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| Monday 26th October 2015 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Chestnut Bunting on
Papa Westray (Orkney), whilst in Co Cork a Chimney Swift flew over Mizen Head.
Elsewhere new discoveries included Dusky Warblers in Kent and Isles Scilly. The Long-billed Dowitcher (Hampshire), Gull-billed Tern and Black Scoter (Co Kerry), Northern Harrier (Orkney), Olive-backed Pipit (Shetland), White-rumped Sandpiper (Hampshire) and Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan) all lingered. The best of the rest included Ortolan Bunting (Shetland), Little Bunting (Shetland), Short-toed Lark (Isles of Scilly), Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), five American Golden Plovers, seven Pallas's Warblers and eight Richard's Pipits. Late news concerned a report of a drake Canvasback on Lewis, Western Isles, yesterday. |
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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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| Sunday 25th October 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Red-flanked Bluetail on Bardsey
Island, Gwynedd, a Pallid Harrier through Spurn, East Yorkshire, a
Radde's Warbler at Berry Head, Devon and a White-rumped Sandpiper at
Farlington Marshes, Hampshire.
The Chestnut Bunting lingered all day on Papa Westray, Orkney, whilst other lingering rarities included the Blyth's Pipit in the Isles of Scilly, Siberian Stonechat in Norfolk, Red-flanked Bluetail in Kent, Olive-backed Pipit in Shetland, Arctic Warbler and Pallid Harrier in County Mayo, Northern Harrier in Orkney, Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll. Scarcity totals were singles of Little Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Short-toed Lark, Wryneck, Temminck's Stint, Pectoral Sandpiper, American Wigeon, Lesser Snow Goose and Ring-billed Gull, two each of Bluethroat, Pallas's Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Shorelark and Glossy Ibis, three Green-winged Teals, five Ring-necked Ducks, six Rough-legged Buzzards, seven American Golden Plovers, eight Lapland Buntings, nine Richard's Pipits, 27 Great Grey Shrikes and 35 Yellow-browed Warblers. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 24th October 2015 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the relocation of the Chestnut Bunting on
Papa Westray, Orkney. From mid afternoon it showed very well, and was still
present into the evening.
New discoveries today included a drake Bufflehead on Ullswater, Cumbria, a Siberian Stonechat at Hook-with-Warsash, Hampshire and the Forster's Tern returned to Nimmo's Pier, County Galway. Lingering rarities included the Blyth's Pipit in the Isles of Scilly, Greater Yellowlegs on the Isle of Wight, Siberian Stonechat in Norfolk, Olive-backed Pipit in Shetland, Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Argyll, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 23rd October 2015 | ||
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| A White's Thrush was discovered today at Gulberwick, Shetland, as was
a White-rumped Sandpiper on Lough Swilly, County Donegal.
Lingering rarities comprised the Blyth's Pipit in the Isles of Scilly, Northern Harrier in Orkney, Siberian Stonechat in Norfolk, Olive-backed Pipit in Shetland, Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan. Scarcity highlights included a Pallas's Warbler, a Barred Warbler, a Little Bunting, a Shorelark, a Temminck's Stint, two Ortolan Buntings, two Serins, two American Golden Plovers, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Green-winged Teals, two American Wigeon, three Little Auks, three Rose-coloured Starlings, five Glossy Ibises, six Pomarine Skuas, six Richards's Pipits, eight Leach's Petrels, up to nine Rough-legged Buzzards, 12 Lapland Buntings, 21 Great Grey Shrikes and 29 Yellow-browed Warblers. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 22nd October 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries comprised an Arctic Warbler in Co Mayo and
a White-rumped Sandpiper in Co Kerry, whilst
Siberian Stonechat (Norfolk), Blyth's and
Olive-backed Pipits (Isles of Scilly), Lesser Scaup
(Glamorgan), Ferruginous Duck and Long-billed
Dowitcher (Hampshire), Pallid Harrier (Co Mayo),
American Herring Gull (Cornwall), Gull-billed Tern
(Co Kerry), Richardson's Cackling Geese (Argyll) and
Northern Harrier (Orkney) all lingered. The best of the rest included Short-toed Lark, Common Rosefinch and Ortolan Bunting (Isles of Scilly), Shorelark (Suffolk), Red-backed Shrike (Co Cork), Temminck's Stint (Somerset), Pallas's Warbler (North Yorkshire), two American Golden Plovers, two Rose-coloured Starlings, seven Richard's Pipits and at least 21 Great Grey Shrikes. Significant late news concerns potentially the first Chestnut Bunting for Britain, present on Papa Westray, Orkney Isles on 19th-20th October, but unfortunately not identified until after it had departed. There are nine accepted records in the Western Palearctic: in the Netherlands in 1937, Norway 1974 and 2010, Malta 1983, Slovenia 1987, Finland 2002, France 2009 and 2014, and Hungary 2011. All of these records fell between 24th September and 12th November, with six in October. Chestnut Bunting is currently only on Category E of the British List, with eight rejected records of presumed escapes; on Foula (Shetland Isles) on 9th-13th June 1974, Isle of May (Fife) 11th June 1985, Fair Isle (Shetland) 15th-16th June 1986, Bardsey Island (Gwynedd) 18th-19th June 1986, Out Skerries (Shetland Isles) 2nd-5th September 1994, Salthouse (Norfolk) 30th May-1st June 1998, Whitburn (County Durham) 17th-20th May 2000, and Fair Isle (Shetland) 4th-7th September 2002. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 21st October 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries included Siberian Stonechat in Norfolk,
Spotted Sandpiper on Isles of Scilly and Lesser
Yellowlegs and Cackling Goose in Argyll, whilst
Brown Shrike (Cornwall), Dusky Warbler
(Lincolnshire), Blyth's Pipit and Olive-backed Pipit
(Isles of Scilly), Olive-backed Pipit (Shetland),
Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan), Red-flanked Bluetail (Kent),
White-rumped Sandpiper (Northumberland) and Gull-billed
Tern (Co Kerry) all lingered. The best of the rest included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Co Wexford), Pallas's Warbler and Barred Warbler (East Yorkshire), two Ortolan Buntings, two American Golden Plovers, three Rose-coloured Starlings, three Richard's Pipits, five Rough-legged Buzzards and five Glossy Ibises. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 20th October 2015 | ||
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| An excellent day for discoveries with a Brown Shrike in Cornwall at Porthgwarra, a Siberian Rubythroat on the Shetland Isles on Fair Isle, a
White's Thrush on the Shetland Isles on Unst, and three new Red-flanked Bluetails:
in County Cork at Mizen Head, Kent at Sandwich Bay, and Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire. Rarities confirmed as still present were the Pallid Harrier in County Mayo, Blyth's Pipit, Red-flanked Bluetail and Olive-backed Pipit on the Isles of Scilly, Greater Yellowlegs on the Isle of Wight, Red-flanked Bluetail, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and Olive-backed Pipit in Norfolk, Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, Siberian Stonechat in East Yorkshire, Dusky Warbler in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, Northern Harrier on the Orkney Isles, and Lesser Sacup in Glamorgan. Significant late news from Cornwall concerned a White's Thrush reported yesterday at Porthgwarra, and on Saturday a Pied Wheatear at Botallack. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 19th October 2015 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland, there alongside
Radde's Warbler, Olive-backed Pipit, Ortolan Bunting, Little Bunting
and Bluethroat. In Norfolk two Red-flanked Bluetails remained alongside two Isabelline Shrikes, Olive-backed Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Pallas's Warbler and Little Bunting. On the Isles of Scilly the Hudsonian Whimbrel was seen again, as well as the Blyth's Pipit, Red-flanked Bluetail, an Olive-backed Pipit, Short-toed Lark and two Little Buntings. Elsewhere, a Pallid Harrier was discovered in County Mayo, the Isabelline Shrike remained in Devon, as did a Penduline Tit in Suffolk, Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, Siberian Stonechat in East Yorkshire, Dusky Warblers on East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the Shetland Isles (2), Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Lesser Scaup in County Mayo, and Northern Harrier on the Orkney Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 18th October 2015 | ||
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| New rarities today comprised a Red-flanked Bluetail and an
Olive-backed Pipit at Hemsby, Norfolk (with others of the latter species at
Brevig, Western Isles, Whitburn, County Durham, Hartlepool, Cleveland and
Portland, Dorset), two Penduline Tits at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk,
Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Kingsdown, Kent, Red-throated Pipit
on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaup on Achill Island, County Mayo
and single White-rumped Sandpipers at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB,
Aberdeenshire and Blennerville, County Kerry.
Rarities lingering in Norfolk included two Red-flanked Bluetails, two Isabelline Shrikes, an Olive-backed Pipit, a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and a Blyth's Reed Warbler. Scilly continued to hold the Hudsonian Whimbrel, Blyth's Pipit and Red-flanked Bluetail, whilst Shetland still had a Radde's Warbler and two Dusky Warblers. Other lingerers included the Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, Isabelline Shrike and Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Siberian Stonechat, Olive-backed Pipit and Dusky Warbler in Yorkshire (with another of the latter still in Cornwall), Greater Yellowlegs on the Isle of Wight, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland and Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire. There were no sightings of the Wilson's Warbler on Lewis. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 17th October 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries today included an American Herring Gull near St Just,
Cornwall, a Gull-billed Tern near Tralee, County Kerry, a Dusky
Warbler at Dale of Walls, Shetland, a Radde's Warbler at Kenidjack
Valley, Cornwall and a Black Kite near Farnborough, Hampshire.
Rarities lingering in Norfolk included two Red-flanked Bluetails, two Isabelline Shrikes, an Olive-backed Pipit, a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and a Blyth's Reed Warbler. Scilly continued to hold the Hudsonian Whimbrel, Blyth's Pipit and Red-throated Pipit, whilst Shetland still had a Red-flanked Bluetail, an Olive-backed Pipit, a Radde's Warbler and another Dusky Warbler. Other lingering rarities included the Wilson's Warbler in the Western Isles, Northern Harrier in Orkney, Siberian Stonechat in Yorkshire, Isabelline Shrike in Devon, single Dusky Warblers in Cornwall, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Northumberland, Blyth's Reed Warbler in County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland and Lesser Scaup in County Kerry. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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