Review of the Week: 18 - 24 February

The other headline birds also came in twos: Cornish Pacific Divers continued off Pendower Beach (to 19th) and Mount's Bay (to 24th), the American Coots remained at Lough Gill, Co Kerry, and Balranald, North Uist, and the Black Scoters were off Rossbeigh, Co Kerry, and Cheswick Sands, Northumberland, all week.

Black Scoter, Cheswick Sands, Northumberland (Photo: Daniel Branch)

Pacific Diver, Pendower Beach, Cornwall (Photo: Steve Votier)

At least one drake Surf Scoter remained off the Conwy coastline, and last week's showy Filey bird relocated along the coast to Scarborough from 20th. Other drakes continued in situ on the Stour Estuary, Suffolk/Essex, and off Ruddon's Point, Fife; Musselburgh, Lothian; Gleninagh, Co Clare; and Rosslare, Co Wexford. The young drake King Eider remained off Maenporth, Cornwall, as did the female off Ruddon's Point, Fife. White-billed Divers were still off South Ronaldsay, Orkney, and Kirkabister, Shetland.

A new drake Lesser Scaup was found at Lough Parisee, Co Cavan, on 19th and was still there on 24th; further drakes remained at Lough Gill, Co Kerry; Cardiff Bay, Glamorgan; and Martnaham Loch, Ayrshire. A drake Ring-necked Duck at Clatworthy Reservoir, Somerset, from 21st was presumably the bird seen at Ashford Reservoir earlier this month. Two females remained at Carlingwark Loch, Dumfries & Galloway, and others remained in Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. Irish birds were still in Counties Waterford and Mayo (two). The female Ferruginous Duck remained at Slimbridge, Glos, all week.

Lesser Scaup, Cardiff Bay, Glamorgan (Photo: Peter Howlett)

The drake Blue-winged Teal stayed another week at The Shunan, Orkney, as did the American Black Duck on Tresco, Scilly. American Wigeon reached double figures with the two females at Gannel Estuary, Cornwall, and the drake found last Tuesday at Fairlie, Ayrshire, around all week. Others remained in Nottinghamshire, West Yorkshire, Aberdeenshire, North Uist, Shetland and in Counties Wexford and Donegal. Fourteen Green-winged Teal included new birds at Askeaton, Co Limerick, on 19th, Hook, Pembrokeshire, on 21st and Caernarfon, Gwynedd, from 22nd.

American Wigeon, Swillington Ings, West Yorkshire (Photo: Dave Hunton)

A Snow Goose was at Barns of Ayre, Orkney, on 21st, and the Ross's Goose was still in the Widdrington area of Northumberland until 24th. The Ridgway's Cackling Goose was still at Cults Loch, Dumfries & Galloway, while two Richardson's Cackling Geese were seen at Bridgend, Islay, on 18th, and the Co Sligo bird was also still at Lissadell that day. A probable Lesser Canada Goose was at Malin Head, Co Donegal, on 18th, and the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve bird was also still present on 22nd. Black Brants were in East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Essex (two), Hampshire, Dorset and Devon.

Two Cattle Egrets were still at Dungeness, Kent, this week and another couple were at Grouville Bay, Jersey. A Glossy Ibis flew over Sandy, Beds, on 20th and another was near Wexford Town on 18th; others remained at Gonalston, Notts; Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambs; and Tramore, Co Waterford.

Cattle Egrets, Lydd, Kent (Photo: Chris Bond)

A grey-morph Gyr Falcon was the raptor highlight of the week, seen and photographed at Lough Gill, Co Kerry, on 19th. A strong showing of Rough-legged Buzzards was again noted in eastern areas. The East Sussex Lesser Yellowlegs was again near Winchelsea on 21st and the Co Dublin bird continued at Rogerstown Estuary.

The Laughing Gull continued to show well at New Brighton, Cheshire, throughout the week and the Bonaparte's Gull was again at Dawlish Warren, Devon, on 23rd. Putative American Herring Gulls included the second-winter on Hayle Estuary, Cornwall, and first-winter at Rufforth, N Yorks, the latter reported only on 20th. Britain claimed nine Ring-billed Gulls this week, with adults at Rumworth Lodge Reservoir, Gtr Man, on 18th and Marazion, Cornwall, on 24th; another was reported in Hull, E Yorks, on 18th but not subsequently and a first-winter on the beach at Beacon Ponds, E Yorks, in the late morning on 21st was even briefer. First-winters remained in Cornwall at Swanpool and Hayle Estuary, while long-staying adults were in Highland and Hampshire; the Fife bird was last seen at Townhill Loch on 22nd. Fourteen Irish records included three different adults in Co Clare and a respectable five (two adults, two second-winters and a first-winter) at Nimmo's Pier, Co Galway.

Laughing Gull, New Brighton, Cheshire (Photo: Tony Quinn)

Ring-billed Gull, Cork City, Cork (Photo: Richard Mills)

There was a report of an early Hoopoe in Torquay, Devon, on 22nd. Two Richard's Pipits remained at Breydon Water, Norfolk, throughout the week, and others were still at Shell Ness, Kent, and Cloughton Wyke, N Yorks. A second Black-bellied Dipper was found this week — this time at Skaw, Unst, Shetland, on 24th — and last week's bird remained along Kelk Beck near Harpham, E Yorks.

Black-bellied Dipper, Harpham, East Yorkshire (Photo: Tony Dixon)

Black-bellied Dipper, Skaw, Unst, Shetland (Photo: Robbie Brookes)

Devon boasted three continuing Yellow-browed Warblers: near the Plym Estuary to 18th, near Paignton to 21st and again at Slapton Ley on 24th. In Cornwall, a bird was still at Ponsanooth on 24th. A typical scattering of Great Grey Shrikes included the particularly confiding bird at Chilham, Kent. Two Penduline Tits were still at Darts Farm, Devon, throughout the week and the three Little Buntings also remained in Cornwall, Glamorgan and East Sussex, though the latter was particularly elusive.

Great Grey Shrike, Chilham, Kent (Photo: Chiddy)

Little Bunting, Forest Farm, Glamorgan (Photo: Kev Joynes)

Western Palearctic news

In Spain the Brown Shrike was still at Deltebre, Catalonia, to at least 22nd and the Thayer's Gull appeared at San Cibrao, Galicia, on and off. A drake Barrow's Goldeneye at Preetz, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, on 20–21st is presumed to be a returning unringed bird from 2010 (which was placed in Category D). A Snowy Owl was on the Halfdan A oil rig on the morning of 19th — this site is just outside British waters. Kuwait's fourth Striated Heron was also seen on Friday at Al Khiran.

Pygmy Cormorant, Spain (Video: Xavier Idigora)