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| Wednesday 25th November 2009 | ||
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| The strong southwesterly winds continued and delivered an outstanding rarity in the form of a
White-bellied Storm Petrel or Black-bellied Storm Petrel in Gloucestershire. Present on the Severn Estuary off Severn Beach intermittently for over an hour in the early morning, over thirty birders watched this first for Britain before finally losing it from view. Seawatching elsewhere produced single Sabine's Gulls in Devon and the Isles of Scilly, 26 Balearic Shearwaters, a Pomarine Skua in Gloucestershire, seven Little Auks across six counties, 19 Grey Phalaropes across seven counties and 59 Leach's Petrels across nineteen counties, with additional Leach’s Petrels inland in both Cambridgeshire and Surrey. Otherwise, rarity news was headlined by the identification of single Spotted Sandpipers in both Devon at Topsham and in Hampshire at Mottisfont, whilst the lingering bird remained in Essex. The Brown Shrike was still in Surrey as were the Pacific Divers in both Cornwall and Gloucestershire, and the Great White Egret in Leicestershire. Scarcities comprised two each of Serin, Ring-necked Duck and Ring-billed Gull and single Surf Scoter (Glamorgan), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Snow Goose (Lothian), Lapland Bunting (Essex) and Green-winged Teal (Warwickshire). |
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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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| Tuesday 24th November 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was an unidentified frigatebird watched flying southwest over Huddersfield, West Yorkshire early in the morning. Other storm induced refugees included 20 Balearic Shearwaters off Dorset, at least fifteen
Leach's Petrels across seven counties, five Grey Phalaropes, two
Little Auks, a Pomarine Skua and single Sabine's Gulls in Anglesey, County Cork, County Waterford and the Isles of Scilly. Other rarities comprised the Pacific Diver still in Cornwall, the Brown Shrike still in Surrey, a Red-rumped Swallow in Borders, Wilson's Phalarope in Lothian, Spotted Sandpiper in Essex, King Eider in Moray, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Cattle Egret in Kent and single Great White Egrets in Kent, Lancashire and Norfolk. Significant scarcities comprised a Serin in London, Rose-coloured Starling in Pembrokeshire, Surf Scoter in Glamorgan, Snow Goose in Lothian, Red-necked Phalarope in Lincolnshire, Black Brant in Dorset, Lapland Bunting in Essex and Ring-necked Duck, Great Grey Shrike and Green-winged Teal all in Norfolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 23rd November 2009 | ||
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| The adult Pacific Diver lingered on the Hayle Estuary (Cornwall), whilst
the same county also produced a report of a probable Masked Booby past
Cape Cornwall.
Elsewhere lingering rarities included Red-rumped Swallow (Borders), Brown Shrike (Surrey), King Eider (Moray), two Glossy Ibises and a Cattle Egret (Kent) and Wilson's Phalarope and Lesser Yellowlegs (Lothian). Four Great White Egrets were also logged. Strong south-westerly winds displaced at least 43 Leach's Petrels, with up to six recorded at sites along the Severn Estuary. Seven Grey Phalaropes were also recorded. In Ireland the American Herring Gull remained at Nimmo's Pier. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 22nd November 2009 | ||
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| Pacific Divers again provided the main focus of the day; the adult
remained on the Hayle Estuary (Cornwall) and in Gloucestershire the adult seen
on the Severn Estuary earlier in the week resurfaced off Fretherne late in the
afternoon.
Elsewhere new discoveries included a Baird's Sandpiper at Belvide Reservoir (Staffordshire), Ferruginous Duck at Fen Drayton Lakes (Cambridgeshire) and Pallas's Warbler at Pitsford Reservoir (Northamptonshire). Lingering rarities comprised Brown Shrike in Surrey, King Eider in Moray, Wilson's Phalarope and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Spotted Sandpiper in Essex and Red-rumped Swallow in Borders. Two Glossy Ibises remained in Kent and three Great White and two Cattle Egrets were also logged. Ireland produced Long-billed Dowitcher in Co Antrim, Bonaparte's Gull in Co Cork and Lesser Yellowlegs in Co Waterford. The best of the rest included two Serins in London, Surf Scoter in Glamorgan, Red-necked Phalarope and Ring-necked Duck in Lincolnshire and Rose-coloured Starlings in Oxfordshire and Pembrokeshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 21st November 2009 | ||
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| The adult Pacific Diver remained on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall, where
it showed well at times. Elsewhere lingering rarities included Brown Shrike
(Surrey), Wilson's Phalarope (Lothian), Spotted Sandpiper (Essex)
and King Eider (Moray).
In Ireland Red-throated Pipit and Bluethroat (Co Cork), Lesser Yellowlegs (Co Waterford), American Herring Gull (Co Galway) and Ferruginous Duck (Co Down) were all recorded. Six Great White Egrets, five Glossy Ibises and four Cattle Egrets were logged. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 20th November 2009 | ||
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| In Cornwall the Pacific Diver remained on the Hayle Estuary but there
was no sign of the Pacific Diver seen yesterday in Gloucestershire.
Lingering rarities included Wilson's Phalarope (Lothian), Brown Shrike (Surrey), Red-rumped Swallow (Borders), Spotted Sandpiper (Essex) and Ferruginous Duck (Somerset). In Ireland an American Herring Gull was discovered in Co Kerry, the Glaucous-winged Gull (or hybrid) lingered in Co Sligo and in Co Waterford the Lesser Yellowlegs was still on show. Glossy Ibises were recorded in Kent and Worcestershire, Cattle Egrets were seen in Kent and Gwynedd and Great White Egrets were in Kent, Devon, Warwickshire, Moray and Dorset. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 19th November 2009 | ||
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| Two adult Pacific Divers were identified today. One was on the Carnsew
Basin on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall, whilst another was on the Severn Estuary
in Gloucestershire. Unfortunately, both birds' identities were only confirmed
after they had departed, although the Gloucestershire bird was also present
yesterday (identified as a Black-throated Diver, which would have been the first
record for the county since 1979).
In County Galway the adult American Herring Gull returned to Nimmo's Pier, whilst a Great White Egret was found at Wormleighton Reservoir, Warwickshire late afternoon. Lingering rarities included the Brown Shrike for its 40th day, Red-rumped Swallow in Borders, three Penduline Tits, two Glossy Ibises, a Cattle Egret and a Great White Egret at Dungeness, Kent, King Eider and Great White Egret in Moray, (the latter being joined by a Rose-coloured Starling), Wilson's Phalarope and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian and Spotted Sandpiper in Essex. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 18th November 2009 | ||
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| A Red-rumped Swallow at Eyemouth, Borders was the only new rarity
discovered today. A Great White Egret in Moray was reported for the first
time, despite being present for six days, and a third Penduline Tit was
seen at Dungeness RSPB, after first being seen on Monday.
Lingering rarities included the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Spotted Sandpiper in Essex, Wilson's Phalarope in Lothian, King Eider in Moray, two Glossy Ibises in Kent, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in County Waterford and Lothian and a Great White Egret in Kent. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 17th November 2009 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today were a Lesser Yellowlegs in County Waterford at The Cunnigar and a
Great White Egret at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire. The Glaucous-winged Gull or similar hybrid remained in County Sligo as did the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Red-throated Pipit in County Cork, Spotted Sandpiper in Essex, Wilson's Phalarope and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, King Eider in Moray, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Glossy Ibises in Kent (2) and Somerset (3) and Great White Egrets in Aberdeenshire, Devon and Kent. Scarcities included nine Shorelarks, four Black Brants, three each of Green-winged Teal, Lapland Bunting and Little Auk, two each of Yellow-browed Warbler, Ring-billed Gull, Caspian Gull and Waxwing and single Serin (London), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Lesser Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire) and Great Grey Shrike (Powys). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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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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