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| Wednesday 13th May 2020 | ||
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A female Brown Shrike at Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire was Britain's third spring record, following a singing male in the same county almost exactly a year ago. An Iberian Chiffchaff was in song for its 12th day at Ponders End Lake in Enfield, London. Meanwhile, the Little Bittern was still on the Isle of Man and the female King Eider remained in Highland. Black Kite sightings came from Capel Fleet and Faversham, both Kent. Other highlights from the day's birding included Woodchat Shrike in Devon, two Golden Orioles, Purple Heron (Gloucestershire), Green-winged Teal (Lincolnshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Merseyside), four Temminck's Stints and 13 Dotterel. |
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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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| Tuesday 12th May 2020 | ||
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| A Red-rumped Swallow was found at Wyke Regis, Dorset.
Lingering rarities included the Iberian Chiffchaff at Croft, Lincolsnhire and the 13 Bee-eaters north of Rhiw, Gwynedd. Scarcity highlights included six Dotterel, at least two White-winged Black Terns, a Montagu's Harrier, a Honey Buzzard, two Glaucous Gulls and three Iceland Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 11th May 2020 | ||
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| Rarities today comprised the Red-rumped Swallow still in County Dublin at Swords Estuary, and a
Bee-eater briefly in Hampshire at Havant. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Nottinghamshire), Woodchat Shrike (Isle of Wight), American Golden Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper (together in County Mayo), Purple Heron (Norfolk), Hoopoe, Green-winged Teal and Lapland Bunting (Shetland Isles), Montagu's Harrier (Northamptonshire), Little Auk (Aberdeenshire), and a total of nine migrant Dotterel. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 10th May 2020 | ||
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A Rustic Bunting was a good find on Lundy in Devon. The Little Bittern remained on the Isle of Man. Bee-eaters flew over North Baddesley in Hampshire and Porthlevenin Cornwall. Black Kites were seen over two sites in both Hampshire and Kent, while others were in Kent, Surrey and Sussex. A Red-rumped Swallow was found at Swords in Co.Dublin. There was late news of a Great Reed Warbler in Suffolk yesterday and a Black-throated Thrush in Northumberland on Friday. Scarcities included a Cory's Shearwater (Kent), four Golden Orioles, eight Dotterel (trip in Conwy), Montagu's Harrier (Cornwall) and Green-winged Teal (Shetland). |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 9th May 2020 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a male Little Bittern at Clypse Reservoir, Isle of Man, a Great Reed Warbler at Cley NWT, Norfolk and a Black-winged Stilt at Sidlesham, Sussex. Eastern Subalpine Warblers were found at Boddam, Shetland and on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire, whilst the Western Subalpine Warbler was confirmed and still present on St Mary's, Scilly. Thirteen Bee-eaters were at Mynydd Rhiw, Gwynedd, two were on Sherkin Island, County Cork, and singles were at Kilnsea/Spurn, Yorkshire and Beachy Head, Sussex. Black Kites flew over Cannop Ponds and Barnwood (both Gloucestershire), Hastings Country Park (Sussex), Dungeness (Kent), Kilnsea/Spurn (Yorkshire) and Wivenhoe (Essex).
Both the Red-rumped Swallow and two Bee-eaters lingered in Scilly. Scarcity highlights included an Icterine Warbler, a Woodchat Shrike, a Red-backed Shrike, a Wryneck, a Grey-headed Wagtail, three Serins, six Golden Orioles, a Corncrake, eight Dotterel, four White-winged Black Terns, four Roseate Terns, a Montagu's Harrier, three Honey Buzzards, two Pomarine Skuas, a Green-winged Teal and an Iceland Gull. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 8th May 2020 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the identification of a Semipalmated Sandpiper
in County Wexford at Tacumshin where it has first been found on 7th April. Rarities elsewhere comprised a Rustic Bunting new on the Shetland Isles on Fair Isle, the Citrine Wagtail still on the Orkney Isles, Western Subalpine Warbler new in Pembrokeshire on Skokholm, two Black Storks flew over Ambaston, Derbyshire, Red-rumped Swallow on the Isles of Scilly, Bee-eater in Cleveland, East Yorkshire and the Isles of Scilly (3), and single Black Kites logged in County Durham, Cornwall, East Sussex, and Norfolk. Scarcities included Short-toed Lark (Northumberland), Ortolan Bunting (County Louth), American Golden Plover (County Mayo), Wryneck (Kent), Temminck's Stint and Grey-headed Wagtail (Norfolk), Shorelark (Orkney Isles), two each of both Golden Oriole and Iceland Gull, and three of Hoopoe and migrant Dotterel. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 7th May 2020 | ||
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There were two Bee-eaters in Norfolk and another in Sussex. Black Kites were seen in Norfolk and Lincolnshire. At least two Red-rumped Swallows were on St.Mary's, Scilly, with another at Portland in Dorset. A Subalpine Warbler was also on St.Mary's. The Red-footed Falcon was still in Kent. A strong selection of scarcities included two Woodchat Shrikes, Grey-headed Wagtail (Orkney), four Golden Orioles, four Temminck's Stints (all Norfolk), Purple Heron (Dorset), Serin (Isle of Wight), Short-toed Lark (Northumberland), Long-tailed Skua (Shetland), American Golden Plover (Pembrokeshire), Wryneck (Lincolnshire), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Montagu's Harrier (Sussex) and Honey Buzzard (Cheshire). |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 6th May 2020 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Savi's Warbler at Druridge Bay, Northumberland, a Black Kite near Wedmore, Somerset and two Bee-eaters over Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire.
Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Serin, a Short-toed Lark, a Golden Oriole, two Hoopoes, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Glossy Ibis, two Purple Herons, a Montagu's Harrier, two Honey Buzzards, a Balearic Shearwater, two Pomarine Skuas, three Iceland Gulls and three Glaucous Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 5th May 2020 | ||
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| Notable sightings today included a Red-backed Shrike in County Durham, single
Hoopoes in both Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, at least two Golden Orioles on the Isles of Scilly with another in County Cork, a Balearic Shearwater
in Dorset, and both Iceland Gull and Glaucous Gull remain together on the Shetland Isles. Late news concerned the Steller's Eider still present on the Orkney Isles on Papa Westray on 24th April. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 4th May 2020 | ||
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A singing Subalpine Warbler went unseen on Bardsey Island in Gwynedd, while a Snowy Owl was reported near St.Just in Cornwall and a Black Kite flew over Gillingham in Dorset. A Bee-eater spent a short while at Dungeness in Kent. The Lesser Kestrel was still on Scilly, the Squacco Heron was relocated briefly in East Yorkshire and a White-billed Diver remained in Orkney. Scarcities included American Golden Plover, Grey-headed Wagtail, Golden Oriole, Bluethroat, Purple Heron, three Hoopoes, three Pomarine Skuas, Dotterel and Ring-necked Duck. |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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