A blast from the past: Killdeer, Shetland

Killdeer have become remarkably rare in recent years. Back in 2007 when Malc, Al and Jason were all year listing, a Killdeer turned up on Shetland and was apparently paired up with a Ringed Plover. People thought we were mad to travel all that way just for a Killdeer but there hasn't really been a twitchable one since in the UK and wit ha supporting cast of Melodious Warbler, Blyths Reed Warbler, Common Rosefinch and a spring male Red-breasted Flycatcher plans were made to drive to Aberdeen and fly to Sumburgh to spend a few days mopping up a few good species in early June.

This was to be my first visit to Shetland since July 1976 when I went up with friends as a 15 year old birder specifically to see Albert the Black-browed Albatross at Hermaness but also Fetlars resident Snowy Owls and Red-necked Phalaropes.

The flight from Aberdeen was foggy but the pilot hoped it would clear before we reached Sumburgh. Unfortunately it didn't and, despite two passes with the landing gear down, we ended up back in Aberdeen and having to make a mad dash in a taxi across Aberdeen to the Northlink ferry terminal where we spent an uncomfortable night trying to sleep in the restaurant. Luckily we'd managed to contact Bolts car hire who met us from the ferry rather than Sumburgh airport. Unluckily it had been a clear night and a lot of birds had moved on. 

The Killdeer had been seen around a muddy pool north of th Pool of Virkie so we headed there first. Despite searching we couldn't find it although I was convinced I'd heard it. With Common Rosefinch being reported as being still at Sumburgh Hotel I elected to stay whilst the others took the hire car and went to salvage a year tick. 

I continued searching the area pausing only to try and photograph a Shetland Wren. Distracted I didn't hear the distinctive sound of a Bonxies wings as a pair attacked me in full aggressive flight mode and the next thing I knew I was flat on my back with blood dripping into my left eye and trying to fend an angry Bonxie off with my camera. Eventually, honour satisfied, the pair went back to survey their handiwork from a nearby mound whilst I beat a hasty retreat.

Working my way back to the muddy pool on top of the cliffs I once again thought I heard the Killdeer and sure enough the bird flew in and landed just in front of me and promptly went into its distinctive broken wing distraction display. Quickly phoning the others I stayed a respectful distance until they arrived. In the meantime another birder had arrived and proceeded to get ever closer to the Killdeer until I warned him he was liable to get pushed headfirst into the pond by some angry mancs if her persisted. Luckily he was sensible about it and stood watching from a distance alongside me.

Satisfied we headed back to our hotel in Lerwick detouring on the way for a Red-breasted Flycathcer that had been reported from Geosetter.

This is still the only Killdeer I've seen in the UK after an abortive trip to Alston, Lancs  in 2013 for the bird that only stayed a few hours

That spring trip was the start of my love for Shetland birding and we went back again in the autumn where we caught up with a Melodious Warbler, for the lads year list, on Unst and a lifer in the form of Swainsons Thrush on Fetlar - my first trip to Fetlar since 1976. We also caught up with Red-backed Shrike on Fetlar and a Sardinian Warbler at Spiggie.

Melodious Warbler, Sept 2007, Baltasound, Unst

Swainsons Thrush, Houbie, Fetlar with Al & Malc in the background! 

Unfortunately we couldn't get to Foula that day for the 1st winter male Siberian Thrush but Jason managed to get us a boat charter the next day when, due to form, the Siberian Thrush had done a bunk! Thats a write up for another day.

I've now been going to Shetland every year since 2007 and some times twice a year.  Fair Isle and Fetlar are two of my favourite places on earth.

Woodchat Shrike, Cheshire

 I was nonchalantly having a late breakfast around 8.20,  after checking the moth trap, and contemplating the day ahead when my phone pinged! Fred had put the message out that Pete Brash had found a Woodchat Shrike along the canal towpath off Delph Lane, Daresbury! A quick look at Google maps confirmed it was only 20 minutes away and, for once, there were no delays on the M56.  Next I phoned Fred to confirm where to park & told him I was on my way. I’d only been bemoaning to Steve that Cheshire was due another Woodchat Shrike as the last one was in 1998 - a juvenile caught & ringed on Hilbre. With birds recently in North Wales, Staffs and Bardsey the influx seemed to have past us by.

Arriving at the designated parking spot I met Pete just heading off and he informed me that Fred was still watching it a few hundred metres along the canal towpath. Result! Slightly breathless I arrived to find Fred & Malc waiting for me to arrive. Firing off a few record shots and using Fred’s ‘scope I relaxed and we chatted for a few minute before the bird got flushed by a Carrion Crow and disappeared. Luckily for the birder that had just arrived I wandered down the towpath and relocated it a few hundred metres further on. 

It was great to catch up with Fred & Malc again and enjoy a Cheshire rarity & a Cheshire lifer with only the three of us watching and less than  18 miles from home! I was back home by 10.00 tidying my breakfast things away.

It was also nice to see an array of Southern Marsh Orchids along the canal towpath. The dry spring has meant many orchids have suffered but these were doing well. 

Looking through the records this constitutes possibly the 6th record for Cheshire. T Hadley Bell, in his birds of Cheshire, says that there were a pair seen in Congleton on 2nd May 1908. These birds were mentioned by Coward in his Fauna of Cheshire and it appears he was happy with the description. Unusually for that period they weren’t ‘collected’.

Following that the next record was 22nd June until early July of a bird in Birkenhead in 1954  followed by a bird on Hilbre in 1958 that constitutes the 1st ratified record for Cheshire by the rarities committee.

Cheshire birders had to wait then until 1996 when a juvenile graced Frodsham between 4th-7th September followed relatively quickly by a juvenile trapped and ringed on Hilbre between 9th -11th September 1998. With the last twitchable Cheshire bird being nearly 27 years ago this bird was always going to be popular and a steady stream of grateful observers visited during the day. 

Nest box results on a local golf course.

In March this year 20 new nest boxes were installed around the golf course to replace the old ones installed in the early 2000’s that had not been maintained and many had fallen into disrepair. Many of the old boxes showed damage caused by Great-spotted woodpeckers who will open the entrance holes to eat the eggs and young. To combat this all the new boxes were fitted with a metal plate around the entrance hole. The new boxes were installed at around 2 m height to make checking and cleaning easier as it only requires small step ladder.

In early May I carried out an inspection of the boxes under licence from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The nest boxes were recorded as a nest box scheme with the BTO and all the young birds ringed with a small metal ring with a unique alpha numeric combination. 

Of the 20 boxes 15 were occupied and a total of 89 young Blue and Great Tits were ringed. Three boxes contained young that were ready to ‘explode’ so weren’t ringed. This is an anti-predator strategy as the youngsters disperse quickly when they feel threatened even though they’re probably not fully capable of looking after themselves.

Golf course nest boxes results

Box No.	Species	No. young	No. ringed		Comment
1	Great Tit	4	0		To small
2	Blue Tit	Unknown	0		About to fledge
3	Great Tit	9	9
4	Blue Tit	11	11
5	-	-	-		Empty
6	Blue Tit	6	6
7	-	-	-		Empty
8	-	-	-		Empty
9	Blue Tit	Unknown	0		About to fledge
10	Blue Tit	Unknown	0		About to fledge
11	Blue Tit	Unknown	0		About to fledge
12	Great Tit	8	8
13	Blue Tit	10	10
14	-	-	-		Empty
15	Blue Tit	12	12
16	Blue Tit	10	10
17	Great Tit	9	9
18	-	-	-		Empty
19	Great Tit	7	7
20	Great Tit	7	7
Total occupied		15	Total	89

The five empty boxes were all installed in clumps of trees dotted around the fairways and probably didn’t provide enough cover around them to attract the birds. These will be when the nest boxes are inspected and cleaned in the autumn.

Brood sizes in Blue and Great Tits are dependent on food availability and as the table shows there were some large brood sizes. Blue Tits generally always have larger brood sizes than Great Tits as reflected in the numbers. Both species rely very heavily on caterpillars, particularly those in oak trees, to feed their young. Last year was a disaster for many of our breeding birds with a very wet spring. Throughout the UK bird ringers were reporting broods abandoned and dead in the nest as the adults couldn’t get enough food for them. This year’s dry spring has meant a bumper crop of caterpillars and some good brood sizes.

Blue Tits and Great Tits, like many small birds, have large brood sizes as up to 70% of young birds will die in their first winter. Hopefully enough of these youngsters will survive to be recruited into the breeding population next spring. The average life span of adults is 3-4 years but the record longevity record for Blue Tit is 9 years and 10 months and for Great Tit 10 years and 5 months! 

With two Barn Owl boxes and a Kestrel box already installed on the golf course and plans to create wildflower areas it's hoped to increase the biodiversity for the benefit of both wildlife and the playing members.

Wader spring passage on Hilbre

A few weeks ago I was on Hilbre and unfortunately fell and dislocated my shoulder as well as ending up with an internal bleed that manifested itself a week later and anther two days in hospital.  Thanks to Steve, Chris and the RNLI crew who rescued me I'm fortunately now on the mend  - albeit slowly with a full recovery projected between 12-16 weeks. My shoulder was put back in by two Dr's at Arrowe Park Hospital whilst I was as high as a kite on pethidine. The lads also drove my Landrover off the island for me and dropped it off at home later! Thankfully I didn't land on my head although my wife said I probably wouldn't have injured myself so much! This also meant I had to cancel my long awaited trip to Iceland to catch and flag Red Knot on the way to their Arctic breeding grounds

Before this incident I was enjoying photographing various wader species roosting over Hilbre over the high tide before heading north to their breeding grounds. The Dunlin in particular were looking very smart!

Whimbrel

Dunlin

Ringed Plover

The island was beginning to look at its spring best with a sea of pink Thrift beginning to flower. With sunny skies, sparkling seas and a sea of pink it was a stunning vista.

The resident birds are in full breeding swing and it was nice to see several of our colour ringed Rock Pipits either carrying food or nesting material. 

CAF was ringed as a recently fledged juvenile (3JP) on 4th October 2023 before subsequently being seen several times on the mainland at Meols before returning to Hilbre in the spring of 2024 to presumably breed. It overwintered on the mainland at Hoylake where it was seen as late as February this year. It's now back on Hilbre presumed breeding again. 

Starlings

I don't get many Starlings in my garden but had the opportunity to see a few in the hand whilst doing some ringing permit assessments with Jane in her garden. The adults were swarming around catching St Marks flys on the bushes in her garden and several found themselves in a mist net.

During the breeding season adult Starlings are easily sexed as, with real stereotyping, females have pink bases to the bill and males have blue.  With really good views it can be seen that the females also have pale ring surrounding the iris whilst the males have a completely dark eye.

Above and below: female Starling with pink base to bill and pale ring surrounding pupil

Male Starling with blue base to bill and solidly dark eye

Many thanks to Jane for her hospitality once again.

A weekend in the Lakes!

With grandkids in tow we recently set off for Centr Parcs in Whinfell Forest, Cumbria. Obviously with four youngsters in tow the emphasis was  enjoying all the activities on site but I'd hoped to show my Australian grandson a Red Squirrel. His older sister has seen them them before, albeit she was only three so can barely recall it. The other two youngsters had been to Whinfell Forest before so were familiar with our native squirrel.

Luckily we had a feeding station outside our lodge and a Red Squirrel duly obliged.....

I was surprised find a pair of Red-legged Partridges on site as I normally consider them a bird of open agricultural fields rather than coniferous woodland. They were frequently seen early morning just outside our lodge.

Less surprising were the pair of Stock Doves that frequented the area. Beautiful birds and probably the prettiest of columbids apart from Turtle Doves.

The woods were full of Siskins feeding in the tops of the conifers and the site is famous for its Creeping Ladies Tress's orchids - see here  but we were to early for them.

My 1st summer migrants on Hilbre

A beautiful spring morning saw me heading up the Wirral to pick up Steve and drive the short trip across the sand and rocks to Hilbre Bird Observatory. It really was a stunning morning.

My 2nd trip to Hilbre in the space of 3 days was rewarded when Steve spotted my 1st Northern Wheatear of the spring on the top of the west side cliffs.  This was soon followed by catching my 1st Chiffchaff (on Hilbre) of the year as we walked the heligoland traps. We also caught a couple of Robins showing that spring passage for this species is also underway.

Meadow Ppits were a feature of the day with hundreds flying in off the sea and heading off over Hilbre and down the Dee Estuary. We caught one in a heligoland trap but most flew straight over. Other signs of passage included several Goldfinches and a single female Chaffinch that hung around for a short time.

Deploying walk in traps for Turnstone as part of our colour flagging project was successful with a 2nd calendar year bird caught and duly ringed by Steve. AC will join AA that was trapped last year and subsequently seen again on Hilbre earlier this year after making a return journey to the Arctic to breed.

Although no Rock Pipits were caught the spring traps proved their worth when we caught the Wheatear we'd seen earlier - our 1st ringed of the year but the 2nd to be seen on Hilbre. 

 

Hilbre spring.

I've managed to get over to Hilbre recently.  I've not been for a while - mainly as I didn't fully trust my Landrover after it experienced a clutch issue after its engine rebuild. Thankfully that seems to have resolved itself and with the tides being at the right time of day for me to stay over thats what I've did. 

Hoping for an early summer migrant my first trip on Monday was disappointing. The day was cold and dull with a biting wind. I'd resolved to try and catch some more Rock Pipits for our ongoing project as they're just beginning to pair up. Theres still a couple of unringed birds about but I only managed to catch two birds that had already been fitted with an engraved blue darvic and a red 'marker' colour ring. That in itself was interesting as it gave an opportunity to see how darvic rings were faring as the oldest bird, CAK was ringed in August 2023 as an adult at the north end. As can be seen from the photo below the ring is still in good condition.

The other bird, CBB, was ringed in 2024 as a juvenile and was caught in Niffy Bay.

Again, this darvic  ring has held up well. Interestingly both birds were caught less than a metre apart and on wing length it appears that CB could be a male. It's possible that these two will now be a breeding pair and we'll continue to monitor them.

I also tried, unsuccessfully, to catch Turnstone for the flagging project we have registered for them so consoled myself by getting down low to photograph bot the wintering Turnstone and some very photogenic Purple Sandpipers.

We need to refine our catching techniques for Turnstone but thats in hand.  We've managed to ring one Turnstone so far but that has proved to be extremely successful with bird AA ringed in march last year being seen and photographed on Hilbre again this winter. It's hard to comprehend that its probably made a 6,000 mile round trip to the Arctic nd back to breed in the intervening year.

Black Scoter - 1st for Cheshire and Wirral.

Black Scoter is the American equivalent of our Common Scoter. The 1st UK record as late as 1987. Up until 2022 there had been 16 UK records including the long staying bird at Llanfairfechan that I saw in 2003 and 2004. 

Roll on 21 years and I was just about to go on holiday in Tenerife with Sean O'Hara posted a photo of a Black Scoter he'd found off the north Wirral coast at Hoylake. It was quite obviously a male Black Scoter and was associating with the large number of Common Scoter present in the area over the winter.

All week I  saw reports coming out on the bird news services and local WhatsApp groups of the Black Scoter being seen and was hopeful it would still be there on my return. Unfortunately the day after we returned I had to wait in at home for an engineer to come and fit full fibre broadband so had to wait yet another day.

Meeting up with Al we parked up and walked across to the RNLI station where we saw a few other birders forlornly looking out to sea not realising as the tide was dropping they could follow it out. We set off like a pair of Pied Pipers with the others following behind. Out at the tides edge we gradually moved further forward as the sea continued to recede. 

With a stiff breeze blowing the sea was quite choppy but we soon picked up the Black Scoter - especially when the sun shone and reflected off its huge yellow conk! It stuck out like a beacon. For the next couple of hours there followed a game of hide and seek as we advanced to the edge of the tide and the bird disappeared temporarily in the waves before popping up again. 

A great bird to see in our area following Surf Scoter a few years ago. As well as the Black Scoter we had the added bonus of 2 Long-tailed Ducks and 4 Scope. 

Black Scoter twitch

With the wind numbing our fingers (despite gloves) we decided to call it a day and walk the long way back to the shore and warmth. Another superb find by Sean O'Hara on his local patch. From Seans photo the orange tinge to the base of the upper mandible can clearly be seen. Interestingly the Black Scoter always seems to be in the closet group of Scoter just beyond the surf line and the late Martin Garner, in his Frontiers in Birding book (published 2008, ISBN 978-1-898110-47-7) notes that Black Scoter, in N America, quite often feed in the surf.