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| Diary of a WWT Warden - March 2013 (Personal Account) |
| Caerlaverock's WWT warden Mike Youdale is back with his diary from the Dumfries and Galloway reserve. In his first entry of 2013 Mike summarises the highs and lows of 2012 which proved to be a year dominated by extreme weather. Read more here |
| Written by: Mike Youdale, WWT (07 Mar 2013) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 27 Feb - 05 Mar 2013 (Weekly Roundup) |
| As the first summer migrants began arriving in the south it was a mammalian species from the Arctic, on a brief stopover on North Ronaldsay, which provided the biggest surprise of the week. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (06 Mar 2013) | |
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| Pine-ing for a Grosbeak - a lesson on how not to twitch a mega. (Personal Account) |
| With a life list of over 520, accumulated over three decades one could be forgiven for thinking that Mark Golley would have the art twitching down to a tee. However after recently failing to connect with the long-staying Pine Grosbeak on Shetland Mark explains why he has now ordained himself as "Britain's Worst Twitcher"! Read more here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (04 Mar 2013) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 20 - 26 Feb 2013 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A week of little change with the drake Harlequin staying put on the Western Isles as did the Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset. The Pine Grosbeak appeared to depart Shetland whilst on the mainland a male Snowy Owl is found atop the Cairngorms. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (27 Feb 2013) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 13 - 19 Feb 2013 (Weekly Roundup) |
| When a Pied-billed Grebe was found in Somerset during the early part of the week few would have predicted that it would get trumped. However nobody had accounted for a splendid drake Harlequin Duck turning up on North Uist! Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (20 Feb 2013) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 06 - 12 Feb 2013 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Another week in February and another mega! Tacumshin in Co.Wexford hosted an all too brief Baikal Teal, Ireland's second record if accepted. Meanwhile on Shetland the very showy Pine Grosbeak remained on Mainland albeit giving a few a run around at times. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (13 Feb 2013) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 30 Jan - 05 Feb 2013 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A twitchable Pine Grosbeak on Shetland brought a sudden and much welcome end to the rarity drought. A juvenile American Herring Gull in Cork was a great find whilst in neighbouring Kerry another gull provided plenty for the larophiles on both sides of 'the pond' to talk about. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (06 Feb 2013) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 23 - 29 Jan 2013 (Weekly Roundup) |
| In a week where we saw the last significant fall of snow (for now at least) there was little change in the way of new birds. Berkshire of all places was the place to be where the American Buff-bellied Pipit remained as did the Pallas's Warbler, whilst in Dorset an unusually elusive and equally unseasonal Hoopoe was a surprise find. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (30 Jan 2013) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 16 - 22 Jan 2013 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A significant fall this week, unfortunately not of an avian nature rather one of Snow, meant little in the way of new discoveries. Still there was plenty of winter fayre on offer across the country for those brave enough to venture into the freezing temperatures. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (23 Jan 2013) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 09 - 15 Jan 2013 (Weekly Roundup) |
| In terms of new birds there wasn't a lot on offer this week, the highlight being the reappearance of the two American Buff-bellied Pipits in Berkshire. However the corpse of a White-tailed Tropicbird found on a Cumbria beach will provide much discussion for some time to come and somewhat of a headache for the rarities committee. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (16 Jan 2013) | |
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| Book Review: Birds of Central Asia (Book review) |
| Norfolk rarities committee member Graham Etherington reviews Birds of Central Asia. It is the first field guide to include the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, along with neighbouring Afghanistan. Read the review here
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| Written by: Graham Etherington (07 Jan 2013) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 19 Dec 2012 - 01 Jan 2013 (Weekly Roundup) |
| The first weekly round-up of 2013 is a double edition covering the last two weeks of 2012 plus New Years Day. It was somewhat quiet in terms of new birds but perhaps unsurprising given the atrocious weather across large parts of the UK during the fortnight. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (02 Jan 2013) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 12 - 18 Dec 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Mid December threw up a couple of excellent, if somewhat unseasonal, birds in the shape of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak on Scilly and a very showy Buff-bellied Pipit in Berkshire! Whilst in Suffolk the Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll continued it's stay at Aldeburgh. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (19 Dec 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 05 - 11 Dec 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| An extremely showy Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Aldeburgh in Suffolk drew the crowds over the weekend and will undoubtedly be highlight of the week for many. Elsewhere the adult Pacific Diver returned to West Cornwall for another winter and on the Western Isles a very smart Gyr was present. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (12 Dec 2012) | |
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| Wild Bird populations in the UK 1970-2011 (Conservation News) |
| The latest wild bird indicators, just published, show farmland birds are still declining, some woodland birds are declining whilst others increase, breeding water and wetland birds remain stable, whilst seabirds and wintering water birds remain well above 1970s levels, despite some recent declines. Read the article here |
| Written by: BTO (06 Dec 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 21 - 27 Nov 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A double-header on South Uist in the shape of an American Coot and a Pied-billed Grebe were the undoubted highlights of the week. Cambridgeshire hosted it's first Blyth's Reed Warbler, whilst in Rhyl the Desert Wheatear continued to show very well. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (28 Nov 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 14 - 20 Nov 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Two birds, both of which showed only very briefly at opposite ends of Britain, were the week's highlights. An Asian Desert Warbler was found in Kent whilst on South Uist a white Gyrfalcon was found and although only stopping briefly both were photographed. The other main highlight was the continued presence of a number of Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls on Shetland. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (21 Nov 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 07 - 13 Nov 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Things finally started to quieten down a little this week, that is if you count a Cedar Waxwing and Blackpoll Warbler in the same County Mayo garden as quietening down! Long staying rarities included the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler in Fife and Bee-eater in Co.Durham and the great Waxwing invasion continued at pace. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (14 Nov 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 31 Oct - 06 Nov 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Galway's Belted Kingfisher reappears at the start of the week. Fair Isle's lingering Siberian Rubythroat breaks a record or two...as does the Kilminning Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. A Spanish Sparrow appears on the Isle of Wight. County Clare holds on to the Pied-billed Grebe and the juvenile female Northern Harrier in Wexford stays in to a new month plus, who knows what to make of the Sussex Hooded Merganser and much more. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (07 Nov 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 24 - 30 Oct 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Unbelievable news this week, albeit belatedly, of a phylloscopus warbler on Portland thought to be either a Sakhalin or Pale-legged Leaf Warbler! Elsewhere there was a one-day Bobolink on Shetland whilst the Chestnut-eared Bunting and Siberian Rubythroat remained in place. In western Ireland there is a Pied-billed Grebe whilst on Scilly the archipelago's keenest listers score a brace of ticks with Chough and Great White Egret. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (31 Oct 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 17 - 23 Oct 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Britain's second ever Chestnut-eared Bunting is found on mainland Shetland, whilst Fair Isle bags another Siberian Rubythroat. Elsewhere a super smart Daurian Shrike was on Portland whilst a number of Olive-backed Pipits and Red-flanked Bluetails are found in falls on the east coast. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (24 Oct 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 10 - 16 Oct 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| This week, Ireland scores its first South Polar Skua from a Cork headland, an Eyebrowed Thrush keeps Shetland's tally of rares ticking over nicely, Nearctic vagrants on Scilly include Blackpoll Warbler & Solitary Sandpiper plus a whole lot more besides. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (17 Oct 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 03 - 09 Oct 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Another amazing week in this already amazing autumn. The Western Palearctic's first Eastern Kingbird is found in Western Ireland and is quickly followed up by Belted Kingfisher, Myrtle Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler all in the same county! A whole raft of other quality rarities ensure this would go down in the ornithological record books as a vintage week Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (10 Oct 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 26 Sept - 02 Oct 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Another hectic week packed full of quality rarities and it was Shetland which once again stole the limelight. Highlights included a trio of mainland Pallas's Grasshopper Warblers, the autumn's second Swainson's Thrush, an influx of American Buff-bellied Pipits plus much more Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (03 Oct 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 19 - 25 Sept 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A comprehensive round-up of a remarkable week, the highlight of which was undoubtedly Britain's second ever Magnolia Warbler on Fair Isle. With an outstanding supporting cast of Swainson's Thrush, Sykes's Warbler, Blyth's Pipit, White's Thrush, it was a week which will live long in the memory. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (26 Sep 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 12 - 18 Sept 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Headline of the week was undoubtedly Shetland scoring its first-ever Red-eyed Vireo way up on Unst. Lingering rarities included the Short-billed Dowitchers in Dorset and on Scilly and the Baillon's Crake in London. Whilst in Somerset there was confirmation that Little Bittern bred once again on the Somerset Levels for the third year in a row. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (19 Sep 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 05 - 11 Sept 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Another week packed with quality rarities, Britain's third ever Semipalmated Plover on the Western Isles, a new Short-billed Dowitcher in the south west and a co-operative Baillon's Crake in London were the headline makes but there were lots more goodies to be had Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (12 Sep 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 29 Aug - 04 Sept 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| What a week... a first for the WP in the shape of a fly-by Black Skimmer in County Mayo, Britain's second ever Short-billed Dowitcher in Dorset plus American Black Tern in the NW, Spanish Sparrow in Suffolk, Yelkouan Shearwater in County Durham plus much more Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (05 Sep 2012) | |
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| Berries and birds survey (Press report) |
| Do birds use the berry bushes in your garden in the autumn? If so, you can help the BTO by contributing your observations in a new survey. More > |
| Written by: Birdwatch (05 Sep 2012) | |
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| A tern for the better (Press report) |
| In contrast to the bad news from many seabird colonies around the British coast, the Sandwich Terns on Blakeney Point had a remarkable breeding season this year. More > |
| Written by: Birdwatch (05 Sep 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 22 - 28 Aug 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Dapper male Spanish Sparrow makes a brief touch down in Suffolk, a Fea's (type) Petrel cruises past the tip of west Cornwall, another Irish Barolo Little Shearwater, an influx of Azorean (Yellow-legged) Gulls.. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (29 Aug 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 15 - 21 Aug 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A trio of Fea's (type) Petrels off the Irish coast, Ireland's second Least Sandpiper of the autumn flies through County Cork while a Barolo Little Shearwater also passes the Cork coast. Meanwhile the Northern Isles and east coast enjoyed another week of drifters and rares. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (22 Aug 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 08 - 14 Aug 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Eleonora's Falcon photographed in west Cornwall, County Kerry lands another Least Sandpiper, Pallid Harrier flies by in the Republic too... a 1st for Clare, Stilt Sandpiper lingers a little longer in Northumberland and much more Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (16 Aug 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 01 - 07 Aug 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Scotland's fourth ever Black-winged Pratincole makes landfall on Lewis, a Northumberland first in the shape of a Stilt Sandpiper and large numbers of Cory's Shearwaters are reported en-masse Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (08 Aug 2012) | |
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| Shoot first - ask questions later? (Personal Account) |
| Avid patch watcher Julian Smith is privileged to have St.John's Pool at the top of Scotland as his local patch. 2012 has proved to be a superb year for the site and in July whilst photographing what he thought were a couple of Greenshank he noticed that one had bright yellow legs! Julian takes up the story here
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| Written by: Julian Smith (03 Aug 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 25 - 31 July 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| The Greater Yellowlegs makes a reappearance in Highland, as does the Roller, this time on Orkney. Lothian hosts it second ever Semipalmated Sand whilst the east coast gets peppered with White-winged Black Terns. Perhaps the most amazing news of all though was the revelation that multiple Baillon's Crakes have been spending the summer in England and Wales Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (01 Aug 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 18 - 24 July 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
Andy Stoddart steps in for Mark Golley again this week and details a very early Sharp-tailed Sandpiper on Orkney, a very mobile Caspian Tern in Norfolk and an all too brief Terek Sandpiper in Sussex.
Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (25 Jul 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 11 - 17 July 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Autumnal wader arrivals stepped up a gear this week. Rare seabirds included a Fea's Petrel off Mizen Head and Wilson's Petrel and Cory's Shearwaters in the southwest. And it was announced that not one but two pairs of Great White Egret have bred in Somerset. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (18 Jul 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 26 June - 03 July 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Little Swift on The Wirral becomes longest staying ever. Late spring migrants include Arctic and Paddyfield Warblers, the Black-browed Albatross reported again in The Channel and much more Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (04 Jul 2012) | |
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| Golden Eagle found poisoned in the Scottish Highlands (Conservation News) |
| Police are appealing for information after a Golden Eagle was found dead near Morar, Lochaber in March. A post-mortem conducted by the Scottish government laboratory of Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture showed that the eagle had been poisoned with banned pesticides. Read the full story |
| Written by: RSPB (02 Jul 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 20 - 26 June 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A long-staying Little Swift on The Wirral performs for the masses over the weekend and into the week. A Black-browed Albatross is photographed at sea some 30miles south of Portland, plus Pacific Golden Plover in Norfolk, possible Red-headed Bunting on the Western Isles and much more Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (27 Jun 2012) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 13 - 19 June 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A Little Bittern in Hertfordshire gives folk the run-around before giving itself up, Black Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Roller and River Warbler still hanging around and perhaps bird of the week was a female Grey Phalarope in Highland, see the gripping photos and Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Rare Bird Alert (20 Jun 2012) | |
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| LIPU's 29th International Camp alerts on poaching! (Conservation News) |
| LIPU's (BirdLife in Italy) annual International 'anti-poaching' camp took place from April 28 to May 13. The participants' main mission was to observe migratory birds and report on illegal hunting. The spring migration of raptors in Calabria (Italian region) this year has been characterised by a significant resumption of poaching in the south of the region. Read the full story |
| Written by: BirdLife (20 Jun 2012) | |
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| When eagles dared! (Conservation News) |
| Eagles would once have soared widely across English skies, but they disappeared at the hands of man: that's a key finding from a new study looking at the historic distribution of Britain and Ireland's two largest birds of prey. Read the full story |
| Written by: RSPB (08 Jun 2012) | |
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| Weekly Round-up 30 May - 05 June 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| After all the commotion of last week things started to settle down somewhat. This week a Roller in East Yorkshire was the main draw after deciding to hang around and perform very well for visiting birders. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (06 Jun 2012) | |
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| Great White Egret confirmed as a British breeding bird (Conservation News) |
| Natural England announced last week that Great White Egret had nested in Britain for the first time. This week they have confirmed that at least one chick has been seen on the nest at their Shapwick Heath in Somerset, making this a new breeding bird record for the UK. Read the full story |
| Written by: Natural England (31 May 2012) | |
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| Weekly Round-up 23 - 29 May 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Although it was touch and go, late May finally produced a monster rarity with just a few days to spare in the shape of a Western Orphean Warbler at Hartlepool Headland. Other top birds included a Roller in East Yorkshire and Ireland's first Collared Flycatcher in Donegal. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (30 May 2012) | |
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| Weekly Round-up 16 - 22 May 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
Although the coast had a good scattering of Spring scarcities, it was inland Herefordshire which struck back with the remarkable discovery of a Cream-coloured Courser.
Read the round-up here > |
| Written by: Mark Golley (23 May 2012) | |
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| High-tech help for scarce songster (Press report) |
| The latest in satellite tracking technology is being use to unlock the secrets of one of Britain's most elusive and endangered breeding birds. More > |
| Written by: Birdwatch (22 May 2012) | |
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| Fronting for White-fronts (Press report) |
| An international agreement to take action for Greenland White-fronted Goose will be signed today at a major international meeting in France. More > |
| Written by: Birdwatch (21 May 2012) | |
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| Weekly Round-up 09 - 15 May 2012 (Weekly Roundup) |
Another week and the Flamborough Ficedula Flycatcher is still making the headlines. This time though for many birders it's for all the wrong reasons as DNA sequencing has proved it to be a Pied Flycatcher.
Read the round-up here > |
| Written by: Mark Golley (16 May 2012) | |
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