Birdwatch

Every inland county has its day!

For many landlocked birders, late autumn and early winter 2020 will be remembered for producing a remarkable run of inland records.

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Run of inland rarities: October-December 2020

AUTUMN 2020 was exceptiona­l in Britain and Ireland, with a conveyor belt of rarities from all points of the compass running from August until well into November. The majority of these goodies were found on the Northern Isles, Scilly and the east coast. However, as the autumn wore on and reorientat­ing birds filtered down through the British countrysid­e, an extraordin­ary run of inland discoverie­s occurred in places that rarely feature in the rarity limelight.

Perhaps the most striking example, in both rarity and location terms, is the London Dark-eyed Junco, for which a finder’s account can be read on the facing page (although as we go to press a White-throated Sparrow was found in inland Kent).

Heading south of the capital and into Surrey, a remarkable trio of Siberian buntings pitched up on Thursley Common for the winter: a Rustic Bunting discovered in late November joined an already lingering Little Bunting found the previous month, then, on 24 December, a second Little Bunting arrived on the scene. This unlikely flock was present into mid-January.

Shropshire is far from a rarity hot-spot, but a Pied-billed Grebe – the county’s first – found Chelmarsh Res to its liking from 26 November and stayed put for almost a month. Other North American goodies included an American Bittern at Fiskerton

Fen, Lincs, from 29 November until 1 December and a Common Nighthawk at Burham Marsh, Kent, on 6 November – both sites are in coastal counties, but they occurred inland enough to raise eyebrows among the birding community.

No fewer than 10 Dusky Warblers had been unearthed at inland sites by early January, a truly impressive figure, while three Red-flanked Bluetails – including one trapped and ringed in Derbyshire – made it to landlocked counties in October. Another was discovered well inland in Northumber­land in November.

Herefordsh­ire, London and Cambridges­hire enjoyed Richard’s Pipits, while another Little Bunting spent time at Langford Lowfields from November until late December. And while Yellow-browed Warbler has become part of the autumn and winter furniture in many places, more than 90 inland records between October and January is worth mentioning. ■

 ??  ?? A Rustic and two Little Buntings flocked up together on a Surrey common – scenes barely expected even in the likes of Scilly and Shetland.
A Rustic and two Little Buntings flocked up together on a Surrey common – scenes barely expected even in the likes of Scilly and Shetland.
 ??  ?? Shropshire’s first Pied-billed Grebe was a cracking find at Chelmarsh Reservoir in late November.
Shropshire’s first Pied-billed Grebe was a cracking find at Chelmarsh Reservoir in late November.
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