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| Sunday 6th May 2007 | ||
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| Most of the rarities discovered today were fly-overs, apart from a lingering
Red-rumped Swallow at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire and a Lesser
Yellowlegs on Islay, Argyll. A Black Kite
was logged over Wittering, Cambridgeshire, with
another reported over Priory Country Park, Bedfordshire. A Glossy Ibis
was seen in flight near Reading, Berkshire and an adult White-billed Diver
past North Uist headlined some impressive seawatching in the Western Isles,
which included the first decent counts of Long-tailed and Pomarine
Skuas this spring.
Popular rarities included the female Wilson's Phalarope in Cambridgeshire, first-summer Bonaparte's Gull in Oxfordshire, Iberian Chiffchaff in Norfolk, sixteen Glossy Ibises and Marbled Duck together in Gloucestershire and the Balearic Woodchat Shrike near Polgigga, Cornwall. The best of the rest included a few wandering Common Cranes, the mobile Serin on Walney Island, Cumbria, both Serin and showy Wryneck at Dungeness, Kent, an unseasonal first-summer Sabine's Gull past the Hampshire coastline and a handful of well-twitched trips of Dotterel. |
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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 5th May 2007 | ||
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| A first-summer male Balearic Woodchat Shrike (form badius) was
discovered near Polgigga, Cornwall, where it continued to show throughout the
afternoon. A Glossy Ibis put in a morning appearance at Pett Level, East
Sussex, and a Red-rumped Swallow joined the Bee-eater on St Agnes,
Isles of Scilly.
In Gloucestershire, what appeared to be an adult Baltic Gull (sporting a white colour-ring) was present on the River Severn at Slimbridge WWT, but only until 8am - an intriguing sighting, given the fact that a Finish-ringed Baltic Gull, potentially the same bird, was at nearby Hempsted landfill site in late April. In Cambridgeshire the stunning female Wilson's Phalarope at Grafham Water was popular throughout the day, whilst other crowd-pullers included the Bonaparte's Gull in Oxfordshire, Glossy Ibises in Gloucestershire, Iberian Chiffchaff in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Herefordshire and Red-footed Falcon in Kent. Other bits and pieces seen today included Serins over Portland, Dorset, Walney Island, Cumbria and Normandy, Hampshire, whilst at least two Hoopoes were also on Portland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 4th May 2007 | ||
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| Star find today was a smart female Wilson's Phalarope at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire. Discovered early in the day this super bird attracted many admirers into the evening. Elsewhere, a
Subalpine Warbler was trapped on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd whilst on the Isles of Scilly news broke of a
Bee-eater on St Agnes. A Red-footed Falcon in the New Forest, Hampshire and a
Black Kite near Threekingham. Lincolnshire were both seen only briefly. Several rarities found earlier in the week seem likely to linger until the Bank Holiday weekend with Bonaparte's Gulls still in Oxon and Co Wexford, Red-footed Falcon in Kent, Iberian Chiffchaff in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Herefordshire, King Eider in Moray, Laughing Gull in Devon and seventeen Glossy Ibises still in Gloucestershire. In the Northern Isles the Eastern Subalpine Warbler remained on North Ronaldsay, Orkney as did a White-billed Diver on the Western Isles where late news for yesterday concerned a Subalpine Warbler on Vatersay and a report of a Snowy Owl again on Lewis. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 3rd May 2007 | ||
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| Another day, another total mega; Britain's second Short-toed Eagle
flew over Barrow Gurney Reservoirs,
Somerset this evening. After briefly landing in a tree, the bird headed in a south-easterly direction then appeared to
turn towards Bristol. It remains to be
seen whether this bird will be added to the (rapidly growing) list of
frustratingly untwitchable megas seen this spring.
Other rarities discoved today included a couple of Red-footed Falcons at Dungeness, Kent (including a lingering first-summer male), a singing male Subalpine Warbler on The Mullet, Co Mayo, White-billed Diver from a boat between the Isle of Mull and nearby Staffa, Argyll, and a Black Kite near Tiptree, Essex. Four Bee-eaters were in the Land's End area of Cornwall (including a lone bird seen or heard at several sites throughout the day) and a Purple Heron was also mobile in the same area. A Great White Egret flew over Marazion Marsh RSPB, Cornwall, and other discoveries included Serin in Dorset and Surf Scoter in Argyll. In Oxfordshire the first-summer Bonaparte's Gull returned to Farmoor Reservoir and the flocks of Glossy Ibises remained in Cornwall and Gloucestershire, whilst the lone immature remained at Warton Marsh. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 2nd May 2007 | ||
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| Another superb day for rarities, the undoubted highlight of which was a Black
Stork seen drifting around Leyland in Lancashire. A further three Black
Kites were discovered in Dorset, Norfolk and Cumbria. Two additional Gull-billed
Terns were also reported, and other spring overshoots included a Bee-eater
in Pembrokeshire Hoopoes in Hampshire, Shropshire and Essex and a Serin
in Cornwall . Late news from yesterday involved a Red-rumped Swallow
in Hampshire. Yet another White-billed Diver was also found on Lewis,
Western Isles.
Rarities from previous days included at least 21 Glossy Ibises in Glostershire and Cornwall, the Iberian Chiffchaff in Norfolk and re-appearances from the King Eider in Moray, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford and Forster's Tern in County Galway. |
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| - Simon Mitchell, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 1st May 2007 | ||
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| The continuing easterly winds no doubt contributed to a an exceptional number
of new rarities today. Two Gull-billed Terns were seen at Landguard,
Suffolk, where a Red-rumped Swallow also flew through later in the day.
Other new spring overshoots included two new Black Kites in Cornwall and
North Yorkshire a Bee-eater in Dorset and at least six different Hoopoes.
American vagrants were also in on the act, with an excellent 1st summer Bonaparte's
Gull found at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire and a Lesser Yellowlegs
discovered near Braintree Essex, both fantastic inland finds. The now expected
White-billed Divers numbers off the Northern and Western Isles were added to
when two birds were seen off Lewis, Outer Hebrides and another was seen from
Kirkabister, Shetland Mainland.
Rarities still available from previous days included two remaining White-billed Divers on Shetland, the Iberian Chiffchaff in Norfolk, the Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Herefordshire and Glossy Ibises at various locations. Local patch workers were well rewarded today too, with exceptional numbers of Bar-tailed Godwits across the region resulting in birds being were found at a host of inland sites. Coastal numbers were highest however, with 650 at Breydon Water, Norfolk and 3,000 past Dungeness, Kent being the best. Significant numbers of Arctic Terns were also seen in Lancashire, with over 2,000 flying past Heysham during the day. |
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| - Simon Mitchell, RBA | ||
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| Monday 30th April 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a male Blue Rock Thrush at Selsey Bill, West
Sussex; watched flying in off the sea during an early morning seawatch it fed for twenty minutes before departing to the north. Observers searching for this
later in the day bird located a Glossy Ibis that showed into the evening.
Glossy Ibises elsewhere included sixteen still in Gloucestershire with a
further seven in Cornwall and singles in both Devon and Lancashire. Other new rarities included a Bonaparte's Gull on the Axe Estuary, Devon, a male Eastern Subalpine Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney and three White-billed Divers on Shetland Isles. The Black Kite on the Wirral and Whiskered Tern in Co Cork both lingered overnight whilst other long-staying rarities included Iberian Chiffchaff and Black Kite in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Herefordshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Laughing Gull in Devon and American Herring Gull on Western Isles with single drake Lesser Scaups in Leciestershire, Western Isles and Perth and Kinross. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 29th April 2007 | ||
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| Once again the adult Egyptian Vulture made an appearance in Norfolk being seen over Warham late morning before again disappearing. Birders searching the area that general area located at least one
Black Kite and a Rough-legged Buzzard whilst at Colney the Iberian Chiffchaff
remained. Further Black Kites were noted at West Moors Dorset, Kemsing Down Kent, St Mary's Isles of Scilly, Beachy Head East Sussex, Wedmore Somerset Mildenhall, Lakenheath Suffolk and Barnston Wirral. In Co Cork a Whiskered Tern arrived at Lough Beg and an American Herring Gull was discovered at Youghal whilst additional new rarities in England comprised brief encounters of Red-throated Pipit at Porthgwarra, Cornwall, Glossy Ibis at Braunton, Devon and White Pelican at Barnes, London. A host of lingering rarities in England included at total of 22 Glossy Ibises in Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Lancashire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Herefordshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Laughing Gull in Devon and Lesser Scaup in Leicestershire. In Scotland King Eider and Lesser Scaup remained as did Forster's Tern and Lesser Yellowlegs in Ireland. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 28th April 2007 | ||
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| Hot news today was the discovery of an adult Egyptian Vulture in Norfolk at Scoulton near Watton. Found grounded in a field early morning it soon took off and departed north-northeast but was not seen again by dusk. This represents the third acceptable British record and the first since 1868. Other new rarities consisted of a Lesser Yellowlegs near Kenchester, Herefordshire, two brief Red-rumped Swallows at Pett Levels, East Sussex, a Bonaparte's Gull at Tacumshin, Co Wexford, an American Herring Gull on Tresco, Isles of Scilly and fly-over Black Kites in both Dorset and Kent. The Iberian Chiffchaff remained in Norfolk as did the Black Kite on the Isles of Scilly, seven Glossy Ibises and Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and eight Glossy Ibises and a Marbled Duck together in Gloucestershire. On the Shetland Isles the Killdeer was seen again along with two White-billed Divers and a King Eider. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 27th April 2007 | ||
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| New rarities found today came largely in the shape of White-billed Divers
in the northern isles. Three potentially new birds were found: one off Tiumpan
Head on Lewis; a second bird joined the one already present on North Ronaldsay,
Orkney; and one was seen flying up Mousa Sound on the Shetlands. It is difficult
to assess how much overlap of records is involved, but these sightings are
typical of the now regular early spring passage through the northern isles.
Elsewhere a Black Kite was found in County Limerick, with another
remaining on the Scillies throughout the day. Large numbers of Glossy Ibises
remained in Gloucestershire and Cornwall, and the Iberian Chiffchaff was
still on territory just outside Norwich in Norfolk.
Long-stayers included Lesser Scaup on Loch Leven in Perth & Kinross, Barrow's Goldeneye on Loch Venacher in Forth, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and Laughing Gull in Devon. A Serin flew over Hurst Point in Hampshire and Hoopoes were in Hampshire, Norfolk and Hertfordshire, with a belated report of one in Suffolk yesterday. Two Eiders were a very unusual arrival at King George V Reservoir in London and there was an overland movement of Bar-tailed Godwits in the south east. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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