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Slate-coloured Juncos in Britain in 2007

2007 has proved an unprecedented year for Slate-coloured Junco Junco hyemalis hyemalis occurrences, with six birds recorded, including two each in Norfolk and Cornwall, and two more in Northern Scotland.

The first to be recorded was a bird photographed in Gordon Mills garden in Illogan (Cornwall) on 12th May (see plates 1-2). A second bird was reported as being present on The Lizard (Cornwall) for about four days at the same time (per Andy Pay).

Members please log in to download full report, non members please contact BBA for membership details.

UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert 24th September

This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Monday 24th September 2007, issued at 1800 hours and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com)

An AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT remains for a second day on Fair Isle (Shetland), constituting the 409th species in Britain and Ireland in 2007.

A juvenile WILSON’S PHALAROPE remains for a second day at Upton Warren Flashes Pool (Worcs), showing very well from the main hide. Park sensibly by the sailing club before walking south to the reserve proper at cSO 937 665 (accessed off the A38 3 miles SW of Bromsgrove), whilst in NE England, twitchable juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS include singles on Seaton Carew Golf Course (Cleveland) and at Blacktoft Sands RSPB (East Yorks).

In Norfolk, the juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER remains with Ruff on the Freshwater Scrape at Titchwell Marsh RSPB, whilst nearby, the returning adult white morph LESSER SNOW GOOSE continues with up to 27,000 Pink-footed Geese in fields half a mile SE of Burnham Deepdale by the minor road to Burnham Market. Meanwhile, a second juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER remains for a third day 2 miles NW of Bardney (Lincs) at Branston Island on the flood viewable from Bardney Lock (also 4 Curlew Sandpipers and a Pectoral Sandpiper there). DO NOT ACCESS THE SITE FROM SHORT FERRY. A HOOPOE remains for a second day just NW of the bridge between Rollesby and Ormesby Broads (Norfolk), where it is favouring the large manure heap and adjacent gardens

The extremely confiding dark juvenile LONG-TAILED SKUA continues to survive in ploughed fields just SW of the A6097 (at cSK 682 420), just NW of Newton village (Notts) (access via the Trent Valley Way) whilst an intermediate bird was seen several times off Hill Head Sailing Club beach, just east of Titchfield Haven NNR (Hants).

An ARCTIC WARBLER remains for a second day in Housay Irisbed on Out Skerries (Shetland) whilst the first Yellow-browed Warblers of the autumn made landfall at Trondra and Fetlar (Shetland) on Saturday 22nd. Large numbers of Northwestern Redpolls continue to arrive on Shetland, as well as the usual September crop of Common Rosefinches.

On the Isles of Scilly, the first-winter CITRINE WAGTAIL remains at the east end of the Great Pool frequenting the paddocks by Abbey Drive, with the Pectoral Sandpiper nearby and another on Porth Killier Beach, St Agnes. The juvenile WOODCHAT SHRIKE is still present above Wine Cove on Turfy Hill, St Martin’s, whilst the juvenile SPOTTED SANDPIPER continues to show very well on Porthellick Pool. A Wryneck remains on Bryher.

Seawatching off West Cornwall today has yielded 3 Sabine’s Gulls, 12 Leach’s Petrels, 4 Grey Phalaropes and 3 Pomarine Skuas past Pendeen Watchpoint, whilst a WILSON’S PETREL flew west past St Ives Island at 0820 (Royston Wilkins et al).

An extremely confiding first-winter BLUETHROAT remains at Kilnsea (East Yorks), showing frequently east of the Bluebell Inn amongst the rocks and reeds just south of the lane where it meets the beach.

The GREAT WHITE EGRET remains on Mockbeggar Lake (Hants) whilst in Highland Region, a CATTLE EGRET remains for a second day in Thurso (Caithness) (presumably the bird seen previously in Lewis and almost certainly of Nearctic origin).

Further Pectoral Sandpipers include 3 at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire), 2 at Tophill Low D Reservoir (East Yorks) and singles at The Naze (Essex) and Bough Beech Reservoir (Kent), whilst 3 more and an adult AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER continue to frequent the machair by Ness Football Ground at Europie, Butt of Lewis (Outer Hebrides).

The BLACK KITE of unknown origin continues its residency at Ram Farm, Nocton Heath (Lincs), whilst the GREAT WHITE EGRET remains at Leighton Moss (Lancs), GLOSSY IBIS at Marshside Marsh (Merseyside) and Spotted Crake at Albion Pools, Rainham (Essex).

A Richard’s Pipit was an exceptional find by patch birder David Lindo, the bird frequenting long grass at Wormwood Scrubs wasteland (Gtr London) throughout 23rd. Equally impressive was Dave Acfield’s LESSER YELLOWLEGS find at Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 22nd. Other weekend highlights included a first-summer BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON on Jackson’s Marsh, Gibraltar Point NR (Lincs), a good crop of juvenile SABINE’S GULLS (including a very confiding bird at Dungeness Point, Kent), a juvenile KENTISH PLOVER at South Huish (South Devon), a GREAT WHITE EGRET at Blithfield Reservoir and over Doxey Marsh (Staffs) on 23rd and a juvenile ROSE-COLOURED STARLING at Pennington Marshes (Hants).

In IRELAND, the WILSON’S PHALAROPE remains at Belfast Lough RSPB (Co. Down), with up to 4 juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS and a BAIRD’S SANDPIPER at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford) and Glaucous Gull at Nimmo’s Pier, Galway Harbour (Co. Galway). A CITRINE WAGTAIL was identified on Mizen Head (Co. Cork) on 22nd, with yet another FEA’S SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL – this time with one seen off Cape Clear Island (Co. Cork).

An adult KUMLIEN’S GULL was photographed in County Kerry by Richard Bonser on Saturday.

Lee G R Evans
British Birding Association
UK400 Club, Rare Birds Magazine, Ornithological Consultant and Conservationist

AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT

Following a period of consistent W/NW winds from the Atlantic, Fair Isle attracted an AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT to the island.

It was discovered late afternoon of 23rd in Suka Mire, adjacent to the airstrip, and remains there today and represents the second island record following one on 17th September 1953 (Fair Isle Bird Observatory Bulletin 1953: 13; Scottish Naturalist 1954: 53; Thom 1986; Dymond 1991; Evans 1991).

Elsewhere ther were 5 Pinkfooted Geese, a Common Scoter, 2 Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Redwing, 2 Barred Warbler, 5 Common Redpoll, Common Rosefinch, 6 Lapland Bunting and 27 Snow Bunting.

See photographs by Deryk Shaw & Mark Breaks on the Fair Isle Bird Observatory website.

Help stop hunting of birds with glue

DO YOU WANT TO SEE THEM LIKE THAT ?

The Catalan Government is trying to legalize hunting birds with glue, through a new regulation.

This cruel method is specifically banned by the European laws because is also massive, non-selective and impossible to control properly.

In the name of “tradition” the hunters use electronic appeals and hundreds of thousands of thrush migrating from northern Europe, and about 30% of protected birds, are attracted to glued trees, in closed “barracas”, and killed in the Ebro area between October and November.

In the same law-project the Catalan government is also trying to legalize a kind of net-trap hunting called “filat”, which consist in trapping the thirsty birds attracted by small water pools, also forbidden in Spain, non-selective and impossible to control.

The protection of the nature performs all over new attitudes, but our government “of progress and ecologist” is of looking to a past of survival hunting that destroys protected species.

lease sign up in the campaign against this legalization and send this mail to interested people.
Our birds are your birds.

Click HERE to show your support

Rare Bird Alert-21st September 2007

This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Friday 21st September 2007, issued at 2000 hours and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com).

On the Isles of Scilly, the first-winter CITRINE WAGTAIL remains on Tresco (favouring the horse and cattle paddocks at the east end of Abbey Drive), with the juvenile WOODCHAT SHRIKE still on Turfy Hill, above Wine Cove on St Martin’s and Common Rosefinch and juvenile Red-backed Shrike on Bryher (in fields north of Samson Hill). The juvenile SPOTTED SANDPIPER continues to show well on Porthellick Pool, St Mary’s, with 1-2 juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS on the Golf Course. The juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper was taken by a Peregrine mid-week.

In South Nottinghamshire, the extremely confiding (and perhaps moribund) dark morph juvenile LONG-TAILED SKUA survives for a 5th day, frequenting ploughed fields immediately SW of the A6097 south of East Bridgford. ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS: From the A46, take Newton Lane just before the A6097 roundabout and continue through Newton village. About 0.8 miles west of the village, park sensibly in the layby by the Trent Valley Way footpath (enough room for 6 vehicles only). From here, walk north through the Cross Country Horsejumping course field and continue for about half a mile, crossing the stile and track, to view the large ploughed fields before the A6097. See Steve Morgan’s wonderful images of this bird below.

Further LONG-TAILED SKUAS today included a juvenile lingering off Sennen Cove (West Cornwall) and another off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) early morning, whilst other scarce seabirds included 3 SABINE’S GULLS off Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire) (a total of 10+ being recorded off this location in the past 10 days) and a Leach’s Petrel off Porthcawl (Glamorgan).

A juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was a new arrival, making landfall in North Norfolk, where it showed well to allcomers from Island Hide at Titchwell Marsh RSPB all afternoon. A GREAT WHITE EGRET also arrived in Norfolk (the Suffolk bird perhaps, present at Westwood Marshes, Walberswick, on 18th-20th), being seen at Holkham Freshmarsh (1010-1015 hours), Titchwell (flew west at 1122) and Hunstanton (flew south at 1155). The adult white morph LESSER SNOW GOOSE remains with increasing numbers of Pink-footed Geese at Holkham Freshmarsh.

A juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER was also newly arrived at Bough Beech Reservoir (Kent) (viewed from the causeway), with another at Cowpen Marsh (Cleveland) and 2 juveniles at Tophill Low D Reservoir (East Yorks). The Temminck’s Stint continues at Colyford Common LNR, Seaton (South Devon) (on the scrape), with a first-winter GREY PHALAROPE present for a 3rd day at Hope Carr NR, a mile south of Leigh (Gtr Manchester) (at SJ 663 987). A DOTTEREL paused briefly on the Alaw Estuary (Anglesey), whilst the juvenile BAIRD’S SANDPIPER remains at Ness, Butt of Lewis..

A BLUETHROAT (an extremely scarce mainland bird these days) remains for a second day at Kilnsea (East Yorks), showing intermittently in reeds and between rocks south of the Bluebell Inn close to the ‘large concrete blocks’, whilst a juvenile Red-backed Shrike was a new arrival at Bockhill Farm, St Margaret’s (East Kent).

SNOWY OWLS have reappeared, with a long-staying resident bird on Lewis (Outer Hebrides) (at Uig, near Mangersta) and last winter’s bird at Termon Hill, on The Mullet (County Mayo).

Other long-stayers include drake LESSER SCAUP at Rutland Water (Leics), eclipse drake BLUE-WINGED TEAL at Haverton Hole Allotments Pool (Cleveland), GREAT WHITE EGRETS at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancs) and Mockbeggar Lake (Hants) and SPOTTED CRAKE at Albion Pools, Rainham (Essex).

IRELAND remains unusually quiet considering the weather, with adult AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER still at The Cull (Co. Wexford), juvenile WILSON’S PHALAROPE at Belfast Lough RSPB (Co. Down) (seen briefly again on 20th), PECTORAL SANDPIPERS at Lough Beg and Annagh Bay and a GREAT WHITE EGRET at Paddy’s Dubh, Lough Beg, on 20th. An adult AZOREAN YELLOW-LEGGED GULL was studied for a second day at Sandymount Strand (Co. Dublin).

Highlights – 18-20 September

A Red-breasted Flycatcher was at Easton Bavents, Southwold (Suffolk), from 18-20th, with a COMMON CRANE at Dungeness RSPB (Kent) (18th), Grey Phalarope at Bartley Reservoir (West Midlands) briefly on 19th, Greater Short-toed Lark at Lamba Ness, Unst (Shetland) (19th) and AQUATIC WARBLER near Hythe at Dibden Bay (Hants) (19th).

A total of EIGHT BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were sighted on Tiree (Argyll) on 19th, with a LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Loch of Tankerness (Orkney) and an adult AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER at Butt of Lewis (Outer Hebrides).

Large numbers of NORTHWESTERN REDPOLLS continue to invade the Northern Isles from Greenland and Iceland.

Birders needed for 2007-11 BTO Bird Atlas

This is an opportunity for birders of all ages and levels of skill to make a contribution to producing the BTO Bird Atlas.

The fieldwork for this exciting and important project starts on 1st November 2007 and there are two main ways in which you can take part.

1. By agreeing to visit one or more tetrads (a square of 2 km by 2 km) twice each for two hours each time, and recording the birds that you see. This is called a ‘Timed Tetrad Visit’ (TTV).
2. By submitting ‘Roving Records’. These could be observations from your garden or from an area you visit regularly. They could also be from a birding trip or of a single bird that you happen to see – e.g. a barn owl when you are driving. Some of you may already be submitting records to BirdTrack. All BirdTrack records will automatically be included in the data for the atlas so there will be no need to submit the same record twice.

The records can all be submitted on-line – which is encouraged – or by returning completed recording forms.

All the information, including explanations of how to carry out a TTV and frequently asked questions, is available on the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Website (www.bto.org or at www.birdatlas.net)

If you register on-line the system will tell you the name of your regional organiser for that Tetrad, the regional organiser will automatically receive an e-mail and will contact you to confirm that the Tetrad(s) are booked in your name.

Sign-up for the BTO Bird Atlas Here

Chris Hudson, British Trust for Ornithology

Rare Bird Alert September 17th 2007

This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Monday 17th September 2007, issued at 2300 hours and produced in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com)

Following a very quiet weekend with the highlight of an evening lingering MADEIRAN STORM-PETREL off West Cornwall, today continued in much the same vein, despite a distinct change in the weather.

The bird of the day was a confiding dark morph juvenile LONG-TAILED SKUA a mile SW of East Bridgford and SE of Shelford Manor Farm (Notts) in the second field SW of the A6097. Access: Park by the minor road west of Newton and follow the Trent Valley way footpath northeastwards to view the fields. Several more Long-tailed Skuas were seen at coastal localities, including a juvenile lingering off Lowestoft North Beach (Suffolk) this evening.

The white morph SNOW GOOSE that arrived with Pink-footed Geese in Norfolk at the weekend (after being tracked heading south through Yorkshire and Lincolnshire) was present again at Holkham Freshmarsh and Burnham Norton today.

In Lincolnshire, the juvenile Red-necked Phalarope remains on the saltmarsh at Gibraltar Point NNR, whilst SPOTTED CRAKES include singles at Farlington Marsh (Hants), Ladywalk NR (Warks) and on the Albion Pool, Ingrebourne Valley, Rainham (Essex) (situated 200 yards east of the Dovers Corner roundabout north of the A1306). Continuing PECTORAL SANDPIPERS include juveniles at Bishop Middleham Castle Lake (Co. Durham), Cliffe Pools Flamingo Pool (Kent) and Hickling Rush Hills Scrape (Norfolk) (2), whilst a new one arrived on Fair Isle (Shetland) and another at Lower Moors, St Mary’s (Scilly), with BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS including 3 on Tiree (Argyll) (at Loch a’Phuill) and 2 on St Mary’s Airfield (Scilly). On Shetland, the KILLDEER was present again at Pool of Virkie.

A juvenile PURPLE HERON continues at Neare Heath NR (Somerset) with GREAT WHITE EGRETS on Mockbeggar Lake (Hants) and at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancs) and Marshside Marsh RSPB (Merseyside). A drake LESSER SCAUP remains present for a third day at Rutland Water Egleton Reserve Lagoon 1 (from Teal Hide).

A juvenile CASPIAN GULL remains at Dungeness Beach (Kent) (Dave Walker), whilst a first-winter was present again in Brighton Marina (East Sussex) this evening (Ian Whitcombe).

On the Isles of Scilly over the weekend, a mobile first-winter CITRINE WAGTAIL visited St Mary’s (Pelistry Lane), St Martin’s and Tresco (football pitches), whilst the juvenile SPOTTED SANDPIPER remained on Porthellick Pool. A Temminck’s Stint was at Colyford Common LNR (South Devon) and the juvenile BAIRD’S SANDPIPER remained at Esha Ness (Shetland).

Rare Passerines were few and far between, the pick of the bunch being a showy Barred Warbler at Winterton South Dunes (Norfolk), a few Wrynecks (including a garden feeder in Worcestershire), 7 Red-backed Shrikes (mainly in the Northern Isles) and a couple of Ortolan Buntings (in Dorset & Cornwall).

In IRELAND, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS continue to arrive on the NW winds, with two juveniles at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford) and up to 3 birds at Myroe Levels, Lough Foyle (Co. Derry). The juvenile WILSON’S PHALAROPE remained at Belfast Lough (Co. Antrim) until 16th.

Seawatching at Bridges of Ross (Co. Clare) yielded a total of 14 Sabine’s Gulls, 9 Leach’s Petrels and 7 Pomarine Skuas on 16th.

Year lists updated

UK400 Club 2007 Year List Totals as at 17TH SEPTEMBER 2007

Total of 408 Species have been recorded in Britain and Ireland thus far in 2007

Members can log in to download updated year list totals, non members please contact BBA for membership details.

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