Analysis: Britain and Ireland
There were moments of magic during a generally slow month, especially in the south and west, as spring migration got underway. Josh Jones rounds up the April highlights.
There were moments of magic during a generally slow month, especially in the south and west, as spring migration got underway.
April 2021 was a month of contrasts, with the far south-west of England and southern Ireland at times enjoying some exciting spring birding in warm and sunny conditions, while the rest of the country was struggling to shift a persistent north-easterly breeze and neardaily frosts. It was, overall, a cold and disappointing month for birding, bar some exceptions.
Scilly was the place to be, as one of the few parts of these isles experiencing largely pleasant weather – and the birds reflected this, too. Stand-out find was the female Common Rock
Thrush present for one evening only on St Mary’s on 26th (see page 9), but a first-summer male Pallid Harrier that toured the islands on 30th was also very significant – not least because it was relocated in east Norfolk on 3 May.
Back on Scilly and a gorgeous male Ashy-headed Wagtail was seen on St Mary’s on 1st, although this, too, was a one-day bird, as was a Tawny Pipit on Bryher on 16th. Rather more co-operative was a stunning Redthroated Pipit on St Mary’s from 30th.
Backing these highlights up was an assortment of scarcities: a Purple Heron toured the isles and two Red-footed Falcons were seen, with European Bee-eater, Citrine Wagtail, Woodchat Shrike, Richard’s Pipit, Hoopoe and several Golden Orioles enlivening things.
Irish quality
Ireland also had a solid month, with its second Greater Sand Plover belatedly reported from a beach south-west of Ballydehob, Co Cork, two days after it was seen on 21st. The county also produced Ireland’s fourth Sardinian Warbler at Knockadoon Head on the same date, which lingered to 23rd. It’s the second record for the site, following one in April 1993.
Further quality from the Emerald Isle included a first-winter Franklin’s Gull at Ballyheige, Co Kerry, from 28th, with a Gull-billed Tern found on the same day at Carrickfinn, Co Donegal. Tacumshin, Co Wexford, produced another Bonaparte’s Gull on 22nd, while a superciliaris Black-headed Wagtail visited Cahore Marsh (see pages 9-10). A fine male Black-winged Stilt at White’s Marsh, Co Cork, for six days from 21st was well received, although a Kentish Plover at Ballycotton was less co-operative. No fewer than 13 Hoopoes, the majority of which were in Co Cork, added to the excitement, as did the lingering Double-crested Cormorant and Belted Kingfisher.
Story of the month was the relocation of the Northern Mockingbird from Exmouth, Devon, to Pulborough, West Sussex, on 8th. With no sign in Devon that morning, news filtered out from West Sussex around 11.30 am. The bird put on a show for the rest of the day, but had gone by the morning of 9th. Not too far away, the Whitethroated Sparrow continued at Barcombe Cross, East Sussex, until 18th.
With cold weather dominating throughout the month, wildfowl remained prominent. The Whitewinged Scoter remained off the Lothian coast until 10th, while Co Mayo’s American Black Duck moved to the Inishkea islands. The Black Scoter was again seen off the Northumberland coast, while the Bufflehead was still in Co Cork. A drake Lesser Scaup at Lower Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh, to 20th was perhaps the same bird seen in Co Donegal on 22nd. Meanwhile, a rare British record
concerned a drake at Chapel Pit, Lincs, on 29th. Ring-necked Duck were widespread with more than 40 sites hosting the species.
A Richardson’s Cackling Goose was still among Pink-footed
Geese in Highland on 29th, with two still on North Uist to midmonth. Families of Grey-bellied Brant were still in Counties Dublin and Louth, with a single bird still with Pink-feet in Highland.
The bitter northerlies also produced a fly-by Brünnich’s Guillemot off North Ronaldsay, Orkney, on 9th, while an unusual spring influx of Hornemann’s
Arctic Redpolls to Shetland saw four recorded, with a possible fifth on the Scottish mainland at Achmelvich, Highland. Further adding to the wintry feel was a female Two-barred Crossbill near Edwinstowe, Notts, for a week from 8th.
Twenty-five locations registered White-billed Diver this month, almost all in Scotland bar exceptions from Northumberland and Co Durham. At least 11 were seen off the classic locality of Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, on 16th, but there was no shortage of records from Orkney and Shetland, too.
A Black Stork flew along the River Dee near Corwen, Clwyd, on the morning of 26th, before passing over Marton, Cheshire, in the afternoon. What could feasibly be the same bird was in the New Forest at Bishop’s Dyke, Hants, on 30th. Black-crowned Night Herons were noted on the Isle of Wight and in Devon and
Somerset. Half a dozen Purple Herons included a long stayer in Herefordshire.
As well as the Scilly-Norfolk bird, another Pallid Harrier was in Kent at Reculver on 8th, before being seen at Graveney Marshes on 12th. A male Pallid flew over Pitsford Reservoir on 23rd. It seems almost as if this species is now more regular in Britain than Montagu’s Harrier, with just two of the latter reported in April.
Piper in the park
A very early Buff-breasted Sandpiper touched down at Cotswold Water Park, Wilts, for a couple of days from 7th, while a Collared Pratincole was a fleeting visitor to Leasowe, Cheshire, on 22nd. Rutland Water had a Kentish Plover for the day on 21st.
A Lesser Yellowlegs was brief at North Duffield Carrs, North Yorks, on 16th, while wintering birds continued in Devon and Co Waterford. The Long-billed Dowitcher was last seen at Scorton, North Yorks, on 23rd, as was the Spotted Sandpiper at Croy, Ayrshire. Meanwhile, it was a great month for Bar-tailed Godwit passage: inland and coastal patchers alike were treated to the best showing of this beautiful wader for several years.
Bonaparte’s Gull continues its march towards demotion from the British Birds Rarities Committee’s (BBRC) list of rarities, with two birds – an adult and a first-winter – frequenting Cardiff Bay, Glamorgan, for much of the month. Rutland Water had a first-winter for two weeks to 24th, with this bird seemingly moving to Upton Warren, Worcs, from 27th and into May. An adult was at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset, on 10th and the first-winter remained
at Frampton-upon-Severn, Glos, to 13th, the latter proving to be one of the Cardiff birds.
Cornwall’s American Herring Gull was very settled at Newlyn and may well go on to summer there. A Whiskered Tern flew past West Bay, Bridport, Dorset, on 28th, later relocating to Abbotsbury Swannery in early May. It wasn’t a vintage month for Black Terns, but 31 at Abberton
Reservoir, Essex, on 28th was a very decent count, with a further 21 sites noting the species that day.
Recently upgraded to a BBRC rarity, the month’s only Whitespotted Bluethroat was a singing male at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk, from 17-19th.
Two different Eastern Subalpine Warblers reached west Cornwall, with a male at Trevescan hanging around for more than a week from 20th. Another was on
Foula, Shetland, from 25th. Back in Cornwall, a male Western Subalpine Warbler put in a fourday stay at Kynance Cove from 5th, while an unidentified female subalpine was at Burton Marsh, Cheshire, on 19th.
A rare spring Yellow-browed Warbler was in Shetland at Baltasound, Unst, on 24-25th. An
Iberian Chiffchaff set up territory at Foxhall, Suffolk, from 17th.
A dozen sites produced Little Buntings, including the last sighting from Thursley Common, Surrey, on 27th. A rare spring Olive-backed Pipit was at Kenidjack Valley, Cornwall, on 28th. A beautiful Red-throated Pipit gave great views on the golf course at Low Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, on 23-24th. ■