Rarity Round-up
A mystery pipit which could be a sensational UK first, topped November’s rare bird list
The best rare birds seen in the UK and Ireland during November
As stated last month, November kicked off with the bewildering story of a probable Paddyfield Pipit sharing a damp field at Sennen, Cornwall, with a Buff-bellied Pipit. No one had a problem with the latter (from North America), the trouble was with the Paddyfield Pipit, an Asian bird not known for serious lengths of migration (certainly not over thousands of miles). The calls strongly pointed to this large pipit’s identity as a Paddyfield, even if the heavily-moulting, damp and manky plumage gave few extra clues.
By the time it was last seen (15th), skilled observers had managed to age the bird as a second-winter individual (even if the species was not quite 100% determined to species). DNA analysis may yet confirm its identity, but the reason for its ‘departure’ may forever remain a mystery (predation by a cat has been mooted as an explanation!).
Meanwhile, the Buff-bellied Pipit stubbornly remained in the same field, for a while longer, at least, being last reported on 19th.
Less controversial, but somehow more exciting (for some, at least) was the re-discovery of a Steller’s Eider (a first-winter drake), on Westray, Orkney, on 7th (having gone missing on
30 October, the day after it was found). There have only ever been 30 accepted records of Steller’s Eider (and none since 2000), with nearly all being from Scottish islands, and the majority being in the Outer Hebrides (although about a third were from Orkney).
On 8th, the current bird crossed the water to the west coast of Westray’s smaller northern and eastern island neighbour, Papa Westray, where it stayed for the rest of the month. If it hangs around to next year, and shows the spectacular adult plumage, its popularity will doubtless increase, greatly!
Well spotted thrush
Also extremely exciting for many rare bird listers, was a Hermit Thrush at Porth Hellick, St Mary’s, Scilly (from 18th). These Nightingale-sized, rufous-tailed Catharus thrushes are very rare vagrants from North America, with only a dozen
accepted UK records, with all but one from Scilly, or the Scottish islands. The last on Scilly, was on Tresco in October 1993, and the only mainland record was at Porthgwarra, Cornwall, in 2013.
So, naturally, this was a very popular bird, extending Scilly’s excellent autumn season, and doing the decent thing and hanging around into December; although on some days it took up the Catharus habit of going out of sight (while on others, it showed very well indeed).
November wheatears
With the ‘Northern’ bunch having largely departed in October, November is a traditional and more or less predictable month for rare wheatear species, notably Desert and Pied Wheatears. Pied Wheatear delivered with an inland female at Clifton, Worcestershire, on 4th. Desert Wheatears did better, with a couple on Shetland (on Foula and Sumbrugh, Mainland), a male at the southern tip of the Lleyn Peninsula, Gwynedd (6th), and an obliging male at South Swale NR, Kent; plus one at St Ouen’s Pond, Jersey, Channel Islands.
Meanwhile, the spectacular autumn for Isabelline Wheatears continued in full force. A particularly obliging individual was a at Cley Marshes NWT, Norfolk (from 10th). At one stage, it started looking weak and moribund, but bounced back to life, ostensibly after the ample provision of photographers’ mealworms!
More eastern treats
November turned out to be a great month for those most welcome of latecomers, Pallas’s Warblers and Hume’s Leaf Warblers (the slightly duller close relatives of Yellow-browed Warbler, which tend to turn up a little later in the year). As is usually the case, most examples of both species, were concentrated along the east coast. However, one of the most remarkable occurrences was a long way inland at the delightfully named Paradise NR, in Cambridgeshire, lingering in the same area from 22nd into December. This is only the second record of the species in the county, after one found dead in Peterborough in the late 1990s.
In total, there were at least 25 new Pallas’s Warblers and more than 15 Hume’s Leaf Warblers recorded during the month.
Also from way out east, a Dusky Thrush was photographed in a garden at North Ferriby, East
Yorkshire, on 23rd, although the news did not reach a wider audience until five days later, and it was not relocated…
Also, from the east (of course), were Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Suffolk, at Walberswick NNR, and Havergate Island.
Best of the rest
A first-winter Blue Rock Thrush appeared on 8th at Lamb Holm, Orkney. This was just over a week after the St Mary’s, Scilly, bird went missing, and it seems likely that the Orkney thrush was the same bird. The drake American White-wined Scoter re-appeared off Musselburgh, Lothian, on 25th, and occasionally showed very well, in the company of Velvet Scoters and a drake Surf Scoter, there.
A Semipalmated Sandpiper at Oxey Marsh, Hampshire, had a few hearts skipping a beat, as its apparent long bill gave the initial impression it was a much rarer Western Sandpiper…
Mention must finally be made of the first wave of Rough-legged Buzzards into the country, as well as the exceedingly popular Pomarine Skua which ‘delighted’ all-comers as it ate Grey Seal placentas at Donna Nook, Lincolnshire!