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| Saturday 30th May 2015 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Veery on North Ronaldsay
(Orkney). The only previous spring record of this species concerned a bird on
Lundy (Devon) on 14th May 1997.
In addition to the Veery new discoveries included Caspian Tern in Lincolnshire, Bee-eaters in Devon (3) and Dorset and Red-footed Falcons in Northamptonshire and East Sussex, whilst Black-winged Pratincole and Gull-billed Tern (Northumberland), Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire), White-rumped Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Rustic Bunting (Orkney), Black-winged Stilt (West Sussex), Little Bittern (Suffolk), Squacco Heron (Isles of Scilly), King Eider (Aberdeenshire) and Bee-eater (Cornwall) all lingered. The best of the rest included Red-backed Shrike (Suffolk), Bluethroats (Kent and Co Wicklow), Kentish Plover (Fife), Pectoral Sandpipers (Nottinghamshire and Co Derry), Spotted Crake (Kent), Corncrake (Cheshire), Red-necked Phalaropes (Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Norfolk [2], West Sussex, Kent, Orkney and Suffolk), Temminck's Stints (Leicestershire, Suffolk and London), Golden Orioles (East Yorkshire, Shetland and Anglesey), Shorelark (Gwynedd), Ring-necked Ducks (Shetland) and Common Rosefinch (Devon). |
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| - Stuart Piner, 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 29th May 2015 | ||
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| In Northumberland, a Black-winged Pratincole was discovered at Bothal
Pond mid afternoon, where it remained until late evening. A Gull-billed Tern
was present at the same site for a few minutes this evening, before it flew
towards the coast.
Other new discoveries today included a Broad-billed Sandpiper in Findhorn Bay, Moray, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire, a Red-rumped Swallow at Covenham Reservoir, Lincolnshire, Bee-eaters at Swanage, Dorset, St Buryan, Cornwall and Berwick, Sussex (two) and the two roaming Black-winged Stilts moved to Potteric Carr YWT, Yorkshire (with another singleton at Sidlesham Ferry, Sussex). Lingering rarities included the Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly, Rustic Bunting in Shetland, Rustic Bunting and Bee-eater in Orkney and White-rumped Sandpiper in County Derry. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 28th May 2015 | ||
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| Newly discovered today were a White-rumped Sandpiper on Lough Beg,
County Derry, a Red-rumped Swallow at Quoile Pondage, County Down and a
Black Kite over Hayle, Cornwall. On Unst, Shetland, the lingering Subalpine Warbler
was confirmed as a Western Subalpine Warbler.
Other lingering rarities seen today included the Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly, Rustic Bunting in Shetland and two Black-winged Stilts in Lincolnshire. Scarcity highlights included singles of Red-backed Shrike, White-winged Black Tern, Night Heron, Pectoral Sandpiper and American Wigeon, three each of Purple Heron and Ring-necked Duck, four Red-necked Phalaropes, 28 Pomarine Skuas and 339 Long-tailed Skuas. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 27th May 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Rustic Bunting at Baltasound, Shetland,
single Bee-eaters over Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk and in the St. Just area,
Cornwall, and the two roaming Black-winged Stilts spent the day at
Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire.
Lingering rarities included the Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly and King Eider in Aberdeenshire. Scarcity highlights included singles of Melodious Warbler, Golden Oriole, Common Rosefinch, Spotted Crake, Red-necked Phalarope and Sabine's Gull, two each of Purple Heron and Dotterel, three Honey Buzzards and four Temminck's Stints. Skua passage is continuing slowly, with another 19 Long-tailed past Aird an Runair, Western Isles, and the lingering Pomarine remained off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 26th May 2015 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a singing male Western Bonelli's Warbler at Hickling Broad, Norfolk, albeit only briefly mid morning. Elsewhere, a
Bonaparte's Gull was new in Cornwall at Kingsmill Lake, a pair of Black-winged Stilts reappeared in Essex at Bower's Marsh, the Black Stork
in Wales flew over Glamorgan then Gwent, and single Bee-eaters flew over two locations in Dorset. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Squacco Heron on the Isles of Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset, White-rumped Sandpiper in Norfolk, Rustic Bunting and Bee-eater on the Orkney Isles, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, and a Black Kite again in Essex. Scarce migrants included White-winged Black Tern (Cambridgeshire), Ortolan Bunting (County Dublin), Night Heron and Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), two each of Purple Heron, Temminck's Stint and Dotterel, and three migrant Red-necked Phalaropes. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 25th May 2015 | ||
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| A Grey-cheeked Thrush at Termoncarragh, County Mayo was a very
unexpected discovery today. This is the first Spring record for the British
Isles, and is only the second of the nine Irish records to occur outside County Cork.
Other new discoveries today included a Black Stork over Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Cley NWT, Norfolk, a Subalpine warbler sp on Unst, Shetland, a Red-rumped Swallow at Spurn, Yorkshire and single Black Kites over Chelmsford, Essex and Rye Harbour, Sussex. Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Herefordshire, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Rustic Bunting in Orkney and King Eider in Aberdeenshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 24th May 2015 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Spotted Sandpiper in Herefordshire at Wellington. Rarities elsewhere comrpised the
Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler still on the Shetland Isles, Greater Yellowlegs
and Bonaparte's Gull on the Shetland Isles, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall,
Little Bittern in Suffolk, Squacco Heron on the Isles of Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset,
Rustic Bunting on the Orkney Isles, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, and brief
Bee-eaters in both Dorset and East Yorkshire. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Lancashire), Ortolan Bunting (Dorset), American Golden Plover (Devon), Kentish Plover and Hoopoe (both Northumberland), two each of Icterine Warbler, Bluethroat, Purple Heron, Night Heron and migrant Red-necked Phalarope, three of Golden Oriole and Ring-necked Duck, five migrant Dotterel and eight Temminck's Stints. Skuas continued to pass, with day totals of 203 Long-tailed Skuas and 316 Pomarine Skuas. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 23rd May 2015 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today comprised a Gull-billed Tern in Devon along the Exe Estuary, a singing
Blyth's Reed Warbler in East Sussex at Forest Row, a subalpine warbler
sp - probably a Western Subalpine Warbler - in Dorset at Portland Bill, a Bee-eater on the Orkney Isles on North Ronaldsay, and a brief
Alpine Swift in Cheshire. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, two Hooded Mergansers together in County Donegal, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Little Bittern in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset, Rustic Bunting on the Orkney Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire and King Eider in Aberdeenshire. Scarcities included American Golden Plover (Devon), Common Rosefinch (Cornwall), Bluethroat (Shetland Isles), Golden Oriole (East Yorkshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Suffolk), two each of Purple Heron and Ring-billed Gull, three of Temminck's Stint and Ring-necked Duck, and nine migrant Dotterel. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 22nd May 2015 | ||
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| The first Irish Squacco Heron for almost seven years was in County
Cork today, at Ballycotton. A Broad-billed Sandpiper spent the day at
Walberswick, Suffolk, whilst other new discoveries included a Bee-eater
at Ousdale, Highland and two Black-winged Stilts at Bowers Gifford,
Essex. A Spotted Sandpiper was on Arran, Ayrshire yesterday.
Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, two Hooded Mergansers in County Donegal, Black Stork in Norfolk then Lincolnshire, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset and King Eider in Aberdeenshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 21st May 2015 | ||
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| A Black Stork was found in Norfolk today, being first seen over Scolt
Head Island, then over Holme early evening before being lost in the Ringstead
Downs /Old Hunstanton Park area. At the opposite end of the county a
Bonaparte's Gull was on Breydon Water, with a Black Kite further
north over Wells mid morning. Another Black Kite was seen near Brighton,
East Sussex, and a White-billed Diver was in Balnakeil Bay, Highland.
Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, Harlequin Duck and King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, two Hooded Mergansers in County Donegal, Little Bittern in Suffolk and Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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