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| Monday 23rd October 2006 | ||
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| The headline news today came from the Shetland Isles where a Blyth's Pipit
was confirmed on Fair Isle when it was trapped and ringed, an Olive-backed Pipit
remains on the same island with Red-flanked Bluetails both on Shetland Mainland at Brae and
still on Whalsay at Skaw. An Alpine Swift flew over Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, a Cattle Egret arrived at Budleigh Salterton, Devon and three White-rumped Sandpipers showed well at Cley, Norfolk. On the Scilly Isles an American Robin put in a brief appearance on Bryher with the long-staying bird still on Tresco and the other highlight being the Booted Warbler still on St Mary's. Elsewhere, most notable amongst the rarities were the Red-flanked Bluetail in Suffolk, Forster's Tern Co Louth, Black Duck Co Kerry, Glossy Ibis Lancashire, Red-breasted Goose Lincolnshire, Arctic Redpoll, Shetland and both Spotted Sandpiper and Siberian Stonechat in Cornwall. A falcon on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd during the afternoon was initially proposed as a potential Eleonora's Falcon but, following better views, was thought less likely to be this species. |
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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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| Sunday 22nd October 2006 | ||
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| The undoubted highlight of the day came in the form of a Crag Martin
at the unlikely location of Tices Meadow, Surrey. On Friday an amazing total of
five Crag Martins were in Sweden, so perhaps a sighting in
Britain this weekend shouldn't have come as too much of a shock. However, this
is a truly remarkable find, but such a pity it did not hang around long enough
for it to be successfully twitched; after showing briefly with House Martins the
birds departed and there was no further sign by dusk.
In County Durham a pair of Alpine Swifts performed an aerial display over Sunderland late in the afternoon and on Anglesey a first-winter Isabelline Shrike was discovered at Great Ormes Head. A Franklin's Gull made an all too brief appearance at Sennen Cove, Cornwall and a brief glimpse of a possible Yellow-billed Cuckoo frustrated observers on Cape Clear Island, County Cork. Long staying rarities included the Red-flanked Bluetail in Suffolk and Aquatic Warbler, Booted Warbler and American Robin on Isles of Scilly. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 21st October 2006 | ||
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| The star bird today was what was presumed to be a Pacific Swift lingering over Horsey, Norfolk early afternoon but departing before any would-be twitchers arrived. New discoveries elsewhere included a Red-flanked Bluetail on Whalsay, Shetland, Killdeer on Oronsay, Argyll, Desert Wheatear at Meikle Loch, Aberdeenshire, Olive-backed Pipits at Spurn, East Yorkshire and Blackdog, Aberdeenshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper on The Mullet, Co Mayo, Siberian Stonechat at Porthcurno, Cornwall and a Lesser Yellowlegs at Clonakilty, Co Cork. On the Scilly Isles there was no sign of the Daurian Shrike but Pied Wheatear showed briefly on Bryher whilst around the islands American Robin, Booted Warbler, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Short-toed Lark, Bluethroat, Richard's Pipit and two each of Red-breasted Flycatcher and Yellow-browed Warbler were all seen. The Red-flanked Bluetail in Suffolk remained at Thorpeness as did the two Red-breasted Geese at Saltfleet, Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis at Pilling, Lancashire, Spotted Sandpiper at Hayle Estuary, Cornwall and American Golden Plovers at both Holy Island, Northumberland and Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 20th October 2006 | ||
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| The Scillies produced the majority of today's new rarities, with a Pied
Wheatear on Bryher in the afternoon and a Blyth's Pipit briefly on
the same island in the morning. There was a Daurian Shrike on The
Garrison on St.Mary's, and an Olive-backed Pipit flew over the same
location in the morning. The islands also continued to host two Western
Bonelli's Warblers and the warbler at Green Farm on St.Mary's, which was
trapped and ringed in the afternoon and found to be a Booted Warbler,
rather than a Sykes' Warbler. The American Robin remained on Tresco,
there were Little Buntings on Bryher and St.Mary's, a Short-toed Lark
on St.Mary's and Bluethroat, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Yellow-browed
Warbler were all present on the islands.
Elsewhere, a Radde's Warbler was found on Holy Island in Northumberland, whilst, in Ireland, there was a Booted Warbler at Mizen Head in County Cork and a Black Duck at Ventry Beach in County Kerry. An Olive-backed Pipit was seen briefly at Sumburgh on Mainland Shetland. The Hermit Thrush was a popular attraction on Cape Clear in County Cork, where it gave excellent views all day and the Red-flanked Bluetail continued it's stay at Thorpeness in Suffolk. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 19th October 2006 | ||
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| Ireland proved the place to be yet again today when news of Britain and
Ireland's 9th Hermit Thrush on Cape Clear broke mid-afternoon. The
last occurred as long ago as 1998 when one was on Galley Head. The bird joins the Baltimore Oriole,
2 Red-backed Shrikes and 2 Ring-billed Gulls on the island, making
something of an all-star cast. Elsewhere in Ireland the Mizen Head and
Crookhaven area scored well with an impressive 4 Red-breasted Flycatchers
and 5 Yellow-browed Warblers and the Daurian Shrike was rediscovered at
the Old Head of Kinsale.
Elsewhere the theme of the day appeared to be a fairly large clear out. However, the Roller, Red-breasted Geese, Whiskered Tern, and Red-flanked Bluetail remained, but the Two-barred Greenish Warbler and most of the scarce migrants seemed to have moved on. New birds in general seemed thin on the ground with only two Pallas's Warblers (in Scilly and Kent), a Green-winged Teal in Northumberland and an Arctic Redpoll on Shetland discovered along with a handful of Yellow-browed Warblers. Scilly continues a reasonable run of form with an Aquatic Warbler and Siberian Stonechat discovered today and the Red-eyed Vireo, American Robin and Radde's Warbler remained, whilst the Booted or Sykes Warbler continued cause headaches. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 18th October 2006 | ||
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| The Isles of Scilly stole the show, producing an excellent selection of
rarities, chief of which was a fantastic Blyth's Pipit on St Mary's. For the
second consecutive year on Isles of Scilly a Blyth's Pipit has been identified,
after initially being misidentified as a Tawny Pipit. Elsewhere the archipelago
offered Red-eyed Vireo and Radde's Warbler on St Mary's,
Western Bonelli's Warbler on St Martin's (with a Bonelli's warbler
species remaining on on St Mary's) and American Robin on Tresco.
Identification debate continued over a difficult Booted or Syke's
Warbler on St Mary's.
In North Yorkshire a White-rumped Sandpiper at Filey Dams YWT continued Filey's current run of form. A Red-throated Pipit was an excellent find South Stack RSPB, Anglesey. Other new birds included an Olive backed Pipit on Shetland, Long-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Red-throated Pipit, Black Kite in Ireland and a Cattle Egret in Kent. Star birds from previous days continued to delight the crowds, but while the Roller in Northumberland continued show consistently well the Two-barred Greenish Warbler and the Red-flanked Bluetail required more patience. Newly arrived scarcities were represented with at least 2 Little Buntings, 3 Pallas's Warbler, a Great Grey Shrike, 3 Richard's Pipits and over 20 Yellow-browed Warblers. A highly prized inland find was a Leach's Petrel which spent the afternoon at Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 17th October 2006 | ||
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| The main news was the continued presence of the double wing-barred Phylloscopus warbler at Filey, North Yorkshire which was soon confirmed as Britain's fourth record of
Two-barred Greenish Warbler. Although elusive at times this bird delighted the crowd throughout the day, as did a
Radde's Warbler at the same site. Lingering rarities included the Red-flanked Bluetail in Suffolk, Baltimore Oriole in Co Cork, Roller in Northumberland, Whiskered Tern in Norfolk and pair of Red-breasted Geese in Lincolnshire. American waders included the Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, eight White-rumped Sandpipers, two Long-billed Dowitchers and four American Golden Plovers (including one newly discovered in Carmarthenshire). The Isles of Scilly produced two Red-eyed Vireos (on St Mary's and Bryher) along with the long-staying American Robin on Tresco and Booted (or perhaps Sykes's) Warbler. In Ireland a Daurian Shrike (accompanying a Woodchat Shrike) at Old Head of Kinsale was only the second national record whilst a Red-throated Pipit was seen again on Cape Clear. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 16th October 2006 | ||
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| The undoubted highlight of a busy autumn day was a Red-flanked Bluetail at Thorpeness, Suffolk. Found early in the morning the bird showed until late afternoon although proved to be very elusive. The other major talking point was provided by a wing-barred
Phylloscopus at Filey, North Yorkshire; initially identified as an Arctic Warbler general opinion swayed towards
Two-barred Greenish Warbler as the afternoon progressed. New passerine rarities included a Subalpine Warbler at Chapel Porth, Cornwall, Radde's Warblers at both South Gare, Cleveland and Filey, North Yorkshire - the latter with a Pallas's Warbler - and brief Red-throated Pipits at Landguard, Suffolk, Dursey Island, Co Cork and Cape Clear, Co Cork. New waders included White-rumped Sandpipers in Co Down and Co Mayo and American Golden Plovers in Cambridgeshire, Dumfries and Galloway and Lincolnshire. Lingering rarities were headlined by Baltimore Oriole on Cape Clear, Co Cork, American Robin and Booted Warbler (or perhaps Sykes's Warbler) on the Isles of Scilly, Roller in Northumberland, Whiskered Tern in Norfolk and the pair of Red-breasted Geese in Lincolnshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 15th October 2006 | ||
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| Sunday produced an excellent spread of new rarities. The most popular find
was probably a first-winter Daurian Shrike at Dungeness Kent, which
showed well throughout the day. On Isles of Scilly a Roller caused both
excitement and disappointment in equal measure as it only showed briefly after
discovery. In Angus a Radde's Warbler was at Castlesea Bay, whilst
another was on Mainland Shetland. Two Olive-backed Pipits were on North
Ronaldsay, with another on Fair Isle and American Golden Plovers were
found near Welney WWT, Norfolk, Lewis, Western Isles, Holy Island,
Northumberland and Rosscarbery, County Cork.
In County Cork a Subalpine Warbler was discovered near Old Head of Kinsale and the Baltimore Oriole continued it's stay on Cape Clear Island. Amazingly, at least five, and possibly as many as seven White-rumped Sandpipers were at Tacumshin, County Wexford. On Isles of Scilly a Booted Warbler was discovered on St.Mary's and a Cattle Egret was at Fairburn Ings RSPB, West Yorkshire, with two more at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset; the latter site also boasted a flyover Bee-eater. In Lancashire the Pine Lake Lesser Scaup was relocated at nearby Leighton Moss RSPB, and the Glossy Ibis made another brief appearance at Martin Mere WWT; it certainly doesn't seem to like hanging around at this site! Tantalising news of a possible Eyebrowed Thrush on Spurn Point was released early evening, but despite extensive searching there was no further sign of the bird in question. Late news concerned an Isabelline Wheatear at Filey, North Yorkshire yesterday evening and on Lundy an Eastern Subalpine Warbler was present on Friday. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 14th October 2006 | ||
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| The East Coast extravaganza that many had predicted failed to materialise,
but it was still a relatively bird-filled day. The best fresh discoveries were a
Radde's Warbler at Start Point, Devon, and a Great Reed Warbler
trapped and ringed at Dingle Marshes, Suffolk. Olive-backed Pipits were
found at Spurn, East Yorkshire and on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, where a
White-rumped Sandpiper was also discovered. A Pechora Pipit was also
located in the Virkie Willows, Mainland Shetland.
In Ireland the Baltimore Oriole remained elusive on Cape Clear Island and in County Clare the Red-eyed Vireo reappeared at Kilbaha, but the Canada Warbler escaped before the weekend twitchers arrived. The Isles of Scilly continued to host American Robin, American Golden Plover and Booted Warbler and other popular rarities around the country included the Whiskered Tern in Norfolk, Red-breasted Geese in Lincolnshire and Roller in Northumberland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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