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| Tuesday 13th January 2009 | ||
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| New rarities today consisted of a female Blue-winged Teal, reported
from Alvecote Pools, Warwickshire, where it flew around Teal Pool early
afternoon but was unfortunately not relocated, a Ferruginous Duck was at
Oxford Island, County Armagh and a Great White Egret was seen from a
train near Westbury, Wiltshire.
Elsewhere, lingering rarities consisted of American Herring Gull at Bantry, County Cork, Snowy Owl near St Ives, Cornwall, two Penduline Tits at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, Red-breasted Goose at Keyhaven, Hampshire, King Eider at Earlsferry, Fife and single Lesser Scaups at Cardiff, Glamorgan and Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire. News regarding the female Steller's Eider, reported from Morfa Nefyn, Gwynedd on 4th January was negative, as the record has been found to be a hoax. |
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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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| Monday 12th January 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Snowy Owl in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire,
Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, King Eiders in Fife and County Sligo (2) and
Cattle Egrets in the Isles of Scilly, Devon (2) and County Cork (13). Scarcities included a Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall, Night Heron in Kent, Surf Scoter in Devon, Rough-legged Buzzards in Cambridgeshire and Cleveland, along with four Ring-billed Gulls, six Green-winged Teals and seven Ring-necked Ducks. Waxwing reports totaled 488 in 23 counties with maximums of 66 in Lothian, 58 in Leicestershire, 51 in West Yorkshire, 50 in County Antrim and 37 in Suffolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 11th January 2009 | ||
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| Find of the day was a Killdeer at Saddle Bow in Norfolk - the bird
frequented a ditch for around forty minutes early afternoon before flying off.
Elsewhere a drake King Eider was a superb discovery off Pett, East Sussex
and in London two Penduline Tits remained at Rainham Marshes RSPB.
Lingering wildfowl included the Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Ross's Goose in Norfolk, Ferruginous Duck in Lincolnshire, Hooded Merganser in Dorset, King Eider in Fife and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan. At least sixteen Cattle Egrets were logged, the majority in Co Cork and in Galway the American Herring Gull was still on show. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 10th January 2009 | ||
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| The Glaucous-winged Gull performed well again, spending most of the
morning on Saltholme Pool, Cleveland, although it was not seen in the afternoon.
Other lingering rarities included the Snowy Owl in Cornwall, two
Penduline Tits in London, King Eider in Fife, Red-breasted Goose
in Hampshire and Ferruginous Duck in Lincolnshire. A possible Wilson's
Snipe was on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly late morning.
Four Canada Geese forms were seen in Dumfries and Galloway, including Cackling, Richardson's and Taverner's. Cattle Egrets remained in Devon, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, County Waterford, County Cork and County Wexford, totalling at least 29 birds. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 9th January 2009 | ||
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| A male Pine Bunting was seen briefly in the Nanjizal Valley area of
Cornwall today, which may prove popular if relocated, as the Snowy Owl
remains nearby at Zennor. Five Cattle Egrets were also in the Nanjizal
area, with at least one on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, and nine are in County
Cork.
Another Snowy Owl was seen this morning, on Westray, Orkney. Also in Scotland, a new Lesser Scaup was found on Islay, Argyll, although there was no sign of the female Canvasback on the same island. Lingering rarities included the Glaucous-winged Gull, three King Eiders, two Penduline Tits, Ferruginous Duck and Red-breasted Goose. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 8th January 2009 | ||
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| The headline bird was once again the adult Glaucous-winged Gull in
Cleveland - it showed on and off throughout the day in the Dorman's Pool area.
On Islay, Argyll, the female Canvasback was again present on Loch Indaal
early in the morning.
Elsewhere Penduline Tits remained in London (2) and Devon, Great White Egrets were noted in Cambridgeshire and Somerset and Cattle Egrets were recorded in Co Cork (5), Cornwall (5), Devon and Isles of Scilly. Rare wildfowl came in the form of the Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and the pair of King Eiders in Sligo. In Co Galway the adult American Herring Gull was still in Galway Docks. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 7th January 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a female Canavasback on Islay, Argyll. First located amongst a flock of Scaup on Loch Indaal yesterday, the bird was not confidently identified until this morning, before it promptly disappeared. Other mega news concerned the continued presence of the Glaucous-winged Gull between Cowpen Bewley and Dorman's Pool, Cleveland and the, disappointing, continued absence of the Steller's Eider at Morfa Nefyn, Gwynedd. A Penduline Tit was a new arrival at Slapton Ley, Devon whilst lingering rarities were represented by the Snowy Owl in Cornwall, American Herring Gull in County Galway, two Penduline Tits in London, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Cattle Egret reports totaled seventeen birds in four counties comprising eight on County Cork, four in Devon, two on the Isles of Scilly and one in Hampshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 6th January 2009 | ||
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| The Glaucous-winged Gull made another appearance in Cleveland being seen intermittently throughout the day at Saltholme Pools and Dorman's Pool. Other lingering rarities confirmed as still present today included two Penduline Tits in London, American Herring Gull in County Cork, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan and Nottinghamshire, King Eiders in Fife and County Sligo (2), single Great White Egrets in Hampshire and Somerset, Ferruginous Duck in Lincolnshire, Cackling Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway and Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Cattle Egret reports totaled 27 birds in five counties comprising 12 in County Cork, nine in Cornwall, three in Devon, two on the Isles of Scilly and one in Hampshire. Significant late news concerned a female Steller's Eider present on the sea at Morfa Nefyn, Gwynedd on 3rd-4th January, unfortunately a later afternoon search today failed to located the bird. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 5th January 2009 | ||
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| A Ferruginous Duck at Whisby, Lincolnshire was a new discovery, as was a brief
Great White Egret in Norfolk at Welney. Lingering rarities included the Snowy Owl in Cornwall, Gyr on the Isles of Scilly, two Penduline Tits in London, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Louth, King Eiders in Fife and County Sligo (2), single Lesser Scaups in both Glamorgan and Nottinghamshire, Great White Egret in Hampshire and a Small Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway. Cattle Egret reports totalled 34 birds in six counties comprising 14 in Cornwall, 12 in County Cork, three in County Waterford, two each in both Devon and the Isles of Scilly and one in Essex. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 4th January 2009 | ||
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| In Cleveland the closure of Cowpen Bewley landfill site resulted in
significantly fewer gulls visiting the area and consequently the
Glaucous-winged Gull failed to make an appearance.
The Gyr reappeared on Isles of Scilly, back on St Mary's and in neighbouring Cornwall the Snowy Owl remained on show. Twenty one Cattle Egrets were logged, including birds in Essex and Cheshire, three King Eiders were still available (two in Co Sligo and one in Fife), Lesser Scaups remained in Nottinghamshire and Glamorgan and in Hampshire the Red-breasted Goose continued to frequent the Keyhaven area. A probable Gyr was noted over Yell, Shetland, the Ross's Goose was still in Norfolk, Caerlaverock WWT hosted an impressive selection of scarcities (the drake American Wigeon and both Cackling and Taverner's Canada Geese) but in Northamptonshire the adult drake Falcated Duck at Earls Barton was unfortunately seen to be sporting a yellow ring. The Angus Short-toed Lark continued to show well, as did the Kent Night Heron and the highest Waxwing counts included 107 in Longbenton, Northumberland, 80 in Newport, Gwent and counts of 70 in Darley Dale, Derbyshire and Bingley, West Yorkshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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