Recent reports Compiled by Barry Nightingale and Harry Hussey This summary of unchecked reports covers Plover in Ireland, but other highlights mid August to early October 2011. included dozens of Semipalmated Sand - pipers, Western Sandpiper, Greater Yellow - Headlines There were some exciting legs, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Upland Sandpiper, seabirds at the end of August and into early scores of Buff-breasted Sandpipers including September, including a Madeiran Storm- a record-breaking flock of 28 at Tacumshin, petrel, Yelkouan and two Macaronesian five Least Sandpipers, a Wilson’s Snipe and Shearwaters, several Fea’s-type Petrels and a two Solitary Sandpipers. Black-browed Albatross, together with some The period was not without any eastern impressive movements of the more common delights either, with Shetland notching up a species. Birders then held their breath as Siberian Blue Robin (sadly, seen alive only several deep depressions crossed the by a cat on Foula), Pallas’s Grass hopper and Atlantic, particularly the aftermath of the Eastern Olivaceous Warblers, Black-headed former Hurricane Katia on 12th September. and Yellow-breasted Buntings, Pechora and The chief prizes soon revealed themselves Olive-backed Pipits and two Isabelline with Northern Waterthrush, Black-and- Shrikes. Eastern waders included a Long-toed white Warbler and Baltimore Oriole in Scilly, Stint in Sussex, Red-necked Stint in Ireland Swainson’s and Grey-cheeked Thrushes in and three Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. In most Shetland, half a dozen widely scattered Red- years, the record-breaking numbers of Pallid eyed Vireos and six Buff-bellied Pipits, and a Harriers (which outnumbered Montagu’s!) Sandhill Crane which gave itself up to the would have stolen the headlines, but the masses as it toured the east coast of widespread influx, virtually doubling the Scotland and (later) England. Nearctic previous British and Irish totals, merely acted waders arrived in astounding numbers and as a backdrop to a host of other very exciting variety too, the best being a Semipalmated species. American Wigeon Anas americana Records from Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris Herefordshire, Moray & Nairn, Orkney and Outer Spurn (Yorkshire), 1st September. Zino’s/Fea’s Hebrides. Black Duck Anas rubripes Returning Petrel Pterodroma madeira/feae Seven Heads (Co. birds, Sruhill Lough, Achill (Co. Mayo), 14th Cork), 25th August; Flamborough Head (York- August to October; Ventry (Co. Kerry), 3rd Sep- shire), 31st August; North Ronaldsay (Orkney), 1st tember. Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Saltholme September; Bridges of Ross (Co. Clare), 3rd, 12th Pools (Cleveland), long-stayer to 1st October; and 14th September; Old Head of Kinsale (Co. Thursley Common (Surrey), 17th August; Kirkin- Cork), 4th September; Mizen Head (Co. Cork), tilloch (Clyde), 10th September; Shannon Airport 5th September; Lowestoft North Denes (Suffolk), Lagoon (Co. Clare), 14th–18th September; St 15th September; Sheringham (Norfolk), 16th Sep- Mary’s (Scilly), 18th–21st September; Loop Head tember; Frinton-on-Sea (Essex), 16th September. (Co. Clare), 21st September; North Bull (Co. Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis Porthgwarra Dublin), returning bird, 24th September to (Cornwall), 2,003 past in ten hours, 3rd Sep- October; Inch Lake (Co. Donegal), 24th Sep- tember. Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus 400 past tember. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca Records Lossiemouth (Moray & Nairn), 18th September. from Avon, Berkshire, Lincolnshire, Northamp- Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus Portland tonshire and Suffolk. Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis (Dorset), 10,000 past on both 30th and 31st Fair Isle (Shetland), 7th–8th October; Marden August. Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus Quarry (Northumberland), 9th–10th October. In Devon, 238 past Start Point, 160 past Prawle King Eider Somateria spectabilis Wester Quarff Point and 304 past Berry Head, all 6th September, (Shetland), 3rd September; Burghead (Moray & then 316 past Orcombe Point, 11th September, 261 Nairn), 23rd–25th September and 3rd October. past Start Point, 12th September; elsewhere, 283 Black Scoter Melanitta americana Blackdog/ past Porthgwarra on 18th and 202 on 24th Sep- Murcar (North-east Scotland), long-stayer to 4th tember. Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan October. Cley (Norfolk), 29th August. Macaronesian © British Birds 104 • November 2011 • 685–692 685 Recent reports Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Titchwell (Norfolk), 8th–12th September; Malmesbury (Wilt- shire), 13th September. Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Records from Dorset, Somerset and Sussex. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides Studland Heath (Dorset), 21st September. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis In August, records from Dorset, Essex, Gwent, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Leicestershire & Rutland, and Sussex, with further arrivals during September in Devon, Essex, Kent, Norfolk, Somerset, Suffolk and Outer Hebrides. Brydon Thomason Brydon Great White Egret Ardea alba 377. Juvenile Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus, Fetlar, Shetland, Records from Buckinghamshire, September 2011. Carmarthenshire, Cheshire & Shearwater Puffinus baroli Bridges of Ross, 21st and Wirral (two), Cleveland, Cornwall, Cumbria, 22nd August; Kilcummin Head (Co. Mayo), 18th Dorset (two), Gloucestershire, Gower, Hampshire September. Wilson’s Storm-petrel Oceanites ocean- (two), Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire & N icus Bridges of Ross, singles 5th, 6th, 11th and 17th Merseyside, Lincolnshire (two), Norfolk (at least September, four 12th and 14th September, three two), Northumberland, Somerset (three), Stafford- 13th September, two 18th September; Brandon shire, Suffolk (two), Sussex, Wiltshire and York- Point (Co. Kerry), singles 6th and 18th September, shire (two). Purple Heron Ardea purpurea two 13th September; from pelagics off Scilly, two Long-stayer in Kent to 18th August, with other 12th August, single 20th, at least four 21st, three August records from Dorset and Suffolk, and then 25th August, five 8th September, three 15th Sep- in September from Northumberland. Black Stork tember; Pendeen (Cornwall), one 12th September, Ciconia nigra Beachy Head (Sussex), 19th August. three, 13th, singles on 17th and 18th September; at Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus One on ship 30 km sea 200 km south of Galley Head (Co. Cork), 21st SSE of Galley Head, 27th September; Kidwelly September. Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma (Carmarthenshire), 29th September to 2nd castro Pendeen, 6th September. October; Stanpit Marsh (Dorset), 30th September, Paul French Paul 378. Subadult Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis, Boyton Marshes, Suffolk, October 2011. 686 British Birds 104 • November 2011 • 685–692 Recent reports with three 1st–9th October; Ogmore Estuary (East October, Blackdog, 1st October (both North-east Glamorgan), 30th September to 4th October; St Scotland); Sugley Wood (Cambridgeshire), Helens, seven, 30th September to 1st October, then 2nd–3rd October, then between Little Barford and four at Brading Marsh (both Isle of Wight), 1st Tempsford (Bedfordshire), 3rd October; Cardiff October, two of latter remaining to 5th October; Airport (East Glamorgan), 3rd October. Lesser Sandwell Valley (West Midlands), 1st October; Kestrel Falco naumanni North Ronaldsay, Halstow Marshes (Kent), 2nd October; Courtmac- 20th–21st September. Red-footed Falcon Falco ves- sherry (Co. Cork), two 2nd October, 11+ 3rd pertinus Wisbech (Cambridgeshire), 19th August; October and 17 4th–7th October; Stithians Resr Toftwood (Norfolk), 11th September; (Cornwall), 4th–9th October; Boyton Marshes, Christchurch Harbour (Dorset), 9th October. two, 5th October, probably one of same Dingle Marshes, 7th–8th October with two, presumably Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis Dunbar (Lothian), the same Minsmere (all Suffolk), 9th–10th 16th September, then Loch of Strathbeg/St Combs October; Dungeness (Kent), 6th–9th October; area (North-east Scotland) 22nd–26th September. Clogheen Marsh (Co. Cork), 8th October; The bird was tracked south along the English east Tacumshin (Co. Wexford), 8th October; Newport coast through Northumberland, Co. Durham, Wetlands (Gwent), 9th October. Cleveland and Yorkshire on 29th September; over Lincolnshire and (briefly) at Snettisham (Norfolk) Black Kite Milvus migrans At least two long-stayers, on 1st October; then North Warren and Sud- Lizard area and various locations between Drift bourne Marshes, 2nd October, Boyton Marshes and St Just to 14th September, then three Polgigga area (all Suffolk), 2nd–7th October. area (all Cornwall) during 15th September to 8th October, at least two to 9th October; Kennerleigh Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus area (Devon), long-stayer to 15th August; Strump- Ventry, 24th September to 7th October. Kentish shaw Fen (Norfolk), 15th August; St Mary’s, Plover Charadrius alexandrinus August records from 16th–17th August, presumed same St Agnes, 17th Ceredigion and Lincolnshire. American Golden August, another Bryher, then Tresco, 28th Sep- Plover Pluvialis dominica In Britain, after the first on tember, then St Mary’s (all Scilly), 29th September Holy Island (Northumberland) on 20th August, to 7th October; Hog’s Back (Surrey), 3rd Sep- about another 17 arrived, including 12 during the tember; Unst (Shetland), 12th September. Pallid last week of September. Multiple records included Harrier Circus macrourus An unprecedented influx: two on Barra (Outer Hebrides) and three on Fetlar Fair Isle, 12th–14th August, another 11th–14th (Shetland). A further 21 were recorded in Ireland, September; elsewhere in