All firsts for Cleveland since 1974
The following list documents every first for Cleveland, where they were found and the name(s) of the birders who found them. I have used a set of rules to allocate the credit, though as ever when you create a set of rules not every example fits comfortably within them. Nevertheless, for these purposes they are:
1. You must be present at moment the bird is first found, unless you find it independently without any prior knowledge that the bird was present. So going to see a bird and correctly identifying it is obviously a great thing, but you did not find the bird.
2. It is possible for more than one person to be credited with a find, but you must be birding together e.g within normal conversational distance of each other. So if you are walking around South Gare with a friend and a good bird is found, you are both credited.
3. The exception to Rule 2 is where large gatherings are concerned e.g. a mass sea-watch at Hartlepool. If more than 3 people are present then only the first observer is credited; otherwise you could have 50 people credited with a find! I think this only affects 3 species: the 1977 Surf Scoter, which flew past a packed Observatory; the 1990 Barolo Shearwater, which was seen by 7 people; and the 2021 Brunnich's Guillemot, also seen by 7 keen sea-watchers.
4. If you were aware that a bird was heading your way and you went out of your way to see it fly into Cleveland airspace, then you do not get a finder's credit; you knew it was coming and there is no 'genuine surprise' element to the find (although it was still presumably very exciting!). The only birds this affects are: Sandhill Crane, which was watched flying south into Cleveland by 10 birders in Sept 2011 - we knew it was coming; and the Sooty Tern in 2019, Scopoli's Shearwater in 2020, Soft-plumaged Petrel in 2021 and Brown Booby in 2023, all of which had been tracked flying north up the coast towards Cleveland.
This listing has been compiled with help from a number of long-term Cleveland birders and I have tried to make it as accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes and I would ask that you contact me privately if you think I have got something wrong. I certainly don't want to upset anyone and I would like this to be an accurate historical record.
To date there have been 99 accepted firsts for Cleveland since 1974, found by a total of 73 different birders. As you might expect it is getting harder to find a first; during the first half of the period concerned 57 were found, compared to just 42 in the second half.
Finally, if your name appears against any of these birds then well done and congratulations on being part of Cleveland birding history. If you are not featured then I intend to keep this list up to date going forward, so get out there and find us all another one!
1974
Great White Egret, Scaling Dam H. Collinson, G. Green
Lesser Grey Shrike, Port Clarence Edgar Gatenby
1975
Mandarin, Coatham Marsh Mike Gee
Ross's Gull, Seaton Carew Geoff Iceton
Purple Heron, Cowpen Marsh Tom Francis
Black-billed Cuckoo, Locke Park Gordon Follows
1976
Alpine Swift, South Gare Ian Boustead
1977
Ring-necked Duck, Crookfoot Tom Francis
Franklin's Gull, North Gare Martin Blick, Don Griss
Bonaparte's Gull, Saltholme Dave Britton
Common Rosefinch, Hartlepool Tom Francis
Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Saltholme A. Goodwin, J.P. Guest
Surf Scoter, Hartlepool Mike Gee
1978
Ring-billed Gull, Coatham Dave Britton
1979
Baird's Sandpiper, Saltholme Martin Blick
American Golden Plover, Long Drag Chris Clark, Geoff Iceton
Arctic Warbler, West View Cemetery Martin Blick, John Crussell
1980
None
1981
White-billed Diver, Hartlepool Tom Francis, Rob Little
Bee-eater, Cowpen Marsh Bryan Moore, Paul Samson
Laughing Gull, Long Drag Martin Blick
Dusky Warbler, Seaton Carew Martin Blick, R.E. Innes, Keith Ryan
1982
Savi's Warbler, Haverton Hole Derek Clayton, Russell McAndrew, Ken Smith
Long-toed Stint, Saltholme John Dunnett, Tom Francis
Olive-backed Pipit, Locke Park Dave Britton
Ruddy Duck, Scaling Dam Peter Appleton
1983
None
1984
Lesser Crested Tern, Seaton Snook Russell McAndrew
1985
Yellow-legged Gull, Seaton Snook Paul Hinley, Stewart Hinley
1986
Black-winged Stilt, Coatham Marsh Geoff Boyce
Aquatic Warbler, Long Drag Chris Brown
Cattle Egret, Longnewton Bruce Caswell
1987
Marsh Warbler, Haverton Hole Alec Cruikshanks
Blue-winged Teal, Coatham Marsh Martin Blick
1988
Black Kite, South Gare Martin Blick, Don Page, Nick Preston
Bridled Tern, Hartlepool Doug Cowton, Keith Cowton
Radde's Warbler, Hartlepool Geoff Iceton
Cliff Swallow, South Gare Rob Little, Chris Sharp
1989
Double-crested Cormorant, Billingham Martin Blick, Terry Williams
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Saltholme Tom Francis, John Grieveson
1990
Egyptian Goose, Scaling Dam Martin Blick, Keith Ryan, Terry Williams
Barolo Shearwater, Hartlepool Tom Francis
Ring-necked Parakeet, Billingham Terry Williams
Parrot Crossbill, Lockwood Beck Geoff Boyce
1991
Gull-billed Tern , Reclamation Pond John Dunnett, Stewart Hinley
Red-eyed Vireo, North Gare Bruce Caswell
1992
Penduline Tit, Haverton Hole Russell McAndrew
Booted Warbler, Hartlepool Tom Francis
1993
None
1994
Bufflehead, Coatham Marsh Ian Foster, John Sharp
Citrine Wagtail, Haverton Hole Martin Blick
Pied Wheatear, Seaton Snook Bernie Beck, Graeme Joynt
Hume's Warbler, Hartlepool Bernie Beck, Chris Kehoe
1995
Spotted Sandpiper, South Gare Doug Cowton
Great Spotted Cuckoo, Dormans Pool Ian Foster, John Grieveson, Andrew Robinson
Pacific Golden Plover, Greatham Creek Tom Francis, Graeme Joynt
Red-rumped Swallow, Long Drag Rob Little
1996
Great Knot, Greenabella Marsh Mike Gee
1997
None
1998
Little Swift, Boulby Martin Blick, Steve Farish
King Eider, South Gare Martin Blick
1999
Lesser Scaup, Saltholme Richard Taylor
Short-billed Dowitcher, Greenabella Marsh Bernie Beck, Richard Taylor
Pallid Swift, Hartlepool Martin Blick, Tom Francis
2000
Desert Wheatear, Boulby Nigel Jackson, Herbert Mitchell
2001
Caspian Gull, Longnewton Chris Bell, Jamie Duffie, Richard Taylor
Red-flanked Bluetail, Cattersty Gill Damian Money
2002
Eastern Subalpine Warbler, South Gare Nick Preston
2003
Melodious Warbler, South Gare Mark Rowbottom
Lesser Yellowlegs, Dormans Pool John Dunnett
2004
None
2005
Wilson's Petrel, Hartlepool Steven Keightley, Graham Lawlor, Richard Taylor
Taiga Bean Goose, Saltholme Eric James
Cetti's Warbler, Dormans Pool Martin Blick
2006
None
2007
Ross's Goose, Saltholme Martin Blick
Long-billed Dowitcher, Seal Sands Robin Ward
2008
Glaucous-winged Gull, Saltholme Chris Brown, Toby Collett
2009
Whiskered Tern, Saltholme John Dunnett
2010
Black-throated Thrush, Hartlepool Chris Sharp
2011
White-throated Robin, Hartlepool Chris Brown
Sandhill Crane, Hartlepool No credit, tracked down coast
Pallid Harrier, Dormans Pool Ian Forrest
2012
Western Orphean Warbler, Hartlepool Graeme Joynt
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, Hartlepool Tom Francis, Richard Taylor
2013
Western Bonelli's Warbler, Hartlepool Steve Clifton, Richard Stephenson
2014
Black-winged Pratincole, Saltholme Mike Gee, David Tanner, Helen Tanner
Black Scoter, Redcar Dave Britton
Eastern Crowned Warbler, Brotton Ian Kendall
Isabelline Wheatear, Seaton Snook Gary Flakes
2015
Squacco Heron, Saltholme S. Taylor, A. Truby
2016
Siberian Accentor, Hunt Cliff Damian Money
2017
Dark-eyed Junco, Guisborough Nicky Johnson
2018
Hooded Merganser, Seaton Common Oscar Dewhurst
2019
Sooty Tern, Cowbar No credit, tracked up coast
2020
Calandra Lark, Greatham Creek Tom Francis, Graeme Joynt
Masked Shrike, Hartlepool Stephen Addinall
Hudsonian Whimbrel, South Gare Keith Cowton, Nick Preston
Scopoli's Shearwater, Cowbar No credit, tracked up coast
2021
Soft-plumaged Petrel No credit, tracked up coast
Brunnich's Guillemot, Hartlepool & South Gare Graeme Joynt, Nick Preston
2022
Greater Sand Plover, Redcar Paul Hinley
Collared Pratincole, RSPB Saltholme James Forster, Sarah Burton
2023
Brown Booby No credit, tracked up coast
2026
Little Crake, Coatham Marsh Brian Douglas
Birders with the most 'firsts' to their names
Only 14 birders have 3 or more finds to their name. They are:
15 finds
Martin Blick
12 finds
Tom Francis
5 finds
Graeme Joynt
Richard Taylor
4 finds
Dave Britton
John Dunnett
Mike Gee
Nick Preston
3 finds
Bernie Beck
Chris Brown
Geoff Iceton
Rob Little
Russell McAndrew
Terry Williams
The list has been updated to include Cleveland's first Mandarin (1975) and the Sooty Tern from 2019.
Cheers, Graeme
Updated for the 2020 Hartlepool Masked Shrike.
Updated to include the 2020 Siberian Stonechat at South Gare, the first 'official' Cleveland record.
Updated to include the 2020 Stejneger's Stonechat at South Gare, identification confirmed by DNA.
Updated for the 2020 Hudsonian Whimbrel at South Gare.
Updated for the 2020 Calandra Lark at Greatham Creek.
Updated for the 2021 Brunnich's Guillemot (pending acceptance of course).
Updated to reflect the fact that Eastern Subalpine Warbler is the only member of the complex on the official Cleveland list. The bird at South Gare in 2002 was the first accepted record.
Updated for the Redcar Greater Sand Plover.
Updated for Scopoli's Shearwater and Collared Pratincole, both now accepted by BBRC.
Updated for the 1990 Barolo Shearwater, now the first for Cleveland, and the 2023 Brown Booby.
Updated for the 2007 Ross's Goose, now accepted by BBRC.
Cheers, Graeme
Adjusted to reflect the lump of Green-winged Teal with Eurasian Teal, and the lumping of Siberian and Amur Stonechats.
Cheers, Graeme
Updated for this April's Little Crake (painful!)
Cheers, Graeme