Stephen Welch

The cover of British Birds, November 2024, with a Glossy Ibis illustration

Our most recent report, Rare Breeding Birds in the UK in 2022, is now available open access on our website at tinyurl.com/2xf23keu
All reports dating back to 1973 can be found at rbbp.org.uk/annual-repor....
Our next report, for 2023, will be published in @britishbirds.bsky.social in November

Final bonus pics of the sharp beaks lying in wait, confirming sexes of Sparrowhawks, ad f and ad m, so presumably a pair - plenty of food to share out...

20:05hrs Final rapid entry with birds dropping like stones into the reedbed, continued to 20:06hrs with only a few still out thereafter, though 100+ flushed out by a duck c. 20:10hrs [12/12]

20:03hrs Sparrowhawk finally departed towards NE pursued by mobbing Swallows, now perhaps only 2-3k birds remaining in high cloud [11/12]

20:00hrs Birds twisting and turning low over reedbed, some still bouncing and circling round again [10/12]

19:59hrs Further views of clouds of birds before main entry started [9/10]

19:59hrs Huge clouds of birds again in every direction [8/10]

19:58hrs Approaching roost again suggestions of in excess of 10k birds [7/10]

19:57hrs Still an absolutely enormous cloud of Swallows up, looking east and beyond end of tanks [6/10]

19:56hrs Swallows now approaching reeds but most not entering, "bouncing", but possibly first entries [5/10]

19:54hrs Sparrowhawks both chasing into and low over reedbed, male then female, perhaps assisting count by keeping birds out of the roost for longer, though 16 mins after sunset still quite early [4/10]

ad f Sparrowhawk on fence joined by a second bird; ad m Sparrowhawk seen later on track by reedbed so likely a pair despite lack of obvious size difference [3/10]

At 19:48hrs up to 5k Swallows, sample counts for age breakdown based on obvious long tail streamers on ad m (9 in 111), suggests the vast majority of birds c. 85% are juveniles [2/10]

c. 300 birds had arrived by sunset 19:38hrs, some Pied Wags dropped into roost; first video here 19:46hrs when up to c. 3k Swallows, Sand Martin also heard but very few, and Sparrowhawk perched on fence lying in wait [1/10]

Phragmites reedbed

Phrgamites reedbed

Closer view of tops of reeds

Swallows low over reedbed

Mega hirundine roost continues at Blindwells Minewater Treatment Scheme, in tall phragmites reeds on middle tank (55.962,-2.938), 10k+ Swallows on 12/9/25, sample 8% ad m, 2 Sparrowhawk in attendance; 10x 720p videos follow, full: app.box.com/s/k3xq53bsbg... #birdingscotland @btoscotland.bsky.social

juvs on wires would suggest pre-migration, however I'm not sure they necessarily all go south, dispersal around UK to good feeding areas before main departures might also happen. New post on this gathering, suspect your bird was present again but could not get an clear view bsky.app/profile/loth...

Last video...

The mega Blindwells hirundine roost has now completely transformed from >99% Sand Martin to >99% Swallow, approx numbers in the 6-7k range on last three evenings, with attention from local Sparrowhawk and an all white Swallow seen, poss from further south*...

* bsky.app/.../lothianr...

One more, Flamborough 28/7/25, c/o Brett, though this is a "brown" mutation and seems to be more extensively reddish on throat. Hope can get a better view of "ours", though probably unlikely... www.birdguides.com/gallery/bird...

And a juv being fed in Suffolk on 9 August, c/o Phil Spraggins here*. Is it too fanciful that they could all be same bird - hirundine build up here could easily involve coasting birds from further south, 800+ feeding over sea at Port Seton early evening...

* bsky.app/profile/phil...

Interesting obs - for info/by coincidence there was an all-white Swallow today at the mega hirundine roost at Blindwells, East Lothian, among 6k+ Swallows (10k+ Sand Martin in late July):

bsky.app/profile/loth...

One today - all white Swallow - in the mega hirundine roost at Blindwells minewater treatment scheme reedbeds, East Lothian - 6k+ Swallows present, previously 10k+ Sand Martins on 22 July*...

* bsky.app/profile/loth...

Garganey & Spotted Redshank @ Angle Park, Garganey @ Morton Lochs, 112 Mediterranean Gull @ Easy Wemyss, 3 Curlew Sandpiper @ Guardbridge
08/09/25

Another lanky young LWHG, watched for barely a minute on rocks behind Seton harbour late pm; no open wing, underwing or tail, but strong Casp features: grey saddle, muted contrast replaced scaps, uniform pale brown median coverts, solid brown base greaters and tertials, pale-headed with hint of mask

Colonies in Mandal area historically nearly entirely intermedius*, fitting appearance of this bird with relatively pale back; also another presumed intermedius on Seton Burn, where several logged in late Aug - late Oct in recent years, but normally no proof! * gull-research.org/fuscus/fuscu... [2/2]

A red letter day: at Wrecked Craigs earlier ad LBB black-J674U nearly alone on rocks, an intermedius type from literally last rocks on southern tip of Norway; there are 5 previous ringing recoveries from Norway in online ringing report for Scotland: app.bto.org/ring/countyr... #birdingscotland [1/2]

Tucked in, then briefly awoke, I had to leave... [6/6]

Settling on Long Craigs [5/6]

All the large gulls flew out with many gathering on Long Craigs chain, picked it up alone on the furthest west rock (520m range), had a yawn, then sat, then tucked in so might have roosted... [4/6]