UK Bird Sightings
Highlights
A comprehensive round-up of birds spotted during June
GEAR & REVIEWS
A new bird for the UK in the form of Sulphur-bellied Warbler on Lundy, Devon, was the undoubted highlight, though it was pushed close by an Egyptian Vulture on Tresco and St Mary’s, Scilly. Little Swift over Scilly and Cornwall and the Ham Wall River Warbler, were good, too!
AVON
CLEVEDON-WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Clevedon-Yeo had a Golden Plover and Sanderling. Black-headed Gulls increased to 110. Clevedon logged a Wheatear (2nd) and two Tree Pipits (7th).
SEVERNSIDE: Northwick Warth had breeding Avocets and Little Ringed Plovers, two Black-winged Stilts (25th-30th), 11 Whimbrels (28th), 15 Black-tailed Godwits, five Turnstones, a Grey Plover, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper and a few returning Wigeon and Teal. Portbury Wharf had two Long-tailed Ducks (18th) and a Greenshank (19th). Oldbury had a Grasshopper Warbler and Rose-coloured Starling (4th).
THE RESERVOIRS: Chew had a Pink-footed Goose (8th), two Garganeys and 110 Great Crested Grebes. Goldeneyes bred for the sixth time. Just a handful of Common Terns passed through. Two or three Great White Egrets and Cattle Egrets, Marsh Harriers and four Hobbies roamed the area.
OTHER SITES: Three Quails were at Marshfield. A Goosander with young was at Freshford. An Osprey flew over Saltford (3rd). A Red-backed Shrike was at Chipping Sodbury Common (6th). Lower Woods at Wickwar had a Golden Oriole (12th). There was a Firecrest at Ashton Court, Bristol and a Black Redstart at Bedminster. Jane Cumming
CHANNEL ISLANDS
JERSEY: A Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis flew over La Rocque, where a Brent Goose remained. Red Kites flew over Gorey and Saint John. Cirl Buntings bred on Grouville Common. Good numbers of Dartford Warblers bred. Rozel held five Firecrests. Golden Orioles were at Noirmont and Trinity Hill. Turtle Doves were at Kempt Tower and Pontac. Four Rose-coloured Starlings were seen. Great Northern Diver passed Corbiere and La Rocque. Marsh Warblers sang at Mont Huelin and the Wetland Centre.
Twelve Puffins were east of Plemont, where Storm Petrels and Manx Shearwaters were ringed. A Red-footed Falcon and two Spoonbills flew over Noirmont. A Great White Egret was at the Wetland Centre. A Cory’s Shearwater passed Corbiere lighthouse (27th), along with hundreds of Balearic and Manx Shearwaters. A Black Tern and a pair of Little Terns summered on the Ecrehous reef.
Grouville Bay held 20 Mediterranean Gulls, 200 Black-headed Gulls, 300 Herring Gulls, the odd Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Common Sandpipers, Green Sandpipers, Greenshanks, Sanderling, Ringed Plovers, Grey Plovers, 60 Oystercatchers, 20 Curlews and a few Whimbrels. Bertram Bree
DEVON
LUNDY: Highlight was of course the Sulphur-bellied Warbler, a first for Britain (8th). There was also a Rustic Bunting (1st), Icterine Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and Cuckoo (2nd). A Greenland Wheatear was caught and ringed (6th). There was a Subalpine Warbler and a Hawfinch (9th). There was a Rose-coloured Starling (14th), a Tree Pipit and a Yellow Wagtail (15th), and Cuckoos on several days. Survey teams on the island recorded 5,504 Manx Shearwater pairs (a massive increase since waving goodbye to the rats), 9,800 Guillemot nests, 3,533 Razorbill nests (again, due to absence of rats), and 849 Puffin breeding sites (another large increase, these were in the mid-teens a few years ago).
There were also many more successful Wheatears than previous years. There was a female Ortolan Bunting (17th).
NORTH DEVON: Torrington had four Swifts and a Red Kite (12th). Northam had a Lesser Whitethroat (12th). A dark-bellied Brent Goose was at Westleigh (4th). A Red Kite was at Pyworthy (8th). A Red Kite was at Ash Mill (10th). South Molton had a White-tailed Eagle high over, being mobbed by Buzzards (14th). A White-tailed Eagle was around Farley Water, Brendon Common (17th). An adult male Black-winged Stilt was at Wrafton Pond, Velator NR (24th-26th), with two at nearby Isley Marsh RSPB (24th). An adult Spotted Redshank was at Fremington Quay (26th).
SOUTH DEVON: A Red Kite was at Totnes (1st). Yarner Wood had up to five Pied Flycatchers, two Spotted Flycatchers, three Redstarts and a Garden Warbler (1st). Newton Poppleford had two Red Kites (1st), Challacombe, Dartmoor had eight Whinchats, nine Cuckoos, Crossbill and two Redstarts (1st). Powlers Piece had three Nightjars (1st). Ideford had a Red Kite and one was at Ugborough (2nd). Cann Woods had c.7 Nightjars (2nd). Heathfield had four Nightjars (3rd). The Exe Estuary had a Little Tern (3rd). A Laughing Gull was at Paignton (4th). Erme Pound Copse had three Cuckoos, four Redstarts and five Ravens (4th). Emsworthy had five Cuckoos, Redstart, five Stonechats and a Mistle Thrush (5th). Prawle had two Rose-coloured Starlings (6th). Slapton had a Hobby (7th). Teigngrace had an Osprey (7th). Berry Head had a Black-throated Diver in full summer plumage, and 115 Manx Shearwaters (7th). A Red Kite was at Kingsteignton (8th). Soar had a female Red-backed Shrike and a Red Kite (8th). Exminster Marshes had 11 Mediterranean Gulls, 30 Curlews, Whimbrel and a Hobby (9th). Lower Tamar Lake had a Willow Tit, two Marsh Tits and three Grey Wagtails, including one juvenile (10th). Venford had three Cuckoos, two Redstarts and a Tree Pipit (11th). A Red Kite was over Plymouth (12th). A cruise from Torbay logged 17 Mediterranean Gulls and 150-plus Kittiwakes, many nesting on the headland (13th). Bolt Head had a Sandwich Tern and 25-plus Manx Shearwaters (13th). Marsh Green, Exeter had two Red Kites and three Buzzards (13th). Widworthy had a Red Kite (13th). Withycombe had nine Red Kites (14th). Several Red Kites were over and around mid and South Devon with 12 at Torbay (14th). Haldon had a Red Kite (15th). Dunkeswell had three Red Kites and six Buzzards (15th). West Ogwell had a Hobby, and a Spoonbill over (15th).
An Osprey was over Aylesbeare Common RSPB (19th). A Spoonbill was at Exminster Marshes RSPB (20th), with two Wood Sandpipers also there (28th), and one plus a Great White Egret (29th). A possible Alpine Swift was at Teignmouth (25th). Two Wood Sandpipers were at Smallhangar Pools, Crownhill Down (28th), and there was one at South Down Farm, Soar (30th). Harvey Kendall
ISLES OF SCILLY
HIGHLIGHTS: A Golden Oriole was in Holy Vale and a Quail near Porth Hellick (1st), when a Marsh Harrier flew from Tresco to St Mary’s. The islands’ third Little Swift was in the Porth Hellick area (2nd), when two Garganeys were on St Agnes. An Iceland Gull remained on St Mary’s, with another on Tresco until mid-month. A Night Heron was at Porth Hellick (3rd). A Rose-coloured Starling was at Porth Loo Lane (3rd), with birds then reported every few days on St Mary’s, Bryher and St Martins.
Golden Orioles were in Porth Loo Lane (3rd) and Newford (6th). A Roseate Tern was on a mid-channel buoy (4th). A Quail was on Porth Hellick Down (5th). A Bee-eater flew over Middle Town, St Martin’s (6th). A Black Kite flew over St Martin’s (7th) and was between the islands (8th). An unseasonal Sabine’s Gull was at sea (10th). A Common Scoter was off St Martin’s (13th), with an Eider nearby (14th).
An Egyptian Vulture over Tresco (14th) and St Mary’s (15th) was the third record for the UK, and first for over 150 years. A Red-footed Falcon was on St Mary’s (from 16th), with two Hobbies also on the islands. A Redwing on Peninnis (21st) was a very unusual record for the time of year, as were two Red-breasted Mergansers off Tolls Island (21st). A warbler on St Agnes (21st-29th) was either a Blyth’s Reed Warbler or, more probably, a Marsh Warbler.
The first Wilson’s Petrel of the season was seen from the pelagic trip (24th). Mediterranean Gulls were in Tresco Channel (25th). A Wood Sandpiper was at Porth Hellick (27th) and over Hugh Town (28th). Another Wilson’s Petrel and a Sooty Shearwater were south of the islands (28th). Cetti’s Warblers bred for the first time on Scilly, with recently fledged young at Porth Hellick (28th). An unseasonal dark-bellied Brent Goose was on Tresco (29th). The wandering walrus was also present (from 17th). Will Wagstaff
WILTSHIRE
HIGHLIGHTS: Rose-coloured Starlings were at Warminster and Swindon. The Channel Wagtail remained at SPTA(E). An Osprey was at Britford. A Little Gull and Black Tern at the Water Park. More Spotted Flycatchers were reported than usual, but there were only two Redstart reports. Quails called at three sites. A Black Redstart wax at Wroughton. A Nightingale was at SPTA(C). Oystercatchers were at Bowood and the Water Park. A Yellow-legged Gull was at Shrewton. Rob Turner