Rare Bird Alert October 12th

October 13, 2007

This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Friday 12th October 2007, issued at 2200 hours, and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com) and utilising information gathered from local email groups, regional Birdlines, Birdguides and individual observers.

A North American WILSON’S SNIPE is present for a second day at Lower Moors, St Mary’s (Isles of Scilly), showing intermittently in front of the two hides (mornings seem best). The bird is a well-marked individual and has been excellently photographed (see James Lidster’s images on the RBA website) and represents the latest in a line of records from this archipelago.

With increasing numbers of birders on the islands (at about 300-strong now) and a change to light SE winds, a noticeable increase in rarities occurred today. The first-winter BLACKPOLL WARBLER which initially arrived on the Garrison on Tuesday (9th) showed well again today in Sallows at Porthellick Pool and in Elms just west of Carn Friars Farm, whilst a BLYTH’S REED WARBLER was present for a second day on Bryher (showing occasionally and calling intermittently). A GREY-CHEEKED THRUSH was reported very briefly from fields near Rocky Hills (per Mark Palmer), whilst the juvenile WOODCHAT SHRIKE remains at Carn Vean and incoming vagrants included a PENDULINE TIT on Lower Moors briefly (James Lidster), a GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK by the Hospital, Hugh Town, and a RED-THROATED PIPIT over Longstones. Up to 10 Yellow-browed Warblers are present on the islands, with a LITTLE BUNTING briefly at Borough Farm, Tresco (and another on the Wingletang, St Agnes) and a Common Rosefinch at Troy Town, St Agnes. A GREAT WHITE EGRET flew over Tresco early morning, with a long-staying Osprey lingering off Porthellick Pool, whilst there was no sign of yesterday evening’s showy RADDE’S WARBLER on St Agnes.

In neighbouring Cornwall, a RADDE’S WARBLER in Nanquidno Valley was typically elusive, with newly arrived RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHERS discovered at Kenidjack Valley and at Polgigga. The Spotted Crake remains at Marazion Marsh RSPB, with a juvenile Red-backed Shrike at Botallack and a handful of Yellow-browed Warblers at scattered localities.

At the other end of the country, Shetland continued to dominate. With up to 10 roving car loads of rarity finders, the autumn haul continued to increase. A PADDYFIELD WARBLER continues to show very well in Iris beds at Quendale Burn, with a HORNEMANN’S ARCTIC REDPOLL nearby and PALLAS’S LEAF WARBLER, Red-breasted Flycatcher and DUSKY WARBLER at Sumburgh Head. A very confiding PECHORA PIPIT was on wires at Toab (see Mark Reeder’s superb images), along with a GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK and 8 Lapland Buntings, whilst a BLYTH’S REED WARBLER and juvenile Red-backed Shrike are in Helendale, Lerwick. The MELODIOUS WARBLER is still at East Voe of Quarff whilst Yellow-browed Warblers today included 7 at Helendale, 2 at Wester Quarff, 2 at Geosetter and singles at Sumburgh Head, Gulberwick, Hoswick, Grutness, Boddam, Quendale, West Yell and Seafield, Lerwick. On Unst, a DUSKY WARBLER was at Norwick and a PALLAS’S LEAF WARBLER at Ungirsta, Haroldswick, with a further DUSKY WARBLER (and LITTLE BUNTING) on Out Skerries and a freshly arrived LESSER YELLOWLEGS on Foula. Fair Isle has OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT, Richard’s Pipit, Bluethroat and GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK.

A RED-THROATED PIPIT visited Flamborough Head (East Yorks) today, whilst Oxfordshire’s first-ever AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT was relocated at Port Meadow, Oxford, where it was seen briefly with Scandinavian Rock Pipits (this bird had performed exceptionally well at Farmoor Reservoir on 6th-9th - Nic Hallam et al).

A CATTLE EGRET was seen several times during the day at Chew Valley Lake (Avon), with another briefly at Bewl Water (East Sussex) late morning. GREAT WHITE EGRETS remained in Norfolk and Lancashire (Leighton Moss) with another on South Uist at Stoneybridge (Outer Hebrides).

An adult WHITE-BILLED DIVER in absolutely pristine full summer plumage remains offshore at Selsey Bill (West Sussex) (ranging from 700-1,000 yards offshore and feeding at low tide on Crabs and Flatfish on the seaward side of the sandbar) (present since 2nd October and clearly lingering) with a juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER showing to just a few feet in White’s Creek, on the east side of Pagham Harbour (West Sussex). Further late PECTORAL SANDPIPERS include pairs at Tophill Low Reservoir (East Yorks) and Portmeadow Floods, Oxford (Oxon), with a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER at Paull Holme Strays, Hull (East Yorks).

A total of 41 Eurasian Spoonbills includes 26 on Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour (Dorset) and 15 on the River Taw at Isley Marsh (North Devon), with a drake LESSER SCAUP on Blagdon Lake (Somerset), the GLOSSY IBIS still at Marshside Marsh RSPB (Merseyside) and the white morph LESSER SNOW GOOSE at West Caister (Norfolk). The juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER continues at Branston Island, 2 miles NW of Bardney (Lincs), whilst the Easington (East Yorks) DUSKY WARBLER remains for a third day.

A phenomenal total of 1,100 Tree Sparrows flew south at Spurn Point (East Yorks) today, with bumper numbers of Chaffinch, Brambling and redpoll moving south throughout the country, and up to 600 Siskin new in on Scilly. At least 20 Northern Grey Shrikes are scattered throughout.

In IRELAND, the big talking point is BLYTH’S REED WARBLERS, with Dave Suddaby discovering a bird on The Mullet (Co. Mayo) and Killian Mullarney another in Cork - at Mizen Head. The latter, discovered yesterday, was successfully twitched by at least 16 Irish birders today (see http://www.birdsireland.com/pages/rare_bird_news/2007/october_photos.html for Killian’s images)

Written by Lee · Filed Under UK400 Club Rare Bird Alerts

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Rare Bird Alert October 12th

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