Rare Bird Alert November 30th
December 1, 2007
This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Friday 30th November 2007, issued at 2100 hours, and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com) and utilising information gleaned from the Regional Birdlines, Birdguides, websites, local email groups and individual observers.
The highlight once again is the juvenile WHITE-TAILED SEA EAGLE in Hampshire, frequenting the Cholderton area, and observed in flight several times today. The bird is marked with four rings, an orange over blue on the left leg denoting its age (born in 2007) and a white over black on its right leg (denoting country of origin). Bjorn Helander, a senior scientist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History and a co-ordinator of the White-tailed Sea Eagle colour-ringing programme, very kindly informed me that this bird was born and ringed in Finland or Sweden this July and would shortly supply me with full details.
DETAILED VIEWING INSTRUCTIONS
Leave the A303 at Cholderton and head SE on the B3084 towards Grateley and Over Wallop. A temporary viewing area has been granted immediately east of the B3084 and north of the copse at SU 245 427 (OS Landranger 184), with special parking available closeby. Alternative parking for 7 venicles is in the layby at SU 246 424 and a further 20 vehicles on the crossroads ‘waste ground’ at SU 247 423. The eagle can show very well from the designated viewing area, which is clearly marked out by police tape. There are two sheep carcasses in the field at SU 246 430, attracting the eagle (most often in the mornings) and an assortment of other raptors (including Red Kite, Peregrine, Merlin and HenHarrier) and 6-7 Common Ravens.
From the viewpoint, it is possible to walk north towards the A303 and view adjacent woodlands. Today, the bird was seen several times soaring over woodland east of the A338 between Tidworth and Shipton Bellinger.
In NE Scotland, one of the recently reintroduced White-tailed Sea Eagles is currently showing well to the south of St Fergus Cemetery (Aberdeenshire) at approximately NK 117 508. The bird has a white wingtag with the letter F inscribed on it (per Dominic Funnell).
In West Sussex, last winter’s adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE has returned, consorting with 1,200 Dark-bellied Brent Geese in winter wheat at East Head, NW of West Wittering, whilst a single CATTLE EGRET remains for a 4th day at Upton Country Park, Poole (Dorset). Further CATTLE EGRETS include up to 6 in the Upwey, Weymouth area (Dorset) (with 5 roosting at Radipole Lake RSPB some evenings) and 5+ in Cornwall (3 east of Sancreed at Treganhoe Farm, 1-2 at Tresvennack Farm, St Buryan, at SW 444 283 and 1-2 at Cross Lanes, NNE of Mullion, opposite Skewes Farm at SW 691 216).
The two first-winter male DESERT WHEATEARS have remained all week, with one east of Burniston (North Yorks) adjacent to the path midway between Cromer Point and Long Nab car park (In Burniston, take Rocks Lane just beyond the Three Jolly Sailors public house and use the car park before the gully and walk south) and another at Horsey (Norfolk), showing down to a few feet just west of the dune-slack, 0.75 miles NE of the Nelson’s Arms public house.
The weather today (and predicted this weekend) was too inclement for diver watching in Mount’s Bay, Marazion (Cornwall) and consequently there was no sign of the returning adult PACIFIC DIVER (present since 23rd). At the opposite end of the country, an adult and juvenile WHITE-BILLED DIVER were seen off Hamars Ness, Fetlar (Shetland), on 28th.
In addition to the respectable number of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in Scotland (including 45 in Aberdeen and 40+ in Dundee), the pick of the far north continue to be the returning adult BONAPARTE’S GULLS (just south of the Ugie Estuary, Peterhead, and at Fishtown of Usan), the adult winter Ring-billed Gulls in Stromness (Orkney) and at Dingwall Leisure Centre (Highland) and the LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Montrose Basin (Angus).
A PECTORAL SANDPIPER again at Caerlaverock WWT (Dumfries & Galloway) is very late, and a single LESSER CANADA GOOSE (form parvipes and therefore part of the Greater complex) is present with Pink-feet in the Cromarty Firth, just south of Dingwall (at NH 555 574). An amazing spectacle is that of over a million wintering Common Starlings in the Gretna Green area (D & G) (best viewed from the Gretna Service Station on the M74 or from the small layby on the Gretna/Kirkpatrick road).
A first-winter drake LESSER SCAUP continues to show well in Toft Bay, Draycote Water (Warks), with wintering GREAT WHITE EGRETS at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancs) and Mockbeggar Lake (Hants), SPOTTED SANDPIPER at Lisvane Reservoir (Glamorgan), LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER at Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham (South Devon) and GREY PHALAROPE in Blyth Harbour (Northumberland).
A handful of North American Green-winged Teals are being seen, with single drakes at Neumann’s Flash, Sandbach (Cheshire), Rush Hills Scrape, Hickling (Norfolk) and on the Hayle Estuary (Cornwall), with both ROSS’S SNOW GEESE and LESSER SNOW GEESE still with wide-ranging Pink-footed Geese flocks in East Norfolk.
Both WILSON’S SNIPES continue to show well on Lower Moors pools, St Mary’s (Scilly), with rare passerines represented by a GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK at Long Nanny Burn, Seahouses (Northumberland) and 10+ Lapland Buntings at Salthouse Beach (Norfolk). An AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was identified amongst European Golden Plovers at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucs) on 28th.
Inland divers and grebes providing good views include an adult Great Northern Diver at Clowbridge Reservoir (Lancs) (28th-30th) and juveniles at Pitsford Reservoir (Northants) (26th-30th), Blithfield Reservoir (Staffs) (26th), Chew Valley Lake (Avon) (27th) and Ibsley Water/Rockford Lake (Hants) (30th), a Red-necked Grebe at Abberton Reservoir (Essex), Slavonian Grebes at Weir Wood Reservoir (West Sussex) (26th-30th), Grafham Water (Cambs) (26th-29th) and Rutland Water North Arm (Leics) (26th-27th) and Black-necked Grebes at Ibsley Water (Hants) (at least 15th-30th) and at Staines Reservoirs (Surrey) (4 birds). Six Long-tailed Ducks include first-winter drakes at Rutland Water Dam (Leics) (26th-27th) and Williamthorpe Ponds NR (Derbyshire) (27th-30th) and female/immatures at Balgray Reservoir (Clyde) (26th-30th), High Rid Reservoir (Gtr Manchester) (27th-30th), Brooklands Lake, Worthing (West Sussex) (26th-30th) and Helston Loe Pool (Cornwall) (26th-30th).
In IRELAND, the adult winter FORSTER’S TERN remains at Cruisetown Beach (Co. Louth), with 1-2 RICHARDSON’S CANADA GEESE with Barnacles at Ballyconnell (Co. Sligo) and drake BARROW’S GOLDENEYE at Qouile Pondage NR (Co. Down).
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