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| Sunday 29th November 2009 | ||
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| A second-winter Franklin's Gull flew south across the River Thames
viewed from Canvey Island (Essex) this morning, but sadly the bird was not
relocated. On Shetland a late Blyth's Reed Warbler was at Quendale,
Mainland and a Spotted Sandpiper was identified near Killearn (Forth),
having been found yesterday.
Lingering rarities included Brown Shrike (Surrey), Pacific Diver (Cornwall), Penduline Tit and two Glossy Ibises (Kent), Lesser Yellowlegs (Lothian) and Spotted Sandpipers remained in Devon, Hampshire and Essex. An incredible wreck of Leach's Petrels occurred along the English south coast, with a minimum of 1,446 birds recorded at 34 sites, mainly in Hampshire, Dorset and to a lesser extent, Devon and Cornwall. Peak counts included a minimum of 600 passing through Chesil Cove and at least 582 flying past Portland Bill, whilst smaller numbers were scattered along the coast and several individuals found their way to inland. In Ireland the American Herring Gull was still in Galway and an American Golden Plover lingered in Co Down. |
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| - Stuart Piner, 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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| Saturday 28th November 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities present today included Brown Shrike in Surrey,
Forster's Tern in County Galway, Penduline Tit and two Glossy
Ibises in Kent, single Spotted Sandpipers in Essex, Hampshire and
Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian and single Ferruginous Ducks
in County Down and Somerset. The Azorean Yellow-legged Gull reappeared at
Didcot, Oxfordshire late afternoon.
In Cornwall, there was no sign of the adult Pacific Diver on the Hayle Estuary, and there was no news on the Pacific Diver on the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 27th November 2009 | ||
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| Pacific Divers were once again the main focus of the day, with the two
adults lingering in Cornwall and Gloucestershire. The former remained on the
Hayle Estuary, whilst the latter was seen off Severn Beach late morning. A
Lesser Yellowlegs was seen in Yorkshire, perhaps being the same individual
that was seen on the 13th November. The adult also remained at Aberlady Bay,
Lothian.
In Surrey, the Brown Shrike was confirmed as still present, whilst other lingering rarities included single Spotted Sandpipers in Devon, Hampshire and Essex, Penduline Tit and two Glossy Ibises in Kent and single Ferruginous Ducks in Essex and Somerset. Belated news concerned a remarkable record of a Crested Lark in Wiltshire on the 15th and 16th November at a private site in the south of the county. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 26th November 2009 | ||
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| Rarities confirmed as present today comprised the Pacific Diver in Cornwall, the
Brown Shrike in Surrey, Penduline Tit in Kent, Wilson's Phalarope
and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Spotted Sandpipers in both Devon and Hampshire,
King Eider in Moray, Glossy Ibises in Somerset (3) and Kent (2),
Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, single Cattle Egrets in both Dorset and Kent and
Great White Egrets in Suffolk and Warwickshire. Scarcities included 15 Leach's Petrels across seven counties, 14 Balearic Shearwaters passing Cornwall, eight each of Grey Phalarope and Shorelark, three each of Ring-necked Duck and Sabine's Gull, two Serins (together in London) and singles of Surf Scoter (Glamorgan), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (Isles of Scilly), Green-winged Teal (Warwickshire), Ring-billed Gull (County Cork) and Lapland Bunting (East Yorkshire). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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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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| 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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