The Lincolnshire Bird Club

As winter really begins to kick in and the days shorten, sometimes a little bit of inspiration is needed to get out birding in December. Well, maybe this (albeit short) list is it. Lincolnshire and December have certainly produced some memorable birds. On with the review…………………………

2005 – AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT
On 5th December, a search for some reported Bean Geese at Frampton Marsh led to a much rarer discovery. A flock of Pipits and Wagtails were located in a harvested brassica fields adjacent to the reserve and the farmland of Wybeton Marsh. Scanning through the flock, three or four Water Pipits were discovered and a few apparent Scandinavian Rock Pipits. Then a plain mantled pipit with a buff belly was found, but was only seen for about 20 seconds before the flock flew and dispersed. It did, however, look good for Buff-bellied Pipit. The following day in constant drizzle and penetrating cold the bird was re found after a couple of hours and more prolonged but distant views were obtained. By now a combination of features were clearly pointing to Buff-bellied Pipit, but some additional identification pointers had yet to be seen on the bird. The following morning (7th December) excellent and prolonged views were eventually achieved and some record photographs were obtained. By 12th December, having seen the full suite of characters and having circulated photographs around other leading birders, the bird was confirmed as a Buff-bellied Pipit – the first for Lincolnshire. Initially, the landowner denied access to view the field, but this was granted on 12th and by mid-morning news was released to the wider birding community. A few local birders were able to visit the site before the bird vanished at midday. Early the next morning (13th December), a larger crowd had gathered and after an hour the bird was again located in the ploughed field. It then showed well, on and off, until about midday, when it went missing again. It then put in a final appearance late that afternoon, but unfortunately could not be found the following day or subsequently. The bird could be difficult to locate as the topography of the ploughed field meant that it would often go behind a lump of mud only to appear several metres away, or disappear altogether. However, after a long absence it was reported again intermittently from 24th to 29th January 2006. This bird was the highlight of December 2005 being the first ever British mainland sighting and only the seventh ever for Britain and Ireland (after singles on St Kilda and Fair Isle, two on Scilly and two in Ireland). At the time this was the first twitchable bird for nine years (since a bird on Scilly in October 1996) and only the third twitchable bird in Britain ever. This species has now become one of the most regularly recorded American passerines in Britain (bucking a recent trend in declining numbers of Nearctic passerines reaching our shores) and by the end of 2011 there had been a total of 27 accepted records (including 7 in both 2007 and 2011). This species has been annual in the UK between 2007 and 2013.

1992 – KUMLIEN'S GULL
At 15:05hrs on 18th December a visit was made to the Gull roost at Apex Pit, North Hykeham, Lincoln where several hundred gulls were already assembled on the water. At the front of the flock, at a distance of around 100m, a very pale gull was noticed, which was immediately identifiable as an adult Iceland Gull. On closer inspection, the bird was noticed to show charcoal grey markings on the first 3 or 4 primaries identifying the bird as an adult Kumlien's Gull. Following a brief heavy shower, good views were had of the bird sitting on the water with a Herring Gull for direct comparison. Several times the bird rose in the water with its wings held out almost hanging in the wind, which allowed good views of the upper wing pattern. The bird was watched from 15:05 to 16:05 when it flew towards the northern end of the pits and it was not seen subsequently. The weather at the time was windy but dull allowing giving good viewing conditions for observing gulls. Despite many observers searching during the next two evenings, the bird was not seen again. This bird was only the 16th British record of this sub-species of Iceland Gull to be accepted at the time. Subsequent to this bird, an individual showing characteristics of Kumlien's Gull was seen at Apex Pit on 16th and 26th to 27th January 1999, an adult was located in the gull roost at Thurlby Sand Pit south of Lincoln on 11th January 2009 and a juvenile showing some features of Kumlien's was seen at Gibraltar Point on 1st and 8th January 2010. Most recently, a second calendar year bird sparked much debate regarding its racial identification when it was present at Frampton Marsh and surrounding fields in February 2012 and then later seen adjacent to Boston Tip in March. The first British record of Kumlien's Gull was that of an adult seen and photographed at Penzance, Cornwall from 3rd to 15th March 1979. Adults are the easiest to identify, but increasingly birds in younger plumages are being observed (claimed) and it is logical that first-winters should outnumber adults by a considerable margin, as with nominate Icelands. However, the taxonomy of this group remains problematic and apparently open to question, but with a generally agreed clinal variation in plumage characteristics it becomes difficult if not impossible to assign any one individual to any given population. It was decided that the BBRC would not consider records of Kumlien's Gull from 1st January 1999 due to a number of problems with this form. The range of plumage variation is such that it is difficult to establish clear divisions between nominate Iceland Gull and Kumlien’s Gull particularly in 1st year plumages. Also whilst a number can be safely identified, this isn’t true for many as it is known that birds indistinguishable in the field from nominate both breed and winter in areas where only Kumlien’s Gull is meant to occur. Because of the problems of identification, the lack of clarity as to which birds are Kumlien’s, and the shifting nature of their taxonomic status (as well as the change in status in Britain) it was felt that the process of record assessment was not achieving anything scientifically. In addition, since the recent interest in the identification of this subspecies it seems that Kumlien’s Gull is best considered a scarce winter visitor to Britain, rather than a true vagrant. This is of course, quite the opposite in Lincolnshire, and finding one would be a real prize – as long as it is an easier to identify adult rather than a troublesome immature!

1992 – WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
At 8am on 5th December 1992, members of the Mid-Lincs ringing group erected about 300 feet of mist net in and around a small field at Chapel Hill Farm, Willingham Woods. Situated in primarily coniferous woodland, the field, sown annually with Kale and Beans for Pheasant cover (with large amounts of Fat-hen and Dock amongst the crop) proved a magnet for large numbers of finches thanks to the weed seeds, and the site had been regularly mist-netted for the previous ten years. Old thorn hedges on two sides of the field form roost areas for the birds. During the morning ringing session, several Redpolls were caught and then at 09:45 a sparrow like passerine was extracted from one of the mist nets which could not immediately be identified. With the aid of a suitable North American field guide the bird was soon identified as a White-throated Sparrow – an exceptional and most unexpected first for Lincolnshire. The weather was bright and sunny with a light south-westerly wind although the earlier part of the week had been dominated by strong westerly winds. After ringing, processing and being photographed between 10:35 and 10:45 hours, the bird was released and promptly settled in a nearby Alder calling loudly for several minutes before flying off. Around 30 observers were able to see the bird that same afternoon and over 500 observers the following day. From the detailed description and measurements taken the bird was aged and sexed as a first-winter male. It remained in this area feeding on the ground in the weedy field and occasionally flying up into surrounding bushes. From 8th December it spent more time loafing and feeding in a brash pile and associated loosely with 1-2 Dunnocks and calling more regularly from 7th onwards indicating it may have been fairly newly arrived when first caught. Later in the birds stay it developed a pattern of feeding on grain and seeds put down by the side of its favoured hawthorn/blackthorn hedge, disappearing into the depths of the hedge to rest and digest. It was also noted scratching, both feet together, in the leaf litter and eating odd invertebrates. It loosely associated with 3-4 Dunnocks present in the same area and became aggressive to them on odd occasions as well as Chaffinches which ventured too close. This bird then went on to become one of the most popular county rarities of all time, entertaining thousands of observers during its 113 day stay until last recorded on 28th March 1993. It was estimated that 3,500 observers came to see the bird up to mid-January and that as many as 5,000 could have seen the bird during the duration of its stay. This bird, only the 19th record for Britain and Ireland was (along with a spring bird in Suffolk) the first since 1989 and the third to overwinter here. Remarkably, for such a rare Nearctic vagrant, there have been a further two county records. The second was an adult which visited feeders and was present in a garden at Fulbeck near Sleaford on 18th and 19th June 2010. The birds identity was confirmed by some excellent photographs obtained by the householders and was one of an exceptional seven birds seen in Britain in spring 2010. The third record occurred in spring 2013, although little information was forthcoming at the time. This bird also frequented a private garden, in Spalding, and was present on 28th and 29th May. Some photographs of the bird were made available on the internet which again clearly showed a fine adult White-throated Sparrow. With three birds in the last 21 years, one can only wonder when the next will be! However, as it is 20 years since a bird was twitchable, it would be nice if the next would hang around at an easily accessible public location.

1990 – SNOWY OWL
A Snowy Owl was recorded as being present at Bottesford, near Scunthorpe during the winter of 1868/69. Its presence was apparently known by a number of people and it is reported that the bird was not allowed to be shot. The bird was referred to as the great white owl and its call was audible over long distances on a still night. No further details were given, and although the record suggests this species was involved, the lack of a detailed description led to the record not being accepted. This record was the only claim on the County list of this spectacular species until the events of 1990. On the morning of 13th December 1990 one of the workers at Low Farm Thornton Curtis noticed a bird he recognised as a Snowy Owl, sitting in the middle of a ploughed field. The farmer then informed local observers who confirmed the identification and tentatively identified it as a male. After about 2 hours it was mobbed by two Great black-backed Gulls and flew off. Despite searching over the next few days, it was not seen again in the area but was reported being mobbed by gulls on some allotments on the outskirts of Cleethorpes on the morning of 17th December before again flying off south-west. What was then almost certainly the same individual was then located on a farm at Wainfleet on 24th December. On 29th the news was released nationwide and the birds presence attracted huge crowds of admirers over the following weeks in the same general area on the flat open fields between Wainfleet and Friskney. Many hundreds travelled to see the bird over the Christmas and New Year holiday period and it was much twitched (and photographed) during its 84 day stay. At Wainfleet on 29th December the bird was actively hunting early in the morning when it was seen feeding on a dead hare, although it is not known whether it killed it or found it as carrion. When feeding it was constantly alert looking around, at one point obviously spotting something away to the north. It took off and flew rather fast at least 300m to a grassy sea bank where a brief skirmish with a Merlin on the ground, resulted in the owl robbing the falcon of its prey, which the owl promptly swallowed before returning to feed on the hare. With the large attendant crowds present during daylight from 30th onwards the owl was not seen to feed much at all but spent the day sitting in the large open fields presumably feeding at dawn, dusk and during the night. It is impossible to say whether this behaviour was influenced by the visitors. Other prey items seen during its stay were very few but included a mouse and odd small mammals. The bird was initially identified as a first year male (later considered to be a second winter). It often moved overnight from the previous day's roost site, reappearing the next morning up to two miles away. At times it allowed approach to within 100 yards but if approached too closely it would take flight. Unfortunately it was needlessly flushed on several occasions during the early part of its stay. Thanks were expressed to the farmer for arranging access to birders onto both his and neighbours land during the birds stay and a collection made on 30th December resulted in the proceeds being donated to the Lincolnshire and South Humberside Trust for Nature Conservation. Consideration was given to the bird being an escape from captivity, but no reports of escaped bird were reported or received. It was suggested by owners of such birds that an escape would be reported very quickly. In favour of its wild origins was the fact that it was a young bird, fending for itself, which had initially appeared during a spell of prolonged north-easterly gales. Interestingly just prior to this birds discovery another young Snowy owl had been discovered on Shetland. The bird eventually made an extended stay in the Wainfleet and Friskney area of 2 months, 3 weeks and one day being last seen on 18th March 1991. Towards the end of the birds stay it was also seen from Gibraltar Point on 17th March. After leaving Lincolnshire, this bird then went a wandering, making its way onto several other county lists. On 23rd March the bird was seen in Norfolk, initially on Blakeney Point and then at Stiffkey, and then the following day at Burnham Overy and finally at Burnham Norton on 25th. On 30th March it then made landfall at Spurn (presumably having passed the Lincolnshire coast in the process?!) before making it to North Ronaldsay, Orkney from 27th April to 5th May (with possibly this bird at various other sites in Orkney around the same time). Clearly after enjoying the delights of a Lincolnshire winter, this bird was intent on making its way back up north. Up to the point of arrival of this bird in Lincolnshire, Snowy Owls had been annual in Scotland since 1963 (with breeding famously occurring on Fetlar, Shetland in 1967-1975) but there had been only 18 records away from Scotland since 1958, this being the first English record since a bird at Walsingham, Durham on 26th November 1981. This bird remains the only acceptably county record as well as being one of the most famous rarities to have been seen in Lincolnshire.

1893 – GREAT SHEARWATER
The first County record of this oceanic wanderer was a bird captured near Spalding in autumn 1882. It was forwarded to the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London, where it could be seen in the Eastern Aviary, however, perhaps unsurprisingly, the bird died shortly afterwards. The first county record assigned to a specific month was that of a bird shot at Holbeach Marsh in December 1893. This was then followed by a bird shot in the Welland Estuary on 27th November 1902 whilst another was found dead at North Cotes but the date is unrecorded. The first modern day record is that of two birds seen off Anderby Creek on 15th September 1968. Another highly unusual record then followed when a bird considered to have been dead for about 3 weeks was found in the Wash at Gedney Drove End on 28th February 1970. In a British context, Great Shearwater is very much an autumn visitor (predominantly between August and mid-October), mainly to south western counties of Britain and southern Ireland. Records from the North Sea are very rare, winter records anywhere in Britain are extremely unusual and inland records are almost unheard of. It is therefore a remarkable statistic that four out of the first six county records have been recorded in winter or away from the open coast. Of all the seabirds on the Lincolnshire list, Great Shearwater would perhaps be the most prized on a seawatch. There have been only a further four records since 1970, with a 30 year gap prior to the last bird being seen. One was seen off Gibraltar Point on 15th September 1974 and other singles were seen off Trusthorpe on 28th September 1975 and Donna Nook on 17th September 1977. The most recent was a bird seen well as it headed south past Chapel Point on 14th September 2007. Breeding in the South Atlantic, principally in Tristan da Cunha and on Gough Island to the south, birds leave their breeding colonies in April and May, moving north-west towards the Horn of Brazil and reach the Atlantic coasts of North America in May and early June. During July and August they spread east across the Atlantic with some reaching British and Irish waters from August to October. Adults begin a rapid return movement to their breeding colonies in August, some reaching their destination by the end of the month. Weather and food supplies influence the numbers of birds reaching British and Irish waters and numbers vary considerably. They can range from just a few one year to thousands another. For example 1,693 were seen in Britain in 1991 followed by just 27 in 1992. Exceptional numbers in Ireland in 1965 included 5,508 off Cape Clear, County Cork on 14th September with 5,118 the next day.

1830 – GOSHAWK
The first county record of this impressive Accipiter was that of a bird shot at Louth in December 1830 and which was subsequently preserved at Grantham Museum. This was then followed by a bird obtained in the Bratoft area of Skegness about 1840. A further 6 County records followed up to 1935, beginning in 1864 when a pair attempted to breed in a larch plantation at Normanby Park, near Scunthorpe. The female was shot and the male eventually left the area. A bird at Tathwell, near Louth was obtained on 23rd May 1871 and another was shot near Bourne in March 1899. A bird observed catching young Pheasants was then trapped near Louth on 29th April 1910. One was seen at Santon Warren, Normanby on 5th October 1919 and one at Miningsby, near Horncastle on 14th September 1935 caught an almost fully grown Pheasant. Twenty years elapsed before the next bird was recorded at Frampton (in pursuit of a Kestrel!) on 2nd April 1955 and then another 15 years until the next in 1970 when single birds were recorded at Anderby Creek on 11th April and a male at Wisbech Sewage Farm on 7th October. Remaining a very rare vagrant there were just a further two documented records during the decade; an immature bird at Donna Nook on 16th October 1974 and an immature female at South Thoresby on 16th December 1979. Five years during the 1980s recorded Goshawks producing a total of 10 birds, with a peak of 5 in 1987. Five records came from the coast, with two from the Wash and 3 inland with all records spread between the autumn to spring period with records in September (1), October (3), November (1), February (2) and April (3). An interesting series of records from the coast during autumn 1987 involved 2 males which flew in from the north-east at Donna Nook on 22nd October and a female/immature seen at Saltfleet the same day. It is not unreasonable to speculate that these could have related to newly arrived birds from the continent. The 1990s proved to be an exceptional decade for this species in Lincolnshire. Annual sightings throughout produced a total (allowing for some duplication) of up to 38 records, exceeding the combined county total up to this point. This included peaks of up to 8 in 1998 and 7 in 1999. For the first time, inland records predominated with 23 records, while there were 16 coastal records and a further 2 from the Wash. The majority of records once again came from the autumn to spring period, although there was an unusual mid-summer sighting of a bird at Louth on 6th June 1999 and four August records of birds at Donna Nook on 20th August 1996, Louth on 21st August 1998, a female at Boston on 25th August 1998 and a bird at Potterhanworth Wood on 1st August 1999. Although there have been no breeding attempts since 1864, during the 1990s some interesting behaviour was noted in some years. A female with jesses (and perhaps indicating the origin of some of the counties birds) was displaying over Tumby Woods from 1st to 14th March 1998, whilst during the same spring a pair (neither with jesses) were seen displaying at Fulsby Wood on 14th April. A most intriguing set of records came from the Stenigot/Donington on Bain area in 1999. Beginning with 2 birds on 20th March there were then further records on two dates in April and then single dates in May, July, August and September. Monthly totals for the decade over the autumn to spring period were August (4), September (2), October (11), November (5), December (3), January (2), February (2), March (6), April (4), May (2) and June (1). It was always generally assumed that records of birds in the county were either from feral British stock or falconers escapes. However, an event in autumn 1994 turned this theory on its head. A nestling ringed on 26th June 1994 at Gauslandskogen, Rogaland, Norway was trapped as a juvenile on 18th October (681km SSW) at Theddlethorpe dunes and formed the first (and so far only) foreign-ringed Goshawk caught in the UK. This remarkable record was the first time hard evidence had been obtained that continental birds were reaching British shores. It is therefore not unreasonable to assume that 7 of the other October coastal birds recorded during the decade could also have been of continental origin, and even more so, the above 1987 records look like ideal candidates. It is also possible that the interesting record of a very tired bird found at Donna Nook on 13th March 1997 could have just made a North Sea crossing. The majority of sightings are usually of brief sightings by single observers, although a coastal bird was seen regularly at Gibraltar Point between 12th and 22nd April 1991 forming one of the longest stays of any bird. Published records of birds with prey are very few and far between, but all those that have involve birds with Pheasants. In addition to the above records in 1910 and 1935 a bird seen at South Witham on 16th October and 24th November 1994 was seen clutching a Pheasant on the latter occasion. The surge of records during the 1990s remains unexplained although it is likely this relates to a combination of factors such as better observer coverage and a gradual spread and increase in breeding birds in the UK. It seems somewhat unusual then that on entering the new millennia sightings in the County have plummeted. The species has by no means been annual and some years have only recorded a single sighting. However, a male and female displaying in the north of the County during late March 2009 did give hope that this species may yet one day colonise the counties coniferous plantations. Small numbers of Goshawks used to breed in Britain up to the end of the 19th century, but deforestation and persecution led to the species’ extinction. It became re-established in the 1960s, although Goshawks currently breeding in Britain are apparently not derived from Continental immigrants, but rather from birds which have escaped from falconers or been deliberately released. It has been stated that the Goshawks that started to breed in the mid-1960s were mainly small, central European birds, whereas those established in the early 1970s were descendants of much larger and paler birds, mainly from Finland. It seems likely that these populations have now become mixed. Both the geographical distribution and the timing of first breeding records are more consistent with the distribution of falconry activities and known releases than with natural colonisation. The Goshawks now breeding in Britain became established at a time when those in the Netherlands and other nearby parts of Europe were much reduced from pesticide poisoning. As Goshawks had not colonised Britain in the previous 70 years, they would have been even less likely to do so then. Moreover, most established populations are in western, rather than eastern, districts of Britain, farthest from Continental sources. Estimates of the British breeding population is between 280 and 430 pairs although, given Goshawk’s secrecy and habitat choice, it could well be higher. Despite the fact that it has increased significantly in Britain in recent years, it remains difficult to see and even more difficult to see well and is a prize sighting. Just be aware of those large female Sparrowhawks!


Just the 3 months of January to March left to review now, all of which which have produced more than a few surprises and quality birds.


Matthew