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| Wednesday 12th March 2014 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Great Spotted Cuckoo in Pembrokeshire, at Tenby. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the
American Coot in Highland, American Herring Gull in Argyll, Laughing Gull in County Cork,
Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, two Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers
in Kent, King Eiders in both Fife and Lothian (2), and Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire and Surrey. Scarcities included Hoopoe (County Cork), Wryneck (PembroKeshire), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Yellow-browed Warbler (Somerset), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire), two Lesser Snow Geese (Argyll), and three each both Shorelark and Glossy Ibis. Spring arrivals were represented by further Sand Martins, Wheatears, Sandwich Terns, Swallows, Garganey, White Wagtails and House Martin, with a Yellow Wagtail reported in Norfolk, Tree Pipit in Pembrokeshire, and Arctic Skua in Lothian. |
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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 11th March 2014 | ||
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| A Great Spotted Cuckoo at Giltar Point, Pembrokeshire was the first
major Spring rarity of the year.
Long staying winter rarities still present included the American Coot and Bonaparte's Gull in Highland, American Herring Gull, Bonaparte's Gull and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll, Pied-billed Grebe in the Western Isles, Gyr in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Kent and single Two-barred Crossbills in Lincolnshire, Surrey and Gloucestershire. The second Little Ringed Plover of the year was in Carmarthenshire, single Ring Ouzels were in Denbighshire and Sussex and a new Garganey was in Gloucestershire, with Wheatears and Sand Martins now at a large number of sites across the country. Spring scarcities included two Hoopoes in the south-west and the Wryneck still in Pembrokeshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 10th March 2014 | ||
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| Scotland's roll call of rarities comprised Pied-billed Grebe and
Marsh Sandpiper on
Western Isles, Franklin's Gull, American Coot and Black Duck in Highland and
American Herring Gull and
Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll. Elsewhere Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers
lingered in Kent and Warwickshire, the wintering Lesser Yellowlegs and
Long-billed Dowitcher were both
still in Hampshire, a Lesser Scaup remained in Staffordshire and
Two-barred Crossbills were in Gloucestershire (6), Shropshire (2), Surrey
and Lincolnshire. A Gyr was present in Lincolnshire for its second day
(the same bird previously photographed in East Yorkshire on 24th November 2013).
The best of the rest included three Glossy Ibises (in Somerset, Co Kerry and Nottinghamshire), Yellow-browed Warblers in Devon and Dorset and Hoopoes in Cornwall, Devon, Kent and Co Cork. Reports of summer migrants included Yellow Wagtail in Hampshire, House Martins on Isles of Scilly, Ring Ouzel in Devon as well as widespread reports of Wheatears and a handful of Sand Martins. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 9th March 2014 | ||
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| Long staying rarities still present today included the American Coot
in Highland, Pied-billed Grebe and Marsh Sandpiper on the
Western Isles, Red-flanked Bluetail on the Gloucestershire /Wiltshire
border, Ross's Gull in County Cork, American Herring Gull and
Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll (another of the latter in Glamorgan), Hume's
Yellow-browed Warblers in Warwickshire and Kent (two), Penduline Tit
in Kent, Little Bunting in Lincolnshire, King Eiders in Fife,
Lothian, County Cork and County Mayo, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and
Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire, Kent, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire
(six).
A very early Wryneck was seen at St Brides, Pembrokeshire, whilst common spring migrants were topped by an exceptionally early singing Grasshopper Warbler at Spurn, Yorkshire and a singing Turtle Dove at Aldreth, Cambridgeshire, along with a Ring Ouzel, 11 Wheatears, 13 Sand Martins, two Swallows, two Ospreys and five Garganey. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 8th March 2014 | ||
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| Lingering rarities still present today included the American Coot in
Highland, American Herring Gull and Richardson's Cackling Goose in
Argyll, Red-flanked Bluetail on the Gloucestershire /Wiltshire border,
Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Warwickshire and Kent (two), Little
Bunting in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire,
White-billed Diver on Orkney, King Eider in Lothian, Lesser Scaup
in Cornwall and Two-barred Crossbills in Yorkshire and
Gloucestershire (five).
The Chinese Pond Heron also remained in Hythe, Kent. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 7th March 2014 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were both the American Coot
and Black Duck in Highland, Red-flanked Bluetail in Wiltshire,
American Herring Gull and Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in both Kent and Warwickshire, and the
Chinese Pond Heron in Kent. Scarcities included Surf Scoter (Cornwall), American Wigeon (Highland), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), two each of Yellow-browed Warbler and Lapland Bunting, six Glossy Ibises, and seven Parrot Crossbills, with gull totals comprising 25 Glaucous, 22 Iceland, seven Kumlien's, seven Caspian and five Ring-billed. Summer migrants included three Garganey (Buckinghamshire (2) and Suffolk), Osprey in Hampshire, Wheatear in Argyll, Sand Martin in both Gloucestershire and London, and two White Wagtails in Dorset. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 6th March 2014 | ||
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| Rarities today comprised the American Coot still in Highland, Red-flanked Bluetail in Wiltshire, Pied-billed Grebe
on the Western Isles, American Herring Gull in Argyll, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in
both Kent and Warwickshire, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (9) and South Yorkshire,
Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, King Eider in Fife,
Little Bunting in Lincolnshire, and a Black-bellied Dipper identified in Aberdeenshire. In Kent the probable
Chinese Pond Heron showed again in Saltwood, Kent. Scarcities included eight Glossy Ibises, six Lapland Buntings, three Surf Scoters, two each of both Ring-necked Duck and Snow Goose, and a Yellow-browed Warbler. Notable gulls included 29 Glaucous, 17 Iceland, six Kumlien's, five Ring-billed and four Caspian Gulls. Late news concerned a Kentish Plover reported yesterday at Rye Harbour, East Sussex. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 5th March 2014 | ||
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| Lingering rarities included American Coot in Highland, American
Herring Gull and Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll, Long-billed Dowitcher
and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers
in Kent (2) and Warwickshire, Two-barred Crossbills in
Gloucestershire (5) and South Yorkshire, Little Bunting in Lincolnshire
and Red-flanked Bluetail on the Gloucestershire/Wiltshire border. The
probable Chinese Pond Heron remained in Kent.
The best of the rest included Yellow-browed Warblers in Devon, Cornwall (2), Worcestershire and Somerset, Richard's Pipit in Somerset and six Parrot Crossbills in Norfolk. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 4th March 2014 | ||
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| Lingering rarities included American Coot in Highland, Red-flanked
Bluetail on the Gloucestershire/Wiltshire border, Little Bunting in
Lincolnshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and probable Chinese Pond
Heron in Kent, Ferruginous Duck an Lesser Yellowlegs in
Hampshire, Pied-billed Grebe on Western Isles, Lesser Scaups in
Highland and Staffordshire, Two-barred Crossbills in Norfolk and
Gloucestershire (2), Bonaparte's Gull and Richardson's Cackling Goose
in Argyll, Laughing Gull in Co Cork and Richardson's Cackling Goose
in Co Sligo.
The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit and Yellow-browed Warbler in Somerset. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 3rd March 2014 | ||
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| Lingering rarities included American Herring Gull, Bonaparte's Gull
and
Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll, American Coot in Highland, Hume's
Yellow-browed Warbler in Warwickshire, two Penduline Tits and the probable
Chinese Pond Heron in Kent, Little Bunting in Lincolnshire, Lesser Scaup in
Staffordshire, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, King Eider in Fife,
Red-flanked
Bluetail on the Gloucestershire/Wiltshire border and White-billed Diver in
Orkney. On Western Isles the Marsh Sandpiper was reported again on North Uist -
it was last reported on 19th January.
The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit and Yellow-browed Warbler in Somerset. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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