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| Sunday 3rd September 2006 | ||
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| Ireland enjoyed an even better day than yesterday for Nearctic waders. In
County Kerry a Semipalmated Sandpiper was at Smerwick Harbour, whilst a
White-rumped Sandpiper was at nearby Burnham Lagoon, in Dingle. In County
Cork the
Semipalmated Sandpipers remained at Ballycotton and Lissagriffin and a
Buff-breasted Sandpiper was at Kilcoole, County Wicklow. The Long-billed
Dowitcher and Pectoral Sandpiper remained faithful to Shannon Airport Lagoon, as
did the Lesser Yellowlegs to Dundrum Inner Bay, County Down.
Scilly also fared well for 'peeps', scoring a Semipalmated Sandpiper on St.Agnes; this bird is a different individual to the 'probable' seen on Bryher a few days ago. Nearby, the adult White-rumped Sandpiper returned to Tresco and a Pectoral Sandpiper was reported on St.Mary's. Back in Ireland a Greenish Warbler was found on Brownstown Head, County Waterford. A female Red-footed Falcon visited Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk. In Scotland Pectoral Sandpipers were located at Lochlea Farm Pool, Ayrshire, Tyninghame Bay, Lothian and on South Uist, Western Isles; another was at Cley NWT, Norfolk. The American Golden Plover was still present on Tiree, Argyll. |
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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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| Saturday 2nd September 2006 | ||
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| Nearctic waders in southern Ireland created the headlines today. Semipalmated Sandpipers
were at Ballycotton and Lissagriffin, County Cork and
a Baird's
Sandpiper was at Lady's Island Lake, County Wexford. Shetland produced an Arctic Warbler on Foula and the Red-rumped Swallow was still at Hoswick, Mainland. In Argyll, Tiree continued to host the tremendous treble of Booted Warbler and Pacific and American Golden Plovers. A Great White Egret returned to Blashford Lakes HWT, Hampshire and the Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Dundrum Inner Bay, County Down. Elsewhere scarcities included the juvenile Night Heron at Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex and the juvenile Temminck's Stint continued to show well at Foxcote Reservoir, Buckinghamshire. In Nottinghamshire the Dutch-ringed White Stork remained at Eaton and the juvenile Red-necked Phalarope was still at Hickling Broad NWT, Norfolk. On Fair Isle the Melodious Warbler continued its stay and was joined by a Woodchat Shrike and another Melodious Warbler was found at Tacumshin, County Wexford. Pectoral Sandpipers were located at Havergate Island RSPB, Suffolk and North Uist, Western Isles and plenty of Long-tailed Skuas were logged past coastal watchpoints. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 1st September 2006 | ||
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| The Isles of Scilly stole the show today, producing a Subalpine Warbler
on St.Agnes and a probable Semipalmated Sandpiper on Bryher. Yesterday's
White-rumped Sandpiper was relocated on the former island and St.Mary's
offered a Tawny Pipit briefly on the golf course. In Argyll the Booted Warbler and adult American Golden Plover remained on Tiree and on Mainland Shetland the Red-rumped Swallow returned to Hoswick. The stunning Snowy Owl remained on North Uist, a Great White Egret was at Old Hall Marshes RSPB, Essex and Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Dundrum Inner Bay, County Down. The best of the rest included the Night Heron at Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex, Hoopoe at Lawford, Essex, a brief juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper on Fleetwood Golf Course, Lancashire, juvenile Temminck's Stint still at Foxcote Reservoir, Buckinghamshire, Red-backed Shrike at Reculver, Kent and another impressive movement of Great Shearwaters off Ireland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 31st August 2006 | ||
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| The Scottish Islands stole the limelight today, and probably not for the last
time this autumn, with an Arctic Warbler on Fetlar, in the Shetlands, and
a Booted Warbler on Tiree, in Argyll. The latter island also still hosted
both an American Golden Plover and a Pacific Golden Plover.
The Snowy Owl remained on North Uist, in the Western Isles, with a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and a possible American Herring Gull on South Uist. A Melodious Warbler remained on Fair Isle, Shetlands, while in the Orkneys there was some good seawatching with 44 Great Shearwaters and 2 Cory's Shearwaters past North Ronaldsay. Not to be outdone, south-west Ireland produced another Fea's Petrel, this one past Cape Clear Island in County Cork. Elsewhere, a White-rumped Sandpiper was on Tresco in The Scillies, and Great White Egrets were again at Chigborough in Essex and Sturminster in Dorset. Two Long-tailed Skuas went past Dungeness, Kent, eight Spoonbills were together at Havergate Island in Suffolk, a Wryneck was in London at Bushy Park and inland Temminck's Stints were at Foxcote Reservoir, Buckinghamshire and Lound in Nottinghamshire. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 30th August 2006 | ||
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| Overall a quieter day than of late with the confirmation of the continued presence of both
Pacific Golden Plover and American Golden Plover on Tiree, Argyll the highlight. Otherwise a
Red-necked Phalarope arrived at Hickling Broad, Norfolk and the juvenile
Night Heron remained at Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex. A scattering of scarce passerines along the English south coast between Devon and Kent comprised two Wrynecks as well as single Ortolan Bunting, Melodious Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Woodchat Shrike, Red-backed Shrike and Barred Warbler. Late news was received of two Little Shearwaters passing Kilcummin Head, Co Mayo yesterday. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 29th August 2006 | ||
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| A Western Bonelli's Warbler at Hauxley, Northumberland was the star find today with
Woodchat Shrike at Portland, Dorset, Ortolan Bunting at Nanjizal, Cornwall and a
Melodious Warbler on Skomer, Pembrokeshire the best of the scarce passerines. A juvenile
Night Heron showed well at Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex. Whilst another Fea's Petrel off the Bridges of Ross, Co Clare was the headline seabird, a count of 190 Great Shearwaters at Butt of Lewis, Western Isles was noteworthy as were eight Long-tailed Skuas and ten Sabine's Gulls at Kilcummin Head, Co Mayo. It was an excellent day for waders on Tiree, Argyll where both American Golden Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper were found with a Pacific Golden Plover suspected as well. Belated news concerned a stunning adult Bridled Tern photographed by a novice in an apparently moribund state on the foreshore at Dovercourt, Essex on 25th August. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 28th August 2006 | ||
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| Once again seawatchers bagged major prizes in western Ireland with Little Shearwater and
Wilson's Petrel both recorded passing Bridges of Ross, Co Clare. In Co Mayo 507
Great Shearwaters passed Annagh Head. In Scotland the Snowy Owl remained on North Uist, Western Isles whilst a Red-rumped Swallow was a surprise find at Hoswick, Shetland. Discoveries in southern England included a female Lesser Scaup at Helston, Cornwall, a Melodious Warbler on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly and a juvenile Woodchat Shrike that showed well during the afternoon at Langstone, Hampshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 27th August 2006 | ||
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| A Black Stork was tracked across Cornwall throughout the afternoon;
after initially being seen over The Lizard it flew over Helston at 2.30pm then
northeast over Porthgwarra at 3.15pm. In County Waterford yesterdays' elusive
Booted Warbler was still at Dungarvan. An outstanding 4,493 Great
Shearwaters were counted past Annagh Head, County Mayo in the morning and must have been a
truly marvellous spectacle.
Fair Isle continued to host a Greenish Warbler, along with a Melodious Warbler. Another Melodious Warbler remained at Portland Bill, Dorset. In Perth and Kinross an eclipse drake Ferruginous Duck was located at Vane Farm RSPB and in Essex the Great White Egret reappeared at Chigborough Lakes EWT, but was only seen briefly in flight. A Lesser Yellowlegs reappeared at Dundrum Inner Bay, County Down. Lound Gravel Pits, Nottinghamshire hosted a Temminck's Stint and the approachable Pectoral Sandpiper remained at Huntspill, Somerset. A Hoopoe was at Winterton North Dunes, Norfolk, making it a good weekend for this species in the county. Whatever the origin of the near-adult White Pelican, it is certainly covering some miles; after relocating to the northeast coast yesterday, it continued to tour Northumberland, eventually settling at Cresswell Pond. There was again a typical scattering of scarce migrants, which included two juvenile Red-backed Shrikes together at Howick, Northumberland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 26th August 2006 | ||
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| Chief of the new finds was a Yellow-breasted Bunting at West Runton,
Norfolk. Unfortunately the bird was far from obliging, and after making a few
brief appearances prior to 9am, it flew west with Meadow Pipits and was not
relocated. In County Waterford Irelands' fourth Booted Warbler was
identified at Dungarvan and in Northamptonshire a Great White Egret flew
north over Charwelton.
In Aberdeenshire the Franklin's Gull remained on the Ythan Estuary and the presumed escape White Pelican was once again relocated, this time as it tracked along the Northeast coast, finally arriving at East Chevington NWT, Northumberland where it remained till dusk. A Hoopoe was at Cantley sugar beet factory, Norfolk and an Ortolan Bunting was at St.Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent. The east coast held the expected selection of drift migrants associated with early autumn. In Ireland seawatchers were rewarded with an impressive movement of Great Shearwaters; the highest total was at least 656 past Bloody Foreland, County Donegal. Several late items of news were received concerning yesterday; an Aquatic Warbler was trapped and ringed at Steart, Somerset, a Greenish Warbler was the star amongst a plethora of scare migrants on Fair Isle, Shetland and a Wilson's Petrel was logged past the Bridges of Ross, County Clare. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 25th August 2006 | ||
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| The Fan-tailed Warbler seen for just twenty minutes by a few lucky
observers at St Margaret's at Cliffe (Kent) was undoubtedly bird of the day. If
accepted, it will be the first British record since the two well-watched birds
in Dorset in 2000, the first for Kent and only the seventh for Britain and
Ireland. Unfortunately it could not be relocated later in the day.
A Greenish Warbler joined a Barred Warbler at Kilnsea (E.Yorks), and there was a brief Great White Egret at Rye Harbour (E.Sussex), but a possible Aquatic Warbler at Gibraltar Point (Lincs) was not pinned down. Seawatchers at Bridges of Ross scored up to 44 Great Shearwaters as well as Grey Phalarope, Leach's Petrel and Long-tailed Skua, but Brandon Point (Co.Kerry) claimed the big prize with a Fea's Petrel. The adult Franklin's Gull put in another evening appearance on the Ythan Estuary (Aberdeens), and the Ferruginous Duck remained at Blithfield Reservoir (Staffs). The best of the scarcities included Icterine Warblers in Suffolk and Scilly, a brief Corncrake at Flamrorough Head (E.Yorks), Spotted Crake at Spurn (E.Yorks) and a scattering of Dotterel and Roseate Terns. A Wryneck at Mam Tor (Derbys) was a good record. An improvement in the weather saw a further flurry of Camberwell Beauty sightings, but a Long-tailed Blue at Dawlish Warren (Devon) took the butterfly prize. Finally, there was a belated report of a Great Spotted Cuckoo at Margate cemetery (Kent) on Monday. |
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| - Andy Symes, RBA | ||
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