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| Monday 2nd February 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the white morph Gyr in Pembrokeshire, albeit briefly; it was seen flying over the Cleddau Estuary late morning. Lingering rarities comprised the Forster's Tern in County Galway, Hooded Merganser in Dorset and Cattle Egrets in County Cork (5), Devon (2) and the Isles of Scilly. Scarcities included the Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall, Surf Scoters in both Argyll and County Galway and single Ring-billed Gulls in Angus, Cornwall, Forth, Hampshire, London, County Sligo and County Wicklow. |
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| - Chris Batty, 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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| Sunday 1st February 2009 | ||
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| New rarities came in the form of a Coues's Arctic Redpoll at
Woodwalton Fen, Cambridgeshire, adult Bonaparte's Gull in Cobh, Co Cork
and a Baikal Teal (or perhaps a hybrid) briefly at Ditchford Gravel Pits,
Northamptonshire. Lingering rarities included the Penduline Tit in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk and Lesser Scaups in Nottinghamshire and Perth & Kinross. Two Great White Egrets remained in Cambridgeshire, a single bird was still in Warwickshire and up to 25 Cattle Egrets were logged in southwest England and the south coast of Ireland. Other notable sightings included a first-winter Sabine's Gull over Neilston, Clyde, Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall, Rough-legged Buzzard in Cambridgeshire, eight Green-winged Teals and three Ring-necked Ducks. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 31st January 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as present today comprised the Penduline Tit in Devon,
Forster's Tern in County Galway, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire,
Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, King Eider in Fife, Long-billed Dowitcher
in County Louth, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk,
Cackling Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Hooded Merganser in Dorset and
Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire (2) and Lincolnshire. Cattle Egret reports totaled 31 birds in six counties; eleven in Cornwall, seven in County Cork, six in Devon, four in County Waterford, two in Somerset and one on the Isles of Scilly. Scarcities included singles of Serin (Cheshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), Lesser Snow Goose (Argyll) and Lapland Bunting (Suffolk), three Ring-necked Ducks, four Rough-legged Buzzards, five Surf Scoters, six Black Brants, seven Great Grey Shrikes and nine Green-winged Teals. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 30th January 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities comprised the Penduline Tit in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, King Eider in Fife,
Cackling Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire (2), Suffolk and Warwickshire and
Cattle Egrets in County Cork (5), Cornwall (2), County Waterford (2) and the Isles of Scilly. Scarcities included the Rose-coloured Starling still in Cornwall, Lesser Snow Goose in Argyll, four each of Rough-legged Buzzard and Green-winged Teal and six Great Grey Shrikes. Scarce gulls were represented by 28 Iceland, 26 Glaucous, three Ring-billed, two Caspian and a single Kumlien's. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 29th January 2009 | ||
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| Suffolk continued to host both a Penduline Tit (at Lakenheath Fen
RSPB) and Lesser Yellowlegs (at Walberswick). Elsewhere rarity highlights
included eight Cattle Egrets in Cornwall, seven in Devon and a lone bird
on Isles Scilly, King Eider in Fife, Lesser Scaup in
Nottinghamshire and Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire and Somerset.
Rough-legged Buzzards were logged in Kent, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, the Rose-coloured Starling remained in Cornwall and Green-winged Teals were still in East Yorkshire and Ayrshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 28th January 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised single Penduline Tits in both Devon and Suffolk,
Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, King Eiders in County Sligo (2) and Fife,
Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire (2) and Somerset and the Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Cattle Egret reports totaled eleven birds in five counties; four in Cornwall, three in Devon, two in County Cork and singles in the Isles of Scilly and Somerset. Northern gulls were reported in reasonable numbers with 32 Glaucous Gulls - including 12 in Argyll - and 22 Iceland Gulls. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 27th January 2009 | ||
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| Highlights today include the continued presence of both Penduline Tits,
in Suffolk and Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk and Black-bellied
Dipper in Norfolk.
Single Great White Egrets were in Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Somerset, whilst Cattle Egrets were in County Waterford (4), County Cork (4), Devon (4), Somerset and on the Isles of Scilly. The two Lesser Scaups remained on Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross and the long staying Hooded Merganser was still in Dorset. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 26th January 2009 | ||
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| A male Penduline Tit was found at Lakenheath Fen RSPB, Suffolk early
afternoon, and is an addition to the superb list of rarities that this site has
hosted. Other finds today include two drake Lesser Scaup, on Loch Leven,
Perth and Kinross.
The other male Penduline Tit remained at Clennon Valley, Devon, with the other Lesser Scaup still at Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire. The Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Suffolk, as did Great White Egrets in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Somerset, and Cattle Egrets in Cornwall (6), Devon (5), County Cork (7), Somerset and on the Isles of Scilly. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 25th January 2009 | ||
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| Egrets once again formed the majority of the rarity news today, with a new
Great White Egret in Essex and a new Cattle Egret on the Isle of
Wight. Other Great White Egrets remained in Somerset, Lincolnshire,
Warwickshire and Cambridgeshire, with Cattle Egrets in Devon (5),
Cornwall (8) and on the Isles of Scilly.
The male Penduline Tit remained near Paignton, Devon, and the Black-bellied Dipper reappeared once again on the River Glaven at Letheringsett, Norfolk. Other lingering rarities included King Eider in Fife, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Ferruginous Duck in County Armagh and Lesser Scaups in Nottinghamshire and County Westmeath. A late report concerned a probable Pied-billed Grebe yesterday at Stodmarsh, Kent. It was looked for this morning, but there was no sign in atrocious weather conditions. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 24th January 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities included the the Penduline Tit in Devon, Lesser
Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Forster's Tern in Co Galway and Long-billed
Dowitcher in Co Louth. Up to 23 Cattle Egrets were logged along with
five Great White Egrets. Wintering wildfowl consisted of King Eider
in Fife, Hooded Merganser in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in
Nottinghamshire, Ferruginous Duck in Co Armagh, American Wigeon in
Berkshire, Ross's Goose in Norfolk and Red-breasted Goose in
Hampshire.
Elsewhere highlights included Night Heron in Kent, Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall and Snow Geese in Argyll, Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire. Three Green-winged Teals were reported, along with five Rough-legged Buzzards, six Great Grey Shrikes and three Ring-necked Ducks. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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