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| Sunday 23rd September 2007 | ||
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| Today saw a slight increase in migrant activity around the country, but it
was the Shetlands that benefited the most with a Buff-bellied Pipit being
found on Fair Isle and an Arctic Warbler on the Out Skerries. Also on the
Shetlands, both Killdeer and King Eider remained on Mainland, with
a Barred Warbler still on Fair Isle. Elsewhere, a Wilson's Phalarope
was a good find at Upton Warren in Worcestershire, and a Cattle Egret at
Scrabster in Highland is still a true rarity that far north.
The Long-billed Dowitcher remained popular at Titchwell in Norfolk as did the juvenile Long-tailed Skua in Nottinghamshire. The Spotted Sandpiper remained on The Scillies and, in Ireland, Tacumshin continued to hold Baird's Sandpiper, American Golden Plover, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers and American Wigeon. Several Pectoral Sandpipers were scattered around the country and further Buff-breasted Sandpipers were in Cleveland and Yorkshire. The popular Bluethroat remained at Spurn in Yorkshire and there was a Richard's Pipit in London, which is only the second reported so far this autumn. Some quite large movements of hirundines were reported at various localities. |
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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 22nd September 2007 | ||
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| Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk, played host to both Long-billed Dowitcher and
White-rumped Sandpiper today, whilst in Essex a Lesser Yellowlegs
was discovered at Hanningfield Reservoir. Sadly, information on the location of
another Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire was withheld.
In Ireland discoveries came in the form of Baird's Sandpiper at Tacumshin, Co Wexford, where an American Golden Plover and American Wigeon remained, and in Co Cork a Citrine Wagtail graced Mizen Head and a Fea's Petrel was logged past Cape Clear. On Western Isles the Baird's Sandpiper and American Golden Plover stayed put at Butt of Lewis, the Killdeer reappeared on Mainland Shetland on Isles of Scilly Citrine Wagtail, Spotted Sandpiper, Wryneck and a couple of Pectoral Sandpipers were all available. A handful of Pectoral Sandpipers were scattered around the country, whilst Mainland Buff-breasted Sandpipers were in Lincolnshire and Devon. The Long-tailed Skua remained a popular attraction in Nottinghamshire, and a Night Heron arrived at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire. The long-staying Black Kite made another appearance at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire and the Blue-winged Teal remained at Haverton Hole, Cleveland. A Demoiselle Crane was located in a field at Great Hucklow, Derbyshire this evening, but there was no information on whether or not the bird sported any rings. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 21st September 2007 | ||
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| New discoveries came in the form of a juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher
at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk, Spotted Sandpiper on Unst, Shetland,
Baird's Sandpiper on Lewis, Western Isles (along with an American Golden Plover), Caspian Tern over Pontefract, West Yorkshire, wandering
Great White Egret in Norfolk and a couple of American Golden Plovers
at Tacumshin, Co Wexford, where a flock of four Buff-breasted Sandpipers
could also be found.
In Leicestershire the Lesser Scaup remained at Rutland Water, as did the Wilson's Phalarope in Co Down and Great White Egrets in Lancashire and Hampshire. The Isles of Scilly continued to host the Spotted Sandpiper, Citrine Wagtail, Woodchat and Red-backed Shrikes and Common Rosefinch. The juvenile Long-tailed Skua in Nottinghamshire continued to entertain the crowds, and will no doubt be a popular attraction this weekend. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 20th September 2007 | ||
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| On the Isles of Scilly the Citrine Wagtail remained on Tresco, one
each of Spotted, Pectoral and Buff-breasted Sandpipers were
on St Mary's, and an Ortolan Bunting was discovered on St Agnes. Great White
Egrets remained in Suffolk and Lancashire and the long-staying Glossy
Ibis was still at Marshside RSPB.
In Co Mayo a Snowy Owl returned to Termon Hill, the adult American Golden Plover was seen again at The Cull, Co Wexford and in Co Derry a Great White Egret was at Lough Beg. Other bits and bobs included the popular Long-tailed Skua in Nottinghamshire and Grey Phalarope in Greater Manchester, Red-breasted Flycatcher in Suffolk, Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Saltfleetby NNR, Lincolnshire and Bluethroat at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire. Nine Pectoral Sandpipers were on show and a Taiga Bean Goose was with Pink-footed Geese at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire. A couple of late items of news for yesterday related to an Aquatic Warbler at Dibden Bay, Hampshire and a Lesser Yellowlegs on Mainland Orkney. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 19th September 2007 | ||
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| A drake Ferruginous Duck at Cantley beet factory, Norfolk, was one of
very few fresh discoveries on a generally quiet day. A Snowy Owl at Uig
on Lewis was probably a long-staying wanderer, but an adult American Golden
Plover at Butt of Lewis was no doubt fresh in. Lingering rarities included
Citrine Wagtail and Spotted Sandpiper on Isles of Scilly (where a
couple of Buff-breasted Sandpipers and a Pectoral Sandpiper could
also be found), Blue-winged Teal in Cleveland, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Great White Egrets
in Lancashire and Suffolk.
The showy inland Long-tailed Skua remained a popular attraction at Shelford Manor Farm, Nottinghamshire, as did a Grey Phalarope at Hope Carr Nr, Greater Manchester. Another Grey Phalarope was at Bartley Reservoir, West Midlands and a Purple Heron was located on the Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire. In Norfolk the adult white morph Lesser Snow Goose was still with Pink-footed Geese on the north coast and in Suffolk a Red-breasted Flycatcher was at Easton Bavents for its second day. On Shetland a Short-toed Lark was discovered on Unst, where the Melodious and Marsh Warblers both remained on show. An impressive eight Buff-breasted Sandpipers were on Tiree, including a flock of six. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 18th September 2007 | ||
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| A Baird's Sandpiper was new in the Western Isles on North Uist. Continuing rarities confirmed as still present were both the Spotted Sandpiper and Citrine Wagtail in Scilly, Blue-winged Teal in Cleveland, Lesser Scaup in Leicestershire, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, and Great White Egrets in both Lancashire and Suffolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 17th September 2007 | ||
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| A Great White Egret was a new discovery at Walberswick, Suffolk whilst the long-staying individual showed again at Leighton Moss, Lancashire. The Lesser Scaup remained at Rutland Water, Leicestershire as did the Wilson's Phalarope at Belfast Lough, County Down and a Citrine Wagtail on Tresco, Isles of Scilly. However, the main news today was late news. A Madeiran Petrel watched for 45 minutes feeding off Pendeen Watch, Cornwall yesterday evening follows hot on the heels of the individual photographed from a pelagic off the Isles of Scilly on 28th July this year. Nearby on Sunday the Black Stork was again seen in flight; this time over Porthcurno. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 16th September 2007 | ||
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| Today's main talking points were three mega rarities; unfortunately all were brief flyovers and were not seen by anyone other than the lucky finders. In Northumberland a
White-rumped Swift found over Cresswell Pond mid morning before flying south may constitute the first record for the British Isles. About four and half hours later - and 145 miles to the southwest - another (or the same?) swift with a white-rump was reported flying southeast over West Kirby, Wirral although this time the identification was suspected as
Pacific Swift. Meanwhile, in Kent a pale morph Booted Eagle flew over Grove Ferry late morning but unfortunately could not be relocated. A Lesser Scaup was a new arrival at Rutland Water, Leicestershire as was an American Golden Plover briefly at Balgray Reservoir, Clyde. On the Isles of Scilly Citrine Wagtails were seen on both St Martin's and Tresco and the Spotted Sandpiper remains on St Mary's. Other lingering rarities comprised the Killdeer and a Baird's Sandpiper both on the Shetland Isles, Wilson's Phalarope in County Down, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and single Great White Egrets still in Hampshire, Lancashire and Somerset. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 15th September 2007 | ||
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| It was certainly quiet for new rarities on this mid-September Saturday, with
only one discovered, a Citrine Wagtail on Isles of Scilly. The
archipelago also hosted the long-staying Spotted Sandpiper, a new
Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Icterine Warbler and Ortolan Bunting.
At the other end of the British Isles the 8th Night Heron for Shetland was discovered on Bressay, and on Mainland the Baird's Sandpiper and King Eider remained. On Orkney, a possible Wilson's Snipe was observed briefly on South Ronaldsay. In Co Down the Wilson's Phalarope was at Belfast Lough RSPB and in Co Donegal the American Golden Plover remained at Keadew Strand and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper was at Bloody Foreland. A female American Wigeon was discovered at Tacumshin. Back across the Irish Sea, Great White Egrets remained at Leighton Moss, Lancashire and Westhay Moor, Somerset. An adult white morph Snow Goose was tracked south along the English east coast with returning Pink-footed Geese, before it finally arrived at Holkham NNR mid afternoon. The best of the rest included a scattering of Wrynecks and Pectoral Sandpipers and several Honey Buzzards were reported, with the vast majority moving through Cambridgeshire. In Lincolnshire, the Red-necked Phalarope remained at Gibraltar Point NNR, in Devon the Temminck's Stint was still at Colford Common and in Conwy, a confiding Dotterel graced Great Ormes Head. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 14th September 2007 | ||
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| In Ireland a Fea's Petrel flew past Kilcummin Head, County Mayo, the
Wilson's Phalarope was still on Belfast Lough RSPB, County Down and the
Black Kite was again over South Slobs, County Wexford. In Gwent, the Aquatic Warbler was still at Uskmouth NR, but continued to be very elusive. The Spotted Sandpiper was still on St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly and in Somerset both the Great White Egret and Ferruginous Duck remained. The long staying Great White Egret was still at Leighton Moss, Lancashire. Scarcities included the Barred Warbler at Winterton, Norfolk, which showed very well for much of the day, a returning drake American Wigeon in Pembrokeshire at Angle Bay, Spotted Crakes at Farlington Marshes, Hampshire and Ladywalk NR, Warwickshire, several Pectoral Sandpipers and a reasonable showing of seabirds in the north. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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