| Daily News Summaries | ||||
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This page gives you access to all of RBA's daily news summaries (since April 13, 2006), 10 days at a time. The most recent are shown, or you can select a specific date to show (along with the previous 10 days). Prior to April 13, 2006 you can find weekly reviews, located in articles. | |||
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| Thursday 30th April 2009 | ||
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| The continued presence, all day, of the Crested Lark at Dungeness,
Kent, meant that this once major blocker has finally fallen to the masses,
despite it being incredibly mobile. Also, present for its third day, the male
Collared Flycatcher continued to entertain on Portland, Dorset.
A Pallid Swift lingered in Merseyside, but a Red-rumped Swallow in Surrey was only very brief. Another Red-rumped Swallow in Fife was seen early morning and again from mid evening, but once again went missing throughout the day. Other rarities seen today included White-billed Diver on the Western Isles, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, single Great White Egrets in Powys and Aberdeenshire and the Hooded Merganser in Dorset. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 29th April 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Crested Lark at Dungeness, Kent. First head calling there on Sunday, the identification was not confirmed until this afternoon and, although present until late in the evening, it proved to be both mobile and elusive. The 21st British record and the first since 1996, it is the second to be found at Dungeness following one there on 28th September-1st October 1975. Rarities elsewhere were headlined by the Collared Flycatcher still in Dorset at Portland, Whiskered Tern in Cambridgeshire, Black Kite and Great White Egret on the Shetland Isles, White-billed Diver on the Western Isles, Red-rumped Swallows in County Durham, Fife and Suffolk, an Alpine Swift briefly in Cornwall and the Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Scarcities included Woodchat Shrikes in both Devon and Dorset, three Wrynecks and singles of Rough-legged Buzzard, Surf Scoter, Green-winged Teal, Grey Phalarope and Grey-headed Wagtail. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 28th April 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a male Collared Flycatcher in
Dorset at Southwell, Isle of Portland. Found in a garden late in the afternoon, disappointingly, the news was not broadcast until after dark. Other rarities comprised a Snowy Owl on the Orkney Isles, Whiskered Terns in both Cambridgeshire and Derbyshire, Black Kite on the Shetland Isles, Subalpine Warbler in Gwent, Red-throated Pipit in Northumberland, Red-rumped Swallows in County Durham, East Yorkshire (2) and Fife, White-billed Diver in Highland, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Ferruginous Ducks in Somerset and Suffolk. Scarcities included five Wrynecks, four Green-winged Teals, three Woodchat Shrikes, two each of Lesser Snow Goose, Ring-necked Duck and Surf Scoter and single Purple Heron, Serin, Temminck's Stint, Pectoral Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull and Grey-headed Wagtail. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 27th April 2009 | ||
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| Whiskered Terns continued to be popular, with new locations today
being Rutland Water, Leicestershire (3), and Paxton Pits NR, Cambridgeshire.
Two Red-rumped Swallows were in East Yorkshire, at Beverley and Atwick,
and another was at Rowlands Gill, County Durham. A Black Kite was seen
this evening on Shetland.
The Subalpine Warbler remained at Uskmouth, Gwent, although it seems to be getting more elusive by the day. The Lesser Scaup was seen in Glamorgan, as was the Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Cattle Egret in Lancashire. Purple Herons were seen in Norfolk and London, a Wryneck was in Suffolk and a Woodchat Shrike was in Devon. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 26th April 2009 | ||
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| Twelve Whiskered Terns were seen today. Eight were still at Willington
GPs, Derbyshire until mid morning, with one relocated nearby at Long Eaton GPs
late afternoon. Five were found in neighbouring Staffordshire, at Croxall Lakes
NR mid afternoon, another two were at Saltholme Pools RSPB, Cleveland and a
single bird was at Quoile Pondage, County Down. Red-rumped Swallows
continued to arrive, with one at Bockhill, Kent, and at least two in Yorkshire,
being seen at Flamborough, then Filey and finally two were over Spurn.
In Northumberland, a male Black-headed Wagtail was found on Holy Island, but the Norfolk bird had departed. At Gruinart RSPB, Islay, both Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs were seen, along with the drake Green-winged Teal. A male Subalpine Warbler was in Gwent, a Ferruginous Duck was in Somerset and a Great White Egret was in Norfolk. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 24th April 2009 | ||
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| An unprecedented arrival of Whiskered Terns into Derbyshire today. A
flock of 11 were found at Willington GPs at 12.45pm, remaining into the evening.
The previous largest group in Britain was the four in 2005 that were seen in
Yorkshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire, and there are six records of two birds.
An adult male Red-footed Falcon was watched for a few minutes over Kelling Heath, Norfolk, and an Alpine Swift was watched for a similar length of time over Meare Heath, Somerset. A Red-rumped Swallow was seen to fly south past both Horsey and Winterton, Norfolk, mid morning. Very few other rarities were seen today: the Ferruginous Duck remained at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, two Cattle Egrets were on Plex Moss, Lancashire, and another was near Land's End, Cornwall. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 23rd April 2009 | ||
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| A quiet day for rarities, with the only new bird being a Ferruginous Duck
at Stewartby Lake, Bedfordshire. Two new Cattle Egrets were seen in
Lancashire, which were present for their second day. Other Cattle Egrets were in
Cornwall and Devon.
On Shetland, the drake Wood Duck returned to the Loch of Brow, with the male Subalpine Warbler still nearby at Scatness. Further south, the Lesser Scaup was still in Glamorgan, Great White Egret in Somerset and Hooded Merganser in Dorset. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 22nd April 2009 | ||
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| The apparent Glaucous-winged Gull remained at Beddington sewage farm,
London.
A Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk was only the second reported in the county, and the country, this year. Another Subalpine Warbler was discovered, this time on Shetland, whilst Black Kites were over St Margaret's at Cliffe and Westenhanger, both Kent. The presumably returning Forster's Tern was found at Tacumshin, County Wexford, whilst a drake Blue-winged Teal was on Reddan's Lough, County Tipperary. In Essex, the Lesser Yellowlegs remained on the Blackwater Estuary, and Lesser Scaups were still in both Glamorgan and Yorkshire. Great White Egrets were in London and Essex, and a Cattle Egret was in Cornwall. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 21st April 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the identification of Britain's third Glaucous-winged
Gull, at Beddington, London. Present on a landfill site (that, remarkably, also hosted Britain's first
Glaucous-winged Gull, on 18th April 2007) during the afternoon, and thought to be a hybrid Glaucous Gull, the true identity was not suspected until photographs were posted on the internet during the evening. It now transpires that the same bird had earlier been present - but not identified - in Berkshire at Queen Mother Reservoir on 3rd February, 26th March and 20th April, in Buckinghamshire at Willen Lake on 8th and 9th March, in Bedfordshire at Stewartby Lake on 10th March and in London at Rainham Marshes on 12th and 16th-21st March. As, in it’s home range, Glaucous-winged Gull is prone to hybridising with other large gulls, proving that the parents of this bird were both pure Glaucous-winged Gulls may never be possible. Other rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs still in Essex, Taverner's Canada Goose again in Dumfries and Galloway, Cattle Egret in Devon and, in Hampshire, a Red-rumped Swallow was reported briefly near Andover. Scarcities included a Woodchat Shrike in County Waterford, Hoopoe in West Sussex, Temminck's Stint on the Isles of Scilly, Rough-legged Buzzard and Green-winged Teal in Norfolk, Ring-necked Duck in Highland, Ring-billed Gull in County Antrim, two Lesser Snow Geese together in Aberdeenshire and Pectoral Sandpipers in Gloucesterhire, Leicestershire (2) and West Sussex. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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