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| Wednesday 27th March 2013 | ||
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| Discoveries today included a Blue-winged Teal in County Kerry at Ballylongford, a
White-billed Diver on the Western Isles off Lewis, and in Gwent the first
Lesser Scaup for the county, at Tredegar. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Harlequin Duck on the Western Isles, Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Black-throated Thrush in Aberdeenshire, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Blue-winged Teal in Dumfries and Galloway, Lesser Scaups in both Clyde and Lincolnshire, White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire, Ferruginous Duck in Oxfordshire and two Black-bellied Dippers together in Norfolk. Notable migrants included White-spotted Bluethroats in both Kent and the Isle of Wight, two Kentish Plovers together in East Sussex, Shorelark in Suffolk, and totals of 21 Ring Ouzels, 25 Garganey and 37 Black Redstarts. |
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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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| Tuesday 26th March 2013 | ||
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| A male Black-throated Thrush in an Aberdeenshire garden was the
undoubted highlight of the day. Present in Ash Tree Road, Banchory for the last
three days, it showed very well today when news was released. A white morph
Gyr was seen on Fetlar, Shetland.
Lingering rarities seen today included Pied-billed Grebe at Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset, Lesser Scaups at Freiston Shore RSPB, Lincolnshire, Cardiff Bay, Glamorgan and Siblyback Lake, Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck at Otmoor RSPB, Oxfordshire, Black-bellied Dipper in Thetford, Norfolk, Desert Wheatear at Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Plymouth, Devon and Red-breasted Goose at Farlington Marshes HWT, Hampshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 25th March 2013 | ||
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| In Oxfordshire a Ferruginous Duck arrived at Otmoor RSPB.
Lingering rarities included Harlequin Duck (Western Isles), Pied-billed Grebe (Somerset), Desert Wheatear (Aberdeenshire), Black-bellied Dipper (Norfolk), Lesser Scaup (Lincolnshire, Cornwall, Herefordshire and Co Armagh), Forster's Tern (Co Galway), Lesser Yellowlegs (Devon), Pacific Diver (Cornwall) and Red-breasted Goose (Hampshire). The best of the rest included two Kentish Plovers (East Sussex) and Rose-coloured Starling (Devon). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 24th March 2013 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Harlequin Duck on the Western Isles,
Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshre, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire,
Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Northern Harrier in County Wexford,
Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, two Black-bellied Dippers together in Norfolk, and
single Lesser Scaups in County Armagh, Clyde, Cornwall, Glamorgan, Herefordshire and Lincolnshire. Scarce migrants included a White-spotted Bluethroat in Dorset at Portland, with a Kentish Plover nearby at Ferrybridge, and in Cornwall a Serin at Porthgwarra. Around Britain totals of 11 Garganey, 18 Ring Ouzels and 43 Black Redstarts were logged. Winter scarcities comprised Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Surf Scoter (Fife), American Wigeon (Orkney Isles), Temminck's Stint (Somerset), Great Grey Shrike (Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Surrey), and Ring-billed Gull (one in Hampshire, and six in Ireland). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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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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| 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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