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| Sunday 21st December 2008 | ||
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| A juvenile Snowy Owl in Cornwall, discovered near Zennor this
afternoon is presumably the same bird that frequented the Isles of Scilly from
29th October until at least 6th December. In Wiltshire a drake Lesser Scaup
returned to Stourhead NT and elsewhere rarities included Red-breasted Goose
and Great White Egret in Hampshire, two Cattle Egrets in
Pembrokeshire and in Co Cork, Lesser Scaups in Clyde and Nottinghamshire
and Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk.
The Richard's Pipit remained at Parkgate, Cheshire, a Yellow-browed Warbler was still at Fareham, Hampshire, the Night Heron was still in West Hythe, Kent and Rough-legged Buzzards were seen again in Kent, Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire. |
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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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| Saturday 20th December 2008 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised two Penduline Tits in London,
Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Richardson's Canada Goose on the Western Isles,
Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk, Cattle Egrets in both County Cork (2) and Pembrokeshire, single
Great White Egrets in both Hampshire and Somerset and Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Scarcities included Night Heron in Kent, American Wigeon in Berkshire, Richard's Pipit in Cheshire, Surf Scoter in Devon, Yellow-browed Warblers in Cornwall and Hampshire, Rough-legged Buzzards in Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire and Ring-necked Ducks in Ayrshire and Norfolk. Waxwing reports totaled 1,180 birds in 31 counties including maximums of 319 in West Yorkshire, 125 in South Yorkshire, 121 in County Durham, 88 in North Yorkshire and 79 in Clyde. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 19th December 2008 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today included the American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Londonderry, two
Penduline Tits in London, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire,
Hooded Merganser in Dorset, Cattle Egrets in both Cornwall and Pembrokeshire and single
Great White Egrets in both Hampshire and Somerset. Popular scarcities included the Night Heron in Kent, American Wigeon in Berkshire, Rough-legged Buzzard in Cambridgeshire, Yellow-browed Warbler in Hampshire, Ring-necked Ducks in Ayrshire and Hampshire and confiding Ring-billed Gulls in Angus, Glamorgan and London. Waxwing reports totaled 1,171 in 25 counties with maximums of 455 in West Yorkshire, 162 in Clyde, 120 in Lothian, 81 in Ayrshire and 50 in County Durham. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 18th December 2008 | ||
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| An American Golden Plover on Unst, Shetland, was today's top new discovery and
the Gyr in Cornwall relocated to the Marazion area, where it showed on
and off all afternoon. Lingering rarities included the Spotted Sandpiper
at Tittesworth Reservoir, Staffordshire, Lesser Scaup at Hogganfield
Loch, Clyde, Lesser Yellowlegs at Southwold, Suffolk and Cattle Egret
at West Angle Bay, Pembrokeshire.
Elsewhere a Serin was in Glandford, Norfolk, the Yellow-browed Warbler in Hampshire and Night Heron in Kent both remained in situ and a Green-winged Teal appeared at Blacktoft Sands RSPB, East Yorkshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 17th December 2008 | ||
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| A quiet day, with the highlight being a tantalisingly brief sighting of the
white morph Gyr Falcon in Cornwall, which flew south over Aire Point
towards Sennen Cove mid morning.
Other rarities seen today include the Spotted Sandpiper at Tittesworth Reservoir, Staffordshire, Red-breasted Goose at Normandy Marsh, Hampshire, Lesser Scaup at Hogganfield Loch, Clyde, (with a Lesser Scaup or hybrid still at Coton Lakes, Warwickshire), and single Cattle Egrets in Oxfordshire and Pembrokeshire. Scarcities include Night Heron in Kent, Yellow-browed Warbler in Hampshire, Surf Scoters in Devon and Argyll, Ring-necked Ducks in Dorset, Hampshire and Argyll, Great Grey Shrikes in Yorkshire and Cornwall and a Shorelark on Shetland. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 16th December 2008 | ||
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| Today's headlines were provided by birds from the north. The white morph
Gyr Falcon was seen again briefly in the Land's End area of Cornwall,
although fog hampered viewing for much of the day. Unfortunately, at the other
end of the country, there was no sign of the Ivory Gull on Fetlar in the
Shetlands. The only new rarity found today was a Cattle Egret near St.
Ives in Cornwall.
Long staying rarities included the Spotted Sandpiper at Tittesworth Reservoir in Staffordshire and Lesser Scaups in Warwickshire, Clyde and Nottinghamshire. A Richard's Pipit was found at Neston in Cheshire and the Night Heron remained at Hythe in Kent. The drake American Wigeon could still be found in Berkshire and Waxwings remained a prominent feature in the northern counties. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Monday 15th December 2008 | ||
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| The main discovery today was of a white morph Gyr Falcon, which was in
the Land's End /Sennen area, Cornwall all afternoon, although it was very
mobile. This could well be the bird that was on the Isles of Scilly until 5 days
ago.
Other rarities seen today include the Ivory Gull on Fetlar, Shetland, American Buff-bellied Pipit at Mullagh, County Derry, Spotted Sandpiper at Tittesworth Reservoir, Staffordshire, single Lesser Scaups in Warwickshire and Clyde, and single Cattle Egrets in Oxfordshire and Pembrokeshire. Scarcities include Yellow-browed Warbler in Hampshire, American Wigeon in Berkshire, Ring-necked Duck in Ayrshire, Green-winged Teal in Angus, Great Grey Shrike in Wrexham and Rough-legged Buzzards in Kent and North Yorkshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 14th December 2008 | ||
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| The second Ivory Gull of the winter was found today, again on
Shetland, on the beach at Oddsta, Fetlar. Also in Scotland, the wintering
Long-billed Dowitcher was seen again on South Uist, Western Isles, and one
was still at Dundalk Docks, County Louth. Further south, a Ferruginous Duck
was found at Wroxham Broad, Norfolk, with the long staying bird still at
Cosmeston Lakes, Glamorgan.
Other lingering rarities included American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Derry, Spotted Sandpiper in Staffordshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, White-billed Diver in Orkney, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, single Cattle Egrets in Pembrokeshire and Oxfordshire, Great White Egret in Hampshire and single Lesser Scaups in County Down and Nottinghamshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 13th December 2008 | ||
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| American species' stole the limelight somewhat, with the American
Buff-bellied Pipit at Mullagh, County Antrim, American Herring Gull
at Galway, County Galway, Spotted Sandpiper at Tittesworth Reservoir,
Staffordshire, Lesser Yellowlegs at Southwold, Suffolk and single Lesser Scaups
in Clyde, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire.
Other rarities included King Eider in County Mayo, Great White Egret in Hampshire and Cattle Egrets in Pembrokeshire and County Cork. Scarcities included Night Heron in Kent, Yellow-browed Warbler in Hampshire, Ring-necked Ducks in Hampshire, County Cork (two) and Ayrshire, single Great Grey Shrikes in Somerset and Dorset, Green-winged Teals in Forth and Moray (two) and a Balearic Shearwater flew past Berry Head, Brixham, Devon. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 12th December 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was an American Buff-bellied Pipit at Lough Beg, County Londonderry. First seen yesterday, the identity was confirmed today as the first record of this species for Northern Ireland. In Warwickshire the identity of a female
Lesser Scaup at Lea Marston was clinched, following a three week gestation. Lingering rarities confirmed as present today included King Eider in County Mayo, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Hooded Merganser in Dorset and single Cattle Egrets in both Oxfordshire and Pembrokeshire. Wintering scarcities reported today included three each of Rough-legged Buzzard and Ring-billed Gull, two Black Brants and singles of Night Heron, Snow Goose, Ring-necked Duck, Great Grey Shrike, Yellow-browed Warbler and Lapland Bunting. Waxwings totaled 1,051 birds in nineteen counties including maximums of 325 in Ayrshire, 223 in Lothian, 104 in West Yorkshire and 100 in Cleveland. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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