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| Monday 14th May 2018 | ||
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| An exceptional day for the Shetland Isles with three mega rarities discovered during the afternoon and evening. First to be found was the seventh British record of
Marmora's Warbler on Unst at Baliasta that was quickly followed by the seventh British record of
Black-faced Bunting at Norwick, just four miles away. Later in the evening the eleventh British record of Crag Martin was located on Fair Isle. Additional notables around the Shetland Isles today included
Red-breasted Flycatcher, Marsh Warbler, two Red-backed Shrikes and a total of six
Bluethroats. Elsewhere new rarities comprised a Rustic Bunting on the Farne Islands, Northumberland, two Bee-eaters briefly in East Yorkshire at Spurn and fly-over Black Kites in both Pembrokeshire and Suffolk, whilst lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Laughing Gull on the Isles of Scilly, Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Western Isles, Iberian Chiffchaff on the Wirral and Savi's Warbler in Norfolk. Further scarcities included Red-spotted Bluethroat (Dorset), Red-breasted Flycatcher and Red-backed Shrike (both East Yorkshire), Kentish Plover (Essex), Ring-necked Duck (Western Isles), four Glossy Ibises and five migrant Dotterel. |
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| - Chris Batty, 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 13th May 2018 | ||
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| Discoveries today included a Red-rumped Swallow in Suffolk at Shingle Street, a Black Kite in Gwynedd over Bardsey Island, now two
White-billed Divers together in County Donegal and brief encounters with
Red-footed Falcon (Hampshire) and Bee-eater (Isles of Scilly). Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were both the Northern Harrier and Laughing Gull on the Isles of Scilly, American Bittern and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Avon, Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Western Isles, Savi's Warbler and Black-winged Stilt in Norfolk, White-billed Diver in Moray and territorial Iberian Chiffchaffs in both Cornwall and the Wirral. Scarcities were headlined by a total of 12 Bluethroats with an associated arrival of six Red-backed Shrikes, a Golden Oriole (Somerset) and a Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles). Otherwise Kentish Plover (Essex), Hoopoe (Gloucestershire), Cattle Egret (Lancashire), Lapland Bunting (Shetland Isles), two Temminck's Stints, three Glossy Ibises and a total of 19 migrant Dotterel was logged. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 12th May 2018 | ||
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| A male Northern Harrier was on St Mary's (Isles of Scilly)
for its second day, having originally been misidentified as a Montagu's Harrier.
Elsewhere new discoveries included Great Reed Warbler
(Suffolk), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Western Isles),
Black Kite (Suffolk) and both Black-headed Wagtail and
Black-winged Stilt (Norfolk). Lingering rarities included American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), American Bittern (Suffolk), King Eider (Aberdeenshire), Savi's Warblers (Norfolk and Suffolk), Laughing Gull (Scilly), Spotted Sandpiper (Somerset), Lesser Yellowlegs (Western Isles) and Iberian Chiffchaff (Wirral). A Serin (Cornwall), Hoopoe (Lancashire), Purple Heron (Hampshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), two Marsh Warblers, three Red-backed Shrikes, five Bluethroats and five Temminck's Stints were the best of the scarcities. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 11th May 2018 | ||
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| New discoveries included Spotted Sandpiper (Somerset),
Red-throated Pipit (Suffolk), Forster's Tern
(Co Wexford), Black Kites (Cambridgeshire and Kent) and
Bee-eaters (Kent [2] and Forth). Lingering rarities comprised American Bittern (Suffolk), Lesser Yellowlegs (Western Isles), Savi's Warbler (Suffolk), Laughing Gull (Isles of Scilly), White-billed Diver (Moray), Black-winged Stilts (Essex [2] and Lincolnshire), Lesser Scaup (Co Donegal) and King Eider (Aberdeenshire). The best of the rest included Red-throated Pipit (Shetland), Red-backed Shrike (Gwynedd), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland) and five each of Dotterel and Temminck's Stint. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 10th May 2018 | ||
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| Rarities noted today were the Snowy Owl again in Lincolnshire at Freiston Shore, territorial
American Bittern and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Iberian Chiffchaff
on the Wirral, Laughing Gull on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs and
White-billed Diver on the Western Isles, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and two
Black-winged Stilts in Essex. In Kent both Red-rumped Swallow and
Black Kite flew over during the morning. Scarcities included Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Wryneck (Norfolk), Cattle Egret (Cheshire), Surf Scoter and Grey-headed Wagtail (Lothian), two each of Temminck's Stint and Ring-necked Duck, four Glossy Ibises, six migrant Dotterel, and 16 Long-tailed Skuas passed the Western Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 9th May 2018 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Collared Flycatcher in Highland at Watten albeit it in an area with no general access. New rarities elsewhere comprised a
Lesser Yellowlegs on the Western Isles on Vatersay, a Lesser Scaup in County Donegal at Inch Island, a brief
Red-footed Falcon in Norfolk and a flyover Black Kite in Suffolk. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were both the territorial American Bittern and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk and the King Eider in Aberdeenshire. The Iberian Chiffchaff continued to sing on the Wirral but the individual in Norfolk at Ringstead Downs was reidentified as an atypical Chiffchaff. In Lincolnshire the male Black-winged Stilt returned to Frampton Marsh in search of a female having previously visited this site on 1st May after frequenting the Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire on 28th-29th April, 3rd-4th May and 7th-8th May and Rutland Water, Leicestershire on 5th-6th May. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Serin (Hampshire), Wryneck (Norfolk), Grey-headed Wagtail (Lothian), Purple Heron (West Yorkshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Temminck's Stint (Lincolnshire), Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Cattle Egret (Cheshire), two Red-spotted Bluethroats (Shetland Isles), two American Wigeons, three Glossy Ibises, a total of 13 migrant Dotterel, and 55 Long-tailed Skuas passed the Western Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 8th May 2018 | ||
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| New rarities today were all brief encounters with an Olive-backed Pipit reported in Norfolk at Cley, single
Red-rumped Swallows in Cornwall at Nanjizal and East Yorkshire at Easington and then Spurn, and in Dorset a
Savi's Warbler singing at Radipole Lake and a Black Kite over Hartland Moor. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the American Bittern in Suffolk, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Black Duck in Highland, territorial Iberian Chiffchaffs in each of Cornwall, Norfolk and Wirral, and single Black-winged Stilts in both Cambridgeshire and Essex. Scarcities included Red-backed Shrike (Devon), Golden Oriole (Norfolk), Temminck's Stint (London), Ring-necked Duck (Cleveland), Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Cattle Egret (Cheshire), Grey-headed Wagtail (Lothian), two each of both Purple Heron and Surf Scoter, seven Glossy Ibises and a total of 13 migrant Dotterel. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 7th May 2018 | ||
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| Mediterranean rarities today comprised Iberian Chiffchaffs in both Norfolk at Ringstead Downs and continuing on the Wirral, territorial
Savi's Warbler and a brief Red-rumped Swallow in Suffolk, Black-winged Stilts
in Cambridgeshire and Essex (2), and in Cornwall a Bee-eater seen
briefly at Goonhilly Downs. Rarities from elsewhere comprised the territorial American Bittern still in Suffolk, Green Heron in Pembrokeshire, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Snowy Owl on Western Isles, Hooded Merganser in Cleveland, Laughing Gull on the Isles of Scilly, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, White-billed Divers in Moray and the Orkney Isles, and in Norfolk a Red-throated Pipit flew over Sheringham. Scarcities included Short-toed Lark (Norfolk), White-winged Black Tern (Suffolk), Hoopoe (Cornwall), Temminck's Stint (London), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Grey-headed Wagtail (Lothian), two Surf Scoters, three each of Purple Heron, Ring-necked Duck and Glossy Ibis, and five migrant Dotterel. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 6th May 2018 | ||
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| New discoveries today included an unringed Hooded Merganser at Seaton Common, Cleveland, a Snowy Owl at Hermaness, Unst, Shetland, a Bee-eater over Flamborough, Yorkshire and single Black-headed Wagtails at Hurn, Dorset and Hen Borth, Anglesey.
Lingering rarities included the Green Heron in Pembrokeshire, American Bittern and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, two Iberian Chiffchaffs in Cornwall and one in Wirral, Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Black-winged Stilt in Leicestershire and White-billed Diver in Moray. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 5th May 2018 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was a female Little Bittern at Budle Bay, Northumberland, which showed very well in Waren Burn and is present for its second day. New discoveries today included an Iberian Chiffchaff at Polgigga, Cornwall, a Savi's Warbler at Strumpshaw, Norfolk, a Red-rumped Swallow at Portland, Dorset and a Black-winged Stilt at Rutland Water, Leicestershire.
Lingering rarities included the Green Heron in Pembrokeshire, American Bittern and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Snowy Owl in Lincolnshire, single Iberian Chiffchaffs in Wirral and Cornwall, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Devon and Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Black Kite in Orkney, White-billed Diver in County Donegal and King Eider in Aberdeenshire. Scarcity highlights included a Woodchat Shrike, a Red-backed Shrike, a Serin, a Wryneck, three Purple Herons, four Glossy Ibises, an American Wigeon, a Green-winged Teal, two Tundra Bean Geese, two Honey Buzzards, a Pectoral Sandpiper, 22 Dotterel and 14 Pomarine Skuas. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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