Review of rare birds in Berkshire in 2007

6th March 2008 (revised 21st May 2008) | Marek Walford

This report only covers the rarer species reported in Berkshire in 2007 (i.e. species occuring less than annually during the past five years). 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.

Great Northern Diver Gavia immer

One of the juvenile birds from 2006 lingered and was last seen on 31st March.
Juvenile, Queen Mother Reservoir, 9th-31st December (C. D. R. Heard et al).

Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena

One, Lower Farm GP, 7th January (R. Young).

Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus

One, Queen Mother Reservoir, 16th September (C. D. R. Heard).

Gannet Sula bassana

Two juveniles, Aldworth Downs, 28th September (D. J. Barker).
Sub-adult, Queen Mother Reservoir, 3rd December (C. D. R. Heard).

The two juveniles were presumably the same birds that were seen flying south-west over Otmoor (Oxon) on 26th September, although there were no sightings in between.

Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis

Juvenile, Queen Mother Reservoir, 11th-31st December (C. D. R. Heard).

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

One, Lea Farm GP, 21st May (A. D. Bassett).
One, Lower Farm GP, 14th October.

First and second records.

Cattle Egret : Lower Farm GP (Photo: Marek Walford)

Great White Egret Egretta alba

One, Queen Mother Reservoir, 24th December (C. D. R. Heard).

Same as at Staines Moor (Surrey). Third record.

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

One, Winnersh, 6th May (G. Grant).

Second record and the first since September 1793 when two were shot on the Thames between Reading and Sonning.

Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

One, Dorney Wetlands, 4th May (W. Morgan).
Adult and first-summer, Lea Farm GP, 14th May (T. James et al).
Three immatures, Dorney Wetlands, 16th May (A. D. Bassett).
Two, Bracknell, 17th May (J. Reid).
Juvenile, Dorney Wetlands, 13th-14th December (T. Gale et al).

Spoonbill : Lea Farm GP (Photo: Ashley Stow)

Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus

One, Hungerford 3rd October (I. D. Paine et al).

Bean Goose Anser fabalis

One, Remenham, 2nd-8th January (C. D. R. Heard et al).

Bean Goose : Remenham (Photo: Ralph Watts)

White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons

Eight (mostly adults), Charvil, 25th January (C. D. R. Heard).
Adult, Charvil Meadows NR, 6th March (C. D. R. Heard). Possiblity of being an escape not ruled out.

Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris

Female, Dorney Wetlands/Slough SF, 17th-26th April (J. O'Brien et al).

Ninth record.

Ring-necked Duck : Dorney Wetlands (Photo: Marek Walford)

Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca

Female, Wigmore Lane, Theale GP, 15th November into 2008 (K. E. Moore et al).

Ferruginous Duck : Wigmore Lane, Theale GP (Photo: Marek Walford)

Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis

Adult male, Woolhampton GP, 28th October to 16th November (C. D. R. Heard, K. E. Moore et al).

First record for Berkshire. Poor weather and confusion with an aythya hybrid showing features of Lesser Scaup meant that the correct identification wasn't made until 30th.

Lesser Scaup : Woolhampton GP (Photo: Nigel Rampton)

Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus

One, Lavell's Lake, 3rd June (F. J. Cottington).
Male, Lower Basildon, 9th September (P. Jones).

Goshawk Accipiter gentilis

Female, Great Shefford, 12th June (P. Jones).

Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus

Third-summer, Winter Hill, 15th May (M. McQuaid).

Eighth record.

Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

One, Woolhampton GP, 22nd March (N. Montegriffo et al).
One, Everlsey GP, 20th April (B. M. Archer).

Avocet : Woolhampton GP (Photo: Nick Montegriffo)

Dotterel Charadrius morinellus

Probable male, Berkshire Downs, 20th April (M. Shurmer). Photographed.

Fifth record.

Knot Calidris canutus

One, Everlsey GP, 28th May (I. H. Brown et al).
90, Queen Mother Reservoir, 19th August (C. D. R. Heard).

Knot : Everlsey GP (Photo: Marek Walford)

Little Stint Calidris minuta

One, Everlsey GP, 1st May (B. M. Archer).
Juvenile, Everlsey GP, 12th-16th August (B. M. Archer et al).
Juvenile, Borough Marsh, 19th-20th August (A. B. Tomczynski et al).
Juvenile, Burnthouse Lane GP, 22nd September (K. E. Moore et al).
Juvenile, Burnthouse Lane GP, 27th-29th September (M. F. Walford et al).

Little Stint : Everlsey GP (Photo: Martin Lenney)

Little Stint : Everlsey GP (Photo: Marek Walford)

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

Adult and juvenile, Borough Marsh, 24th August (A. B. Tomczynski et al).
Four juveniles, Borough Marsh, 7th-9th September, with two juveniles 10th September (H. R. Netley, A. B. Tomczynski et al).
Three juveniles, Everlsey GP, 23rd September (B. M. Archer).

Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica

Three s/p males and one female, Queen Mother Reservoir, 27th April (C. D. R. Heard).
Adult s/p, Hosehill Lake, Theale GP, 29th April (A. B. Tomczynski et al).
56, Woodley, 29th April (F. J. Cottington).

Bar-tailed Godwit : Theale GP (Photo: Marek Walford)

Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus

Dark morph juvenile, Queen Mother Reservoir, 10th November (C. D. R. Heard).
Intermediate morph juvenile, Queen Mother Reservoir, 20th-22nd November (C. D. R. Heard et al).

Fifth and sixth records.

Pomarine Skua : Queen Mother Reservoir (Photo: Marek Walford)

Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus

One, Queen Mother Reservoir, 27th May (A. B. Tomczynski).
Three dark/intermediate morph adults, Queen Mother Reservoir, 14th August (C. D. R. Heard).

Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus

Intermediate morph juvenile, Queen Mother Reservoir, 21st August (C. D. R. Heard).

Fourth record.

Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides

First-summer, Queen Mother Reservoir, 1st-3rd April (C. D. R. Heard).
Adult, Queen Mother Reservoir, 9th-10th, 16th-17th November (C. D. R. Heard et al).
First-winter, Queen Mother Reservoir, 15th November (C. D. R. Heard).
Adult, Queen Mother Reservoir, 27th December (C. D. R. Heard et al). Presumed same as in November.

The record in November was the earliest ever return date, by one month. This reflected an arrival of first-winter birds in Herts and Dorset in October.

Kumlien's Gull Larus (glaucoides) kumlieni

One, Queen Mother Reservoir, 15th February (C. D. R. Heard).

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus

First-summer, Queen Mother Reservoir, 2nd and 4th May (C. D. R. Heard).

Presumably the same bird seen at Beddington SF and Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir on 1st. First May record and the latest ever.

Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii

Three, Hosehill Lake, Theale GP, 1st May (R. Roberts).

Little Auk Alle alle

Eight, Queen Mother Reservoir, 14th November (C. D. R. Heard).
One, Queen Mother Reservoir, 15th November (C. D. R. Heard et al).

The flock of eight birds on 14th November is the largest group of birds ever seen inland in the UK.

Little Auk : Queen Mother Reservoir (Photo: Mike McKee)

Hoopoe Upupa epops

One, Wokingham garden, 1st June (S. Manston).

Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus

One, Wickham Bushes, Swinley Forest, 21st February (C. Gent).

Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix

Male, Englemere Pond, 27th-28th April (M. S. F. Whitaker et al).
Male, Snelsmore Common, 16th-18th June.
One, Everlsey GP, 13th September (J. Pearson).

Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus (collybita) tristis

Two, Arthur Jacobs NR, 6th-7th & 17th January (C. D. R. Heard). Present intermittently since November 2006.

Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor

One, Walbury Hill, 27th April (A. Camp).
Male, Wishmoor Bottom, 14th October to 27th December (C. D. Jones et al).

Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

One, Purley on Thames, 16th January (M. Raper).

Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus

One, Remenham Hill, 20th-21st October (C. D. R. Heard et al).
Probable adult, Bury Down, 21st December (C. D. R. Heard).

Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis

One, Queen Mother Reservoir, 24th November (C. D. R. Heard).

Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana

Juvenile, trapped and ringed, Wraysbury GP, 5th September (C. Lamsdell, T. O. Alexander et al).

Only the third record. The previous records being one at Silwood Park on 28th October 1958 and three shot at Cookham in the 1860s.

Ortolan Bunting : Wraysbury GP (Photo: Bill Haines)