 |
|
|
| Saturday 1st November 2008 | ||
|
||
| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of rarities along the east coast all the way from Kent to the Shetland Isles. Headline birds concerned single
Red-flanked Bluetails at Ramsgate, Kent and in Norfolk at Weybourne, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers were found in Cleveland on the Shetland Isles, a
Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk and Subalpine Warbler in East Yorkshire.
Siberian Stonechats were seen in Kent and East Yorkshire (2) with scarce passerines being represented by 19
Yellow-browed, eleven Pallas's and one Barred Warbler, four
Great Grey Shrikes, two each of Red-breasted Flycatcher, Common Rosefinch and
Lapland Bunting and single Little Bunting, Serin and Bluethroat. Elsewhere, an American Buff-bellied Pipit was found on the Western Isles, as were a Marbled Duck in Northamptonshire and a brief White-billed Diver in County Durham. The Green Heron lingered in Kent as did the Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly, Blyth's Reed Warbler in County Cork, Glossy Ibis in West Yorkshire, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, Cackling Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, King Eiders in Devon and the Shetland Isles, Lesser Scaups in Clyde and Nottinghamshire, Hooded Merganser in Fife, Ferruginous Duck in Buckinghamshire and single Great White Egrets in Essex and Greater Manchester. Fourteen Cattle Egrets were recorded; comprising six in Somerset, three in Lancashire, two in Cambridgeshire and singles in Cornwall, Dorset and Pembrokeshire. Waxwings continue to arrive with 599 logged from 16 counties including 220 in Highland, 93 in Lothian, 84 in Moray and 42 in Norfolk. |
||
| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
|
||
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.
|
|
|
| Friday 31st October 2008 | ||
|
||
| A Red-flanked Bluetail at Muckleburgh Hill and a Black-throated
Thrush near Holme, Norfolk were today's headline discoveries, but the
supporting cast was also impressive. Norfolk also produced an Olive-backed
Pipit (at Holme), ten Pallas's Warblers and the American Golden
Plover remained on East Harling Heath. In addition to the Norfolk birds a
further ten Pallas's Warblers were found on the English east coast.
In East Yorkshire a Subalpine Warbler was at Bempton Cliffs RSPB and a Red-breasted Flycatcher arrived at Flamborough Head. Two White-billed Divers were tracked up the Co Durham/ Northumberland coastline and another flew past Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire, a Blyth's Reed Warbler was located on Mizen Head, Co Cork and in Kent the Green Heron was still on show. The Waxwing invasion continued along the east coast (with a flock of 21 making it to Cumbria) and a Little Bunting was briefly at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire, as was a possible Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler. The Siberian Stonechat remained near St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent. On Isles of Scilly a second Grey-cheeked Thrush was discovered on St Mary's, a Red-throated Pipit flew over St Agnes (where a White-rumped Sandpiper was also seen) and the Snowy Owl remained on St Martin's. The Hooded Merganser was back at Tayport Pond, Fife - the bird is no longer believed to be an escape from Fife Animal Park. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Thursday 30th October 2008 | ||
|
||
| In North Yorkshire a drake Canvasback was discovered with a small
Pochard flock at Nosterfield this afternoon, where it showed until dusk.
Elsewhere other new rarities included an adult American Golden Plover in
Cambridgeshire and a Siberian Stonechat in Kent.
On Isles of Scilly both the Snowy Owl and Grey-cheeked Thrush were still available, as was a White-rumped Sandpiper. Lingering rarities located elsewhere included Green Heron in Kent, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, White-rumped Sandpiper on Western Isles, Lesser Scaup in Clyde and King Eider in Devon. The Hooded Merganser first seen at Tayport on 26th was seen again at the same site yesterday, before relocating to Gaddon Lochs NR today. However, this bird is now thought to have escaped from the adjacent Fife Wildlife Park. Some decent easterly weather resulted in the arrival of at least eleven Pallas's Warblers, along with a couple of Richard's Pipits. The Bluethroat remained at Land's End, the northern Scotland and Northern Isles Grey Phalarope wreck continued and Waxwings began to arrive, especially on Shetland. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Wednesday 29th October 2008 | ||
|
||
| Bird of the day was a Snowy Owl on Isles of Scilly, the fifth record
for the archipelago, and the first since 1972. Elsewhere on the islands the
Grey-cheeked Thrush remained, as did the Blyth's Reed Warbler and a
White-rumped Sandpiper. Nearby, the first Paddyfield Warbler for
Devon was trapped and ringed on Lundy.
In the Northern Isles, both King Eiders and White-billed Divers were found on Shetland, with large numbers of Grey Phalaropes still present, mainly on Orkney. A White-billed Diver was also seen in Yorkshire, whilst on the Western Isles a juvenile White-rumped Sandpiper was found on South Uist. A new American Golden Plover was found in Cambridgeshire, with yesterday's juvenile still present at East Harling, Norfolk. Lingering rarities included the Green Heron in Kent, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, Great White Egret in Greater Manchester, King Eider in Devon and Ferruginous Duck in Buckinghamshire. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Tuesday 28th October 2008 | ||
|
||
| A Red-flanked Bluetail on Isles of Scilly showed well intermittently
on St Mary's this afternoon - presumably this is the bird first seen on 21st
October. The Grey-cheeked Thrush, Blyth's Reed Warbler and
White-rumped Sandpiper also remained on the archipelago.
In Kent the Green Heron continued to show well in West Hythe and other lingering rarities included King Eider in Devon, Ross's Goose in Lancashire, Lesser Scaups in Nottinghamshire and Clyde (2), Black Duck in Co Kerry and Glossy Ibis in West Yorkshire. A juvenile American Golden Plover was located on East Harling Heath, Norfolk, the showy Bluethroat remained at Land's End, Cornwall, the Northern Isles Grey Phalarope wreck continued and the odd Waxwing trickled into the country via the east coast. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Monday 27th October 2008 | ||
|
||
| In Kent the showy first-winter Green Heron remained in West Hythe on
the Royal Military Canal. In Argyll a Black-browed Albatross flew past
Uisaed Point and a drake Lesser Scaup was at Holme Pierrepont GPs,
Nottinghamshire, for its second day. Other highlights included the Bluethroat
in Cornwall, at least three Serins at Rainham Marshes in London, a
Red-breasted Flycatcher in Kent and the Northern Isles Grey Phalarope
wreck continued unabated.
The Isles of Scilly continued to host at least one White-rumped Sandpiper, a Grey-cheeked Thrush, Blyth's Reed Warbler and a couple of Red-breasted Flycatchers. The bad news from Scilly concerned the reported Brown Shrike - it is in fact a Red-backed Shrike. In Ireland a juvenile Baird's Sandpiper was at Black Rock Strand, Co Kerry and an American Golden Plover was in Co Cork at Ballymacoda. Late news included a Pine Bunting in an Essex garden on Friday and a Hooded Merganser yesterday in Fife. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Sunday 26th October 2008 | ||
|
||
| Another exciting day was headlined by the identification of a first-winter
Brown Shrike on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly this evening. The bird was found
earlier in the day but just like the 2001 Scilly Brown Shrike, it was
initially identified as a Red-backed Shrike. A Grey-cheeked Thrush
and American Golden Plover were also discovered on St Mary's and the
Blyth's Reed Warbler was still on St Agnes.
In Kent the first-winter Green Heron showed well at West Hythe - the bird has probably been present since Thursday. Continuing the recent run of 'unconfirmed reports', a Northern Flicker was reported in New Milton, Hampshire today, but a vigil in the area throughout the afternoon failed to locate anything of interest. Other new discoveries included a White-rumped Sandpiper (and Pectoral Sandpiper) at Goldcliff Lagoons, Gwent, Great White Egret at Astley Green, Greater Manchester and Cattle Egret at Drift Reservoir, Cornwall. In Argyll an Islay goose-fest consisted of a Taverner's, Todd's and two Richardson's Canada Geese all with the Barnacle Geese. Lingering rarities included the adult Ross's Goose in Lancashire, two Lesser Scaups in Clyde, King Eider in Devon, Glossy Ibis in West Yorkshire and Great White Egrets in Suffolk and Hampshire. The best of the rest came in the form of four Serins at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, Bluethroat at Land's End Cornwall and a wreck of Grey Phalaropes in northern Scotland. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Saturday 25th October 2008 | ||
|
||
| A Green Heron was reported at West Hythe, Kent today - the bird was
seen at midday but the news was only released as the sun was setting this
evening. The other major heron news was negative - the Little Blue Heron
failed to make an appearance on the Gwendraeth Estuary, Carmarthenshire.
In Powys there were further unconfirmed reports of the probable 1st-winter male Siberian Thrush - a bird was reported on a couple of occasions in flight at Creation Gardens near Rhayader. Less controversial sightings today included White-rumped Sandpipers on Mainland Shetland, and Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Blyth's Reed Warbler on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, a couple of drake Lesser Scaups in Clyde, Ferruginous Ducks in Hertfordshire and Leicestershire, Cattle Egret in Dorset and Great White Egrets in Suffolk and Hampshire. A Bluethroat was discovered at Land's End, Cornwall, a Red-backed Shrike remained in Kent, a Richard's Pipit was on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, a Serin remained at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London and another flew over Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Friday 24th October 2008 | ||
|
||
| Following the first record of Little Blue Heron for Britain and
Ireland in County Galway earlier in the month, came surprising news today of
another (or possibly the same bird) at Kidwelly in South Wales. The bird was
seen on the Gwendraeth Estuary and later on the Coed Bach marshes, and it may
have been present in the area for up to two weeks. In Scilly a Wilson's Snipe
showed well at Porth Hellick Pool on St.Mary's.
A new White-rumped Sandpiper was found at the Mullet in County Mayo, with one to two birds remaining on Scilly. Also on Scilly were a Blyth's Reed Warbler along with various of the usual scarce migrants such as Yellow-browed Warblers, Common Rosefinches, Barred Warblers and Red-breasted Flycatchers. In Scotland, the two Lesser Scaups remained at Hogganfield Loch in Clyde and Ferruginous Ducks were still to be found in Hertfordshire and Somerset. A Great White Egret flew over the M60 in Greater Manchester and there was an unconfirmed report of a Siberian Thrush near Rhayader in Powys. |
||
| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Thursday 23rd October 2008 | ||
|
||
| A Rose-breasted Grosbeak was present for its second day on Loop Head,
Co Clare. However, like yesterday it was elusive, only showing for five minutes
in poor weather conditions.
New rarities discovered today included a Red-rumped Swallow that flew east at Warham Greens, Norfolk, a King Eider in Spey Bay, Moray and a brief White-rumped Sandpiper at Bogside Flats, Ayrshire. White-rumped Sandpipers lingered on both South Uist, Western Isles and Tresco, Isles of Scilly. The Olive-backed Pipit and Blyth's Reed Warbler both remained on show on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, Ferruginous Ducks were still in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, at least one Lesser Scaup lingered in Clyde and a Great White Egret was still at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk. Seven Yellow-browed Warblers, a Red-breasted Flycatcher and a Red-backed Shrike were also logged today. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||