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| Monday 3rd October 2016 | ||
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| The Shetland Isles were again awash with rarities - highlights included
Swainson's Thrush on Fetlar, White's Thrush, Olive-backed Pipit
and Blyth's Reed
Warbler on Mainland, Black-throated Thrush
on Out Skerries, Great Snipe and Paddyfield Warbler
on Unst and Pechora Pipit and Lanceolated Warbler
on Fair Isle. Elsewhere new discoveries included Booted Warbler (Conwy), Blyth's Reed Warbler (Lothian), and Semipalmated Sandpiper (Co Kerry), whilst lingering rarities comprised Sora (Isles of Scilly), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Co Cork), Semipalmated Plover (Co Mayo), Dalmatian Pelican (Devon), Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire), Baird's Sandpipers (Northumberland, Cornwall and Co Dublin), Western Purple Swamphen (Lincolnshire), Black Duck (Highland), Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset) and Hudsonian Whimbrel (Cornwall). |
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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 2nd October 2016 | ||
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| The highlight of an exciting day was the relocation of the Eastern Kingbird
on the Western Isles, at Bornish, South Uist, where it remained until early afternoon before again departing. Other mega news concerned a
Semipalmated Plover discovered in County Mayo on Achill Island, and a Sora found on Tresco, Isles of Scilly. The Shetland Isles enjoyed an enviable day with, on Fair Isle alone Pechora Pipit, Lanceolated Warbler, Red-throated Pipit, Red-flanked Bluetail, Radde's Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Short-toed Lark, Little Bunting, two Bluethroats, four Red-breasted Flycatchers and 72 Yellow-browed Warblers. On Mainland a Lanceolated Warbler showed well at North Voe, Blyth's Reed Warblers were at both Levenwick and Quendale, Rose-coloured Starling in Scalloway, Hoopoe at Easter Quarff, and two Red-breasted Flycatchers. On Unst a Great Snipe was found at Norwick, along with a Paddyfield Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Barred Warbler. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the Rose-breasted Grosbeak still in County Cork, single Red-eyed Vireos on both the Isle of Man and the Isles of Scilly, Pallid Harrier in Kent, single Baird's Sandppipers in Cornwall, County Dublin and Northumberland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper and White-rumped Sandpiper together in County Wexford, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and Essex, Ferruginous Duck in London, the Western Purple Swamphen still in Lincolnshire, the Dalmatian Pelican still in Devon, and the Hudsonian Whimbrel still in Cornwall. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 1st October 2016 | ||
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| New discoveries included Red-eyed Vireo on Isle of Man,
Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire and Semipalmated
Sandpiper and Blyth's Reed Warblers in Co Wexford and
Gwynedd.
Lingering rarities comprised Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Co Cork), Forster's Tern (Co Louth), Dalmatian Pelican (Devon), Black Duck (Highland), Pallid Harrier (Kent), Western Purple Swamphen (Lincolnshire), Ferruginous Duck (London) and Franklin's Gull (Northumberland). The Shetland Isles hosted a Blyth's Reed Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, three Bluethroats, Surf Scoter and Hoopoe, whilst Isles of Scilly produced Bluethroat, American Golden Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Melodious Warbler. Rare shorebirds included Hudsonian Whimbrel (Cornwall), Baird's Sandpipers (Co Dublin and Northumberland), Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset and Exeter) and Semipalmated Sandpipers (Co Wexford [3] and Argyll [2]). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 30th September 2016 | ||
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| Unlike the previous two records in Ireland, Britain's first Eastern
Kingbird hung around for more than one day, just, still being present on
Barra from early morning until 2.50pm when it flew off high to the north east!
At Anstruther in Fife, the Brunnich's Guillemot came to an untimely end, being found dead early this morning. Shetland played host to several new rarities, with a Brown Shrike at Aith on Mainland (with another still present on the Out Skerries), a Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Norwick on Unst along with a new Blyth's Reed Warbler, with another Blyth's Reed Warbler being found at Sandgarth on Mainland. A new Red-eyed Vireo was found at Mizen Head in County Cork with one bird still remaining on St. Agnes in the Scillies. A Baird's Sandpiper was found at Boulmer in Northumberland and two new Semipalmated Sandpipers were together at Vaul Bay in Tiree. Lingering rarities included the re-appearance of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Garinish in County Cork and also of the Lesser Grey Shrike in Devon. A Booted/Sykes's Warbler remained on Mainland Shetland, as did the Dalmation Pelican (now in Devon), Western Purple Swamphen in Lincolnshire, Pallid Harrier on Sheppey in Kent, Semipalmated Sandpipers in County Kerry and County Wexford (2), Baird's Sandpiper in County Dublin, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Greenish Warbler on Mainland Shetland, Blyth's Reed Warbler on Unst in Shetland and Western Bonelli's Warbler on Scilly. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 29th September 2016 | ||
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| Britain's first Eastern Kingbird was discovered on Barra
(Western Isles) this afternoon. There have been two Irish records (both
in Co
Galway, on 5th October 2012 and 24th September 2013), but both have only
been
available on the day of disovery.
American landbirds also featured in Ireland, where a Rose-breasted Grosbeak was at Garinish (Co Cork) and a Red-eyed Vireo was on Inishbofin (Co Galway). Elsewhere rarity highlights included Brunnich's Guillemot (Fife), Lesser Grey Shrike (Devon), Dalmatian Pelican (Cornwall), Greenish Warbler (Dorset), Ferruginous Duck (London), Western Purple Swamphen (Lincolnshire) and Pallid Harrier (Kent), whilst Shetland hosted Brown Shrike, Greenish Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler and Paddyfield Warbler. Rare shorebirds comprised White-rumped Sandpiper (Co Kerry), two Baird's Sandpipers, three Lesser Yellowlegs and six Semipalmated Sandpipers. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 28th September 2016 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo discovered on the Western Isles, on Lewis at South Dell. Elsewhere, major rarities included the
Brunnich's Guillemot still in Fife, two Red-eyed Vireos together on the Isles of Scilly,
the Western Purple Swamphen still in Lincolnshire, and the Dalmatian Pelican
remained in Cornwall. On the Shetland Isles the Brown Shrike remained on Out Skerries, with, nearby, Paddyfield Warbler (Fair Isle), Arctic Warbler (Mainland at Frakkafield), Dusky Warbler (Unst), Short-toed Lark, Rose-coloured Starling, Icterine Warbler, Red-backed Shrike and Corncrake, two each of Blyth's Reed Warbler, Bluethroat and Hoopoe, three Common Rosefinches, four Barred Warblers, five Red-breasted Flycatchers, and six Little Buntings. Notable waders comprised the Hudsonian Whimbrel still in Cornwall, Semipalmated Sandpiper in County Kerry, two each of Baird's Sandpiper, American Golden Plover and Dotterel, five Lesser Yellowlegs, and six Pectoral Sandpipers. The best of the rest were Purple Heron (Oxfordshire), Serin (Cornwall), Hoopoe (Norfolk), Spotted Crake (Cheshire), two Melodious Warblers, and a further four Rose-coloured Starlings. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 27th September 2016 | ||
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| A Brown Shrike was found on Out Skerries, Shetland today, along with a
Great Snipe. On Unst, both a Paddyfield Warbler and a Radde's
Warbler were discovered, at Skaw and Norwick respectively, whilst a
Subalpine warbler species was down south in Nanquidno Valley, Cornwall.
Lingering rarities seen today included the Brunnich's Guillemot in Fife, two Red-eyed Vireos and Lesser Yellowlegs in the Isles of Scilly, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Dalmatian Pelican and Baird's Sandpiper in Cornwall, another Great Snipe, a Pallid Harrier, an Arctic Warbler and a Blyth's Reed Warbler in Shetland, four Semipalmated Sandpipers and a White-rumped Sandpiper in County Wexford, other Lesser Yellowlegs' in Essex, Dorset and Devon and a Ferruginous Duck in London. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 26th September 2016 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a second Red-eyed Vireo on St Agnes,
Isles of Scilly, Lanceolated Warbler and Great Snipe both on Fair
Isle, Shetland, two Arctic Warblers and a Greenish Warbler
elsewhere in Shetland and a Citrine Wagtail on Benbecula, Western Isles.
Lingering rarities included the Brunnich's Guillemot in Fife, Hudsonian Whimbrel and Dalmatian Pelican in Cornwall, Western Purple Swamphen in Lincolnshire, three Semipalmated Sandpipers in County Wexford, Baird's Sandpiper in Cornwall, White-rumped Sandpiper in Hampshire, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in Essex and Dorset, two Blyth's Reed Warblers in Shetland and Ferruginous Duck in London. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 25th September 2016 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Brunnich's Guillemot in Fife at Anstruther, where it remained on show into the evening. Otherwise, a
Baird's Sandpiper was new in Cornwall on The Gannel, and a Pallid Harrier moved through Kent. On the Isles of Scilly a Red-eyed Vireo was a notable arrival on St Agnes alongside the Lesser Yellowlegs, as was a Western Bonelli's Warbler on St Mary's, with Grey Phalarope, two Red-breasted Flycatchers, five Wrynecks and five Yellow-browed Warblers around the archipelago. Meanwhile, on the Shetland Isles Pallid Harrier, Arctic Warbler, Olive-backed Pipit, Rose-coloured Starling, Icterine Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Richard's Pipit, Sabine's Gull, two each of Blyth's Reed Warbler, Little Bunting and Short-toed Lark, three Bluethroats, five Red-breasted Flycatchers, 39 Lapland Buntings and 54 Yellow-browed Warblers all logged. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Swainson's Thrush on the Western Isles, Lesser Grey Shrike in Devon, Western Purple Swamphen in Lincolnshire, both Dalmatian Pelican and Hudsonian Whimbrel Cornwall, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire and County Wexford (3), White-rumped Sandpiper in County Wexford, Ferruginous Duck in London, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Cambridgeshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Cork, Devon, Dorset and Essex. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 24th September 2016 | ||
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| New discoveries today included an Olive-backed Pipit at
Hoswick, Shetland and a Pallid Harrier over Pett Level, East Sussex.
Lingering rarities included the Swainson's Thrush in the Western Isles, Western Purple Swamphen in Lincolnshire, Hudsonian Whimbrel and Dalmatian Pelican in Cornwall, Lesser Grey Shrike in Devon, Arctic Warbler and Pallid Harrier in Shetland, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in Essex, Devon and the Isles of Scilly, single Semipalmated Sandpipers in Aberdeenshire and County Wexford, White-rumped Sandpiper in Hampshire, Baird's Sandpiper in County Antrim and Ferruginous Duck in London. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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