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| Thursday 25th March 2010 | ||
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| A significant proportion of today's rarity news once again related to
Alpine Swifts - four were reported (at Marazion and Land's End in Cornwall
and Hunstanton and Cromer in Norfolk).
In Suffolk a drake Aythya closely resembling a Canvasback was discovered at Cavenham Pit. This is more than likely the same bird that was seen in Suffolk last year, thought by many to be a hybrid Canvasback x Pochard. In Glamorgan a Great Spotted Cuckoo was reported at Kenfig Pool NNR, a Red-rumped Swallow flew over Sennen Cove (Cornwall) and lingering rarities included Bufflehead (Dorset) and Little Bunting (Highland). Elsewhere a Hoopoe lingered in Dorset, American Wigeons remained in Dumfries & Galloway and Cumbria, the Purple Heron was still in Pembrokeshire and two each of Great White Egret and Cattle Egret were logged. |
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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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| Wednesday 24th March 2010 | ||
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| Three more Alpine Swifts were discovered today, with one briefly near
Upper Beading, West Sussex and two in Cornwall, at Penzance and St Just. Both
Norfolk birds were seen again, with one lingering over Hunstanton for much of
the day, and one leaving its roost at Cromer and flying east along the coast,
before being seen for an hour at Great Yarmouth.
Three Penduline Tits were seen at Dungeness RSPB, Kent, whilst lingering rarities included Bufflehead in Dorset, Little Bunting in Highland, King Eider in Moray and Lesser Scaup in Clyde. Scarcities included a Purple Heron, six Hoopoes, a Surf Scoter, three Ring-necked Ducks, two American Wigeons, three Green-winged Teals, six Snow Geese, six Great White Egrets, 14 Shorelarks, five Ring-billed Gulls, a Rough-legged Buzzard and a Great Grey Shrike. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 23rd March 2010 | ||
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| Alpine Swifts stole the headlines once again with seven birds today taking the potential total to as many as nineteen individuals in five days, although duplication is becoming increasingly likely. Other than two together briefly over Alnmouth, Northumberland all records today were of singles in East Anglia: in Essex at The Naze, in Suffolk at both Lakenheath and Lowestoft, and in Norfolk where individuals remained between Holkham and Hunstanton, and between Overstrand and West Runton into the evening. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Bufflehead in Dorset, the King Eider in Moray, Glossy Ibis in County Wexford, Lesser Scaup in Clyde, Little Bunting in Highland and Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll. Scarcities included seven Waxwings (Clyde), four each of Ring-billed Gull, Great Grey Shrike and Green-winged Teal, two each of Hoopoe (Dorset), Surf Scoter (Orkney Isles), Shorelark (Lothian), Great White Egret and Glaucous Gull and single Purple Heron (Pembrokeshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (Oxfordshire), American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk) and Black Brant (East Yorkshire). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 22nd March 2010 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the presence of seven Alpine Swifts: singles in Cornwall at Marazion, Devon at Exminster Marshes, Essex at Frinton-on-Sea, Norfolk at Winterton, London at Leyton Flats, County Louth at Drogheda and Somerset at Dunster Beach; although only the Cornish bird lingered. Although duplication is possible, perhaps 14
Alpine Swifts have been recorded across 12 counties over the last four days. Lingering rarities comprised the Bufflehead still in Dorset, the Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, King Eider in Moray, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Little Bunting in Highland. The best of the rest was a Purple Heron in Pembrokeshire, whilst other scarcities included 64 Waxwings across five counties, four Cattle Egrets, three each of Great White Egret and Great Grey Shrike, two each of Hoopoe, American Wigeon, Ring-billed Gull, Black Brant and Shorelark (Norfolk) and single Serin (East Sussex), Surf Scoter (Devon), Ring-necked Duck (Buckinghamshire), Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire), Iceland Gull (County Galway), Caspian Gull (Suffolk), Rough-legged Buzzard, Lapland Bunting and Glaucous Gull (all Norfolk). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 21st March 2010 | ||
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| Five new Alpine Swifts were discovered today, with birds in Dorset,
Cornwall (2), Sussex and Isle of Wight. A Black Kite was reported at
Fineshade Wood, Northamptonshire, and seven Penduline Tits were seen at
Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk. The drake Black Duck was seen again on Tresco,
Isles of Scilly.
Lingering rarities included the Bufflehead in Dorset, Glossy Ibises in County Wexford and Somerset (3), Little Bunting in Highland, two King Eiders in Moray, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Snowy Owl in Western Isles, single Lesser Scaups in Somerset, Glamorgan (2) and Clyde and Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 20th March 2010 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Pallid Swift at Cefn Sidan Sands, Carmarthenshire: only the third March record in the British Isles, and the earliest ever to arrive here by five days. Associated arrivals included an
Alpine Swift lingering in Berkshire near Wargrave, at least one Red-rumped Swallow between Marazion and Gwithian, Cornwall, and a
Little Bittern reported briefly at Easebourne, West Sussex. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Pacific Diver in County Clare, the Bufflehead in Dorset, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Penduline Tit in Suffolk, King Eider in Moray, Little Bunting in Highland, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll, three Glossy Ibises in Somerset, single Lesser Scaups in each of Clyde, Glamorgan and Somerset, Ferruginous Ducks in both County Armagh and Somerset and the Hooded Merganser still in Cleveland. Scarities included eight each of both Glaucous Gull and Waxwing, six Ring-billed Gulls, four Great White Egrets, three each of Cattle Egret and Green-winged Teal, two each of American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Great Grey Shrike and Iceland Gull and single Hoopoe (Dorset), Surf Scoter (Devon), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk) and Tundra Bean Goose (Aberdeenshire). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 19th March 2010 | ||
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| As the common Spring migrants continues to arrive in earnest, the first of
the regular Spring rarities concerned two Alpine Swifts, in Kent near
Broadstairs, and in Devon near Exeter.
Elsewhere, lingering rarities consisted of Bufflehead on The Fleet, Dorset, four Penduline Tits at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, Pacific Diver off Finavarra Point, County Clare, Forster's Tern on Claddagh Beach, County Galway, single Little Buntings in Dunnet, Highland and Polbathic, Cornwall, three Glossy Ibises at Shapwick Heath NNR, Somerset, single Ferruginous Ducks and Lesser Scaups at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset (with others of the latter in Glamorgan, Clyde and Cornwall) and two Richardson's Canada Geese on Islay, Argyll. New scarcities included a Dotterel on Tiree, Argyll and single Hoopoes remained in Devon and Dorset. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 18th March 2010 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a white morph Gyr discovered in Devon. First noted on Saunton Sands it was relocated at Horsey Island before it departed to the northwest. In Gloucestershire a
Black Kite flew over Severn Beach. Elsewhere, both the Pacific Diver and Pied-billed Grebe remained in County Clare, as did the Bufflehead in Dorset, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, King Eider in Moray, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, single Lesser Scaups in both Clyde and Cornwall and Little Buntings in both Cornwall and Highland. Two Hoopoes were seen in Dorset with late news for Wednesday concerning further singles in Cornwall, Devon and Pembrokeshire. Other scarcities included 20 Waxwings across four counties, four Glaucous Gulls, three each of Ring-necked Duck, Great White Egret and Great Grey Shrike, two each of American Wigeon and Cattle Egret (Cornwall) and single Surf Scoter (Orkney Isles), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk) and Green-winged Teal (County Clare). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 17th March 2010 | ||
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| A Hoopoe was discovered on Portland (Dorset) this morning.
Lingering rarities included four Penduline Tits at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk), Bufflehead on The Fleet (Dorset), Little Bunting at Dunnet (Highland), Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake (Somerset) and Lesser Scaups at Chew Valley Lake (Somerset), Dozmary Pool (Cornwall) and Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir (Glamorgan). In Ireland the Pacific Diver lingered in Co Clare. Elsewhere the best of the rest included American Wigeons in Lancashire and Dumfries & Galloway, Ring-necked Ducks in Waterford, West Yorkshire, and Buckinghamshire, Green-winged Teals in Dumfries & Galloway and Co Clare and Surf Scoter in Fife. Seven Great White Egrets, two Cattle Egrets and around 43 Waxwings were also logged. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 16th March 2010 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of four Penduline Tits together at Minsmere, Suffolk – making this fourth spring in a row that the species has been reported from this reserve. Another regular March occurrence is
White-billed Diver off the coast of northwest Scotland, such as one today at Melvaig, Highland. Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Pacific Diver still off County Clare, the Bufflehead in Dorset, Forster's Tern in County Galway, single Lesser Scaups in both Clyde and Cornwall, single Little Buntings in both Cornwall and Highland, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll and Hooded Merganser in Cleveland. Scarcities included 35 Waxwings across seven counties, seven Iceland Gulls, six Ring-billed Gulls, five Ring-necked Ducks, four Great Grey Shrikes, three Rough-legged Buzzards and two each of Surf Scoter, American Wigeon, Cattle Egret (Cornwall), Lapland Bunting (Lincolnshire) and Glaucous Gull and single Great White Egret (Nottinghamshire), Little Auk (Cumbria) and Caspian Gull (Essex). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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