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| Saturday 17th July 2010 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Spotted Sandpiper in Somerset at Dunster. Elsewhere, a
Baird's Sandpiper was reported in County Donegal at Blanket Nook, whilst brief encounters included a
Caspian Tern in Suffolk, an Alpine Swift in Northamptonshire and a
Black Kite in Cheshire. Off the Isles of Scilly two Wilson's Petrels were seen from an evening pelagic. Lingering rarities comprised the White-tailed Plover in Kent, Franklin's Gull in Staffordshire, Terek Sandpiper in County Kerry, Little Bittern in Somerset, King Eider in North Yorkshire, Laughing Gull in County Antrim and Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, where the Baltic Gull showed again. Scarcities included three each of Pectoral Sandpiper and Great White Egret, two each of Purple Heron and Caspian Gull and single Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Norfolk), Ring-necked Duck (Fife) and Cory's Shearwater (East Yorkshire). |
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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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| Friday 16th July 2010 | ||
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| Lingering rarities comprised the White-tailed Plover at Dungeness RSPB
(Kent), King Eider at Filey (North Yorkshire), Franklin's Gull at
Chasewater (Staffordshire), Little Bittern at Walton Head (Somerset),
Terek Sandpiper at Blennerville (Co Kerry) and Laughing Gull at
Ballycastle (Co Antrim).
Elsewhere, yet another possible Yelkouan Shearwater was observed from a Cornish headland (Bass Point), the Buff-breasted Sandpiper was still in Norfolk, the Great White Egret and Purple Heron were both still at Dungeness (Kent), a Surf Scoter lingered off Blackdog (Aberdeenshire) and two drake Ring-necked Ducks remained in Fife. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 15th July 2010 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Franklin's Gull this evening at Chasewater, Staffordshire - only the second record for the county. In Devon an Alpine Swift flew over Berry Head, whilst elsewhere lingering rarities comprised the White-tailed Plover still in Kent, Terek Sandpiper in County Kerry, Little Bittern in Somerset, King Eider in North Yorkshire, Laughing Gull in County Antrim and Glossy Ibis in County Wexford. The territorial River Warbler remained in an area with no general access at Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe, Norfolk (with another viewing session planned for Saturday 17th July between 5am and 8am only). Scarcities included both Buff-breasted and Pectoral Sandpipers in Norfolk, Purple Heron in Kent, Common Rosefinch in Fife, at least 67 Balearic Shearwaters along the coast between Cornwall and Kent, and a Long-tailed Skua off Devon. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 14th July 2010 | ||
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| Kent once again stole the limelight today, with Dungeness RSPB retaining the
White-tailed Plover, Purple Heron and Great White Egret,
whilst the male Iberian Chiffchaff was heard again at Walderslade.
Other lingering rarities included King Eider in Yorkshire, Little Bittern in Somerset and Laughing Gull in County Antrim. Probable Yelkouan Shearwaters were seen off Sennen Cove and Porthgwarra, Cornwall, and a possible Baltic Gull was at Blythburgh, Suffolk. A belated report concerned a probable Sooty Tern yesterday on Westray, Orkney. Scarcity highlights included Wryneck, Kentish Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper all in Norfolk. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 13th July 2010 | ||
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| In Kent, Dungeness continued to host the White-tailed Plover, Great
White Egret and Purple Herons. The female Little Bittern was
seen again at Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset, whilst the first-summer drake King
Eider remained off Filey Brigg, North Yorkshire.
In Ireland, the adult Semipalmated Sandpiper moved to Tacumshin, County Wexford, whilst the adult Terek Sandpiper remained at Blennerville, County Kerry, as did the second-summer Laughing Gull at Ballycastle, County Antrim. Scarcity highlights included Buff-breasted and Pectoral Sandpipers in Norfolk, Glaucous Gull in Yorkshire and good numbers of Spoonbills in several counties. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 12th July 2010 | ||
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| Dungeness RSPB was today's site of the day - the White-tailed Plover,
Great White Egret and Purple Herons all remained on show.
Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised Terek Sandpiper in Co Kerry, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Co Wexford, Laughing Gull in Co Antrim, King Eider in North Yorkshire, Little Bittern in Somerset and House Finch in Devon. In Suffolk a Black Kite flew over Lavenham. The best of the rest included Buff-breasted and Pectoral Sandpipers in Norfolk and Pectoral Sandpiper in Fife. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 11th July 2010 | ||
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| Another day, another White-tailed Plover Mega Alert - this time the
wandering Vanellus had relocated to Dungeness RSPB (Kent), 156 miles
east-southeast of Slimbridge WWT, where it was last reported at 1550 yesterday.
Elsewhere an Alpine Swift flew south over Spurn (East Yorkshire) whilst Ireland produced both a Semipalmated Sandpiper (at Ring Marsh, Co Wexford) and Terek Sandpiper (at Blennerville, Co Kerry). In Pembrokeshire a Fea's Petrel was seen at sea between Ramsey and Grassholm Islands this evening. Lingering rarities included the immature drake King Eider at Filey (North Yorkshire), Gull-billed Tern on the Exe Estuary (Devon), Little Bittern at Walton Heath (Somerset), Laughing Gull in Co Antrim and in Norfolk the River Warbler showed well during the final organised viewing at the site with no general access at Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe. Dick Filby's task of organising the River Warbler twitch relied heavily on the enthusiastic support of the landowners and the volunteers without whom this twitch would not have happened. He extends heartfelt thanks to all involved. Titchwell continued to host both Buff-breasted and Pectoral Sandpipers. In Ayrshire a possible Bulwer's Petrel was reported flying south past Turnberry Point early this afternoon. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Dick Filby, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 10th July 2010 | ||
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| Birders migrated to Southwest England today, primarily to twitch the
White-tailed Plover at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) but also to collect
the supporting cast of Little Bitterns in Somerset (at Walton Heath) and
Gull-billed Tern in Devon (on the Exe/Clyst Estuaries).
In Norfolk the River Warbler showed during the early morning and late evening, the King Eider lingered off Filey (North Yorkshire), a 2nd-summer Laughing Gull was still in Co Antrim and the Ferruginous Duck remained at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk). In Norfolk a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper were both at Titchwell RSPB, another Pectoral Sandpiper lingered in Fife and in Cornwall a probable Yelkouan Shearwater flew past Porthgwarra. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 9th July 2010 | ||
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| A White-tailed Plover arrived at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) this
morning, where it showed into the evening - this is almost certainly the same
bird that was at Rainham Marshes RSPB on Wednesday, but despite this, the
Seaforth LWT record earlier this year and the 2007 Dumfries & Galloway/Lancashire
bird, White-tailed Plover still remains a pulse-raising Mega.
Elsewhere the River Warbler remained in Norfolk - to listen to a sound recording of the bird click here. Elsewhere the Gull-billed Tern lingered in Devon, a Laughing Gull was still in Co Antrim, a King Eider was seen off Filey Brigg (North Yorkshire - apparently the bird that flew past Flamborough Head on 2nd July) and the Little Bittern was still in Somerset. The Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Norfolk, Great White Egret and Purple Herons in Kent, Great White Egret in Somerset and Pectoral Sandpiper in Fife all lingered. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 8th July 2010 | ||
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| Unfortunately yesterday's White-tailed Plover was not seen at Rainham
Marshes in London today, and the only new rarity reported was a Black Stork
over Capel St.Mary in south Suffolk this afternoon. In Norfolk, Dick Filby and the Allens were very pleased that all their organisational efforts were handsomely rewarded when the assembled crowd at the
River Warbler got great scope views early
morning. Elsewhere, the Laughing Gull was again at Ballycastle in
County Antrim, whilst, in Devon both the House Finch and the
Gull-billed Tern continued to be seen, as did the Little Bittern in
Somerset.
Dungeness in Kent played host to a Great White Egret as well as the two breeding Purple Herons. Another Great White Egret was in County Cork. A female Dotterel remained at Crimdon in County Durham and the Buff-breasted Sandpiper continued to be elusive at Titchwell in Norfolk. A Pectoral Sandpiper was at Rossie Bog in Fife and there were 10 Spoonbills together at Cley in the evening. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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