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| Monday 20th April 2009 | ||
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| A Red-rumped Swallow on Shetland, Black Kite in Kent and
Alpine Swift on Isle of Wight were all new discoveries today. Lingering
rarities included the White-throated Sparrow in Hampshire, Lesser
Yellowlegs in Essex and Subalpine Warbler and Lesser Scaup in
East Yorkshire.
Scarcities comprised a Short-toed Lark on Isles of Scilly, Hoopoe in Norfolk, Pectoral Sandpipers in Leicestershire (2) and Western Isles and Purple Heron in Suffolk. Cattle Egrets remained in East Sussex, Devon and Cornwall and the Great White Egret lingered in Clyde. In Shetland the drake Wood Duck remained on Mainland. |
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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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| Sunday 19th April 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the White-throated Sparrow in Hampshire,
Snowy Owl in Cornwall, Subalpine Warbler in East Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Essex,
Lesser Scaup in East Yorkshire, two White-billed Divers together on the Western Isles and the Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Cattle Egret reports concerned three each in both County Cork and Cornwall and singles in Devon and East Sussex. Scarcities included two Kentish Plovers together in Cornwall, single Hoopoes in County Cork, Dorset and the Isle of Man, three each of Ring-necked Duck and Green-winged Teal, two Surf Scoters, a Rough-legged Buzzard in Cambridgeshire, American Wigeon in Aberdeenshire, Wryneck on the Orkney Isles, Pectoral Sandpiper on the Western Isles and a Great Grey Shrike in Gloucestershire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 18th April 2009 | ||
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| Three new Subalpine Warblers were found today, with birds at Spurn,
Yorkshire, Bardsey Island, Gwynedd and Great Saltee Island, County Wexford. Also
in County Wexford, a Bonaparte's Gull was seen at Tacumshin. Two Great
White Egrets were at Christchurch, Dorset, whilst another was at the Ouse
Washes, Cambridgeshire, and the long staying bird remained in Clyde.
In Hampshire, the White-throated Sparrow became more elusive at Old Winchester Hill. The Red-rumped Swallow in Wirral was seen at Leasowe this evening, and the Lesser Yellowlegs was seen again at Heybridge Basin, Essex. Other lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull in Oxfordshire, single Lesser Scaups in Forth and Glamorgan and lesser golden plover in Norfolk. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 17th April 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities included Red-rumped Swallow on the Wirral,
Bonaparte's Gull in Oxfordshire, American Golden Plover in Norfolk,
White-throated Sparrow in Hampshire, Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan
and East Yorkshire and on Shetland the drake Wood Duck was on Mainland
for its second day.
In Suffolk a Red-footed Falcon was reported between Great Ashfield and Norton, a Great White Egret was seen near Allhallows, Kent, and in Cheshire the Cattle Egret remained near Frodsham. Elsewhere a Wryneck was briefly at Blakeney, Norfolk, a Red-breasted Flycatcher was at Dungeness and a Kentish Plover visited Pegwell Bay, Kent and in Suffolk the Purple Heron was seen again near Shingle Street. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 16th April 2009 | ||
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| New rarities today included a Black Kite on the Isles of Scilly and a
Great White Egret in Suffolk, with another of the latter still in Clyde.
Lingering rarities included Red-rumped Swallow in Wirral, White-throated Sparrow in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Oxfordshire and lesser golden plover in Norfolk. The Lesser Scaup remained in County Down, and four Cattle Egrets were in County Cork. A drake Wood Duck was present on Shetland this afternoon. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 15th April 2009 | ||
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| The common hirundines continued to move north today, bringing with them three
Red-rumped Swallows, in Highland, Wirral and Norfolk, and a probable
Crag Martin at Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottinghamshire. An Alpine
Swift was seen briefly in Lancashire, a Subalpine Warbler was in
County Cork and single Black Kites were in East Sussex and on the
Staffordshire /Derbyshire border.
Lingering rarities included the White-throated Sparrow in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Oxfordshire, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, White-billed Divers in Highland and Orkney, and Lesser Scaups in East Yorkshire, Glamorgan and Forth. A probable Glaucous-winged Gull was reported from Dumfries and Galloway. The Great White Egret remained in Clyde and Cattle Egrets were still present in Cornwall, Devon and County Cork. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 14th April 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a male Lesser Scaup at Hornsea Mere, East Yorkshire. Elsewhere, brief encounters included a
Whiskered Tern in Essex at Hanningfield Reservoir, a Red-rumped Swallow in Worcestershire at Lower Bittell Reservoir, a
Black Kite in East Sussex over Seaford and a Great White Egret in London over Rainham Marshes. Lingering rarities comprised the White-throated Sparrow still in Hampshire, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Oxfordshire, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, two King Eiders in County Sligo, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Great White Egrets in both Ceredigion and Clyde and single Cattle Egrets in Cheshire, County Cork, Devon and Pembrokeshire. Scarcities included three Great Grey Shrikes, two Lesser Snow Geese together in Aberdeenshire, a Kentish Plover in Norfolk, Rough-legged Buzzard in Cambridgeshire, Ring-necked Duck in Dorset, Green-winged Teal in Leicestershire and a Surf Scoter on the Orkney Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 13th April 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the singing male
White-throated Sparrow at Old Winchester Hill, Hampshire. Elsewhere other
popular rarities included Red-rumped Swallow in Leicestershire and
American Golden Plover in Norfolk.
In Essex a Lesser Yellowlegs was discovered at Heybridge Basin and elsewhere a Black Kite flew over Stoke Newington, London, a Bonaparte's Gull reappeared at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire and Lesser Scaups remained in Nottinghamshire and Glamorgan. Seven White-billed Divers were located off Lewis, Western Isles, whilst a lone bird was discovered in Gruinard Bay, Highland. Great White Egrets were observed in Co Cork, Norfolk, Clyde, Ceredigion and Kent, 11 Cattle Egrets consisted of ten in Co Cork and a single bird in Pembrokeshire and on Western Isles a male Snowy Owl lingered on North Uist. In Co Cork a Gyr visited Lisgoold and in Co Clare the adult Long-billed Dowitcher returned to Shannon Airport Lagoon. The best of the rest included Little Bunting in East Sussex, White Stork on Isles of Scilly and Wryneck in Suffolk. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 12th April 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery in the evening of five White-billed Divers
together in Loch Ewe, Highland. Elsewhere, in Lincolnshire an Alpine Swift
paused briefly over Gibraltar Point, in Ireland a Subalpine Warbler was found at Carnsore Point, County Wexford and a
Lesser Scaup was at Bracklagh Lough, County Cavan. A Great White Egret was seen briefly in Dorset and single
Black Kites flew over both Kent and West Sussex during the afternoon. Lingering rarities comprised the White-throated Sparrow still in Hampshire, Red-rumped Swallow in Leicestershire, Forster's Tern in County Galway, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Clyde and Cattle Egrets in Cheshire, Cornwall (4), Devon and Dorset (2). Scarcities included five Ring-necked Ducks, four Great Grey Shrikes, three Surf Scoters, two each of both Lesser Snow Goose and Green-winged Teal and singles of Little Bunting, Kentish Plover, Hoopoe, Pectoral Sandpiper, Greenland Redpoll, Montagu's Harrier and White Stork. Belated news concerned a Great Spotted Cuckoo at Pentire Point East, Cornwall on 12th April - the fourth individual so far this spring, so equaling the previous best spring for this species (four between Devon, Kent and West Sussex during 23rd February-1st May 1990). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 11th April 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a White-throated Sparrow in Hampshire at Old Winchester Hill. Discovered by birders early this morning, it later transpired that it has been present at this site since 8th November 2008. This is only the fifth instance of this species wintering in the British Isles. Elsewhere, new rarities comprised a Bonaparte's Gull in Oxfordshire, Alpine Swifts in both Essex and West Sussex, a Red-rumped Swallow in Leicestershire, Subalpine Warblers on the Isle of Scilly and in Couunty Cork (2), White-billed Divers in Ayrshire and Highland (2) and single Great White Egrets in both Ceredigion and Norfolk. Lingering rarities included the Forster's Tern in County Galway, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, Great White Egret in Clyde, Hooded Merganser in Dorset and Cattle Egrets in Cheshire, Cornwall (3), Dorset (2) and Pembrokeshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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