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| Sunday 22nd March 2020 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Long-billed Dowitcher in
Cumbria, inland at Wedholme Flow. Rarities elsewhere comprised both the Tengmalm's Owl and
Snowy Owl still on the Shetland Isles, Lesser Kestrel on the Isles of Scilly,
Forster's Tern in County Galway, Laughing Gull in Somerset, Black-throated Thrush in Lincolnshire,
West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Saker on the Orkney Isles,
Bonaparte's Gull and Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford, Kentish Plover in Devon,
Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, and Ferruginous Duck in the West Midlands, whilst
White-billed Divers were recorded in Aberdeenshire near Portsoy (2), and Moray at Cullen (4). Scarcities included Hoopoe (Dorset), Ring-billed Gull (County Antrim), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Yellow-browed Warbler (London), Lapland Bunting (Highland), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), two Green-winged Teals, three each of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Great Grey Shrike, five Ring-necked Ducks, and a total of eight Surf Scoters. Incoming spring migrants included 25 Garganey, 10 Ring Ouzels, seven each of both Willow Warbler and House Martin, five Swallows, three each of Yellow Wagtail and Osprey, and singles of both Hobby and Whinchat. |
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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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| Saturday 21st March 2020 | ||
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| A Kentish Plover was found at Dawlish Warren NNR, Devon, and a White-billed Diver was off Portsoy, Aberdeenshire.
Lingering rarities included the Lesser Kestrel in Scilly, Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Black-throated Thrush in Lincolnshire, Laughing Gull in Somerset, Bonaparte's Gull and Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wicklow, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in West Midlands and King Eider in Highland. Scarcity highlights included a Richard's Pipit, four Great Grey Shrikes, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, two Rough-legged Buzzards, two Green-winged Teals, two American Wigeon, two Ring-necked Ducks, ten Surf Scoters, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Tundra Bean Goose, two Snow Geese, a Kumlien's Gull, 13 Iceland Gulls and 15 Glaucous Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 20th March 2020 | ||
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| Lingering rarities comprised Lesser Kestrel (Isles of
Scilly), Short-toed Treecreeper (Kent), Laughing Gull
and Kentish Plover (Somerset), Pied-billed Grebe
(Argyll), West Siberian Stonechat (Cheshire), Forster's
Tern (Co Galway), Lesser Scaup (Dumfries & Galloway),
King Eider (Highland) and two Richardson's Cackling
Geese (Western Isles), whilst in North Yorkshire a second
Lesser Yellowlegs reportedly joined the long-staying bird at
Nosterfield NR. The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit (East Yorkshire),Yellow-browed Warbler (London), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Snow Goose (Western Isles), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), Todd's Canada Goose (Argyll), Green-winged Teal (Devon), two Rough-legged Buzzards and Tundra Bean Geese, three Lapland Buntings, four Ring-necked Duck, five Surf Scoters and Shorelarks and seven Great Grey Shrikes. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 19th March 2020 | ||
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| In Kent, the Short-toed Treecreeper reappeared at Dungeness, in the Old Lighthouse garden. Further north, four White-billed Divers flew south past Brora, Highland.
Lingering rarities seen today included the Lesser Kestrel in Scilly, Black-throated Thrush in Lincolnshire, Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Laughing Gull in Somerset, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in County Wicklow and County Wexford, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford and White-billed Diver in Shetland. Scarciy highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Yellow-browed Warbler, four Great Grey Shrikes, a Purple Heron, two Rough-legged Buzzards, two American Wigeon, three Ring-necked Ducks, four Green-winged Teal, four Surf Scoters, a Black Brant, a Bean Goose sp, two Todd's Canada Geese, two Ring-billed Gulls, seven Glaucous Gulls and 13 Iceland Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 18th March 2020 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Tengmalm's Owl on the Shetland Isles, Lesser Kestrel
on the Isles of Scilly, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Kentish
Plover in Somerset, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both County Wexford and County Wicklow. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), two American Wigeons, three Surf Scoters, four each of both Great Grey Shrike and Green-winged Teal, and a total of six Ring-necked Ducks. Incoming spring migrants included 10 Garganey, six Willow Warblers, two each of Osprey, Ring Ouzel and House Martin, and singles of Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, and Swallow. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 17th March 2020 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Short-toed Treecreeper in Kent at Dungeness although it was soon lost from view. Rarities elsewhere comprised both the
Tengmalm's Owl and a White-billed Diver still on the Shetland Isles,
Lesser Kestrel on the Isles of Scilly, Laughing Gull and Kentish Plover in Somerset,
West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Penduline Tit in Dorset, Bonaparte's Gull
in County Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wicklow, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll, and the Ferruginous Duck still in the West Midlands. In addition, the
Hooded Merganser remained in Staffordshire but prvoed to be an escaped bird. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Glossy Ibis (County Cork), two each of both American Wigeon and Lapland Bunting, three of Surf Scoter, Ring-billed Gull and Green-winged Teal, five Great Grey Shrikes, and a total of six Ring-necked Ducks. Incoming spring migrants included 10 each of both Garganey and Swallow, three Ring Ouzels, two Common Terns and a Willow Warbler. Significant late news concerned a Killdeer present yesterday on Lundy, Devon. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 16th March 2020 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the appearance of an adult male Hooded Merganser in Staffordshire at Dosthill; perhaps the same individual
that was present in the same county at Whitemoor Haye on 12th October and 2nd December 2019. The Lesser Kestrel remained on the Isles of Scilly whilst other lingering rarities comprised the White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Laughing Gull and Kentish Plover in Somerset, Black-throated Thrush in Lincolnshire, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Penduline Tit in Dorset, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, King Eider in Highland, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both County Wexford and County Wicklow. Scarities included Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), Serin (West Sussex), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), American Wigeon (County Wicklow), Yellow-browed Warbler (London), three each of Surf Scoter and Lapland Bunting, four of Ring-billed Gull and Green-winged Teal, six Great Grey Shrikes, and eight Ring-necked Ducks. Today saw the first major arrival of summer migrants with a total of 479 Wheatears logged along with 30 White Wagtails, eight Garganey, six Swallows, four each of Osprey and Willow Warbler, three Ring Ouzels, and two each of both Cuckoo and House Martin. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 15th March 2020 | ||
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| Breaking mega news today of an adult male Lesser Kestrel found on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly although it later transpired that it had present there,
but not identified, for at least seven days. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Tengmalm's Owl still on the Shetland Isles, White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, both Ross's Gull and Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Black-throated Thrush in Lincolnshire, American Herring Gull in County Sligo, Laughing Gull and Kentish Plover in Somerset, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Black Scoter in Northumberland, King Eider in Highland, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and County Wicklow. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Glossy Ibis (East Sussex), two each of Surf Scoter, American Wigeon and Lapland Bunting, five each of both Ring-necked Duck and Great Grey Shrike, and six Ring-billed Gulls. Arriving migrants included Cuckoo (Suffolk), Osprey (Cornwall), two Ring Ouzels, three Swallows, four White Wagtails, 12 Little Ringed Plovers, 14 Garganey, 18 Wheatear, and a total of 55 Sand Martins. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 14th March 2020 | ||
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| A fine selection of lingering rarities comprised Ross's Gull
(Devon), Laughing Gull and Kentish Plover
(Somerset), Pied-billed Grebe (Argyll), Black-throated
Thrushes (Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire), West Siberian
Stonechat (Cheshire), Forster's Tern (Co Galway),
American Herring Gull (Co Sligo), Lesser Scaup
(Co Mayo), Bonaparte's Gull (Co Wexford), Long-billed
Dowitchers (Devon, Co Wexford and Co Wicklow), Blue-winged Teal
(Devon), Penduline Tit (Dorset), White-winged Scoter
(Lothian), Lesser Yellowlegs (North Yorkshire), Black
Scoter (Northumberland), Richardson's Cackling Goose
(Western Isles) and Ferruginous Duck (West Midlands). The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), Richard's Pipit (East Yorkshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (London), Black-bellied Dipper (Buckinghamshire), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Todd's Canada Goose (Lancashire), Green-winged Teal (Co Mayo), two Kumlien's Gulls and Lapland Buntings, three American Wigeons and Ring-billed Gulls, four Surf Scoters, five Shorelarks, ten Great Grey Shrikes and 12 Ring-necked Ducks. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 13th March 2020 | ||
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| Rarities today comprised both Tengmalm's Owl and White-billed Diver
still on the Shetland Isles, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Ross's Gull
and Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Black-throated Thrush in Lincolnshire,
Laughing Gull and Kentish Plover in Somerset, American Herring Gull in County Sligo,
West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Penduline Tit in Dorset,
both Black Duck and King Eider in Highland, Lesser Scaup and
White-billed Diver in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire,
Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, and Ferruginous Ducks in both Hampshire and the West Midlands. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Yellow-browed Warbler (London), Snow Goose (Western Isles), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), two American Wigeons, three each of both Ring-billed Gull and Lapland Bunting, four Ring-necked Ducks, five Shorelarks, and a total of 11 Great Grey Shrikes. Arriving spring migrants included 50 Sand Martins scattered across 18 counties, six Wheatears, two each of both Garganey and Little Ringed Plover, and single Osprey (Leicestershire) and Swallow (Dorset). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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