High-pressure began to topple the inclement conditions that had led to one of the coldest starts to June on record, with the past seven days seeing temperatures rise into the mid- to high twenties and plenty of sunshine in many areas. After last week's round-up cited the midsummer quiet, things were livelier during the past seven days and included some major surprises.
Leading the way as the week's rarest find was a Zitting Cisticola at South Foreland, Kent, on 20th – only the ninth record for Britain. A welcome find for dedicated patch birder Jamie Partridge, it sadly disappeared soon after discovery. After a run of six birds in the early 2000s records stagnated, with this becoming the first since March 2010. Kent dominates the record totals with five, enjoying previous records in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Two of these (in 2006 and 2010), were found just a stone's throw from this latest example near St Margaret's at Cliffe. It is the closest portion of the British mainland to the European continent where, unsurprisingly, the species is resident as close as Calais, France, with a range extending north-east into Germany.
Zitting Cisticola, South Foreland, Kent (Jamie Partridge).
Recent northerly gusts have had some birders in northern Scotland on high alert for the possibility of a Brünnich's Guillemot among the country's bustling auk colonies. Instead, it was Scrabster harbour, Caithness, the chosen location of one from 20th. The first-summer would provide excellent close-range views until 22nd, though was unfortunately watched growing steadily weaker during its stay and was thought to have shuffled off its mortal coil late morning, with no sign of it later in the afternoon. It is the first live record for the county, after corpses found in December 1976 and March 1988.
Brünnich's Guillemot, Scrabster, Caithness (Benji Morris).
Brünnich's Guillemot, Scrabster, Caithness (Chris Griffin).
Rare waders and Nottinghamshire are words rarely uttered in the same sentence, so the find of a Black-winged Pratincole at Idle Valley NR on 19th was an excellent one. Again it would prove brief, only remaining in situ long enough for the finder to secure clinching photographs. Incredibly it is a county second, after an equally brief bird in August 2021.
On Scilly, the Solitary Sandpiper provided some fantastic views at Project Pool on St Mary's until 18th – the site of a memorable trio of Solitary Sandpiper, Northern Waterthrush and Lesser Yellowlegs back in 2011. The long-staying Lesser Yellowlegs continued at Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire, with a Pectoral Sandpiper at Lough Beg, Co Londonderry, and a Temminck's Stint on Foula, Shetland. A Eurasian Stone-curlew at Wolverhampton Racecourse, West Midlands, prompted some excitable voice notes on a local WhatsApp group. Black-winged Stilts visited Cambridgeshire (two) and East Sussex and Red-necked Phalaropes were in Hampshire, Cleveland and Co Londonderry, with a Grey Phalarope sighted off Scilly.
Eurasian Stone-curlew, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Steve Nuttall).
A Gull-billed Tern had Nottinghamshire birders racing round the Holme Pierrepont and Bassingfield area on 18th, with several eventually connecting as it fed in a ploughed field into the evening. It was first seen along the River Trent near Netherfield on 17th and marks a quality inland record. Caspian Tern continued from its strong showing last week, with singles in Norfolk, Kent and Lancashire. The adult American Black Tern incubated her eggs throughout the week. If they are viable, they should be due to hatch any day now … Lingering in Ireland were the Least Tern in Co Dublin and Elegant Tern in Co Mayo, with the Double-crested Cormorant still in Cos Sligo/Leitrim.
American Black Tern (front) with Arctic Tern, Long Nanny, Northumberland (Mark Leitch).
Least Tern, Portrane Point, Dublin (Josh Jones).
In Kent, the reliable adult Bonaparte's Gull returned to Oare Marshes from 21st. It was first noted in the area back in 2013. Britain's first Wilson's Storm Petrel of 2024 was recorded from a Scilly pelagic on 19th, with an early Cory's Shearwater off Porthwarra, Cornwall, on 15th.
Bonaparte's Gull, Oare Marshes NR, Kent (Neil Cowley).
Fair Isle, Shetland, hosted a Green Warbler from 17-20th. Amazingly, it is the fourth island record, with three of those occurring within the last four years. Lingering Savi's Warblers were in Norfolk, West Sussex and Co Wexford, and the Great Reed Warbler remained in Cambridgeshire. Six Marsh Warblers were in Shetland.
Green Warbler, Fair Isle, Shetland (Alex Penn).
In Gloucestershire, the White-spotted Bluethroat at Slimbridge WWT proved uncharacteristically showy for much of the week. Additional notable passerine sightings comprised a Golden Oriole at Eastbridge, Suffolk, Greater Short-toed Lark on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, seven Red-backed Shrikes, four Rosy Starlings and three Common Rosefinches. Two Red-breasted Flycatchers included a new bird on Tory Island, Co Donegal, and European Bee-eaters overflew Spurn, East Yorkshire, and Thurso, Caithness.
White-spotted Bluethroat, Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire (Ian Stewart).
Red-breasted Flycatcher, Carron Valley Reservoir, Forth (Mark Darling).
An adult Black Kite was photographed low over Loscoe Dam on 23rd, though unfortunately for Derbyshire birders didn't prove twitchable. Others were in Cornwall and Somerset. The first Black Stork of 2024 overflew Rye Harbour, East Sussex, on 23rd. While it is pretty much impossible to separate the wheat from the chaff with White Storks nowadays, an unringed adult moving between South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire appears as likely as any to be a genuine continental vagrant and certainly attracted some admirers during the week.
Black Kite, Loscoe Dam, Derbyshire (Robert Booth).
White Stork, Carcroft, South Yorkshire (Peter Garrity).
The adult Yellow-crowned Night Heron continued to be a popular draw to Belcarra, Co Mayo, while Black-crowned Night Herons were in Lincolnshire and Lancashire. A Purple Heron flew south over Goonhilly Downs, Cornwall.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Belcarra, Mayo (Josh Jones).
Black-crowned Night Heron, Cowbit, Lincolnshire (Josh Jones).
Incredibly, the count of Ferruginous Duck at Draycote Water, Warwickshire, increased to three from 17th, comprising a drake and two females. It continues the county's rather bemusing midsummer run of the species in recent years. Other lingering wildfowl included four Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, American Wigeon in Moray, American Black Duck in Co Mayo, Green-winged Teal in Cheshire and Lincolnshire, and both Surf Scoter and White-billed Diver in Highland. The first-summer drake White-winged Scoter remained off Blackdog, Aberdeenshire, into the weekend.
White-winged Scoter (front centre bird) with Velvet Scoter, Murcar GC, Aberdeenshire (Peter Winn).
Western Palearctic
An incredible occurrence at Polder de Sébastopol on the Vendée, French, coast from 19th saw an adult West African Crested Tern join the Sandwich Tern colony there. Amazingly, it was even photographed alongside the site's lingering Elegant Tern later in the week! Plenty of British birders will be hoping the former heads north later in the summer, with the species currently absent from the British list. After a two-week sojourn on Coquet Island, Northumberland, the Bridled Tern returned to Île aux Moutons, Finistère, on 23rd. First noted summering there in 2022, it returned again in 2023 and was also present for 11 days in May this year. A Cream-coloured Courser was near Gillonay.
Sandhill Crane, Skagen, North Denmark (Jens Kirkeby).
Iceland's first Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross was a remarkable discovery close inshore off Reykjavík, Iceland, on 22nd and is perhaps the same bird as one photographed on a shipping vessel outside the region off Greenland on 13th. The Sandhill Crane persisted at Skagen, Denmark, until 18th at least and a Pygmy Cormorant continued near Slangerup. Six European Bee-eaters reached Suðuroy on 16th, becoming the fourth record for Faroe Islands. Norway's first Wilson's Snipe displayed near Svanhovd from 17th.
The first-summer drake Canvasback and a surprise Great White Pelican over Assen on 22nd were best in the Netherlands.
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