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| Tuesday 27th August 2019 | ||
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In the evening, a Cliff Swallow was encountered flying around the pier at Milovaig on the Isle of Skye in Highland. The Brown Booby spent a short while fishing off St.Ives Island in Cornwall this morning, where it was photographed and confirmed. It was reported again mid-afternoon, but the vast majority of hopeful observers failed to connect. Mainland Shetland hosted the first Pallid Harrier of the autumn, along with a Citrine Wagtail. A Tawny Pipit flew over Rhossili in Glamorgan. Ringing in west Cornwall produced the county's fifth Blyth's Reed Warbler, which was released at Polgigga duck pond. A Greenish Warbler was found on Fair Isle, and the evening's Scilly pelagic produced their third Fea's or Desertas Petrel in as many weeks. The day's continuing rarities were the Western Bonelli's Warbler in Cornwall, Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle, Greenish Warblers in Orkney and Shetland, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Bonaparte's Gull in Co.Clare and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire. The supporting cast included Grey-headed Wagtail (Sussex), Red-backed Shrike (Scilly), 23 Wrynecks, two Icterine Warblers (East Yorkshire and Devon), two Barred Warblers (Shetland), two Rose-coloured Starlings (Northumberland and Co.Durham), two Marsh Warblers, Lapland Bunting (Western Isles), Ortolan Bunting (Kent and Dorset ['nocmig' records]), Montagu's Harrier (East Yorkshire), Spotted Crake (Cornwall), Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint (Lincolnshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lothian), two Sabine's Gulls (Co.Durham and Co.Kerry), Dotterel (Lincolnshire), Ring-necked Duck (Herefordshire), two Surf Scoters (Lothian and Conwy), Cory's Shearwater (Norfolk), two Great Shearwaters (Cornwall), two Pomarine Skuas (Co.Kerry and Co.Clare), Iceland Gull (Western Isles), and three migrant Honey Buzzards. |
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| - David Campbell, 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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| Monday 26th August 2019 | ||
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Following the distantly photographed potential Brown Booby on Monday last week, there was a report this afternoon of what looked like this species - viewed without optics - off St.Ives in Cornwall (this was confirmed when the bird was photographed there the next day). It was a busy day for new rarities, with Western Bonelli's Warbler at Trevescan in Cornwall, Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle, Aquatic Warblers in Cornwall and Somerset, a Black-headed Bunting on Lundy in Devon, Greenish Warblers in Orkney and Shetland, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Greatham Creek in Cleveland and a Wilson's Petrel from a County Cork pelagic. The Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and Co.Clare and the Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire were still present. A good arrival of drift migrants involved 19 Wrynecks, two Red-backed Shrikes, three Barred Warblers, two Melodious Warblers, two Ortolan Buntings (Glamorgan and Surrey [a 'noc-mig' record] and three Common Rosefinches. Woodchat Shrike (Co.Cork), two Rose-coloured Starlings (Northumberland and Western Isles), Icterine Warbler (Devon) and Marsh Warbler (East Yorkshire) stayed on from previous days. Other scarcities today included Hoopoe (Anglesey), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), American Golden Plover (Cornwall), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lothian), Temminck's Stint (Lincolnshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), two Purple Herons (together in East Sussex), two Montagu's Harriers (Essex and East Yorkshire), four Dotterel, Spotted Crake (Cornwall), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), four Long-tailed Skuas (Highland), two Pomarine Skuas (Anglesey), Great Shearwater (Cornwall), Iceland Gull (Western Isles), Glaucous Gull (North Yorkshire) and four migrant Honey Buzzards. |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 25th August 2019 | ||
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| Three Tawny Pipit sightings came from Hartland Moor
(Dorset), Orcombe Point (Devon) and Cuckmere (East Sussex) and a
Wilson's Petrel was logged from the Mallaig to Lochboisdale ferry in
Western Isles waters. The Blue-winged Teal (Clyde), Snowy Owl in Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitchers (Lancashire and Lincolnshire) and Baird's Sandpiper (Co Wexford) all lingered. Scarcity highlights included Woodchat Shrike (Co Cork), Melodious Warbler (Orkney), Ortolan Bunting (Surrey), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lothian), Marsh Warbler (East Yorkshire), Corncrake (Shetland), American Golden Plover (Cornwall), Grey-headed Wagtail (Orkney), Red-backed Shrike (Shetland), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Ring-billed Gull (Co Sligo), two Icterine Warblers, Rose-coloured Starlings, and Montagu's Harriers, six Dotterels, six Barred Warblers, seven Honey Buzzards and 11 Wrynecks. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 24th August 2019 | ||
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| New discoveries comprised an Alpine Swift on Isles of Scilly
and a subalpine warbler species on North Ronaldsay (Orkney),
whilst Blue-winged Teal (Clyde), Long-billed Dowitchers
(Co Antrim and Lincolnshire), Tawny Pipit (Cornwall) and
Baird's Sandpiper (Co Wexford) all lingered. The best of the rest included Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Dotterel (Lincolnshire), Hoopoe (Northumberland), Marsh Warbler and Montagu's Harrier (East Yorkshire), two each of Rose-coloured Starling, Ortolan Bunting, Pectoral Sandpiper and Wryneck and at least 13 Honey Buzzards. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 23rd August 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Fea's/Desertas Petrel at sea off the Isles of Scilly whilst seabirds elsewhere included two Wilson's Petrels and a
Great Shearwater at sea off County Cork, Cory's Shearwater at sea off North Yorkshire, and a
Sabine's Gull in Norfolk. Other rarities comprised a Baird's Sandpiper new in County Wexford at Tacumshin, the Snowy Owl still on the Western Isles, Tawny Pipit in Cornwall, Blue-winged Teal still in Clyde, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both Lancashire and Lincolnshire Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Northumberland), Icterine Warbler (Devon), Ortolan Bunting (East Yorkshire), Hoopoe (Essex), Wryneck (Buckinghamshire), Red-backed Shrike (Shetland Isles), Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Dotterel (Lincolnshire), Pectoral Sandpiper and Surf Scoter (Lothian) and two Barred Warblers (together on Shetland). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 22nd August 2019 | ||
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The day's continuing rarities were the Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, and Long-billed Dowitchers in Lincolnshire, Lancashire and Co.Antrim. Scarcities included Ortolan Bunting (London), Wryneck (Staffordshire), Red-backed Shrike (Shetland), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), two American Golden Plovers (Cornwall and Orkney), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lothian), Dotterel (Lincolnshire), three Surf Scoters, two Cory's Shearwaters (Cornwall), Long-tailed Skua (East Yorkshire), four Pomarine Skuas and Glaucous Gull (Western Isles). |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 21st August 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Bonelli's Warbler in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea although it remained silent and so could not be identified to species. Rarities elsewhere comprised a Tawny Pipit new in Cornwall at Nanjizal, a Two-barred Crossbill still on the Shetland Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Long-billed Dowitchers in County Antrim, Lancashire and Lincolnshire. Scarcities included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Ortolan Bunting (Dorset), two Barred Warblers (Orkney Isles and Shetland), Purple Heron (Norfolk), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lothian), Dotterel (Isle of Wight), Long-tailed Skua (East Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Essex), two Marsh Warblers and three Cory's Shearwaters. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 20th August 2019 | ||
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| In Gwynedd a Fea's or Desertas Petrel flew past Bardsey Island, and another was seen from a pelagic off Baltimore in County Cork, along with two Wilson's Petrels, a further two of which were seen from the evening pelagic off the Isles of Scilly. A Blyth's Reed Warbler was found on Fair Isle, Shetland, a Bee-eater was on St Mary's, Scilly, a Long-billed Dowitcher was at Martin Mere WWT, Lancashire and a Ferruginous Duck was at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk.
Lingering rarities included the Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent. Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Barred Warbler, a Red-backed Shrike, three Marsh Warblers, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Grey Phalarope, two Great Shearwaters, two Sabine's Gulls, two Pomarine Skuas, a Ring-necked Duck, a Glossy Ibis, two Purple Herons, three Surf Scoters and four Honey Buzzards. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 19th August 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of an Aquatic Warbler in Dorset at Abbotsbury Swannery. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Snowy Owl still on the Western Isles, a
Two-barred Crossbill on the Shetland Isles, the Blue-winged Teal still in Clyde, and
Long-billed Dowitchers in both County Antrim and Lincolnshire. Scarcities included Purple Heron (Norfolk), Red-backed Shrike (Shetland Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lothian), Dotterel (Isle of Wight), Montagu's Harrier (Hampshire), Long-tailed Skua (Wirral), Ring-necked Duck (Denbighshire), Glossy Ibis (Devon), two each of Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Marsh Warbler, Great Shearwater and Sabine's Gull. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 18th August 2019 | ||
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| Seawatching brought the highlights of the day with a Barolo Shearwater passing Corsewall Point, Dumfries and Galloway,
Fea's/Desertas Petrels seen from both County Clare and County Kerry, Wilson's Petrels
watched from County Clare and County Kerry (4) and off the Isles of Scilly (3), whilst two
Long-tailed Skuas, five Sabine's Gulls, six Cory's and 24
Great Shearwaters were all logged. Rarities elsewhere comprised two Blyth's Reed Warblers and six Two-barred Crossbills on the Shetland Isles, Forster's Tern still in County Louth, Blue-winged Teal still in Clyde, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Long-billed Dowitchers in both County Antrim and Lincolnshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Wexford and a Bee-eater briefly in Cornwall. Scarcities included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Barred Warbler and Red-backed Shrike (Shetland Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lothian), Spotted Crake (Lincolnshire), Ring-necked Duck (Essex), Glossy Ibis (Devon) and three each of both Marsh Warbler and Surf Scoter. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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