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| Wednesday 22nd August 2007 | ||
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| Blakeney Point once again stole the show today, producing a superb total of five
Greenish Warblers. The only Greenish Warblers away from Blakeney were on Holy
Island, Northumberland, and Unst, Shetland. An Aquatic Warbler was at Radipole
Lake RSPB, Dorset in the morning, and an adult stint on the Hayle Estuary,
Cornwall, caused an identification headache - after initially being reported as
a Baird's Sandpiper, it was later thought more likely to be a Semipalmated
Sandpiper.
Elsewhere an adult White-winged Black Tern appeared at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, this evening, whilst juveniles remained at Dungeness RSPB and Bough Beech Reservoir, Kent and Weir Wood Reservoir, East Sussex. White-rumped Sandpipers were still on Brownsea Island, Dorset and on Mainland Orkney and the long-staying Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Black Kite in Lincolnshire were both still on show. Both the Oxfordshire and Surrey Purple Herons could still be found at their respective sites, the Citrine Wagtail continued its stay on Fair Isle, Shetland, and the Melodious Warbler showed again at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire The best of the rest included a Red-backed Shrike at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire, Wrynecks in Glamorgan, Dorset, Suffolk, East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and some tremendous east coast seawatching. Those in landlocked counties were not left out of the action, as several seabirds found refuge on inland water bodies throughout the day. |
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| - Stuart Piner, 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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| Tuesday 21st August 2007 | ||
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| Classic weather conditions for early autumn rarities on the North Norfolk
coast didn't disappoint - a tremendous selection of birds on Blakeney Point included not only a Great Snipe and at least two Greenish Warblers,
but also Icterine and Barred Warblers. Further up the east coast
another Greenish Warbler and a Barred Warbler were located on
Inner Farne, Northumberland and on Shetland a Greenish Warbler was
on Unst, where an adult Rose-coloured Starling could also be
found.
A Fea's Petrel flew past the late August crowds at Bridges of Ross, Co Clare and White-winged Black Terns were discovered at Bough Beech Reservoir, Kent and Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex. In Dorset the yellowlegs sp was once again present on and off in Brand's Bay, but is still refusing to show well enough to be identified. Nearby, an adult White-rumped Sandpiper visited the lagoon on Brownsea Island. A Great White Egret arrived at Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire, and other inland treats included an adult Sabine's Gull at Rutland Water, Leicestershire and juvenile Long-tailed Skua at Queen Mother Reservoir, Berkshire. Lingering rarities included the Marbled Duck in Norfolk, Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Black Stork on Anglesey and Citrine Wagtail and Greenish Warbler on Fair Isle. Melodious Warblers were at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire and South Hallsands, Devon, whilst a couple of Kentish Plovers were at Stanpit Marsh, Dorset and a Spotted Crake at Baddesley Common, Hampshire. Wrynecks made landfall at Minsmere RSPB and Landguard NR, Suffolk and Spurn Point, East Yorkshire, a Pectoral Sandpiper was briefly at East Tilbury, Essex and Purple Herons remained in Oxfordshire and Surrey. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 20th August 2007 | ||
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| Perhaps the highlight of an otherwise quiet day was an adult Gull-billed
Tern, which passed close by along Salthouse beach in Norfolk but was not
picked up elsewhere along the coast. Juvenile White-winged Black Terns appeared
at Dungeness in Kent and Langstone Harbour in Hampshire, while a Greenish
Warbler on Fair Isle was a predictable find and hopefully the first of many
this autumn.
The juvenile Marbled Duck remained at Cantley, Norfolk, and long-stayers included Bonaparte's Gull and Long-billed Dowitcher in County Clare, Black Stork on Anglesey, Squacco Heron in Cambridgeshre, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Great White Egret in South Yorkshire and Black Kite in Lincolnshire. Among the best of the rest, a Melodious Warbler at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire was an excellent record and juvenile Purple Herons inland at Frensham, Surrey and Otmoor, Oxfordshire continued to attract interest. |
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| - Andy Symes, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 19th August 2007 | ||
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| Another Little Shearwater report made the headlines, this time passing North Ronaldsay, Orkney during the morning. In Norfolk a
Marbled Duck was a new arrival at Cantley whilst in Northamptonshire an Alpine Swift appeared briefly over Clifford Hill and off the Isles of Scilly three
Wilson's Petrels were recorded on a pelagic trip. Rare waders were headlined by the Wilson's Phalarope present in the morning only at Catterick, North Yorkshire and supported by the Hudsonian Whimbrel still at South Walney, Cumbria, White-rumped Sandpipers at both Breydon Water, Norfolk and Tankerness, Orkney and the Long-billed Dowitcher - accompanied by a Bonaparte's Gull - at Shannon Airport, Co Clare. Other long-staying rarities included the Squacco Heron in Cambridgeshire, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Black Kite in Lincolnshire, White-winged Black Tern in Essex, Great White Egret in West Yorkshire and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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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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| 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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