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| Saturday 18th August 2007 | ||
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| The main news today was another east coast sighting of an Onychoprion tern - either a
Sooty Tern or a Bridled Tern - this time in Lothian. First seen from Dunbar it was later noted from Barns Ness. Seawatching news from elsewhere was dominated by up to six
Wilson's Petrels seen from a pelagic off the Isles of Scilly. A White-rumped Sandpiper was a fresh discovery on Canvey Island, Essex whilst the Wilson's Phalarope relocated overnight from Bishop Middleham, Co Durham to Catterick, North Yorkshire. Long-staying rarities confirmed as still present included the Black Stork on Anglesey, Squacco Heron in Lincolnshire, Black Kite in Lincolnshire, White-winged Black Tern in Essex, White-rumped Sandpiper in Norfolk, Great White Egret in West Yorkshire and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. |
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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 17th August 2007 | ||
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| The only new rarity today was a Great White Egret which dropped in to
Bough Beech Reservoir in Kent. Lingering rares included Semipalmated
Sandpiper on St Mary's, Scilly, Wilson's Phalarope at Bishop
Middleham, County Durham, Black Stork again on the Alaw Estuary in
Anglesey, White-rumped Sandpiper on Breydon Water, Norfolk, Great
White Egret at Swillington, West Yorkshire, Squacco Heron at Earith,
Cambridgeshire, White-winged Black Tern at Abberton, Essex, Black Kite
at Nocton Fen, Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis at Marshside, Lancashire and
the oversummering female Subalpine Warbler again retrapped on the Isle of
May, Fife.
A juvenile Night Heron in Sussex and a scattering of Balearic Shearwaters were among the best of the rest. Sadly, the reported Great Knot in Fife turned out to be more of a 'great not' when it was re-identified as a Red Knot. |
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| - Andy Symes, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 16th August 2007 | ||
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| Two more Nearctic waders were discovered today: a Lesser Yellowlegs on the Taw Estuary, Devon and a
White-rumped Sandpiper at Pool of Virkie, Shetland Isles. In Cornwall seawatching tallies did not compare to yesterday but a
Wilson's Petrel was seen from Pendeen Watch with two more logged from a evening pelagic out of the Isles of Scilly. The Semipalmated Sandpiper remained on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly as did the Wilson's Phalarope at Bishop Middleham Cleveland, Squacco Heron at Earith Cambridgeshire, White-rumped Sandpiper at Breydon Water Norfolk and White-winged Black Tern at Abberton Reservoir, Essex. In Cumbria the summering Hudsonian Whimbrel was seen again at South Walney. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 15th August 2007 | ||
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| St Ives in Cornwall was the place to be with a Little Shearwater and a
Wilson's Petrel both passing in the afternoon as well as four Great
Shearwaters and a good total of 65 Balearic Shearwaters among
the supporting cast. Nearby Pendeen also scored well with a Wilson's Petrel
and at least 30 Great and 7 Cory's Shearwaters. An adult Wilson's
Phalarope was an excellent find at the new Castle Lake NR at Bishop
Middleham in County Durham, an adult Semipalmated Sandpiper was found on
St Mary's, Scilly and the other new rarities comprised a White-rumped
Sandpiper at Tacumshin, County Wexford and a Great White Egret which
flew in off the sea at Dungeness in Kent. A probable Bridled Tern which
flew past Southwold, Suffolk in the evening frustratingly could not be
confirmed.
Remaining rarities comprised Squacco Heron at Earith, Cambridgeshire, White-winged Black Tern at Abberton Reservoir in Essex, White-rumped Sandpiper at Breydon Water in Norfolk and Great White Egret at Swillington Ings, South Yorkshire. Audouin's Gull continues to elude many would-be observers: there was no sign of yesterday's bird in the Seaton area of Devon. |
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| - Andy Symes, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 14th August 2007 | ||
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| Major news today was Britain's fourth Audouin's Gull discovered at Seaton Marshes, Devon in the late morning. Present until early afternoon before being lost, it was not seen again until dusk when it was found roosting on a warehouse roof in Seaton town. A White-rumped Sandpiper was new in at Breydon Water, Norfolk whilst rarities remaining from yesterday included the Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles and the Cattle Egret on Lewis, Western Isles. Elsewhere, the White-winged Black Tern remained in Essex as did the Great White Egret in West Yorkshire and the Glossy Ibis in Merseyside. In Ireland the Squacco Heron was seen again in Co Derry and the Bonaparte's Gull and Long-billed Dowitcher remained together in Co Clare. With improved seawatching conditions highlights from southwest England included five Cory's Shearwaters and three Great Shearwaters passing Porthgwarra, Cornwall and two Great Shearwaters off Berry Head, Devon. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 13th August 2007 | ||
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| Both today's new rarities were found on Scottish islands - an early juvenile
Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle, Shetland and a Cattle Egret on
Lewis, a new species for the Western Isles and only the fourth for Scotland.
Elsewhere popular rarities included the Squacco Heron at Earith Gravel Pits, Cambridgeshire, Black Kite at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire, White-winged Black Tern at Abberton Reservoir, Essex and Great White Egret at Swillington Ings, West Yorkshire. The Ferruginous Duck remained at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, as did the Long-billed Dowitcher at Shannon Airport Lagoon, Co Clare and Bonaparte's Gull on South Uist, Western Isles. An Isles of Scilly pelagic scored both Wilson's Petrel and Great Shearwater, whilst in Merseyside a Spotted Crake was at Marshside RSPB and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper made an appearance at Greatham Creek, Cleveland. A belated report came from last Thursday in the form of a couple of Cape Verde Shearwaters in the Western English Channel seen from the Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry - if genuine, these would be the first of their kind to be recorded in British waters. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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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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| 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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