Northeasterly winds continue with the East Coast reaping rewards

This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Monday 14 September 2009, issued at 2100 hours, and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers whilst utilising additional information gleaned from the Regional Birdlines, BirdGuides, individual websites, blogsites and email groups and individual observers.

In East Yorkshire, an elusive BOOTED WARBLER remains for a third day on the Spurn Point peninsular, favouring the scrub and dunes south of the Warren in the vicinity of ''Post 17'', with a single BARRED WARBLER nearby and another in neighbouring North Lincolnshire in bushes 100 yards from the car park at Horseshoe Point. A juvenile RED-BACKED SHRIKE was also fresh in at Spurn (on the Far Point) whilst a LESSER GREY SHRIKE was present at Trimley Marshes SWT (Suffolk) from mid-morning (frequenting posts between the Viewing Platform and the Black Barn). Further RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHERS arrived today, with singles at Wolla Bank car park, Chapel St Leonards (North Lincs), Thorpeness Caravan Park (Suffolk) and at Landguard NR (Suffolk). A MELODIOUS WARBLER was present for a second day albeit elusively in bushes by the Porthgwarra Gift Shop and Ice Cream Parlour (Cornwall) this morning, with an equally elusive ICTERINE WARBLER consorting with the tit flock by the Dell in Wells Woods (Norfolk), with further BARRED WARBLERS on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) (2 birds) and at Staple Island, Farnes (Northumberland).

A juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was showing well in the SW corner of Ballo Reservoir (Fife) first thing before relocating to the NE corner later, where it could be viewed from the track to Little Ballo Farm at NO 225 045. The first twitchable LBD this year. Also of Nearctic origin were the three BLUE-WINGED TEALS discovered today, frequenting the Howmore River on South Uist (Outer Hebrides) this afternoon.

The Spanish invasion of juvenile GLOSSY IBIS continues with 7 still present (including ringed individuals 'PJP' and 'HR7') in Cambridgeshire today, commuting between the private food-enriched Sutton Quarry and the Washes Pool NW of Sutton Gault, and singles at Stodmarsh NNR (Kent) and on the shallow pool north of the track just east of Banters Bank Farm at Boyton Marshes (Suffolk) (at TM 389 475.

A juvenile ROSE-COLOURED STARLING continues to range widely in Tittensor village, NW of Stone (Staffs), favouring the churchyard today, whilst WRYNECKS remain remarkably scarce with just one present for its third day at Land's End (Cornwall).

An extremely confiding juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER remains at Draycote Water (Warks) in Toft Bay (access from main car park, parking £1.50 per day), with additional individuals at Wombwell Ings (South Yorks) and Inner Marsh Farm RSPB (Cheshire) (two birds). The North Norfolk juvenile RED-NECKED PHALAROPE moved today to Kelling Water Meadows, after visiting Cley NWT on 13th and Stiffkey Fen on 12th, with a fresh arrival on Hornsea Mere (East Yorks), whilst the Cornish juvenile BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS remained on Marazion Beach at the Red River Mouth and on Davidstow Airfield.

In a good autumn for 'showing' SPOTTED CRAKES, today saw appearances from those at Edderthorpe Flash in the Dearne Valley (South Yorks), Greylake RSPB (Somerset), 1-2 from the Creek Hide at the Welsh Wildlife Centre and Teifi Marshes NR (Pembrokeshire) and a 'new' arrival at Barnes WWT (London) (from Dulverton Hide; access £6.80 to non-WWT members),

An eclipse drake AMERICAN WIGEON is present for a second day with a drake Eurasian Wigeon, 4 Gadwall and 44 Coot at the extreme NE end of Sonning Eye GP (Oxfordshire) visible from the track adjacent to the Sailing Lake. Meanwhile, the female Hooded Merganser of unknown origin continues on the Main Pool visible from the visitor centre at Saltholme Pools RSPB (Cleveland).

On the Isles of Scilly, the juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER remains on Porthellick Pool, St Mary's, with the first-winter CITRINE WAGTAIL visiting there very infrequently, with two juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS showing well on the Golf Course. At the opposite end of the country on Shetland, two juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS show very well at Skaw Golf Course on Whalsay, with LITTLE BUNTING, BLUETHROAT, RED-BACKED SHRIKE, COMMON ROSEFINCH, 3 BARRED WARBLER and DOTTEREL on Fair Isle.

The adult-type FRANKLIN'S GULL was again at Loch of Tankerness (Orkney) last night, whilst St Kilda (Outer Hebrides) in recent days has attracted a NORTH AMERICAN MARSH HAWK/NORTHERN HARRIER and a first-winter CITRINE WAGTAIL.

The strong NNE winds continue to force scarce seabirds inshore, with both CORY'S and GREAT SHEARWATERS passing headlands in NE England, including the former off Long Nab, Burniston (North Yorks), Flamborough Head (East Yorks), Marine Drive, Scarborough (North Yorks), Hartlepool Headland (Cleveland), Whitburn CP (Durham) and St Mary's Island (Northumberland) and the latter off Spurn Point (East Yorks), Flamborough Head (two birds) and at Whitburn CP as well as a few BALEARIC SHEARWATERS and LEACH'S STORM PETRELS and unusual numbers of Manx Shearwaters. In the Thames Estuary, 22+ SOOTY SHEARWATERS, several SABINE'S GULLS and the odd LONG-TAILED SKUA have been displaced, being seen off Minnis Bay and Reculver (Kent).

A juvenile NORTHERN GANNET was also a victim of the winds, being displaced well inland at Grafham Water (Cambs) this morning (it flew off east at 1035 hours)

The CATTLE EGRET remains at Iley lake, Keyhaven Marshes (Hants), whilst long-staying GREAT WHITE EGRETS remain at Chard Reservoir (Somerset) and Mockbeggar Lake (Hants) and a bird for a second day near Old Hollow Farm at banks Marsh, Southport (Lancs). There was also a new bird on the Greenaways Scrape at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire) today, with one of the two recently in Cambs at Kingfishers Bridge WCT..

In IRELAND, a first-winter BLACK-HEADED BUNTING remains for a third day on Galley Head (Co. Cork), with a GOLDEN ORIOLE seen there briefly, as well as an ICTERINE WARBLER, whilst five juvenile GLOSSY IBISES are still present at Killag (County Wexford)

The LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER remains on Lough Beg at Mullagh (Co. Antrim), with 5 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS and 3 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS at Tacumshin Lake (Co. Wexford) and a juvenile of the latter at Doonloughan Marsh (Co. Galway).