2004 – Rarity Round-up.

January

January got of to a fantastic start with my first ever American Robin. This bird; a 1st winter female was present on an industrial site in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. A Waxwing in the same area was also noteworthy. The only other birds of note during this month was the long-staying Common Crane in North Cumbria, a drake Lesser Scaup at Castle Loch in Dumfries & Galloway and two Richardson’s Canada Geese at Caerlaverock in the same county.

February

Febuary’s highlights were a drake King Eider at Loch Ryan in Dumfries and Galloway, a drake Ring-necked Duck and two drake Lesser Scaup at Milton Loch (Dumfries & Galloway), the two Richardson’s Canada Geese at Caerlaverock (Dumfries & Galloway) and the long staying Common Crane in North Cumbria.

March

March started very quietly, with the only bird of note being the long-staying Common Crane in North Cumbria. However the month ended with my second new species of the year; an very showy Alpine Swift at Scarborough in Yorkshire!

April

The first rarity of the month came in the form of two Red-rumped Swallows in North Yorkshire and a White-headed Duck in Teeside. Views of a Hoopoe in Eldroth (Lancashire) during the second week of April was a nice bonus. A drake Bufflehead in West Yorkshire was my third new bird of the year, what a superb bird it was! The month ended in style when I found a Pectoral Sandpiper at North Plains in Cumbria!

May

May was a surprisingly quiet month; besides the long-staying Common Crane being ever present in North Cumbria, the only bird of note was a colour-ringed Great White Egret present near the months end at Leighton Moss in Lancashire.

June

June started reasonably well with a White Stork near Ruthwell in Dumfries and Galloway. A Scops Owl at Loch of Strathbeg was certainly a major highlight; a new bird for me! Good numbers of Storm Petrel off Workington during the latter part of the month was also very memorable!

July

July was another interesting month; with the highlights coming in the form of a splendid Ruddy Shelduck in Cumbria and a superb breeding plumaged male Lesser Sandplover (of the form mongolus) at Aberlady Bay in Lothian.

August

August was a very quiet month, with no major rarities observed. However a Wryneck at Marsden Quarry in County Durham ,two Red-backed Shrikes (juvenile on Holy Island and  an adult female at Newbiggin) and a Black Redstart in Northumberland were nice additions for the year.

September

A mad dash to the Isles of Scilly near the months end produced Septembers highlights. A Cream-coloured Courser on St Martin’s was the main attraction, with a supporting cast of Short-toed Lark and three Buff-breasted Sandpipers on St Mary’s!

October

October as to be expected was a bumper month for rarities! The month started with my second ever Western Sandpiper (a juvenile in Dorset). The a weeks holiday on the Isles of Scilly produced more views of the Cream-coloured Courser (which had moved to St Mary’s) and Short-toed Lark. Raddes’s Warbler, Serin (two), Yellow-browed Warbler, Greenland Redpoll, Wryneck, Corncrake (two) and Lapland Bunting were all great supporting cast! Other noteworthy birds were my first Squacco Heron (Northumberland), Pallas’s Warbler and Barred Warbler (also in Northumberland). My second ever Pied Wheatear was also a great bonus on another trip to Northumberland! However the very last day of the month roduced the biggest surprise; Britain’s first Masked Shrike at Kilrenny in Fife!

November

After the business of October; November was a lot quieter. There were no new species that I was able to connect with. However another trip to Northumberland produced more views of the Squacco Heron observed the previous month.

December

December was a very quiet month for rarities and scarcities. A Rough-legged Buzzard in Northumberland was the main highlight.

Summary

2004 had not been a classic year for numbers of rarities, however it had been a year for some very high quality birds. American Robin, Cream-coloured Courser (first British record for 20 years) and Britain’s first Masked Shrike are almost certainly some of the highlights. I certainly had an excellent year and managed to see no less than ten new species of bird.