Rarity Round-up
February was a quiet month with little turnover of rare birds, and finishing with a big freeze
The best rare birds seen in the UK and Ireland throughout February
Perhaps the most significant rare bird news of February 2018 was rather lost to most birdwatchers, owing to the vagaries of geography as well as the nature of the bird in question. A male falcon showing the characteristics of a Northern American subspecies of Merlin was photographed near Thurso, Highland on 3rd. Male Taiga Merlins have multiple bands on the tail; overall medium-dark plumage; well-marked underparts and rust-infused undertail coverts. The first-winter bird photographed seemed to show all of these features, but for the next couple of weeks could not be relocated, a situation made almost inevitable by its extremely northern locality, the relative lack of birders in the area and the mobile nature of Merlins. However, persistence paid off when the bird was relocated at nearby Holborn Head, attacking Snow Buntings, on 18th. If accepted, Taiga Merlin could be a new addition to the British List. If it had already achieved full species (rather than subspecies) status, surely more effort would be being made to relocate it once more, by top national listers.
Ross’s Gull
Much more accessible to the vast majority of UK birders and (whisper it) arguably more attractive, was a lovely adult Ross’s Gull in Dorset. First found at Ferrybridge on 21 February, the winterplumaged gull was seen at sites including Lodmoor and Radipole over the next couple of weeks or so. Owing to its mobility, it could be elusive at times, but also gave itself up to excellent views and photography. Was this the same adult Ross’s Gull that was discovered on seaweed covered rocks at Longhoughton Steel, Northumberland on New Year’s Eve? Perhaps, we are looking at a situation like that of last year’s Gull-billed Tern and Caspian Tern, both of which stayed for months, reappearing large distances away at different UK sites. The Ross’s Gull was last seen in Dorset (at Ferrybridge) on 7 March. Will it reappear later in the spring, or is that the last we will see of this individual? Only time will tell. A mini-influx of Ring-billed Gulls, especially into the south-west of England, included a new adult at the Thames Barrier Park, London on 11th. There were few new very rare birds in the