UK Bird Sightings
A comprehensive round-up of birds seen during February
There can only be one main story from the South West, during February: the appearance of the UK’s third-ever Northern Mockingbird in a private garden at Exmouth, Devon. Second place goes to the Sociable Lapwing in the Bude area, Cornwall, still.
AVON
CLEVEDON TO WESTON-SUPER-MARE: The Blind Yeo held 19 Goosanders. Unusually, there were 30 Shovelers on the coast. Sand Point logged 32 Avocets. They were also reported regularly at Clevedon-Yeo, along with 50 Grey Plovers, 27 Ringed Plovers, 60 Knot, a Jack Snipe, Spotted Redshank, Little Stint (28th), Bar-tailed Godwit (28th), Little Ringed Plover (26th), Short-eared Owl (17th), Marsh Harrier, Merlin and White Wagtail (28th).
There were three Mediterranean Gulls at Sand Point, with singles at Clevedon-Yeo and the disused airfield at Weston-super-Mare, which also had two Bearded Tits and two Water Pipits (3rd). Black Redstarts were in Clevedon, Kenn and Portishead. A White Wagtail was at Portbury Wharf (25th), with 27 Stonechats there. The first Sand Martin was at Clevedon-Yeo (20th).
SEVERNSIDE: A Brent Goose was seen (19th). Northwick Warth had 450 Wigeon, 200 Teal, 600 Lapwings, 150 Oystercatchers, 870 Curlews, 11 Black-tailed Godwits, a Bar-tailed Godwit, and a Little Ringed Plover (25th), the earliest arrival date by 15 days. Oldbury had 80 Turnstones, 63 Snipe, a Jack Snipe, Glaucous Gull (21st), two Mediterranean Gulls, two Black Redstarts, 13 Stonechats, 300 Fieldfares and 400 Redwings. Severn Beach had nine Kittiwakes (18th), a Fulmar (19th) and a dead Long-eared Owl (7th). A Merlin roamed Severnside. Aust Services hosted a roost of 180 Pied Wagtails. A Crossbill flew over New Passage (28th).
THE RESERVOIRS: The Long-tailed Duck and Great Northern Diver remained at Barrow Gurney. Chew had a Long-tailed Duck, Scaup, Slavonian Grebe, 55 Pochards, 755 Tufted Ducks, 45 Goldeneyes, a Yellow-legged Gull, three Mediterranean Gulls, two Marsh Harriers, four Bearded Tits, a Siberian Chiffchaff and three Sand Martins. Blagdon held 84 Pochards, 610 Tufted Ducks, 15 Goldeneyes, 12 Goosanders, a Mediterranean Gull and Marsh Harrier. The Cattle Egret flock between the reservoirs dropped to 20. Six Great White Egrets were noted. The Backwell Lake roost held 32 Little Egrets.
OTHER SITES: There were three Mandarins in the Gordano Valley and four at Wickwar. The lakes around Yate held nine Goosanders, with six at Saltford. Marshfield had 62 Golden Plovers. Woodcocks included eight at Horton. Inglestone Common had four Jack Snipe. Saltford logged a Mediterranean Gull and Merlin. There were several sightings of Mediterranean Gulls around Bristol, which also had a few wintering Firecrests, including two by the Zoo.
Chipping Sodbury had a Merlin and 12 Stonechats. Frampton Cotterell had 900 Linnets. There were only five Bramblings noted, including two at Elm Farm, Burnett. Marshfield had a Yellow-legged Gull, 400 Linnets, 170 Corn Buntings and 200 Yellowhammers. Jane Cumming
CHANNEL ISLANDS
JERSEY: Cirl Buntings were singing (from 21st). Two Merlins roamed the island, as did Peregrines, including probable northern-race birds. The Wetlands Centre had 40 Shovelers, 34 Wigeon, 32 Pochards, 50 Tufted Ducks, 100s of Lapwings, 150 Snipe, a few Jack Snipe and Water Pipits, the wintering Bean Goose, Whitefront and Bittern, a Serin, Sand Martin (21st) and 23 Marsh Harriers. A probable Short-eared Owl was seen. Long-eared Owls and Barn Owls were widespread.
Grouville Bay held many divers, including displaying Great Northern Divers, 40 Great Crested Grebes, Black-necked Grebes, Slavonian Grebes, 50 Red-breasted Mergansers, Razorbills,
Eiders, Gannets, Sandwich Terns, thousands of Black-headed Gulls and 250 Mediterranean Gulls. Grouville Marsh held 19 Cattle Egrets.
Little Gulls, thousands of Razorbills, and hundreds of Kittiwakes and Common Gulls passed La Coupe. A Swallow flew over Le Hurel slipway (18th). A Wheatear was at Les Landes (21st). Three Avocets, scarce here, were at Fauvic Marsh. There were 480 Brent Geese, including five pale-bellied birds, 40 Herons and 100 Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets in the area. Bertram Bree
DEVON
LUNDY: Highlights included a Snow Bunting, five Lapland Buntings, two Mediterranean Gulls, five Red-throated Divers, a Little Gull, Black Redstart, 733 Kittiwakes, 252 Razorbills and a Yellow-legged Gull.
NORTH DEVON: Braunton had a Whimbrel,
Whooper Swan and two Spoonbills. Westward Ho! had five Purple Sandpipers and a Snow Bunting. Fremington had four Spoonbills, 18 Greenshanks, 13 Cattle Egrets, a Spotted Redshank and four Glossy Ibises. Ilfracombe had four Purple Sandpipers and a Black Redstart. The Taw Estuary had 100 Brent Geese and 20 Pintails. A Hen Harrier was at Hartland. Skern had a Ruff, Little Gull, 100 Dunlin, a few Knot and a Grey Plover.
Northam Burrows had two Snow Buntings. Bideford had a Cattle Egret and Black Redstart. Baggy Point had a Velvet Scoter. West Putford had 200 Golden Plovers. Bursdon Moor had a Hen Harrier and Merlin. Lower Tamar Lake had 21 Goosanders and four Willow Tits.
SOUTH DEVON: The Plym Valley had 20 Crossbills and a Common Sandpiper. The Plym Estuary had seven Greenshanks, a Red Kite, three Jack Snipe, three Bar-tailed Godwits, four Common Sandpipers, 380 Dunlin and a Grey Plover. Exminster Marshes had four White-fronted Geese, a Marsh Harrier and 100 Avocets. Torbay had 55 Great Northern Divers, three Red-throated Divers, a Long-tailed Duck, seven Common Scoters, two Black-throated Divers, 22 Cirl Buntings and a Siberian Chiffchaff.
Hopes Nose had a Long-tailed Duck, Glaucous Gull, Black Redstart, 38 Great Northern Divers and six Purple Sandpipers. Saltram had two Whimbrels, a Common Sandpiper, six Greenshanks, three Bar-tailed Godwits, a Grey Plover, Long-tailed Duck and a Great Northern Diver. Budleigh Salterton had a Cattle Egret. South Molton had 200 Golden Plovers. The Tamar Estuary had 54 Avocets. A Whimbrel was at Kingsbridge. Torquay had three Purple Sandpipers.
Exeter had a Merlin and Long-tailed Duck. Noss Mayo had a Chough and 100 Golden Plovers. Aylesbeare Common had three Crossbills, four Dartford Warblers and a Red Kite. Budleigh Salterton had an Avocet, Bar-tailed Godwit, Cattle Egret and 27 Brent Geese. Topsham had a Spotted Redshank, Long-tailed Duck and 20 Red breasted Mergansers. An Eider was on the River Otter. Teignmouth had 19 Great Northern Divers, two Common Scoters and a Black Redstart. A Hooded Crow was at Ivybridge.
Plymouth had a Long-tailed Duck and two
Great Northern Divers. Ideford Common had 20 Crossbills. Kingsteignton had a Goshawk. The Exe Estuary had a White-fronted Goose, 800 Black-tailed Godwits, 25 Bar-tailed Godwits, 51 Grey Plovers and ten Greenshanks. Ottery
St. Mary had a Red Kite. Wembury had a Glaucous Gull.
THURLESTONE BAY: Maxima included six dark-bellied Brent Geese, 240 Wigeon, 105 Teal, two Pintails, a Common Scoter, two Red-breasted Mergansers, four Red-throated Divers, a Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Spoonbill, 151 Gannets, three Fulmars, 56 Oystercatchers, eight Ringed Plovers, 170 Golden Plovers, a Grey Plover, 92 Lapwings, six Knot, a Sanderling, 32 Dunlin, a Jack Snipe, 31 Snipe, three Woodcocks, five Black-tailed Godwits, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 25 Curlews, a Common Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers, three Greenshanks, 12 Redshanks, a Lesser Yellowlegs, 20 Turnstones, 11 Kittiwakes, 15 Mediterranean Gulls, 20 Chiffchaffs and two Black Redstarts. Harvey Kendall and Mike Passman (thurlestonebaybirds.co.uk)
ISLES OF SCILLY
HIGHLIGHTS: At least three Iceland Gulls and one Glaucous Gull were on the islands during the month, most often seen on St Mary’s. Other long-stayers included the Greylag Goose and Russian White-fronted Goose duo and the Jackdaw that were usually on Tresco but did occasionally visit St Mary’s. Also commuting between Tresco and Bryher were the four Cattle Egrets. Up to three Spoonbills were noted near Samson. On the sea between the islands double figures of Great Northern Divers were noted along with a single Red-throated Diver, up to three Slavonian Grebes and three Common Scoters. A male Eider frequented the north end of St Mary’s throughout and a female was off Tresco and up to eight Whimbrels were wintering on the north end of St Mary’s. Good numbers of Purple Sandpiper and Grey Plover were on St Martin’s, some of which occasionally visited St Mary’s. Med Gulls were seen in good numbers throughout, most on St Mary’s and St Martins. The wintering Common Sandpiper was seen every now and then on Little Porth and at least three Firecrests were on St Mary’s with another four on Tresco.
The wintering Great Spotted Woodpeckers were still on Tresco and St Mary’s.
A Yellow-browed Warbler was still on Tresco (3rd) as was a male Pintail. A first-winter Little Gull was briefly on Porth Loo (4th). Two Canada Geese on Tresco (6th) were new for the year, unlike the Siberian Chiffchaff that was also found there that day.
The adult Kumlien’s Gull seen at Morning Point (8th) was the bird seen on Scilly on 2018 and 2019. The increasing numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls during the month also brought in a handful of Yellow-legged Gulls.
The cold weather in mid-month brought in an influx of Golden Plover and Lapwing with a max of 90 Golden Plover on the airport (14th) and 35 Lapwings on the Golf Course (11th). An adult Little Gull was seen around Hugh Town (14th) and a pale-bellied Brent Goose was on Tresco in the latter part of the month and another Little Gull, this one a first-winter, flew past Giant’s Castle, as did a Great Skua (20th). A Swallow or Martin was seen at dusk on St Mary’s (20th) but was not seen again. Another first-winter Little Gull was on the Abbey Pool, Tresco (21st-22nd). White Wagtails started to arrive in the islands (from 22nd) and a Jack Snipe was at Porth Hellick and a Siskin on St Agnes (28th) Will Wagstaff
WILTSHIRE
HIGHLIGHTS: The Cattle Egret remained at Idmiston until the month’s end. A Caspian Gull was at Stapleford, a Kittiwake at Warminster, Mediterranean Gulls at Whaddon and Downton and the Siberian Chiffchaff was still at Westbury STW. Siskin numbers were higher than usual with flocks at 14 sites, and a maximum of 30 at Warminster. Lesser Redpolls were at seven sites. Bramblings remained scarce, as did Crossbills, but Chiffchaffs were reported from 13 sites. Two hundred and thirty Corn Buntings were at Teffont and 150 at SPTA(E). A Hawfinch was at Teffont and Firecrests at Franchises Wood and Gare Hill. Good numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares remained with a maximum 300 Redwing at Fonthill and 200 at Cricklade. A hundred and seventy Fieldfare were at Shrewton. Five hundred Golden Plover remained at Bratton and Jack Snipes were at Whaddon, Blakehill and Swindon STW. Goosander counts were above average with birds at seven sites including 22 at Corsham Lake. Rob Turner