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| Thursday 7th January 2016 | ||
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| Rarity highlights included Glaucous-winged Gull (Co Cork),
Mourning Dove (Shetland), Pallid Harrier
(Norfolk), Penduline Tit (Kent), Ferruginous Duck
(Hampshire), Lesser Scaup (Somerset and Cornwall),
Long-billed Dowitcher (Northumberland), Hudsonian Whimbrel
(Cornwall) and Pacific Diver (Cornwall). The best of the rest included Pallas's Warbler (Wirral), Yellow-browed Warbler (Hampshire), Richard's Pipit (Kent), Hoopoe (West Midlands/ Staffordshire) and 21 Glossy Ibises. |
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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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| Wednesday 6th January 2016 | ||
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| Rarity highlights included Mourning Dove (Shetland),
Glaucous-winged Gull (Co Cork), Pacific Diver,
Hudsonian Whimbrel and Lesser Scaup (Cornwall),
Greater Yellowlegs (Isle of Wight), Pallid Harrier
(Norfolk), Penduline Tits (Hampshire and Kent),
Long-billed Dowitcher (Northumberland), Dusky Warbler
and Lesser Scaup
(Somerset), Cackling Goose (Co Donegal) and Ferruginous Duck (Hampshire). The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), Pallas's Warbler (Wirral), Cattle Egret (Somerset), Hoopoe (West Midlands/ Staffordshire), two Richard's Pipits, three Yellow-browed Warblers, three Surf Scoters, four Waxwings, eight Shorelarks, 23 Glossy Ibises and many reports of Little Auks, mainly along the coastlines of eastern Scotland and Northeast England. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 5th January 2016 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the return of the Pacific Diver to Tawin, County Galway; where it was first discovered in January 2009 and has been seen on several occasions since. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Glaucous-winged Gull in County Cork, Mourning Dove on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Diver, Hudsonian Whimbrel and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, two Penduline Tits in Hampshire, Dusky Warbler and Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire and Bonaparte's Gull in Devon. Notable scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Wirral), Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), Hoopoe (West Midlands), Richard's Pipit (East Yorkshire), Snow Goose (Cumbria), Ring-billed Gull (Clyde), American Wigeon (Devon and Northumberland), and a total of 26 Glossy Ibises. Little Auks continued to move in large numbers along the east coast of Scotland, including 600 passing Collieston, Aberdeenshire in a one hour watch. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 4th January 2016 | ||
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| Rarity sightings comprised Mourning Dove (Shetland),
Glaucous-winged Gull and Spotted Sandpiper (Co Cork),
Pacific Diver, Ross's Gull, Lesser
Scaup and Hudsonian Whimbrel (Cornwall), Gyr
(Western Isles), Bonaparte's Gull (Hertfordshire),
Dusky Warbler (Somerset), Penduline Tits and
Ferruginous Duck (Hampshire), Long-billed Dowitcher
(Northumberland) and Lesser Yellowlegs (Norfolk). The best of the rest included Serin (Cambridgeshire), Pallas's Warbler (Wirral), Hoopoe (West Midlands/ Staffordshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), two American Wigeons, two Surf Scoters, three Cattle Egrets, at least three Richard's Pipits, four Yellow-browed Warblers, five Ring-necked Ducks, 13 Waxwings and at least 19 Glossy Ibises. An excellent movement of Little Auks off the east coast of Scotland included peak counts of 1,100 in Lothian, 1,030 in Fife, and 1,016 in Aberdeenshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 3rd January 2016 | ||
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| Lingering rarities still present today included the Glaucous-winged Gull
at Castletownbere, County Cork, Mourning Dove at Lerwick, Shetland,
Ross's Gull on The Lizard, Hudsonian Whimbrel at Marazion,
Pacific Diver at Newlyn and Lesser Scaup at Dozmary Pool, all
Cornwall, Pallid Harrier at Flitcham, Norfolk, three Penduline Tits
at Titchfield Haven and Ferruginous Duck at Blashford Lakes, both
Hampshire, Dusky Warbler at Ham Wall, Somerset and Bonaparte's Gull
at Exmouth, Devon.
Scarcity totals were singles of Pallas's Warbler, Hoopoe, Rose-coloured Starling and American Wigeon, two each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Glossy Ibis, Surf Scoter and Black Brant, three each of Richard's Pipit, Yellow-browed Warbler, Great Grey Shrike and Grey Phalarope, four Ring-billed Gulls, five Cattle Egrets, five Ring-necked Ducks, six Green-winged Teals, seven Shorelarks, seven Waxwings, 11 Iceland Gulls and 12 Glaucous Gulls. Seawatching produced excellent numbers of Little Auks, with the highest totals coming from Girdle Ness (1,163), Newtonhill (844) and Collieston (230), all Aberdeenshire, Brora (900) and Chanonry Point (150), both Highland, Kinghorn, Fife (536), Hound Point, Lothian (270), and Fishtown of Usan (209), Mains of Usan (171) and Arbroath (122), all Angus. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 2nd January 2016 | ||
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| An exciting day was headlined by the discovery of an adult Glaucous-winged Gull
in County Cork at Castletownbere; the first record for Ireland. Elsewhere in County Cork the Spotted Sandpiper remained at Pilmore, and at Owenahincha a dead
Brown Booby was found on the tideline. Rarities elsewhere comprised a Ross's Gull new in Cornwall on The Lizard, with Hudsonian Whimbrel and Pacific Diver remaining nearby. The Mourning Dove was still on the Shetland Isles, as was the Gyr on the Western Isles, Penduline Tit in Hampshire, Dusky Warbler in Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, and single Ferruginous Ducks in both County Durham and Hampshire. Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Wirral), Richard's Pipit (East Yorkshire and Kent), Grey Phalarope (Gloucestershire), American Wigeon (two together in County Donegal), Kumlien's Gull (County Antrim and Norfolk), Cattle Egret and Lapland Bunting (Suffolk), five Ring-billed Gulls, six Ring-necked Ducks and a total of 30 Glossy Ibises (including 19 together in County Waterford). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 1st January 2016 | ||
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| In Cornwall, the Hudsonian Whimbrel was once again present in Mount's
Bay at Marazion, having first been refound yesterday.
Other lingering rarities included the Mourning Dove in Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Dusky Warbler in Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, White-billed Diver in Orkney, King Eider in Fife and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire. Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), a Hoopoe (Staffordshire), an American Wigeon (Aberdeenshire), a Balearic Shearwater (Cornwall), two Richard's Pipits (Yorkshire), two Pomarine Skuas (Highland), two Great Grey Shrikes, two Cattle Egrets, three Waxwings, three Black Brants, four each of Surf Scoter, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Rough-legged Buzzard, Lapland Bunting and Glossy Ibis, five Ring-billed Gulls, six Grey Phalaropes, seven Yellow-browed Warblers, eight Iceland Gulls, eight Glaucous Gulls and nine Shorelarks. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 31st December 2015 | ||
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| Scotland's fourth (and December's 1st) Little Swift was discovered at
Thorntonloch, Lothian today. It was only present for around an hour, and wasn't
relocated by late afternoon. Another Pacific Diver was found in Cornwall
at Maenporth, with the other remaining in Mount's Bay, whilst the
White-billed Diver returned to St Margaret's Hope Bay, Orkney.
Other lingering rarities included the Mourning Dove in Shetland, Red-rumped Swallow, Lesser Yellowlegs and Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Gyr in the Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Dusky Warbler in Somerset, Penduline Tit and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire and single Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Somerset. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 30th December 2015 | ||
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| Rarity highlights included Red-rumped Swallow and
Pallid Harrier (Norfolk), Penduline Tit (Hampshire),
Long-billed Dowitcher (Northumberland), Greater
Yellowlegs (Isle of Wight), Pacific Diver and
Lesser Scaup (Cornwall) and Richardson's Cackling Goose
(Co Sligo). The best of the rest included Hoopoe (West Midlands/ Staffordshire), two Cattle Egrets, two Yellow-browed Warblers, three Shorelarks, five Ring-necked Ducks and seven Glossy Ibises. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 29th December 2015 | ||
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| Long-staying rarities confirmed as still present today were the Mourning Dove
on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Diver, American Herring Gull and
Lesser Scaup all in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier and Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk,
Greater Yellowlegs on the Isle of Wight, three Penduline Tits
together and a Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Dusky Warbler in Somerset,
Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, King Eider in Fife, Bonaparte's Gull
in Devon, and Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Sligo. Scarcities included Hoopoe (West Midlands), Sabine's Gull (County Galway), American Wigeon (Highland), Snow Goose (Cumbria), three each of Richard's Pipit, Shorelark and Surf Scoter, four of Cattle Egret, Ring-billed Gull, Great Grey Shrike and Waxwing, five each of both Yellow-browed Warbler and Rough-legged Buzzard, and six of Glossy Ibis and Ring-necked Duck. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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