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| Sunday 25th June 2006 | ||
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| The only new rarity discovered today was a Great White Egret at Tacumshin, Co Wexford - found in the afternoon by birders searching for the subadult male
Montagu's Harrier that has been present there for over a week. On Shetland the adult Laughing Gull put in another appearance; this time on Mainland at Toab, whilst the Bee-eater remained on Yell at Camb. Whilst the Great Reed Warbler in Angus remained on territory at Loch of Kinnordy the individual present yesterday at Far Ings, Lincolnshire appeared to have left overnight. |
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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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| Saturday 24th June 2006 | ||
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| Although in the middle of a traditionally quiet time of year, a couple of new
rarities were still to be found. Best was a Great Reed Warbler at Far
Ings Nature Reserve, on the Humber Estuary, in Lincolnshire. Also, a Black
Kite flew over Anton Lakes, near Andover, Hampshire at 9.30am and a Bee-eater
flew south over Easington in East Yorkshire in the early evening. In Somerset, a
Woodchat Shrike was found at Lucott Cross in the middle of Exmoor, and in
the Western Isles two different first summer Ring-billed Gulls could be
found on Lewis.
The boatload of intrepid birders in the North Atlantic scored their main prize of the summering Black-browed Albatross on Sula Sgeir, some 40 miles north of the Butt of Lewis in the Western Isles, which, together with yesterdays Bridled Tern, made this long round trip well worthwhile. Elsewhere, the Scops Owl remained at Thrupp in Oxfordshire, the Lesser Yellowlegs was still at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, the Bee-eater was still on Yell, Shetlands and the Great Reed Warbler remained in Angus. Common Scoters again featured on inland waters with flocks of up to 24 reported from various sites |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Friday 23rd June 2006 | ||
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| The star bird today was an adult Bridled Tern in northwest Scotland that flew past a boat in The Minch
between the Western Isles and Highland early in the evening. The last truly twitchable Bridled Tern was over fifteen years ago
and the next accessible individual will attract quite a crowd. This incredible sighting was made all the more remarkable in that
the boat contained ten keen twitchers heading out to Sula Sgeir hoping to connect
with the summering Black-browed Albatross. Tomorrow will reveal whether their trip produces an incredible seabird double-whammy for some of the participants. A male Red-backed Shrike and a Serin were surprise mid summer finds at Portland, Dorset whilst a belated report of a White-billed Diver was received from Gairloch, Highland. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 22nd June 2006 | ||
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Shetland produced a brace of new rarities today with an adult Laughing Gull on Mainland and a Bee-eater on Fair Isle. The gull, that may have been the individual seen on Unst on the 19th June, flew north over Quendale in the morning but could not be relocated later in the day. Similarly, in Norfolk, a brace of Red-footed Falcons that were reported to have flown in off the sea at Great Yarmouth spent the remainder of the day beyond birders radars. Lingering rarities comprised of a trio lonely males with the Scops Owl in Oxfordshire, Great Reed Warbler in Angus and King Eider in Ayrshire. A Temminck’s Stint at Upton Warren (Worcs) was the best of the rest although a strong blow in the Irish Sea produced good numbers of Storm Petrels close inshore to many western counties. |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 21st June 2006 | ||
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| A Gull-billed Tern flew west past Worthing, West Sussex this morning,
possibly the same bird that was logged past here on 11th June. A Black-winged
Stilt flew over Samlesbury, Lancashire early evening; the pair at Martin
Mere WWT were last reported on Monday. In Ireland 2 Wilson's Petrels past
Brandon Head were the first of the 'season' away from a Scilly pelagic.
The adult Whiskered Tern made another brief appearance at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire, where the Lesser Yellowlegs also remained. The Great Reed Warbler continued to sing in Angus and in Oxfordshire, the Scops Owl was still at Thrupp. A report of a possible White-tailed Eagle in Cambridgeshire was an intriguing, if somewhat bizarre June record. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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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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| 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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