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| Monday 29th June 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Bee-eater at Pott Row, Norfolk. A
Great White Egret was seen briefly at Reculver, Kent whilst another remained in Aberdeenshire, as did the
Little Bittern in Somerset and the Black Duck in Cornwall. Early autumn aggregations included 26 Spotted Redshanks together in Kent, 24 Green Sandpipers in London, 11 Spoonbills in Norfolk, 11 Wood Sandpipers in Lincolnshire and three Quail in Oxfordshire. Crossbills totaled 188 in seven counties including 110 in two flocks on the Orkney Isles. |
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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 28th June 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities proved to be the day's highlights comprising the territorial
Little Bittern still in Somerset, Black Duck in Cornwall, three Cattle Egrets together in County Cork and single
Great White Egrets recorded in each of Aberdeenshire, Derbyshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Scarcities included a Purple Heron again in Somerset, a Serin still in Dorset, Surf Scoter in Aberdeenshire and Marsh Warblers in Oxfordshire and the Shetland Isles. Species engaged in post-breeding influxes included Crossbill (303 recorded in six counties including 172 on the Orkney Isles and 117 on the Shetland Isles), Wood Sandpiper (21 in seven counties including eight in Lincolnshire) and Spotted Redshank (93 across seven counties including 33 in Suffolk at Minsmere and 30 in Kent at Elmley Marshes). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 27th June 2009 | ||
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| A quiet summer day was headlined by the lingering Little Bittern in
Somerset, as well as a brief Bee-eater in Suffolk and long-staying
Forster's Tern in Co Wexford. A Great White Egret was observed at
Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) and in south Lancashire a Black Kite
was reported at Altcar Withins.
In Oxfordshire the Marsh Warbler continued to sing at Otmoor RSPB, a Serin made an appearance on Portland Bill (Dorset), an Icterine Warbler was trapped in Kilnsea (East Yorkshire), two Surf Scoters reappeared off Blackdog (Aberdeenshire) and in Fife a Cory's Shearwater flew past Fife Ness. At least 26 Wood Sands were logged, included a party of at least eight at Manby Flashes, Lincolnshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 26th June 2009 | ||
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| In Co Wexford the Stilt Sandpiper and Forster's Tern were both
still at Tacumshin and in Somerset the Ferruginous Duck lingered at Chew
Valley Lake.
An intriguing report related to a possible Least Tern at Seaforth LWT (Merseyside), but only until midday. The bird, which has a grey rump and central tail, was first seen on 2nd June, but did not reappear at the well-watched site until today. The BOU currently consider Least Tern to be conspecific with Little Tern, but given that this form has only been identified once in Britain (the famous male that returned to Rye Harbour NR, East Sussex, from 1983-1992) then it will no doubt prove to be a popular attraction if it reappears and the identification is confirmed. Elsewhere the Marsh Warbler continued to sing at Otmoor RSPB (Oxfordshire). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 25th June 2009 | ||
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| The stunning adult Stilt Sandpiper in Co Wexford relocated to
Tacumshin this evening, where the adult Forster's Tern also remained.
In Somerset the male Little Bittern continued to sing at Walton Heath, a Black Kite was near St Buryan (Cornwall) and a Marsh Warbler remained in Oxfordshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 24th June 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the confirmation of the presence of a Stilt Sandpiper at The Cull, County Wexford for a second day. Lingering rarities confirmed as still being present today comprised the Lesser Scaup in the Shetland Isles at Loch of Benston and the Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset. Scarcities included a Red-breasted Flycatcher on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, and singing Marsh Warblers in Hertfordshire at Amwell and Oxfordshire at Otmoor, with another suspected on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 23rd June 2009 | ||
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| New arrivals today included a male Western Subalpine Warbler on Ramsey
Island, Pembrokeshire, a Black Kite over Crampmoor, Hampshire, and at
least one Bee-eater in Dorset, on Portland at 9.23am and at Durlston
Country Park at 4.10pm. Long staying rarities included the male Little
Bittern and drake Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.
Single male Marsh Warblers were present in Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Gwynedd and on Orkney, and a Pectoral Sandpiper was at Greatham Creek, Cleveland this evening. The rather unseasonal summer plumaged Snow Bunting reappeared at Cley, Norfolk. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 22nd June 2009 | ||
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| The only rarity reported in the country today was the male Little Bittern,
which continued to sing and show sporadically at Walton Heath, Somerset. Again,
there was no sign of the African Royal Tern in the Llandudno area, and no
sign on Anglesey in a very thorough search by Norfolk birders.
Scarcities included a male Red-spotted Bluethroat on the Isle of May, Fife, the Marsh Warbler in Hertfordshire, Woodchat Shrike in Glamorgan, Night Heron on the Isles of Scilly and a Red-necked Phalarope on the Western Isles. Two Common Cranes did a tour of the Midlands area, being seen in Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire, a Pomarine Skua was in Argyll and the family of Golden Orioles were still at the nest at Lakenheath Fen RSPB, Suffolk. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 21st June 2009 | ||
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| An Eastern Olivaceous Warbler was a rather unseasonal surprise on Fair
Isle today, although not unprecedented, with a previous June record on Fair Isle
and an early July record on Portland Bill in Dorset. In north Wales there were
one or two sightings of what was possibly the African Royal Tern at
Llandudno, although it did not give itself up to the crowds. In Yorkshire the
Spotted Sandpiper was present early morning at North Cave Wetlands but then
flew south and was not relocated. In Somerset the Little Bittern remained
at Walton Heath near Glastonbury.
In Suffolk a Woodchat Shrike was found at Orford during the afternoon and another popular bird was a Red-necked Phalarope which was found at Upton Warren in Worcestershire. The Marsh Warbler continued to sing at Amwell in Hertfordshire and both Marsh Warblers were still singing at Herrington Country Park in County Durham. Three Roseate Terns continued to show well at Minsmere RSPB in Suffolk and an early Great Shearwater flew past Carnsore Point in County Wexford. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 20th June 2009 | ||
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| Once again a quiet June day was shattered by the news of the re-appearance of
the African Royal Tern. This time it was fishing off the beach at
Llandudno in Conwy. Found at 2.30pm, it was present on and off to early evening
allowing a number of birders to connect with it, but it was not, however, seen
later in the evening.
A summer plumaged Spotted Sandpiper was an excellent find at North Cave Wetlands in East Yorkshire. Other new rarities included brief Great White Egrets near Cley in Norfolk and at Bangor in Gwynedd, and probable Black Kites over Kelling in Norfolk and Watford in Hertfordshire. The Little Bittern remained in Somerset and there were three Cattle Egrets near Youghal in County Waterford. The Woodchat Shrike remained on The Gower in Glamorgan. Two Marsh Warblers were at Herrington Country Park in County Durham, with singles on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd) and Amwell (Hertfordshire). Red-backed Shrikes were on the Isle of May (Fife) and near Brockholes Quarry (Lancashire), there was a Red-necked Phalarope at Titchfield Haven in Hampshire and a Serin was seen again at Portland in Dorset. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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