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| Wednesday 7th August 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Swinhoe's Petrel trapped and ringed on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles during the early hours. Following a Swinhoe's Petrel heard there on 22nd July 2013, and one trapped and ringed there on 27th July, todays bird was the seventh to be ringed out of the ten individuals encountered in Britain and Ireland since the first passed Bridges of Ross, County Clare on 15th August 1985. Of the 18 'contacts' with Swinhoe's Petrel, an incredible nine were with just one bird; at Tynemouth, Northumberland on dates in July in each year between 1990 and 1994. Other rarities included the Roller still in Norfolk, Black Duck in County Kerry, Gull-billed Tern and White-rumped Sandpiper together in County Wexford, Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Carmarthenshire, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, a Wilson's Petrel off County Kerry, and a fly-over Two-barred Crossbill in Cambridgeshire. Scarcities included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Aberdeenshire and Cambridgeshire), Marsh Warbler (Devon), Surf Scoter (Angus), Ring-necked Duck (County Londonderry), Cattle Egret (Kent), Night Heron (Leicestershire and South Yorkshire), with seabirds including Cory's Shearwater (2 off County Cork), Great Shearwater (2 off County Cork), and Sabine's Gull (North Yorkshire, and 2 off County Kerry). |
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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 6th August 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of another Two-barred
Crossbill, this time in Moray at Roseisle Forest. Elsewhere, a White-rumped Sandpiper
arrived at Tacumshin, County Wexford, whlist two Bee-eaters flew over Whitburn, County Durham. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Roller in Norfolk, Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Carmarthenshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Kent and Lancashire, and the Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire. Scarcities included Night Heron (Leicestershire), Cory's Shearwater (Devon), Spotted Crake (Herefordshire), Ring-necked Duck (County Londonderry), and Pectoral Sandpiper (Berkshire, Lincolnshire and West Sussex). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 5th August 2013 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Roller at Horsey, Norfolk, that showed throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Elsewhere, in Kent a
Caspian Tern flew past St Margaret's at Cliffe, and a Black Kite flew over Margate, whilst at Spurn, East Yorkshire, an
American Golden Plover passed by in the morning, and an Alpine Swift moved through in the evening. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Black Duck in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, and Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire. Scarcities included Night Heron (Leicestershire), Cattle Egret (Kent), Spotted Crake (Herefordshire), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Kent and County Wexford (2)), and Pectoral Sandpiper (Aberdeenshire, Berkshire, Cheshire and Lincolnshire). Seawatch highlights included Great Shearwater (three passing Devon), and Cory's Shearwater (Cornwall, Devon (3), and County Kerry). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 4th August 2013 | ||
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| A very good day to be sea-watching in the south-west. The first Mega came mid
morning, when a Fea's Petrel flew west past Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra, Cornwall.
This site logged 47 Great Shearwaters and 16 Cory's Shearwaters by
6pm. The second Mega species seen was a Yelkouan Shearwater, which flew
past Start Point, Devon, late morning. The same observer at the same site then
scored a Barolo Shearwater early evening, as well as a single Cory's
Shearwater, two Great Shearwaters and an impressive 255 Balearic
Shearwaters.
Other new rarities discovered today included a Red-footed Falcon over Langdale End, North Yorkshire, a Gull-billed Tern at Lady's Island Lake and a White-rumped Sandpiper at The Cull, both County Wexford, and a Black Kite over Carbis Bay, Cornwall. Lingering rarities included seven Two-barred Crossbills and Western Subalpine Warbler on Shetland, another Two-barred Crossbill in Lancashire, Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire, Black Duck in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Carmarthenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 3rd August 2013 | ||
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| A juvenile Two-barred Crossbill at Browsholme Hall, Lancashire today
is, perhaps surprisingly, a first for the county. A Blue-winged Teal was
seen on the Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, and a Black-winged Stilt was at
Cley NWT, Norfolk very briefly mid afternoon. An Alpine Swift flew over
Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire and a Black Kite flew over Bastreet
Downs, Cornwall.
Lingering rarities included the Western Subalpine Warbler and four Two-barred Crossbills on Fair Isle, Shetland, a single Two-barred Crossbill on Orkney, three Little Bitterns (including a juvenile) in Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, Black Duck in County Kerry, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and Lancashire and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 2nd August 2013 | ||
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| A Black Kite over Porthgwarra, Cornwall was the only new rarity
discovered today. Late news of a dowitcher species at Pennington Marshes,
Hampshire yesterday prompted a search, with confirmation of a Long-billed
Dowitcher being present from early afternoon.
Lingering rarities included four Two-barred Crossbills on Fair Isle, Shetland, two more at Stromness, Orkney and a Bonaparte's Gull at Heysham, Lancashire. Scarcities included a Night Heron in Leicestershire, a Red-necked Phalarope in County Wexford, a Spotted Crake in Northumberland and Pectoral Sandpipers in Lincolnshire, Cheshire, Gwent and Sussex. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 1st August 2013 | ||
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| Seabirds stole the headlines today with a Bulwer's Petrel passing west at Galley Head, County Cork
the standout sighting; constituting only the second record for Ireland. In Cornwall a
Fea's Petrel and a Great Shearwater both passed Porthwgwarra, off the Isles of Scilly a
Wilson's Petrel was seen from a pelagic, a Sabine's Gull moved past County Waterford, and extras in County Cork included a
Wilson's Petrel at sea, three Cory's Shearwaters and 17 Great Shearwaters passing Galley Head. Rarities comprised at least 14 Two-barred Crossbills on the Shetland Isles, a Two-barred Crossbill on the Orkney Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs together in Carmarthenshire, and Bonapartes's Gulls in both Kent and Lancashire. Scarcities included Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles), Spotted Crake (Northumberland), Cattle Egret (Kent), Night Heron (Leicestershire and South Yorkshire), and Pectoral Sandpiper (Cheshire, Devon and West Sussex). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 31st July 2013 | ||
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| Seawatching produced the highlights today, with, in County Cork, three Fea's Petrels
and five Long-tailed Skuas passing Galley Head, and nearby a Wilson's
Petrel, 2,500 Cory's Shearwaters and 120 Great Shearwaters counted at Mizen Head. In Cornwall a
Fea's Petrel passed Porthgwarra, along with four Cory's and 24 Great
Shearwaters, with two Cory's Shearwaters off St Ives, and a Long-tailed Skua
was noted off The Lizard. A Two-barred Crossbill was seen briefly in Surrey at Redlands Wood, a Black Kite flew over Rye Street, Kent, and in Lincolnshire three Baltic Gulls were identified: two at Elsham and one at North Hykeham. Lingering rarities comprised the Gull-billed Tern and eight Two-barred Crossbills on the Shetland Isles, two Two-barred Crossbills on the Orkney Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Lancashire, and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Night Heron (Leicestershire), Spotted Crake (Northumberland), Pectoral Sandpiper (West Sussex), and 14 Great White Egrets (including eight together in Somerset). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 30th July 2013 | ||
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| Today, Two-barred Crossbills continued to arrive with seven more discovered on the Shetland Isles today, two on the Orkney Isles at Stromness, and one still in Norfolk, at Lynford Arboretum. Other discoveries comprised a
Black Kite over-flying the Farne Islands, Northumberland, and a new Baltic Gull at Elsham, Lincolnshire. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Gull-billed Tern on the Shetland Isles, two Little Bitterns in Somerset, Spotted Sandpiper in Northumberland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Kent and Lancashire, and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire. Scarcities included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Western Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (Devon and Gwent), and Surf Scoter (County Kerry), whilst seabirding featured Cory's Shearwater (17 off the Isles of Scilly and one passing Cornwall), Great Shearwater (10 off Scilly), and a total of 185 Balearic Shearwater sightings logged between Scilly, East Sussex and County Down. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 29th July 2013 | ||
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| Unfortunately there was no sign today of the Mongolian Sand Plover in
County Cork. Yet more Two-barred Crossbills were found today, with three new birds on Foula on the Shetlands, where there were still singles at Sumburgh, on Mainland, and on board a ship to the west of the islands. At least two birds were also still to be found at Lynford Arboretum in Norfolk. A Lesser Yellowlegs was discovered this afternoon at Pennington Marshes in Hampshire and a Black Stork was reported flying over Ilkeston in Derbyshire. The Caspian Tern remained faithful to Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire and Acre Nook Sand Quarry in Cheshire and the Gull-billed Tern was still on south Mainland, Shetland. Both the Long-billed Dowitcher and the Lesser Yellowlegs were seen at Llanelli in South Wales, but the Yellowlegs was only seen in the morning. Other long-staying rarities included the Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, at least two Little Bitterns in Somerset and the Bonaparte's Gull in Lancashire. Amongst the wader passage, there were notable numbers of Wood Sandpipers with over 80 being reported during the day. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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