Caspian Plover

[Alex Lees]

female on Fair Isle, photos should be online (http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/) very soon.

Forecast looks heinous, trust the rare-ometer (http://www.freewebs.com/punkbirder/rareometer.htm)on this one...

Alex

[AndyB]

Fair Isle "latest" page seems to be down right now. Mark Breaks has just posted a couple of nice shots on the stop press (http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/display.cgi?gallery=gallery9) though.

[Bobolink44]

That rare-ometer is very funny. Who fancies a wager then - what will be the best bird of the weekend?

I'm going to follow the rare-ometer and go for Rock Thrush and 2nd best bird will be a Little Bittern.

[Hotspur]

That rare-ometer is very funny. Who fancies a wager then - what will be the best bird of the weekend?

I'm going to follow the rare-ometer and go for Rock Thrush and 2nd best bird will be a Little Bittern.

My money is on a Booted Eagle.

[Josh Jones]

Went up to Fair Isle yesterday after waiting on news at Inverness. Needless to say by the time we had landed on the isle the bird had already done a runner. I'm not sure we would have made it even if we had left at the earliest possible time on no news (just after 08:00).

But there we go, you win some you lose some - nice just to see Fair Isle itself!

Could do with a nice, hassle-free mega somewhere on the mainland this weekend to go for. Local patching will no doubt be as quiet as it has been all week, there are no waders moving at the moment. Rubbish!

[Alex Lees]

Forecast looks heinous, trust the rare-ometer (http://www.freewebs.com/punkbirder/rareometer.htm)on this one...

Walked about 30 miles in four days and not a whiff of an eastern drift migrant/vagrant in North Norfolk for me, despite persistent easterlies and a huge high over northern Europe.

So, what going on? The forecast southern overshoots have continued to pile in, but precious little in the way of Red-footed Falcons (and despite a big influx into Spain/France), Red-throated Pipits, Grey-headed Wagtails, Red-spotted Bluethroats etc etc. Too early, too soon, too rare, too nice? The pattern breaks on Friday so if its going to happen then it will have to happen soon....

Anyone offer an explanation for the lack of action, the Black Terns have certainly made it....?

Alex

ps a few scandi specials in the Netherlands (http://www.dutchbirding.nl/)in the last 24

[Marcus]

So, what going on? The forecast southern overshoots have continued to pile in, but precious little in the way of Red-footed Falcons (and despite a big influx into Spain/France), Red-throated Pipits, Grey-headed Wagtails, Red-spotted Bluethroats etc etc. Too early, too soon, too rare, too nice? The pattern breaks on Friday so if its going to happen then it will have to happen soon....

Anyone offer an explanation for the lack of action, the Black Terns have certainly made it....?

Alex

ps a few scandi specials in the Netherlands (http://www.dutchbirding.nl/)in the last 24

I would imagine it was just too nice, anybody at work today has been a bit bemused when my answer to their "have a nice weekend?" has been "could have done with some rain!" A fly-by Red-rumped Swallow was the pick of the Dunge weekend for me.

[Alex Lees]

I would imagine it was just too nice, anybody at work today has been a bit bemused when my answer to their "have a nice weekend?" has been "could have done with some rain!" A fly-by Red-rumped Swallow was the pick of the Dunge weekend for me.

Hi Marcus

Sure, a well timed front would have conspired to deliver a fall of migrants but one would have though that the Red-foots now massing in France would have kept moving north anyway? Maybe they will get here in the next few days? Although it was a little later in the month, can anyone remember the meterological circumstance that produced the big movement of Red-foots, WWBTs etc in '92....

cheers

Alex

btw good choice of Dunge, it had a semi-blinder.... Norfolk was pants.

12:15 06/05/08 Purple Heron Kent Dungeness RSPB 09:30 flew west over

10:04 06/05/08 Black Kite Kent Dungeness RSPB 06:30 one over; also Serin by Seawatching Hide 08:15

22:31 05/05/08 Pomarine Skua Kent Dungeness8 past today plus a Velvet Scoter. 9 Black terns at The Patch

11:40 05/05/08 European Bee-eater Kent Dungeness Bird Observatory 10:15 one flew over the trapping area towards the RSPB Reserve mid-morning

10:19 05/05/08 Pomarine Skua Kent Dungeness 09:40 three flew east at 09:40; also 9 Whimbrel, Hobby and Peregrine

09:11 05/05/08 Pomarine Skua Kent Dungeness 15 past this morning

09:09 05/05/08 Golden Oriole Kent Dungeness Bird Observatory 08:50female at top of Long Pits at 06:20 only and male there at 08:50

12:00 04/05/08 Pomarine Skua Kent Dungeness 11:40 16 past by 11:40;also 14 Little Terns and 5 Black Terns at The Patch

11:01 04/05/08 Golden Oriole Kent Dungeness Bird Observatory 07:45 singing male in trapping area briefly

11:01 04/05/08 Serin Kent Dungeness 08:30 one over; also Roseate Tern past

10:08 04/05/08 Red-rumped Swallow Kent Dungeness 09:45 flew towards trapping area

09:30 04/05/08 Long-tailed Skua Kent Dungeness 06:45 adult past at 06:45; also, 3 Pomarine Skua, 4 Arctic Skua, Great Skua, 7 Black Tern and 4 Little Gull this morning

13:29 03/05/08 Pomarine Skua Kent Dungeness 10:10 14 flew east and 5 Hobbies at Dungeness RSPB

12:27 02/05/08 Black Kite Kent Dungeness 10:15 one flew south mid-morning; also Long-tailed Skua flew east at 06:40

[Josh Jones]

I think it has got to be the lack of precipitation that has been the reason for no/few birds. How many times have we been disappointed this way in spring before? Typical.

This easterly airflow has been around a while though and we still have a few days yet for the southeast to sink under Red-footed Falcons. Would be nice to see a few WWBTerns around too.

[Alex Lees]

I think it has got to be the lack of precipitation that has been the reason for no/few birds. How many times have we been disappointed this way in spring before? Typical.

Hi Josh, all

Rain maybe a requirement for a fall of common migrants but shouldn't hold up eastern vagrants - they aren't drift migrants sensu strictu. Have a look at the charts attached - the first is for the 14th May 1992, the first day of the unprecedented Red-foot influx, and the chart for the 4th May 2008. What is the crucial difference?

cheers

Alex

[Joe stockwell]

had one of nemerous black kites, down here for a change the last couple of weeks unfortunately all i have is a shot of its bum, but its cirtainly done the rounds here though

[Josh Jones]

Truth is I don't know Alex. Does anyone? Although conditions are often good/excellent pointers as to what will turn up when, birds seem to have this habit of being completely random in their appearance. Perhaps we are just a few days too early for the peak passage of RFFalcs/WWBTerns.

An example is Bar-tailed Godwits, if conditions are right and birds move through in numbers inland, you can expect them to peak in the last few days of April through to perhaps 4th May at the latest. So not only is it random but also very specific at the same time...!

:puzzled:

[Josh Jones]

had one of nemerous black kites, down here for a change the last couple of weeks unfortunately all i have is a shot of its bum, but its cirtainly done the rounds here though

Where is the shot?

[Joe stockwell]

on my hd ill jsut dig it out

[Joe stockwell]

here we go
taken with my kit lens

[forktail]

It's got a long, deeply forked tail Joe.

F.

[marklhawkes]

Agreed. Tail shape doesn't seem right for Black Kite

[Joe stockwell]

is that a hint towards something else? this bird was a bk i have learnt my lesson with wrong id's so everything gets checked and double checked

[marklhawkes]

A deep forked tail is typical of Red Kite. Black Kites tail fork is usually not so deep.

[Marcus]

If you thought Dunge had a good weekend (on paper at least!) then take a look here (http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=1&site=0&land=1&taal=2&datum=20080506) and check out the totals for the past few days as well as the accompanying photos on www.dutchbirding.nl

[Alex Lees]

If you thought Dunge had a good weekend (on paper at least!) then take a look here (http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=1&site=0&land=1&taal=2&datum=20080506) and check out the totals for the past few days as well as the accompanying photos on www.dutchbirding.nl

I'm loving http://www.trektellen.nl/ are those high counts of Grey-headed Wags typical for the Netherlands or a sign of things to come for eastern Britain?

cheers

Alex

[Simon M]

Perhaps tempting to suspect both Redfoots and WWBT both tend to be irruptive to some degree?
The Rosy Starling influx of 2002 was not particularly associated with any unusual weather patterns and yet unprecidented numbers of birds turned up. Since we know weather patterns are currently similar to the 1992 Redfoot influx perhaps that year was also an 'irruption year' for the species?
I guess the one thing undermining this idea is the the unusually large number of Redfoots in france (per alex - got a link for this?). Another potential factor (as mentioned elsewhere) were that the incredibly high temperatures in continental europe in 1992 encouraged birds to move northwards. If this is the case then with high pressure set to dominate in north-western europe throughout most of May temperatures could increase enough to cause an influx yet.

Although originally from further east the easterly winds are now only from the near continent, with northerlies through most of Germany and Poland (although swinging more easterly over the weekend). Shame the conditions of a 10 days or so ago haven't continued in quite the same way or we might expect a smattering of eastern waders (Marsh, Broad-billed, Terek etc at least).
As always it never quite happened!

Simon Mitchell

[Marcus]

Can't answer the question re Grey-headed Wags Alex I'm afraid but that certainly stood out to me as well. If I get a chance I'll check some historic dates.

Today at Breskens so far:

Purple Heron 6 Bee-eater 1
Garganey 2 Barn Swallow 2500
Black Kite 1 Tawny Pipit 5
Hen Harrier 6 Ring Ouzel 1
Merlin 5 Golden Oriole 4
Crane 1 Ortolan Bunting 3

Superb!

[Marcus]

Re:the Grey-headed Wagtail, in 2007 the total for the year was 207 with the highest daily total of 161 (2nd May), similar in 2006 in that the total of 329 included 207 on 4th May.

[Josh Jones]

this bird was a bk i have learnt my lesson with wrong id's so everything gets checked and double checked

No offence Joe but the photo you have produced doesn't show a Black Kite. They don't have forked tails like that as others have said.

[Josh Jones]

On the original theme, overshoots continue to pile in:

16:48 07/05/08 Red-rumped Swallow Dorset Portland 14:50
5 over East Cliffs between stone hut and Southwell mid-afternoon; 4 flew north at 14:50

[jamesg]

No offence Joe but the photo you have produced doesn't show a Black Kite. They don't have forked tails like that as others have said.

Based on Joe's single distant image, I wouldn't want to rule out Black Kite. I'd say the tail is within the range of BK - they can often show a clear (but shallow) fork, esp. when the tail feathers are worn. For example:
http://www.scillybirding.co.uk/images/IMG_4235A.jpg

Plus the wing formula doesn't look too bad - the long "sixth finger" etc..

Impossible to say either way based on a single image such as this - they can be very tricky to separate.

[Alex Lees]

Perhaps tempting to suspect both Redfoots and WWBT both tend to be irruptive to some degree?
The Rosy Starling influx of 2002 was not particularly associated with any unusual weather patterns and yet unprecidented numbers of birds turned up. Since we know weather patterns are currently similar to the 1992 Redfoot influx perhaps that year was also an 'irruption year' for the species?
I guess the one thing undermining this idea is the the unusually large number of Redfoots in france (per alex - got a link for this?). Another potential factor (as mentioned elsewhere) were that the incredibly high temperatures in continental europe in 1992 encouraged birds to move northwards. If this is the case then with high pressure set to dominate in north-western europe throughout most of May temperatures could increase enough to cause an influx yet.

Although originally from further east the easterly winds are now only from the near continent, with northerlies through most of Germany and Poland (although swinging more easterly over the weekend). Shame the conditions of a 10 days or so ago haven't continued in quite the same way or we might expect a smattering of eastern waders (Marsh, Broad-billed, Terek etc at least).
As always it never quite happened!

Simon Mitchell

Hi Simon

'92 was also amazing for everything else - flocks of Grey-headed Wagtails (inc 25 together at Happisbugh), Red-throated Pipits (3 together at Happisbugh), loads of Ickys (inc 3 together on the Point) etc, but things didn't kick off till mid May so maybe its a little early still. Irruptions could play a part, but when the movement involves birds of completely different life-history charactersitics and occurs at the same time as an unusual weather pattern then I'd consider that the meterological circumstances play an overriding role. What is really odd is the near complete lack of Wrynecks, Red-backed Shrikes etc. now when at least the former should be peaking. Anyone else noticed how poor North Norfolk is for waders these days (presumably the result of marine incursions and poor quality habitat at Cley), or has everyone succumbed to shifting baseline syndrome?*

cheers

Alex

*although maybe 8 Wood Sands is a sign of things to come...

Ps, The Red-foot gen was from westpalbirds (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WestPalBirds/) (per Georges Olioso):

Hello

Tens of RF Falcons saw est of the Rhone valley in south-east France, between Mediterranean coast and Lyon area.

After 1 20/03, then 7 between 6/04 and 19/04

From 27/04/2008 to 02/05/2008, the total I knew is 210 birds.

- 36 in Bouches-du-Rhone (mainly Crau & Camargue)
- 36 in Drome (mainly Rhone valley)
- 23 in Alpes-de-Haute- Provence
- 17 in Vaucluse
- 16 in Lyon area (not in the city)
- 12 in Var

The birds are also numerous west on the Rhone valley (between Perpignan and Nimes) but I have not the number.

Georges Olioso, Grignan et Port la Nouvelle (France)

des photos d'oiseaux d'un peu partout sur

http://georges. olioso.oiseaux. net/

des paysages et des fleurs sur

www.pbase.com/ ornitho11/

[marklhawkes]

is that a hint towards something else? this bird was a bk i have learnt my lesson with wrong id's so everything gets checked and double checked

Joe,

Compare this classic (typical) Black Kite, and tail shape, with the bird you photographed.

http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest.htm

[Josh Jones]

Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard and Calandra Lark all in the Netherlands today. Come on East Anglia....

[Red-eyed Video]

Hi Simon

'92 was also amazing for everything else - flocks of Grey-headed Wagtails (inc 25 together at Happisbugh), Red-throated Pipits (3 together at Happisbugh), loads of Ickys (inc 3 together on the Point) etc, but things didn't kick off till mid May so maybe its a little early still.

cheers

Alex



A Woodchat Shrike on the point & a Serin just across the border in Suffolk too if my memory serves me well. It certainly put Happisburgh on the birding map for many outsiders.

[Simon M]

Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard and Calandra Lark all in the Netherlands today. Come on East Anglia....

....

09/05/08 Norfolk: prob.Lesser Spotted Eagle
subad reported SE over Glanford at 10.20am

[Odonate]

Hi Josh, all

Rain maybe a requirement for a fall of common migrants but shouldn't hold up eastern vagrants - they aren't drift migrants sensu strictu. Have a look at the charts attached - the first is for the 14th May 1992, the first day of the unprecedented Red-foot influx, and the chart for the 4th May 2008. What is the crucial difference?

cheers

Alex

Hi

The crucial difference might be the date - 10 days can make a lot of difference (eg the difference in, say, Whitethroat numbers on the 10th and 20th of April). There is also a bit of a Red foot influx into Northern Italy at the moment but it only started a few days ago. Likewise, Shrikes are only just starting to move through in numbers. I wonder whether those perfect conditions of '92 were perfect because there were greater numbers of birds a bit closer to Britain?? Just a thought.

The fine overshoot conditions produced a Flamingo on the Austrian/Italian border high in the Alps this morning though!!! :eek:

[Alex Lees]

Aquila sp over Graaf Visart (http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=381&land=2&site=0&taal=2)(Brugge) this morning (about 240 km from the Cley Square).

[Marcus]

Take a look at the Euro Stop Press page on Surfbirds for a half-decent flock of Red-foots...:)

[Alex Lees]

Take a look at the Euro Stop Press page on Surfbirds for a half-decent flock of Red-foots...:)

One flock of 16 in the Netherlands at Fochteloerveen (http://www.dutchbirding.nl/recent/waarnemingen/recent.php?lang=1&first=0&zdate=20080512) yesterday... maybe as this weather system breaks they will stop overshooting East Anglia....

[David Russell]

look at this link - are the Dutch now just taking the p***?! - we can of course console ourselves with the fact that one vespa finally managed to get through to Waxham today!!

http://www.dutchbirding.nl/pics/temp/roodpootvalk080519.jpg

[Harry Hussey]

look at this link - are the Dutch now just taking the p***?! - we can of course console ourselves with the fact that one vespa finally managed to get through to Waxham today!!

http://www.dutchbirding.nl/pics/temp/roodpootvalk080519.jpg

ONE in Ireland so far this year, and that was untwitchable as well...mind you, it would help to actually have the observer base to cover sites! That Dutch pic is a bit of a p****r alright.