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| Saturday 7th July 2007 | ||
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| A quite quiet day on the rarity front today, new rarities being the belated
news of the discovery of an adult Spotted Sandpiper in North Yorkshire on
a private site, though there was no sign of it today. The only other new
rarities to be reported were a probable American Herring Gull in Cornwall
and brief view of a possible Chimney Swift in Northumberland.
Other rarities today were the Hudsonian Whimbrel still in Cumbria, Bonaparte's Gull on South Uist, King Eider in Argyll, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co. Wicklow, Great White Egret in Clyde and the Ferruginous Duck still in Somerset. Sea watching in the south and west today produced a couple of Cory's Shearwaters, Sooty Shearwater, a couple of Pomarine Skuas and again good numbers of Balearic Shearwaters and Storm Petrels. |
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| - Keith Langdon, 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 6th July 2007 | ||
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| Following two sightings past the Bridges of Ross on Wednesday it seems the
now traditional summer Wilson's Petrel season has kicked off in style
with three birds seen today from a pelagic trip south of St Agnes on the Isles
of Scilly. The only other new rarity to be found today was a Lesser
Yellowlegs at Broad Lough in County Wicklow, while there was also belated
news of a White-rumped Sandpiper at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire on
Tuesday. Elsewhere it was another quiet day with remaining rarities represented
by the Hudsonian Whimbrel at Walney Island, Cumbria and single Great
White Egrets at Wards Pond, Clyde and Loch Doon, Ayrshire.
Strong westerly winds created some interest for seawatchers in the south and west as small numbers of Storm Petrels were blown onshore along the coast between Dorset and Dumfries and Galloway. The peak count came from Workington harbour in Cumbria where 100 passed in one hour. The highest count of Balearic Shearwaters once again came from Portland Bill in Dorset with 20 birds seen, while a huge count of 10,000 Manx Shearwaters passed St Ives, Cornwall. |
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| - Andy Symes, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 5th July 2007 | ||
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| There was an unconfirmed report of a White-tailed Plover in
Cambridgeshire today, seen in flight between Swaffham Prior and Swaffham Bulbeck.
Elsewhere, the Caspian Tern put in another appearance on The Fylde in
Lancashire, this time it was seen briefly at Lytham St.Anne's, before flying
off. In Norfolk, a Black Kite flew over the A149 west of Holkham in the
afternoon, whilst the Hudsonian Whimbrel could still be found at at
Walney Island in Cumbria.
Both of the Great White Egrets found in Scotland yesterday were still present today, one in Ayrshire and one near Loch Lomond in Clyde, and on the Isle of May, the female Subalpine Warbler remained, albeit somewhat elusively. Seawatching along western approaches continued to yield Storm Petrels in small numbers, but off Portland there were over 90 Balearic Shearwaters and 5,000 Manx Shearwaters. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 4th July 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Black Stork watched circling over Bough Beech Reservoir, Kent before drifting off only to be relocated briefly over Eastry. Nearby, an
Alpine Swift flew over Sandwich Bay. Single Great White Egrets were found at Wards Pond, Clyde and Loch Doon, Ayrshire. The Hudsonian Whimbrel remained on Walney Island, Cumbria and late news from Scotland concerned the continued presence of the Subalpine Warbler on the Isle of May, Fife yesterday and a Dark-eyed Junco on 23rd June at Kylesku, Highland. Seawatchers enjoyed two Wilson's Petrels off Bridges of Ross, Co Clare whilst in southwest England 55 Cory's Shearwaters passed Porthgwarra with a further 17 seen from St Mary's, Isles of Scilly. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 3rd July 2007 | ||
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| On what was a quiet day the highlight was once again a Caspian Tern, one being seen to flew over near Oundle, Northamptonshire. Lingering rarities included the Hudsonian Whimbrel on Walney Island, Cumbria and the Squacco Heron at Radipole Lake, Dorset. Otherwise, organised schemes allowing views of some of the rarest breeding birds in Britain remained popular, in particular the Montagu's Harriers at Digby Fen, Lincolnshire, Golden Orioles at Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk and Honey Buzzards at Great Ryburgh, Norfolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 2nd July 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Caspian Tern in Lancashire. First glimpsed passing Rossall Point early afternoon before arriving at Knott End soon after and remaining over the high tide period before finally departing to the south. Both the Hudsonian Whimbrel on Walney Island, Cumbria and Squacco Heron at Radipole Lake, Dorest remained in place. Balearic Shearwaters again featured prominently at south coast seawatching localities including 44 passing Portland Bill, Dorset in the morning. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 1st July 2007 | ||
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| An otherwise quiet 'mid-summer' day was interrupted by the incredible news of
a sub-adult Yellow-nosed Albatross picked up exhausted on Brean Beach in
Somerset by walkers on Friday and taken into care at a local wildlife hospital
overnight, then released, apparently in reasonable health, yesterday at Brean
Down. Unfortunately for would be twitchers, it seems that the finders and 'carers'
were not aware of the enormity of this find. This first for Britain was found on
the same day as one was seen in Finnish waters but despite searches, it could
not be relocated in the Brean area today. For further news and pictures see
links in the bird news entry below.
Elsewhere the main rarity interest came from Cumbria where the Hudsonian Whimbrel remained at Walney Island, and Dorset where the Squacco Heron remained, somewhat elusively, at Radipole Lake RSPB reserve. The over-summering Killdeer was still to be found on Shetland Mainland, now back at Pool of Virkie, and in Norfolk, the Alpine Swift put in another brief appearance at Titchwell in the evening. Roseate Terns were popular attractions at Cley in Norfolk and Seaforth in Merseyside. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 30th June 2007 | ||
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| A miserable rainy day for much of the UK produced very little to raise
excitement levels - in fact, the only rarities on offer were the Hudsonian
Whimbrel on Walney Island, Cumbria and a Squacco Heron in Dorset,
which reappeared at Radipole Lake RSPB.
Elsewhere a drake American Wigeon on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire, was a good June find and a trio of Roseate Terns at Cley NWT, Norfolk proved popular. Roseate Terns also graced South Gare, Cleveland, Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, and Dawlish Warren NNR, Devon. A couple of Surf Scoters remained off the Aberdeenshire coast and in Somerset the seemingly ever-present Ring-necked Duck was, unsurprisingly, still at Avonmouth sewage works. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 29th June 2007 | ||
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| There were very few new birds to shout about during another quiet day. The
only rarity available in England was the Hudsonian Whimbrel on Walney Island,
Cumbria, which again showed reasonably well prior to high tide. In Scotland, the
Bonaparte's Gull was still on South Uist, Western Isles.
A pair of Montagu's Harriers at Digby Fen, Lincolnshire, have fortunately survived the recent flooding and continue to make regular food-passes; the RSPB viewpoint overlooking the site will no doubt prove increasingly popular as the summer progresses. Two late items of news from yesterday both related to long-stayers on Shetland - the Lesser Grey Shrike on Fair Isle and Killdeer on Mainland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 28th June 2007 | ||
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| The hottest news on a quiet summer day was of a 1st-summer male Red-footed
Falcon in Suffolk; it flew south over Landguard NR early morning. In
Lancashire a White-winged Black Tern was reported flying north off
Blackpool and in neighbouring Cumbria the Hudsonian Whimbrel showed well
on Walney Island during the morning and again this evening. In Cleveland the Great White Egret
was on Dorman's Pool for its second day and the first-summer Bonaparte's Gull
remained on South Uist, Western Isles. Nearby, the presumed Ashy-headed Wagtail
remained on Benbecula but at Titchwell, Norfolk, the Little Bittern
failed to make an appearance all day.
A Black-throated Diver at Draycote Water, Warwickshire, was an excellent find, which proved popular with locals. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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