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| Monday 11th January 2016 | ||
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| In Co Wexford an adult Vega Gull was present for its second day at
Duncannon. BOURC currently treat Vega Gull as a form of American Herring Gull,
but other authorites consider it to be a monotypic species. Either way, this
bird is potentially the first Vega Gull to be identified in the Westen
Palearctic. Elsewhere rarity highlights included Brunnich's Guillemot in Orkney, Glaucous-winged Gull in Co Cork, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Lesser Scaup and Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gull in Hertfordshire, Mourning Dove in Shetland, Greater Yellowlegs in Isle of Wight, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Dusky Warbler in Somerset, Penduline Tits in Hampshire (3) and Gloucestershire (2) and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire. |
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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 10th January 2016 | ||
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| Rarities today comprised the Glaucous-winged Gull and Spotted Sandpiper
still in County Cork, Mourning Dove on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Diver and
Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, two
Penduline Tits together in Kent, Dusky Warbler in Somerset, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Buckinghamshire/Hertfordshire and Devon,
Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire. Scarities included Serin (two together in Cambridgeshire), Pallas's Warbler (Wirral), Hoopoe (West Midlands), Richard's Pipit (Kent and West Yorkshire), Black Brant (two together in Hampshire), Surf Scoter (two in Lothian), three Yellow-browed Warblers, four Cattle Egrets, six Rough-legged Buzzards, and a total of 19 Glossy Ibises. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 9th January 2016 | ||
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| Lingering rarities still present today included the Glaucous-winged Gull
at Castletownbere, County Cork, Brunnich's Guillemot at Scapa Bay,
Orkney, Mourning Dove at Lerwick, Shetland, Hudsonian Whimbrel and
Pacific Diver in Mount's Bay, Cornwall, Forster's Tern at Corranroo,
County Clare, Bonaparte's Gull at Wilstone Reservoir, Hertfordshire and
College Lake, Buckinghamshire (and another still at Dawlish, Devon), Pallid
Harrier at Flitcham, Norfolk, Dusky Warbler at Ham Wall RSPB,
Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher at Hemscott Hill, Northumberland, King
Eider at Ruddon's Point, Fife and Lesser Scaup at Dozmary Pool,
Cornwall. Three Penduline Tits were still present at Titchfield Haven NNR,
Hampshire, with another still at Dungeness RSPB, Kent.
Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, a Pallas's Warbler, a Kumlien's Gull, two Grey Phalaropes, three Richard's Pipits, three Yellow-browed Warblers, three Great Grey Shrikes, four Waxwings, six Ring-billed Gulls and seven Shorelarks. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 8th January 2016 | ||
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| The second live Brunnich's Guillemot for Orkney was discovered today,
off Scapa Pier near Kirkwall. Nearby in Shetland, the Mourning Dove
remained in Lerwick, whilst the Glaucous-winged Gull also remained at
Castletownbere, County Cork.
Other lingering rarities included the Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gull in Hertfordshire, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Gyr in the Western Isles, Dusky Warbler in Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, King Eider in Fife and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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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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| 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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