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UK400 Club Rare Alert for Monday 18th February 2008

This is the UK400 Club Rare Alert for Monday 18th February 2008, issued at 2000 hours, and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com) and Birdguides (www.birdguides.com), as well as utilising information gleaned from the Regional Birdlines, local email groups, websites and individual observers. It is the most detailed and authorititive RBA available and produced at frequent intervals for British Birding Association members.

As has been the case for the past 40 days, the continuing highlight is the adult male WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW in Cley-next-the-Sea village in North Norfolk. Raising over £5,730 for the local church restoration fund, this particularly popular straggler is now favouring the seed-covered specially landscaped area immediately west of the Holt Road, directly opposite the gardens in which it was originally discovered. Although afternoon lighting conditions are not great for viewing/photography, the bird can be seen a lot easier now, and is performing perhaps once every 20 minutes (and down to 20 yards). Once again, please park sensibly on the ‘Cley Triangle’ and respect all residents’ privacy.

A summary now follows of other vagrants/scarcities to be found in Britain

Some 55 CATTLE EGRETS remain, including three well north in Cumbria (by the River Eden near Townhead Farm at cNY 372 583; view from the trackbetween Grinsdale and the church), Cheshire (near New House Farm, Higher Poynton, at SJ 941 845; park in the layby by the phone box and follow footpath adjacent to German Lodge for 300 yards to view cattle field on right) and North Lincolnshire (in sheep fields north of the A157 and 300 yards east of the Post Office in Legbourne). Elsewhere, up to 20 remain near Drift Reservoir (Cornwall) (the largest number to have ever been seen in a single group in Britain), 1-2 by the Golden Lion Causeway at Stithians Reservoir (Cornwall), ten 3 miles NE of Looe (Cornwall) opposite Downend Country House at SX 283 576, 1 at Warleigh Point (Devon) and another at Saltram Park, Plymouth (Devon), 3 in South Devon (with cattle in fields north of Church Lane in Powderham at SX 963 849, with 5 together east of North Petherton, Bridgwater (Somerset), a mile south of M5 junction 24 and a long-stayer in cattle fields by the entrance track to Britford Water Meadows (Wilts) (SU 166 278). At least 3 continue to roost at Radipole Lake (Dorset), with 2 near Buckler’s Hard (Hants), 2 near East Lavant (West Sussex) (SU 864 079), and singles at Harbridge Church (Hants) (SU 144 112), at Chichester GP Vinnetrow Lane and another at Pddinghoe Levels (West Sussex).

The 2nd-winter GLOSSY IBIS, white-plastic ringed (6PJ - 7′094505′) as a nestling at Fao colony, Coto Donana (Spain), remains in North Lincolnshire 1.5 miles NNW of Howden’s Pullover car park, with another 2nd-winter, present in Britain for over two years, at Warton Marsh, Lytham St Annes (Lancs). A GREAT WHITE EGRET still remains on the Ouse Washes (Cambs) - at Dunkirk Drain.

In Cumbria, one of Norfolk’s overwintering ROSS’S SNOW GEESE has relocated on its way north to Abbey Town, where it can be located amongst large numbers of Pink-footed Geese west of Abbey Cowper Farm (cNY 153 513), whilst a first-winter SNOW GOOSE remains with Greylag Geese between Finstown and Kirkwall at Quarterness (Orkney) and an adult white morph on Heigham Holmes (Norfolk). The Solway adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE visited Easton (Cumbria) with Barnacle Geese on 17th, whilst two colour-ringed Red-breasted Geese of presumably suspect origin, including one recently at Abberton Reservoir, remain at Trimley Marshes SWT (Suffolk).The 8 TUNDRA BEAN GEESE remain at North Warren RSPB (Suffolk), with 3 at Welney WWT (Norfolk), 1 at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucs) and another at Gibsmere, between Hilston and Tunstall (East Yorks) whilst 6 flew SSW over Old Goole (East Yorks) today. A TAIGA BEAN GOOSE continues to be reported from Reydon Marshes (Suffolk).

The first-winter drake LESSER SCAUP continues with Tufted Ducks in Toft Bay, Draycote Water (Warks), with two more (females) on Shetland and another at Coot Loch, Benbecula (Outer Hebrides).
The only regular North American Green-winged Teals at the moment are drakes at Woodhorn Flash (Northumberland) and Marshside Marsh RSPB (Lancs), although singles still remain at Seamill Water Treatment Plant, Ayr (Ayrshire) and on Shetland. The drake AMERICAN WIGEON remains in Angle Bay (Pembs), with Ring-necked Ducks in Somerset and in North Buckinghamshire (Foxcote Reservoir). Up to 3 adult drake SURF SCOTERS remain off Dornoch Beach car park (Highland), with two off Ruddon’s Point, Largo Bay (Fife) and singles in Bay of Kirkwall (Orkney) (off Quarterness between Romberry Point and the fish cages at HY 430 140) and a female off Dawlish Warren (South Devon).

The 11 COMMON CRANES (10 adults and a first-winter) continue in stubble west of the B9103 and north of the A96 bear Elgin (Moray), with a further three in Cithness and an adult north of Elie (Fife) SE of Balbuthie Farm. A single remains with Whooper and Bewick’s Swans in fields south of Welney WWT (Norfolk)

A juvenile ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD continues to range between Scolt Head Island and Burhnam Norton sea wall (Norfolk), with another still present at Capel Fleet Marshes, Isle of Sheppey (North Kent).

Rare waders include the overwintering LESSER YELLOWLEGS in Angus at Montrose Basin LNR (at Rossie Spit, along with a Pied Avocet), WILSON’S SNIPE on Lower Moors, St Mary’s (Scilly) and SPOTTED SANDPIPERS near Kinneil Sewage Farm and at Lisvane Reservoir (Cardiff).

In Derbyshire, the juvenile gull present previously at Dix Pit in Oxfordshire, continues to show well near Duckmanton, favouring mainly Poolsbrook Lake. This bird resembles Thayer’s Gull in some aspects of its plumage but is clearly a hybrid). In Avon, the 2nd-winter FRANKLIN’S GULL continues to pre-roost at Herriott’s Pool, Chew Valley Lake.

At Llys-y-Fran Reservoir (Pembs), the adult Ring-billed Gull is still present, along with 3 Iceland Gulls, the juvenile Black-throated Diver and the Black-necked Grebe. Another Welsh Ring-billed Gull, a first-winter, was seen at Lamby Lake (Glamorgan) today.

In Central Norfolk, a DARK-BREASTED BARN OWL remains at Wacton Common, showing well from 1530 onwards most evenings over the rough fields left of the pond. It roosts by day in the decaying barn behind the first house after the cattle grid. A further bird was seen well at Cotswold Water Park Pit 95 this evening.

A popular BLACK-BELLIED DIPPER is still present in East Yorkshire, favouring the stream by Mill House in Watton (park in layby by the Tophill Low Reservoir turning, cross the A164 and take the footpath along the stream for about 600 yards.

A RICHARD’S PIPIT continues at Howden’s Pullover (North Lincs) with another very elusive bird at Lower Trevollard Farm, Saltash (Cornwall) (SX 384 583) with an EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL still wintering in the same fields as the last-mentioned individual.

Three HUME’S LEAF WARBLERS include a new bird in Norton Churchyard, Stockton-on-Tees (Cleveland) (NZ 443 221) (take the A1027 west from the A19 and turn left at the first roundabout) and long-staying birds in Cot Valley (near Cot Manor) and at Tehidy Country Park, Camborne (SW 649 432) (both Cornwall), whilst of local interest, is a very showy Firecrest on Laundry Lane, Alvecote (Warks) (at cSK 249 051), whilst YELLOW-BROWED WARBLERS include one in Central Park, Plymouth (South Devon) (SX 474 558) and another at Nansloe Farm Sewage Works, Helston (Cornwall). A further bird is present for a 3rd day in Herefordshire, at Bartonshaw Sewage Works (SO 522 388). At least 15 SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFFS are wintering in Southern Britain, including 2 by Sandhurst Sewage Farm (Berks).

In terms of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, celebrity birds include 3 at Upsall Grove, Fairfield (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland) and another in Allestree village (Derbyshire), whilst a flock of 12 flew south over Cobalt Business Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Northumberland).

It has been an excellent winter for NORTHERN GREY SHRIKES with at least 25 birds still utilising territories, including one by Hollins Farm entrance, Padiham (Lancs) (viewable from Grove Lane at SD 811 348) and others at Speech House Woodland, Forest of Dean (Gloucs) (cSO 618 114), Thursley Common (Surrey), Wishmoor Bottom (Berks), Llys-y-Fran Country Park (Pembs), Wicken Fen (Cambs), Morden Bog (Dorset) and Clumber Park (Notts). At least four remain in the New Forest (Hants).

Up to 6 LAPLAND BUNTINGS remain with Skylarks in stubble at Thornham (Norfolk), with 20+ at Flamborough Head (East Yorks), and the male still at Sturt Pond (Hants), whilst the single SHORE LARK remains with Skylarks on saltmarsh at Rye Harbour NR (East Sussex).

IRELAND

In County Galway, the Nimmo’s Pier/Galway Harbour area continues to attract a juvenile NORTH AMERICAN HERRING GULL, 3 different adult RING-BILLED GULLS, up to 17 Iceland Gulls and 3 Glaucous Gulls, with the neighbouring coastline and Mutton Island Causeway attracting the adult winter FORSTER’S TERN at high tide. At least 20 CATTLE EGRETS remain in Ireland (including 8 at Clogheen Marsh, Cork), with an adult female SNOWY OWL between Spiddal and Marycullen (Co. Galway) on 15th and the AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT still at Redbarn Strand, Youghal (Co. Cork). In Northern Ireland, the adult drake BARROW’S GOLDENEYE remains at Quoile Pondage NR.

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