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| Saturday 8th July 2006 | ||
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| Finally, after days of secrecy and rumours, the details of the exact location
of the Pine Grosbeak in Essex were in the public domain. However, after
putting in a brief early morning appearance at the site east of Chipping Ongar,
it disappeared for the rest of the day, following a bizarrely similar pattern to
the last Pine Grosbeak to occur in Britain; news was slow to leak out, and
virtually as soon as it did, the bird vanished!
The outstanding find of the day was a cracking Lesser Grey Shrike at Shingle Street, Suffolk, which showed well around tennis courts. Another class find was a Long-billed Dowitcher at Goldcliff Pools Nature Reserve, Gwent, but the bird was only on view for fifteen minutes early afternoon. In Dorset, the colour-ringed Great White Egret seen earlier in the week in neighbouring Hampshire was located at Sturminster Marshall Gravel Pits. The adult Semipalmated Sandpiper remained at Back Saltholme Pool, Cleveland and in Scotland the eclipse drake King Eider was still in Ayrshire and the Great Reed Warbler continued to sing in Angus. Yesterday evening's Black Stork however, was nowhere to be seen at dawn, but the Common Rosefinch was still at Newmachar, Aberdeenshire, and the adult Rose-coloured Starling remained on Harris, Western Isles. |
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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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| Friday 7th July 2006 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a (the?) Black Stork inland of Eyemouth, Borders.
First seen late afternoon by the Eye Water near South Renton it soon flew off south before being relocated roosting in a tree near Auchencrow
late in the evening. It will presumably remain overnight and prove to be a popular attraction. It was also seen in this area nearly a fortnight ago. Elsewhere a fist-summer male Red-footed Falcon made a brief early morning appearance at Gorleston, Norfolk whilst in Cleveland the Semipalmated Sandpiper continued to show well on occasion at Back Saltholme Pool. However, the main talking point remained the continued presence of a male Pine Grosbeak at an undisclosed site in Essex. Whilst it is perhaps impossible to ascertain the origin of this bird, it has been twitched by three birders who, at the request of the landowner, are keeping the location a closely guarded secret; a great shame given the success of other similar twitches in recent years. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 6th July 2006 | ||
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| The day started in superb fashion as a Semipalmated Sandpiper was
identified at Back Saltholme Pool (Cleveland). The bird had been present
yesterday evening but at the time it was not seen well enough for the identification to be
clinched. It showed well throughout the day and represents the third record for
Cleveland.
Intriguing news from Essex concerned a male Pine Grosbeak that has been frequenting a garden somewhere near Ongar since Saturday. However, the time of year, combined with its' scruffy plumage and worn legs would all point to it being an escape. In Mainland Shetland a Bee-eater flew over Virkie, and in the Western Isles an adult Rose-coloured Starling was found at the south-west end of Harris (Western Isles). The first UK Cory's Shearwaters of the season were logged off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) in a brief afternoon seawatch and a pelagic off Scilly once again produced a Wilson's Petrel. The singing male Great Reed Warbler remained at the Loch of Kinnordy RSPB reserve (Angus) and the Great White Egret was again reported from Blashford Lakes HWT reserve (Hants). |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 5th July 2006 | ||
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| The heatwave continued throughout most of the country but a few new birds
were found. A mobile
female Red-necked Phalarope gave birders the run-around at Cley NWT,
Norfolk in the morning, an Alpine Swift was reported flying southeast
over Stretham, Cambridgeshire early evening and and a Great White Egret
was in Portsmouth harbour; the latter is likely to be the same bird that was
reported recently off Gosport Park.
In Ireland a Great White Egret was reported at Quoile Pondage Nature Reserve. Spoonbills continue to be widespread and Caspian Gulls are beginning to show up at some of their favourite haunts. Belated news for yesterday came in the form of an eclipse drake Lesser Scaup at an undisclosed site. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 4th July 2006 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Snowy Owl on North Uist, Western
Isles at Sollas, present at this site for the second day. Indeed it is likely this bird
has been on North Uist for sometime with reported in January, April and May likely to relate to the same elusive individual. Elsewhere the Gull-billed Tern remained by the Camel Estuary, Cornwall and the Common Rosefinch contiuned to sing at Newmachar, Aberdeenshire. In Ayrshire the long-staying King Eider at Troon began acquiring eclipse plumage. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 3rd July 2006 | ||
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| The only 'new' rarity discovered today was presumably an old friend, a colour-ringed Great White Egret
at Mockbeggar, Hampshire is presumably the bird that has intermittently frequented the numerous waters in that vicinity over the last four years. A belated report of a
Great White Egret seen recently in Portsmouth Harbour, Hampshire may well be the same bird. An adult male Common Rosefinch remained on territory at Newmachar, Abderdeenshire having been present at this site for at least eleven days. In Greater Manchester the adult male aythya at Pennington Flash that on Saturday had been identified as a Lesser Scaup was today confirmed to be just a Scaup. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 2nd July 2006 | ||
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| Sunday began with an adult Caspian Tern flying south past Whitburn,
County Durham and then later past Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland. The remainder of the day was
comparatively quiet but the adult Gull-billed Tern continued to show well on
the Camel Estuary, Cornwall and the adult drake Lesser Scaup was still at
Pennington Flash Country Park, Greater Manchester.
An adult Forster's Tern at Belfast Lough RSPB, County Down created the Irish headlines and in Scotland the Great Reed Warbler continued to sing in Angus and the dapper drake King Eider was still off the Ayrshire coast. A few Honey Buzzards where on the move in the southeast and Spoonbills were typically widespread. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 1st July 2006 | ||
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| The news of a Gull-billed Tern in Cornwall at Walmsley Sanctuary CBWPS
injected a little excitement into yet another quiet midsummer day; the bird has
apparently been in the Camel Estuary area since Wednesday. Unusually for July,
two
Lesser Scaups were located, one at Tittesworth Reservoir, Staffordshire
and the other at Pennington Flash Country Park, Greater Manchester. The latter
individual, an adult drake, is likely to be the same bird that was present
at this site during the summers of 2003 and 2004.
The adult Black-browed Albatross was successfully twitched for the second successive weekend and in Cumbria the Great White Egret remained at Bassenthwaite Lake. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 30th June 2006 | ||
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| An adult White-winged Black Tern at Worlaby Carrs, Lincolnshire was the star find during an otherwise quiet final day of the month. Lingering rarities were few and far between, but the Great White Egret in Cumbria, King Eider in Ayrshire and Great Reed Warbler in Angus were all still present. In Cornwall a probable Black Kite was logged flying southwest just south of Maenporth and at the opposite end of the country, a drake Green-winged Teal at Derwent Reservoir, Northumberland was an unusual June record. | ||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 29th June 2006 | ||
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| The best birds of another exceptionally quiet day included the Great White
Egret at Bassenthwaite Lake (Cumbria), Great Reed Warbler at Loch of
Kinnordy RSPB reserve (Angus) and the pair of Black-winged Stilts still
at Martin Mere WWT (Lancs). Adult Roseate Terns are on the move with
birds appearing at Reculver (Kent), Abbotsbury Swannery (Dorset) and Musselburgh
(Lothian) during the day.
The odd new Quail was found singing around the country in what is so far a poor year for this species. Red-veined Darter dragonflies continue to liven up many a patch-watchers day out. |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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