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| Monday 5th June 2006 | ||
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| The prize find today was an adult Whiskered Tern at Loch of Skene, Aberdeenshire. Found late afternoon the bird showed well before departing southwards mid evening. Meanwhile, on Anglesey, the tern - widely believed to be a Cayenne Tern - continued to incubate eggs at Cemlyn Lagoon. A singing Short-toed Lark made a brief appearance at Tacumshin, Co Wexford where the Night Heron remains. Elsewhere, a widespread scattering of Black Terns were noted along with typical late spring migrants such as Red-backed Shrikes and Temminck's Stints. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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Daily news summaries
Catch up with RBA's daily birdnews summaries. Browse ten days at a time, or choose a date to read summaries from that day backwards.
Daily summaries are available from 13 April 2006. For earlier weekly reviews, visit our articles.
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| Sunday 4th June 2006 | ||
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| At Cemlyn Lagoon, Anglesey the adult unidentified tern first seen yesterday was present again today and appears to be paired to a Sandwich Tern and incubating eggs in the colony. Although not identified for certain it seems to closely resemble the tropical American
eurygnatha form of Sandwich Tern; Cayenne Tern. If this bird is a
Cayenne Tern it would represent the first record for both the British Isles and the Western Palearctic but proving the identity
beyond all doubt may prove difficult. The Western Subalpine Warbler remained on the Farne Islands, Northumberland where the ring number proved it to be the same individual as that present at Spurn, East Yorkshire on Friday - an overnight movement of around 150 miles north northwest. A Woodchat Shrike showed well at Metton, Norfolk in the evening whilst brief rarities included male Red-footed Falcons reported at both Holt Heath, Dorset and Farlington Marshes, Black Kites over Hawkcombe Head, Somerset and Cubbington, Warwickshire and Bee-eaters at Sancreed, Cornwall (2) and Dunwich, Suffolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 3rd June 2006 | ||
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| An orange-billed tern joined Sandwich Terns at Cemlyn
Lagoon this evening; it exhibited an interesting suite of features, but spent long periods out of view in the tern colony. Hopefully better views will be gained tomorrow. Other new rarities came in the form of
a male Subalpine Warbler on Farne Islands, Northumberland, an adult Laughing Gull found on
Lewis, Western Isles and a Red-rumped Swallow at Ferrybridge, Dorset. In
Fife a Black-winged Stilt was reported flying north, just north of
St.Monance.
In Ireland the 1st-summer Bonaparte's Gull remained at Blennerville, Co.Kerry and in Ayrshire the stunning adult drake King Eider lingered in Irvine Harbour and a drake King Eider reappeared off the Shetland coastline. In Norfolk a male Red-backed Shrike was a fantastic find at Old Costessey, near Norwich. A scattering of scarcities were located in the North East, including an Icterine Warbler at Whitburn, Co.Durham, female Serin at Flamborough Head and male Common Rosefinch at Spurn, East Yorkshire. A Red-breasted Flycatcher at Porth Meudwy, Gwynedd was the second in the county in the last three days. On Scilly yesterday's 'pelagic' Hoopoe was relocated on St.Martin's and a singing Melodious Warbler was at Powerstock Common, Dorset. Late news from yesterday related to a Purple Heron at Walberswick NNR. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 2nd June 2006 | ||
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| The cooler north and westerly weather systems of late finally gave way across
much of the country to warm, calmer conditions, and the star attraction of the
day was a bird from the south-east, a male Black-headed Bunting found on
Bardsey Island, Gwynedd, in the morning, which showed well throughout the day.
This site is currently enjoying a purple patch with other birds on the island
during the day including a Hoopoe, a Serin and a Golden Oriole. Elsewhere, a Western Subalpine Warbler was ringed at Spurn, East Yorkshire. In Co. Wexford, the possible Citrine Wagtail
of yesterday at
Tacumshin was confirmed as such today, and the
1st-summer Night Heron remained at the same site. Portland in Dorset had
another great day with Bee-eater, male Red-backed Shrike,
Hoopoe and Serin all recorded, though not all were obliging. A flock of
five Bee-eaters was seen at Hoveton in Norfolk early in the afternoon and
later a flock of 6 to 8 birds lingered for a while nearby at Caister-on-Sea.
Of the lingering rarities, the Spotted Sandpiper remained a popular attraction at Minsmere in Suffolk, the Bonaparte's Gull was still at Blennerville in County Kerry, the Iberian Chiffchaff continued to hold territory on Dartmoor, Devon, and on Shetland, the Savi's Warbler remained at Skaw on Unst. A male Red-backed Shrike was new at Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex, and a Hoopoe was found at Dersingham Bog in Norfolk. In Cornwall a Purple Heron flew over Wadebridge, with another still lingering at College Reservoir and a Golden Oriole was at Bosistow Farm near Land's End. On Fair Isle, Shetland, the long-staying Short-toed Lark was still present along with a female Red-backed Shrike. Most bizarre record of the day was on The Scillies where a Hoopoe was seen from a pelagic 3 miles south-west of Bishop Rock, flying towards St.Agnes! Also today, a belated report of a probable Gull-billed Tern feeding in fields near Lamorna, Cornwall on 31st May. |
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| - Richard Moores and Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 1st June 2006 | ||
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| The most popular bird of the day was a fine summer-plumaged adult Spotted
Sandpiper that was found at Minsmere RSPB reserve at dawn and stayed
on show on the scrape throughout the day. Red-necked Phalaropes have been thin
on the ground so far this spring particularly when you take into account the
'stalling' northerly winds that have predominated over the last week or so. As
such a stunning female that popped up at Hickling Broad at least provided strong
local interest. However, those arriving late in the afternoon were to be
disappointed as what was probably the same individual appeared at Cley NWT
reserve an hour or so later. What was almost certainly yesterdays Black Kite
reappeared on Dartmoor, this time over Challacombe Down. In Co. Kerry a brace of
Whiskered Terns were reported early on at Blennerville, although they could not
be found by birders later but at least the 1st-summer Bonaparte's Gull provided some
compensation.
Dungeness retained its Red-rumped Swallow but lost its Bee-eater, while a male Red-backed Shrike at the same site was only enjoyed by the finders. An immature male Common Rosefinch at Portland continued the good run at this site although it provided less glamour than the breeding-plumaged male Red-breasted Flycatcher on Bardsey Island. A Purple Heron was reported flying in off the sea at Lizard Point (Cornwall) and the Night Heron remained at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford). The drake King Eider reappeared off Irvine harbour mouth in the evening. |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 31st May 2006 | ||
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| The final day of the month produced only one new rarity, a Black Kite over Buckfastleigh, Devon.
A Bee-eater and Red-rumped Swallow were at Dungeness, Kent, both
for their second day and on Shetland the
Savi's Warbler again showed well on Unst. Scilly hosted a singing first-summer
male Common Rosefinch on St.Martin's and a Tawny Pipit on Bryher,
whilst back on the mainland, a Marsh Warbler was trapped and ringed at
Portland, Dorset. Dorset also produced a Woodchat Shrike in the 'Bobolink
Field' at Hengistbury Head and in Somerset, an adult male Red-backed Shrike was
located at Catcott Lows. Passengers aboard a cruise past Sula Sgeir confirmed
that the adult Black-browed Albatross was still sitting pretty in the
Gannet colony this evening.
A couple of late reports of Nearctic raptors were intriguing; a possible Bald Eagle was observed on Sunday in Bundoran, Co.Donegal and on Shetland a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk was seen on Mainland on 5th, 6th and 14th May. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 30th May 2006 | ||
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| The outstanding report of the day came from Selsey Bill, West Sussex where a Bulwer's Petrel was seen twice with
Storm Petrels around midday. First watched feeding somewhat distantly offshore and not identified beyond 'large all dark petrel species' the bird later
reappeared closer to the shore and was identified as a Bulwer's Petrel before it headed west towards The
Solent. Coincidentally Bulwer's Petrel has recently been removed from the official British List
although there is a single accepted record from Ireland. Although somewhat eclipsed by events at Selsey Bill, Dungeness, Kent enjoyed an excellent day with a showy Red-rumped Swallow and a brief Bee-eater the highlights. The distinctive first-summer gull remained although European experts confirmed that it is certainly not a Heuglin's Gull but most likely a Yellow-legged Gull or hybrid. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 29th May 2006 | ||
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| The only news of newly discovered rarity today was of a Bonaparte's Gull at Blennerville, Co Kerry - although it was actually first seen there yesterday. However, scarcities appeared at several sites with Portland, Dorset
hosting Woodchat Shrike, Red-backed Shrike, Serin, Hoopoe
and Golden Oriole. An Icterine Warbler sang at St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent during the morning
as did a Melodious Warbler at Porthcawl, Glamorgan. Dapper female Red-necked Phalaropes proved to be popular attractions at both Marshside, Merseyside and Gouthwaite Reservoir, North Yorkshire. The male Wilson's Phalarope remained at Hillesden, Buckinghamshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 28th May 2006 | ||
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| Discoveries today included a Savi’s Warbler on Unst, Shetland and a
Laughing Gull at Bunbeg, Co Donegal. In Kent a Black Stork flew over Tonbridge and on the Western Isles seawatchers at the Butt of Lewis logged a passing
White-billed Diver. Yesterdays star bird - the Wilson’s Phalarope at Hillesden - remained to the delight of many, and the Iberian Chiffchaff continued to pronounce its territory at Postbridge, Devon. In Kent the distinctive first-summer gull remained throughout the day at Dungeness - although informed opinion suggests it is unlikely to be Heuglin’s Gull. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 27th May 2006 | ||
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| A Wilson's Phalarope at
Hillesden in Buckinghamshire, the first for the county, was a superb find which
caused some excitement in another relatively quiet day. In East Yorkshire a
Great Reed Warbler was found at Spurn Point but was frustratingly elusive,
however a singing male Serin made the wait for the Great Reed more bearable.
A female
King Eider joined the male at Blackdog, Aberdeenshire.
The splendid adult White-winged Black Tern in South Yorkshire commuted between Old Moor RSPB, Broomhill Flash and Wombwell Ings and often showed extremely well. In Pembrokeshire the female Subalpine Warbler stayed put on Ramsey Island RSPB and in Lancashire the pair of Black-winged Stilts continued to perform at Martin Mere WWT. In Cornwall, the Spotted Sandpiper and Red-rumped Swallow remained faithful to Newlyn and Maenporth respectively. Red-backed Shrikes have been thin on the ground this spring, so a female at Felixstowe Ferry was a welcome find. Nearby, in Norfolk a Hoopoe at Winterton North Dunes was the only news to shout about. In Dorset, 2 Woodchat Shrikes were on Portland; the first-summer by Coombefield Quarry entrance and another individual briefly at Verne Common. The stunning adult Purple Heron remained at College Reservoir, Cornwall and an adult Pectoral Sandpiper was on Cocklawburn Beach, Northumberland. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was located at Lough Beg, Co.Derry and in Kent, a first-summer gull considered by some to possibly be a Heuglin's Gull was at Dungeness for its second day. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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