MY BIRDING WEEK-12TH-19TH APRIL 2026

Last weekend, I stopped briefly at Alvecote Pools in Warwickshire on my way down to Oxfordshire to see a female Hooded Merganser. My previous encounter with this species was back in 2005 at Chilham in Kent, where an adult female stayed from 4th to 10th December. This bird was first reported in Warwickshire on 5th April and is thought to be the same individual previously seen at Pilning Wetlands in Avon, last recorded there on 10th March before moving north-east. The Hooded Merganser is a small North American diving duck and, in the United Kingdom, is a very rare vagrant or escapee with only occasional records. If accepted, this would be the first record for the West Midlands area.

                                             Hooded Merganser

Midweek, after finishing work, I went for an evening walk and called in at Standlake in Oxfordshire to see a Ruddy Duck. I hadn’t seen one for years, so it was good to catch up with the species again. Native to North America, it was introduced to Europe but was heavily culled in the UK to protect the endangered White-headed Duck from hybridisation, and is now almost extinct in Britain.

Ruddy Duck

Migrant birds are now in full swing, with Whitethroats, Willow warblers, Grasshopper warblers and Chiffchaffs seen around the area.

On Friday, news broke of a Western Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall on the Lizard. I needed this bird for Britain, and although I’ve seen many over the years, my previous records have not yet been fully reviewed by the BBRC. News came through again on Saturday morning, so I rang my mate Owen Parsons, who also needed it, and plans were made for a dawn raid.

Later that afternoon, I drove down to Dorset to see a Bluethroat at Swineham Gravel Pits. The bird showed really well, and an Osprey flying over was a nice addition to the year list. The Bluethroat breeds across northern Europe and Asia and is a passage migrant in the UK, mainly on the east coast in spring and autumn.

Leaving Oxfordshire at 2:00am Sunday morning, Owen and I arrived at Housel Bay in Cornwall. 

Housel Bay 

After a couple of hours searching the hedgeline with no sign of the bird, things weren’t looking promising, until Owen called it out. The Western Subalpine Warbler appeared briefly, feeding low before dropping back into cover. We were very lucky, as it had been extremely elusive, only showing for short periods.

Western Subalpine Warbler

(c)Dougy Wright

                        Owen on site, happy after seeing the Western                                                                         subalpine warbler

We stayed another hour before moving on to St Ives, where a male Pallas’s Warbler was reported in Trewyn Gardens.

                                           Trewyn Gardens

We didn’t have to wait long before it appeared, feeding in overhanging foliage. This tiny leaf warbler was a new bird for Owen, and I hadn’t seen one in Britain for a few years. It breeds in Siberian conifer forests and winters in Southeast Asia, with rare but regular autumn appearances in the UK.

Pallas’s Warbler 

After good views and some lunch, we made the long journey home after a very successful day in the Southwest.