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| Friday 7th July 2017 | ||
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| In Cornwall the Amur Falcon spent the first few hours of the day
around Porthgwarra before moving down the valley towards the sea at around
9.30am. It was seen again at 11am when it headed towards Sennen Airfield, but
was not seen again.
New discoveries today were of a Long-billed Dowitcher at Boulmer in Northumberland and two flyover Bee-eaters at Bexleyheath in London. King Eiders were still at Ynyslas in Ceredigion and at Blackdog in Aberdeenshire but there was no sign of the American White-winged Scoter at the latter site. The Greenish Warbler remained on Fair Isle and other remaining rarities comprised the Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk and Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire. There was a Red-necked Phalarope in Aberdeenshire and Purple Herons remained in Suffolk and County Wicklow. |
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| - Pete Hayman, 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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| Thursday 6th July 2017 | ||
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| Exceptional news this evening of a female Amur Falcon discovered in Cornwall at Porthgwarra. Only the second British record following the male present in East Yorkshire at Tophill Low from 14th September-15th October 2008 but misidentified as a Red-footed Falcon throughout its stay. Since the first for the Western Palearctic was identified in Italy at Straits of Messina, Sicily on 29th April 1995 there have been a further records in Italy (1997 and 1998), Greece (2003), Sweden (2005), Hungary (2006), Azores (2011), Faeroes (2015), Kuwait (2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016), Cyprus (2016) and Romania (2016 and 2017), with three of these between late June
and early July. Rarities elsewhere comprised a Red-footed Falcon briefly in Suffolk at Reydon, both the American White-winged Scoter and King Eider together in Aberdeenshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper in the Western Isles, King Eider in Ceredigion, Greenish Warbler on the Shetland Isles, and at least four Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Marsh Warbler (County Wexford), Sabine's Gull (inland in North Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), two Purple Herons, and a total of eight Cattle Egrets. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 5th July 2017 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Semipalmated Sandpiper at Balranald, North Uist, Western Isles. Elsewhere, a
Red-rumped Swallow was seen briefly in Hampshire at Titchfield Haven and
Bee-eaters were reported briefly in both Kent and Somerset. Lingering rarities comprised the American White-winged Scoter still in Aberdeenshire, Greenish Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Caspian Tern in Carmarthenshire, King Eider in Ceredigion, territorial Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, five Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, and breeding Black-winged Stilts in both Cambridgeshire (2) and Norfolk (6). Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Marsh Warbler (County Wexford), Sabine's Gull (inland in North Yorkshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Northumberland), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), American Night Heron (Shropshire), and two each of White-winged Black Tern and Purple Heron. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 4th July 2017 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Greenish Warbler on Fair Isle,
Shetland and single Bee-eaters at Dungeness and Kingsdown, both Kent.
Lingering rarities included the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, King Eider in Ceredigion, Caspian Tern in Carmarthenshire, five Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, Little Bittern in Somerset and two Black-winged Stilts in Cambridgeshire. Scarcity highlights included a Woodchat Shrike, a Serin, a Marsh Warbler, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Sabine's Gull, a Surf Scoter, a Glaucous Gull, two White-winged Black Terns and two Purple Herons. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 3rd July 2017 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a singing Blyth's Reed Warbler in Highland at Aviemore where it showed into the evening. Rarities elsewhere comprised the American White-winged Scoter and King Eider both still together in Aberdeenshire, the Caspian Tern returned to Carmarthenshire, a territorial Little Bittern remained in Somerset, six Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, two Wilson's Petrels off the Isles of Scilly, six Black-winged Stilts together in Norfolk, and Savi's Warblers still singing in both Norfolk and Suffolk. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Common Rosefinch (Dorset), Marsh Warbler (County Wexford), Red-backed Shrike (Cleveland), Sabine's Gull (North Yorkshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Northumberland), Woodchat Shrike and Long-tailed Skua (both Cornwall), two each of White-winged Black Tern and Purple Heron, and six of both Great Shearwater and Cattle Egret. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 2nd July 2017 | ||
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| The two major rarities discovered today were both on the Aberdeenshire coast where a
Pacific Swift was present at Cruden Bay during the late morning before departing south, and a - presumably returning -
American White-winged Scoter was located amongst the large scoter flock at Murcar. New rarities elsewhere were all brief encounters with a
Caspian Tern seen in Somerset at Chew Valley Lake and a Red-footed Falcon at Market Harborough, Leicestershire. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Forster's Tern in County Wexford, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcon in Kent, five Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, and Black-winged Stilts in both Kent and Norfolk (6). Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall), Marsh Warbler (County Wexford), Pectoral Sandpiper (Northumberland), Sabine's and Gull and Temminck's Stint (together in North Yorkshire), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), American Night Heron (Shropshire), two each of both White-winged Black Tern and Purple Heron, three Red-backed Shrikes and five Cattle Egrets. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 1st July 2017 | ||
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| A Caspian Tern visited a couple of sites along the River
Nene in Northamptonshire today, whilst in Co Wexford a Forster's Tern
was discovered at Tacumshin. Lingering rarities included the Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, Little Bittern in Somerset, family of Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Red-footed Falcon in Kent and Ferruginous Duck in Co Durham. A Bee-eater flew over Stainton (South Yorkshire) and a Wilson's Petrel was logged at sea 20 miles off the Pembrokeshire coastline. The best of the rest included Purple Herons in Suffolk and Co Wicklow, Roseate Tern in Surrey, American Night Heron in Shropshire, White-tailed Eagle in Norfolk, White-winged Black Terns in East Yorkshire, Co Cork and Northumberland, Sabine's Gull in North Yorkshire, Common Rosefinches in Kent and Dorset, Woodchat Shrike in Cornwall, Marsh Warbler in Co Wexford, Red-backed Shrike in Cleveland and Surf Scoter in Angus. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 30th June 2017 | ||
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| Lingering highlights included the seven Bee-eaters in
Nottinghamshire, Little Bittern in Somerset, Savi's
Warbler in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcon in Kent,
families of Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire
and Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll. The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Purple Herons (Suffolk and Co Wicklow), American Night Heron (Shropshire), Sabine's Gull (North Yorkshire), White-winged Black Tern (East Yorkshire), Common Rosefinch (Dorset) and Marsh Warbler (Co Wexford). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 29th June 2017 | ||
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| The adult Black-browed Albatross was tracked north along the east
coast today, being seen first at Whitburn, County Durham at 5.30am. By 11.50am,
it had travelled just 47 miles, seen going north through the Farne Islands,
Northumberland. It was in Borders at 2.50pm, off Eyemouth then St Abbs at 3pm,
and then in Lothian at 5.40pm, off Dunbar then west past Seacliff (just over a
mile from Bass Rock) at 6pm.
A Lesser Yellowlegs was newly discovered at Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire. Lingering rarities included the Caspian Tern in Carmarthenshire, five Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, five Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, King Eider in Ceredigion and Red-footed Falcon in Kent. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 28th June 2017 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Black-browed
Albatross, East Yorkshire, where it was present amongst the Gannets for several hours in the early afternoon before being lost to view. It had previously been noted at Bempton Cliffs on 13th May, 16th and 18th 2017, after having returned to Germany on 5th April. It was last noted in Germany on 24th June with 2017 being the fourth summer it was spent in the North Sea. A Pacific Golden Plover was discovered on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles, and a Red-footed Falcon was reported briefly in Kent at Sandwich Bay. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Caspian Tern in Carmarthenshire, Iberian Chiffchaff in Cheshire, King Eider in Ceredigion, Little Bittern in Somerset, Red-footed Falcon in Kent and four Bee-eaters together in Nottinghamshire. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), Sabine's Gull (inland in North Yorkshire), two each of both Marsh Warbler and Commmon Rosefinch, and four Cattle Egrets. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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