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| Sunday 18th November 2007 | ||
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| A Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was found in Conwy, at Penrhyn Bay this
morning, proving that this autumn isn't over yet! A Glossy Ibis appeared
in Devon, at West Alvington, at the same site that one was present a few months
back. Two Cattle Egrets were found, both in the southwest, with one on Scilly, which roosted on St.Mary's, and one in Cornwall briefly on The Lizard. The juvenile American Golden Plover reappeared at Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire, and the Great White Egret on the Western Isles has relocated to Benbecula. Late news concerning either a Pied or a Black-eared Wheatear on Friday in Devon was released, after an incorrectly labelled photograph was found on a website. Other lingering rarities today included Penduline Tits in Suffolk, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire, and the Forsters Tern in County Louth. |
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| - Will Soar, 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 17th November 2007 | ||
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| Another first winter Penduline Tit was discovered today, this time in
Cornwall, at Marazion Marsh, in the same area as the long staying
Yellow-browed Warbler. The four Penduline Tits still showed very well
at Dingle Marshes, Suffolk, for much of the day, although they can go missing
for long periods. Lancashire's Great White Egret was discovered in nearby Cumbria today, at Beetham, before flying back towards Leighton Moss RSPB. A new King Eider was found off Fetlar, Shetland, and the Lesser Scaup remained on the same island. Other rarities seen today included the Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, which reappeared at Llanishen Reservoir, White-billed Diver off Selsey Bill, Sussex, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, Lesser Scaup in Somerset at Blagdon Lake, and the female Ferruginous Duck at Theale GPs, Berkshire. The second winter Laughing Gull returned to Countess Wear, Devon, where it showed very well within the compound. Elsewhere, Great Grey Shrikes continued to entertain, with most birds likely to settle down to winter here. The adult Pomarine Skua showed well again between Salthouse and Cley, in the draining fields north of the A149. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 16th November 2007 | ||
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| The four Penduline Tits were still at Dingle Marshes, Suffolk,
although they were fairly mobile, not being seen after 12.30pm. The American
Golden Plover was seen again at Waxham, Norfolk and the adult
White-billed Diver was seen off Selsey Bill late morning. A Blyth's Pipit flew over Land's End and Sennen, but was not relocated afterwards. The Red-breasted Goose was seen briefly at Caerlaverock, Dumfries and Galloway, but remains tricky to pick out of the mobile Barnacle Goose flocks. Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Angus, with Lesser Scaup and Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire, and a couple of Great White Egrets around the country. Several Great Grey Shrikes were found today, and will hopefully remain for the winter. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 15th November 2007 | ||
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| Scotland hosted a fine selection of rarities, included Red-breasted Goose
at Caerlaverock WWT, Dumfries and Galloway, Bonaparte's Gull at
Fishtown of Usan and Lesser Yellowlegs at Montrose Basin, Angus.
In Suffolk the four Penduline Tits remained at Dingle Marshes and in neighbouring Essex an immature White-tailed Eagle was once again reported near Braintree. Elsewhere the long-staying 1st-winter Mourning Dove remained on Inishbofin, Co Galway, the Black Scoter was off Llanfairfechan, Conwy, the Glossy Ibis remained in Somerset and in Berkshire the Lesser Scaup was still at Woolhampton Gravel Pits and a female Ferruginous Duck was unearthed at Theale Gravel Pits. Pallas's Warblers were at Spurn, East Yorkshire and Berry Head, Devon and the odd inland Pomarine Skua and a scattering of Little Auks continued to linger. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 14th November 2007 | ||
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| The party of four Penduline Tits remained at Dingle Marshes, Suffolk,
where they showed on and off throughout the day. On Shetland the female
Lesser Scaup was still on Fetlar and White-billed Divers were in
Bluemull Sound and South Nesting Bay.
Back on the Mainland, the Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Yellowlegs were both still in Angus, the American Buff-bellied Pipit made another appearance near Land's End, Cornwall and the adult drake Lesser Scaup was still in Berkshire. In Cleveland the Long-billed Dowitcher appeared at Seaton Snook and elsewhere the White-billed Diver was again logged off Selsey Bill, West Sussex, Glossy Ibises were still in Somerset and Lancashire (the latter returning to Warton Marsh) and on Islay, Argyll, three Richardson's Canada Geese were amongst the Barnacle Geese. Pomarine Skuas and Little Auks were still moving off the east and south coast, with the odd individual making it to inland locations. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 13th November 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of an adult Red-breasted Goose with the wintering Barnacle Geese at Caerlaverock, Dumfries and Galloway. Elsewhere a
Long-billed Dowitcher was new at Seal Sands, Cleveland and a Great White Egret flew in off the sea at Waxham, Norfolk before being tracked northwest along the coast to Morston. Lingering rarities comprised of the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, a Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly, four Penduline Tits in Suffolk, White-billed Diver in West Sussex, Glossy Ibis in Somerset, Cattle Egret in County Wicklow, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus and single Lesser Scaups in both Berkshire and the Shetland Isles. On the Western Isles the juvenile grey morph Gyr remained east of Stornoway, Isle of Lewis but the possibility that is actually an escaped hybrid - perhaps with a parentage including Saker - may prove difficult to eliminate. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 12th November 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a party of three Penduline Tits
at Dingle Marshes, Suffolk. Otherwise, a brief Long-billed Dowitcher was seen at Bewl Water, East Sussex, a
Lesser Scaup was confirmed and a White-billed Diver discovered on Fetlar, Shetland Isles and the
Black Scoter returned to Llanfairfechan, Conwy for the tenth succesive winter. In West Sussex the White-billed Diver reappeared whilst other lingering rarities comprised the Gyr on the Western Isles, Glossy Ibis in Somerset, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Lesser Scaup in Berkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Cattle Egrets in County Wicklow and Dorset (2) and single Great White Egrets in County Londonderry, Hampshire and Lancashire. Displaced Little Auks continued to be seen with reports from 22 counties including site maximums of 2,580 in Aberdeenshire, 860 Orkney Islands, 222 North Yorkshire, 201 County Durham, 136 Norfolk, 109 Moray, 99 Northumberland, 72 East Yorkshire, 59 Lothian and 53 in Cleveland. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 11th November 2007 | ||
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| Today was all about Little Auks - lots of Little Auks!
Thousands swarmed past the east coast throughout the day, with a peak count of
28,803 past the Farne Islands, Northumberland. Lower numbers were seen off
western and southern coastlines, with a scattering of birds making landfall at
inland locations. Seawatchers also scored a White-billed Diver off
Boulmer, Northumberland, then off Cullernose Point before finally being seen
flying north past St Abb's Head, Borders. Other seawatching highlights included the
odd Leach's Petrel, Long-tailed Skua, Grey Phalaropes and
several Pomarine Skuas.
On Western Isles a grey morph juvenile Gyr was discovered near Stornoway, Lewis, and staying in Scotland, an adult Bonaparte's Gull was off Fishtown of Usan, presumably a bird returning to spend the winter on the Angus coastline. Elsewhere rarities included a Ross's Goose with Pink-footed Geese on Plex Moss, Lancashire, Glossy Ibises in Somerset and Merseyside, Lesser Scaups in Co Donegal, Berkshire and Somerset, American Buff-bellied Pipit and Long-billed Dowitcher at Ballycotton, Co Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon. In Oxfordshire, the adult Franklin's Gull roosted at Farmoor Reservoir for a second consecutive evening. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 10th November 2007 | ||
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| An adult Franklins Gull roosted on Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire this
evening. A juvenile Ivory Gull was seen briefly on the Howmore Estuary,
South Uist mid afternoon. A very late Arctic Warbler was on Unst, and a
Kentish Plover was briefly on South Uist. A Lesser Yellowlegs was
found late afternoon at Montrose Basin, Angus, and two White-billed Divers
were seen: one flying past Flamborough, and a presumed returning adult off
Kirkabister, mainland Shetland, with a drake King Eider nearby. As yesterday, large numbers of seabirds continued to be seen around the east coast, although not in the record numbers of Friday. Again, the best count of Little Auks came from the Farne Islands, Northumberland, with over 7,000 birds flying past there. Inland, several Pomarine Skuas were found on reservoirs, such as Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire. Lingering rarities included Glossy Ibis in Somerset, Lesser Scaup in Berkshire, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, three Cattle Egrets in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Pine Bunting on Fair Isle, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Great White Egrets in Norfolk and Lancashire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 9th November 2007 | ||
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| Nearly all the messages today involved seabirds, with the high winds and
strong tidal surge bringing record breaking numbers of Little Auks within
sight of nearly all the seawatching sites along the east coast, with a maximum
count of over 18,700 seen off the Farne Islands, Northumberland. Elsewhere,
5,381 flew past Whitburn Obs, County Durham, 3,400 were off St.Mary's Island,
Northumberland, 2,800 past Flamborough Head, Yorkshire and 1,100 flew past
Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire. Several birds were reported from inland Norfolk,
including birds on roads and in pub car parks as far from the coast as Norwich.
Large numbers of Pomarine Skuas were also seen, with Leach's Petrels,
European Storm Petrels and Grey Phalaropes also being blown on shore.
An adult White-billed Diver was found off Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire, by birders searching for Wednesdays Brunnich's Guillemot. Lingering rarities included Glossy Ibis in Somerset, White-rumped Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Great White Egret in Lancashire and Lesser Scaup in Berkshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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