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| Tuesday 20th June 2006 | ||
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| Lincolnshire enjoyed a fantastic day, which began with the finding
of a Purple Heron at Huttoft Bank Pit just prior to midday. A
Black Stork flew SE over Welton, near Alford at 6pm, and later in the
evening observers at Gibraltar Point NNR hoping to connect with the stork
located a Whiskered Tern.
In Oxfordshire the Scops Owl made a few daylight appearances, the Bee-eater remained on Yell, Shetland and in Angus the Great Reed Warbler continued to sing at Loch of Kinnordy RSPB. In Ireland, the first couple of Cory's Shearwaters of the summer appeared off the south coast, with singles past Ballycotton and Cape Clear during the morning. Yesterday evening an adult Laughing Gull was on Unst at Loch of Cliff before roosting at Burra Firth. |
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| - Stuart Piner, 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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| Monday 19th June 2006 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Snowy Owl in coastal northwest Scotland at Scourie. Although at a typical latitude for British records of Snowy Owl if this bird chose to linger it would become the first twitchable Snowy Owl on the Scottish mainland in a decade. Elsewhere, a White-winged Black Tern put in a brief appearance at Snettisham, Norfolk before heading out over The Wash. On Shetland the Bee-eater, first reported last Wednesday, was relocated on Yell and showed into the evening. In East Yorkshire three Common Cranes near Aldbrough were notable. Belated confirmation was received that the first-summer harrier present at Whixall Moss, Shropshire for more than a week was a Montagu's Harrier - not a Pallid (or Hen) Harrier as previously suspected. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 18th June 2006 | ||
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| Sunday began with exciting news of a Squacco Heron at Shapwick Heath
NNR; after roosting overnight it was on show until 5.10am, when it flew towards
Meare Heath. Unfortunately there was no further sign of the bird by dusk. Six miles south of the St.Mary's, Scilly an outstanding total of 8 Wilson's
Petrels were seen from a pelagic in the evening. However, the rest of the day was comparatively quiet, with the only
notable finds being a male Red-backed Shrike at Burnham Overy
Dunes, Norfolk and Marsh Warbler at Reighton Sands, North Yorkshire. The
singing Scops Owl continued to show on and off during the night in Thrupp,
Oxfordshire.
Late news for Friday related to a White-winged Black Tern on Harris, Western Isles. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 17th June 2006 | ||
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| Two Red-footed Falcons created Saturday's headline news; an adult male
was between St.Ishmael's and Sandyhaven Pill, Pembrokeshire and in
Nottinghamshire a first-summer was at Budby Common late in the evening. A Bee-eater over
Bockhill Monument, Kent provided a little early morning excitement but elsewhere proceedings
were rather static; the crowds once again flocked to the Scops Owl in
Thrupp, Oxfordshire and other long-stayers included the Lesser Yellowlegs
in Lincolnshire, Great Reed Warbler in Angus and King Eider in
Ayrshire.
Three flocks of Common Scoter were found inland today; an impressive 25 at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire, 12 at Bough Beech Reservoir, Kent and 9 at Houghton Green Flash, Cheshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 16th June 2006 | ||
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| A pelagic three miles southwest of Bishop Rock, Scilly produced a Wilson's Petrel
this evening and in Cornwall a Black Kite flew south over Trethorne at
3.30pm. The Oxfordshire Scops Owl continued to
entertain the crowds in Thrupp during the hours of darkness, and not too far away the
Bedfordshire Red-footed Falcon was still present at Marston Vale Millennium Country
Park, but only until midday. In Scotland the Great Reed Warbler
remained at Loch of Kinnordy RSPB, Angus.
Late news from yesterday came in the form of a probable River Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland. A twitchable River Warbler would no doubt prove incredibly popular, as it has been a whole decade since one was available to the masses. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 15th June 2006 | ||
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| A Great Reed Warbler at Sandwich Bay, Kent was the best new rarity
found today, where it showed on and off until at least early evening. At least 2 Bee-eaters
were heard as they flew over Titchfield Haven, Hampshire, and a Black
Kite flew east over Sennen, Cornwall.
The Scops Owl performed another late-night show in Thrupp, Oxfordshire, and the Marsh Sandpiper remained at Dungeness RSPB, Kent. Other long-stayers included the first-summer male Red-footed Falcon at Marston Vale Millennium County Park, Bedfordshire and Lesser Yellowlegs at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 14th June 2006 | ||
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| In Thrupp, Oxfordshire the Scops Owl continued singing for over an hour after dawn and resumed well before dusk. Although in the main elusive the bird was glimpsed on occasion and showed well at least once today. A Marsh Sandpiper at Dungeness, Kent was perhaps the same bird as that seen at Reculver, Kent briefly last Sunday. Found on Denge Marsh during the morning the bird became elusive during the afternoon. Elsewhere, in Co Wexford the Night Heron showed again at Tacumshin whilst on Shetland a small arrival of late drift migrants included a Marsh Warbler and a Red-backed Shrike on Unst and Red-backed Shrikes on both Whalsay and Mainland at Virkie. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 13th June 2006 | ||
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| The major news release tonight was of a singing male Scops Owl just outside Kidlington, Oxfordshire. The bird has been
on territory at Thrupp for at least three weeks when it was first noticed by inquisitive residents. There is a similar record of a singing Scops Owl in
southern England, at Dummer, Hampshire - 45 miles to the south of Kidlington - from 12th May until 14th July 1980. If the current bird remains until mid July
it will certainly prove to be a popular attraction, although - as was the case with the Dummer bird - gaining an acceptable view may prove
very difficult. Highlights elsewhere included a lingering Purple Heron at Old Moor, South Yorkshire and a Red-necked Phalarope at Eyebrook Reservoir, Leicestershire. In Scotland the singing Great Reed Warbler at Loch of Kinnordy, Angus showed only briefly whilst on Shetland a female Red-footed Falcon was located at Fladdabister. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 12th June 2006 | ||
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| Shetland hogged the rarities today with the outstanding highlight being a Paddyfield Warbler at Skaw on Whalsay. Elsewhere in the archipelago a
Red-footed Falcon paused briefly at Collafirth and on Fair Isle Short-toed
Lark, an Icterine Warbler and two Common Rosefinches were
all logged. Meanwhile, the Lesser Yellowlegs lingered at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire and the Red-footed Falcon remained at Marston Vale, Bedfordshire video clip 1 video clip 2 (video from Stewartby Lake Country Park). A Red-breasted Flycatcher and a Serin at Portland Bill, Dorset, and a fine Red-backed Shrike at Elmley, Kent were the best of the rest from around England. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 11th June 2006 | ||
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| A Marsh Sandpiper at Coldharbour Lagoon, Kent was today's star bird,
but flew west soon after it was found. Other new rarities included a Great
Reed Warbler at Loch of Kinnordy, Angus, which was possibly the same bird that was at
Forfar Loch in mid May. The first Wilson's Petrels of the Scilly pelagic
season were seen, with three in the evening about 6 miles south of St.Mary's. A Gull-billed
Tern flew past Goring in West Sussex before heading inland over Worthing,
whilst at the other end of the country, a Red-rumped Swallow was reported
at Mey Village east of Thurso in Highland. Spurn Point, in East Yorkshire, had a
memorable day with a Bee-eater present for a short while in the morning,
a male Red-footed Falcon through in the evening, a probable Pallid Swift
through with over 4,500 Common Swifts during the day, and 2 Spoonbills
over in the early afternoon. Nearby the mobile Great White Egret
reappeared at Hornsea Mere.
In Bedfordshire the splendid first-summer male Red-footed Falcon continued to perform at Marston Vale Millennium County Park but was often distant whilst hawking with Hobbies in the glorious summer sky. In Lincolnshire the Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Gibraltar Point. On Anglesey the controversial tern, now thought by many to be a hybrid or an aberrant Sandwich Tern, remained at Cemlyn Lagoon, but was a little less obliging. A Pectoral Sandpiper was found in Cleveland, an unseasonal Black Redstart was at Blakeney Point in Norfolk and one or two Black Terns were still around. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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