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| Monday 25th June 2007 | ||
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| Today's rarity hotspot was west Norfolk, with the Alpine Swift first
seen last night at Titchwell being re-found at Hunstanton in the morning. It had
roosted on the cliffs there last night and showed well around the lighthouse
both in the morning and again in the evening, where it has hopefully gone to
roost again. Nearby the Little Bittern again put in an erratic
performance at Titchwell, but it did show very well in the early morning. Also
in west Norfolk an adult White-winged Black Tern was a new find at Welney
Wildfowl Reserve.
A female American Wigeon was found at Porthmadog in Gwynedd, three drake Surf Scoters were off Murcar in Aberdeenshire, and in Staffordshire the moulting drake Ring-necked Duck was still at Blithfield Reservoir. In the south west, numbers of both Balearic Shearwaters and Storm Petrels were seen at scattered localities around the coast. |
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| - Pete Hayman, 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 24th June 2007 | ||
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| Today started off with a second summer Laughing Gull being discovered
at Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire, it showed well but only for just over two
hours. This is only the second record for the county the first also being
at Grafham in November and both were found by the same observer. The other
two new rarities found today have both been in Norfolk and both very brief.
Firstly a Great White Egret was reported flying over Waxham dunes this
morning and this evening an Alpine Swift was seen for just a few minutes
at Titchwell RSPB while observers waited for a glimpse of the elusive male Little
Bittern. The latter having not been seen since Wednesday was relocated
this afternoon and showed on and off but was frustratingly elusive.
Elsewhere, the Killdeer was seen on Shetland Mainland again today back at Loch of Clevigarth, the Hudsonian Whimbrel was again present around the high tides this morning and this evening on Walney Island in Cumbria and the Bonaparte's Gull was seen on South Uist again. Also on South Uist, a probable drake Lesser Scaup was discovered today. The only other rarity to report is the long-staying Glossy Ibis on Newton Marsh in Lancashire. Also of interest today, two Red-backed Shrikes were found, one near Land's End in Cornwall the other in Cheshire at Burton. A Rose-coloured Starling was found on Rousay on Orkney and finally, a new Ring-necked Duck was found at Blithfield Reservoir. |
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| - Keith Langdon, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 23rd June 2007 | ||
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| In Cumbria the Hudsonian Whimbrel continued to attract birders to
Walney Island, but it remained frustratingly elusive on the saltmarsh throughout
most of the day. The only other mainland rarity available today was the long staying Glossy Ibis at Newton Marsh,
Lancashire, but on the Western
Isles, the first-summer Bonaparte's Gull remained on South Uist.
A Red-breasted Flycatcher visited the observatory garden at Portland Bill, Dorset and in Devon a male Common Rosefinch was at Northam Burrows Country Park. A male Golden Oriole flew over Bockhill Farm, Kent, and Red-backed Shrikes were located at Cley NWT, Norfolk and Isle of Noss, Shetland. A pair of Surf Scoters remained off the Aberdeenshire coastline and in Somerset the adult drake Ring-necked Duck continued its (long) stay at Avonmouth. Across the Irish Sea, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper was still at Ballycotton, Co Cork. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 22nd June 2007 | ||
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| The most significant new rarity found today was a male Black-headed
Bunting which was seen briefly in a garden in Exeter, Devon, but
unfortunately it was not seen after midday. At the other end of the country, a
female Subalpine Warbler was on the Isle of May in Fife, after having
first been found yesterday. On the Outer Hebrides, the Bonaparte's Gull
was again on South Uist, in Lancashire the long-staying Glossy Ibis was
still to be found near Freckleton, whilst in Gloucestershire the Marbled Duck
was again at Saul Warth. In Dorset two Serins were seen briefly at
Portland Bill.
A new Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Ballycotton in County Cork is presumably a herald of autumn wader passage, a fact born out in other parts of the country by a sprinkling of waders such as Green Sandpipers and Spotted Redshanks on local patches. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 21st June 2007 | ||
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| A quiet summer day produced only one report of a new rarity, a Glossy Ibis
on Blakeney freshmarsh, Norfolk. Not far along the coast the Little Bittern
failed to show at Titchwell RSPB, but in Cumbria the Hudsonian Whimbrel
was still present, albeit elusive. The only other rarity news relating to today
was the continuing presence of the first-summer Bonaparte's Gull on South
Uist, Western Isles.
At Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire, a first-summer male Common Rosefinch was in song and south-coast seawatchers enjoyed a scattering of Balearic Shearwaters. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 20th June 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Whiskered Tern at Siddick Pond, Cumbria mid afternoon. This bird remained until dusk unlike the
Hudsonian Whimbrel on nearby Walney Island which, following an early morning sighting, could not be relocated. The singing male Little Bittern remained elusive at Titchwell, Norfolk as did the Great Reed Warbler at Lydd, Kent. The Little Crake continued to be seen on Unst, Shetland Isles and the Bonaparte's Gull showed again on South Uist, Western Isles. Late news was received of a male Harlequin Duck seen at St Kilda, Western Isles on Monday; the first breeding plumage male to been seen in the British Isles since 1965. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 19th June 2007 | ||
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| The two most notable discoveries today were both North American gulls on the Western Isles; a
Bonaparte's Gull on South Uist and and an American Herring Gull on Benbecula. In Devon an
Alpine Swift was seen over Dartmoor in the early afternoon. In Norfolk the Little Bittern remained at Titchwell where, although elusive, it showed well several times during the day. In Cumbria the Hudsonian Whimbrel was seen again on Walney Island and in adjacent Lancashire the Glossy Ibis remained at Newton Marsh. In Kent the Great Reed Warbler continued to sing near Lydd whilst in Dorset a Red-breasted Flycatcher on Portland was another notable south coast passerine. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 18th June 2007 | ||
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| A male Little Bittern showed on and off throughout the afternoon and
into the evening at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk. Present for its third day, this
little gem will no doubt prove popular if it lingers at the reserve.
In Leicestershire, the wandering adult Whiskered Tern visited Eyebrook Reservoir and in Cumbria the Hudsonian Whimbrel attracted plenty of attention over the high tide period on Walney Island. Kent continued to host the Great Reed Warbler near Lydd and the Squacco Heron at Ham Marshes/Ham Road Gravel Pits and other bits and pieces scattered around Britain included Melodious Warbler singing on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd and Icterine Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 17th June 2007 | ||
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| Northwest England once again provided the majority of the action; the
White-tailed Plover again showed for most of the day at Leighton Moss RSPB,
Lancashire, and the Hudsonian Whimbrel made another high tide appearance
on Walney Island, Cumbria.
Elsewhere a Whiskered Tern toured Yorkshire, visiting Pugney's Country Park and Anglers' Country Park in West Yorkshire before finally being seen at Broomhill Flash, South Yorkshire. Other new rarities scattered around Britain included a Great White Egret at Cowpen Marsh, Cleveland, White-billed Diver and Bee-eater in Highland and Squacco Heron at Ham Marshes, Kent (the latter presumably the bird previously at nearby Oare Marshes). Long-stayers included Lesser Grey Shrike and Killdeer on Shetland and Glossy Ibis in Lancashire whilst a Black Duck was in Highland for its second day and a Great Reed Warbler continued to sing near Lydd, Kent. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 16th June 2007 | ||
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| The White-tailed Plover finally performed for a few hours at Leighton
Moss, allowing a few more keen weekend birders to catch up with it. Many more
people will be hoping for a repeat performance tomorrow. The only new rarity of
the day was a surprise Black Duck found on Loch Sunart about 20 miles to
the South-west of Fort William, Highland.
The Hudsonian Whimbrel showed again over the high tide at South Walney, Cumbria and is likely to be an ideal side-attract for those heading to Leighton Moss tomorrow. Other rarities still present included the Citrine Wagtail on Orkney, and Little Crake on Shetland. Further south and far more accessible were the Great White Egret in East Yorkshire and the Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. A trickle of Black Terns continued, keeping inland birders on their toes. |
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| - Simon Mitchell, RBA | ||
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