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| Sunday 12th August 2007 | ||
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| Two Aquatic Warblers were located today with both being found in mist nets on the English south coast. Trapped in the early morning at South Milton Ley, Devon and Radipole Lake, Dorset neither of the birds was seen following their release. The Squacco Heron remained at Earith, Cambridgeshire as did the Great White Egret at Swillington Ings, West Yorkshire and White-winged Black Tern at Abberton Reservoir, Essex whilst on Anglesey the Black Stork was seen again briefly. The Black Kite remained in Lincolnshire as did the Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. In Ireland lingering rarities comprised the Squacco Heron in Co Derry, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co Dublin and Bonaparte's Gull and Long-billed Dowitcher together in Co Clare. |
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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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| Saturday 11th August 2007 | ||
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| Headlining today's discoveries was the first Little Shearwater of the year; watched flying north past Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire in the early morning. Elsewhere other brief rarities including a
Black Stork over Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd and a White-winged Black Tern at Maxey, Cambridgeshire. More obliging were a
Squacco Heron at Earith, Cambridgeshire and a Great White Egret between Fairburn and Swillington, West Yorkshire. To the delight of many the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper remained overnight at Oare Marshes, Kent as did the White-winged Black Terns at both Abberton Reservoir, Essex and Loch of Tankerness, Orkney. Several long-staying rarities confirmed as still present today including the Lesser Grey Shrike on the Shetland Isles, Squacco Heron in Co Derry, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Bonaparte's Gull on the Western Isles and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. Newly discovered scarcities included a Purple Heron in Oxon, Woodchat Shrike in Dorset and Red-backed Shrike in North Yorkshire with Icterine Warbler, Common Rosefinch and Wryneck all present on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 10th August 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day is undoubtably the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in
Kent at the Oare Marshes NR (possibly for its second day) which showed well all
afternoon and evening. Other new rarities were an adult Bonaparte's
Gull on the Shannon Airport Lagoon Co Clare and a White-winged Black Tern
at Abberton Reservoir in Essex. Two Great White Egrets were also
discovered today, one in West Yorkshire at Swillington Ings and the other in
Wiltshire near Cotswold Water Park at an undisclosed site. Another White-winged
Black Tern was also on Orkney yesterday.
Elsewhere, another Wilson's Petrel was seen from a pelagic six miles south of St Mary's, the Glossy Ibis was still at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside, the Squacco Heron was again at Lough Beg, Co Derry and one of the Black Storks was reported again this morning in Dorset. The Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake in Somerset was again present but there was no news today on the Spotted Sandpiper that has been there for the last three days. Also, on Wednesday (8th) the Killdeer was seen again on Shetland at Virkie. |
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| - Keith Langdon, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 9th August 2007 | ||
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| The Dorset Black Stork made another brief appearance this morning,
when it flew over The Fleet at 11.45am. Otherwise it was pretty static
rarity-wise, with the
Spotted Sandpiper and Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset,
Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Black Kite in Lincolnshire all remaining on show.
A Spotted Crake was discovered on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, a Pectoral Sandpiper was at Lough Donnell, Co Clare and at Sunk Island, East Yorkshire a Buff-breasted Sandpiper made an appearance this evening - presumably the bird that has been seen at nearby Patrington Haven and across the Humber at Far Ings NR, Lincolnshire, recently. A couple of Wilson's Petrels were seen on an evening pelagic off the Isles of Scilly. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 8th August 2007 | ||
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| Today was dominated by Black Storks, with reports coming from three
counties on the south coast. The day began with one over Seaton, Devon, at 9am.
Presumably the same bird flew over Redruth, Cornwall, early afternoon prior to
being seen just south of St Just mid afternoon, then over Mount's Bay early
evening before finally being noted over Sennen late evening. A Black Stork
report also came from Dorset, but the exact location of this bird is unknown.
A White-rumped Sandpiper visited Frodsham Marsh, Cheshire, but only until 8.30am. In Somerset the Spotted Sandpiper remained at Chew Valley Lake for its second day, but was very elusive - the 1st-summer drake Ferruginous Duck and a Spotted Crake were the supporting cast at the same site. In Merseyside the Glossy Ibis was still at Marshside RSPB, the Squacco Heron remained in Co Derry and the Spotted Sandpiper was still in Co Clare. In Devon the 1st-summer Laughing Gull was once again seen on the Exe Estuary and in Lincolnshire the Black Kite reappeared at Nocton Heath. An adult Sabine's Gull lingered briefly off Filey Brigg, North Yorkshire, before heading north this evening. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 7th August 2007 | ||
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| The five new rarities discovered today were headlined by the first Aquatic Warbler
of the autumn, at Hope Point, Kent. Otherwise, a Black Stork was seen briefly at Abbotsbury and Burton Bradstock in Dorset, a
Spotted Sandpiper appeared at Chew Valley Lake in Somerset, a White-winged Black Tern briefly in Langstone Harbour, Hampshire and a
Bonaparte's Gull reported at Scurdie Ness, Angus. In Wales the popular Roller remained at Wernffrwd, Glamorgan as did the Gull-billed Tern at Ynyslas, Ceredigion and Black Stork on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey. In England long-staying rarities still in residence included 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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| Monday 6th August 2007 | ||
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| Wales produced the majority of the action today - a Roller on The
Gower, Glamorgan, was present for its fifth day, the Black Stork
reappeared on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey and a Gull-billed Tern remained
on the Dovey Estuary, Ceredigion.
Another Black Stork flew over Liddington, Wiltshire early in the afternoon and a Great White Egret was flushed from Coalhouse Fort, Essex. Lingering rarities included the Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Bonaparte's Gull on Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Co Clare and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. An evening pelagic off Isles of Scilly scored three Wilson's Petrels. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 5th August 2007 | ||
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| The highlights of the day were the relocation of both the Oxfordshire Marsh Sandpiper
(now at Farmoor Reservoir) and the Ceredigion Gull-billed Tern (see at Ynyslas) along with the reappearance of the
Hudsonian Whimbrel on Walney Island, Cumbria. Otherwise, a White-winged Black Tern was discovered at East Chevington, Northumberland in the evening and brief encounters included Wilson's Petrels off the Isles of Scilly, Pembrokeshire and Co Clare, an Alpine Swift in Flintshire and both Red-footed Falcon and Black Kite in Kent. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present included the Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Laughing Gull in Devon, Squacco Heron in Co Derry, Spotted Sandpiper in Co Clare, Bonaparte's Gull on Western Isles, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and the Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 4th August 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a juvenile Marsh Sandpiper at Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The bird frequented a flooded field from late morning until late in the evening and constituted the first county record. In Co Clare a wader-double was formed by a
Spotted Sandpiper at Doonbeg complementing the Long-billed Dowitcher at Shannon Airport. The Black Stork remained on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey whilst other popular long-staying rarities included the Glossy Ibis at Marshside Merseyside and Black Kite at Nocton Heath Lincolnshire; a further Black Kite was reported briefly at three locations in Kent. Elsewhere, the Squacco Heron remained at Lough Beg, Co Derry as did the Bonaparte's Gull at South Uist, Western Isles and the Laughing Gull was seen again on the Exe Estuay, Devon. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 3rd August 2007 | ||
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| A report of a White-throated Needletail near St Helens at Carr Mill
Dam in Merseyside would have been the undoubted highlight of the day, if not the
year, had it remained long enough to be confirmed and enjoyed by the masses. A Gull-billed
Tern which put in a brief appearance on the rising tide on the Dovey Estuary
at Ynys-hir RSPB was a potential first for Ceredigion; it later transpired the
bird was also seen briefly on Thursday's rising tide and Welsh birders will be
hoping for a repeat performance tomorrow. An adult Bonaparte's Gull which
showed briefly at Whitburn, County Durham may well have been a returning bird
present in the Northeast from September to November last year. Likewise a
first-summer Laughing Gull in Exmouth, Devon was almost certainly the
bird last seen just upriver at Topsham on June 10th.
Remaining rarities including the Redhead still reported from Kenfig Pool in Glamorgan, Black Stork on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey, Black Kite reported still present at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis at Marshide RSPB in Merseyside, Bonaparte's Gull at Ardvule on South Uist, Western Isles and Long-billed Dowitcher at Shannon Airport Lagoon, County Clare. Among the best of the scarcities was a good passage of 51 Balearic Shearwaters past Porthgwarra, Cornwall and a smattering of Pectoral Sandpipers, Spoonbills, Ring-necked Ducks and Montagu's Harriers. There was no sign of the controversial warbler believed to have been an Eastern Olivaceous or Sykes's Warbler in Manchester's Chinatown. |
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| - Andy Symes, RBA | ||
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