British Birding Association UK400 Club

This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Friday 9th May 2008, issued at midnight and produced in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (see www.rarebirdalert.com for subscription details) and utilising information gleaned from the Regional Birdline network, Birdguides, websites, local email groups and individual observers.

 

Virtually a week of SE winds and hot sunshine has culminated in a daily rush of incoming Mediterranean vagrants, with today being no different. Pick of the bunch was a flock of 16 EUROPEAN BEE-EATERS that flew in from the south and stayed around the cliffs below the Countryside Centre at Beachy Head (East Sussex) for a while before drifting off east at 1330.

 

Several RED-FOOTED FALCONS appeared, including an adult male and first-summer female in North Kent (over Northward Hill RSPB and at Oare Marshes - both brief), a female in West Yorkshire (at Pugney's CP at 2040) and a male at Jacksdale Meadows (Notts) (drifted off NE at 1720), with BLACK KITES reported from a number of South Coast locations and one remaining on Fair Isle (Shetland). A WHISKERED TERN (one of several this past week) moved from Conwy NR (Conwy) in the morning to Inner Marsh Farm RSPB (Cheshire) in the evening, with WOODCHAT SHRIKES on St Martin's and Bryher (Scilly), at Wembury Point still (South Devon), at Trevose Head (North Cornwall) for a 3rd day,  and by the Canal Scrape at Spurn Point (East Yorks). A female SUBALPINE WARBLER made landfall on Fair Isle, with new HOOPOE arrivals south of Bowness-in-Windermere (Cumbria) at Meadowcroft Cottages garden at SD 399 952 and north of Aberarth (Ceredigion), a WRYNECK at Lavernock (Glamorgan) and a GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK for its 2nd day NW of Porthcawl midway between Sker Point and Kenfig Rivermouth at SS 785 812.

 

Of the rare herons, a PURPLE HERON was seen over Martlesham Creek and Kirton (Suffolk), a GREAT WHITE EGRET again on the River Wensum floods at Buntree Mill (Norfolk) and 23 CATTLE EGRETS east over Polgigga (Cornwall), whilst at least 9 Eurasian Honey Buzzards arrived and BLACK-WINGED STILTS included a continuing male at Newport Wetlands NR (Gwent) and a breeding pair at Neumann's Flash (Cheshire). GOLDEN ORIOLES continue to arrive in small numbers, with 5 calling males now in attendance and showing well at Lakenheath RSPB (Suffolk). The ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD present around Dungeness RSPB and Trapping Area yesterday moved north over Bockhill Farm, St Margaret's (East Kent) today.

 

An adult drake BAIKAL TEAL of unknown origin remained for a third day very distantly on Blakeney Freshmarsh (North Norfolk) (view from Friary Hills), with a CATTLE EGRET still on Lound GP Chainbridge Lane Scrape (Notts), 11 DOTTEREL on Danby Beacon (North Yorks) and a LESSER YELLOWLEGS on Dingle Marshes RSPB (Suffolk). A scattering of up to 12 TEMMINCK'S STINTS include 3 in Norfolk and Sussex, with the POMARINE SKUA passage continuing unabated, with a further 40 or more birds passing Seaford Splash Point (East Sussex) this morning (up to 70 per day have been passing this promontory all week). A red-spotted BLUETHROAT was on Noss (Shetland) today.

 

A COLLARED PRATINCOLE present at Swale NNR (North Kent) all day until dusk on 8th was not relocated today, nor was a singing male ICTERINE WARBLER at Sennen Cycle Track (West Cornwall). A BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER visited Newport Wetlands (Gwent) on the evening of 7th whilst Portland Bill (Dorset) hosted up to 5 RED-RUMPED SWALLOWS, a EUROPEAN BEE-EATER and GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK during the week. An UPLAND SANDPIPER at Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) on 5th-6th was an exceptional spring record.

 

In IRELAND, the first-year NORTH AMERICAN HERRING GULL remains in Galway Docks (Co. Galway) and vagrants include a GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK at Ballycotton (Co. Cork), several brief-staying RED-RUMPED SWALLOWS, a trickle of GOLDEN ORIOLES and a long-staying DOTTEREL at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford).

 

The UK400 Club provides an authoritative review of all rare vagrant and scarce migrant birds on its UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert Yahoo email group, available free to all members of www.uk400clubonline.co.uk