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July 2008
July's theme is, without doubt, rare terns. July is guaranteed to produce a number of sightings of some of the rarer terns. Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern and White-winged Black Tern are all certainties. The first waders start returning with White-rumped Sandpiper guaranteed. Keep your eyes on the skies for an Alpine Swift. On land, a Red-headed Bunting (whatever its origin!) and more Rose-coloured Starlings are also guaranteed.
Not guaranteed, but very likely is a Marsh Sandpiper, more Broad-billed Sandpipers, a Black Stork and more summer Red-footed Falcons overhead, whilst a Black-headed Bunting might turn up (in Wales!). Rarer waders with a fair chance of putting in an appearance include an American Golden Plover, a Pacific Golden Plover or even a Stilt Sandpiper. Don't forget to check those tern colonies since they might hold a Bridled Tern !
July can of course turn up some mega-rarities. History suggests we might be graced by the presence of a Swinhoe's Petrel, a White-tailed Plover or a Red-necked Stint. Ultra rare terns can turn up in July, with the possibility of a Lesser Crested Tern, Royal Tern or even a Sooty Tern. On land, a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater or a Moustached Warbler would "burn rubber".
July 2007: Rollers brought some colour to the countryside of Yorkshire and Wales, but for a few lucky pelagic birders they will remember July for the first live sighting of a Madeiran Petrel in British waters, south of the Isles of Scilly. The now usual crop of Wilson’s Petrels were reported from various pelagics, whilst nearctic waders, in the form of Pectoral, Baird’s, White-rumped and Buff-breasted Sandpipers started to appear in reasonable numbers by the end of the month. A twitchable Slate-coloured Junco in Norfolk raised the age-old question of origin. A long-staying Black Stork arrived on Anglesey.
July 2006: highlight of the month was an American Black Tern in County Wexford, accompanied for just one day by a Forster's Tern, with a second bird at Belfast Lough at the beginning of the month. The Scots scored with a Black Stork in Borders, the Welsh with a Stilt Sandpiper in Conwy and the English with a Lesser Grey Shrike in Suffolk. Rare waders included, amongst others, a Semi-palmated Sandpiper in Cleveland and a Marsh Sandpiper in Sussex.
July 2005 will be remembered for rare terns. As we predicted the highlight was without doubt a Sooty Tern that graced Anglesey and then Ireland throughout the month, although its wanderings were to give birders the run around. Elsewhere a Lesser Crested Tern was found in Norfolk and an Elegant Tern in Ireland. A fly-by Pacific Swift in Yorskhire reminded birders just what else can turn up. More popular were two Collared Pratincoles in South Wales and London. A pelagic trip from the Isles of Scilly notched up a Swinhoe's Petrel.
July 2004: as expected was dominated by rare waders with Britain's third Mongolian Plover in Lothian and a popular Greater Sandplover in Norfolk. A Great Knot in Lancashire on the last day of the month was to turn up again later in August. Nearctic waders started to appear in numbers including the first ever inland adult Semi-palmated Sandpiper in Lancashire. A typically brief Caspian Tern in Devon mirrored a one-day White-throated Sparrow in Shetland.
July 2003 and english birders were enjoying a superb summer plumaged Lesser Sandplover in Hampshire. But the english did not have it all their own way with a Bridled Tern in Angus for the scots and a first ever Redhead on Cape Clear Island for the Irish. Back on the mainland a juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo took a two week vacation at Spurn much to the delight of photographers. Other good birds included Solitary Sandpiper on Scillies, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in County Cork, Steppe Grey Shrike on the Isle of Man and a Scops Owl at the month's end on Fair Isle.
July 2002 continued the bewildering events of the years Elegant Tern sightings (or terns ?) with records from Devon and then north Wales. Seabirds continued to push forward our understanding of their occurences in British waters with daily sightings of Wilson's Petrel from pelagics off the Scillies and at least two records of Fea's Petrel, one as far north as North Ronaldsay. An adult Sooty Tern off County Clare, Ireland will have left a grin on the faces of six lucky observers. Easier to connect with were a Stilt Sandpiper in Hampshire and a Canvasback near Wigan. A flurry of Arctic Warblers, well three, graced the northern isles during the month.
July 2001 will long be remembered for the start to a great seabird season. Bird of the month was undoubtedly the Fea's Petrel filmed off the Isles of Scilly, with two further records later in the month from Devon and Cumbria. Another Black-winged Pratincole, this one staying put, delighted birders to Anglesey for most of the month, whilst rarer waders included, amongst others, a long-staying Wilson's Phalarope in Essex and a Terek Sandpiper in Norfolk.
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