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| Friday 22nd September 2017 | ||
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| New discoveries included a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler on
Fair Isle (Shetland) and a Pallid Harrier over Apsley
(Hertfordshire), whilst the Yellow-breasted Bunting (Shetland),
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (Norfolk), Bonaparte's
Gull (Western Isles), Long-billed Dowitchers (Co Kerry
and Lincolnshire), Black Duck (Highland), Spotted
Sandpipers (Dorset and Cornwall), Baird's Sandpiper
(Dorset), White-rumped Sandpiper (Co Kerry), King Eider
(Ceredigion), Western Bonelli's Warbler (Borders) and
Lesser Yellowlegs (Angus) all lingered. The best of the rest included Serin (Norfolk), Marsh Warbler, Bluethroat and Little Bunting (Shetland), two each of Purple Heron and American Golden Plover, four each of Pectoral Sandpiper and Spotted Crake and five each of Common Rosefinch, Barred Warbler and Buff-breasted Sandpipers. |
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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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| Thursday 21st September 2017 | ||
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| On the Shetland Isles the Yellow-breasted Bunting lingered
on Out Skerries for its second day, but the Siberian Thrush could not be located
on Unst. In Dorset a Stilt Sandpiper at Lytchett Bay was presumably the same bird that had been present at Lodmoor RSPB until 15th September. Elsewhere a Bonaparte's Gull (Western Isles) and Greenish Warbler (Co Durham) were discovered, whilst a Western Bonelli's Warbler (Borders), Spotted Sandpipers in Cornwall and Dorset, Baird's Sandpiper in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitchers in Kent and Lincolnshire, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler in Norfolk and Semipalmated Sandpiper in Isles of Scilly all lingered. The best of the rest included Common Rosefinch, Little Bunting and Bluethroat on Shetland, Spotted Crake in London, Purple Herons in Cornwall and Lancashire, Barred Warblers in Fife and Cleveland, Red-breasted Flycatcher in East Yorkshire, Wryneck in Gwynedd, Rose-coloured Starling in Cumbria, Lesser Snow Goose in Aberdeenshire and two Dotterels in Cornwall. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 20th September 2017 | ||
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| Shetland produced two great birds today; a Siberian Thrush
on Unst and a Yellow-breasted Bunting on Out Skerries. Siberian
Thrush has occurred annually on Shetland for the last four years (but has so far
been untwitchable from Mainland UK) but today's bird is the first
Yellow-breasted Bunting to be found on the archipelago since 2011. Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised the elusive Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler in Norfolk, Semipalmated Sandpiper on Isles of Scilly, Spotted and Baird's Sandpipers in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitchers in Kent and Lincolnshire, Snowy Owl in Co Mayo, Forster's Tern in Co Louth and Western Bonelli's Warbler in Borders. New discoveries included a Greenish Warbler in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co Mayo and Carmarthenshire and a report of two Red-rumped Swallows in Devon. The best of the rest included Red-breasted Flycatcher (East Yorkshire), Purple Heron (Cornwall), Rose-coloured Starling (Cumbria), Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Golden Oriole (Shetland), two each of Hoopoe and Spotted Crakes, three each of American Golden Plover and Red-backed Shrikes, four Barred Warblers, six Common Rosefinches and at least nine Buff-breasted Sandpipers. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 19th September 2017 | ||
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| Newly discovered rarities today comprised a Western Bonelli's Warbler in Borders at St Abb's Head and a
Blyth's Reed Warbler in Kent at Sandwich Bay. Rarities elsewhere were the elusive Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler still in Norfolk, Least, Baird's and Spotted Sandpipers all still in Dorset, Snowy Owl in County Mayo, Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Isles of Scilly, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire and King Eider in Ceredigion. Scarcities included Little Bunting (Fife), Woodchat Shrike (Gloucestershire), Rose-coloured Starling (Cumbria), Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles), American Golden Plover (Isles of Scilly), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), Ring-billed Gull (County Louth), Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Ortolan Bunting and Purple Heron (all in Cornwall), two each of Bluethroat, Red-necked Phalarope, Hoopoe and Spotted Crake, three of Wryneck and Pectoral Sandpiper, four of Red-breasted Flycatcher, Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike and Sabine's Gull, five Common Rosefinches and 15 Lapland Buntings. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 18th September 2017 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Black-billed Cuckoo on the Shetland Isles at Dale of Walls, Mainland - only the second record for the archipelago following one on Foula on 11th-12th October 1953. Other rarities from the west were
Least, Baird's and Spotted Sandpipers all in Dorset, Forster's Tern
still in County Louth, Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Isles of Scilly,
Baird's Sandpiper in County Cork, Pectoral Sandpiper in Berkshire,
Long-billed Dowitchers in County Kerry, Lincolnshire and the Orkney Isles, two
American Golden Plovers and seven Buff-breasted Sandpipers. Whilst from the east, both the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler and Arctic Warbler remained in Norfolk, a Dusky Warbler was new in Kent at Reculver, as well as Marsh Warbler (East Yorkshire), Little Bunting (Fife), two each of both Common Rosefinch and Red-backed Shrike, three of Red-breasted Flycatcher and Wryneck, seven Barred Warblers and 29 Yellow-browed Warblers. Birds from elsewhere included King Eider (again in Ceredigion), Woodchat Shrike (still in Gloucestershire), Red-necked Phalarope (Suffolk), Glossy Ibis (London), two Rose-coloured Starlings, three Spotted Crakes and 14 Lapland Buntings. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 17th September 2017 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler in Norfolk at Burnham Overy
Marshes present from mid afternoon until dusk and showing well at times. Rarities discovered elsewhere included a
Baird's Sandpiper in Dorset at Littlsea, a Red-throated Pipit in County Donegal on Tory Island,
Arctic Warblers in East Yorkshire at Easington and in Norfolk at Wells Woods, and
Greenish Warblers in both East Yorkshire at Spurn Point and Kent at Seabrook. On Fair Isle Western Bonelli's Warbler, Rustic Bunting, Citrine Wagtail, Melodious Warbler, Little Bunting, Bluethroat and Red-breasted Flycatcher were all located whilst elsewhere around the Shetland Isles Golden Oriole, Lapland Bunting, two Barred Warblers, four Common Rosefinches and a total of 32 Yellow-browed Warblers were all present. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the American Redstart on the Western Isles, Semipalmated Plover in County Mayo, Least Sandpiper in Dorset, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Isles of Scilly, Baird's Sandpiper in County Cork, Greenish Warbler in Northumberland, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both Kent and Lincolnshire. Elsewhere scarcities included Little Bunting (Fife), Marsh Warbler (Orkney Isles), Red-breasted Flycatcher (East Yorkshire), Woodchat Shrike (Gloucestershire), American Golden Plover (Isles of Scilly), White-winged Black Tern (Hertfordshire), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire), Ortolan Bunting and Hoopoe (together in Dorset), two each of Rose-coloured Starling, Barred Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Red-necked Phalarope and Spotted Crake, and three Buff-breasted Sandpipers. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 16th September 2017 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Long-billed Dowitcher at Saltfleet, Lincolnshire, a Baird's Sandpiper at Hatfield Moors, Yorkshire, an Arctic Warbler at Esha Ness, Shetland, single Greenish Warblers at Easington, Yorkshire and Druridge Pools, Northumberland and a Blyth's Reed Warbler at Hope Point, Kent. >Lingering rarities included the American Redstart and Semipalmated Sandpiper in the Western Isles, Semipalmated Plover in County Mayo, Least Sandpiper and Baird's Sandpiper in Dorset, Baird's Sandpiper in Moray, Semipalmated Sandpiper in the Isles of Scilly, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus and Citrine Wagtail in Suffolk. Scarcity highlights included a White-winged Black Tern, a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Woodchat Shrike, an Ortolan Bunting, two Red-backed Shrikes, a Common Rosefinch, a Short-toed Lark, a Hoopoe, a Rose-coloured Starling, five Barred Warblers, six Wrynecks, two Spotted Crakes, two American Golden Plovers, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers, six Pectoral Sandpipers, four Red-necked Phalaropes, 15 Grey Phalaropes and a Little Auk. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 15th September 2017 | ||
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| Rarity highlights included the lingering American Redstart
(Western Isles), Least and Stilt Sandpipers
(Dorset), Red-rumped Swallow (West Sussex), Lesser
Yellowlegs (Angus), Baird's Sandpipers (Dorset, Co
Sligo and South Yorkshire), Semipalmated Sandpipers (Western
Isles and Isles of Scilly), Citrine Wagtail (Suffolk),
Long-billed Dowitcher (Kent) and Hudsonian Whimbel (Co
Sligo). The best of the rest included Ortolan Bunting (Shetland), Spotted Crake (Ayrshire), Purple Heron (Lancashire), White-winged Black Tern (Hertfordshire), Woodchat Shrike (Gloucestershire), Rose-coloured Starling (Cumbria), Hoopoe (Dorset), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), two each of Glossy Ibises and Red-necked Phalaropes, three each of Buff-breasted Sandpiper and American Golden Plover, up to four Wrynecks, four Pectoral Sandpipers and six Yellow-browed Warblers. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 14th September 2017 | ||
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| New rarities included a Baird's Sandpiper present in West
Yorkshire for its second day, a flyover Tawny Pipit in Dorset
and a report of a Pallid Swift in Kent. Elsewhere the
American Redstart (Western Isles), Least and
Stilt Sandpipers (Dorset), Semipalmated Sandpiper
(Isles of Scilly), Citrine Wagtail (Suffolk),
White-billed Diver (Shetland), Long-billed Dowitcher
(Kent), Semipalmated Plover and Snowy Owl (Co
Mayo), Baird's Sandpipers (Co Cork, Moray and Dorset) and
Lesser Yellowlegs (Angus) all lingered. The best of the rest included Barred Warbler (East Yorkshire), Spotted Crake (Ayrshire), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Purple Heron (Lancashire), Woodchat Shrike (Gloucestershire), White-winged Black Tern (Hertfordshire), Hoopoe (Dorset), Short-toed Lark (Lothian), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), Honey Buzzard (Suffolk), two each of American Golden Plover, Lesser Snow Goose, Red-backed Shrike and Ortolan Bunting, four each of Red-necked Phalarope, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Wryneck, five Yellow-browed Warblers and seven Pectoral Sandpipers. Excellent west coast seawatching again produced multiple Long-tailed Skuas, Sabine's Gulls, Grey Phalaropes and Leach's Petrels. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 13th September 2017 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Semipalmated Plover
at Achill Island (Co Mayo), possibly the same bird which frequented the
site from 2nd-14th October 2016. Elsewhere American waders included
Least, Stilt and Baird's Sandpipers
in Dorset, Semipalmated Sandpipers in Co Kerry, Western Isles
and Isles of Scilly, Long-billed Dowitchers in Kent and East
Yorkshire, White-rumped Sandpiper (Co Kerry) Baird's
Sandpiper in Moray, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, three
American Golden Plovers, five Buff-breasted Sandpipers
and seven Pectoral Sandpipers. The American Redstart lingered on Barra (Western Isles), whilst Citrine Wagtail (Suffolk) and Arctic Warbler (Shetland) also remained in situ. Seawatching in Cornwall produced a Wilson's Petrel and a Gull-billed Tern. The best of the rest included American Night Heron (Shropshire), Hoopoe (Dorset), Spotted Crake (Ayrshire), Red-backed Shrike (Aberdeenshire), Purple Heron (Glamorgan), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), White-winged Black Tern (Hertfordshire), two each of Ortolan Buntings, Barred Warblers, three Wrynecks and six Yellow-browed Warblers. Excellent west coast seawatching produced many Leach's Petrels along with smaller numbers of Sabine's Gulls, Long-tailed Skuas and Grey Phalaropes. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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