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The Very Best of British and Irish Birding - 2010 Review


(roll your cursor over each image for a summary of the month's highlights -and click on
any image for a larger version. For non IE users click here for a full account of the year)

A long-staying and showy Black-throated Thrush in North Yorkshire attracted a steady stream of admirers. As did a Black Kite performing daily for Welsh birders. Less easy was an over-wintering Pallid Harrier in Cornwall. Irish birders had a good run with their first Pacific Diver and a putative Thayer's Gull, both in County Galway, and an American Eider in County Donegal. Surrey birders must have been startled by the re-appearance of the previous autumn's Brown Shrike for the first two days of the New Year. Ireland called all the shots in February with a drake Baikal Teal arriving in County Wexford and a Pied-billed Grebe in County Limerick. Back in Britain, new birds were few and far between - a Dusky Warbler in London arrived for a week long stay and a belatedly reported Short-toed Treecreeper turned up in Kent (where else). Several Gyrfalcons, a Snowy Owl and a late influx of Waxwings were more typical winter fare. A southerly airstream mid-month brought a surge of vagrants into Britain with a superb male Lesser Kestrel in Suffolk the undoubted highlight. Birders catching up with this bird could also see one of several Pallid Swifts and some 25 Alpine Swifts. Elsewhere Bedfordshire turned up a female Two-barred Crossbill, Hampshire a Rustic Bunting and Dorset a long-staying, popular Bufflehead. A Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent kept birders guessing as to where and when it would next put in an appearance. April's highlights included the arrival of a territory holding, singing male White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk and two singing Iberian Chiffchaffs in Norfolk and Kent. Had an Irish Roller or the Lincolnshire Calandra Lark hung around both would have been popular birds. Cornish birders enjoyed a singing Savi's Warbler, whilst quick off the mark London birders feasted on a Black-winged Stilt, and equally fast birders in Cleveland caught up with a one-day Black-throated Thrush.
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May had a real North American feel as Britain's first-ever House Finch arrived in Cornwall with a supporting cast of eight, more widely spread, White-throated Sparrows and two Slate-coloured Juncos. Cornwall continued to hog the best birds with a Brown Shrike, although the east coast fought back with a popular Oriental Pratincole in Lincolnshire and a Trumpeter Finch in Norfolk at the month's end. A White-tailed Plover arrived in Merseyside and then started a tour of the country. Many a birder will have travelled to Gwent for the delightful singing male Marmora's Warbler. More enthusiastic souls ventured over to listen to Lundy's nightly visiting Barolo Shearwater. Other 'untwitchables' included a Bridled Tern in Northumberland, a Brunnich's Guillemot in Orkney and a Pallas's Reed Bunting in the North Sea. The obliging House Finch was relocated in Devon. A Collared Flycatcher arrived in the Outer Hebrides, a Thrush Nightingale in Norfolk and three more White-throated Sparrows. Highlight of the month was the singing, male River Warbler in Norfolk, whilst the White-tailed Plover settled long enough for most birders, in Kent. A Franklin's Gull was found in Staffordshire whilst Irish birders added Laughing Gull, American Herring Gull and a Madeiran Petrel off County Cork. Seawatchers also grabbed a couple of Fea's Petrels off Cornwall and Pembrokeshire. Further north a Black-headed Bunting visited Highland. Little Bittern was confirmed breeding in Somerset. August's best bird was a two-day mainland (for once) Sykes's Warbler in Northumberland, quickly followed by another, more typically, in Shetland. A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in East Yorkshire hung around long enough for birders in the north; not so a fabulous Red-necked Stint in Dorset. Norfolk turned up Booted Warbler and Lesser Grey Shrike, Shetland replied with Paddyfield Warbler and three Arctic Warblers. Waders reappeared with a popular Baird's Sandpiper in Notts and Broad-billed Sandpiper in Essex.
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
Britain's second Alder Flycatcher was undoubtedly the month's highlight arriving in very unsettled weather in Norfolk. Other nearctic delights included Northern Parula in Argyll and Swainson's Thrush in Shetland, where a string of Siberian vagrants included White's Thrush and Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler. East Yorkshire replied with a Brown Flycatcher and Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. A House Crow in Ireland unblocked many a list. Birders also witnessed an influx of Buff-breasted Sandpipers. Extreme rarities arrived more or less daily in October. An American Bittern in Cornwall unblocked many lists. The Scillies produced Western Black-eared Wheatear, Pied Wheatear and Grey-cheeked Thrush. Suffolk contributed an Isabelline Wheatear. The Outer Hebrides produced two Hermit Thrushes and Orkney a moribund Rufous-tailed Robin. Irish birders found Myrtle Warbler and Northern Harrier. Elsewhere, a Bobolink in Wales, a Solitary Sandpiper in Devon and a belatedly identified Common Nighthawk in Co.Durham. The month's highlight was an arrival of Northern Harriers, with two birds in Ireland and a third in Norfolk. An adult Thayer's Gull in Essex also proved a tricky ID challenge. More straightforward were an American Robin in Devon and a Pied-billed Grebe in Manchester. Ireland also hosted an American Coot in Co. Mayo and two Buff-bellied Pipits. North-east birders found a Brown Shrike in E.Yorks and a Desert Wheatear in Northumberland. Thirty-plus records of Red-flanked Bluetail were exceptional. December was decidedly quieter as the year somewhat fizzled out. The annually returning Pacific Diver reappeared in Cornwall for its fifth winter. The heaviest snow for thirty years brought a White-tailed Eagle to Sussex. Hordes of Waxwings started to drift south. A Lesser White-fronted Goose took up residence in Norfolk. A Slate-coloured Junco was belatedly reported from an Essex garden. Another Pied-billed Grebe was found in County Cork.
September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010

Photos from top left: Black-throated Thrush copyright Craig Shaw; Black Kite copyright Gary Thoburn; Lesser Kestrel copyright Jan Hein van Steenis; Iberian Chiffchaff copyright James Lowen; House Finch copyright Andy Jordan; Marmora's Warbler copyright David Hutton; White-tailed Plover copyright Simon Smethurst; Sykes's Warbler copyright Dougie Preston; Alder Flycatcher copyright Chris Galvin; Black-eared Wheatear copyright Steve Arlow; Northern Harrier copyright Sean Nixon; Ross's Goose copyright Darren Robson.

You can search thousands of photos from 2010 and earlier for other rare birds - simply go to any gallery and use the search feature on the left hand bar. Many thanks to all the photographers who have 'showcased' their work on surfbirds in 2010.