A BIT OF SCOTTISH BIRDING

Whilst visiting friends in Oban this week I called in at Inchinnan,Clyde on the way up and managed to connect with a Stone curlew that had been found,on arrival the weather conditions were appauling but the bird showed well on arrival.

This was the first record for Clyde since 1966

Other birds of note during the week were Golden eagle,White tailed eagle,2 Ospreys and a pair of Red throated divers on there breeding ground.

On the way home I called in at Loch turret reservoir where I got cracking views of a Ring billed gull.

Red-headed Bunting moved to Category A of British list

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Red Grouse to be split by IOC

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Eastern Red-rumped Swallow set to be added to British list

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CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL RARE AND SCARCE BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS

20/06/2024

MEGA NEWS

ZITTING CISTICOLA-South Foreland-Kent

GREEN WARBLER-Fair Isle-Shetland

19/06/2024

MEGA NEWS

SOLITARY SANDPIPER-St Mary's-Isles Of Scilly

GREEN WARBLER-Fair Isle-Shetland

WHITE WINGED SCOTER-Murcar GC-Aberdeenshire

Green Winged teal-Burton RSPB

18/06/2024

MEGA NEWS

GREEN WARBLER-Fair Isle-Shetland

WHITE WINGED SCOTER-Murcar GC-Aberdeenshire

SOLITARY SANDPIPER-St Mary's-Isles Of Scilly

17/06/2024

MEGA NEWS

GREEN WARBLER-Fair Isle-Shetland

WHITE WINGED SCOTER-Murcar GC-Aberdeenshire

SOLITARY SANDPIPER-St Mary's-Isles Of Scilly

Green winged Teal-Sandbach Flashes

16/06/2024

MEGA NEWS

WHITE WINGED SCOTER-Blackdog-Aberdeenshire

Green winged Teal-Sandbach Flashes

15/06/2024

MEGA NEWS

WHITE WINGED SCOTER-Blackdog-Aberdeenshire

Green winged Teal-Sandbach Flashes

14/06/2024

MEGA NEWS

SOLITARY SANDPIPER-St Mary's-Isles Of Scilly

Green winged Teal-Sandbach Flashes

13/06/2024

MEGA NEWS

BRIDLED TERN-Coquet Island-Northumberland

Green winged Teal-Sandbach Flashes

12/06/2024

MEGA NEWS

BRIDLED TERN-Coquet Island-Northumberland-Bird still present on the 13/06/2024

5/6/24

MEGA NEWS

BRIDLED TERN-Coquet Island-Northumberland

4/6/24

MEGA NEWS

BRIDLED TERN-Coquet Island-Northumberland

3/6/2024

MEGA NEWS

BRIDLED TERN-Coquet Island-Northumberland

2/6/2024

MEGA NEWS

BRIDLED TERN-Coquet Island-Northumberland6/2024

1/6/2024

MEGA NEWS

BRIDLED TERN-Coquet Island-Northumberland

MARMORA'S WARBLER-Fair Isle-Shetland

30/05/2024

MEGA NEWS

MARMORA'S WARBLER-Fair Isle-Shetland

29/05/2024

MEGA NEWS

MARMORA'S WARBLER-Fair Isle-Shetland

26/05/2024

European Honey Buzzard-One over marsh covert hide-Burton RSPB

MEGA NEWS

GREEN WARBLER-Singing male-Holy Island-Northumberland

24/05/2024

MEGA NEWS

GREEN WARBLER-Singing male-Valyie-Unst

INDIGO BUNTING-Male photographed on bird feeders in nearby garden on Wednesday but no sign since-Milford Haven-Pembrokeshire

23/05/2024

MEGA NEWS

GREEN WARBLER-Singing male-Valyie-Unst

22/05/2024

MEGA NEWS

GREEN WARBLER-Singing male-Valyie-Unst

21/05/2024

MEGA NEWS

INDIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE-1st Summer male-Holy Island-Northumberland

 

20/05/2024

MEGA NEWS

BOOTED EAGLE-Cape Cornwall-Cornwall

Common Crane-One circled over Hoole then drifted south-west-Chester

MEGA NEWS

INDIGO BUNTING-Unringed 1st-summer male-Whitburn-Durham

19/05/2024

Glossy Ibis-One circled then flew towards Gowy Meadows CWT-Sweeney Meadows

MEGA NEWS

INDIGO BUNTING-Unringed 1st-summer male-Whitburn-Durham

18/05/24

MEGA NEWS

INDIGO BUNTING-Unringed 1st-summer male-Whitburn-Durham

13/05/2024

Common Crane-Ashton's Flash-Northwich

12/05/2024

Common Crane-Frodsham Marshes

09/05/2024

Montagu's Harrier-Ringtail flew past Leasowe Lighthouse and continued north over Liverpool Bay-Leasowe

08/05/2024

Common Crane-Two in nearby flooded field-Marbury

03/05/2024

Lesser Scaup-1st-winter female again on No 3 Bed from Rotary Hide-Woolston eyes NR-Permit Only

02/05/2024

Iberian Chiffchaff-Singing male still at junction of Park Lane and farm track-Meols

01/05/2024

White Stork-Three (including two blue-ringed individuals)-Puddington

Iberian Chiffchaff-Singing male still at junction of Park Lane and farm track-Meols

BIRDERS ASKED TO TAKE PART IN NATIONAL GULL SURVEY

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is asking birders to help with its Winter Gull Survey (WinGs), which starts this autumn.The charity is trying to get to grips with the causes of population declines in the UK's breeding gulls and to monitor those that visit from further afield.   

In autumn and winter, gulls flock together to roost communally on lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries across the UK, in groups that can number many hundreds or even thousands of individuals. Understanding where these roosts occur, and the numbers of birds using them, is key to helping protect them.

Indian Golden Oriole: New for the Western Palearctic

Formerly treated as conspecific with Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus, the Indian Golden Oriole (or Kundoo Oriole) Oriolus kundoo is now regarded as a separate species by many authorities, including the IOC. Although there are resident birds in India, part of the population migrates north and west to breed in central Asia as far north as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, with all birds wintering on the Indian subcontinent. Adult males differ from Golden Oriole in having a more extensive black face mask (running over and behind the eye, not just confined to the lores), as well as bright yellow tips to the tertials and inner secondaries and predominantly yellow outer tail feathers (not just yellow at the distal half).

Indian Golden Oriole, Holy Island, Northumberland (© Neil Hinchliff)

A Golden Oriole was found on Holy Island, Northumberland, on the morning of 21st May, and the news was broadcast as such. This did not seem out of place, given the good number of records around the country this spring. The bird was a first-summer male, and after the true identity of the bird was suggested by the finder, mid-afternoon examination of photographs showed that the bird did indeed show characteristics of Indian Golden Oriole, in particular the more extensive face mask and shorter primary projection than Golden Oriole. Unfortunately, it was seen to fly west-northwest at around 1pm, after which time birders had left the island before the tide flooded the causeway, and the bird was not seen subsequently.

This is a remarkable record and will, if accepted, be the first, not just for Britain but also for the Western Palearctic. It is not completely without precedent, however, with other extreme rarities sharing similar ranges such as Sulphur-bellied Warbler (also in Denmark) and Long-tailed Shrike (also in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland (2), and Sweden) having been recorded in Britain and species such as Hume's Whitethroat (form althaea) and Pied Bush Chat having been found as vagrants in, respectively, Finland and the Netherlands, and Finland (3), Georgia, Italy, and Sweden.

 

FEW DAYS AWAY BIRDING

21st May 

Visiting friends on the way down to Birmingham news broke that a Roseate tern had been found at Marsh lane nature reserve,the bird showed well as soon as I arrived on site.

This was a new site for me so I had a good walk around and had booming Bittern and a close encounter with a Cettis wabler.

22nd May

Waking up early this morning I visited the county of Cambridgeshire and headed straight for Fen drayton lakes where I managed to find the 1st summer Red footed falcon sat out on top of a popular tree.These are great birds and it was nice to catch up with this showy male,Cheshire is due one of these 🙏

Moving on from here I drove to Ouse fen RSPB where after a short walk the Great reed warbler could be heard singing away and eventually showed really well.I havent seen one of these for years so it was nice just to sit and watch this beauty on me own singing away.Two bitterns flew out of the reed bed in front of me which was also good to see.

 

After great views of the Great reed I drove back and called in at Paxton pits on the way home where I had stunning views of Nightingale,two were seen and this finished off a good days birding!

AT LAST A NEW BIRD!INDIGO BUNTING😎

I was eating dinner at home today when the mega alert went off!

At last a new bird! I jumped straight in the car with Jenna, and we were off on her first twitch! Having missed the St. Agnes bird on the Scilly Isles in late October 2020 by minutes, this was my second attempt. Two and a half hours later, after a good run, Peter kindly lets me into his house, where the Indigo is showing on his bird feeders. What a bird!

A mega-rarity from North America wouldn't have been on many people's bingo cards in a week that felt 'drifty' for European migrants, yet it was the first-summer male Indigo Bunting that firmly occupied the minds of twitchers over the weekend. Found by the astounded Peter Bell in his garden at Whitburn, Co. Durham, on the 18th, the bird will prove the fourth British record if accepted as wild. Interestingly, another first-summer male was found in southeast Iceland on the 19th, while a probable was reported at Skagen, Denmark, on the 9th.  The species is known in captivity in Europe, which has led to some speculation about this bird's origins. Wild-caught Indigo Buntings were commonly imported, mainly from Mexico, in the late 1960s through the 1980s, but imports have dried up since. This coincides with two British records consigned to Category E—namely adult males at Wells Wood, Norfolk, in October 1988 and Flamborough, East Yorkshire, in May 1989—and a spike in records across Europe that presumably related to escapes from captivity. More recently, three birds in the Netherlands in the spring of 2019 were captive escapes. That said, records of escaped birds have largely dried up since the ban on wild imports, and its age is right for a wayward vagrant. Perhaps it arrived during 2023's bumper autumn for 'Yanks', wintered somewhere in southern Europe or North Africa, and is now on its way heading north.

A great bird, just have to see now if the powers that be accept this Indigo bunting as the fourth for Britain😎

Previous Records

1996, Pembrokeshire, Ramsey Island, first-winter male, 18th to 26th October

2013, Anglesey, Menai Bridge, male, 20th May

2020, Isles Of Scilly, Big Pool, St Agnes, 1CY, 25-26 October

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL RARE AND SCARCE BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS

01/05/2024

White Stork-Three (including two blue-ringed individuals)-Puddington

30/04/2024

White Stork-Three flew over Puddington

23/04/2024

Common Crane-2 Flew over Ellesmere port

25/04/2024

MEGA NEWS-Forster's Tern-2nd Winter-Upton,Poole-Dorset

23/04/2024

MEGA NEWS-Forster's Tern-2nd Winter-Hamworthy,Poole-Dorset

19/04/2024

Little Bittern-Female photographed in private area this evening-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only

(C)Kieran Foster

Common Crane-4 landed behind scrape and showing well from visitor centre-Burton RSPB and continued north and then east and lost to view over Wallasey

(C)Graham Connolly

18/04/2024

MEGA NEWS-Forster's Tern-2nd Winter-Arne RSPB-Dorset

17/04/2024

MEGA NEWS-Forster's Tern-2nd Winter-Lytchett Fields RSPB-Dorset

MEGA NEWS-Myrtle Warbler-Kilwinning-Aryshire

16/04/2024

MEGA NEWS-Forster's Tern-2nd Winter-Arne RSPB-Dorset

MEGA NEWS-Myrtle Warbler-Kilwinning-Aryshire

15/04/2024

MEGA NEWS-Myrtle Warbler-Kilwinning-Aryshire

12/04/2024

Ferruginous Duck-Two(one drake) again on oxbow below No 3 Bed footbridge-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only

(C)John Tymon

08/04/2024

Ferruginous Duck-Two(one drake) again on oxbow below No 3 Bed footbridge-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only

07/04/2024

Ferruginous Duck-Two(one drake) again on oxbow below No 3 Bed footbridge-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only06/04/2024

Lesser Scaup-1st-winter female again on Manchester Ship Canal south of No 1 Bed with Tufted Duck flock

Ferruginous Duck-Two(one drake) again on oxbow below No 3 Bed footbridge-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only

04/04/2024

Lesser Scaup-1st-winter female again on Manchester Ship Canal south of No 1 Bed with Tufted Duck flock; note bird is possibly viewable from end of public footpath south of Manchester Ship Canal at c 53.3936, -2.4873-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only

03/04/2024

Ferruginous Duck-Two(one drake) again on oxbow below No 3 Bed footbridge-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only

31/03/2024

Ferruginous Duck-Two (one drake) on the Loop at north end of No 4 Bed-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only-Birds only present till mid morning and no further sign

30/03/2024

Ferruginous Duck-Two (one drake) on the Loop at north end of No 4 Bed-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only

Access arrangements: reserve open to non-permit holders from 10:30-13:30 tomorrow for £5 each. Drive to end of Thelwall Lane (WA4 1PD), through open yellow barrier and park carefully along track north of Manchester Ship Canal at c 53.3842, -2.5366. Access No 4 Bed via metal gate at 53.3844, -2.5359. Follow track north-east for 300m, then take left turn and continue along main path for 1.2km past wetland, take left turn and view from elevated hide at 53.3916, -2.5479. Note paths are flooded, wellingtons essential

 

(C)John Tymon

29/03/2024

REPORTED-Lesser Scaup-1st-winter female still on western cell of No 4 Bed-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only

28/03/24

Lesser Scaup-1st-winter female still on western cell of No 4 Bed-Woolston Eyes NR-Permit Only

22/03/2024

Lesser Scaup-1st-winter female again on No 3 Bed from Rotary Hide-Woolston eyes NR-Permit Only

(C)John Tymon