By the time June rolls around in the British birding calendar, migration starts to tail off and creativities can imagine mega-rare visitors from all points of the compass. June is typically among the most efficient months of the year in this regard, after all, consisting of no less than 6 firsts for Britain and Ireland given that 2020 alone.
As it took place, Scotland would control the country’s airwaves today, with Shetland in specific capitalizing the action. Top of the billing was a stunning Blue-cheeked Bee-eater on Foula on 10th. Unfortunately it vanished right after discovery, although lots of will be confident of a reappearance in other places in the island chain. Shetland’s just previous record included one for 2 week in June-July 1997. A report of a bee-eater at Sandness, Mainland, the previous day appears most likely to associate with the very same bird.
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Foula, Shetland (Geoff Atherton).
Britain’s initially Eastern Olivaceous Warbler given that 2019 was at Quendale, Mainland, from 9-11th. Shetland takes pleasure in an exceptional affinity with the taxon in a British context, hosting 11 of 23 birds on record. Another amazing addition to the island chain’s avifauna was a display-flighting grownup Broad-billed Sandpiper near Levenwick, Mainland, from fourth, back for a 2nd year in succession.
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Quendale, Mainland, Shetland (Chris Griffin).
In recent years, Collared Flycatchers have actually ended up being an uncommon however routine component in the Northern Isles in late spring, regardless of maintaining their tremendous rarity status in other places. This week, a female trapped and ringed on North Ronaldsay on 7-8th was followed up by a just sensational male varying along the Fair Isle clifftops on 9th.
Collared Flycatcher, Fair Isle, Shetland (David Parnaby).
On the Scottish mainland, a singing grownup White-crowned Sparrow at Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire, on 11th triggered some panic. Continuing Britain’s exceptional run of Nearctic sparrows this spring, it was discovered instantly nearby to the city’s worldwide port and stayed mobile till nightfall. Dark traditions and a big, pinkish costs recognize it as a bird coming from the choose leucophrys subspecies, the most typical race breeding from Newfoundland and Labrador throughout to the Northwest Territories. It is likewise the 2nd subspecies to be taped in Britain this spring, after an adult gambelii at Seaford Head, East Sussex, back in April. Rounding off a dazzling week for Scottish birders was a dark-morph Eleonora’s Falcon south over North Berwick, Lothian, on 9th. If accepted, it will end up being simply the 2nd for Scotland after one on the Outer Hebrides in 1985.
White-crowned Sparrow, Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire (Andrew Whitehouse).
Over in Ireland, news emerged of the man Least Tern returning for a 3rd summer season, seen at Little Tern nests at both Portrane, Co Dublin, and Baltray, Co Louth. Last year it stayed in the location till mid-August and plenty will expecting a repeat accomplishment this time around – much more still will be hoping it may put in a look on the west coast of Britain. One types cavorting on both sides of the Irish Sea was Gull-billed Tern. One was at Ring, Co Cork, on 5th, followed by reports from the Loughor Estuary on the Glamorgan/Carmarthen verge on 7th and Tacumshin, Co Wexford, on 8-9th. Do all 3 reports issue the very same roaming person?
A couple of record shots of the Least Tern at Baltray, Co. Louth this night. Bird appeared briefly at Portrane nest today prior to being refound later on here by @1squidge. Calling a fair bit, however evasive sometimes, it landed in the nest as soon as however was gone after off. @LouthBirdNews pic.twitter.com/zZv8pVU2dk
— Aidan G. Kelly (@agk10k) June 11, 2023
The 3rd Caspian Tern for Baston and Langtoft Pits, Lincolnshire, in simply 6 years gotten here on 8th, transferring to Northstowe, Cambridgeshire, the following day. Amazingly, the types is an entirely rarer monster on that side of the county line, where it ended up being the very first Cambridgeshire record given that 1991! One more was on the Tees Marshes, Cleveland, on 11th. Elsewhere, the American Black Tern stayed a trusted visitor to Long Nanny, Northumberland, and it was another good week in eastern and main locations for Black Terns of the European range. A first-summer Baltic Gull was at Widnes, Cheshire, on 11th.
Caspian Tern, Baston & Langtoft Pits, Lincolnshire (Josh Jones).
American Black Tern, Long Nanny, Northumberland (Ted Smith).
A Savi’s Warbler sang at Leven Carrs, East Yorkshire, late on 7th, with another at Budleigh Salterton, Devon, from 1-3rd. Cleveland was the latest county to include Great Reed Warbler to its 2023 totaliser, with one at Saltholme RSPB. Others stayed in Norfolk and Somerset. Shetland boasted the bulk of the week’s Blyth’s Reed Warblers reports with 4, signed up with by one on the Outer Hebrides. Marsh Warblers, on the other hand, delighted in an exceptional week, with in excess of 25 reported. This consisted of popular inland discovers in Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire.
Blyth’s Reed Warbler (top) and Marsh Warbler (bottom), Fair Isle, Shetland (Georgia Platt).
A surprise male Ortolan Bunting on Papa Stour, Shetland, on 7th had some considering for something much rarer, considering we are now into the peak ‘mega-rarity window’ of mid-June, although pictures verified the recommended recognition. Additional Shetland visitors consisted of a Red-breasted Flycatcher on Fetlar and a Red-rumped Swallow at Lunna, Mainland. Out Skerries scored a Greenish Warbler on 9th, while sixth brought a singing male Eastern Subalpine Warbler to Boulby, Cleveland. Even more unexpected was an Arctic Warbler sound taped at Berrow, Somerset, on 5th! A singing male Icterine Warbler at Conwy RSPB on 7th came as a shock to North Walian birders, with a couple more at Spurn.
Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Boulby, Cleveland (Bob Howe).
Common Rosefinch, Kendal, Cumbria (Carolyn Farry).
Other limited migrant overalls included a number of Wrynecks in Shetland, 2 Hoopoes, 3 Common Rosefinches, 6 Rosy Starlings, approximately 6 European Bee-eaters, 7 Grey-headed Wagtails, 10 Golden Orioles, 18 Red-backed Shrikes and 4 European Serins – consisting of, most especially, one at Pennington Flash, Greater Manchester. A Woodchat Shrike at Easington, East Yorkshire, on 11th was another kept in mind arrival. Two Bluethroats consisted of the typical White-found in Gloucestershire and a female on Isle of May, Fife.
Red-backed Shrike, Spurn YWT, East Yorkshire (Ian Howard).
Grey-headed Wagtail, Maiden’s Hall Lake, Northumberland (Frank Golding).
Red-footed Falcons remained in Nottinghamshire and Essex, with Montagu’s Harriers in Essex, Norfolk and Lincolnshire, and a Black Kite once again in Cornwall.
Notable breaking news today worried the effective hatching of no less than 4 Black-winged Stilt chicks at Frampton Marsh RSPB, ending up being the very first breeding record for Lincolnshire. Other publicised birds consisted of brand-new finds in Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Conwy.
Black-winged Stilt, Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire (David Carr).
On 5th, a first-summer Spotted Sandpiper at Upton Warren NR brought in a crowd, followed by a Lesser Yellowlegs at Manby Flashes, Lincolnshire, on 8th and a White-rumped Sandpiper inland at Hatfield Moors, South Yorkshire, on 11th. Pectoral Sandpipers remained in Northumberland, Aberdeenshire and Co Donegal, with migrant Red-necked Phalaropes in Dorset and Aberdeenshire.
Lesser Yellowlegs, Manby, Lincolnshire (Mark Johnson).
Red-necked Phalarope, Ferrybridge, Dorset (John Wall).
The Cambridgeshire Ouse Washes played host to an exceptional collection of herons and storks today, the kind unthinkable simply ten years earlier. The Mediterranean mix consisted of a Purple Heron, 4 Black-crowned Night Herons, White Stork, 2 Glossy Ibises, Eurasian Spoonbill, 4 Western Cattle Egrets and a minimum of 2 Great Egrets! An extra 7 Black-crowned Night Herons remained in Britain and Ireland and 5 more websites in between Scilly and Norfolk taken pleasure in Purple Herons. Notable news from Warwickshire worried a returning man Little Bittern at Ladywalk NR for a 2nd year running, although gain access to is limited to West Midland Bird Club members just.
Black-crowned Night Heron, Ouse Washes RSPB, Cambridgeshire (D Benton).
Purple Heron, Summer Leys LNR, Northamptonshire (Rik Addison).
The reappearance of the drake Hooded Merganser at Whinfell Tarn, Cumbria, on 8th came as rather a surprise after a three-week lack and will have certainly resulted in some gnashing of teeth – remaining up until now into the summer season will not do it any favours with the rarity committees. The week’s wildfowl emphasize consisted of a drake Blue-winged Teal at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, Cambridgeshire, on 10-11th – the very first in the county given that 2013.
Blue-winged Teal, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, Cambridgeshire (Matthew Mellor).
A Lesser Scaup remained in Caithness and Ferruginous Ducks were at Hickling Broad, Norfolk, and Colwick CP, Nottinghamshire. Additional action consisted of an American Wigeon on Tiree, Argyll, the American Black Duck still in Co Mayo, 3 Green-winged Teal and 5 Ring-necked Ducks. A Taiga Bean Goose was still on Lewis, Outer Hebrides, till 7th; 4 White-billed Divers were off the north coast of Scotland.
Ferruginous Duck, Colwick CP, Nottinghamshire (Miles Cluff).
Western Palearctic
A non-stop run of raptors on the Near Continent in northern France, Belgium and The Netherlands had British birders drooling at the possibility of a couple of making the crossing throughout beneficial conditions over the next couple of weeks. Griffon Vultures in specific were discovered en-masse, consisting of a massive 50 over Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, and 24 over Heuvelland, Belgium. The Netherlands’s 5th Eastern Imperial Eagle over Scherpenzeel on 10th was a significant discovery, with other sightings of note making up a Lesser Spotted Eagle, 3 Booted Eagles and 2 Bearded Vultures.
Iceland’s 2nd Stejneger’s Scoter was a welcome treat off Selvik from 9th, present in the very same flock as 2 female White-winged/Stejneger’s Scoter. The French-ringed first-summer Bonelli’s Eagle continued to trip Sweden, resurfacing in the far south of the nation near Tomelilla on 9th. A Blue-cheeked Bee-eater – significantly various to the Shetland bird – was at Kajaani, Finland, on 5th, with a Steppe Eagle over Skagen, Sweden.
A Trumpeter Finch was at Marienhafe, Germany, while a Green Warbler on Heligoland was the nation’s 5th. Headline news in Poland saw the exceptional discovery of a Semipalmated Plover at Vistula Lagoon on second – a nationwide very first. The nation’s 8th Green-winged Teal was at Babin too, while Belarus bagged a Griffon Vulture at Vyhadsty.
The Ancient Murrelet continued at Huelva, Spain, for another week and a Western Reef Heron remained in Catalonia, while a Semipalmated Plover and Lesser Yellowlegs were on Terceira, Azores. Belated news worried the very first Intermediate Egret for Algeria at Djanet on 12 May.
