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| Saturday 23rd March 2013 | ||
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| Despite the atrocious cold conditions and easterly winds across much of the
country, there were enough southerlies in the south west to bring in one or two
new spring rarities. On Scilly there was a Red-rumped Swallow on
St.Mary's and a Hoopoe on St.Agnes, as well as an exceptionally early
Common Swift. In Dorset a White-spotted Bluethroat was trapped at
Portland Bill.
Both Black-bellied Dippers were still to be found at Thetford in Norfolk. On North Uist the Harlequin Duck was still at Balranald, in Somerset the Pied-billed Grebe continued it's stay at Ham Wall and in Aberdeenshire the Desert Wheatear continued to overwinter at Rattray Head. Lesser Scaups were still to be found in Lincolnshire, Herefordshire, Clyde and Cornwall. Other long staying rarities included the Forster's Tern in County Galway, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Long-billed Dowitcher in Pembrokeshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon and Northern Harrier in County Wexford. The easterlies brought a Grey Phalarope and three Little Auks to Lothian and a small smattering of, mostly adult, Little Gulls along the east coast, whilst in the south west a small arrival of summer migrants included a number of Ring Ouzels. |
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| - Pete Hayman, 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 22nd March 2013 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset,
Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Red-breaedted Goose and Glossy Ibis in Hampshire, two
Black-bellied Dippers together in Norfolk, and single Lesser Scaups in Clyde, Lincolnshire and Herefordshire. Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Berkshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Great Grey Shrike (Dorset), Lapland Bunting (two in East Yorkshire) and American Wigeon (Devon), whilst notable gulls included Ring-billed, four Glaucous, and two each of Kumlien's, Iceland and Caspian. Summer migrants continued to arrive with six Garganey noted, along with three each of both Ring Ouzel and Osprey, and Little Ringed Plover, Arctic Skua, Common Tern, House Martin, Sand Martin, Swallow, White Wagtail, and a total of 61 Wheatears. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 21st March 2013 | ||
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| The most interesting discovery on an otherwise cold, quiet day was a second
Black-bellied Dipper at Thetford in Norfolk, both birds being seen
together during the day. A possible African Chaffinch was reported
yesterday on Stronsay on Orkney.
Long stayers included the Harlequin Duck and Richardson's Canada Goose on North Uist, the Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Blue-winged Teal in Dumfries and Galloway, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire and Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire. There was a good scattering of Spoonbill records today with 13 birds spread between the south coast and Cumbria, with one inland in Derbyshire. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 20th March 2013 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Harlequin Duck on the Western Isles,
Pied-billed Grebe and Ferruginous Duck together in Somerset, Forster's Tern
in County Galway, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire,
Lesser Scaups in both County Armagh and Clyde, and the Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk. Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Berkshire), Temminck's Stint (Somerset), Rough-legged Buzzard (two together in Norfolk), Great Grey Shrike (Dorset, Hampshire and Hertfordshire), Lapland Bunting (19 together in Cornwall), Snow Goose (Argyll and Western Isles), American Wigeon (Lincolnshire), Surf Scoter (County Meath (2) and Pembrokeshire), and Ring-necked Duck (Isles of Scilly (3), Somerset and Western Isles). Notable gulls included eight Ring-billed, seven Iceland, and two each of both Glaucous and Caspian. Significant late news concerned a White-throated Sparrow present at Churchstanton, Somerset from 23rd January until 3rd March 2013. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 19th March 2013 | ||
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| Sightings of rarities included Harlequin Duck in Western Isles,
Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, White-billed Diver in Orkney,
Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire,
American Coot in Co Galway, Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk and
Lesser Scaup in Lincolnshire and Clyde.
The Rose-coloured Starling in Devon, Pallas's Warbler on the Hampshire/Berkshire border, Temminck's Stint in Somerset, White-tailed Eagle in Lincolnshire and Norfolk and both Hoopoe and Golden Oriole in Dorset were all recorded. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 18th March 2013 | ||
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| Lingering rarities comprised Harlequin Duck on Western Isles,
Pied-billed Grebe and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, American Coot in Co Galway, Desert
Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Glossy Ibis and Red-breasted Goose
in Hampshire, Northern Harrier in Co Wexford, Lesser Scaup in
Cornwall,
Herefordshire and Glamorgan and Bonaparte's Gulls in Co Antrim and Co
Dublin.
The Rose-coloured Starling in Devon, Pallas's Warbler on the Berkshire/Hampshire border and Temminck's Stint in Somerset were also still present. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 17th March 2013 | ||
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| In Cornwall the adult Pacific Diver reappeared off Marazion, whilst in
Aberdeenshire three White-billed Divers were logged off Portsoy.
Lingering rarities comprised Harlequin Duck (Western Isles), Lesser
Scaups (Herefordshire, Clyde and Cornwall), Bonaparte's Gulls
(Glamorgan and Co Dublin), Glossy Ibises (Hampshire and Pembrokeshire), Desert Wheatear
(Aberdeenshire), Penduline Tit (Kent), Pied-billed Grebe and
Ferruginous Duck (Somerset), Richardson's Canada Goose (Argyll) and
Long-billed Dowitcher (Pembrokeshire)
The best of the scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Berkshire/Hampshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Devon) and Temminck's Stint (Somerset). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 16th March 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the arrival of two male Lesser Scaups in the English Midlands; one in Derbyshire at Ogston Reservoir, and one in Herefordshire at Wellington. Other male
Lesser Scaups remained today in County Clare and Glamorgan, and with further singles noted in
Cheshire, Clyde, Cornwall, Flintshire and Lancashire during the last fortnight, perhaps as many as eight have been present across the British
Isles in recent days. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Harlequin Duck still on the Western Isles, American Coot and Forster's Tern in County Galway, Pied-billed Grebe and Ferruginous Duck together in Somerset, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in both County Dublin and Glamorgan, Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk, Glossy Ibis in Hampshire, and a Black Kite briefly in Hampshire. Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Berkshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Temminck's Stint (Somerset), four American Wigeon, five Ring-necked Duck, and seven Surf Scoters (including four still in Conwy). Gulls included 24 Glaucous, 16 Iceland, seven Ring-billed, four Kumlien's and three Caspians. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 15th March 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Lesser Scaup in
Lancashire at Brockholes. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Harlequin Duck still on the Western Isles, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Dublin, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, and Glossy Ibis in Hampshire. Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Berkshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Lapland Bunting (six together in Cornwall), Lesser Snow Goose (County Fermanagh), Rough-legged Buzzard (Suffolk), Temminck's Stint (Somerset), American Wigeon (Berkshire and Lincolnshire), Ring-necked Duck (East Yorkshire and Somerset), and Great Grey Shrike (Bedfordshire, Denbighshire, Hampshire and Surrey). Notable gulls included nine Iceland, eight Glaucous, three Ring-billed, two Kumlien's and a Caspian. Spring migrants included Garganey (Leicestershire), Osprey (Forth), Arctic Skua (Dorset), Swallow (Cornwall), Sand Martin (Somerset), Little Ringed Plover (two in Devon), Manx Shearwater (Devon and Dorset) and seven White Wagtails. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 14th March 2013 | ||
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| In East Yorkshire a White-billed Diver flew south past Barmston late
morning. Elsewhere rarities comprised Harlequin Duck in Western Isles,
Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset,
Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Blue-winged Teal in Dumfries &
Galloway, Lesser Scaup in Clyde and Red-breasted Goose and Glossy
Ibis in Hampshire.
Sightings of scarcities included Temminck's Stint in Somerset, Pallas's Warbler on the Berkshire/Hampshire border and Rose-coloured Starling in Devon. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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