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| Tuesday 9th March 2010 | ||
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| An adult Bonaparte's Gull was discovered in Highland, at the River
Thurso mouth late morning, with another still lingering in Glamorgan. In Dorset,
the adult drake Bufflehead was still on The Fleet near Langton Herring,
whilst in County Limerick the Pied-billed Grebe remained on Lough Gur.
Wintering rarities seen today included the Little Bunting in Highland and
single Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan and Clyde.
Scarcities logged today included a Cattle Egret, a Great White Egret, nine Spoonbills, six Black Brants, five Snow Geese, four Surf Scoters, two American Wigeons, four Ring-necked Ducks, three Ring-billed Gulls, six Caspian Gulls, six Glaucous Gulls, an Iceland Gull, two Rough-legged Buzzards, 29 Waxwings, two Shorelarks and two Great Grey Shrikes. |
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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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| Monday 8th March 2010 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Bufflehead on The Fleet, Dorset. Elsewhere in Britain the
Bonaparte's Gull and a Lesser Scaup showed again in Glamorgan, as did the
Long-billed Dowitcher in Lancashire, a King Eider in Moray, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and
Little Bunting in Highland. In Ireland both the Pacific Diver and
Pied-billed Grebe remained in County Clare, as did the Black Duck in County Mayo,
Ferruginous Duck in Co Armagh and two Richardson's Canada Geese were noted together in County Sligo. Scarcities recorded around the British Isles today included 29 Waxwings across four counties, 11 Shorelarks (Norfolk), five Great Grey Shrikes, four each of Surf Scoter, Ring-necked Duck, Ring-billed Gull and Glaucous Gull, three each of Black Brant and Tundra Bean Goose (Lancashire) and single American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Cattle Egret (Somerset), Great White Egret (Lancashire) and Caspian Gull (Kent). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 7th March 2010 | ||
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| All of the rarities discovered today are actually quite likely to be birds returning to favoured old haunts: the
Bonaparte's Gull in Cardiff, Glamorgan had been present there on 8th-30th March 2009, a
Long-billed Dowitcher at Banks Marsh, Lancashire was where up to two were seen on 12th-31st October 2009, and a
Lesser Scaup arrived at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset - where one had been noted on 7th April-1st May 2008. The continued presence of the Bufflehead in Dorset headlined the cast of lingering rarities, supported by both Pacific Diver and Pied-billed Grebe in County Clare, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Black Kite in Powys, three Glossy Ibises together in Somerset, single Lesser Scaups in both Cornwall and Glamorgan and Little Buntings in Cornwall and Highland. Scarcities included 23 Waxwings across five counties, 14 Shorelarks (Norfolk), nine Ring-billed Gulls, seven Great Grey Shrikes, five each of Surf Scoter and Little Auk (together off Northumberland), four each of Ring-necked Duck and Great White Egret, three Glaucous Gulls, two each of Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Cattle Egret and Tundra Bean Goose (Lancashire) and single American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway), Green-winged Teal (County Waterford), Lapland Bunting (Lincolnshire) and Caspian Gull (Oxfordshire). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 6th March 2010 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of the first Bufflehead for Dorset, and what will probably prove to be the first acceptable individual in England since 2004. First seen briefly offshore from West Bexington, the identity of this adult male was only confirmed at dusk when it was relocated on The Fleet at Abbotsbury. In Ireland the Pacific Diver and Forster's Tern both showed again in County Galway, as did the Pied-billed Grebe in County Limerick whilst another Pied-billed Grebe was present for a second day at Lough Atedaun, County Clare. The Glossy Ibis remained in County Wexford as did the Richardson's Canada Goose in County Sligo. Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Black Duck still in Cornwall, single Lesser Scaups in both Clyde and Cornwall and Little Buntings in both Cornwall and Highland. Around the British Isles scarcities included 40 Waxwings across seven counties, seven each of Ring-billed Gull and Shorelark, five Ring-necked Ducks, four each of Cattle Egret (all Cornwall), Great White Egret and Black Brant, three each of Great Grey Shrike and Tundra Bean Goose, two each of Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Lapland Bunting (Lincolnshire) and Iceland Gull and single Surf Scoter (Devon), American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway), Snow Goose (Forth) and Green-winged Teal (County Wexford). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 5th March 2010 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the white morph Gyr on Tresco, Isles of Scilly. In County Tipperary a Long-billed Dowitcher was a new discovery at Ashton's Callows, whilst rarities elsewhere comprised the Black Kite still in Powys, three Glossy Ibises together in Somerset, single Little Buntings in both Cornwall and Highland and Lesser Scaups in Clyde, Cornwall and Glamorgan (2). Scarcities included 27 Waxwings scattered across five counties, 18 Tundra Bean Geese, nine Shorelarks, six Ring-billed Gulls, five each of Ring-necked Duck and Iceland Gull, three each of Great Grey Shrike and Glaucous Gull, two each of Great White Egret and Green-winged Teal and single Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk) and American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway). Spring migrants included a Little Ringed Plover in Devon, Garganey in Cheshire and Kent and Wheatears in Ceredigion (2), Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 4th March 2010 | ||
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| In County Galway, the wintering adult Pacific Diver was relocated off
Doorus Pier, near Kinvara, where it was showing well mid afternoon but could not
be found later. Nearby, the Forster's Tern remained at Claddagh Beach,
and the Pied-billed Grebe was still on Lough Gur, County Limerick. The
American Eider was seen in County Donegal again yesterday.
In Britain, wintering rarities consisted only of single Little Buntings in Cornwall and Highland and single Lesser Scaups in Cornwall, Glamorgan and Clyde. A Red-breasted Goose was seen on Gifford Marsh, Essex, consorting with a small number of Canada Geese. Scarcities logged today included two Great Grey Shrikes, four Rough-legged Buzzards, nine Shorelarks, three Lapland Buntings, a Cattle Egret, three Great White Egrets, two Snow Geese, two Black Brants, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, three Ring-necked Ducks, two Ring-billed Gulls, five Iceland Gulls, three Glaucous Gulls, nine Spoonbills and 76 Waxwings. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 3rd March 2010 | ||
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| Lingering rarities seen today included Pied-billed Grebe in County
Limerick, Glossy Ibis in County Wexford, Lesser Scaup in Clyde and
single Little Buntings in Highland and Cornwall.
Early migrants today included a Sand Martin in Wiltshire, Wheatear in Cornwall, Manx Shearwater in Highland, Garganey in Hampshire, Kent and Cheshire (three), Little Ringed Plover in Devon and three White Wagtails in Cornwall. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 2nd March 2010 | ||
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| The Pied-billed Grebe (Co Limerick), Little Buntings (Cornwall
and Highland), Lesser Scaups (Clyde and Cornwall), Bonaparte's Gull
(Anglesey), Black Kite (Powys) and American Golden Plover
(Lincolnshire) were all confirmed as still being present today.
The first summer migrants have started to trickle into the country over the last few days, including an Osprey in Wiltshire, Garganey in Kent, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire and Little Ringed Plovers in Nottinghamshire and Wirral. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 1st March 2010 | ||
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| The Pied-billed Grebe remained at Lough Gur (Co Limerick) whilst
elsewhere in Ireland the Black Duck lingered in Co Mayo.
In Britain rarities included American Golden Plover in Lincolnshire, Little Buntings in Highland and Cornwall, Black Duck in Cornwall, Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan, Clyde and Cornwall, Black Kite in Powys, King Eider in Moray and Glossy Ibises in Somerset. On Anglesey the adult Bonaparte's Gull reappeared at Traeth Lligwy. In Essex a Pallas's Warbler was reported in Braintree, the Rose-coloured Starling was still present in Cumbria and in Dumfries and Galloway the American Wigeon continued to show well at Caerlaverock WWT. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 28th February 2010 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Pied-billed Grebe in County Mayo,
Black-throated Thrush in North Yorkshire, Red-breasted Goose in Devon,
Glossy Ibis in County Wexford, single Black Ducks in both Cornwall and County Mayo, two
King Eiders together in Moray, Little Buntings in both Cornwall and Highland and
Lesser Scaups in Clyde, Cornwall and Glamorgan (2). Scarcities included 36 Waxwings across 10 counties, six Green-winged Teals, five Tundra Bean Geese, four each of Ring-necked Duck, Ring-billed Gull and Glaucous Gull, three each of Cattle Egret, Black Brant, Iceland Gull and Caspian Gull, two Great Grey Shrikes and a single Surf Scoter (Devon), American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway) and Great White Egret (Glamorgan). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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