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The third (and final) part of our look back into the history books at species which have made first time appearances during the month of September. This part covers the period 1880 to 1899.
1898 – BARRED WARBLER
The first record was of a bird shot along the sea bank at North Cotes on 5th September 1898. Further birds soon followed from this site with others noted on 17th October 1899, 20th September 1902 and 4th September 1905. The first bird away from North Cotes was an immature caught in a trap in an aviary at Cleethorpes on 2nd September 1911. Normal service was resumed in 1913 when an immature was shot close to the sea-bank at North Cotes on 6th September. The wind was ENE with fine weather and a good many small birds were moving although there was no 'rush'. Among others observed were Redstarts, Hedge Sparrows, Willow Warblers, Garden Warblers, Blue Tits and Wheatears, all except the last named in small numbers. A further 3 birds were recorded in the County up to 1927, but by the time another bird had been obtained at North Cotes on 20th October 1916 it was noted that it may be considered almost a regular visitor to the County. After a gap of 24 years the next bird to be recorded was a juvenile trapped at Gibraltar Point on 8th September 1951. This would be the beginning of much more regular sightings, in a large part in thanks to an increase in use of mist nets at coastal ringing sites and also an increase in the number of observers covering the coastal areas during migration periods. There have now been around 240 records of this species in Lincolnshire since the 1950s, an impressive total and firmly establishing itself as a scarce autumn migrant. Following the above Gibraltar Point individual a further 13 birds were recorded by the end of the 1950s (including 4 in 1959). The 1960s was the defining decade for this species with an established pattern of occurrence. There was a single bird in 1960, but then the species became annual from 1964 and this included a peak of 9 in 1969 and a single site maximum of 4 birds at Huttoft Bank from 27th to 29th August 1966. Mirroring similar pattern of occurrence with Icterine Warbler, the 1970s were without doubt the best period for Barred Warbler. A total of 78 birds were recorded included an unprecedented c.20 birds in 1976 (the peak year) which included 8-9 birds at Donna Nook and at least 5 different birds at Gibraltar Point. In the same period, 9 birds were recorded in both autumns of 1971 and 1979 and 10 were recorded during the autumn of 1972. The early 1980s continued with this established pattern of occurrence but as the decade progressed the number of arrivals declined and it became much less frequent. However, 57 birds were still recorded for this period including 14 in 1981 (including up to 8 at Gibraltar Point), although a surprising blank in 1985 was the first such occurrence since 1963. This species then became decidedly rare in the 1990s with just 24 birds recorded (the lowest since the 1950s) but it did include a respectable 7 in 1994. However, blank years in both 1997 and 1998 were the first since 1985 and the first consecutive blank years since the period 1961 to 1963. A slight return to form occurred during the 2000s with c.30 records but this did include a surprise one off total of 15 birds in 2010 (with 5 at Donna Nook and 7 at Gibraltar Point) – the second best annual total ever, after the c.20 in 1976. The vast majority of the county total includes arrivals between mid-August and the end of September – the classic period for a Scandinavian/east European drift migrant. The earliest autumn arrival was a bird at Tetney on 4th August 1967, whilst there are around 20 October records up to the end of the month and 7 exceptionally late arrivals into November as follows; Saltfleetby on 11th November 1956, Donna Nook from 2nd November to 6th December 1971, 3rd to 15th November 1974 and 5th November 1978, Gibraltar Point from 28th to 29th November 2000, an obliging first-winter which frequented the bushes on the banks of Covenham Reservoir from 20th November to 10th December 2004 (the first ever inland record for the County as well as the latest date a bird has been observed) and Donna Nook again on 10th November 2009. The majority of the County sightings rather unsurprisingly come from the coastal strip between North Cotes and Gibraltar Point, with both Donna Nook and Gibraltar Point fairing particularly well, although concentrated ringing efforts at Huttoft Bank during the 1960s yielded an impressive 10 birds during that decade. The species is exceptionally rare away from the coastal strip with just two records from the Wash (at Frampton Marsh on 10th September 1989 and 15th September 1994) and two exceptional inland occurrences; the above Covenham bird plus one subsequent bird that was present at Wroot from 17th to 21st October 2009.
1896 – GREENISH WARBLER
On the night of September 3rd 1896 the wind along the Lincolnshire coast was backing to the east, and blowing a breeze from that direction on the 4th and 5th, with heavy rain commencing to fall on the afternoon of 4th and lasting for 24 hours. On the 5th September all of the hedges near the coast at North Cotes were full of small birds including Pied Flycatchers in considerable numbers, Redstarts, Whitethroats and Garden Warblers. During the afternoon a bird was shot as it was feeding in a hedge near the sea bank at North cotes which was identified as a Greenish Warbler. On examination of the skin the bird was found to be an adult female and it was exhibited at a meeting of the British Ornithologists Club on 21st October 1896. The specimen was the first British record of Greenish Warbler and only the fourth for Europe at the time with three previous records all from the island of Heligoland, Germany. Looking back at the weather experienced at the time of arrival, it consisted of classic east coast fall conditions, and as such the arrival of a Greenish Warbler in such conditions today would perhaps be strongly anticipated and not totally unexpected. There have been a further 13 records since this first bird, all except the most recent during the classic early autumn 'drift' dates for this species of mid-August to mid-September. The second record occurred 62 years after the first, when a bird was present at Gibraltar Point on 3rd September 1958. Since then small influxes have occurred when favourable conditions have been encountered with 3 birds in 1976, 2 in 1977 and 2 in 1981. All records, perhaps unsurprisingly, have occurred along the coast between Donna Nook and Gibraltar Point, with the earliest autumn arrival date of 14th August (Anderby Creek, trapped 1976) and the latest a bird at Gibraltar Point on 22nd September 1984. In total there have been 6 in August and 7 in September, with a single record in spring, which was also the most recent record in Lincs. This bird was trapped and ringed (and photographed) in the East Dunes at Gibraltar Point on 29th May 2013. It showed well in a tree next to the Observatory for a while after release and was the fourth Greenish Warbler for the observatory but the first for 29 years. What may have been a different bird was discovered singing in the Plantation on the morning of 31st May 2013. Greenish Warbler was first described by Blyth from wintering birds at Calcutta and in Nepal in 1843.Following the North Cotes individual this species remained undetected for another half century. The second British record was one of the earliest post-war rarities and one of the last to be shot, an adult on Whalsay, Shetland, on 12th September 1945. From 1949 to 1957, a scatter of early observatory finds had all the signs of the bird’s future UK status: one on 20th April (at Spurn and still the earliest ever), two (one in song) in June and seven from mid-July to mid-September. After a succession of westward surges of breeding birds into Fennoscandia, presumably from the north Russian population (most recently in the early 1990s) Greenish Warbler has become one of the more commonly found and most regularly dated of rarities. There are peaks in early June and late August (or in early September as in 2005). Oddly, however, for a bird whose total range extends east to Japan, it has remained relatively scarce in late autumn (with only 6% of records dated from late September to early November). If far-eastern individuals do reach Britain as ‘reversed migrants’, they are seemingly far less prone to navigational error than similarly related Yellow-browed and Pallas’s Warblers. The findings of spring birds, often males in song, has increased and must presumably stem from the buoyant population of over 8,000 pairs in Finland and the Baltic States or the more fitful colonisers of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.
1894 – SABINE'S GULL
The first county record of this attractive dainty arctic gull was of two birds, one of which was shot, at Holbeach Marsh in September 1894. An early well documented record involves a bird shot off Grainthorpe Haven on 28th September 1908. It was a young bird in plumage and was sitting alone on a sandbank although there were large flocks of other Gulls in the immediate neighbourhood and its note was likened to that of an Arctic Tern. During the latter part of September and the beginning of October considerable numbers of Skuas, Gannets, Divers and Shearwaters passed along the Lincolnshire Coast. This bird was one of four other records between 1894 and 1911. It was then a further 45 years before the next; an immature seen at the Nene Mouth on 30th August 1956. This was followed by a bird seen at Gibraltar Point on the rather early date of 19th July 1964, which formed the first of more regular sightings of this species in the County, although it remains rare, it is by no means annual in its occurrence, and is still a real prize on any seawatch. There has now been over 70 records in the County, most of which have been (rather unsurprisingly) recorded during movements of seabirds along the coast during or following strong winds from the north or eastern quarter. There are a handful of July records, with the earliest arrivals occurring on the 19th of that month at Gibraltar Point in 1964, Grimsby Docks in 1980 (remaining to 20th and seen later that day at Cleethorpes) and again at Gibraltar Point in 1992. Number of sightings then increase during August (particularly from the middle part of the month), with the peak (a minimum of 35 records) occurring in September. Records continue into the third week of October with particularly late birds noted at Gibraltar Point on 25th October 1971, Donna Nook on 30th October 2008 and the latest ever again at Donna Nook on 13th November 1977. Adults predominate from early autumn up to the middle part of September, with then mainly juveniles recorded during the latter part of the autumn. The peak years for this species have been 5 in 1971 (including birds on 4 dates at Gibraltar Point), 6 in 1977 (including an exceptional 4 immatures at the Witham Mouth on 17th September – the highest single count) and 5 in 1997 (all at Gibraltar Point). As to be expected from a largely pelagic species, the stretch of coast between North Cotes and Gibraltar Point accounts for the majority of records (67%) with an impressive 36% of the County total coming from Gibraltar Point alone. Elsewhere, there are 11 records from the Wash, with 7 from the Witham Mouth, 2 from Freiston Shore, 1 from Nene Mouth and a juvenile seen from a boat 4 miles off Friskney on 29th September 1988. There are two records of birds seen well up the Humber estuary, both of which involve juveniles seen at Barton; on 13th September 1993 and 24th September 2008. In addition there are 3 exceptional inland records. The first was an adult, largely in winter plumage, which showed well at Bardney Ponds (sugar Beet factory Pools) from 10th to 28th September 1974 and was much appreciated by birders at the time. The second record involved another adult which paid a brief visit to Baston Fen on the afternoon of the day of the hurricane on 16th October 1987, and the third was a well twitched first-winter which frequented the flooded bottom of a former quarry at Leadenham Rubbish Tip from 16th to 19th September 2011. Not all of the coastal records have involved fly-bys. A bird remained at Gibraltar Point from 24th to 26th August 1978, in 1985 single birds were seen between Humberston Fitties and Cleethorpes from 13th to 18th September and a juvenile was at Saltfleetby from 13th to 19th September, whilst in 1997 a juvenile was seen intermittently at Gibraltar Point between 9th and 16th September. There is also a rather interesting record of a multi observed bird in 2007. On 29th September a juvenile was remarkably tracked along the Lincolnshire coast as it headed north. First seen at Chapel Point at c.08:40, it was then passed Anderby Creek at 08:55, Sandilands at 09:10 and finally Rimac at c.09:40. It is just conceivable that this then could be the same juvenile flying north past Filey Brigg, Yorkshire at 12:20. These sightings prove what interesting returns can be made from co-ordinated observations (although here by luck more than judgement!). Often observed as a distant black, grey and white bird dodging low over the waves on an autumn seawatch, an adult Sabine's Gull is a beautiful bird and arguably one of the world's most attractive gull species. Named after its discoverer Edward Sabine in 1818, it was first seen in north-west Greenland and is now known to breed on the low coasts of Arctic and sub-Arctic North America, Greenland and Spitzbergen, using grassy and mossy level habitats. From autumn through to spring this is very much a maritime species. Having migrated past European coasts it then spends its time around the nutrient rich upwellings around the equator and down into the South Atlantic off the coasts of South Africa. Although an annual migrant to Britain, numbers depend on a large extent on the incidence of westerly gales in September, with south-western Ireland and Cornwall being the best areas (although most British coasts and several inland localities have produced some records). There have been two rather famous influxes into the UK. A severe gale on the night of 2nd to 3rd September 1983 produced a large movement of adults, including over 100 at St Ives, Cornwall, while the 'infamous' hurricane of 15th to 16th October 1987 produced about 250, of which about 100 were seen inland, mostly in south-east England. The unusual track of the depression swept the birds in from a major migration staging area in the Bay of Biscay.
1892 – BLUETHROAT
On 21st September, on a hedge at North Cotes, an immature Bluethroat appeared and sat on a twig at a range of just 3 feet. Subsequently a snap shot was made at it, but the bird fell, probably only winged, in very thick cover and was not recovered despite much of the remainder of that afternoon spent looking for it. At the same time as this bird, Bluethroats were also seen at Spurn Yorkshire, in Norfolk and 'few' were recorded on the island of Heligoland, Germany also on 21st September. The second county record also came from North Cotes on 4th October 1899, whilst an exceptional three birds were recorded there on 21st September 1903. An adult male and a female which were shot and another one seen. These occurred the same day as another very significant county record – see Part 2. A further two birds were recorded up to 1924 but then none until a bird was trapped and ringed at the newly formed Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory on 14th September 1949. This species has remained an erratic visitor to the County firstly in autumn, but more recently additionally occurring as a spring drift migrant in suitable weather conditions. Two forms of Bluethroat occur in the UK – the nominate Red-spotted Luscinia svecica svecica breeding in northern Eurasia and the White-spotted L.s. cyanecula breeding in southern and central Europe. There is a marked difference in the seasonal occurrence of the two forms of Bluethroat on the British list, which includes the early arrival of White-spotted and the later appearance of Red-spotted Bluethroats in spring. There have now been a further 93 records since 1950. That decade produced 8 birds (all in autumn), 4 of which were at Gibraltar Point in the first two weeks of September 1956. A total of 14 birds were recorded during the 1960s including 5 in 1969 (which included the first spring record for the County). The 1970s proved a productive decade for this species with 23 records (12 of which were in spring) and included a peak of 8 in 1970 (all in spring) with other notable totals of 6 in 1977 (4 in spring) and 5 in 1979 (all in autumn). Matching the previous decade, another 23 birds were recorded during the 1980s, with 22 of these during the spring and exceptional peaks of 11 in 1985 and 7 in 1987 (corresponding with spring influxes nationally). The species became somewhat scarcer in the 1990s with 16 birds noted (12 of which were in spring), with a peak of 6 birds noted in 1996. This increased rarity continued into the 2000s with just 9 birds and no notable influxes. During the earlier years of this species occurrence in Lincolnshire autumn records predominated. However as time as progressed there has been a shift in more frequent spring appearance and autumn records have become decidedly rare. In line with national recording the vast majority of County records have been Red-spotted birds. Autumn records have largely been concentrated during September with three particularly early individuals noted in August with a male at Gibraltar Point from 25th to 26th August 1966 another on the 30th August 1974 and the earliest autumn occurrence of a bird on 21st August 1977. There are 7 October records with particularly late individuals noted on 30th October 1977 and Gibraltar Point on 29th October 1979 with two exceptional November records of a bird at Horseshoe Point on 4th November 2008 (the latest ever) and another at Gibraltar Point on 3rd November 2012. The first spring record for the County was a Red-spotted male trapped at Donna Nook on 31st May 1969, and in line with a distinct national trend, this form has predominated in spring in the county. The following year, and corresponding with a national influx, an exceptional 8 birds were recorded in a very concentrated period of 12th to 16th May 1970. This included no less than 7 in the Donna Nook area (including 4 together) with the other record involving a male in full song at Anderby Creek on 16th May. This was the first of several sporadic rare spring influxes in the County. There were a further 4 birds in spring 1977 (between 19th and 30th May), a single male at Donna Nook on 12th May 1981 and then an exceptional influx of 10 birds between 12th and 15th May 1985 (remarkably mirroring the events of 1970). Birds were all concentrated on the north-east coast between Humberston and Saltfleet with up to 4 at Donna Nook. In addition there was an 'at sea' record of a male on the Inner Dowsing Tower Lighthouse, 12 miles offshore from Mablethorpe (at 53° 20" N, 0°, 34" E) on 12th May 1985. Just two years later another influx brought 7 Red-spotted birds between 23rd to 25th May, mainly to the Donna Nook area but also with birds at Saltfleetby and Gibraltar Point (two other spring Bluethroat arrivals were recorded in 1987 in April and June but involved White-spotted Birds – see below). There was a run of spring occurrences over the coming years with one at Donna nook on 23rd May 1989, 4 between 9th and 12th May 1993, two birds in 1994 (Skegness 22nd May and Gibraltar Point 25th May), 3 in 1996 between 5th and 19th May (plus 2 April white-spotted birds – see below) and finally rounding up those seen in the 1980s and 1990s a bird at Rimac on 27th May 1999. Since then, spring appearances of Red-spotted birds have been distinctly lacking, with a bird at Saltfleetby from 11th to 13th May 2006 would appear to be the only one noted. A Bluethroat seen at Chapel Point on 4th September 1963 showed characteristics of the White-spotted race and therefore formed the first County record of this sub-species. An early bird singing at Rimac, Saltfleetby from 5th to 6th April 1987 apparently showed no colour spot on its blue breast patch. The very early date and simultaneous occurrences of a number of white spotted males at other east coast localities (notably in East Yorkshire, Suffolk and Kent) around the same time, and the fact that the spot can often only become visible when throat feathers are puffed up when singing would indicate that this was a white spotted bird. This was the first April record for the county and was associated with a large influx of Black Redstarts. Later the same year, on 21st June 1987, a singing male White-spotted Bluethroat was found at Whisby Pits, Lincoln. Only singing in the late evening after 21:00hrs and skulking in dense sallow/willow scrub it is possible it may have been present for some time prior to this date and gone undetected. A tape of its song recorded on 29th June included a great deal of mimicry of a wide variety of species most notably Common Sandpiper which it only did whilst in flight. It remained until 4th July. There have been a further 4 records of White-spotted Bluethroats as follows; a male at Cleethorpes North End from 12th to 13th April 1996, with possibly a different bird at Immingham on 16th April 1996, a bird reported at Gibraltar Point on 13th April 2004 and another trapped and ringed at Gibraltar Point on 4th May 2008. Early spring Bluethroats in Britain are usually expected to be of the White-spotted form, with a distribution mainly along the east coast of Britain with a peak arrival period of late March to middle of April. The nominate Red-spotted Bluethroat (a much more numerous passage migrant in Britain) breeds further north on the Continent and does not normally occur in Britain until well into May. Extensive plumage variation (sometimes age-related) does occur in Bluethroat, and on certain views, the white spot can appear largely obscured by the blue feathering. However, White spotted Bluethroat can apparently lack a white spot altogether (the so-called wolfi variant) but otherwise it does look normal, although the Caucasian form L.s. magna sports an all-blue bib, so does a population of Bluethroats breeding in central Spain. In those Bluethroats who sport an all blue bib (lacking any white or red throat patch), it does seem to be mainly evident in the White-spotted forms with Red-spotted Bluethroats usually proving more distinct and less problematic. As to be expected for a predominantly coastal drift migrant, the vast majority of County records have come from the coastal area between North Cotes and Gibraltar Point. Just outside of this area birds have been seen at Immingham, Cleethorpes and Humberston, whilst there is one record for the Wash area – a bird trapped and ringed just north of Sutton Bridge on 24th October 2009. There are just 2 inland records for the County. A bird was seen at Marston Sewage Treatment Works on 13th September 1959 and the above White-spotted individual at Whisby Pits. At whatever time of year birders are fortunate enough to encounter a Bluethroat, they are always charismatic little birds, but to stumble across the attention grabbing blue of one of these luscious luscinias in spring remains a real prize for any coastal patch worker.
1892 – RUDDY SHELDUCK
On 1st September, a female Ruddy Sheld-drake, apparently in immature plumage was shot from a pond on Humberstone Fitties by a Cleethorpes gunner with this specimen later preserved. This bird occurred during a year which saw the largest and most famous invasion of this species involving a probable minimum 59 individuals in Britain and Ireland. Corresponding with European records the conclusion was that these were undoubtedly wild birds which had been driven away from their Russian breeding grounds. All of those recorded in Britain were between 20th June and 26th September and included flocks of up to 14 in Sutherland, Scotland in June and July, a flock of 8 in off the sea at Thorpe Mere, Suffolk on 5th July and in addition to the Lincolnshire bird, a further 2 September individuals, including one found dead on Snettisham Beach, Norfolk on 13th. Birds were recorded in many northern and western European countries with exceptionally four birds reaching Iceland and two birds as far as western Greenland. This species true status in Britain is complicated due to the fact that so many full-winged birds have been or are now kept in captivity and none of the records since 1900 have been recognised in the statistics. It is likely, however, that some records between 1900 and 1920 should be treated as genuine vagrants and there are two other County records that may involve such individuals. In 1898 the second county record occurred when a party of three birds were seen on the River Trent on 20th October, one of which was shot and retained in Lincoln Museum, whilst a single bird was seen at North Cotes on 30th August 1919. Ruddy Shelduck breeds from the shores of the Black Sea, Turkey and Greece eastwards to China, as well as small isolated populations in North Africa. It is prone to dispersive and nomadic movements whilst some eastern populations are highly migratory and several of the historical British records are likely to be as a result of such nomadic wanderings. Breeding numbers have declined in many areas, however on the flip side there have been some localised increases and re-introductions in parts of its native breeding range. This attractive species is widely kept in captivity and escapes were recognised as long ago as 1889 when it was noted that the species had been introduced onto ornamental waters during the nineteenth century and that birds shot in Norfolk and Northamptonshire as well as other places were either known, or were strongly suspected of having escaped from semi-captivity. It is also mentioned that many naturalists at that time challenged the position of the Ruddy Shelduck on the British List because of the escape problem. Despite this, there were several influxes recorded during the nineteenth century, the largest and most famous being that which occurred in 1892 as mentioned above. Although feral breeding has occurred in most European countries in the last 30 years, particularly more western nations such as Belgium, Holland and Germany, it is interesting to note that no self-sustaining feral population is considered to exist in any European Country. In recent times, however, there has been a growing suspicion that wild Ruddy Shelducks are still occurring, and this view was given credibility in the summer of 1994 when there was a large and widespread invasion into Europe outside of the species normal breeding range during late summer. A total of about 351 birds were recorded, 262 of which occurred in Fenno-Scandia. The similar timing to that of the 1892 invasion across Europe is notable. The total number of Ruddy Shelducks recorded in Britain was about 55, (including some obvious escapes), and this included a group of four birds seen in Lincolnshire at Barton Pits on 29th July, which were subsequently seen in Co. Durham, Yorkshire and Northumberland between 30th July and 31st August. For a species perhaps considered by many to be an obvious escape and easily dismissed, sightings of Ruddy Shelduck in Lincolnshire are, thankfully, well documented. Over the last 30 years or so sightings have been just about annual, with few blank years recorded. There is a fairly even split between birds found at inland water bodies and those around the estuaries of the Wash and Humber (although the Humber seems to have become a more favoured site in recent years), whilst birds on the coast between Donna Nook and Gibraltar Point account for fewer sightings. Up until recently short duration stays were the norm (although this could be accounted for by reduced observer coverage) with sightings mainly involving between 1 and 5 individuals. There are two instances of wintering birds associating with Shelducks in the Saltfleetby area, whilst an inland bird was present at Kirkby Pits in January/February 1996. Birds have been recorded as arriving in all months of the year, however interestingly, arrivals between the end of June and October do predominate, and a good majority of which have been at coastal/estuarine locations. Large flocks have been recorded in the Netherlands frequently over the last 20 years or so and here it is considered that some of these birds could be of wild origin, especially as the majority of records fall within the late summer period. In July-August 1995 a single flock of 47 (plus flocks of 6-9 birds elsewhere) were seen in the Netherlands and during the same period four birds were recorded in Lincolnshire. A female flew west at Barton Pits on 2nd July, 3 birds were at Grimsby Pyewipe and 1 at South Ferriby on 13th July, with presumably the latter bird seen at Winterton on 15th. However, a more widespread influx was not reported from the rest of Europe during summer 1995. Although random occurrences do still occur in Lincolnshire, a distinct mid/late summer arrival pattern for this species has emerged over the last few years. Recent late summer/early autumn arrivals include 3 records in 2008 (including possibly two different flocks of 8 birds in mid-September), a pair around the upper Humber area between July and September 2009, with further birds in this area between June and September 2010 (peaking at 9 birds) and July and October 2011 (with a maximum of 8 adults, but also 3 hybrids which were most likely ShelduckxRuddy Shelduck). In addition an adult female was seen around Cut End/Freiston Shore in the Wash in early September 2010 and another female was present at Gibraltar Point in June/July 2011. Whether such sightings involve escaped British birds, feral birds from western and central Europe or even genuine vagrants from further east will of course always be open to speculation. Birders should keep an open mind with this species and it is important that all records continue to be documented to monitor any emerging patterns and trends (although observes should be aware of the identification pitfall of escaped Cape Shelduck). Just out of interest a Ruddy Shelduck found dead at Zagorow, Poland on 30th October 1978 was ringed as a pullas in Kirgiziya, Kazakhstan on 21 July 1973. Perhaps the next bird…………
1889 – TWO-BARRED CROSSBILL
For 124 years, the only Lincolnshire record of the charismatic finch was a fine adult male bird shot at South Cockerington, between Louth and the coast in September 1889. It was noted as being in very good condition and was preserved and later retained in Edinburgh Museum. Note that modern published reports of this bird refer to it being shot at North Cockerington, however the original sighting documented the actual location as South Cockerington. Around the same time as this bird others seen in Britain included an immature male obtained at Easington, near Spurn, E Yorks on 12th August and one obtained at Burgh Castle, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk on 1st September. On the island of Heligoland, Germany in autumn 1889 Common Crossbills were noted as being plentiful and were mixed or followed by Two-barred Crossbills, the first to be obtained on the island for many years. Several birds were seen on various dates between 14th August and 22nd September (with up to 15 on a single day), some of which were caught and stuffed, several were put in cages (but went to 'wreck and ruin') and some were sold alive to the summer visitors to the island! In 2013 this species finally made the much long overdue reappearance in the County when a female was found just south of Seaview Farm, Saltfleetby, although unfortunately its visit was all too brief and witnessed by just one lucky observer. The bird was seen well and calling at 15:15 on 24th July feeding on the ground but was lost to view as it appeared to fly off in an ESE direction. Unfortunately, despite further searching the bird could not be relocated later in the afternoon. July 2013 witnessed a major invasion of Two-barred Crossbills into the UK with at least 50 individuals recorded. The Lincolnshire bird was found during a period which produced multiple arrivals to England, particularly to East Anglia (with the neighbouring County of Norfolk recording 14 individuals). This unprecedented arrival followed a significant irruption of Two-barred crossbills in Scandinavia, and weather conditions in the North Sea were obviously favourable to steering these birds down into the southern North Sea. A second wave of birds then hit Shetland later in the month totalling 32 individuals (as well as two in Orkney and one in Surrey at the same time). Three birds also sought refuge on a boat about 45 miles west of Shetland during 24th to 31st. Interestingly, although such irruptive movements have been witnessed in Shetland and Orkney in the past, this constitutes the first ever multiple arrival anywhere to the south of there. With so many birds on the move there may be a chance that some of these birds could have ventured further inland since their arrival. By mid/late August 2013 up to 9 birds had been discovered in the plantation surrounding Broomhead Reservoir in South Yorkshire (comprising a male, 2 females and 6 juveniles). There could just be a loitering bird hiding deep in a Lincolnshire conifer plantation. Get out there, prepare for some straining of the neck, and indulge in a bit of 'Larch watching' – you never know.
1881 – GLOSSY IBIS
The first record of Glossy Ibis for Lincolnshire was in fact a bird reported from Read's Island, in the Humber in the autumn of 1869 but unfortunately no specific dates were recorded. (Two birds were seen in Devon in September/October of the same year). Therefore the first fully documented record for the County for which there are specific details involves an immature specimen which was shot at Skegness on 9th September 1881. On dissection at the University Museum, Durham the bird proved to be a male. This bird was part of a small arrival into the UK in early September with other birds recorded at Cley and Wolferton, Norfolk on 6th and 16th September respectively, and other singles in southern England in Hertfordshire and Hampshire. Another Glossy Ibis was also shot at Skegness later the same autumn on 27th October 1881. The fourth County record was an individual noted at Tetney on 29th September 1923, but then there was a gap of 52 years when one was seen briefly at Saltfleetby on 5th November 1975. The following year a bird flew south at Gibraltar Point on 16th May 1976 before later being relocated and well twitched at Wisbech Sewage Farm from 16th to 19th May. There was then a further significant gap of 32 years before the next bird was discovered and this proved to be quite a significant sighting. A colour-ringed 2nd-winter individual (6PJ) was first seen flying south at Donna Nook on 31st January 2008 later being refound at Mogg's Eye further down the coast where it was seen around here and Huttoft Bank until the following day (1st February). It was then relocated at Donna Nook on 2nd February where it often showed rather well feeding on the freshwater pools on the landward side of the dunes until 19th March, and was subsequently well twitched and appreciated by Lincs birders. However, more significant was the fact that this bird had been ringed on 6th June 2006 as a nestling in the Fao colony, Coto Donana, Spain (a distance of approximately 1900km travelled) and was the first time a foreign ringed Glossy Ibis had been reported in the UK, giving some indication as to the likely origin of the more recent British records. There has been one further record for the County seen during the autumn influx of 2009, when a first-winter bird was well watched in the Covenham-Marshchapel Ings area between 23rd and 26th September, at times frequenting the company of domestic chickens when feeding! This cosmopolitan species breeds widely, but very patchily, across southern Europe (mostly in south-eastern Europe) and North Africa eastwards to Central Asia, and in eastern USA, and the Caribbean, and also from southern Africa eastwards across southern Asia to Australia. In southeast Europe, the species is mostly migratory, (wintering in sub-Sahara Africa) but the species is also dispersive and nomadic, with the post breeding dispersal of adults and especially young birds (often in separate flocks) occurring in all directions. The species declined dramatically across Europe during the 20th Century , disappearing from Italy, Austria and Hungary for example by 1975 and it was considered rare and threatened, and restricted to just a few wetland localities, in south-east Europe. Glossy Ibises have been doing rather well in recent years however, particularly in south-west Europe which has seen some dramatic increases. In contrast, there has been a 90% decline in the Sahel wintering areas due to lack of suitable flooding and this has not been compensated by birds being seen elsewhere. In seeking out new breeding (and wintering areas) in south-west Europe it may well be that Glossy Ibises are actively adapting to climate change. Although Glossy Ibises bred in Spain from the 18th Century until the early 20th century, numbers then drastically declined in line with the population crash in south-east Europe. The species first bred again in Spain in 1993 and from 1996 onwards colonies were established at Donana NP (7 pairs) and the Ebro Delta (4 pairs). Although these two populations remain the only breeding areas in Spain, both have increased ever since with about 2000 pairs nesting in and around Donana in 2009 and 119 pairs being recorded from the Ebro Delta in 2007. This increase has also been mirrored in France in recent years, and after being a scarce and declining visitor during the 20th century, in 2006 14 pairs bred in the Camargue and since then this population has increased dramatically to 254 pairs in 2009. Many of the juveniles from both Spain and France have been darvic-ringed with movement noted between the two countries, as well as to Italy and Austria and south to some of the Moroccan colonies (and of course, now reaching Britain). Interestingly a Hungarian ringed bird has also been found in Spain. Up to the end of 2011 there are 566 records of Glossy Ibis in Britain. However, 340 of these were prior to 1949 and 111 were prior to 1900. Major influxes occurred in 1902, 1906, 1907 and 1920 and included flocks of 20 in Orkney in 1907, 12 in West Sussex in 1908 and 10 in Cornwall in 1920. Such influxes would not be replicated again until 100 years later. Just 71 were then recorded between 1950 and 1999, although this did include a one off influx in 1986 involving a total of 18 birds. The last 10 years have seen a dramatic change in this species fortunes once more. Starting in 2002 with an influx of 15 birds, subsequent years have produced 29 in 2007, 38 in 2009, 22 in 2010 and 40 in 2011. These recent influxes have involved several further individuals which have been ringed at breeding sites around Donana NP, Spain (the same area as the 2008 Lincolnshire bird) and give a clear indication as to the origins of most of the birds which are now being seen in Britain.
Matthew
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