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| Friday 13th October 2006 | ||
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| Another busy autumn day produced a fine selection of rarities. Fresh birds
included a Red-flanked Bluetail on Unst, where a Bonelli's warbler
species was also found, but unfortunately not heard. A Booted Warbler was
located on Bryher, Isles of Scilly, and nearby an Arctic Warbler was on
St Mary's. In Norfolk a juvenile Whiskered Tern showed exceptionally well
at Titchwell RSPB, after initially being located yesterday at nearby Brancaster.
A Subalpine Warbler on Lundy, Thrush Nightingale on South
Ronaldsay and Red-rumped Swallow at Porthgwarra, Cornwall were also new
discoveries.
Yesterday a pair of adult Red-breasted Geese were briefly at Covenham Reservoir, Lincolnshire, and today they were relocated with Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Donna Nook, before heading south along the coast. Surely these birds have got to be considered genuine vagrants. Interestingly, a pair of adult Red-breasted Geese recently arrived together in The Netherlands. The Canada Warbler remained at Kilbaha and the Baltimore Oriole was on Cape Clear Island, but extremely elusive. Popular rarities included the Least and Spotted Sandpiper partnership on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall, American Robin on Scilly, Roller in Northumberland and Glossy Ibis in Lancashire. |
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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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| Thursday 12th October 2006 | ||
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| Ireland's second Baltimore Oriole was found on Cape Clear Island,
County Cork this evening, continuing a superb week for American vagrants in the
country. On Shetland, the third Blyth's Pipit for the archipelago was
identified on Mainland and other new rarities found today included a Radde's
Warbler at Horse Shoe Point, Lincolnshire, Great White Egret and
Ferruginous Duck in Kent and in County Derry a Long-billed Dowitcher
was on the Bann Estuary.
The Canada Warbler continued to attract the crowds in Kilbaha, County Clare whilst on the Scilly Isles the American Robin remained on Tresco. Other rarities still creating the headlines included a Radde's Warbler in Suffolk, Least and Spotted Sandpipers in Cornwall and another Spotted Sandpiper was still in Devon. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 11th October 2006 | ||
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| The Canada Warbler remained at Kilbaha, Co Clare with the Red-eyed Vireo still there as supporting cast. No new rarities were discovered on the Isles of Scilly but
American Robin, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Greenish Warbler and
American Golden Plover all remained. In Northumberland the Roller was still present at Beal during the morning. Other lingering attractions were headlined by Least Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Radde's Warbler Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher Kent, Subalpine Warbler Co Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs Somerset and three White-rumped Sandpipers in Norfolk. Fresh finds included a Great White Egret in West Yorkshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in Co Kerry and American Golden Plovers in Co Clare and South Yorkshire whilst in Lancashire the Glossy Ibis was relocated at Pilling. Late news received from the previous week included a Snowy Owl in Co Donegal, Greenish Warbler in Co Kerry, White-rumped Sandpiper in Argyll and an Olive-backed Pipit on the Shetland Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 10th October 2006 | ||
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| Nearctic landbirds once again created the headlines today. A Blackpoll Warbler
was found on Dursey Island, County Cork and an American Robin on Tresco no doubt pleased those who had chosen to stay on Scilly rather than head
to County Clare. Those who did cross the Irish Sea however, were rewarded
with the continuing presence of the
first-winter Canada Warbler at Kilbaha, along with the Red-eyed Vireo.
In Cornwall a juvenile Least Sandpiper was located at the Hayle Estuary RSPB, possibly the same individual that was present in late September. At Kenidjack Valley, yet another Spotted Sandpiper was found. Other new rarities included the first Radde's Warbler of the autumn at Landguard NR, Suffolk, a Subalpine Warbler on Cape Clear Island, County Cork, Olive-backed Pipit on Fair Isle, Ferruginous Duck at Brandon Marsh, Warwickshire and Greenish Warbler on St.Agnes, Scilly. The adult Roller continued the dazzle the crowds in Northumberland and a total of three Spotted Sandpipers were around the country (including the new Kenidjack bird). Two juvenile White-rumped Sandpipers were mobile in the Cley/Salthouse area, Norfolk. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 9th October 2006 | ||
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| The Canada Warbler at Kilbaha in County Clare was, not surprisingly,
the main attraction today as many British birders made the journey to western
Ireland to see it. Kilbaha also continued to hold a Red-eyed Vireo as
well as Common Rosefinch and Red-breasted Flycatcher. The stunning
adult Roller at Beal in Northumberland also continued to prove very
popular.
A new White-rumped Sandpiper was at Cley in north Norfolk and nearby a Cattle Egret, without rings, was found at Blakeney freshmarsh. New rarities on the Shetlands came in the form of an Arctic Warbler on Mainland at Boddam and an Olive-backed Pipit on Mainland at Kergord. A juvenile American Golden Plover found at Fen Drayton in Cambridgeshire was possibly the bird previously at Farcet Fen. A Great White Egret was found in southern Ireland near Bantry. The Laughing Gull reappeared at Brora in Highland, Spotted Sandpipers were in Cornwall at Hayle and Upper Tamar Lake, the Western Bonelli's Warbler remained at Longstone on St.Mary's in The Scillies, the Hoopoe was still at Walsall in the West Midlands and there were three other American Golden Plovers in the country in addition to the one mentioned previously: on Tresco (Scillies); at Keyhaven (Hampshire) and at Deeping High Bank (Lincolnshire). |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 8th October 2006 | ||
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| Just as many where beginning to think autumn 2006 was doomed to be remembered
for it's distinct mediocrity, the first Canada Warbler to be recorded in
Britain and Ireland was found in Kilbaha, County Kerry this afternoon; this
first-winter bird constitutes only the second record for the Western Palearctic,
following an individual in Iceland in 1973.
An superb adult Roller in Northumberland was rather upstaged by the warbler, but was undeniably still a mega find. Initially located on Holy Island, it quickly found the mainland and was mobile in the Goswick and Beal are till dusk. A Black-throated Thrush on Foula continued the island's fabulous autumn and a probable Pechora Pipit was on Unst. In Devon, Upper Tamar Lake scored a superb double in the form of Spotted Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher. New White-rumped Sandpipers were found at Tyninghame Bay, Lothian, Freiston Shore, Lincolnshire and another remained at Dungeness RSPB for its second day. In Lincolnshire a Great White Egret flew over Saltfleetby NNR and Cruisetown Strand, County Louth, hosted a Forster's Tern. A Pacific or American Golden Plover was found in Cleveland at Bowesfield Marsh. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 7th October 2006 | ||
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| County Kerry created the headlines, with Kilbaha hosting both Red-eyed
Vireo and Spotted Sandpiper and Valentia Island holding a Greenish
Warbler. Elsewhere new discoveries included White-rumped Sandpipers at
Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk, Fair Isle, Shetland and Tacumshin, County Wexford.
Somerset also produced the goods, in the form of a Lesser Yellowlegs at
Weston and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Hunstpill. A Western Bonelli's
Warbler on St.Mary's, Scilly, was probably the long staying bird that was last seen on
Tuesday.
Popular rarities included the American Golden Plovers in Lincolnshire and Hampshire, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, and a juvenile Spotted Sandpiper was seen on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall, for it's second day. On Shetland the Upland Sandpiper was still on Unst until 10.10am when it flew south and Foula continued to hold a Lanceolated Warbler. The Red-eyed Vireo remained on The Mullet, County Mayo. Although not a vintage showing, seawatchers enjoyed a small passage on Leach's Petrels, mainly off the north west coastline. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 6th October 2006 | ||
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| Shetland once again produced the bird of the day in the form of an Upland
Sandpiper on Unst. Elsewhere an adult American Golden Plover was
located near Deeping High Bank, Lincolnshire, probably the same individual that
was near Epworth on Monday. In County Cork Ballycotton hosted not only a
White-rumped Sandpiper, but also a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and a
possible American Golden Plover. Back in Shetland, an eclipse drake
King Eider was located off West Burra.
The Foula 'birdfest' continued, with the Lanceolated Warbler, Coues's Arctic Redpoll and two Olive-backed Pipits all being logged. In County Mayo the Red-eyed Vireo and Snowy Owl remained on The Mullet and the Pallid Harrier made another brief appearance at Winterton, Norfolk. Seawatchers began to log the odd Leach's Petrel; given the strong westerly winds due overnight, these may be the first of many seen this weekend. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 5th October 2006 | ||
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| The second Red-eyed Vireo of the autumn was discovered this morning,
this time on
The Mullet, County Mayo; hopefully there will be more Nearctic landbirds to
follow. Other new rarities included an Alpine Swift in Ipswich, Suffolk and
Olive-backed Pipit on Lewis, Western Isles. In Shetland Foula continued to produce
the goods, this time with a Lanceolated Warbler; the Coues's Arctic
Redpoll also remained on the same island.
In Hampshire the American Golden Plover was still at Keyhaven and another remained on Tresco, Scilly. The Long-billed Dowitcher was at Oare Marshes, Kent and in Shetland Rustic Buntings remained on Unst and Fair Isle. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 4th October 2006 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Rustic Bunting on Unst, Shetland
Isles, an Arctic Redpoll on Foula, Shetland Isles and American Golden Plovers at Pennington Marshes, Hampshire and Myroe Levels, Co
Londonderry; the latter accompanied by five Buff-breasted and a Pectoral
Sandpiper. Rarities remaining from previous days were headlined by the River Warbler on Foula, Shetland, Pallid Harrier at Winterton, Norfolk, Red-eyed Vireo at Nanquidno, Cornwall, Snowy Owl on The Mullet, Co Mayo and Rustic Bunting on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles. Elsewhere the Bonaparte's Gull lingered in Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Lancashire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co Mayo and American Golden Plovers on both the Isles of Scilly and Shetland Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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