These delightful visitors from Scandinavia and northern
Russia spend winter days on the windswept saltings, shingle
strands and tide lines. East Anglia is nowadays one of the
few areas still to receive visits from these wanderers from
the frozen tundra well beyond the tree-limit. Here dry stony
patches and rock-strewn shores are favoured. Most years
Shorelark wintering locally linger here until the end of
April with stragglers to the second week in May.
There have been eight Shorelark reported from S.
Gloucestershire;
2010: (2)
Two were seen feeding on the salt marsh near Lagoon I at
Oldbury Power Station at ST: 607 954 around 11:30 on January
8th. They flew up river and dropped into the salt marsh just
before high tide.
2009: (2)
Two were seen in flight at Aust Warth over the saltings at
13:30 on November 18th.
2004: (2)
One was reported on January 24th at Severn Beach; One was
present on February 11th at Severn Beach.
Shorelark, left January and right February at Severn Beach.
2004. Paul Bowerman.
1977: (1)
One was seen on November 5th at Severn Beach.
1960: (1)
A
male seen on January 31st at Severn Beach was present in the
area until the 4th March. This occurrence constitutes the
first report of this species in S. Gloucestershire.