Birdwatch UK - July 2022

80 Pages·2022·59.9 MB·English

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THIS ISSUE JULY 2022
Contents 8
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warnersgroup.co.uk HIGH summer is well and truly pages 26-29 strikes a poignant chord.
upon us. General birding might A quiet few weeks lie ahead on home soil,
be slow, but I love this time of with many birds currently breeding way to the
Keep up to date
year as it can be excellent for north in the Arctic Circle – as Ed Stubbs found
on Facebook
extreme rarities – especially out (pages 42-45), it’s a lively place at this time
www.facebook.com/birdwatchmagazine
and www.facebook.com/BirdGuides terns, for which July is widely of year! But fear not, autumn migration is only
recognised as the optimum month to fi nd one just around the corner – and we look at a new
Follow us on Twitter
@BirdwatchExtra on our shores. See our latest ID guide (pages tracking project that aims to map the
and @BirdGuides
33-37) for more. movements of Europe’s birds this autumn and
Follow us on Instagram It also used to be a month in which I’d beyond on pages 48-50.
@birdwatch_extra
@_birdguides venture to The Wash to catch up with One fi nal thing. Are you a World Land Trust
Montagu’s Harrier for my year list. member? If not, I’d encourage you to join or
NEWSTRADE DISTRIBUTION
Birdwatch is on sale in many branches of Unfortunately, these birds no longer return donate to this fantastic organisation if you can
D WH Smith and other good newsagents, and and the overall UK breeding population is at a – turn to pages 52-54 for another example of
AR should always be available to order. If you
EV have a problem obtaining the magazine in low ebb (pages 22-25). On the subject of the the fi ne work they do in preserving habitats
D your area, please call Warners Group
AU Publications on 01778 391150. disappearing, do you ever wonder about those worldwide.
EN ADVERTISEMENT SALES sites of yesteryear that always used to appear
URELI Wfoer tahles oo fmfiacniaal gper oagdrvaemrtmisee mofe Gnlto sbaalle s in the annual rarity reports, yet not longer do? (cid:45)(cid:82)(cid:642)(cid:595)(cid:3)(cid:45)(cid:669)(cid:568)(cid:72)(cid:609)
BY A Byeiradrf.a Firo,r t mheo rined duesttariyl’ss pwleiladsliefe e emveanil tu osf atht e I certainly do. Richard Bonser’s reminiscing on
N [email protected].
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Y TE ©IS SWNa r0n9e6rs7 -G1r8o7u0p Publications 2022. FEATURES correctly identifying three wandering
OOT No part of this magazine may be 22 The last dance? ‘brown-backed’ terns from distant shores.
MI.NL); S rswaeyrrpesitr tinoenodmgtu o cnwfee ittdchh,ee ocs uopstpua tibrheillediys hptoherrio ros.s rtTe oph roeeefrd mvW iieinasw rsansi oe reenrsxt rip niGer ervosausl pe d Mcaonn atangyuth’sin Hga breri edro ins ein t od eseapve t rtohueb UleK, ’bsu t 4 2 B Edir dSstu obfb st hteel lms itdhne itgahlet souf nhis recent visit
GA Publications or its staff. No liability can be rarest breeding raptor? RSPB’s Mark to the iconic European birding region of
WW.A asuccbempittetedd f,o hr oawneyv leors csa ours deadm.age to material Thomas takes a closer look. Lapland and Varanger.
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SCHUT ( MAGAZINE & BROCHURE PRINTER Tbhy iWs paurnbelircsa Mtioind laisn pdrsi nPtLeCd 2 6 I Lno otkim inetso gthoen era briyty archives and many 4 8 M Dra Lkuicnyg Mtritacchkesll from the UK Motus
B Telephone: [phone] site names will stand out – not least for steering group takes a look at this
O WARNERS
AK (cid:11)(cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:8)(cid:7)(cid:6)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:4)(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:1) their absence from today’s birding exciting new tracking system.
NT J headlines. Richard Bonser reminisces 52 Saving the Atlantic Forest
REI ADVISORY PANEL about these ‘lost’ locations of the past. REGUA’s Lee Dingain explains how
Y
ER B TKiimt D Aapyp, lCehtorins MHaBrEb,a Drda,v Kidi llCiaanll ahan, 33 Field ID notes: Onychoprion terns Birdwatch readers can support the World
RI Mullarney, Bill Oddie OBE, Dante Andy Stoddart gives the low-down on Land Trust’s Plant a Tree programme.
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THIS ISSUE JULY 2022
33 42
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OT time and are set to become
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REGULARS exciting month. Sam Viles Arjun Dutta writes, the Josh Jones tried out a
6 The big picture reports. tide is turning, with more popular model from Canon.
Already passing back 19 Birding etc people waking up to the
south this July, Green A four-day royal knees-up joys it brings.
Sandpiper should be on saw the nation squander 73 Letters and photos
your #LocalBigYear radar. a fortune on bunting Miserable birders, heroic
8 The big stories and booze while fundraising efforts and
The Eleonora’s Falcon in environmental concerns photography tips have
Kent may prove to be the were largely forgotten, you writing in this month.
bird of the spring, while says Dominic Mitchell. 78 Murmurations
Scotland hosted a 21 Talking birds If you can identify a rarity
returning Short-toed It’s traditionally been and a new bird for Scilly,
Snake Eagle, Essex common practice for why wouldn’t you make an
scored its first Blue Rock teenagers to suppress effort to share news with
Thrush and a second for their love for nature at others, especially when
Britain visited Spurn. school due to the risk of there is no reason not to?
12 Analysis: Rarities and being outcast. But, as Lucy McRobert reflects.
scarcities
The ‘Garden of England’ What’s in the digital edition? 64Documenting
enjoyed a phenomenal
breeding codes,
month, as Mediterranean
early migrant waders,
overshoots arrived across JULY’S digital edition has lots of bonus content, including:
hirundine vocalisations and
Britain and Ireland during • Video of Sooty Tern;
finding Common Quail are
an exciting May. Sam • Film of breeding Montagu’s Harrier;
all covered this month.
Viles reports. • Footage of migrant Green Sandpipers;
• Sound recordings of the songs and calls
16 Analysis: Western
of House Martin and Swallow;
Palearctic • Film of rarities and scarcities from Britain, OON
Birders aboard a Madeira M
Ireland and the wider Western Palearctic. W
pelagic were treated to a E
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regional mega, while N
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Scandinavia enjoyed an The digital edition is available for PC, Mac, BY
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iPhone/iPad and Android. Sample issues are N
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free, and subscriptions or single copies can S
Birdwatch subscriber issues are D
nsoo wy odue lcivaenr eeda sinil ya r epcaypceler ethnevemlo ipne bbew -pduigrcithaals teod fi. nVdis iotu wt wmwo.rpek.tmags.com/ ED RE
your usual recycling collection. OTT
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www.birdguides.com/birdwatch Birdwatch•July 2022 5
LOCAL BIG YEAR THE BIG PICTURE In association with
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6 Birdwatch•July 2022 www.birdguides.com/birdwatch
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In association with c c
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AND SO IT BEGINS
T
he long, heady days of high summer are upon us, and the leaves are still a long way off.
chances are that your interest in birding has waned of late, with After a subdued spring passage that peaks in April, it is July
butterfl ies, dragonfl ies, fl owers and a plethora of other wildlife and August that are the optimum months to catch up with Green
all jostling for attention. Perfectly understandable, of course, given Sandpiper in Britain, and we expect to hear that plenty of you have
that June can be a very slow month for action on patches nationwide, added this species to your #LocalBigYear lists in the coming weeks.
with precious few year ticks on offer after the spring rush. It’s an unfussy wader and can be found just about anywhere there is
But the reality is that the summer lull lasts only a few short water with suitable muddy margins for feeding – a ditch, or puddle in
weeks and a wide range of birds will already be on the move by the a fi eld, will do.
beginning of July, commencing their ‘autumn’ migrations. This infamously skittish shorebird has a simple ‘dark-and-white’
Green Sandpiper is traditionally seen as the harbinger of autumn, colour scheme, appearing almost blackish above save for a white
being one of the earliest migrants to leave nesting grounds – in fact, rump and barred tail, with dark underwings and a contrasting white
some failed breeders will have already been appearing back in Britain belly. But it’ll likely be the bird’s distinctive kluuit-klit-klit call that
since mid-June, before the summer solstice had even passed. It is this alerts you to its presence fi rst – scan for a small, dark wader jolting
species in particular which highlights that the gap between spring and away into the sky, continuing its migration south and away from the
autumn can be indistinct, even if the chilly mornings and browning still-distant cold of winter. ■
www.birdguides.com/birdwatch Birdwatch•July 2022 7
BIRD NEWS THE BIG STORIES
FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS
FINDER’S REPORT
Fabulous
falcon
Easternmost Kent was the setting for the
bird of 2022 so far – a twitchable Eleonora’s
Falcon. Robin Stokes tells the tale of an epic
morning of discovery.
STATS & FACTS
First recorded: Formby
Point, Lancashire, 8-9 August
AY 1977
KIT D LDausnte sre, cNoorrdfoelkd,: 2W0i nAtuegrtuosnt
Eleonora’s Falcon: Worth, Kent, 26 May-4 June 2022 2020
Previous UK records: 10
ON the morning of 26 May Andrew a falcon on the far side of the Most of the 10 accepted Eleonora’s Previous Irish records: 1
Edwards and I started off at scrape. My initial thoughts were Falcon records have proved very brief, Mega rating:★★★★★
hence the popularity of the Kent bird.
Pegwell Bay hoping for the recent Eurasian Hobby. However, on closer
E
Caspian Tern, with the optimism inspection it appeared too long W
O
that the Kentish Plover might winged and long tailed; it also UL R
also make another appearance. seemed quite big compared to the A
P
We had no luck with the plover corvids mobbing it, plus blackish
but managed decent views of the underwing coverts were clearly
tern. The tide was fully in so it seen.
was decided to head to Sandwich There was no red on the undertail
Bay and return later in the day to coverts but a reddish tinge to
Pegwell to catch the tide on the the body. The face pattern also
way out. appeared whiter. We were trying to
We arrived at Restharrow Scrape work out all the possibilities and
at 9.10 am and eventually made even though Eleonora’s Falcon was
our way around to the new hide. the obvious answer neither of us
Andrew wanted to do some sound had seen one before.
recording from there so we left Suddenly, the bird was gone. Oh
our camera and ‘scopes in the car dear – we had no photos to refer to some photos. The power of some of the expert comments
(a fatal mistake I hear you say!). and no experience with Eleonora’s social media then confi rmed from Twitter it confi rmed our
While we were busy recording a Falcon. Unknown to us at the time, the identifi cation: an amazing thoughts that this was indeed a
Corn Bunting I looked at an Avocet Tony Hambrook was thankfully Eleonora’s Falcon! pale-morph Eleonora’s Falcon.
on a nest wondering what the also on site and managed to get We had left Sandwich by the Many thanks to Tony Hambrook
chances of its offspring’s survival time Tony had tweeted his photos for his superb photos and
DAYwould be. and we were still discussing the a huge congratulations on
KIT Andrew then picked up on ID features. However, once we clinching the ID of this mega
had seen Tony’s photos and read bird. ■
8 Birdwatch•July 2022 www.birdguides.com/birdwatch
FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS
FINDER’S REPORT
Where eagles dare
Last year’s Short-toed Snake
Eagle looks to have returned
for a second summer, with
Dean MacAskill fi nding the
bird just a short distance
H
C
NA away from 2021’s sighting.
O
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ST
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ET
P
Short-toed Snake Eagle: Strath Brora, Highland, from 24 May 2022
LATE May is a great time to be looking into the eyes of a Short- it about half an hour after my to catch anything. We guided
out birding in the Highlands. toed Snake Eagle in the uplands last sighting. It was at this point Peter onto the bird and as he
The uplands come back to life of Sutherland! It was only four I put the news out as it could be got out his camera he laid
again after the long, cold winter weeks since I saw my last one, looked for from the roads around down in the heather watching
months when only the hardiest but that was in Portugal. It was Lairg. What an amazing day it it. The bird then worked its way
of local birds stay put. On the only 9.10 am and the eagle was having seen Golden Eagle, back and fl ew over him, coming
morning of 24 May I was out on remained on the rock for the White-tailed Eagle and Short-toed close to check him out before it
the hill above Strath Brora near next heart-thumping 50 minutes, Snake Eagle in Sutherland! continued to hunt around Loch
Loch Grudaidh when I noticed looking about and preening. It The next few days were Grudaidh and the neighbouring
a Common Gull mobbing was briefl y mobbed by a Hen dominated by strong westerlies lochs. At that stage I put the
something in fl ight. I could not Harrier but didn’t fl inch, then a bringing some heavy rain news out again with the focus
see what it was as it was below very agitated Meadow Pipit gave showers, but the forecast for around Loch Grudaidh.
the ridge. it a bit of a fright. Saturday 28 May looked more This must be the same bird
Suddenly, I got a glimpse of The day was warming up so I settled, so Peter and I agreed to that was seen in the area last
some large primary feathers. expected its prey would be too. At spend the day searching for the summer, which was the fi rst
This made me start to think it 10 am it fl ew off, circled up and eagle. He combed the area near record for Scotland. It seems
may be the immature White- began hunting along the ridge Lairg where it was last seen and I incredible that it would make
tailed Eagle I had seen over where I followed it for the next searched the environs of where I a return journey to the same
the Strath a few days before. 15 minutes until it moved out of fi rst saw it. I wasn’t too optimistic general area but for some
As the bird approached a dip sight. At 12.07 pm it reappeared with the weather being so poor – reason it has. ■
in the hill I got my fi rst glimpse and began gaining height, circling I thought it would have continued
of it. Its slow, deep wingbeats around with a Common Buzzard south-west.
made me think of Red Kite, but as it drifted south-west. I drove At 9.45 am, however, it STATS & FACTS
as it turned I saw the tail had round to the area where it was appeared on the ridge opposite
First recorded: St Agnes,
three broad bars. Now I was heading and picked it up again at me so I called Peter and Bob
Scilly, 7-11 October 1999
trying to fi gure out what I was 1.05 pm; this time it was about 4 Swann, who had turned up to
Last recorded: Studland
watching! km distant and heading towards join the search. Bob joined me
Heath and Hengistbury Head,
It dropped below the hill and Lairg. while Peter headed up the track
Dorset, 5 October 2020
perched on a rock. I got it in my Peter Stronach was on his to Loch Grudaidh. After some
Previous UK records: 4
scope, where a big grey head way over when he phoned me time, the bird reappeared over
Previous Irish records: 0
like an owl with yellow eyes to ask if I still had it. I told him the ridge and we watched as
Mega rating:★★★★★
was staring back at me. What a it was heading towards Lairg, it continued to hunt, on one
moment when I realised I was where he managed to intercept occasion diving down but failing
H FINDERS’ REPORT
C
N
E
UL FR The masked vagrant Britain’s second Masked Wagtail was
A one of the rarest fi nds of May. Finder
P
Mike Cooper and relocator Rob Hunton
talk through an exciting discovery.
MIKE Cooper: I set off for Spurn wings and tail with white
on the afternoon of 18 May. I greater coverts, primary panel
got in the hide at 6.55 pm, soon and outer tail feathers. After
after which an odd alba wagtail watching the bird for a minute
landed on the grass in front of and realising I’d never seen
me. It had a solid black head and anything like it, and discounting
The Kilnsea bird was Britain’s deep breast band with a small an aberrant Pied, I broadcast
second record of the Central Asian white mask, dusky grey mantle on the observatory walkie-talkie
subspecies of White Wagtail. and lesser coverts, and blackish Continues page 10
❯
Masked Wagtail: Kilnsea, East Yorkshire, 18-19 May 2022
www.birdguides.com/birdwatch Birdwatch•July 2022 9
FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS
system there was a strange present in the grass 20 m away. have a fi nal check of the fi rst on the fl ood bank in front of
alba wagtail with the pertinent I quickly got my bins on it and paddock when I noticed a couple us. Andy was also happy it
points. Rob Hunton, Assistant immediately noticed the extensive of wagtails and Common Linnets was a Masked Wagtail and
Warden at Spurn, arrived fi rst black head and bib with only a to my right. My fi rst sweep of proceeded to radio out his
and saw the head of the bird, limited face mask. However, the the bins revealed a Pied Wagtail. view on the bird as well. ■
followed by Andy Bunting, who bird fl ew off strongly in a westerly The second found the bird from
managed to glimpse it before direction. Kilnsea Wetlands, so I quickly
it fl ew off towards the car park. I decided to cycle to Sammy’s radioed out the news. STATS & FACTS
The bird was relocated by Point and check the paddocks. I I was then able to start having First & last recorded:
Sammy’s Point shortly after and searched for about 30 minutes a proper look. The features Camrose, Pembrokeshire, 29
confi rmed as a Masked Wagtail. and on my way back to the fl ood mentioned by Mike left me November-29 December
Rob Hunton: A call came over bank I bumped into Andy, but in no doubt that this was a 2016
the radio of a ‘strange’ alba neither of us had seen anything Masked Wagtail. Within a couple Previous UK records: 1
wagtail at Kilnsea Wetlands, so we went our separate ways. of minutes, Andy arrived and Previous Irish records: 0
sometime around 7 pm. Upon As I was cycling back along managed some phonescoped Mega rating:★★★★★
my arrival the bird was still the fl ood bank, I stopped to photos of the bird as it foraged
FINDER’S REPORT
Black and blue minutes since I fi rst saw the
bird and I was becoming a little
anxious.
I wandered back north and
out onto the precarious point,
Hundreds of hours of patchbirding effort this spring fi nally
peered over and boom! The
paid off for Darrell Stile, when he came face to face with Blue Rock Thrush fl ew back
north, right under my feet. Now
a Mediterranean mega.
it felt real! The bird paused on
a mound of fallen crag, giving
superb views and posing in
perfect light. Unbelievable! I
was completely gobsmacked. It
was a truly stunning specimen
ES with entirely blue plumage, just
OV Essex’s fi rst Blue Rock Thrush a touch darker in the lores,
GR continues an impressive run of the
CK species nationally in recent years. blackish wings and tail, dark
DI legs and a long, dark bill. You
couldn’t ask for more.
Blue Rock Thrush: The Naze, Essex, 12 May 2022
I put a message out, looked
IT was 4.30 am on 12 May and be unproductive. four wheatears. A little further on up and it’d gone. Pete Davis
I was about to start another I gave it 10 minutes and then I walked onto a precarious-looking and Richard Jeffrey turned up
dawn raid on my patch, The took the steep steps to the open section which juts out beyond the and we started walking north,
Naze in north-east Essex. I was common atop the cliff. Before rest of the cliff. only for the thrush to reappear,
exhausted. This was my 72nd I’d had a chance to catch my Then I froze. Fifty metres to my fl ying south past us to rocks at
consecutive dawn start this breath, I noticed two Northern right I caught sight of a bird fl ying the base of the cliff. I could see
spring, having covered some Wheatears. Given the conditions, north along the cliff face. In my Dick Groves had connected and
1,200 km. It didn’t take long I surmised it could be a good head I’d already called it: perfect hoped he got some shots off –
before the espresso started to day for counting this species. Up views, just slightly elevated above which he duly did.
kick in – that and the familiar until now the spring had provided the bird, in what seemed like slow The bird clearly knew where
sound of a singing Common Djust the odd one here and there. motion. ‘It’s a thrush, it’s blue, it wanted to be and Pete had
Nightingale was the boost I REII worked my way north, hugging dark wings ... what the hell, male already suggested it would
needed. Time to crack on. OTT the cliff edge, carefully checking Blue Rock Thrush!’ I tracked it head for the crag rocks.
C
The wind direction had been a Sits entire length, before turning as it fl ew north before being lost Unfortunately, even at the best
variable south-west for the last my attention to the extensive to view. of times this area is very busy
two days, dropping in multiple dense habitat of the bushes at I dropped to my knees, took and once again we watched
Spotted Flycatchers and a The Naze. But by 9.30 am, having a minute to consider what I had the bird take fl ight and land on
beautiful singing Wood Warbler. searched every nook and cranny, just witnessed and then got news a large tidal breaker. A select
I made my way north following all appeared to be calm. out to Pete Davis and others from group was treated to a nice fl y-
the main path leading to the Wheatears were out in force Holland Haven. Still in disbelief around, before the thrush again
Naze Cliffs, pausing next to the at Walton Hall Marsh and by I set about relocating the bird, headed back north along the
bushes where the nightingale the time I’d fi nished my lap the all the while second-guessing cliff. It was then seen one last
was blasting it out. Scanning tally for the day was up to 12, myself. I walked all the way to the time but not thereafter. ■
the brambles along the lower plus a second male Whinchat. northern end of the cliff, peering
STATS & FACTS
path I located a male Whinchat Approaching noon, the day was over the edge – no sign – then
– a fi ne start, and the fi rst warming up and the cloud cover back south towards Naze Tower – First recorded: Skerryvore,
grounded migrant of the day. had given way to clear blue skies. again, no sign. Argyll, 4-8 June 1985
Just a little further on I left Stone Point and started Scanning the length of Crag Last recorded: St Mary’s,
past Sunny Point and I was doubling back through The Naze, Walk, the granite tidal sea Scilly, 22 September-28
overlooking the main cliffs, deciding to re-walk the cliff edge defence, I saw local photographer, October 2019
around 700 m of exposed Red back south. Peering over the Dick Groves. I sent him a quick Previous UK records: 9
Crag. This area certainly looks escarpment, I was pleasantly message and then carried on Previous Irish records: 0
the part, but I have found it to surprised to pick up a group of looking. By this point it was 45 Mega rating:★★★★
10 Birdwatch•July 2022 www.birdguides.com/birdwatch