Life Lists Updated
September 17, 2007
The UK400 Club UK and Ireland Combined Life List Totals Updated up to and including 15th September 2007 to include
MADEIRAN STORM-PETREL, off Pendeen Watchpoint, Cornwall, 1815-1900 on 16th September
AQUATIC WARBLER, Uskmouth NR, Gwent, 11th-13th September
FEA’S SOFT-PLUMAGED PETRELS, Bridges of Ross, County Clare, 25th & 26th August
MELODIOUS WARBLER, Flamborough Head, East Yorks, 22nd-26th August
LITTLE SHEARWATER, west past St Ives Island at 1430 hours on 15th August
Members can log in to download updated life lists totals, non members please contact BBA for membership details.
MADEIRAN STORM-PETREL
September 17, 2007
Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:58 am (PST)
A MADEIRAN STORM-PETREL was seen off Pendeen Watchpoint (Cornwall) yesterday evening - lingering for nearly an hour. It was discovered by local birder John Foster, just after a period of light drizzle and sea-mist passed through at 6.15pm.
Initially believing it to be a Leach’s Petrel, the bird gradually flew closer in towards the rocky outcrop allowing John to get clearer views. It was feeding in the light WSW wind and occasionally dropping on the water and ‘paddling’ over the surface. As it came closer, it was seen to be round-winged and blunt-tipped, and had a rather indistinct whitish carpal patch. Furthermore, as it veered left and right, the tail was seen to be rounded rather than fork-shaped.
It flew on flat wings and was rather different in profile to Leach’s Petrel, nd more importntly, from Wilson’s Petrel. As Storm Petrels passed by in ront of it, it was seen to be much bigger and the amount of white visible on the ump area was striking and extending around on to the underparts and sides. The underwing was uniformly dark. John kept the bird under observation for a constant 15 minutes (6.15-6.30pm) and realising the enormity of his find, Telephoned John Swann, Martin Elliott and other birders.
Unfortunately, when JS arrived, the bird had been lost from view, but just as ME came on site, it was relocated and remained under observation, albeit about 200 yards further out, from 6.45-7.00pm. Both Kester Wilson and Colin Moore made it down also, and the five observers (plus a single visiting birder) were able to take notes and witness the event.
All observers agreed that the bird had a less pronounced angle at the carpal, that the flight ‘jizz’ was flat, the upperwing covert band was very
indistinct, the tail fork was negligable, the white on the rump was extensive and that the bird was large, and were all convinced that the bird was not a Wilson’s Petrel.
This is the second Madeiran Petrel to be recorded in the Southwest this year, following one photographed by Joe Pender 6 miles south of St Mary’s (Scilly) on 28th July 2007 (Bob Flood, John Higginson).
PANEL OF BBA ADVISORS
September 17, 2007
PANEL OF ADVISORS
All matters of identification, taxonomy and occurrence of rare birds is adjudicated upon by the British Birding Association and reported in assorted publications and published. LGRE relies heavily on the wide range of expertise provided by the Panel of Advisors for any decision made by the organisation.
The British Birding Association/UK400 Club Advisory Panel includes a wide range of internationally respected ornithologists including Chris Heard (identification), Arnoud B van den Berg, Killian Mullarney, Dick Forsman (raptors), Visa Rauste (gulls), Peter Adriaens (gulls), Ruud Altenburg (gulls), Lars Svensson, Marcel Haas (WP occurrences), Magnus Robb (vocalisations), Antony McGeehan, Angus Murray (Scottish occurrences), Mashuq Ahmad (gulls, identification), Chris Batty, Mark Golley, Steve Arlow (Caspian Gulls), Jim Lawrence, John Hewitt, John McLoughlin, Paul Holt, Lee Gregory, Graham Catley, Steve Whitehouse, Grahame Walbridge, Martin Cade, Martin Palmer, Matthew Deans, Dave Walker, Dave Holman, James Lidster, Ian Barnard and John Swann.
Britain’s first confirmed Cape Verde Shearwater
September 15, 2007
This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Friday 14th September 2007, issued at midnight and produced in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com)
With reference to the Alert issued on Tuesday 11th, the Somerset Audouin’s Gull was reidentified as a British Herring Gull and the reported Scopoli’s Shearwater off Lewis may well be Britain’s first confirmed Cape Verde Shearwater (one of two seabirds firsts in Britain in recent weeks).
Now back to today - GREAT SHEARWATERS continue to make the news, with at least 17 sighted today, including 12 past Butt of Lewis (Outer Hebrides), 2 off Lossiemouth (Moray), 2 north past Girdleness, Aberdeen (Aberdeenshire) and a single north past Chapel Point, Chapel St Leonards (Lincolnshire). SABINE’S GULLS were also in good supply, with birds (predominantly juveniles) seen off Dunnet Bay (Caithness), Fishtown of Usan (Angus), Torness Power Station (Lothian), Whitburn (Durham), Hartlepool Headland (Cleveland) and Bull Bay (Anglesey), whilst LONG-TAILED SKUAS included 4 off Grimston (East Yorks), 3 off Flamborough Head (East Yorks), 2 off Spurn Point (East Yorks) and singles past St Abb’s Head (Borders) and Mablethorpe (Lincs). A trickle of LEACH’S PETRELS were also recorded today and 2 GREY PHALAROPES (past Ardvule Point, South Uist - Outer Hebrides and Lamba Ness, Unst - Shetland).
A bright juvenile AQUATIC WARBLER remained for a third day at Uskmouth NR (Gwent), favouring scrub and spartina close to the seawall 1-200 yards east of the lighthouse. This bird is extremely elusive, showing perhaps once every two hours, but has responded well to ‘pishing’ on occasions.
Up to 3 ORTOLAN BUNTINGS continue to wander the Portland peninsular (Dorset), being seen in fields close to the Observatory, in Top Fields and in the Reap Lane area at Weston, whilst a WRYNECK showed well today in Nanquidno Valley, St Just (Cornwall).
The long staying BLACK-THROATED DIVER remains at Draycote Water (Warks), with rare herons including GREAT WHITE EGRETS at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancs) and Westhay Moor (Somerset) and an adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON again at Fairburn Ings RSPB (West Yorks). Eurasian Spoonbills included 3 at Dawlish Warren (South Devon) and 4 at Middlebere, Poole Harbour (Dorset) and a single at Titchfield Haven (Hants) whilst juvenile PURPLE HERONS included singles at Meare Heath and Aller Moor in Somerset.
Rare wildfowl include the Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake (Avon), Marbled Duck of perhaps escape origin at Leathes Ham, Lowestoft (Suffolk) and drake American Wigeon in Angle Bay (Pembrokeshire) whilst SPOTTED CRAKES still showing include birds at Ladywalk NR (Warks), Maldon Dump Pool (Essex) and Farlington Marsh Lagoon (Hants).
An excellent selection of rare waders include juvenile SPOTTED SANDPIPER on Porthellick Pool, St Mary’s (Scilly), 2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS at Loch Bee, South Uist (Outer Hebrides), PECTORAL SANDPIPERS at Balgray Reservoir (Clyde), Bishop Middleham (Durham), Goldcliff NR (Gwent), Hickling Broad (Norfolk), Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk), Pulborough Brooks RSPB (West Sussex) and Cliffe Flamingo Pool (North Kent) and a juvenile RED-NECKED PHALAROPE at Gibraltar Point NR (Lincs).
A Red-backed Shrike remains in Holland House Garden, North Ronaldsay (Orkney), whilst a BARRED WARBLER showed well on the well-vegetated bank below Hermanus Holiday Camp at Winterton South Dunes (Norfolk).
In IRELAND, a juvenile BLACK KITE continues to be twitchable - being seen this morning at South Slob NR (Co. Wexford) whilst seawatching proved impressive - with Kilcummin Head (Co. Mayo) producing yet another FEA’S SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL, 21 GREAT SHEARWATERS, 21 SABINE’S GULLS, 30 Leach’s Petrels, 40 Pomarine Skuas, 92 Great Skuas and an outstanding 6,000+ Sooty Shearwaters and Ramore Head (Co. Antrim) yielding 18 juvenile SABINE’S GULLS and 4 Leach’s Petrels.
In terms of waders, the juvenile WILSON’S PHALAROPE remains at Belfast Lough (Co. Down) and moulting adult AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER (south of Duncormick at The Cull NR, Wexford) and BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (at Smerwick Harbour) being seen on 12th.
Unprecedented numbers of GREAT SHEARWATERS
September 11, 2007
This is the UK400 Club Rare Alert for Tuesday 11th September 2007, issued at midnight and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com), the most practical and efficient service for disseminating bird news.
Unprecedented numbers of GREAT SHEARWATERS have been recorded in the North Sea and North Atlantic, with peaks of 7,114 west past Butt of Lewis (Outer Hebrides) on 8th, 4,473 past Annagh Head on The Mullet (Co. Mayo) on 10th and 3,071 past Tory Island (Co. Donegal) on 9th. In fact, numbers have been consistently high off Lewis since 8th, with 211 past on 9th, 1,076 on 10th and 250+ today.
Elsewhere in Scotland, record numbers have occurred, with 150+ west off North Ronaldsay (Orkney), several off Shetland and 73 south past Griminish Point, South Uist (Outer Hebrides), with further records ’smashed’ in Northeast England, with Flamborough Head (East Yorks) logging 4 on 10th & 31 on 11th, Whitburn Coastal Park (Durham) 3 on 11th, Newbiggin (Northumberland) 13 on 11th, Mappleton (East Yorks) 9 on 11th and Spurn Point (East Yorks) 6 on 11th.
Further south, Norfolk produced at least 16 on 10th (including 16 past Sheringham and 1-3 birds off Holme, Blakeney Point, Cley Beach and Weybourne) and 3 on 11th (Sheringham) and at least 3 entered the Thames Estuary (Kent), being noted off Shellness Point (Sheppey) and Reculver.
Associated with this phenomenal movement was a probable SCOPOLI’S SHEARWATER off Butt of Lewis on 10th (video-filmed by Martin Scott) and a FEA’S SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL north past Whitburn Coastal Park (Durham) on 11th (at 1748 hours), whilst an impressive number of SABINE’S GULLS were encountered (including at least 9 past Butt of Lewis, 8 past Flamborough Head and 9 past Sheringham) as well as LONG-TAILED SKUAS, POMARINE SKUAS, Sooty Shearwaters, Leach’s Petrels and Atlantic Puffins.
Away from the seawatching, yet another AUDOUIN’S GULL was discovered - this time an adult at the power station outfall at Hinkley Point in Somerset. Initially watched from 1920-1945 on 10th, it reappeared the following evening from 1930. A BLACK STORK was also a good find - drifting over Trebehor, Polgigga (Cornwall) at 1700 and later feeding in a field south of the A30 between Rospannel Farm and Boscarne Farm, Crows-an-Wra at 1800.
The ‘Barra Boys’ scored their first find of autumn 2007 with a BOOTED WARBLER at Castlebay, whilst juvenile Nearctic waders pushed in by the Newfoundland front included single BAIRD’S SANDPIPERS at Eshaness (Shetland) (10th-11th), Sandwick (Shetland) (9th-10th) and Butt of Lewis (Outer Hebrides) (10th), BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS at Eshaness (Shetland) (9th-11th), Baleshare (Outer Hebrides) (11th), The Range, South Uist (Outer Hebrides) (8th-10th), St Kilda (Outer Hebrides) (10th), Loch a’Phuill, Tiree (Argyll) (4 juveniles) and Predannack Airfield, Lizard (Cornwall) on 9th-10th, moulting adult AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS at The Range, South Uist (8th), Deerness (Orkney) on 8th-10th, by the River Humber, East Butterwick (North Lincolnshire) on 6th-11th (two birds) and St Agnes (Scilly) (10th), a SPOTTED SANDPIPER on Porthellick Pool, St Mary’s (Scilly) (until at least 11th) and some 6 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, including a confiding juvenile at Titchwell Marsh RSPB (Norfolk).
Other avian highlights on 11th included a Grey Phalarope on Staines Reservoirs North Basin (Middlesex) and Barred Warbler at Spurn Point (East Yorks), with a juvenile PURPLE HERON at Stanwick GP (Northants) remaininf for at least a second day
Of the rest (long-stayers and recent highlights), the first-summer Black-throated Diver remains at Draycote Water (Warks), a scattering of Black-necked Grebes have started moving slowly south inland, juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON remains albeit elusively in Alexandra Park, Hastings (East Sussex), GREAT WHITE EGRETS at Leighton Moss (Lancs) and Westhay Moor (Somerset), juvenile PURPLE HERONS at Frensham Little Pond (Surrey), Meare Heath (Somerset) and Aller Moor (Somerset), a BLACK STORK briefly on the Isle of Sheppey (Kent) on 10th, 2nd-winter GLOSSY IBIS at Marshside Marsh RSPB (Merseyside), BLACK KITE at Nocton Heath (Lincs), juvenile PALLID HARRIER at Loch of Hillwell (Shetland) (to at least 8th), 25 or so southbound European Honey Buzzards, Spotted Crakes at Ladywalk NR (Warks) (2 birds), Marazion Marsh RSPB (Cornwall) (4+ birds), Farlington Marsh (Hants) (2), Maldon Tip (Essex) and Rainham Marsh RSPB (Essex), 21 adult COMMON CRANES at Heigham Holmes (Norfolk Broadland), juvenile Dotterel at Oare Marshes NR (Kent) (7th-10th), Temminck’s Stint at Farlington Marsh Lagoon (Hants), juvenile Red-necked Phalarope at Wicken Fen (Cambs) (7th), juvenile WILSON’S PHALAROPE at Stanpit Marsh, Christchurch Harbour (Dorset) (7th-8th), adult SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER on the River Humber off Sammy’s Point, Kilnsea (East Yorks) (from 1335-1445 on 8th), 2nd-winter LAUGHING GULL at Countess Wear Pools, Exeter (South Devon), juvenile CASPIAN GULL at Dungeness Beach (Kent) (8th-11th), juvenile WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN off Dungeness Outfall (Kent) (until 8th), several Wrynecks, a GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK on Browarth Down, St Agnes (Scilly) (10th-11th), RED-RUMPED SWALLOW (juvenile trapped in Barn Swallow roost at Haseley Manor, Isle of Wight, on 9th), two first-winter CITRINE WAGTAILS on Fair Isle (Shetland), GREENISH WARBLER by Hastings Castle (East Sussex) (7th), Red-backed Shrike on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) (9th-11th), juvenile WOODCHAT SHRIKE at Birling Gap, Beachy Head (East Sussex) (9th) and on St Martin’s (Scilly) (8th-9th), adult ROSE-COLOURED STARLING on Unst (Shetland) and NORTHWESTERN REDPOLL at Skaw, Unst (Shetland) (10th-11th).
In Ireland, the juvenile WILSON’S PHALAROPE remains for its 4th day at Belfast Harbour RSPB (Co. Down), with a BLACK KITE at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford) on 8th-9th, LESSER YELLOWLEGS & BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER on Tory Island (Co. Donegal) on 8th, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER at Mweenish Island, SE of Galway on 9th, AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER near Burtonport on 9th and a WILSON’S PETREL 5 miles NW of Tory Island on 10th.
Lee G R Evans
British Birding Association
UK400 Club, Rare Birds Magazine, Ornithological Consultant and Conservationist
Discussion Forum/Email Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UK400Club/
Email Address: LGREUK400@aol.com
Website Address: www.uk400clubonline.co.uk
GREENISH WARBLER influx
September 7, 2007
The recent GREENISH WARBLER deluge involved a minimum 35 individuals, the vast majority of them in Norfolk. All had been displaced by fresh ENE winds and were grounded by heavy rain or overcast skies…
Members can download the report from within the members area, non members please contact BBA for membership details.
Garden birds at risk
September 2, 2007
It has been reported that virulent virus is now affecting Norfolks wild birds, it was first seen in British finch species in the summer of 2005. An epidemic of disease caused by this parasite occurred in 2006, peaking in the late summer/ autumn months, affecting birds over a wide geographical area across Britain. In early summer 2007, the number of finch mortality reports caused by the disease has again begun to increase only this time there are reports of the disease affecting garden birds in Norfolk. The virus causes birds throats to swell thereby preventing them from eating so that they effectively starve to death.
The deadly parasite Trichomonas gallinae, which has been common amongst pigeons and game birds for a number of years and is treatable for captive birds with drugs, however it has now also affecting garden birds such as Blackbirds, Sparrows and Finches.
Trichomonas gallinae causes “canker” in domestic pigeons, and “frounce” in birds of prey. The disease can be mild and birds that survive appear to have some immunity to further infection but some strains cause a high death rate. Infected birds develop large yellowish masses in their mouths and crops and in fatal cases; the parasite spreads to the liver and lungs. It is characterized by raised lesions in the mouth, esophagus, and crop, infected birds appear to have trouble closing their mouth.
What to look out for
In addition to showing signs of general illness, for example lethargy and fluffed-up plumage, affected birds may drool saliva, regurgitate food, have difficulty in swallowing or show laboured breathing. Finches are frequently seen to have matted wet plumage around the face and beak. In some cases, swelling of the neck may be visible from a distance. The disease may progress over several days or even weeks, consequently affected birds are often emaciated.
It can be spread among wild birds at feeders and bird baths and and bird lovers are advised to take action to avoid spreading this and other diseases especially where they have created habitat that brings wild birds into closer contact with other wild birds than they would normally experience, for example feeders and bird baths.
Because T. gallinae cannot survive long outside of a host there are very few ways in which it is able to effectively spread amongst wild birds as they tend to have less contact with each other but commonly it is passed from one to another as follows…
* Between mother and young when feeding regurgitated food.
* To Birds of prey when eating infected birds.
* Infected birds can contaminate water containers (bird baths) with their oral secretions, which can, in turn, expose many other birds to the disease. Mortality from this disease varies, but it can be quite high.
Further information:
Best feeding practices should be followed at all times to help ensure that the birds visiting your garden remain healthy. More information can be found in the GBHi booklet “Feeding Garden Birds – Best Practice Guidelines†and in the accompanying GBHi leaflet. Details of how to obtain these publications are available on the GBHi page of the UFAW website www.ufaw.org.uk. Tel: 01582 831818
If you wish to report finding dead garden birds, or signs of disease in garden birds, please call the Garden Bird Health initiative on 0207 449 6685.
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