|
Looking forward to the arrival of spring, this is perhaps an opportune time for a look back into the history books for those species which have made first time appearances in the County during the month of April. It is intended to provide a review for all months of the year, and although these lists will inevitably include a number of nationally rare vagrants, it is also interesting to note the changing status of some species with the passage of time. I am sure some of you will have fond memories of catching up with some of the rarer avian stars that have appeared. So, on with the first review…….
The month of April has by no means provided the greatest number of additions to the Counties avifauna, but it does include some of the rarest, most enigmatic and most sought after species that are on the Lincolnshire list. The reason for the highly desired nature of some of these birds lies with the fact that this list includes species that have not been seen since these initial sightings, have only been seen by their finders, have not been seen alive, and in one case (despite a total of around 44 records of almost 500 birds) has not been seen in the County for 114 years. The 2012 records include species which have not as yet gained official acceptance (and in one case certainly may not find favour with everyone) but have been included to try and provide as up to date list as possible. Had it not been for these 2012 sightings, a new species would not have been added to the County list in the month of April for almost 30 years.
2012 – THAYER’S GULL
Perhaps one of the most unexpected ‘firsts’ to be discovered in the County was a well watched juvenile that was seen intermittently in fields near Elsham from 3rd to 18th April and which was only the second British record, but the first to be twitchable. Although widely accepted by many authorities as a full species (distinct from Iceland Gull), the BOU do not currently follow this line of thinking, although it is suspected that as reports in Europe increase and knowledge is further enhanced on the key identification features, their taxonomic sub-committee may well have cause to review this. The only other British record was of an adult at Pitsea Rubbish Tip, Essex on 6 November 2010, although there are also six accepted (and a number of pending) records from Ireland.
2012 – BUFFLEHEAD
Although no doubt immediately tarred by many with the escape brush, this bird probably has the best credentials of any that have occurred in the County to earn the right to be considered as a genuinely wild vagrant. Present on just one day (27 April) at Covenham Reservoir, this unringed first-winter male (aged and sexed from a combination of retained juvenile primaries and tail feathers along with the large white spots on the greater coverts) could possibly have been the same bird which wintered in Cornwall earlier in the year and then seen in the Netherlands between 9 and 22 April. An appearance at Covenham could therefore tie in with a re-orientating returning wild bird?
1984 – BLACK STORK
A bird which drifted over Freiston Shore on 25th April was (rather unsurprisingly) only seen by its finders and still remains the only County record. This surely makes this spectacular species one of the most sought after birds by Lincs listers. Long overdue, neighbouring Counties of Norfolk, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire all have sightings of this species in the last decade or so, and some of the more recent British records (including some not too many miles from the County boundary) have included birds which have stayed for a week or more. On this basis there is hope for this species making another appearance in Lincs – and if twitchable, it will no doubt become very popular indeed.
1977 – SCOP’S OWL
A bird found dead in an emaciated condition at Saltfleetby on 7th April remains the only accepted record of this diminutive Otus. However, a specimen held in Lincoln Museum was said to have been obtained at Dunston in 1895. Although the thought of another (live) record may seem a bit of a long shot, the vagrancy of this species to UK shores does seem to have seen a bit of a resurgence over recent decades – so, never say never? As unlikely as it may seem, perhaps the next could be a territory holding calling Scop’s Owl like those in Hampshire in the summer of 1980 or Oxfordshire from April to June 2006. That annoying incessant ‘electronic’ noise you keep hearing each evening on those calm spring/summer nights, may be worthy of further investigation……
1965 – BLACK-WINGED STILT
Two birds flying along the shoreline at Gibraltar Point on 26th April occurred during a spring that produced a widespread influx into England and became the first accepted County record. However, prior to this, one was said to have been obtained in the County in July 1824 (coinciding with one being seen in Norfolk), while single birds were also reputedly shot at Wainfleet in 1888 and Kirton Marsh on 1st September 1889. There have been a further 11 records since 1965 of this elegant leggy wader (allowing for some duplication of birds commuting between sites) including the (almost) unique British occurrence of a wintering bird. This was first seen at Grantham Sewage Farm on Christmas Day 1968 and then again on 2nd and 6th February 1969 after an intervening period of heavy snow. ‘Sammy’, perhaps the UKs most famous Stilt, which graced Titchwell (and environs) Norfolk between November 1993 to May 2005 is the only other BWS to survive a British winter.
1964 – ALPINE SWIFT
The first record was a bird seen at Sturton Park near Horncastle on 23rd April. Swift by name, Swift by nature, these birds do not have a tendency to hang around very long. Of the 14 subsequent County Records of this hugely impressive and powerful Apus, only those at Gibraltar Point on 24th April 1987 and Barton Pits on 1st May 2009 hung around long enough to be seen by anyone other than their finders. As a consequence this species still remains a highly desired species amongst County listers.
1895 – WATER PIPIT
One shot at Tetney on 5th April remained the only Lincolnshire record until 1957. Since then it has become a scarce passage migrant and winter visitor to the County, with the majority of occurrences at coastal locations. Numbers are usually small, although recent years do seem to have seen an increase in both number of sightings and number of birds being recorded. In January 2008, the previous highest county occurrence of 7 birds was eclipsed by an unprecedented group of 40 birds counted feeding in wet, harvested oilseed rape fields at Alkborough Flats, and which roosted at nearby Blacktoft Sands a short flight across the Trent. Water Pipit, was of course, traditionally regarded as conspecific with Rock Pipit until ‘split’ by the British Ornithologist’s Union in 1986.
1879 – EAGLE OWL
A female shot near Stamford on 12th April was examined at Durham University Museum and was considered wild and in good condition after feeding on Rabbits. This bird constitutes the only County record that was considered to have occurred ‘in a naturally wild state’. However, it did not survive the 1974 BOURC review of the species and, along with 22 other 19th Century British records, was struck off the British (and therefore Lincolnshire) List. Reasons sighted in the review for the removal of all of these records was either that birds were considered escapes or the records were not fully substantiated. Unfortunately any current sighting of this spectacular species ‘in the wild’ is not likely to be considered as anything other than an escape, although if the few escaped birds which have successfully bred in the wild in Britain over the years could form a self-sustaining population, then this species status on the British list may change………
1863 – PALLAS’S SANDGROUSE
A flock of 40-50 at Saltfleetby at the end of April were the first birds to arrive in the County as part of a series of irruptive records of this enigmatic species. At least 24 of the above were shot, but survivors remained until July. A further 5 localities recorded flocks of up to 20 birds during the same year, while further invasions occurred in the County in 1888, 1889, 1890 and 1899. In 1889 this included a flock of 100 birds which wandered the sand dunes between North Somercotes and Saltfleetby from the last week of January to the end of March! The records for this species from the late 19th Century seem almost unbelievable to birders in this day and age. What a sight these birds must have been for our Victorian forebears. Such sightings seem all the more remarkable considering that there have been only 6 British records since 1909 and none for over 20 years, when the last graced Shetland in May/June 1990.
Hopefully this provides an interesting insight into some of the species seen in Lincolnshire.
Matthew
|
Login
FAQ
Search
