couple of Siberian Rubythroats, a White-crowned Sparrow and at least 35 Rustic Buntings. Additional Shetland goodies included a well-watched Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler (Mainland; from 1st); a Pechora Pipit on Foula; and at least five Olive-backed Pipits on Mainland, where there was also a Buff-bellied Pipit. Fair Isle had a White’s Thrush on 7th and Whalsay had a Steppe Grey Shrike (from 14th), and Shetland saw a mini-influx of Hornemann’s Arctic Redpolls. There were Black-headed Bunting, Red-throated Pipit, Isabelline Shrike and at least three Blyth’s Reed Warblers on the archipelago. Later in the month, the star Shetland bird (at least in rarity if not in looks) was a female/juvenile American White-winged Scoter at Belmont, Unst (from 18th). There was also the first stage of the Parrot Crossbill invasion in Shetland, with birds on Unst and Mainland. A month later, after this ‘invasion’ was almost forgotten, Parrot Crossbills surged England in a big way, with decent flocks on the Norfolk/suffolk border and in Berkshire as well as a few sites elsewhere. As many as 42 Parrot Crossbills were in the Santon Warren flock in early December. Not as rare, but no less popular, was the Hawfinch ‘invasion’ which took England by storm in late October and early November. Many birds were found at wintering sites across the country. December’s rare bird news was dominated by the late autumn Parrot Crossbills. The main exception was a Black Guillemot in the mouths of the Rivers Witham and Welland near Frampton RSPB, Lincolnshire. Not a rare species in itself, it is very rare in Lincolnshire (probably only the 12th record), so attracted a crowd. Observers soon noted that it was an exceptionally pale individual and it was a good candidate for the high Arctic race mandtii. More on this next month when we return to the normal UKBS format.