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| Saturday 21st July 2007 | ||
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| Rare herons were the order of the day with the highlight being a Squacco Heron
at Lough Beg, Co Londonderry - only the second record for Northern Ireland and the first there since 1881. In Kent two
Cattle Egrets - an adult and a juvenile - were found together at Grove Ferry. The Black Kite continued to show well at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire as did the Glossy Ibis at Marshside, Merseyside. The Lesser Yellowlegs was seen again on the Rogerstown Estuary, Co Dublin and a Wilson's Petrel was again recorded from a pelagic off the Isles of Scilly. Late news for yesterday from the Shetland Isles concerned confirmation that the Lesser Grey Shrike remains on Fair Isle. A total of 34 Black Terns were recorded in thirteen counties scattered between Devon, Conwy, West Yorkshire and Norfolk, however, the White-winged Black Tern had gone from Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire. |
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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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| Friday 20th July 2007 | ||
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| Appalling weather conditions across much of the country kept many birders
indoors but hardy souls who ventured out were rewarded with a fine adult Spotted
Sandpiper at Draycote Water in Warwickshire and an adult White-winged
Black Tern at Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire. Draycote holds all three
previous accepted county records of Spotted Sandpiper, with the most recent in
1990, while Farmoor holds all seven accepted records of White-winged Black Tern
in Oxfordshire! Unfortunately for would-be observers of the Farmoor bird the
reservoir had to be closed late afternoon to due to flooding in the area.
A pelagic from St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, once again recorded two Wilson's Petrels, but the only other rarity to be reported was the lingering first-summer Bonaparte's Gull on South Uist in the Western Isles. Scarcities included Pectoral Sandpipers in Kent and North Yorkshire and a scattering of Roseate Terns, Spoonbills and Balearic Shearwaters, while late news of rarities included a Black Kite reported near Scarborough on Thursday morning and another report of a Great White Egret at Minsmere RSPB yesterday evening; sadly even more belated was a report of a Black Stork on Wesbury Moor, Somerset on 1st July. |
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| - Andy Symes, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 19th July 2007 | ||
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| Other than belated reports of a Great White Egret in Co Durham and a White-rumped Sandpiper in West Sussex there was no significant breaking news today. Long-staying rarities confirmed as still being present comprised the Black Kite at Nocton Heath Lincolnshire, Hudsonian Whimbrel on Walney Island Cumbria, Glossy Ibis at Marshside Merseyside and Subalpine Warbler on the Isle of May Fife. The Spotted Sandpiper is still at Wykeham Lakes North Yorkshire but is not accessible to birders. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 18th July 2007 | ||
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| After the no-show yesterday, this evening saw the reappearance of the Roller
in East Yorkshire, this time on the outskirts of Skeffling, but only briefly. In Lincolnshire the Black Kite at Nocton Heath showed on and off
throughout the day, whilst in Merseyside the Glossy Ibis remained in situ
at Marshside RSPB. The female Subalpine Warbler continued to summer
on Isle of May, Fife, and Pectoral Sandpipers were at Leighton Moss RSPB,
Lancashire and Elmley Marshes RSPB, Kent. One of the regular pelagics from the
Isles of Scilly once again connected with a Wilson's Petrel and an adult
Night Heron was at Fairburn Ings RSPB, West Yorkshire for its second day;
yesterday it was joined by an immature.
Late news from yesterday related to an American Golden Plover on the Monach Isles, Western Isles (the same bird initially identified as a Pacific Golden Plover at the weekend), the Spotted Sandpiper remained at Wykeham Lakes, North Yorkshire and the Long-billed Dowitcher was reported again at Hayle Estuary RSPB, Cornwall. Even older news came from Highland, where a male Black-headed Bunting was on Canna recently and in Ireland, a Laughing Gull was at Inchydoney, Co Cork, on 11th July. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 17th July 2007 | ||
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| The Spurn area produced the star bird for the second consecutive day - this
time an adult Pacific Golden Plover on the Humber Estuary.
Nearby, there was no sign of the Roller in the Easington
area. Other new discoveries came in the form of a Baird's Sandpiper (and
Buff-breasted Sandpiper) on Inishkeeragh Island, Co Donegal, Great
White Egret at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk and a Night Heron graced
Fairburn Ings RSPB, North/West Yorkshire.
In Lincolnshire the Black Kite remained at Nocton Heath throughout the day, and a second bird was reported flying over Beckingham, also in Lincolnshire. In Fife the long-staying Subalpine Warbler was still on Isle of May, the Hudsonian Whimbrel continued to frequent Walney Island, Cumbria and the Glossy Ibis remained at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside. News from Sunday related to the continuing presence of the Spotted Sandpiper at Wykeham Lakes, North Yorkshire - unfortunately, access is still being denied. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 16th July 2007 | ||
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| The Roller in East Yorkshire again stole the limelight, proving elusive during the day between Skeffling and Easington before finally settling near Sammy's Point in the evening. News broke of a lingering
Black Kite present at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire for at least two days. Lingering rarities consisted of the Hudsonian Whimbrel on Walney Island Cumbria, Glossy Ibis at Marshside Merseyside and the Bonaparte's Gull on South Uist Western Isles. Otherwise, scattered Balearic Shearwaters, Spoonbills and Roseate Terns featured prominently with Pectoral Sandpipers recorded at two sites. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 15th July 2007 | ||
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| The late afternoon discovery of a Roller at Easington, East Yorkshire proved to be the highlight of the day; initially proving elusive it eventually showed well. In Lincolnshire a brief
Squacco Heron was reported at Caythorpe and an evening pelagic off the Isles of Scilly recorded four
Wilson's Petrels. The Long-billed Dowitcher remained on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall as did the Hudsonian Whimbrel at Walney Island, Cumbria and the Glossy Ibis at Marshside, Merseyside. Disappointingly, the Dark-eyed Junco could not be found in Langham, Norfolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 14th July 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of an unseasonal Dark-eyed Junco in Langham, Norfolk. Found visiting the gardens of keen birders, access was hastily arranged and several hundred visiting birders were able to see this county first. In Northumberland a frustratingly mobile Caspian Tern visited Big Waters, Bothal Pond and Blyth but did not linger anywhere. In Cornwall a Long-billed Dowitcher arrived on the Hayle Estuary whilst a Lesser Yellowlegs was found at Rogerstown Estuary, Co Dublin and an Alpine Swift flew over Tidworth, Wiltshire. A Pacific Golden Plover was present briefly on the remote Monach Isles, Western Isles. The Hudsonian Whimbrel remained on Walney Island, Cumbria as did both the Glossy Ibis at Marshside, Merseyside and Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 13th July 2007 | ||
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| The star find today was a Squacco Heron at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk,
where it remained on show throughout the day - much to the delight of local
birders, as the last Suffolk record was way back in 1912!
Long-stayers included the Killdeer on Shetland and Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cumbria. A second Pectoral Sandpiper joined yesterdays lone bird at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire, whilst the singleton remained at Musselburgh Lagoons, Lothian. Late news from yesterday related to a White-rumped Sandpiper on Inishkea Islands, Co Mayo and a report of a Black Stork in Hampshire, seen in flight over Steep Marsh. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 12th July 2007 | ||
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| A quiet day for rarities produced only the Hudsonian Whimbrel on
Walney Island, Cumbria, and Glossy Ibis at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside.
In Carmarthenshire the Buff-breasted Sandpiper was at Coedbach Marsh for its second day, but was extremely elusive. A male Common Rosefinch was an excellent find on The Wirral, at Caldy, but it was only seen briefly. Elsewhere a couple of Pectoral Sandpipers were discovered, at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire and Musselburgh Lagoons, Lothian. So, a good day for Northwest England, but a very average day for the the rest of Britain and Ireland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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