Analysis: Britain and Ireland
A largely wet and windy May seemed like one to forget, but a run of easterlies at the end of the month produced a suite of goodies across Britain and Ireland. Josh Jones reports.
It took a while for May to get going, but when once it did, it produced spectacular results throughout Britain and Ireland.
The weather did its best to make a disaster of May 2021, although the wind and rain finally abated late in the month, leading to fine conditions and a welcome arrival of quality migrants. Meanwhile, a number of lingering highlights ensured that there was always something of note on the BirdGuides news page.
One such long-stayer was the Double-crested Cormorant at Carrig Island, Co Kerry, which was reported with regularity until 30th – it’ll be interesting to see whether it stays all summer. In Argyll, the Pied-billed Grebe was back at Loch Feorlin for another summer, and could be heard singing on the rare calm days. The Pacific Diver also lingered at Elly Bay, Co Mayo, to 17th, and the resident Snowy Owl was still on St Kilda, Outer Hebrides.
Staggeringly, the Northern Mockingbird was relocated for a second time on 5th – this time at Newbiggin-by-the-sea, Northumberland. Here it remained until 9th, before continuing its northward journey once more.
In Shetland, a White-throated Sparrow – not either of the wintering English birds due to being of the ‘tan-striped’ morph – was found at Baltasound, Unst, on 18th, relocating north to
Skaw on 22nd. North American vagrants were otherwise scant, despite a series of weather systems whipping across the Atlantic during the month – the sort of conditions that would have many birders raring to go in October. That said, a Dark-eyed Junco was in a garden at an undisclosed locality in Lothian on 31st.
A female Blue-winged Teal visited Walmsley Sanctuary, Cornwall, from 5-11th. Sadly, however, it appears that the institution that was the Strontian American Black Duck has finally come to the end of its long and colourful life, with no sign since January. Lincolnshire’s Lesser Scaup reappeared at Manby Flashes on 24th.
A single Black Stork was likely responsible for sightings in six counties this month. After being seen in the New Forest, Hants, on 1st, it visited the Isle of Wight on 2nd, Kent from 9-12th, East Sussex on 26th and Surrey on 27th, before finally ending up near St Ives, Cornwall, at the month’s end.
An elusive Squacco Heron was seen at Ynys-Hir RSPB, Ceredigion, for three days from 13th. Around 20 Purple Herons was a poor showing by modern standards, and a good proportion of them only appeared as the weather warmed at the end of the month. A Black-crowned Night Heron at Ross-on-Wye, Herefords, appears to be a returning bird; just four others were seen nationally.
Handy detective work revealed that the Bonaparte’s
Gull at Cardiff Bay, Glamorgan, early in the month was latterly seen at Holme Pierrepont and Hoveringham GPs, Notts, between 8th and 14th, and at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB, Cheshire, on 23rd. Another first-winter lingered at Upton Warren NR, Worcs, to 9th, with a third at Dunnet Bay, Caithness, for three weeks from 1st and a fourth at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset, from 20-26th. At least two were in Co Wexford.
Lodmoor RSPB also hosted a Franklin’s Gull on 9th; could it be the bird latterly seen at St Aidan’s RSPB, West Yorks, from 18-27th? A Laughing Gull flew over East Prawle, Devon, on 15th; presumably the same (reported as a probable Laughing) briefly visited Paignton on 30th. Meanwhile, the American Herring
Gull remained resolute at Newlyn, Cornwall.
Presumably the same Caspian Tern was responsible for sightings at five sites in Suffolk and Norfolk. First seen on the Alde Estuary in the latter county on 14th, it briefly visited UEA Broad in Norwich on 16th before spending a couple of days at Potter Heigham Marshes on 18-19th.
The long-staying Gull-billed
Tern lingered in Co Donegal to 16th, although seemingly paid a visit to Tiree, Argyll, on 11th. White-winged Terns were in Cambridgeshire on 12th and Lancashire on 21st, with another at the Double-crested Cormorant spot in Co Kerry on 30th. A Whiskered Tern at Abbotsbury, Dorset, moved east to Longham Lakes and lingered there to 16th; presumably the same was off Mudeford on 19th. The Forster’s Tern was back at Inishroo, Co Galway, having spent the winter in the wider bay.
While there were no spectacular counts from Hebridean watchpoints this May, the rough conditions brought Long-tailed Skuas inshore in unusual areas. For example, an adult on a golf course at Machynys, Ceredigion, on 15-16th relocated north to another course near
Blackpool,
Lancs, 10 days later. Meanwhile, there were some decent counts of Pomarine Skuas in the Bristol Channel as far up as Severn Bridge.
The elusive Collared Pratincole was seen again at Kirkby, Lancs, on 7th and back at
Leasowe, Cheshire, on
14th. Another lingered at
Cliffe Pools RSPB, Kent, for two weeks from 16th, with a third briefly visiting north Norfolk on 20th.
Following one at Iken, Suffolk, on 3-4th, a female Kentish Plover spent five days on the beach at Holy Island, Northumberland, from 10th – a momentous find this far north. Iken was one of the month’s hot-spots, also producing a Broad-billed Sandpiper on 5-6th. Eight migrant Rednecked Phalaropes was a low return, although the female returned to Grindon Lough, Northumberland, for another summer. It was another poor spring for Temminck’s Stint, with no more than 35 birds noted – three of which were inland at Rutland Water. A breeding-plumaged female Grey Phalarope at Chichester Harbour, Hants, on 28th must have been quite a sight.
Great Spotted Cuckoo isn’t often seen in May, with early spring and mid-late summer tending to produce the bulk of British and Irish records.
This month was notable, then, for producing two. An adult at Brownstown Head, Co Waterford, on 29th proved mobile and ultimately was only on show for a matter of hours. This was followed by a first-summer at Tehidy CP, Cornwall, on 30-31st.
There was a noticeable influx of European Bee-eaters in the final few days of the month, including an impressive flock of 10 that arrived in off the sea at Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorks, on 30th. Several moved through Spurn, including one with distinctive primary damage that allowed for it to be clinched as a bird seen in Norfolk a couple of days previous.
A Tawny Pipit proved unusually co-operative at Cogden Beach, Dorset, for five days from 6th; another was on Fair Isle later in the month. The latter also boasted not one but two Calandra Larks – the first time a single site has produced two of this mega rarity in the same calendar year – as well as one of the month’s five Red-throated Pipits. Around 25 Red-rumped Swallows was a decent haul, given the often appalling weather.
Spring 2021 has been good for Yellow Wagtails, with several interesting forms noted. An apparent female Black-headed Wagtail – the first female feldegg recorded in Britain if accepted – touched down at Cardiff Bay, Glamorgan, on 14th, while an apparent Ashy-headed Wagtail was in neighbouring Gwent at Goldcliff Pools on 6th. Plenty of Grey-headed Wagtails were noted, with at least 30 sites producing the subspecies – including some small flocks on the east coast.
White-spotted Bluethroat is now an official British rarity, so it was fitting that just a single bird was unearthed in May: a singing male at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB for five days to 27th. A smattering of Red-spotted Bluethroats arrived in the Northern Isles and included five on Out Skerries, Shetland, on 24th. A singing Thrush Nightingale at Spurn on 13-14th was followed by another at Flamborough Head on 24th.
After a record-breaking summer in 2020, 2021 is shaping up to be another bumper year for Rosy Starlings. Reflecting a major influx in France and Spain, the first seven individuals arrived in Britain on 31st – with many more set to follow.
Two Lesser Grey Shrikes were found on 31st: at Saltwick Nab, North Yorks, and on Skomer, Pembs. A particularly late
Great Grey Shrike was on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, from 25th. Some 15 Woodchat Shrikes was a decent tally by modern standards, and included a popular male at Rochford, Essex, that was subsequently seen at two different sites on the Suffolk coast. Around 40 Red-backed Shrikes were seen.
A total of four Great Reed Warblers was amassed, including two brief birds in Norfolk. Two Savi’s Warblers were found on 12th: at Llanelli WWT and near Biggleswade, Beds. Another was trapped, ringed and subsequently showed well for two weeks as it sang at Heslington, North Yorks, from 11th. The only confirmed Iberian Chiffchaff of the month was on territory at Foxhall, Suffolk, from 5th. Yellow-browed Warblers remain peculiarly scarce in spring, so a bird at Grutness, Shetland, on 11th was of note.
A male Sardinian Warbler was found at Sumburgh, Shetland, on 29th, reappearing there on 31st. No fewer than five Eastern Subalpine Warblers were discovered nationwide, including a three-day bird at Spurn and another on Barra, Outer Hebrides. Just a single bird (on St Mary’s, Scilly, on 24th) was confirmed as Western, while there were also a handful of unassigned ‘subalpine warblers’.
At least four different Rustic Buntings were on Fair Isle during the month, with three on Foula and a further three scattered across the Shetland Mainland. Another was on the Isle of May, Fife, on 21-22nd. Shetland also scored a couple of Little Buntings. ■