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| Sunday 31st March 2013 | ||
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| A smart male Pallid Harrier was photographed at Papercourt, Surrey mid
afternoon, but was only identified after dark.
Lingering rarities included the Harlequin Duck and two White-billed Divers on the Western Isles, Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Penduline Tit in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Lesser Scaups in Gwent, Cornwall, Lincolnshire and Herefordshire, Ferruginous Duck in Oxfordshire, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire and Glossy Ibis in Sussex. Spring scarcities were headlined by just three White-spotted Bluethroats (one in Dorset and two in Kent) and a Kentish Plover (Sussex). |
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| - Will Soar, 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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| Saturday 30th March 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of the day way the discovery of a Bonaparte's Gull in Highland at
Thurso: perhaps this is the same individual has now visited this location on seven
occasions since 12th September 2004. Elsewhere, a Glossy Ibis arrived at Arundel, West Sussex, and the presence of two
White-billed Divers off Lewis, Western Isles, was confirmed. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Harlequin Duck on the Western Isles, American Coot in County Galway, Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Penduline Tit in Kent, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Blue-winged Teal in County Kerry, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, King Eider on the Shetland Isles, White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire and the Orkney Isles, Ferruginous Duck in Oxfordshire, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk, and single Lesser Scaups in Clyde, Cornwall, Glamorgan, Gwent, Herefordshire and Lincolnshire. Otherwise, coastal White-spotted Bluethroats were located in Devon, Dorset, Isle of Wight and Kent, a Kentish Plover remained in East Sussex, as did both the Rose-coloured Starling and American Wigeon in Devon, and pan-British totals included seven Ring-necked Ducks, 17 Garganey, 40 Ring Ouzels and 58 Black Redstarts. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 29th March 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Killdeer at Killybegs, County Donegal, whilst in Kent two Penduline Tits were located at Dungeness. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Harlequin Duck still on the Western Isles, American Coot in County Galway, Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Blue-winged Teal in Dumfries and Galloway, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Oxfordshire, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, Richardsons's Canada Goose in Argyll and Western Isles, Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk, and Lesser Scaups in County Armagh, Cornwall, Clyde, Glamorgan, Gwent, Herefordshire and Lincolnshire. Single White-spotted Bluethroats remained in Kent and the Isle of Wight, as did Kentish Plovers in East Sussex (2) and Kent, Pallas's Warbler in Berkshire, Rose-coloured Starling in Devon, and American Wigeons in County Down and Highland. Spring migrant totals from across Britain included 54 Black Redstarts, 32 Ring Ouzels and 23 Garganey. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 28th March 2013 | ||
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| Today's rarities included Snowy Owl in Argyll, Harlequin Duck
and Richardson's Canada Goose on Western Isles, Blue-winged Teals
in Dumfries & Galloway and Co Kerry, Forster's Tern in Co Galway,
Lesser Scaup in Lincolnshire, Herefordshire and Gwent, Ferruginous Duck
in Oxfordshire, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in
Devon, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, two Black-bellied Dippers
in Norfolk and White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire.
The best of the rest included White-spotted Bluethroats in Isle of Wight and Dorset, Kentish Plovers in East Sussex (2) and Kent and Rose-coloured Starling in Devon. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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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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| 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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