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| Sunday 29th July 2007 | ||
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| This evening's pelagic from the Isles of Scilly did not visit the same area
that produced last night's Madeiran Petrel, and, although a Wilson's Petrel was
seen, many will wonder if tomorrow's trip will find the Madeiran again, as it is
due to visit the same area. Also on a negative note there was no sign of
yesterday's reported Eleonora's Falcon in Northamptonshire and a Roller
seen early in the morning at Usk Reservoir in Carmarthenshire could not be found
later in the day. An Alpine Swift over Lodmoor in Dorset in the afternoon
was equally un-obliging. More obliging were new White-rumped Sandpipers
found at the Ythan Estuary in Aberdeenshire and Anthorn in Cumbria.
A probable first summer male Red-footed Falcon flew over Titchfield Haven in Hampshire with another bird still present on the Isle of Wight. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was a popular find at Patrington in Yorkshire, while a Woodchat Shrike also remained popular in Somerset. A Great White Egret was found on the Esk Estuary in Cumbria, but it did not stay long. |
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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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| Saturday 28th July 2007 | ||
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| Undoubtedly the exciting news of the day comes from the pelagic run this
evening from St Mary's where a Madeiran Petrel was seen at close range
(c10yds) for about a minute and then amazingly it was seen at a similar range 45
minutes later, again for about a minute. A truly amazing find.
Only two new rarities were discovered today, an Alpine Swift on Portland showed well but only for a short time late morning/early afternoon and very late news of a Red-footed Falcon on Isle of Wight. Other lingering rarities on offer today included the long-staying Black Kite in Lincolnshire, a Cattle Egret in Suffolk, Hudsonian Whimbrel still in Cumbria and Glossy Ibis in Merseyside. There were also a possible sighting of the Lesser Yellowlegs in Lancashire but the bird was seen only very briefly, even more exciting was a possible Chimney Swift in Suffolk, but this was only seen very briefly too. There was also a very late report of a possible Eleonora's Falcon this morning in Northamptonshire. Also worth noting today was a Woodchat Shrike in Shropshire which showed well all afternoon and a Red-necked Phalarope in North York shire. The Rose-coloured Starling remained at Land's End, as did the Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Orkney and Night Herons in West Yorkshire. |
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| - Keith Langdon, RBA | ||
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| Friday 27th July 2007 | ||
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| A sighting of a probable Chimney Swift over Conwy RSPB, Conwy this
morning, followed hot on the heels of the lingering individual in York -
unfortunately the North Wales bird did not hang around. Elsewhere in the
Northwest the adult Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Leighton Moss RSPB,
Lancashire, the Glossy Ibis was still at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside and
the Hudsonian Whimbrel was seen again on Walney Island, Cumbria.
On Orkney a Buff-breasted Sandpiper was on North Ronaldsay, and nearby, the summering Lesser Grey Shrike was still on Fair Isle, Shetland. On the Western Isles the Bonaparte's Gull was on South Uist. A Great White Egret briefly graced the Middlebere area of Poole Harbour, Dorset, and in Kent the adult female Ferruginous Duck returned to New Hythe Gravel Pits. In Cornwall a Rose-coloured Starling was mobile in the Land's End complex and in Lincolnshire the Black Kite remained at Nocton Fen. An evening pelagic off the Isles of Scilly produced three Wilson's Petrels, Great Shearwater and a couple of Sabine's Gulls. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 26th July 2007 | ||
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| The Chimney Swift failed to make an appearance in York, but there were still
plenty of goodies on offer throughout Britain. In Suffolk, an adult Cattle Egret
was located at North Warren RSPB, but it was not seen after early afternoon. In Merseyside, the
White-rumped Sandpiper was relocated on Crosby Beach and nearby, the
Glossy Ibis remained at Marshside RSPB. In North Lancashire, the Lesser
Yellowlegs was present at Leighton Moss RSPB, but was extremely mobile over
a large area with Redshanks and Greenshanks.
Other bits and bobs included a Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall, at Trewellard and Wryneck in Dorset, at West Bay. A dark-rumped Whimbrel was logged past Lowestoft, Suffolk, this evening - the Hudsonian Whimbrel was still on Walney Island, Cumbria yesterday. Another belated item of news from yesterday concerned a Snowy Owl reappearing on Lewis, Western Isles, after an absence from this island of over three months. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 25th July 2007 | ||
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| The Chimney Swift remained in York, North Yorkshire, but was seen
briefly on just a handful of occasions throughout the day.
Elsewhere, a Lesser Yellowlegs was at Leighton Moss, Lancashire for its second day and in Merseyside the Glossy Ibis remained at Marshside RSPB. A Great White Egret flew south past Spurn, East Yorkshire this afternoon and in Co Derry a Squacco Heron continued to show at Lough Beg. A Black Kite flew over the A1 near Tuxford, Nottinghamshire. A handful of Great Shearwaters were logged off the south coast of Ireland, with Cory's Shearwaters off Galley Head, Co Cork and Prawle Point, Devon. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 24th July 2007 | ||
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| The main talking point today was the discovery of an unseasonal Chimney
Swift in York City Centre, North Yorkshire. The bird associated with Common
Swifts, and made brief appearances intermittently throughout the day. There have
only been two previous records of Chimney Swift in Yorkshire, both occurring at
Spurn - interestingly, one of these was present on 6th August, in 2000.
In Kent a Bee-eater was heard flying over Cobham, and other rarities on show included the White-rumped Sandpiper at Seaforth LWT, Merseyside, Cattle Egret at Grove Ferry NNR, Kent (along with a Temminck's Stint), Squacco Heron at Lough Beg, Co Derry and Black Kite at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire. The Glossy Ibis continued its stay at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside, where a Pectoral Sandpiper also remained. Elsewhere the Night Herons were still at Fairburn Ings RSPB, West Yorkshire, the Green-winged Teal was at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire and a Temminck's Stint visited Ibsley Water, Hampshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 23rd July 2007 | ||
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| Breaking news today came from the Orkney Islands where a White-winged Black Tern
was present for a second day at Loch of Tankerness, Mainland. In northwest England the Hudsonian Whimbrel was seen again on Walney Island, Cumbria whilst in Merseyside the White-rumped Sandpiper and Glossy Ibis remained at Seaforth and Marshside respectively. The Squacco Heron remained at Lough Beg Co.Derry as did the Black Kite at Nocton Heath Lincolnshire and one the Cattle Egrets at Grove Ferry Kent. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 22nd July 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the arrival of a White-rumped Sandpiper at Seaforth, Merseyside, complemented by the discovery of a
Pectoral Sandpiper alongside the long staying Glossy Ibis at nearby Marshside. The Squacco Heron remained at Lough Beg, Co Derry as did the Black Kite at Nocton Fen, Lincolnshire. In Kent both the Cattle Egrets were seen - along with a Temminck's Stint - at Grove Ferry. On the Shetland Isles the Killdeer and Lesser Grey Shrike remained at Virkie and Fair Isle respectively. Popular scarcities included two Night Herons together at Fairburn Ings West Yorkshire, a Temminck's Stint at Cley Norfolk and a Pectoral Sandpiper at Elmley Kent. An Icterine Warbler was an unseasonal find on the Farne Islands, Northumberland. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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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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| 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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