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| Saturday 29th September 2007 | ||
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| While it may have lacked the extreme rarities of yesterday, it proved to be
another classic late September day with the pick of the new arrivals including
Blyth's Reed Warbler at Woodhorn, Northumberland, Isabelline Shrike
at Buckton, East Yorkshire and Red-flanked Bluetail at Weybourne,
Norfolk. While the bluetail did a disappearing act the warbler and shrike both
proved far more obliging and remained until dusk. Elsewhere presumably the same
Gull-billed Tern flew north past Spurn, East Yorkshire and Hartlepool,
Cleveland and single Siberian Stonechats were found at Hummersea,
Cleveland and Newbiggin, Northumberland. Away from the east coast a
Franklin's Gull appeared briefly at Alvecote, Warwickshire, a Long-billed
Dowitcher joined a Pectoral Sandpiper at Bough Beech reservoir in
Kent, an Aquatic Warbler was ringed at Titchfield Haven, Hampshire and a
Bonaparte's Gull dropped in at Strangford Lough in County Down.
A Citrine Wagtail on Foula was scant consolation for birders dipping yesterday's first-winter male Siberian Thrush, while on nearby Fetlar the Swainson's Thrush remained for its second day. There was no sign of the Semipalmated Plover on Colonsay, Argyll, or the Red-flanked Bluetail at Corton, Suffolk. Other Shetland specials included a brief Great Snipe on Fetlar and a new Lanceolated Warbler on Fair Isle along with a fleeting Red-throated Pipit. The exceptionally confiding Paddyfield Warbler at St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent and the American Buff-bellied Pipit on St Mary's, Scilly, were among the most popular of the remaining rarities. There was a notable arrival of Great Grey Shrikes along the coast between Essex and North Yorkshire together with a scattering of Yellow-browed and Barred Warblers and Red-breasted Flycatchers. Seabirds including Sabine's Gulls, Grey Phalaropes, Bonxies and Gannets continued to delight patch-watchers on Midlands water bodies and particular mention must go to the remarkable gathering of three Grey Phalaropes and a single Red-necked Phalarope viewable from the same hide at Cley NWT Norfolk. |
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| - Andy Symes, 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 28th September 2007 | ||
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| A day of Mega's, with four breaking after 3pm! A male Siberian Thrush
was on Foula, Shetland, Swainson's Thrush on Fetlar, Shetland,
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland (joining a
Lanceolated Warbler from yesterday), and news of a Semipalmated Plover
was released from Colonsay, Argyll, on the birds second day. Other rarities included Pechora Pipit on Out Skerries, Thrush Nightingale on Fair Isle (both Shetland), Paddyfield Warbler in Kent at St.Margarets at Cliffe, American Buff-bellied Pipit on St.Mary's, Scilly, Red-flanked Bluetail in Suffolk, a couple of Greenish Warblers in Norfolk and Kent, Killdeer on Shetland, White-rumped Sandpiper at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, Snowy Owl on Lewis, Western Isles with a Spotted Sandpiper remaining on Yell, Shetland. Seabirds continued to turn up inland, with several Grey Phalaropes and Sabine's Gulls, along with many skuas and Gannets around the country. Scarce migrants continued to arrive, with a few Wrynecks being reported, along with a good number of Yellow-browed Warblers. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 27th September 2007 | ||
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| A good day in the far north and on Scilly today, with a second
Buff-bellied Pipit joining the bird on St.Mary's, Scilly early this morning,
whilst on Shetland there were two Lanceolated Warblers on Fair Isle,
Arctic Redpoll on Fetlar, a new White-rumped Sandpiper on Unst,
Citrine Wagtail on Mainland, and a Spotted Sandpiper was on Lewis,
Western Isles. The Greater Yellowlegs was seen early this morning in Hampshire but, unfortunately, not since. Elsewhere, three Greenish Warbler turned up in Yorkshire, Norfolk and Kent, with drift migrants such as Yellow-browed Warblers and Barred Warblers arriving as well. Remaining rarities included Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Cattle Egret in Highland, Great White Egret in Lancashire and Spotted Sandpiper, Sardinian Warbler and Arctic Warbler on Shetland. Seawatching continued to provide entertainment, with Sabine's Gulls and Grey Phalaropes also seen inland at various sites. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 26th September 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire. Present at Farlington Marshes mid afternoon and again this evening it was perhaps the individual seen yesterday 133 miles to the north northeast at Baston, Lincolnshire. On the Shetland Isles a Sardinian Warbler was discovered on Mainland (at Scousburgh) along with the long-staying Killdeer and a Yellow-browed Warbler. The Arctic Warbler and an Iceland Gull remained on Out Skerries and the Spotted Sandpiper showed again on Yell whilst on adjacent Unst, Melodious Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Common Rosefinch and Lapland Bunting were all seen. At least seventeen Greenland Redpolls were scattered around the archipelago. On the Isles of Scilly the American Buff-bellied Pipit continued to show well with the Barred Warbler on St Mary's, a Wryneck was seen on Bryher and the Pectoral Sandpiper remained on Tresco, where yesterday the Citrine Wagtail was still present. Lingering rarities elsewhere consisted of the Wilson's Phalarope in Worcestershire, Black Kite in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, American Golden Plover on the Orkney Isles and Glossy Ibis in Lancashire with single Great White Egrets in Derbyshire, Hampshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk and County Derry. Other Irish rarities included the Snowy Owl still in County Mayo and the Baird's Sandpiper again in County Wexford. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 25th September 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of an American Buff-bellied Pipit
on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly - the tenth record for the British Isles but the third this week! Other noteworthy birds around the archipelago included
Spotted Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Barred Warbler on St Mary's,
Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Wryneck and Sabine's Gull on St Agnes and a
Sabine's Gull past Tresco. A Greater Yellowlegs present briefly at Baston, Lincolnshire perhaps constitutes only the fifth inland record of this species for the British Isles. A Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk at Walberswick was a more routine discovery as were single Great White Egrets in Essex, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk. On the Shetland Isles a Citrine Wagtail was found on Mainland at Sandwick and Spotted Sandpipers were present on both Unst and Yell. Elsewhere around the islands the American Buff-bellied Pipit and three Barred Warblers were on Fair Isle, the Arctic Warbler remained on Out Skerries, Pectoral Sandpiper at Fleck and on Unst Melodious Warbler, Common Rosefinch and two Barred Warblers were seen. Other lingering rarities comprised Wilson's Phalaropes in County Down and Worcestershire, Long-billed Dowitchers in Lincolnshire and Norfolk, Black Kite in Cornwall, Cattle Egret in Highland and Great White Egret in Lancashire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 24th September 2007 | ||
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| In Cornwall a Wilson's Petrel passing St Ives Island was the highlight of a productive day for seawatching with, elsewhere in the county, a
Black Kite seen near Antony. On the Shetland Isles the American Buff-bellied Pipit remained on Fair Isle as did the Arctic Warbler on Out Skerries, King Eider and Common Rosefinch both at Wester Quarff and another Common Rosefinch was on Unst. On the Isles of Scilly the Citrine Wagtail remained on Tresco along with both Pectoral Sandpiper and Lapland Bunting. The Spotted Sandpiper showed again on St Mary's as did the Woodchat Shrike on St Martin's with a Pectoral Sandpiper on St Agnes and a Wryneck on Bryher. Elsewhere, Long-billed Dowitchers remained in Lincolnshire and Norfolk, Wilson's Phalaropes in Worcestershire and County Down and Great White Egrets in Hampshire and County Londonderry with the Cattle Egret still in Highland and the American Golden Plover on the Western Isles. Late news was received of an American Buff-bellied Pipit found aboard a boat around 150 miles north northwest of the Butt of Lewis, Western Isles on Thursday that, sadly, later died. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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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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| 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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