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| Tuesday 18th July 2006 | ||
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| The main news today concerned the 'firming up' of the identification of the
first-summer American Black Tern (form surinamensis) at Lady's
Island Lake, Co.Wexford. After finally obtaining good views of the bird, Killian
Mullarney is 'confident that it has good enough credentials to be considered a
definite surinamensis'. This is the first American Black Tern to be
identified in first-summer plumage in Britain and Ireland. The three previous
records, two in Ireland and one in Somerset, all relate to autumn juveniles.
A Bee-eater flew west over Pitcox, Lothian late afternoon, and was the only new rarity found today. The extremely elusive Squacco Heron put in another appearance at Shapwick Heath NNR, Somerset and the far from confiding Black Stork was seen again near Grantshouse, Borders. The Pine Grosbeak was still showing well at Gilston Park, Hertfordshire, whilst in Fife the drake Ferruginous Duck remained at Loch Gelly. In Berkshire, the first-summer female Red-footed Falcon was still at Moor Green Lakes LNR and two Wilson's Petrels were observed from an afternoon pelagic off Scilly. |
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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 17th July 2006 | ||
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| In London an adult Great White Egret was located at Rainham Marshes
RSPB this afternoon before moving to Berwick Reservoir, just to the northeast,
in the evening. Also in London a Caspian Tern was reported from the
Wetland Centre briefly. In Co. Wexford the probable American Black Tern remained
at Lady's Island Lake throughout the day and was seen to go to roost. In Scilly,
a Wilson's Petrel was seen between Bishop's Rock and Rosevean.
The Pine Grosbeak remained in Hertfordshire, as did the Red-footed Falcon in Berkshire, Laughing Gull in East Sussex and Ferruginous Duck in Fife. The Black Stork was seen again in Borders and the drake King Eider reappeared in Ayrshire. |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 16th July 2006 | ||
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| Top finds today included a drake Ferruginous Duck at Loch Gelly, Fife and a male Red-footed
Falcon at Abberton Reservoir, Essex, but it was the male Pine
Grosbeak at Gilston Park, Hertfordshire that continued to create the
headlines.
Lady's Island Lake, Co.Wexford hosted a possible first-summer American Black Tern. The identification of this bird is still in question, but if it does prove to be of Nearctic origin, it is a truly remarkable July record. Elsewhere, the first-summer female Red-footed Falcon was still at Moor Green Lakes, Berkshire and in Hampshire the unringed Great White Egret was seen at Blashford Lakes HWT. The long-staying first-summer Black Stork was still in the Houndwood area, Borders but actually connecting with it was easier said than done, as it remained incredibly elusive in the Eye Water valley. The first-summer Laughing Gull returned to Arlington Reservoir, East Sussex early evening. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 15th July 2006 | ||
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| Find of the day was a Caspian Tern at Breydon Water, Norfolk, present
for a couple of hours on and off during the afternoon. In Berkshire a
first-summer female Red-footed Falcon was located at Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve and in Hertfordshire,
the male Pine Grosbeak continued to attract plenty of attention as the
weekend crowds descended on Gilston Park.
The first-summer Black Stork remained in the Houndwood area, Borders, but was typically elusive and two Great White Egrets were again at Blashford Lakes HWT, Hampshire. Other reports included the first-summer Laughing Gull still at Arlington Reservoir and the Squacco Heron again at Shapwick Heath, Somerset. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 14th July 2006 | ||
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| The news was dominated by the continued presence of the male Pine Grosbeak
at Gilston Park in Hertfordshire. Although sometimes elusive, the bird generally
showed well at times to many observers.
Elsewhere a drake King Eider was found off Wester Quarff in Mainland Shetland, while the Black Stork in Angus and Laughing Gull in East Sussex remained in residence. The colour-ringed Great White Egret showed up again at Blashford Lakes (Hants) but there was no sign today of the Stilt Sandpiper in Conwy. |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 13th July 2006 | ||
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| The story of the day concerned the male Pine Grosbeak that was
remarkably relocated across the Essex border in south Hertfordshire. Frequenting
the small hamlet of Gilston Park, the bird had been present at the site since
last Saturday (the same day it departed from Essex) and seen by only a handful
of birders since. Searches during the evening failed to find the bird so only
time will tell if it will continue to give its would-be observers the
run-around.
In Scotland the Black Stork was seen again by the Eye Water (Borders) but it is still very mobile and elusive, while an adult Rose-coloured Starling was on Unst (Shetland) briefly. Elsewhere, the Stilt Sandpiper remained at Conwy RSPB reserve, the Laughing Gull was still at Arlington Reservoir (E.Sussex) and a Wilson's Petrel was again noted from a pelagic south of Scilly. |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 12th July 2006 | ||
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| Conwy RSPB continued to host the first-summer Stilt Sandpiper and the
first-summer Laughing Gull remained at Arlington Reservoir, East Sussex.
Another Laughing Gull was found yesterday about 120 miles northeast of
Aberdeen at the Buchan Alpha oil platform.
A probable ringtail Pallid Harrier on the Merseyside /Lancashire border was seen at both Marshside RSPB and near Martin Mere WWT. If genuine, this would be the first for the Lancashire and North Merseyside recording area. Two Wilson's Petrels were observed from a pelagic off Scilly this evening. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 11th July 2006 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of the first Stilt Sandpiper for Wales at Conwy RSPB, Conwy in the afternoon. Thanks to an impromptu extension of the reserve opening hours the bird - thought most likely to be a first-summer - showed well until dusk. In East Sussex a first-summer Laughing Gull spent the evening at Arlington Reservoir, no doubt a wandering remnant of the incredible influx into Europe in late autumn 2005. The Black Stork showed again by the Eye Water, Borders and the female Lesser Grey Shrike continued to delight admirers at Shingle Street, Suffolk. However, the Semipalmated Sandpiper at Back Saltholme Pool, Cleveland, having spent an hour calling flew off strongly to the south at dusk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 10th July 2006 | ||
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| An eclipse male Lesser Scaup discovered at Hornsea Mere, East Yorkshire this evening was - given the strong site fidelty traditionally shown by ducks - presumably the bird that spent last autumn at this site. Other moulting ducks included a male American Wigeon at Goldcliff, Gwent and singles of both King Eider and Surf Scoter at the traditional seaduck hotspot of Blackdog, Aberdeenshire. In England the female Lesser Grey Shrike at Shingle Street, Suffolk and the Semipalmated Sandpiper at Back Saltholme Pool, Cleveland remained popular whilst in Scotland the Black Stork at Auchencrow, Borders and Great Reed Warbler at Loch of Kinnordy, Angus remained frustratingly elusive. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 9th July 2006 | ||
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| An Alpine Swift over Wheal Rose, Cornwall and a Great White Egret
at Grove Ferry, Kent. were the two most noteworthy finds today. After being
absent for several weeks, the Squacco Heron reappeared at Shapwick Heath
NNR, Somerset; the bird was initially seen in mid June. Two Great White Egrets
were at Blashford Lakes HWT, Hampshire and the female Lesser Grey Shrike
continued to entertain an appreciative crowd at Shingle Street, Suffolk. In
Cleveland the adult Semipalmated Sandpiper was still at Back Saltholme
Pool and in Borders the Black Stork was seen again. It followed the same
pattern as on Friday evening, initially by the Eye Water near South Renton, then
roosting in a tree near Auchencrow late in the evening. The main talking point of the day was a breeding-plumage Red-necked Grebe present at Deeping Lakes LWT, Lincolnshire for its second day. It was initially flagged up as a possible American Red-necked Grebe (form holboelli) due to the extensive amount of yellow on the bird's lower mandible. When sporting breeding attire, this feature is thought to be indicative of the American and East Siberian form. However, it appears that there is a significant amount of variation in bill colour within nominate grisegena, and coupled with the lack of any truly diagnostic features of holboellii, the Lincolnshire bird's progression beyond 'a possible holboelli' seems unlikely. There was again no sign of the male Pine Grosbeak; this bird really does seem to have performed a remarkable disappearing act, evading all but the fortunate few. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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