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| Friday 28th August 2009 | ||
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| The third American Black Tern C. n. surinamensis for
Britain was identified today, joining a White-winged Black Tern and three
Black Terns at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire, where it showed until
8.20pm at least. Other new rarities included an Aquatic Warbler in Powys,
trapped and ringed at Llangorse Lake, a Citrine Wagtail briefly at Loch
of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire, a Blue-winged Teal in Hampshire, a
Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk and a Great White Egret at Spurn, East
Yorkshire.
Seawatching was the main feature of the day, however, with excellent north-westerly winds bringing large numbers of seabirds to the west coast. Pendeen Watch, Cornwall, scored with Little Shearwater, a possible Yelkouan Shearwater, two Wilson's Petrels, two Cory's Shearwaters, nine Great Shearwaters, a Red-necked Phalarope, seven Sabine's Gulls, 91 Balearic Shearwaters and a Long-tailed Skua amongst the many highlights. The Bridges of Ross, County Clare, had just one Wilson's Petrel, but also had 56 Sabine's Gulls, 40 Grey Phalaropes, 12 Leach's Petrels and a Long-tailed Skua, amongst others. |
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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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| Thursday 27th August 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of two juvenile White-winged Black Terns on the English east coast in the evening; at Hornsea Mere, East Yorkshire and at Woodhorn, Northumberland. Lingering rarities included the
Wilson's Phalarope back in Lancashire, Lesser Yellowlegs still in both Lothian and the Isles of Scilly,
Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Cattle Egret in Hampshire and single
Great White Egrets in each of East Yorkshire, Kent and Somerset. Scarcities included five Wrynecks, four Barred Warblers, three Pectoral Sandpipers, two each of Icterine Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Spotted Crake and Ring-billed Gull, along with a brief Kentish Plover in Kent, Red-necked Phalarope in Hampshire, Ring-necked Duck in Staffordshire and White Stork on the Isle of Man. Notable seabirds comprised a Great Shearwater passing Cornwall, two Leach's Petrels off County Clare, three Grey Phalaropes, ten Sabine's Gulls recorded from five counties and 65 Balearic Shearwaters between County Clare, Cornwall and County Durham. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 26th August 2009 | ||
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| Rarities today comprised the Wilson's Phalarope still in Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs on the Isles of Scilly,
Greenish Warbler on the Shetland Isles, a brief Red-footed Falcon and a
Great White Egret in Kent, both the Ferruginous Duck and Great White Egret still in Somerset, a
Cattle Egret in Hampshire and a Great White Egret in East Yorkshire. Scarcities included four Spotted Crakes, two each of Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck and Pectoral Sandpiper as well as a Red-necked Phalarope in Hampshire, Ring-necked Duck in Staffordshire and and Icterine Warbler on the Shetland Isles. Seabirds were headlined by Wilson's Petrels off both County Clare and County Galway (2), three Cory's Shearwaters, a Long-tailed Skua, six Leach's Petrels, 89 Balearic Shearwaters spread over six counties and 16 Sabine's Gulls across seven counties; including three inland in Worcestershire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 25th August 2009 | ||
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| More Wilson's Petrels were again discovered in Irish waters today; one passing the Bridges of Ross, County Clare and three recorded offshore over the Porcupine Bank. Other rarities recorded today comprised the
Semipalmated Sandpiper still in Northumberland, Lesser Yellowlegs on the Isles of Scilly,
Red-footed Falcon in Norfolk, Ferruginous Duck in Fife, single Great White Egrets in both Kent and Somerset and a
Hooded Merganser in Cleveland. Scarcities included four Spotted Crakes, three Pectoral Sandpipers, two each of Red-backed Shrike and Ring-necked Duck as well as a Hoopoe in Kent, Temminck's Stint in East Sussex, Red-necked Phalarope in Hampshire, Sabine's Gull in Worcestershire, Barred Warbler and Icterine Warbler on the Shetland Isles and what was believed to be an Ortolan Bunting in Suffolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 24th August 2009 | ||
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| Headline discoveries today comprised an Alpine Swift in Devon and
White-winged Black Terns in Kent and Isle of Wight (2). The Wilson's
Phalarope previously at Martin Mere WWT (Lancashire) relocated to nearby
Marshside RSPB (Merseyside) and lingering goodies included Citrine Wagtail
in Cleveland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian and Isles of Scilly,
Semipalmated Sandpiper in Northumberland, Ferruginous Duck in Fife,
Cattle Egret in Hampshire, Great White Egrets in Powys, Kent,
Somerset and Hampshire and Red-footed Falcon in Norfolk.
An Ortolan Bunting on Farne Islands caused great excitement this afternoon when it was misidentified as a Yellow-breasted Bunting. Other scarcities included Red-backed Shrike in Norfolk, Icterine Warblers in East Yorkshire and Shetland, Spotted Crakes in Hampshire, Cornwall and Kent, Barred Warbler on Orkney, Pectoral Sandpipers in Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Shetland, Ring-necked Duck in Staffordshire and a drake Surf Scoter in Moray. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 23rd August 2009 | ||
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| A juvenile Citrine Wagtail at Saltholme Pools RSPB (Cleveland) was
today's star discovery. Elsewhere new rarities comprised a White-winged Black
Tern in Kent and a Great Reed Warbler on Isles of Scilly (where the
Lesser Yellowlegs also remained and at least 8 Wilson's Petrels
were logged from a pelagic).
Lingering rarities included Semipalmated Sandpiper in Northumberland, Wilson's Phalarope in Lancashire, Ferruginous Duck in Fife, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Cattle Egret in Hampshire and Great White Egrets in Kent, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire (2). Intriguing reports came in the form of a possible Bridled Tern south past Spurn, East Yorkshire and a possible Little Whimbrel seen in a high tide Curlew roost in Gwent; the previous two Little Whimbrels were found on 30th August (Glamorgan, 1982) and on 24th August (Norfolk, 1985), so the date and location would certainly be appropriate. Late news from yesterday involved a Fea's Petrel seen from a pelagic in Lyme Bay, Dorset. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 22nd August 2009 | ||
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| Two Aquatic Warblers were trapped and ringed this morning, one at
Titchfield Haven NNR (Hampshire) and the other at Newport Wetlands (Gwent). A
Caspian Tern visited the Swords Estuary (Co Dublin) and lingering rarities
included Wilson's Phalarope in Lancashire, Red-footed Falcon in
Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian and Isles of Scilly, Ferruginous
Duck in Fife and Snowy Owl in Co Mayo. A Cattle Egret remained
in Hampshire and four Great White Egrets were logged, including two
together in Cambridgeshire.
Scarcities comprised Pectoral Sandpipers in Shetland, Co Wexford, Co Derry and Northamptonshire, a brace of Spotted Crakes in Kent and another in South Yorkshire, Ring-necked Ducks in Staffordshire and Fife, Sabine's Gull in Worcestershire, Ortolan Bunting in Devon, three Icterine Warblers and a Common Rosefinch on Shetland, Melodious Warbler in East Sussex, Wryneck on Isles of Scilly, Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Co Wexford and Ring-billed Gull in London. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 21st August 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the arrival of a Wilson's Phalarope at Martin Mere, Lancashire. Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the
Semipalmated Sandpiper still in Northumberland, a Cattle Egret in Hampshire,
Lesser Yellowlegs in both Lothian and the Isles of Scilly and single Great White
Egrets in Kent, Somerset and Suffolk. West coast seawatchers enjoyed another good day with pride of place taken by two Wilson's Petrels passing Pendeen Watch, Cornwall. Supporting cast included Cory's Shearwaters from County Cork and County Galway, Great Shearwaters off County Clare, County Cork, County Mayo (9), Cornwall (5) and the Isles of Scilly, 47 Balearic Shearwaters recorded in six counties and sixteen Sabine's Gulls and a Long-tailed Skua passing the Bridges of Ross, County Clare. Terrestrial scarcities included a Melodious Warbler in Gwynedd, Icterine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Buff-breasted Sandpiper in County Wexford, Sabine's Gull and Wryneck in Worcestershire and Spotted Crakes in both Kent and South Yorkshire (2). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 20th August 2009 | ||
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| Seawatching provided the days highlights with a Little Shearwater and five
Wilson's Petrels passing the Bridges of Ross, County Clare, and a Wilson's Petrel - along with what was most probably a
Madeiran Petrel - seen from Pendeen Watch, Cornwall. Supporting cast to
the rarities included nine Cory's Shearwaters (including six off Cornwall), nine
Great Shearwaters (including four off Cornwall), ten Long-tailed Skuas (all off County Clare, twenty
Sabine's Gulls (nineteen off County Clare), Leach's Petrel and a total of 29
Balearic Shearwaters seen from seven counties. Other rarities comprised the Snowy Owl still in County Mayo, single Semipalmated Sandpipers in both Northumberland and the Western Isles, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian and the Isles of Scilly and Great White Egrets still in both Kent and Somerset. Notable scarcities included a Melodious Warbler in Gwynedd, a Sabine's Gull in Worcestershire, Spotted Crakes in both Kent and South Yorkshire and Common Rosefinch and Pectoral Sandpiper together on the Shetland Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 19th August 2009 | ||
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| The re-identification of the Little Stint at Cresswell Pond NWT,
Northumberland, today resulted in a county tick for many, as it is only the
second Semipalmated Sandpiper for the county. The adult bird continued to
show very well all day, although it was initially very mobile between the pond
and the beach.
The record Wilson's Petrel year continued, with at least five, possibly seven, off the Bridges of Ross, County Clare. Lingering rarities included the Greenish Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs on the Isles of Scilly, Ferruginous Duck in Fife, Great White Egrets in Kent, Somerset and Cambridgeshire and a new Cattle Egret was discovered at Keyhaven, Hampshire. An Ortolan Bunting was seen briefly in Essex. Scarcities today included Spotted Crake, Icterine Warbler and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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