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| Saturday 3rd December 2011 | ||
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| The highlight of the day the was the discovery of a Siberian Stonechat in Cleveland at Seaton
Carew; only the second to occur in the British Isles since it was split from
Stonechat as a distinct species. In Dorset both Blue-winged Teal and Ferruginous Duck were new
arrivals at Longham Lakes. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper together in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Scaup in Northumberland, Bufflehead in Cornwall, American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford, Least Sandpiper in County Kerry, Pallid Harrier and American Herring Gull in County Cork, Desert Wheatears in both East Yorkshire and Shropshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Penduline Tit in Kent, Red-breasted Geese in Devon and Essex, Spotted Sandpipers in Devon, Essex and County Meath, Glossy Ibis in Dorset and Essex, and Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starlings in both Dorset and Nottinghamshire, Bluethroat in County Waterford, Yellow-browed Warbler in Conwy, Surf Scoter in Cornwall and Snow Goose in County Donegal. A total of 77 Tundra Bean Geese were logged across 14 counties between the Shetland Isles, County Donegal, Shropshire and Kent. |
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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 2nd December 2011 | ||
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| Waders again provided the headlines - the Western Sandpiper (Norfolk),
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Somerset) and Greater Yellowlegs
(Northumberland) all lingered, along with two Long-billed Dowitchers in
Somerset and Spotted Sandpipers in Devon, Somerset and Essex (the latter
bird a new discovery).
The Desert Wheatears remained in East Yorkshire and Shropshire and the Glossy Ibises in Dorset and Essex, Dusky Warbler on Isles of Scilly, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll and Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire all lingered. The best of the rest included Cattle Egrets in Suffolk and Gloucestershire, Rose-coloured Starling in Dorset and Ring-necked Duck in Cornwall. In Ireland the American Herring Gull and House Crow (Co Cork) and Spotted Sandpiper (Co Meath) all lingered. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 1st December 2011 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was confirmation of the identity of the Western Sandpiper at Cley, Norfolk, where it was present for a fourth day. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Northern Waterthrush and two Dusky Warblers on the Isles of Scilly, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers together in Somerset, Least Sandpiper in County Kerry, American Herring Gull in County Cork, Red-breasted Goose in Essex, Desert Wheatears in both East Yorkshire and Shropshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in both Dorset and Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper in County Meath, Lesser Scaup in West Yorkshire, and Ferruginous Ducks in both County Armagh and Berkshire. Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler in Gwynedd, Rose-coloured Starling in Dorset, American Wigeons in both Devon and West Yorkshire, and Yellow-browed Warblers in Conwy, Norfolk and the Isles of Scilly (2). Thirty Tundra Bean Geese were logged, all but one being in central Scotland. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 30th November 2011 | ||
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| At Cley NWT (Norfolk) the peep initially identified as a Semipalmated
Sandpiper was still present, but it has been suggested that the bird could
in fact be a Western Sandpiper.
Elsewhere lingering waders included Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers in Somerset and Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Somerset. Lingering rarities also included Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Dorset and Shetland, Penduline Tit in Kent, Glossy Ibis in Dorset and Desert Wheatears in Shropshire and East Yorkshire. In Ireland the Spotted Sandpiper in Co Meath and American Herring Gull in Co Cork both lingered. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 29th November 2011 | ||
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| Lingering rare waders included the Greater Yellowlegs in
Northumberland, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Norfolk and Sharp-tailed
Sandpiper, two Long-billed Dowitchers and Spotted Sandpiper in
Somerset.
The Desert Wheatears in East Yorkshire and Shropshire were both still on show, the Red-breasted Goose remained in Devon, the Bufflehead was still in Cornwall and the Ferruginous Duck was seen again in Berkshire. In Ireland the Least Sandpiper in Co Kerry and American Herring Gull in Co Cork both lingered. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 28th November 2011 | ||
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| In Norfolk a Semipalmated Sandpiper was identified at Cley NWT, before
it was later seen at Blakeney Point. At Holme NOA at Hume's Yellow-browed
Warbler was trapped and ringed.
Lingering rare waders included Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland and Spotted Sandpipers in Somerset and Devon. The Bufflehead was still in Cornwall and the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Desert Wheatears in East Yorkshire and Shropshire, Blue-winged Teal on Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaup in Northumberland and Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire all lingered. In Ireland Spotted Sandpipers were in Co Waterford and Co Meath (with late news of another in Co Cork yesterday) and the American Herring Gull was still in Co Cork. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 27th November 2011 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of an American Herring Gull in County Cork at Baltimore. Other new arrivals included a
Blue-winged Teal on the Isles of Scilly on St Mary's, Spotted Sandpiper in County Waterford at Ballyduff,
American Golden Plover in County Londonderry at Myroe Levels, and a brief Bonaparte's Gull
in Aberdeenshire at Blackdog. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers in Somerset, Bufflehead in Cornwall, American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford, Least Sandpiper in County Kerry, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Desert Wheatears in both East Yorkshire and Shropshire, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, Penduline Tit in Kent, Blue-winged Teal in County Wexford, Spotted Sandpipers in both Devon and Somerset, Dusky Warbler on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaup in Northumberland, Glossy Ibises in Dorset and Suffolk, Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire, Ross's Geese in Norfolk and Northumberland (2), House Crow in County Cork and Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Staffordshire. Notable scarcities included Rose-coloured Starlings in both Dorset and Essex, two Richard's Pipits together in Gwynedd, a Yellow-browed Warbler in Norfolk, and a Great Shearwater passing County Kerry. A total of 384 Tundra Bean Geese were noted across sixteen counties between the Shetland Isles, Anglesey and Suffolk, with 110 in Lincolnshire alone. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 26th November 2011 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the Desert Wheatear in Shropshire. Found
yesterday on Titterstone Clee Hill, but reported as a possible Pied Wheatear,
the identification was quickly sorted out early morning and the bird
remained present all day. A Glossy Ibis at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk was the
only other new rarity.
The Greater Yellowlegs remained in Northumberland, as did the Bufflehead in Cornwall, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, two Long-billed Dowitchers and Spotted Sandpiper in Somerset, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Little Bunting in Sussex, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Desert Wheatear in Yorkshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin and Red-breasted Goose in Devon. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 25th November 2011 | ||
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| Today was the second day in a row that no new rarities were reported, and was
significantly quieter than the last few weeks. Rarity highlights included
the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper for its 8th day in Somerset, at Chew Valley
Lake, along with the two Long-billed Dowitchers and Spotted Sandpiper,
Bufflehead at Helston, Cornwall and Least Sandpiper at Black Rock
Strand, County Kerry
Other rarities seen were Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Wyke Regis, Dorset, Desert Wheatear at Bempton Cliffs RSPB, Yorkshire, Dusky Warbler on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, single Glossy Ibises in Dorset and Kent and single Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Dorset. Scarcities included a Night Heron in County Kerry, Hoopoe in County Louth, Rose-coloured Starlings in Dorset and Essex, American Wigeon in Devon and Yorkshire, Ring-necked Ducks in Cornwall and Somerset, Green-winged Teals in Northumberland and Dumfries and Galloway, Rough-legged Buzzards in Norfolk (2+), Cambridgeshire and Sussex and Yellow-browed Warblers in Norfolk and the Isles of Scilly (3). Also seven Grey Phalaropes, ten Great Grey Shrikes, 14 Taiga Bean Geese and at least 153 Tundra Bean Geese. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 24th November 2011 | ||
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| Rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Veery in Highland,
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers together in Somerset,
Greater Yellowlegs and two Ross's Geese in Northumberland, Wilson's Snipe
and two Dusky Warblers on the Isles of Scilly, Bufflehead in Cornwall,
American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler
in Dorset, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland, Penduline Tit and
Glossy Ibis in Kent, Spotted Sandpiper in Devon and the Azorean Yellow-legged
Gull, now in the West Midlands. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starlings in Anglesey and Dorset, Red-breasted Flycatcher on the Isles of Scilly, American Wigeons in Leicestershire and West Yorkshire, and Ring-necked Ducks in both Cornwall and Somerset. A total of 104 Tundra Bean Geese were reported across nine counties between the Shetland Isles and Essex, including 91 in Lincolnshire. Significant late news concerns two new Desert Wheatears: a female on 22nd November in County Waterford at Brownstown Head, and a male on 19th November at Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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