'An Icy Dip' (Plus A Review Of 2013)

Swannery Birding Highlights Of The Week...

Monday 23rd to Sunday 29th December 2013...  


Ok it wasn't really a dip, just a case of not being in the right place at the right time...

I have not been on duty this week and due to a rather busy seasonal social schedule with family and the in-laws, I didn't get down to The Swannery proper until Friday. Therefore I wasn't around on Boxing Day when an adult Iceland Gull was seen flying west off Abbotsbury Beach (and then at nearby West Bexington). When I received the news (while watching Weymouth FC get stuffed 3-0 by Poole FC) it left me pondering as to whether the gull had actually been at The Swannery prior to it being seen off the beach or whether it had passed by on the seaward side (and therefore not in the Swannery recording area). I tried to console myself that the latter scenario seemed most likely. That theory however was dashed the following day when I received an email from Swannery ringer Steve Hales informing me he had flushed a large white-winged gull (that he believed to be an Iceland) off The Swannery 'Bund' at around 2pm the previous day! Doh! Fortunately I have seen at least three 'Icelands' at The Swannery previously, including a two day adult way back in February 1990. I have also seen a dead adult of the form kumlieni but that's another story!.

Some consolation for missing the gull arrived today however in the form of a Long-tailed Duck...

The Long-tailed Duck was unusually co-operative,
lingering relatively close in with the Pochard and Tufted Duck

Although not discernible in the above photos it did show a pinkish hue to its bill so therefore, unless it was a trick of the light, it is a first year male.

As I didn't really cover The Swannery properly until the weekend (as Friday's visit was a washout) and as, apart from the Iceland, the Long-tail and two more Scaup (bringing the total present up to eight), there wasn't really much new in, I haven't really got anything else to report. Therefore I will conclude this last post of the year with a review of the best birds of 2013...

The Main Swannery Birding Highlights Of The Year...

Well the year started in a very similar vein to how it ended with the presence of not one but three Long-tailed Ducks...

They lingered from early January to early April, with another appearing at the end of April into May.

Also in January there were four, presumed wild, Barnacle Geese...

While a feral bird lingered from June to October and twelve, again possibly wild, arrived in November and lingered into December.

Also of 'unknown origin' were the pair of Red-crested Pochard that were seen on the 12th February...

Further singles were seen in July and October.

Both a Slavonian Grebe...

© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

... and a Black-necked Grebe were seen in January and February.

In March three single Spoonbills were seen. This being the smartest...

Further singles were seen in April and October.

A male Ring Ouzel in April was my first Spring record for The Swannery...

... and I had only seen three previously in the autumn!

There was a series of Garganey sightings in April, mostly concerning a pair, three however were present on the 14th...

April also saw the arrival of a very confiding Turtle Dove...

....and a relatively confiding Nightingale...

... only my third ever at The Swannery (not counting a single Thrush Nightingale!).

In May a distant 'ringtail harrier' was considered to be a probable Pallid...

© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

... but the views and photos were just not good enough for a positive id. A Black Kite was also seen in May but my only photo of that as it flew west is not even worthy of publishing! Staying on the rare raptor theme but jumping forward a few months, at least one Honey Buzzard was seen in September (but not by me).

Back to June both an adult and a first summer Arctic Tern were seen...

Whilst in September several juveniles also graced the embayment.

As well as the brief Arctics, for much of the summer the Common Tern colony attracted this eastern type bird...

Though it was not thought to be a classic longipennis.

Staying with terns, three Black Terns were seen in July...

© Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography

... but unfortunately not by me! Another three (or the same?) eluded me again in August!

Also in July an adult Wood Sandpiper was on the meadow pool for a couple of days...

Whilst a juvenile was on the Fleet shoreline briefly on the first of September, the same day that I discovered a couple of 'Little Stints'...

Fortunately I had enough reservations about the duller of the two to seek assistance from Brett Spencer who quickly confirmed the presence of The Swannery's first Semi-palmated Sandpiper...

It was seen intermittently until the fifth, while another Little Stint arrived at the end of the month. The low water levels in the meadow in September also attracted several Curlew Sandpipers...

... and a few wagtails but not as many as were visiting the Bum Point roost, where several thousand were seen, including The Swannery's first Citrine Wagtail (which I missed) and several first winter Yellow Wagtails that showed features of the continental race flava and even one or two that showed features of Scandinavian thunbergii!

Higher water levels in the meadow come the end of September attracted this Ruff...

... and in October this Grey Phalarope...

... Another Grey Phalarope was seen later in the month (again on meadow pool), while there had also been two Ruff in April, one in August and at least one in October.

A Canada Goose showing features of the form interior ('Todd's Canada Goose') lingered for much of the autumn...

... but its origins are unknown.

Up to three Yellow-browed Warblers were seen in October with yet another in early November...

 © Peter Moore  Peter Moore's Blog

... and there were up to three 'Eastern type Chiffchaffs' in late autumn, though in retrospect only one really showed both the classic plumage and bare part features as well as giving the classic call of Siberian Chiffchaff (form tristis)...

... and that was the individual trapped by ringers Steve Hales and Luke Phillips above. In fact confirmation of this birds id has recently been received by Luke after he sent off an accidently shed feather for DNA analysis.

I could have included so much more but that in a nutshell were the birding highlights of 2013!

Bring on 2014!

Happy New Year!