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| Saturday 20th April 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of a busy day was a Pallid Harrier on Skomer,
Pembrokeshire which, perhaps surprisingly, is a first for Wales. A singing
Iberian Chiffchaff was on The Lizard, Cornwall, with a Red-rumped Swallow
in the same county at Porthgwarra. Further east two Black Storks were
seen flying over Dorchester, Dorset, whilst a Western Subalpine Warbler
was at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire, a Penduline Tit at Dungeness,
Kent and a Black Kite was over Croydon, London. In Scotland a white
Gyr was seen at Orphir, Orkney, a White-billed Diver was on Mull,
Argyll and two Richardson's Canada Geese were at Balelone, North Uist,
Western Isles.
Highlights of the lingering rarities were the Harlequin Duck on the Western Isles, Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, two Northern Harriers in County Wexford, Western Subalpine Warblers in Gwynedd and Lincolnshire, Pallid Swift on the Isles of Scilly, Blue-winged Teal in Cheshire and Little Bunting in County Durham. |
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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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| Friday 19th April 2013 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today included an adult male Pallid Harrier
over Forfar Loch, Angus, a female Citrine Wagtail at Swillington
Ings, Yorkshire, single Subalpine Warblers at Poole Harbour, Dorset and
Mynydd Mawr, Gwynedd, a Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll on Islay, Argyll, a
drake Blue-winged Teal at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB, Cheshire /Flintshire
and a female Ferruginous Duck at Barrow Gurney Reservoirs, Somerset.
Lingering rarities included the Harlequin Duck and White-billed Diver on the Western Isles, Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Pallid Swift on the Isles of Scilly, Red-rumped Swallow in Suffolk, Little Bunting in County Durham, single Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan and Lancashire, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, Red-breasted Goose in Argyll and Glossy Ibis in Sussex. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 18th April 2013 | ||
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| Two Red-rumped Swallows were found today, one at Waltham Brooks,
Sussex and one at Kessingland, Suffolk, whilst an Alpine Swift was at
Lade gravel pits, Kent. An Alpine Swift was at Castlerock, County Derry
yesterday.
Lingering rarities included the Harlequin Duck on the Western Isles, Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Alpine Swift in Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Lancashire, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, Little Bunting in County Durham and Glossy Ibis in Sussex. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 17th April 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the presence of at least five Alpine Swifts, with singles noted in County Dublin at Glasnevin, Kent at both Cliftonville and Dungeness, Norfolk at Lopham Fen, and North Yorkshire at
both Filey and Seamer. Other rarities comprised the Pied-billed Grebe still in Somerset, Pallid Swift on the Isles of Scilly, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, single Lesser Scaups in both Cleveland and Lancashire, Glossy Ibis in West Sussex, a new Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk at Minsmere, and Little Buntings in Durham and Dorset, the latter seen only briefly at Hengistbury Head. The best of the rest included Hoopoes in Ceredigion and County Waterford, Rough-legged Buzzards in East Yorkshire and Norfolk, Sabine's Gulls off the Isles of Scilly and Wirral, Dotterel in Conwy and Derbyshire, and a showy Corncrake in East Sussex. Finally, remarkable news from Gloucestershire concerned a Baillon's Crake picked up dead at Slimbridge. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 16th April 2013 | ||
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| Today's new discoveries included a Pallid Swift on Isles of Scilly,
Red-rumped Swallow in Devon and Alpine Swifts in North Yorkshire and
East Yorkshire.
Lingering rarities comprised Pied-billed Grebe (Somerset), Glossy Ibises (West Sussex and Pembrokeshire), Little Bunting (Co Durham), Lesser Scaups (Cleveland and Gwent) and Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon. Scarcity highlights included Hoopoes in Somerset and Glamorgan, Wryneck in Gloucestershire, Cattle Egret in Co Down, Bluethroat and Purple Heron in Norfolk, Pallas's Warbler on the Berkshire/Hampshire border, Rose-coloured Starling in Devon and Dotterels in Lancashire and Orkney. The Flamborough Head Baikal Teal had departed overnight. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 15th April 2013 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the discovery of a drake Baikal Teal at
Flamborough Head. Initially picked up flying in off the sea with two Wigeon, it
was later relocated on pools on the headland, where it remained until dusk.
Elsewhere rarities comprised Harlequin Duck on Western Isles, White-billed Diver in Highland, Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Glossy Ibises in West Sussex and Pembrokeshire, Little Bunting in Co Durham and Lesser Scaups in Lancashire, Cleveland, Gwent and Herefordshire. The best of the rest included Hoopoes in Somerset, West Sussex and Hertfordshire, Pallas's Warbler on the Berkshire/ Hampshire border, Rose-coloured Starling in Devon, three Shorelarks in Ceredigion, two Dotterels in Lancashire, Montagu's Harrier in Dorset and Woodchat Shrike in Cornwall. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 14th April 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Red-flanked Bluetail in Norfolk at Horsey
Gap, where it went on to show throughout the afternoon. Elsewhere, the first Alpine Swifts of the year arrived
in Britain - more than three weeks later than is typical - in Cleveland
(Skinningrove), Lancashire (Marton Mere) and West Sussex (Pagham Harbour), but none of them lingered
for long. A Lesser Scaup identified at Borwick Water, Lancashire, was perhaps the twelth individual of this species to be recorded across Britain and Ireland in 2013, but only the second female. Elsewhere, lingering rarities confirmed as still present were both the Harlequin Duck and Richardson's Canada Goose on the Western Isles, Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Little Bunting in County Durham, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire and West Sussex, with single Lesser Scaups in Cleveland, Clyde, Glamorgan, Herefordshire and Lincolnshire. The best of rest included Hoopoes in Glamorgan and Somerset, White Storks over Bedfordshire and Cornwall, a new Ring-billed Gull in Argyll, the Pallas's Warbler still in Berkshire, and the Rose-coloured Starling in Devon. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 13th April 2013 | ||
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| In Scotland another White-billed Diver was located; a new bird joining the existing
individual in Gruinard Bay, Highland, whilst the long-staying returning bird remained
off South Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles. This brings the total of White-billed Divers noted in Scotland during March and April
2013 to eighteen. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the American Coot in County Galway, Pied-billed Grebe in Sonmerset, Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Long-billed Dowitcher in Pembrokeshire, King Eider in the Shetland Isles, Little Bunting in County Durham, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, and single Lesser Scaups in each of Cleveland, Clyde, Herefordshire and Lincolnshire. In Suffolk a Black Kite flew over Stowmarket. The Pallas's Warbler remained in Berkshire, as did the American Wigeon in Devon, whilst newly discovered scarcities included Serin (Kent), Hoopoe (Glamorgan), Dotterel (Lancashire), Lapland Bunting (Gwynedd) and three Shorelarks (Ceredigion). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 12th April 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the return of the drake King Eider to
Aberdeenshire; seen first on the Ythan Estuary then later at Blackdog. Presumably
it is the same individual that has frequented this coast between March and June every year since 2010. Other rarities comprised the Pied-billed Grebe still in Somertset, Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Little Bunting in County Durham, single Lesser Scaups in Clyde, Cornwall, Gwent, Herefordshire and Lincolnshire, and the count of White-billed Divers off Lewis, Western Isles, reached seven. Otherwise, the Pallas's Warbler remained in Berkshire, as did the American Wigeon in Devon and the Black Brant in Cumbria, with new arrivals including a Ring-necked Duck in Derbyshire, Ring-billed Gull in Somerset and Green-winged Teal in London. Migrant totals from across Britain included 62 Ring Ouzels, 31 Black Redstarts, 26 Garganey and 14 Firecrests. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 11th April 2013 | ||
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| A Black Kite was seen in Suffolk flying north over Bramfield. A new
White-billed Diver was off Port Skigersta, Lewis, Western Isles whilst the
new White-billed Diver in Gruinard Bay, Highland was the third found by
the same observer in three days.
Lingering rarities included the Harlequin Duck on the Western Isles, American Coot in County Galway, Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Little Bunting in County Durham, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries and Galloway and single Lesser Scaups in Lincolnshire, Cornwall, Cleveland and Herefordshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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