UK Rare Bird Alert Feb 4th 2008
This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Monday 4th February 2008, issued at 2200 hours and produced with reference to Rare Bird Alert Pagers www.rarebirdalert.com and by gleaning information from the Regional Birdlines, Birdguides.com, individual websites, local email groups and individual observers.
The GLOSSY IBIS first seen near Moggs Eye on 31st January was relocated today in the Highland Cattle enclosure near Howden’s Pullover (North Lincolnshire). The bird was showing well feeding in the wet grass in the SE corner of the enclosure about 30 yards in from the dunes.
DETAILED VIEWING INSTRUCTIONS
It is not possible to see the Glossy Ibis from the seawall as there is a high bank concealing the scrape area and field where it is feeding. It is best to walk along the seaward side of the scrub between the scrape and the foreshore and enter through a narrow track, stopping well short of the paddock fencing.
The entrance to the track is marked with a green Castrol oil drum. It is imperitive that birders do not enter the cattle field from the control tower end as the Glossy Ibis is very wary and flushes easily. Great care is also needed to keep low below the horizon as any break agitates the bird.
Park at Donna Nook Stonebridge car park and walk south along the dunes for 1.5 miles. Continue for 600 yards beyond the last control tower keeping the scrub to your right, then look out for the Castrol drum and carefully enter at this point.
The ibis has a metal ring on the right leg and a white plastic ring on the left leg, bearing the inscription ‘6PJ’ It represents the first Lincolnshire record since May 1976, following immatures shot and killed at Read’s Island in autumn 1869 and Skegness on 9th September and 27th October 1881. More recently, one was seen at North Cotes on 29th September 1923 and another at Rimac on 5th November 1975. In May 1976, a bird first seen at Gibraltar Point on 16th was relocated at Wisbech Sewage Farm later in the day, where it remained (and was well twitched, being the first gettable bird ever) until 18th May.
Elsewhere in Lincolnshire, a CATTLE EGRET was seen 3 miles SE of Louth at Legbourne (off Station Road).
CATTLE EGRETS also remain in West Cornwall (up to 18 between Drift and Sancreed near Treganhoe Farm, 5 SW of Newquay near Trennistick Farm and 2 by the Golden Lion causeway at Stithians Reservoir), with 5 more in South Devon (3 on the Kingsbidge Estuary and 2 on Exminster Marshes RSPB) and 2 still in West ussex (at Piddinghoe Levels and by Vinnetrow Lake, Chichester GP).
The long-staying 2nd-winter GLOSSY IBIS remains in Lancashire at Warton Bank, and the GREAT WHITE EGRETS at Thorpeness Meare (Suffolk) and on the Ouse Washes RSPB (Cambs) east of Pymoor and just east of Dunkirk in the main drain 300 yards north of the bridge.
The first LEACH’S PETREL of 2008 was this evening by the dam at Pitsford Reservoir (Northants) (present from late afternoon until 1610) (Neil McMahon), whilst the PACIFIC DIVER remains for its second winter at Llys y Fran Reservoir (Pembs).
In terms of wildfowl, ROSS’S SNOW GEESE include singles SSW of Stalmine (Lancs) west of A588 Carr Lane in fields east of High Gate Lane at SD 369 444 and on the Halvergate Marshes (Norfolk), the adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE remains at West Wittering (West Sussex) and an adult drake FERRUGINOUS DUCK at Loscoe Dam, Heanor (Derbyshire). Last winter’s drake FALCATED DUCK has returned to the River Exe (South Devon), where it has been associating with Mallard, Common Teal and Eurasian Wigeon by Countess Wear Pools (per Matthew Knott). This bird is now in adult plumage, but contrary to BBRC report, was in first-winter plumage last November.
A first-winter LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER remains for a third day on The Fleet at Rodden Hive, Langton Herring (Dorset), with the first-winter SPOTTED SANDPIPER still at Lisvane Reservoir (Cardiff) and LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Montrose Basin LNR (Angus).
A continental Dark-breasted Barn Owl, present since December 2007, has been showing very well at Wacton Common, SSW of Long Stratton (Norfolk). View from just beyond the cattle grid at TM 185 905.
A BOHEMIAN WAXWING remains in Littlethorpe Close, Strensall (West Yorks), with NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE at Amberley Wild Brooks (West Sussex) and HUME’S LEAF WARBLER still at Tehidy Country Park, Camborne (Cornwall) (in bushes by the first pond by the cafe at SW 649 432).
The long-staying LAPLAND BUNTING remains in stubble at Cut Bridge, Sturt Pond (Hants).
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