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| Saturday 3rd February 2007 | ||
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| In Pembrokeshire a juvenile diver present for its second day
at Llys-y-Fran Reservoir appears to be a Pacific Diver! The bird lacks a white flank patch, has a pale grey hind-neck, a 'vent-strap' and
apparently appears to be small and delicately built. Although there is no
indication of a chin strap, this may not be that significant in juvenile
plumage. So, unlikely as it may be, it appears there may be two Pacific
Divers currently in Britain - how many more are lurking undetected in
secluded Scottish bays!?
The juvenile Pacific Diver in North Yorkshire delighted weekend crowds throughout the day at Farnham Gravel Pits. Nearby the American Robin remained at Bingley, West Yorkshire, allowing diver twitchers to enjoy a superb Nearctic-double. A Red-breasted Goose was located with Pink-footed Geese just east of Stirling, Forth late in the afternoon, but the flock soon departed to the east. Elsewhere there was a fine selection of birds on offer. One of the most popular was the Little Bunting at Amwell Gravel Pits in Hertfordshire. It was superbly found on Wednesday, but today was the first day is was twitchable. The southeast region also offered a Penduline Tit at Rainham Marshes, London, Falcated Duck and Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent and two Ferruginous Ducks, in Kent and Bedfordshire. The Spotted Sandpiper was still in Cornwall and the Bonaparte's Gull showed again in Devon. In Scotland the Black-throated Thrush on Bute, Argyll and Barrow's Goldeneye in Forth were both still available and in Norfolk the Lesser Yellowlegs and Black-eared Kite were still on show. |
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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 2nd February 2007 | ||
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| The juvenile Pacific Diver continued to perform at Farnham Gravel
Pits, North Yorkshire and often showed well to a still sizeable following.
Elsewhere the American Robin was still on show in West Yorkshire, the
Lesser Yellowlegs and Black-eared Kite were still available in
Norfolk and the Isle of Bute, Argyll, continued to host the Black-throated
Thrush. In Southwest England the Bonaparte's Gulls in Devon and Isles
of Scilly and Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall were the star birds, whilst
Kent continued to hold the Long-billed Dowitcher at Oare and Falcated
Duck at Cliffe.
Late news from yesterday involved a report of a Cattle Egret flying over Pulborough Brooks RSPB, West Sussex and on Wednesday a Little Bunting was discovered at Amwell Gravel Pits, Hertfordshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 1st February 2007 | ||
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| The juvenile Pacific Diver continued to attract plenty of attention at
Farnham Gravel Pits, North Yorkshire and not far away in West Yorkshire, the
first-winter American Robin remained in Bingley. A fine scattering of
long-staying rarities across the British Isles included the Black-throated
Thrush on Bute, Barrow's Goldeneye in Forth, Black-eared Kite
and Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull on Otter
Estuary, Devon, Lesser Scaup in Oxfordshire and Spotted Sandpiper
in Cornwall.
In Ireland the Bufflehead was still in Co Clare, and further north in Co Galway, the adult Forster's Tern was still at Nimmo's Pier. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 31st January 2007 | ||
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| Once again Yorkshire dominated the headlines with the both the Pacific Diver at Farnham and
American Robin at Bingley showing well throughout the day. The Gyr was seen again near Padstow, Cornwall and the
Black-throated Thrush remained on the Isle of Bute, Argyll but both birds proved very elusive today. Two White-billed Divers at Kirkabister, Shetland Isles was a new discovery, as was a Bonaparte's Gull on the Otter Estuary, Devon. Elsewhere, the Black-eared Kite remained at Snettisham, Norfolk as did the Bufflehead in Co Clare, Forster's Tern in Co Cork, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk and Long-billed Dowitchers in Kent and Co Louth. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 30th January 2007 | ||
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| For many birders the highlight of the day was the continued presence of both the
Pacific Diver at Farnham, North Yorkshire and American Robin at Bingley, West Yorkshire - two fantastic Nearctic rarities within twenty miles of each other! Breaking news came from Cornwall of a white morph Gyr at Stepper Point, Padstow where it has apparently been present for several weeks. Elsewhere, the Barrow's Goldeneye remained in Callander, Forth as did the Black-eared Kite at Snettisham, Norfolk, Black-throated Thrush on the Isle of Bute, Argyll, Bufflehead at Lough Atedaun, Co Clare and Forster's Terns in both Co Cork and Co Galway. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 29th January 2007 | ||
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| The highlight today was breaking news of a juvenile Pacific Diver - the North American form of Black-throated Diver,
pacifica - at Farnham, Knaresborough in North Yorkshire. This is the first record of this form
for both the British Isles and the Western Palearctic. The bird has been present at this site for over two weeks and,
after initially being presumed to be a Black-throated Diver, the exact identity was not realised until recent days. Despite attempts to suppress the
occurrence, news was broadcast widely this morning and allowed everyone the chance to see this extreme rarity. Pacific Diver is
not currently not classified as a full species by the British Ornithologists' Union but is granted
full species status by many other taxonomic authorities. An excellent selection of major rarities remaining in situ comprised the Black-throated Thrush on the Isle of Bute, Argyll, American Robin in Bingley, West Yorkshire, Black-eared Kite at Snettisham, Norfolk, Bufflehead in Co Clare and Forster's Tern in Co Galway, whilst a Penduline Tit was a new discovery at Swanscombe, Kent. Other over wintering American birds included Long-billed Dowitchers in Kent, Co Louth and Anglesey, Lesser Scaups in Oxon and Western Isles and the Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 28th January 2007 | ||
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| In West Yorkshire the stunning first-winter American Robin continued
to attract plenty of attention at Bingley, where the Firecrest also
remained. Late in the evening news of a Black-throated Thrush on Bute,
Argyll, seeped out - the bird has been present since Wednesday, but in
gardens in Rothesay, to which access has been denied. Hopefully a viewing
solution will be worked out in the next day or two.
The best of the rest was much the same as yesterday, with Lesser Yellowlegs and Black-eared Kite in Norfolk, Ferruginous Ducks in Bedfordshire and Kent, Cattle Egret in Devon, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire all proving popular. In Ireland Forster's Terns were the flavour of the day; an adult at Pilmore Strand, Co Cork was presumably last year's returning bird, and in Co Galway another site-faithful adult continued to show well at Nimmo's Pier. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 27th January 2007 | ||
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| The American Robin was predictably today's star attraction and the
bird performed well for the weekend crowds. Otherwise it was business as usual,
with several long staying rarities spread around the country. These included the
Barrow's Goldeneye in Forth, Lesser Scaup in Oxfordshire,
Long-billed Dowitchers in Anglesey and Kent, Red-breasted Goose in
Hampshire (the bird previously in neighbouring Dorset), Ferruginous Ducks
in Bedfordshire and Kent, Black-eared Kite and Lesser Yellowlegs
in Norfolk, Cattle Egret in Devon, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall
and Penduline Tit in London.
The Bufflehead remained in situ in Co Clare, as did the Lesser Scaup in Co Down and adult Forster's Tern in Co Galway. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 26th January 2007 | ||
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| Although no new rarities were discovered, there was still plenty to keep
birders entertained. The American Robin in West Yorkshire continued to be
rightly popular. This is the first ever record for Yorkshire, and only the
second truly inland record (following one in Surrey in 1966). In Norfolk the Lesser
Yellowlegs and Black-eared Kite were also crowd-pleasers. The
Penduline Tit put in a brief appearance at Rainham Marshes RSPB, Essex, but
there was no sign of the Long-billed Dowitcher at Oare Marshes, Kent. A
possible Arctic Redpoll was reported from the Manchester area. This
combined with a probable at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire on Wednesday means it may be
time to start checking local Redpoll flocks, as more could be on the way.
Other rarities still present included Spotted Sandpiper, Cattle Egret and Bonaparte's Gull in the South-west, the Ferruginous Duck in Bedforshire, and the Forster's Tern in County Galway, Ireland |
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| - Simon Mitchell, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 25th January 2007 | ||
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| The first-winter American Robin continued to show well on and off in
Bingley, West Yorkshire, and along with a Firecrest in the same area, entertained an
appreciative mid-week crowd. No doubt that Saturday will see a significant
influx of birders into the area if the Nearctic beauty is still present
tomorrow.
Elsewhere an extraordinary January record concerned an unseasonal Temminck's Stint at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire, where the long-staying party of three Tundra Bean Geese also remained in situ. Rarities were still widespread today, with the highlights including Lesser Yellowlegs and Black-eared Kite in Norfolk, Laughing Gull in Devon, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Barrow's Goldeneye in Forth, Lesser Scaup in Oxfordshire and Black Scoter in Conwy. In Ireland the adult Forster's Tern returned to Nimmo's Pier, where an impressive gull-cast was headlined by the fourth-winter American Herring Gull. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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