Review of rare birds in Berkshire in 2005

4 January 2006 | Marek Walford

This report only covers the rarer species reported in Berkshire in 2005. These records may not have been verified or subjected to scrutiny by the relevant rarities committee. Reports of possibles/probables have been excluded. Every effort has been made to ensure the information is correct but if you notice any mistakes please let me know.

Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica

A juvenile was on the Village Pit at Wraysbury on 22nd and 23rd January (P. Newbound).

Black-throated Diver : Wraysbury GP. (Photo: Jerry O'Brien)

Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa

One arrived at Queen Mother Res. from the north-east mid-morning on 9th November (C. D. R. Heard et al.). It spent the rest of the day sat on the water near the hide before flying low over the water heading east just before 17:00.

Leach's Storm-petrel : Queen Mother Res. (Photo: Mike McKee)

Gannet Sula bassana

An adult was on Russell's Pond in Windsor Great Park on 26th and 27th July (per E. E. Green).

Pale-bellied Brent Goose Branta (bernicla) hrota

A first-winter bird was at Main Pit, Theale GP on 16th and 17th March (M. J. Taylor et al.). First record for Berkshire.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose : Theale GP (Photo: Adam Bassett)

Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus

One flew south over Cookham on 3rd September (B. D. Clews) and a dark morph flew low south-west over Wokingham on 15th September (R. Crawford).

Goshawk Accipiter gentilis

One flew north-east over Walbury Hill on 12th February (D. N. T. Rimes, M. F. Walford) and a pair were seen at Brightwalton on 24th March (S. Wilson).

Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus

One flew west over Bagnor on 20th February (J. Legg, I. Weston).

Dotterel Charadrius morinellus

A female and two males were in a bean field at Pingewood on 30th April (J. O'Brien et al.).

Dotterel : Pingewood (Photo: Marek Walford)

Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicaria

An adult was reported at Lower Farm GP on 3rd November and another was at Queen Mother Res. from 2nd to 5th November (C. D. R. Heard et al.).

Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus

One pale phase and four dark phase birds flew south-west over Black Swan Lake, Dinton Pastures on 11th September (P. M. Cropper et al.).

Laughing Gull Larus atricilla

An adult was at Burghfield GP from 2nd December into 2006 (R. Laughton et al.). It was the first record for Berkshire, see this article.

Laughing Gull : Burghfield GP (Photo: Paul Cropper)

Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis

An adult was at Moatlands, Theale GP on 11th March (R. Addison) and an adult/third-summer flew south-east from Little Marlow GP (Bucks) into Berkshire on 25th March (P. Bright-Thomas).

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus

A first-winter was on Smallmead GP, Pingewood on 14th February (K. E. Moore) and possibly the same bird was at Queen Mother Res. on 26th February (C. D. R. Heard et al.). One was at Hosehill Laek, Theale GP on 24th December (R. Densley).

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida

An adult bird was found at first light at Moor Green Lakes on 21st May (B. M. Archer, J. Clark et al.). It was still present the following day before relocating to Staines Res. (Surrey) and then remarkably re-appearing at Moor Green on 27th. It was the first record for Berkshire, see this article.

Whiskered Tern : Moor Green Lakes (Photo: Marek Walford)

Hoopoe Upupa epops

One was at the Berkshire Brewery in Reading from 29th to 31st March (G. Sumner et al.).

Hoopoe : Reading (Photo: Jerry O'Brien)

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

One was at Hambridge Road, Newbury on 17th December (A. Gladstone, R. Arkwright).

Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis

One was at Inkpen Hill on 13th December (C. D. R. Heard).