Twitchers gather for rare sighting: Hudsonian Godwit is spotted in the UK for only the third time after making a 4,000 mile detour to Somerset | Daily Mail Online Twitchers gather for rare sighting: Hudsonian Godwit is spotted in the UK for only the third time after making a 4,000 mile detour to Somerset Rare bird was heading from South America to breeding grounds in Alaska Large shorebird - with long beak and spindly legs - last seen in UK in 1988 Over the weekend, more than 1,000 twitchers had lined the water's edge comments More than a thousand twitchers travelled to Somerset this weekend after a rare bird was spotted for only the third time in the UK. They descended on the West Country when a Hudsonian Godwit made a 4,000 mile detour from South America. It is believed the large shorebird - that was heading to its breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska - was last seen in the UK in 1988.

The Hudsonian Godwit was spotted at the Shapwick Heath in Somerset and drew scores of bird watchers More than a thousand bird watchers and photographers lined the water's edge to catch a glimpse of the bird The wader - with a long beak and spindly legs - is now inhabiting the same space as its English counterparts, the Black Tailed Godwit at the Shapwick Heath, in Somerset. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share The commotion started when a birdwatcher identified one of the rare birds on the Somerset Levels and word got around. Over the weekend, more than 1,000 twitchers had lined the water's edge. The wader is now inhabiting the same space as its English counterparts, the Black Tailed Godwit Photographers line the water's shore to take the perfect shot of the rare bird, only in the UK for the third time BIRD LAST SEEN IN THE UK IN 1988 Each spring the Hudsonian Godwit heads from South America to its breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska. In good weather, many birds make the trip south without stopping. A small number migrate in the wrong direction. These birds forage by probing in shallow water.

They mainly eat insects and crustaceans. Both parents look after the young birds, who find their own food and are able to fly within a month of hatching. Their numbers were reduced by hunting at the end of the 19th century. One birdwatcher Michael Trew, 70, said word spread about the bird via an online forum at 7.30am yesterday. The retired quantity surveyor said: 'By the time I got there at about 9.30am there was the best part of 200 people there, but about 1,000 had turned up by the time I left. 'I think the last time anyone saw one of these it was about 30 years ago. 'It's not a migrating bird - it's not supposed to be here at all - and we can only assume it is one that has got lost. 'We only think that it has got mixed up in a flock of migrating birds and made its way here. It is quite a strange affair. We don't know how long it has even been here.

'It was spotted by someone who thought 'that one looks a bit different' but these things have to be verified before you get people driving from all over the place to see it. 'Someone came and checked and the word went out about 7.30am. 'I have only been bird watching for five years so it is quite good to have seen one - some people will have waited 30 years. 'They have just built a new car park down there which is just as well because it was filled and then double parked. 'It was a really nice day with everyone down there.' Archie's British Birding Blog Deluxe: MEGA ALERT: The HUDSONIAN GODWIT in Somerset Archie's British Birding Blog Deluxe “Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” ― George Eliot (1819-1880) Saturday, 25 April 2015 MEGA ALERT: The HUDSONIAN GODWIT in Somerset HUDSONIAN GODWIT (summer female) Shapwick Heath NNR, Somerset. Photo by Steve Nuttall Well what a week that was!

Following the shenanigans down on the Isles of Scilly with the GREAT BLUE HERON recently, who would have thought that another huge American MEGA would make landfall in Britain quite so soon? Well, my spooky, aviform related sixth sense must have been picking up the rarity vibe because this weekend I was due to enjoy a relaxing few days with Nadia in Cumbria. The plan was to head north early on Saturday morning, attend the Workington vs FC United of Manchester match (new ground tick), check into a comfy B&B and then spend Sunday birding the beautiful Lake District. On Friday night though, the weather was not looking too great up there and I had already witnessed FC United become champions of the Northern Premier League earlier in the week with a sneaky 1-0 victory over Stourbridge. The four hour drive did not appeal too much either, especially after the motoring exertions to Penzance and back on Monday. We decided to cancel. So as Saturday morning broke and as Nadia and I discussed the pros and cons of installing a new 'double sink' in the kitchen, I was saved from having to search for my tape measure by an incoming call.

This time it was Steve Richards as opposed to Steve Nuttall. Perhaps he had located a Hoopoe or something equally as tasty at his beloved Gailey Reservoir? "Have you seen your pager?" were his first words. To be honest I did not even know where my pager was, a schoolboy error really to let it out of my sight at this time of the year. He then continued with the amazing news that a HUDSONIAN GODWIT had been found in Somerset. The next few minutes were a bit of a blur but I do remember trying to brush my teeth while forcing my feet into a pair of trainers at the same time. This multi-tasking was simultaneously carried out as I attempted to convey to Nadia just how f*cking rare this species of nearctic wading bird actually was in Britain! The godwit flock at Shapwick Heath NNR, Somerset. Photo by Adam Archer By 10.30am and after a safe and leisurely tootle down the M5, we were on site at the new Ham Wall RSPB car park.

After a wheezy scarper down the old railway line and onto the Shapwick Heath part of the reserve complex, we set up our scopes to commence the scan of fate. A large flock of Black-tailed Godwits were distributed liberally across the back of the shallow mere. Most of them were fast asleep but a few were quite active, wading the shallows and probing the mud as they went. Amongst the group was a single, very dark individual. Even at a distance the bird stood out from the other godwits with a more delicate stature, a very slight upturn to the tip of the two-toned bill and the heavily barred under-tail coverts. We were watching only the third HUDSONIAN GODWIT to ever grace these wonderful isles we are lucky enough to call home. HUDSONIAN GODWIT (summer female) The sexiest leggy bird to have hit Glastonbury since Beyonce in 2011! Photo by Adam Archer After catching up with a few familiar faces from the West Midlands, we then strolled over the road to the Ham Wall RSPB reserve.

A handsome summer-plumaged Great White Egret was enjoyed as it hunted the shallows of the main lagoon and my first Cuckoo and Garden Warbler of the year were spotted too. There were also more Hobby showing well, hunting over the extensive network of reed beds and our fourth Great White Egret of the day flew slowly overhead. To cap off a truly superb day a male Wood Warbler then showed well near Ashcott Road and just as we were about to pull out of the car park a Bittern flew over. The HUDSONIAN GODWIT in Great Britain This enigmatic species has a disjunctive breeding range in Alaska and parts of northern Canada, east to Hudson Bay. In autumn, birds gather in large numbers in James Bay at the southern end of Hudson Bay for the long migration south. They can often fly thousands of miles without stopping and spend the winter in South America, mostly in Argentina and Tierra del Fuego. As mentioned previously, the Somerset bird is just the third record of this species for the whole of Great Britain and Ireland and is the first twitchable bird for thirty two long years.

The previous records are as follows: 1988 - Aberdeenshire - Slains Pools, Collieston - 26th September only. 1983 - Yorkshire - Blacktoft Sands - 26th April to 6th May (presumed to be the same bird as 1981). 1981 - Devon - Countess Wier, Exeter - 22nd November to 14th January 1982. 1981 - Yorkshire - Blacktoft Sands - 10th September to 3rd October. Special thanks must go to Somerset birder Tom Raven for finding the bird on Friday evening, identifying it overnight and distributing the news early on Saturday morning. You have made a lot of birders extremely happy pal, well done. Big thanks to Steve Nuttall too for the use of his excellent sanps...... miles better than my efforts! Posted by Pixie Birding: Hudsonian Godwit - Meare Heath, Somerset! Tuesday, 28 April 2015 Hudsonian Godwit - Meare Heath, Somerset!

Hoping to catch up with the Blue-winged Teal at Donna Nook for Zac and Alex, I was awake bright and early on the Saturday morning, ready to make the 3 hour journey over to Lincolnshire with them. However, checking my phone after breakfast, I was stunned to see a MEGA alert at 7:30am telling me there was a Hudsonian Godwit present down at Meare Heath in Somerset!!! What on earth?!! All thoughts of the teal were hastily forgotten, and by 9am just after the report was confirmed again on Birdguides we were on our way down the M6 hoping to connect with this special American mega! Making good time and luckily not becoming ensnared in any of the previous night’s congestion, we arrived on site just after 12, buoyed by the stream of reports coming through twitter and on RBA to reassure us of the birds presence and thankful that there were enough car parking spaces in the newly built car park to hold the masses that would be arriving throughout the day. Special thanks to Alex who got us there in good time, complete with dodgy overtaking moves along the way!

Arriving at the small flash just a short walk down the path from the car park, the birds location was soon betrayed by the absolutely HUGE line of birders assembled along the path watching it – one of the biggest twitches I’ve been at to date – perhaps only behind the Short-toed Eagle in Dorset on the first morning and the Little Bustard at Fraisthorpe on New Year’s Day. The crowds stretched all down the path... ....and down the other side! We joined the 400 or so others and soon locked on to the bird, looking extremely settled and roosting happily with the Black-tailed Godwits just over the bank. It was immediately recognisable though the scope – much darker than the accompanying Godwits with a more dusky coloured plumage due to the heavy barring - a lot more distinctive than I’d anticipated and easily distinguishable! Occasionally it awoke, showing the long two toned bill briefly, before tucking it away underneath the wing again. It was EXTREMELY fortunate that this hadn’t turned up where viewing was only from a hide – I can only imagine the sheer chaos and pandemonium a scenario like that would have caused!

Eventually, our rare visitor awoke, and wading through the flock the differences in comparison to the Black-tailed Godwits were even more striking. The fractionally smaller body and longer bill were evident, the latter of which was distinctly orange toned, completely different to the pinkish wash of the Black-tailed Godwits. Every now and again the Hudsonian would flap and flick it’s wings revealing the jet black colouration underneath– the key identifying feature – and the crowd reacted with admiring “ooohs” every time! An aberrant Black-tailed Godwit with a particularly well marked white head got pulses racing back in 2012 at the local Frodsham Marsh, although after some speculation, the white underwing covets seen the next day completely ruled out Hudsonian even though the head and bill looked spot on – proving just how vital getting good views of the underwings is in nailing this species. Alex's video grab of the black underwings!

The barring on the plumage was really apparent The Hudsonian departed from the reserve shortly after 4pm with a third of the flock of Godwits, and flying off high to the west there was no sign since that day – a great surprise for the weekend. This mega American wader was definitely NOT on my radar and was most certainly not a bird that I was expecting to see any time soon – it just goes to show in the world of birding that all it takes is one bird to unexpectedly unblock a species not seen in Britain for nearly 30 years. Thankfully the stars aligned this weekend to provide the perfect twitch – if it had turned up on a weekday then it would have been an entirely different scenario for many filled with stress and panic! The bird had actually previously been spotted the evening before roosting with the Godwit flock, but it wasn’t until early the next morning that the observer clinched the ID and alerted the masses! The darker colouration stood out even from a distance There have only been two previous records of Hudsonian Godwit accepted in the UK, usually found in Central America on migration and only occasionally making it over this side of the Atlantic.

With the most recent being a flyover record in Aberdeenshire back in 1988, the only other bird was a well twitched individual that was first found at Blacktoft Sands in Yorkshire in the autumn of 1981, before being relocated down in Devon where it subsequently spent the winter. Remarkably, the same individual was seen again back at Blacktoft a year later in the spring of 1983! With this in mind, there is every chance that the Godwit could get refound elsewhere in the country. The reserve itself was a great place to spend the afternoon, with a calling Wood Warbler near the car park and brief views of a skulky Garden Warbler in the Hawthorns lining the path – its location given away by the beautiful melodious song coming from between the leaves. A Bittern booming in the reeds behind us provided the perfect soundtrack, and the soaring Marsh Harriers, Hobbies and chattering Cetti’s Warblers were my first of the year.

We also caught sight of two Cranes circling high overhead - a reminder of the success of the Great Crane Reintroduction Project in the levels, as well as numerous flyover Great White Egrets – surely a sign of breeding on the reserve again this year. With the breeding Little Bitterns at Ham Wall, it will be great to return to this fantastic little reserve again in the summer months. Posted by Mark Golley's weekly birding round-up 22 - 28 Apr 2015 Weekly round-up: 22 - 28 Apr 2015 At a glance First twitchable Hudsonian Godwit for 32 years in Somerset Great Blue Heron still on Scilly Pied-billed Grebe in Gloucestershire, and then in Lancashire Spanish Wagtail in Yorkshire Harlequins still in Aberdeenshire and Highland Anticyclonic conditions persisted into the early part of the review period, bringing respectable temperatures for those ‘down south’ and inland. However, for anyone near a North Sea coast the weather felt anything but balmy, with the onshore wind and associated cloud ensuring that full winter gear was still required.

Fortunately, however, a warm south-westerly flow kicked in on 24th which persisted into 25th. A further change in the weather then took place overnight as a cold front edged slowly south across the whole country to bring a return to a cold, crisp northerly airflow from 26th. Hudsonian Godwit Hudsonian Godwit, Meare Heath, Somerset (© James Packer - The Somerset Birder ) The obvious highlight of the week was the astonishing news early on 25th that a Hudsonian Godwit was in residence at Meare Heath, Somerset. First seen the evening before, its early confirmation ensured that this was a quick and easy twitch for anyone within a few hours’ drive. And it was a very welcome one too, a final ‘unblocking’ of a rarity that had slowly acquired mythical status over the 32 years since it was last twitchable in Britain. Finders-in-the-field It's all systems go; texts, tweet, calls, many of which don’t work until I get back to the carpark, and I’m late for work!! But strangely, I’m buzzing and nothing in the world is going to worry me. Not for a day, at any rate.

Read Tom Raven's Hudsonian Godwit finders' account here Those quick off the mark enjoyed good views and a stress-free twitch but unfortunately the bird suddenly flew off west with a few Black-tailed Godwits at 4.15pm and was not relocated by dark. Against expectations, it was not back the next morning so it seems genuinely to have moved on. The chances of a relocation must be high, however. Many of the places frequented by Black-tailed Godwits are well-watched nature reserves and this is something of a ‘standout’ bird. The striking black underwing is of course the thing to look for but the photographs of the bird in Somerset also show quite well its relatively narrow upper wing-bar compared with that of Black-tailed Godwit. Only two Hudsonian Godwits have ever made it to Britain. The first was at Blacktoft Sands, Yorkshire on 10th September to 3rd October 1981 before it was relocated that same autumn at Countess Wear, Devon.

Here it remained from 22nd November to 14th January 1982 and was then presumed to have gone until, amazingly, it reappeared at Blacktoft Sands from 26th April to 6th May 1983. After the final Blacktoft appearance the trail really did go cold but the species remained just about on the radar thanks to a one-day bird at Slains Pools, Collieston, Aberdeenshire on 26th September 1988. Since then, however, there has not been a sniff of one in Britain. Hudsonian Godwit, Meare, Somerset and Bristol, (© Peter Moore) Hudsonian Godwit, Meare, Somerset and Bristol, (© Peter Moore) What makes this species a particularly special find here is that it is not always an easy bird to see in its home range of North America. It breeds very locally across Alaska, the northwest Canadian Arctic and around the western fringe of Hudson Bay but then undertakes a direct oversea migration to northern South America, largely missing out the ‘lower forty-eight’ states.

From here it continues south to its winter quarters in the southern half of South America, some reaching the very southernmost tip of the continent. For those who were twitching in the early 1980s this was one of the highlights of a real ‘golden era’ which also yielded such delights as Little Whimbrel, White-crowned Black Wheatear, Green Warbler, American Redstart and Varied Thrush. A repeat of any of these other ‘early 1980s blockers’ would now also generate something of a stampede. Hudsonian Godwit, Meare Heath, Somerset (© Steve Evans ) Great Blue Heron Though knocked into second place this week, the Scilly Great Blue Heron remained a prime draw, still attracting a steady stream of would-be admirers. Though still prone to sudden disappearances to Tresco, the bird was again most often to be found on Bryher’s Big Pool where many enjoyed exceptional views until 26th. There was, however, no sign of it at its favoured Bryher and Tresco locations on 27th but then, when all seemed lost, it reappeared at Lower Moors, St. Mary’s in the late afternoon.

Next day it was still on St. Mary’s, at first in Old Town Bay and then on Lower Moors again. It will be interesting to see how long this bird now lingers. Talk of it still being there in the autumn may be a little premature but it’s still there… Seeing it will not get any easier though. An island-wandering (and now less frequently reported) bird on Scilly is truly the stuff of twitching nightmares! Great Blue Heron, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, (© Ashley Fisher) Great Blue Heron, Bryher, Isles of Scilly (© Steve Evans ) Pied-billed Grebe Another great discovery this week (and continuing the transatlantic theme) was Gloucestershire’s first ever Pied-billed Grebe on the Severn Estuary at Berkeley on 24th and then, somewhat miraculously, refound at Leighton Moss, Lancashire on 25th where it remained until 28th. These things can be skulking, and in non-breeding plumage a little dull, but this stunning band-billed, black-throated and white-spectacled creature was, judging by the photographs, not only gorgeous but ‘showing well’.

Pied-billed Grebe, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, (© Allan Chard) Pied-billed Grebe, Berkeley, Gloucestershire (© Helly Horro ) Pied-billed Grebe, Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire and North Merseyside, (© Jon Worthington) Pied-billed Grebe, Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire and North Merseyside (© Pete Hines ) This was only the forty-third British record and only another eleven have reached Ireland. Records are not spread evenly across the years, however. After a good run from the early nineties to the early noughties, this species disappeared from the scene entirely for six years until the arrival of four birds in 2010 restored its fortunes. Apparent Spanish Wagtail The most intriguing (and perhaps even the rarest) bird of the week was a Spanish Wagtail candidate seen briefly at Filey Dams, Yorkshire on 22nd. The precise status of Spanish Wagtail in Britain is somewhat obscure. It is not on the British List but it is a highly likely vagrant and several have been suspected over the years.

However, there are potential confusion risks with white-throated first-summer male Blue-headed Wagtail, with Spanish x Blue-headed Wagtail intergrades and with Spanish x Ashy-headed Wagtail intergrades. Spanish x Blue-headed Wagtails are frequent in coastal western France whilst Spanish x Ashy-headed Wagtails are the norm along the French Mediterranean coast. Indeed so common are the latter that some authorities treat these two subspecies together (and also Egyptian Wagtail) as ‘Southern Wagtail’ or ‘White-throated Wagtail’, some even granting it species status. In recognition of these difficulties (and as either would be a national rarity) some birds in Britain have been accepted as ‘Spanish/Ashy-headed’. The Filey bird was well photographed and with its dark grey head, narrow white supercilium and wholly white, sharply demarcated throat it looks ‘just the job’. It was also apparently heard to give an ‘un flava-like’ call (Spanish and Ashy-headed Wagtails typically give a ‘rolling’ or ‘stuttering’ call with a pronounced ‘r’ sound although, just to confuse, some also give calls identical to our own Yellow Wagtail).

Could this Filey bird therefore be the first acceptable British record of Spanish Wagtail? In this respect it is worth noting that a number of the currently accepted ‘southern’ wagtails (i.e. Ashy-headed or Spanish/Ashy-headed) have occurred in April and that this is therefore perhaps the best time to look for one in Britain. Apparent Spanish Wagtail, Filey, North Yorkshire (© Mark Pearson - Northern Rustic Blog ) Apparent Spanish Wagtail, Filey, North Yorkshire (© Mark Pearson - Northern Rustic Blog ) Harlequins Finally, both Scottish Harlequins remained until the end of another review week, the first-winter drake still in Aberdeen and the female still at Brora, Highland to 28th. Harlequins at Aberdeen and Brora (© Steve Evans ) Seabirds Continuing the now expected spring White-billed Diver bonanza in the waters off Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, at least eight were counted from a boat on 22nd and five on 27th. Others were between South Ronaldsay and Burray, Orkney to 28th and off Cullen, Moray on 27th.

White-billed Diver, Portsoy, Aberdeenshire (© Baz Scampion ) White-billed Diver, Buckie, Moray, (© Chris Morgan) Otherwise, seabird action was limited though the merest hints of the forthcoming Pomarine Skua passage were evident, with a single past St. Catherine’s Point, Isle of Wight on 25th and one from a boat off Mine Head, Waterford on 26th. Herons, Egrets & allies Great White Egrets continued to be obvious with over twenty scattered around southern England, most notably up to six at Shapwick Heath, Somerset. Hopefully we will hear the ‘pitter patter’ of tiny egret feet before too long… Further afield, singles were at Tacumshin, Wexford on 26th and, most remarkably, one graced Benbecula, Outer Hebrides on 23rd to 26th.

Great White Egret, Shapwick Heath NNR, Somerset and Bristol, (© Michael Trew) Now relatively rare again, two Cattle Egrets were still at Dungeness, Kent to 2nd at least whilst up to three Night Herons continued to fly around St. Mary’s, Scilly until at least 26th. Two more flew over Kinsley, West Yorkshire on 24th with another lingering at Attenborough Gravel Pits, Notts on 26th to 27th. To complete the rare heron line-up, a Purple Heron was at Drift Reservoir, Cornwall on 28th. Night Heron, Attenborough, Nottinghamshire, (© Tony Davison) Night Heron, Attenborough, Nottinghamshire (© Alan Shaw ) Other long-legged birds included single Glossy Ibises at Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire to 28th and at Gonalston, Nottinghamshire on 25th to 28th and potentially wild White Storks at Solva Pembrokeshire on 22nd and 23rd and at Beckenham, London on 25th.

Glossy Ibis, Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire (© Dc S ) Geese and Ducks Late lingering geese included two Tundra Bean Geese at Dungeness, Kent to 25th with others at Chichester Gravel Pits, West Sussex on 26th and on Yell, Shetland on 27th. A Taiga Bean Goose was at Haverton Hole, Cleveland on 24th and two unspecified ‘Bean Geese’ were on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire on 25th. A Black Brant remained on the Lincolnshire shore of the Wash until at least 27th. There was relatively little action in the duck department this week, mainly just a few late birds hanging on. At sea, a King Eider was still on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire to 28th and a Surf Scoter off Hoylake, Wirral on 23rd and 24th.

As for freshwater diving ducks, Lesser Scaups were at Martnaham Loch, Ayrshire and at Cardiff Bay, Glamorgan to 28th, Ring-necked Ducks on Lough Swilly, Donegal on 22nd, at Standlake Common, Oxfordshire (three) to 27th and at Knockaderry Reservoir, Waterford on 27th. A few ‘dabblers’ were also noted. The drake Blue-winged Teal at Donna Nook, Lincolnshire remained to 28th whilst drake American Wigeons were at Tacumshin, Wexford to 28th and Birsay, Orkney to at least 26th and Holywell Pond, Northumberland to 28th. Drake Green-winged Teals were at Radford Meadows, Staffordshire on 23rd and 24th, at Alkborough Flats, Lincolnshire on 24th to 27th, at Greylake, Somerset on 25th and on Tresco, Scilly on 27th.

Blue-winged Teal, Donna Nook, Lincolnshire (© Graham Catley ) Blue-winged Teal, Donna Nook, Lincolnshire (© Graham Catley ) Blue-winged Teal, Donna Nook, Lincolnshire (© Alex H Jones ) Raptors Given the date and the sudden blast of warm French air it was no surprise to see the odd Black Kite making the headlines. The first was at Spurn, Yorkshire on 22nd with presumably the same bird at Grassington, North Yorkshire on 23rd. Next came a bird at Minsmere, Suffolk on 24th with Norfolk reports from West Beckham and West Somerton on 25th both perhaps referring to this bird. Finally, one reached about as far north as it is possible to get, being seen first over Sumburgh, mainland Shetland on 25th and then at Exnaboe on 26th and Tingwall on 27th. Another was then at Penberth, Cornwall on 27th. Right on cue also, the year’s first Montagu’s Harriers started to arrive.

Singles were at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset and Sunk Island, Yorkshire on 25th, at Wallasea Island, Essex on 27th and at Willingdon, East Sussex on 28th. The best news, however, concerned the arrival of a displaying pair at Blacktoft Sands, Yorkshire. Black Kite, Exnaboe, Shetland, (© Roger Riddington) Last week’s adult White-tailed Eagle also found the warm winds to its liking, continuing its grand tour of East Anglia. It was at Repps-with-Bastwick, Norfolk on 23rd and then reappeared over Salthouse in the late morning of 25th before being tracked westward past Cley, Blakeney Point, Holkham, Burnham Overy Dunes and Holme before crossing the Wash to Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire in mid-afternoon.

White-tailed Eagle, Blakeney, Norfolk, (© Paul Bishop) Finally, a few late Rough-legged Buzzards were still on offer, including birds at Berney Marshes/Breydon Water, Norfolk on 22nd, Brantingham, Yorkshire on 23rd and, in the same county, Flamborough on 24th and two at Spurn on 25th. Elsewhere, one was at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire on 25th with another still at Lochindorb, Highland on 27th and one at Burniston, Yorkshire on 28th. Rough-legged Buzzard, Spurn, Yorkshire, (© Martin Standley) Crakes A Spotted Crake heard singing at Leighton Moss, Lancashire from 25th made a suitable accompaniment to the Pied-billed Grebe present at the same location. Shorebirds Dotterel dominated the wader news during the week though numbers remained low. Up to five frequented the traditional fields at Choseley, Norfolk all week with another over Red Rocks, Wirral on 23rd.

Elsewhere in England, up to four were on Pendle Hill, Lancashire on 26th to 27th, three on Wallasea Island, Essex on 26th and seven at Todmorden, Yorkshire on 28th. Further afield, up to eight were on Slyne Head, Galway between 23rd and 28th and on 27th two were at Loch na Muilne, Lewis, Outer Hebrides and four near New Galloway, Dumfries and Galloway. Dotterel, Pendle Hill, Lancashire and North Merseyside, (© Zac Hinchcliffe) Dotterel, Aillebrack, County Galway, (© Dermot Breen) The week’s rarest waders were two Black-winged Stilts at Trimley Marshes, Suffolk on 26th and a White-rumped Sandpiper on Papa Westray, Orkney on 25th to 28th.

Otherwise, wader news comprised single Kentish Plovers at Cley, Norfolk on 25th and Pegwell Bay, Kent on 27th and a Red-necked Phalarope at Blacktoft Sands, Yorkshire on 26th. Gulls and Terns Three Ring-billed Gulls were recorded during the week – on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall still to 28th, at Daventry Reservoir, Northamptonshire on 22nd to 23rd and at Gwithian, Cornwall on the same dates. In Ireland the second-winter Laughing Gull was still at Ballycotton, Cork to at least 26th. Otherwise the news was of lingering white-winged gulls, with at least 30 Iceland Gulls and at least a dozen Glaucous Gulls . Records were scattered far and wide and mostly involved singles but a count of nine Iceland Gulls in Stornoway harbour, Lewis, Outer Hebrides on 24th was a high count for the end of April. A Kumlien’s Gull was on South Uist, Outer Hebrides on 23rd.

The only notable tern was a White-winged Black Tern at Broom Gravel Pits, Bedfordshire on 24th. White-winged Black Tern, Broom, Bedfordshire (© Jim P) White-winged Black Tern, Broom, Bedfordshire (© Steve Blain ) Owls The only owl of note was a super male Snowy Owl on The Mullet, Mayo on 26th. Snowy Owl, Tarmon, County Mayo, (© Dave Suddaby) Swifts Alpine Swifts failed to respond to the continental flow of air and only one was seen - at Meols, Wirral on 22nd. Passerines By contrast, Red-rumped Swallows put on a better showing. Singles were at Birling Gap, East Sussex and Radipole Lake, Dorset on 22nd, Exminster Marshes, Devon on 23rd, Reculver, Kent on 25th, St. Agnes, Scilly on 25th to 27th and Cliffe Pools, Kent and Easington, Yorkshire on 26th.

Red-rumped Swallow, Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset, (© Michael Trew) Red-rumped Swallow, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, (© Robin Mawer) The other top passerines of the week were a male Subalpine Warbler at Land’s End, Cornwall on 22nd and a female at nearby Kenidjack Valley on 26th, a Red-throated Pipit over Hengistbury Head, Dorset on 24th, a Short-toed Lark on St. Agnes, Scilly from 22nd to 24th and Woodchat Shrikes at Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire on 22nd and Porthgwarra, Cornwall on 27th. Away from the Southwest, however, pickings were slim, the best being a lingering but elusive Little Bunting at Snettisham, Norfolk to 26th, another at Flamborough on 27th and 28th and a Richard’s Pipit at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire on 25th.

Little Bunting, Snettisham, Norfolk, (© Oliver Reville) Little Bunting, Snettisham, Norfolk, (© Penny Clarke) The main news concerned Hoopoes , however, with this spring’s exceptional influx continuing. Twenty-two were logged during the week, most, as expected being in the Southwest though Merseyside, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and Norfolk all scored one apiece. The most atmospheric by far was one seen from ‘The Scillonian’ on 22nd. Hoopoe, Crawley, Hampshire, (© James Fisher) Wrynecks were also prominent, with fourteen recorded. All were in the Southwest but one got as far up the Channel as East Sussex and a lonely bird reached Unst, Shetland on 26th. Also featuring in the Southwest were Golden Orioles with at least four around Scilly during the week, singles at Penlee Point and Stithians Reservoir, both Cornwall, on 26th and at Tacumshin, Wexford on 24th to 25th. Also on Scilly was a Bluethroat , trapped on St. Mary’s on 25th.

The best that could be managed on the east coast was up to three Serins at Landguard, Suffolk and five Shorelarks still on Blakeney Point, Norfolk, with a single at Redcar, Cleveland. Serin, Landguard Nature Reserve, Suffolk, (© Nicholas Brown) The next review week takes us into the magic month of May so the list of potential excitements is as long as you like. As ever, the clue will be in the weather. In the short term, prospects don’t look great as the northerly flow continues for a couple of days yet. After that, however, the wind swings into the southeast before going round to the south and then the southwest. Although its ‘reach’ into the continent isn’t that great, it doesn’t take too much imagination to think along the lines of Pallid Harrier, Citrine Wagtail, Collared Flycatcher……. 29 Apr 2015 Thanks to this week's contributors for their photos, videos and sound files. James Packer, Peter Moore, Steve Evans, Ashley Fisher, Allan Chard, Jon Worthington, Pete Hines, Mark Pearson and Filey Bird Observatory, Chris Morgan, Michael Trew, Tony Davison.

Alan Shaw, Greham Catley, Alex H Jones, Baz Scampion, Roger Riddington. Paul Bishop, Martin Standley, Zac Hinchcliffe, Dermot Breen, Jim P, Steve Blain, Dave Suddaby, Robin Mawer, Oliver Reville, Penny Clarke, James Fisher, Nicholas Brown. Please check out our contributor's websites for more superb birding photos, videos and more. Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) adult, breeding BirdGuides rarity status: Mega For the purposes of our bird news services, this species is classed as Mega : species that have not yet occurred in the British Isles or are exceedingly rare, or are otherwise highly desirable. Most recent reports of Hudsonian Godwit 09:38 19/09/15 Our premium bird information service, Bird News Extra , has full details of all these birds (including exact locations, directions and additional detail). Click here to take a free tour of Bird News Extra, or here for more information.

Most recent photos of Hudsonian Godwit (25) View all photos of Hudsonian Godwit Accepted historical records for Hudsonian Godwit (3) Hudsonian Godwit has been reported in the following areas ( Bird News Extra subscribers can see a list of all records, as well as charts and graphs analysing the data by area, year, month, age and sex): Devon (1) read on External links (0) We currently have no external links for this page. If you know of a relevant site, why not recommend it? Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Terms of Sale | Cookie Policy | About us | Advertise | Contact us BirdGuides, Warners Group Publications PLC, The Chocolate Factory, 5 Clarendon Road, London N22 6XJ © 2017 BirdGuides and Warners Group Publications plc . All Rights Reserved. Company Registered in England no. 2572212 | VAT registration No.

GB 638 3492 15 Sales: Wild Wings and Wanderings: Hudsonian Godwit Twitch Wild Wings and Wanderings Tuesday, 5 May 2015 Hudsonian Godwit Twitch Sunday was the first opportunity for me to go and see the Hudsonian Godwit on the somerset Levels being the first day that it was present and I wasn't at work. Bun had already seen it on its first day obviously, but I asked him if he'd like to go again, I mean, who wouldn't?! He told me that Tim W. was looking to get a lift because he hadn't got a car at the moment, so late morning after hearing the news that it was still present the three of us set off. I must say the relatively short drive up to the Somerset levels seemed to take a lot less time than usual as we were entertained by Tim's tales of his recent holiday to Lesvos and by the time we arrived at the massive new car park at Ashcott corner I was well and truly gripped off! I really must go to Greece some day. It was lovely and sunny when we arrived at the scrape, where the bird was in view but fast asleep in amongst the large Blackwit flock.

Apparently it had been like this for most of the morning, but not to worry because no sooner had the sky turned a lovely shade of black and began tipping it down the whole flock woke up and began to feed. I didn't see much of this because I'd retreated to hide in the bushes until the shower had passed. When the rained eventually stopped some great views were had although the light was often poor so digiscoping proved quite difficult. The flock also had a couple of short fly-abouts and I managed to get a few flight shots too. As always at large twitches it was nice to catch up with a few familiar faces as well. We stayed for around three hours and as well as the Hudwit we also saw a Cuckoo, a drake Garganey, several Hobbies, Great White Egrets and Marsh Harriers and heard a Bittern too. It was quite unusual at this excellent reserve to have not seen one though. For a Sunday there weren't that many people but it was the bird's 6th (and last it seems) day. The large scrape behind the ditch is where the Godwit flock was and as you can see it's pretty distant but scope views were excellent.

The sky was this colour for most of the time but fortunately it only rained heavily the once. For a long time the view was like this but eventually the birds spread out and gave some great views. It really stands out from the crowd in flight both from below... ...And above.

Question: In the news in Somerset in April, what is a Hudsonian Godwit?
Answer: A BIRD