In Derbyshire, the EURASIAN CRAG MARTIN
first seen on Remembrance Sunday and last seen on Tuesday at dusk reappeared
late morning today at the crooked spire of Chesterfield Town Centre's St Mary's
Church and showed virtually non-stop in blue skies until 1350, when presumably
it flew off to roost in the vicinity. The location is just ten minutes drive
from Junction 29 of the M1 and is amply supported by parking facilities - at
£1.10 per hour.
Also newly found today was a very obliging
first-winter GLOSSY IBIS in Northeast Norfolk, frequenting the rough grazing
meadow at the south end of the lake at Felbrigg Hall NT. Another GLOSSY IBIS
remains at Pilning Wetland, Northwick Warth (Avon), where nearby, strong winds
forced a single LEACH'S PETREL and Pomarine Skua into the upper reaches of the
Severn Estuary at Severn Beach. It was a similar story in West Cornwall, where
high winds afforded a reasonable seawatch, with Pendeen Watchpoint producing 4
Pomarine Skuas, at least 4 Grey Phalaropes, 40+ Sooty Shearwaters and 28
Balearic Shearwaters, with 2 lingering Grey Phalaropes in St Ives Bay. The
Wirral also saw its first LEACH'S PETREL movement of the year with 6 west past
Leasowe Embankment.
Elsewhere in the country, winter seems to
have arrived with the first snow of the autumn in highland Scotland and
temperatures plummeting. A North American Green-winged Teal remains at
Caerlaverock WWT (Dumfries & Galloway) as does a drake Ring-necked Duck in
Pitlochry (Perth & Kinross), while over in the Edinburgh area (Lothian), a
fresh plumaged juvenile WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER continues for a second day at
Musselburgh Lagoons (showing well from the Middle Hide) and the adult drake SURF
SCOTER lingers off Joppa. A further SURF SCOTER, this time a nondescript
juvenile, is off Barra (Outer Hebrides) at Cleat. A handful of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS
are being seen, with up to 13 in Edinburgh and 9 in Aberdeen. In Northumberland, a juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER
remains at Cresswell Pond NWT, most often feeding on the muddy edge of the west
shoreline, viewable distantly from the coast road.
A few BLACK BRANTS are to be found in East
Anglia with an adult showing well with Dark-bellied Brent Geese in the Eye Field
at Cley NWT (Norfolk) while just a few juvenile ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARDS are now
being seen, with long-staying survivors at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) and
Frinton-on-Sea Golf Course (Essex). A very late first-winter RED-NECKED
PHALAROPE was at Hollesley marsh RSPB (Suffolk) until at least 12th. Very small
numbers of Shore Lark and Snow Bunting are to be found, with perhaps 18 Twite at
Thornham Creek (Norfolk). In Essex, a very late first-winter COMMON REDSTART
remains on Two Tree Island, while in Kent, Dungeness RSPB offers up to 9 Great
White Egrets, 7 Caspian Gulls and a good number of lingering
Firecrests.
At least 7 CATTLE EGRETS are to be found in
Southwest Britain, with 2 on the Camel Estuary at Dinham Flats (Cornwall), 2 at
Twelve Oaks, Teigngrace (South Devon) and singles at Aveton Gifford (Devon) and
Shapwick Heath NNR (Somerset); A storm-blown GREY PHALAROPE is present for a
second day at Stanpit Marsh, Christchurch Harbour (Dorset). The drake LESSER
SCAUP has been at Chew Valley Lake (Avon) recently while in the Weymouth and
Portland Bill area (Dorset) today, upwards of 10,000 Woodpigeons departed the
country, part of the species' annual migration from the Baltic States to
wintering grounds in Iberia and southern France.
In IRELAND, a very late RED-BREASTED
FLYCATCHER remains at Brownstown Head (Co. Waterford).
Lee G R Evans
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