Escaped Black Kite - info request

April 14, 2008

Knowing that 4 BLACK KITES (1 Asiatic Black-eared and 3 European) have escaped from a damaged aviary at London Zoo (all adults, in perfect flight condition but all DOE ringed with metal rings), it has become very difficult to assess the origins of the three birds recorded in East Anglia this week. It is vaguely possible that all three DO relate to the London Zoo scenario but equally they could all be natural vagrants associated with this week’s SE winds and
arrival of other southern species.

There have been (at least) two different birds in Norfolk and another in Suffolk, the latter frequenting Boyton RSPB reserve for several days. In Norfolk, the two birds were seen together over Salthouse - then one flew west and the other drifted north. The bird that drifted west was seen inland of Cley (by MAG, RM, et al) and then seen drifting over Wiveton Downs and later over Burnham Market. The other bird drifted in over Blakeney Point and was seen by several observers towards Morston over the end of the Point and those observers could look inland and see the bird seen inland of Cley as it headed over Cockthorpe.

I would be most grateful to hear from anyone that gets excellent views of the legs and feet of any of these Black Kites and details of any rings.

I am indebted to Mark Golley and Matthew Deans for information relating to the above occurrences

Photo of the Suffolk bird came be seen at www.freewebs.com/suffolkbirding (April 2008)

Written by Lee · Filed Under General

Definitive List of Birds of the Western Palearctic

April 14, 2008

I have just completed an exhaustive review of the UK400 Club ‘Definitive List of Birds of the Western Palearctic’ and have fully revised the list, so much so that with new taxonomic changes, some rejections (Yellow Bittern, Cape Gannet) and some new additions, the total number of species now recorded increases to an impressive 1,054.

Very shortly, this new list will be available at UK400ClubOnline to download, so that individual observers can calculate their revised figures and submit new totals. If you would like an excel copy emailed direct to your computer, please email me for a copy, but please be patient - I am away in Kuwait from today until 17 April and then in China from 20-29 April and may take a while to respond to all of my emails.

Written by Lee · Filed Under Life Lists

The Big 3-0-0 reached by 9/4/2008

April 14, 2008

With recent additions of LITTLE CRAKE (South Devon), GREAT REED WARBLER (St Mary’s, Scilly), Garden Warbler and HORNEMANN’S ARCTIC REDPOLL (Fair Isle), the total number of species now recorded in Britain and Ireland in Year 2008 surges to an impressive 300 Species.

Written by Lee · Filed Under General

Migrants fly in despite inclement temperatures - April 11th

April 14, 2008

With a swing in the wind to the South-East this morning, further vagrants and early migrants arrived in Southern Britain today, with a male LITTLE BITTERN at Radipole Lake RSPB (Dorset), a BLACK KITE** in North Norfolk which was tracked flying west from Walcott to Burnham Overy Dunes, a RED-RUMPED SWALLOW at Kelling Quags (Norfolk), a COMMON CRANE this evening at Woolmer Pond (Hants) and male WHITE-SPOTTED BLUETHROATS 2 miles SW of Lancaster on the east side of the Lune Estuary on the tideline at the south end of Aldcliffe Marsh (Lancs) (park at the end of Railway Crossing Lane and walk south along the cycle track for half a mile to view from the gate at SD 458 594) and at Hooker’s Pit, Dungeness RSPB reserve (Kent). Ring Ouzels continue to be seen inland in good numbers, with Common Nightingale, Pied Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Common Whitethroat and Common Redstart all being recorded. House Martin numbers have greatly increased, along with impressive numbers of Sand 0Martins, and excellent numbers of passage Ospreys.

The first-summer SLATE-COLORED JUNCO remained for its second day today at Dungeness attracting a constant stream of admirers. It is favouring the back garden of ‘South View’ cottage, 500 yards north of the new lighthouse and is being tempted to stay by a supply of seed placed out on the gravel area behind the building. Viewing is limited so patience is required and please respect the privacy of residents. Park sensibly and carefully on the road. It represents the second record for Kent.

The adult PURPLE HERON remains at Ham Walls RSPB (Somerset), with migrant COMMON CRANES over Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincs), Birchmoor (Warks) and Upper Caldecotte (Beds), whilst on the Lizard peninsular (West Cornwall), the party of 3 BLACK-WINGED STILTS continue for a third day at Windmill Farm NR, favouring the Ruan Pool (accessed off the A3083 at SW 694 152; VIEW ONLY FROM THE NEW RESERVE HIDE).

On Fair Isle today, a HORNEMANN’S ARCTIC REDPOLL was fresh-in, with the adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON present there for its third day. An adult winter BONAPARTE’S GULL is at Peninerine on South Uist (Outer Hebrides).

In Suffolk, two male PENDULINE TITS were seen today west of Lowestoft just south of Carlton Marshes SWT, whilst a wintering YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER remains in Plymouth (South Devon) in Central Park (SX 478 558).

Long-staying CATTLE EGRETS include 19 at Treganhoe Farm, between Sancreed and Drift (West Cornwall), 5 north of Plymouth (Devon) at Tamerton Foliot (just north of Coombe Farm visible from Winnicott Close, Southway, at SX 483 612) and 4 at East Lavant (West Sussex) and singles at Higher Poynton (Cheshire), Slimbridge 100 Acre Pools (Gloucs), the Otter Estuary (South Devon), near Newton Abbott (South Devon) and at Abbotsbury Swannery (Dorset).

The four BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS remain in Bingley (West Yorks) (between Leonard Street and Church Street at SE 112 387) with 12 in Longfornan and another reported near Corby (Northants).

Two summer-plumaged LAPLAND BUNTINGS continue on Cley North Beach (North Norfolk) with a single SHORE LARK in the same area and another still at Landguard NR (Suffolk). A further summer-plumaged male LAPLAND BUNTING was on the Isle of Skye (Highland) today at Elgol

An adult Kumlien’s Gull roosted this evening on Grafham Water (Cambs), with the summer-plumaged Red-necked Grebe nearby at Buckden GP.

In Pembrokeshire, the female NORTH AMERICAN BLACK DUCK remains at Marloes Mere, consorting with a drake Mallard (view from the green hide overlooking the mere 300 yards down from the NT car park), with the SPOTTED SANDPIPER (now acquiring summer spots) still at Lisvane Reservoir (Cardiff). A second SPOTTED SANDPIPER remains in Scotland at Kinneil Lagoon (Forth), where it is frequenting the River Avon upstream of the sewage works.

In Lancashire, the adult white morph ROSS’S SNOW GOOSE remains with Pink-footed Geese at Pilling Marsh, with the near-adult GLOSSY IBIS at Warton Marsh.

The adult drake LESSER SCAUP is still present on Loch Magillie, 2 miles east of Stranraer (Galloway) (at NX 098 595), with RING-NECKED DUCKS still on Loch Morlich (Speyside), Bassenthwaite Lake (Cumbria) and at Foxcote Reservoir (North Bucks). A further drake LESSER SCAUP is present for a second day at Chew Valley Lake (Avon), with the first-winter female SURF SCOTER still distantly off Ovingdean Beach (East Sussex).

[**Four adult Black Kites including a lineatus escaped from a London Zoo aviary last week and have not been recaptured].

In IRELAND, the CATTLE EGRET remains at Cork City Lough (Co. Cork), with the female SURF SCOTER at Claddach Beach and NORTH AMERICAN HERRING GULL at Nimmo’s Pier, Galway harbour (Co. Galway).

Written by Lee · Filed Under General

Mon Apr 7 - UK total bird species

April 14, 2008

Mon Apr 7, 2008 3:58 pm

In the past week, a total of 18 additional species have been recorded in Britain and Ireland including two today - a party of 3 BLACK-WINGED STILTS in West Cornwall and Kent’s 2nd-ever SLATE-COLORED JUNCO - as well as Cory’s Shearwater, PURPLE HERON (Somerset), WHITE STORK, Eurasian Hobby, Dotterel, WHISKERED TERN, Cuckoo, EURASIAN EAGLE OWL, RED-RUMPED SWALLOW (Suffolk), Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Common Redstart, Grasshopper Warbler, Western Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat and Pied Flycatcher.

The total for 2008 now surges forward to 296 species

Written by Lee · Filed Under General

Belated Post - SLATE-COLORED JUNCO

April 14, 2008

Just after 0700 hours this morning, Dungeness resident and birder David Bunny located a SLATE-COLORED JUNCO feeding in his back garden at ‘South View Cottage’. After realising the magnitude of his sighting, he quickly informed other local birders (Dave Walker, Ray Turley, Barry Banson, etc) and at 0830, this news was relayed to Birdline South East. Being only the second for Kent - the first was trapped and ringed at Dungeness Bird Observatory on 26th May 1960 - news disseminated rapidly and by early afternoon, the crowd had swelled to about 75 and had included many of the keen listing Kent birders.

The bird was favouring the gravel area immediately behind the cottage, where David had seeded the area. Observation was difficult, with most views partially obscured by flowers or shrubs, but with patience, the bird perched occasionally in taller Laurel bushes or small Leylandii, allowing for a more detailed and prolonged view. The bird was a first-summer, with much brown in the mantle and brown in the upperwing coverts and tertials.

The Dungeness area also held a trickle of migrants, with a super male COMMON REDSTART at Westbeach, several Willow Warblers and Common Chiffchaffs, an early COMMON WHITETHROAT (in the Lighthouse Garden) and 2 FIRECRESTS. At the nearby Hanson ARC Pit, both transitional-plumaged SLAVONIAN and BLACK-NECKED GREBES (2) remained, along with a pair of GARGANEY, 45 Shoveler, female Marsh Harrier, 2 Eurasian Curlew, WHIMBREL, 2 LITTLE RINGED PLOVERS, 2 WHITE WAGTAILS, 2 male YELLOW WAGTAILS and 2 TREE SPARROWS.

Written by Lee · Filed Under General

Birding Sardinia and Corsica

April 14, 2008

I have just returned from a very successful tour of Sardinia and Corsica but was disappointed at the very low numbers of migrants recorded - just a handful of Common Chiffchaffs, 1 Woodchat Shrike, 2 Hoopoes and about 80 Barn Swallows. Highlights included 9 CALIFORNIAN QUAILS (noted at two sites and 9 of the 40 birds remaining from the introduction in 1961), c10 CORSICAN NUTHATCHES, c150 CORSICAN CITRIL FINCHES, c400 YELKOUAN SHEARWATERS, c300 SCOPOLI’S CORY’S SHEARWATERS, 80 ALPINE CHOUGHS, 6 CORSICAN COMMON CROSSBILLS, GOLDEN EAGLE, MARMORA’S WARBLERS and singing male MOLTONI’S SUBALPINE WARBLERS.

A detailed tripreport will follow on the UK400ClubOnline website in due course

Written by Lee · Filed Under General

Photo Gallery Update

April 3, 2008

	Check out our new gallery of bird pictures
If you would like to submit your pictures to us for publication please contact LGRE and send us your high resolution originals, or a reduced copy at 600 pixels wide. Images submitted for publication will be used as is, if you prefer to add a watermark or copyright notice please do so before submission.