January 2004: Grimsby birders must have been stunned to find an American Robin on the 1st. Remaining all month, this bird was hugely popular with photographers as indeed were two parties of Northern Long-tailed Tits in Suffolk and East Sussex. January 2004 offered multiple options for catching up with american waifs with another long-staying American Robin in Cornwall, Baltimore Oriole in Oxfordshire and American Coot in Shetland being joined by a second American Coot in the Outer Hebrides, a Forster's Tern in County Wexford and a Bonaparte's Gull in Cornwall. No less that 4 Hume's Warblers turned up including a popular London bird. February 2004: A third American Coot was found in Dumfries and Galloway, whilst a Harlequin Duck found on the Outer Hebrides mid-month had actually arrived in January. The Rufous Turtle Dove from 2003 was relocated in Highland, whilst a Pine Bunting turned up in Norfolk at the end of the month. A party of Northern Long-tailed Tits continued to remain in Suffolk from January. March 2004: many of the winter's long stayers moved on during March including the Highland Rufous Turtle Dove, the Norfolk Pine Bunting and the Devon Dusky Warbler, whilst the Lincolnshire American Robin fell victim to a sparrowhawk. But new birds arrived with a long-staying Franklin's Gull in Dorset and two long-staying (amazingly!) Alpine Swifts in Hampshire and North Yorkshire. At the end of the month a drake White-headed Duck turned up in Cleveland, whilst even further north a finnish ringed White-tailed Eagle visited the RSPB Loch of Strathbeg reserve in Aberdeenshire for three days. April 2004: early summer migrants included a record invasion of some 40 Red-rumped Swallows, whilst crowd-pullers included an Iberian Chiffchaff in Northumberland, a one-day Alpine Accentor in Norfolk and a smart drake Bufflehead initially found in Greater Manchester before moving to West Yorkshire. A fly-by male Pallid Harrier in North Yorkshire and a Song Sparrow reported from Devon will have caused some nervous twitches. Lesser rarities included summer plumaged Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns in the south whilst almost 50 Hoopoes left birders in no doubt that spring migration was in full flow.
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004: a male Rock Thrush in Devon on the afternoon and evening of the 25th left many disappointed birders the next morning. More reliable, but no less controversial was a drake Cinnamon Teal on the Outer Hebrides. The islands had the best of the birds in May with a Bufflehead on the Outer Hebrides, Upland Sandpiper in Shetland and Greater Yellowlegs in Northern Ireland. Good numbers of Red-rumped Swallows continued to be reported as well as a number of small parties of Bee-eaters. June 2004: One-day Collared Flycatchers and Paddyfield Warblers in Shetland were out of range for most birders. More popular were Red-footed Falcon and Icterine Warbler in Suffolk as were a couple of 'spotty' Spotted Sandpipers in Cheshire and the West Midlands. A Red-headed Bunting in Dumfries and Galloway attracted the usual critics. At the end of the month a Short-billed Dowitcher was identified in County Wexford, Ireland. 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. August 2004: Seawatching stole the limelight with reports of Fea's Petrels off the Isles of Scilly and County Clare and Britain's first proven Scopoli's Shearwater off the Isles of Scilly. Thirty Wilson's Petrels were reported from Ireland and various pelagics off the Western Approaches. Three Little Shearwaters were reported from Irish headlands. Away from the coast a Black Stork gave birders the run around in Essex for a fortnight. Passerines were on the move by the end of the month including some 30 Greenish Warblers, 15 Aquatic Warblers and three Thrush Nightingales.
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004: The autumn got off to a great start with the Western Palearctic's much predicted first record of Purple Martin on the Outer Hebrides. The first Cream-coloured Courser for 21 years on the Isles of Scilly, and a long-awaited Western Sandpiper in Dorset also kept listers happy. A Brown Shrike in Shetland, a lingering Pallid Harrier on the Isles of Scilly, two Red-eyed Vireos in Ireland and a Red-flanked Bluetail on Fair Isle at the month's end augured well for a busy October. October 2004 must have been one of the best on record and left many a birder with a serious financial hangover. Highlights were two firsts for the Western Palearctic both on Fair Isle - a Chestnut-eared Bunting and a Rufous-tailed Robin. The north continued to lead with Britain's first Masked Shrike in Fife, whilst a Yellow Warbler (fourth for Britain) and two Common Yellowthroats kept the outer isles in the picture. Scilly scored with an Ovenbird although this and the Courser were to cause controversy when they died in captivity. A Western Sandpiper in Dorset, a White's Thrush in East Yorkshire plus assorted other North American and eastern vagrants meant there was something new almost every day. November 2004: right on cue, a Little Crake arrived for a two-week stay in Cornwall, but better still was a Pine Grosbeak in East Yorkshire for three days. Unfortunately most birders missed this bird, it departing shortly after being identified. A Grey-cheeked Thrush, netted in Norfolk, must have been a shock to the local ringing group whilst a Blyth's Pipit in Cornwall and an Ivory Gull in Highland arrived mid-month for extended stays. Wintering wildfowl started to return including both Redheads from 2003. The Waxwing invasion continued with birds pushing south. A Killdeer was a Christmas Day treat for birders on the Outer Hebrides. A white -phase Gyrfalcon touring the islands was more typical. In Nottinghamshire an adult Sora entertained birders and even hung around long enough for quick off the mark 2005 listers. Early in the month a popular Arctic Redpoll arrived in Norfolk along with a King Eider at the same site a week later. Penduline Tits turned up in Kent and London whilst an immature White-tailed Eagle from Boxing Day kept Norfolk in the headlines. Various long-staying nearctic ducks were settled into their winter quarters.
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
You can search over 10,000 photos from 2004 for other rare birds - simply go to any gallery and use the search feature on the left hand bar. Many thanks to all the photographers who have 'showcased' their work in 2004

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The very best of 2003 - click here

The Very Best of British and Irish Birding - 2004 Review

(roll your cursor over each image for a summary of the month's highlights -
or click on any image for a larger version)

Photos from top left: American Robin copyright Nigel Blake; Northern Long-tailed Tit copyright Adrian Webb; Franklin's Gull copyright Martin Cade; Bufflehead copyright Ian Barnard; Rock Thrush copyright Pat Meyer; Red-footed Falcon copyright Kit Day; Greater Sandplover copyright Alan Tate; Greenish Warbler copyright Tony Collinson; Cream-coloured Courser copyright Steve Arlow; Rufous-tailed Robin copyright Simon Mitchell; Little Crake copyright Marc Read; Killdeer copyright Michael McKee.