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| Monday 16th November 2009 | ||
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| Breaking news today concerned a King Eider in Moray at Burghead, a Long-billed Dowitcher in County Londonderry at Lough Beg and a
White-billed Diver in Bluemull Sound, Shetland Isles. Lingering rarities comprised the Brown Shrike still in Surrey, two Penduline Tits together in Kent, the Spotted Sandpiper in Essex, Wilson's Phalarope in Lothian, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Ferruginous Ducks in both Essex and Somerset, Cattle Egret in Dorset and Great White Egrets in Devon, Kent and Lancashire (2). Scarcities were represented by 61 Little Auks, 13 Shorelarks, seven Lapland Buntings, two Green-winged Teals and a single Serin (London), Bluethroat (County Cork), American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway), Sabine's Gull (Devon), Ring-billed Gull (County Dublin), Grey Phalarope (Cornwall), Black Brant (Dorset), Snow Goose and Great Grey Shrike (both Norfolk). Significant late news received for Sunday was of the continued presence of the juvenile Glaucous-winged Gull - or similar hybrid - in Drumcliff Bay, County Sligo - a potential first for Ireland. |
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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 15th November 2009 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today comprised a Spotted Sandpiper in Essex at Abberton Reservoir, two
Penduline Tits in Kent at Dungeness, a Cattle Egret in Dorset at Winkton and a
Ferruginous Duck in County Armagh at Craigavon. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Red-throated Pipit in County Cork, Wilson's Phalarope and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, American Golden Plover in County Down, Glossy Ibises in Kent (2), Somerset (3), and County Wexford, three Cattle Egrets together in Somerset and Great White Egrets in Devon, Kent, Lancashire (3), Norfolk and Suffolk. Scarcities included 25 Shorelarks, 18 Lapland Buntings, seven Caspian Gulls, four each of Great Grey Shrike, Little Auk and Black Brant, three each of both American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal, two Bluethroats, Richard's Pipits, Ring-billed Gulls, Balearic Shearwaters and Grey Phalaropes and a single Serin (London), Rose-coloured Starling (Oxfordshire), Surf Scoter (Fife), Snow Goose (Highland), Sabine's Gull (Isle of Scilly) and Yellow-browed Warbler (Kent). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 14th November 2009 | ||
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| Another Wilson's Phalarope was discovered late morning, this time in Lothian. It
remained at Musselburgh Lagoons all day, and proved popular with county listers,
being the first record for 22 years. A Lesser Scaup was present at
Loughea, County Galway.
Lingering rarities included the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Red-throated Pipit in County Cork, Richardson's Canada Goose in County Sligo, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian and American Golden Plover in County Down. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 13th November 2009 | ||
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| A Red-rumped Swallow was found on Holy Island, Northumberland early
afternoon, and lingered until late afternoon at least. A Long-billed
Dowitcher was seen in Port Carlisle harbour, Cumbria this afternoon, and a
Lesser Yellowlegs was seen at Bubwith Ings and Thorganby Ings, both
Yorkshire. A Great White Egret flew past Chalkwell, Essex, with other
birds remaining in Lancashire (3), Merseyside and Devon.
The Brown Shrike continued its stay in Surrey, the three Glossy Ibises were still in Somerset and another was still at Tacumshin, County Wexford. Scarcities included five Snow Geese, an American Wigeon, three Green-winged Teals, a Pomarine Skua, five Shorelarks, two Richard's Pipits (both at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire), two Bluethroats, a Great Grey Shrike and a Rose-coloured Starling. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 12th November 2009 | ||
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| With no new rarities discovered today, the headlines were left with the
Fan-tailed Warbler at Pegwell Bay, Kent, Brown Shrike at Staines
Moor, Surrey and the Wilson's Phalarope at Slimbridge WWT,
Gloucestershire.
Other long staying rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Glossy Ibises in Kent (2) and Somerset (3), single Cattle Egrets in Kent, Cornwall and Gloucestershire and Great White Egrets in Devon, Kent, Norfolk and Lancashire (2). In Perth and Kinross, the Bluethroat remained at Errol, although it is now proving very elusive. Another Bluethroat is still in County Cork, with other scarcity totals including six Snow Geese, two American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, 21 Shorelarks, Yellow-browed Warbler, three Great Grey Shrikes and a Rose-coloured Starling. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 11th November 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of two Penduline Tits in Gloucestershire at Slimbridge. In County Kerry a
Bonaparte's Gull was found at Tralee and in County Galway the Forster's Tern returned to winter at Nimmo's Pier. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Brown Shrike in Surrey, both Fan-tailed Warbler and Glossy Ibis in Kent, Baird's Sandpiper in Lothian, Wilson's Phalarope in Gloucestershire, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin, both American Golden Plover and White-rumped Sandpiper in Norfolk, Cattle Egret in Cornwall and Great White Egrets in Aberdeenshire, Devon, Kent, Lancashire, County Mayo, Norfolk (2) and Suffolk. Totals of scarcities included 25 Shorelarks, eight Lapland Buntings, four each of Little Auk and Caspian Gull, three each of Green-winged Teal and Great Grey Shrike, two Surf Scoters, Snow Geese, Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeons and Glaucuous Gulls and single Rose-coloured Starling (Oxfordshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Ring-billed Gull (Derbyshire) and Black Brant (Kent). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 10th November 2009 | ||
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| The long wait for Irish birders was finally over today, when the Ireland's
first Red-flanked Bluetail was discovered on Dursey Island, Co Cork. With
68 accepted records in Britain (by the end of 2008), this species has been
predicted to find its way onto the Irish list for some time.
Co Cork also hosted both Red-throated Pipit and Bluethroat. Back across the Irish Sea, long-stayers such as the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian were the headline birds. In Gloucestershire the Wilson's Phalarope remained at Slimbridge WWT, a Barred Warbler was discovered in Lincolnshire, the Rose-coloured Starling lingered in Oxfordshire, Yellow-browed Warblers were reported from Isles of Scilly, East Yorkshire, Western Isles and Cornwall (2), the Wryneck was still on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd) and in Perth & Kinross the Bluethroat was still on show at Errol. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 9th November 2009 | ||
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| A Dusky Warbler on St Mary's (Isles of Scilly) was today's best new
discovery, but headline lingering rarities comprised Fan-tailed Warbler
in Kent, Brown Shrike in Surrey, Wilson's Phalarope in
Gloucestershire, Baird's Sandpiper in Lothian and Dusky Warbler in
Suffolk. At least six Glossy Ibises, four Great White Egrets and a
Cattle Egret were recorded.
In Ireland both Red-throated Pipit and Bluethroat remained at Ballycotton (Co Cork). Rose-coloured Starlings were logged in Oxfordshire and Cornwall, the Bluethroat remained in Perth & Kinross and a Wryneck was trapped on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 8th November 2009 | ||
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| During a day of several false starts, real new rarities included a Red-rumped
Swallow at Udale Bay, Highland and a Red-throated Pipit at
Ballycotton, County Cork. New Great White Egrets were in
Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Lancashire. The Wilson's Phalarope
was seen a couple of times at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire, but only remained
on view for short periods. The Dusky Warbler in Suffolk was equally
difficult today, proving very elusive in the scrub north of Warrenhouse Wood.
Lingering rarities included the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Baird's Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Richardson's Canada Goose in County Sligo and single American Golden Plovers in Norfolk and County Down. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 7th November 2009 | ||
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| A Wilson's Phalarope at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire was a rather
surprising find, being just the third November record ever, with the only other
winter record being the Cleveland individual on 9th January 2005. A Baird's
Sandpiper in Lothian was slightly less unexpected, as were new Great
White Egrets in Devon and Suffolk.
Long staying rarities still present today included the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Oxfordshire, Dusky Warbler in Suffolk, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian. A Pallas's Warbler was on Harris, Western Isles and a Red-breasted Flycatcher was at Seaford Head, Sussex. Yesterday, a probable Taiga Flycatcher was seen near St Just, Cornwall, but there was no sign of it today, despite extensive searching. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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