 |
|
|
| Friday 31st July 2020 | ||
|
||
| A Bonaparte's Gull was on Berneray, Western Isles, a Black Kite was on St Mary's, Scilly and single Red-footed Falcons were at Bromeswell, Suffolk and Kingsdown and Grove Ferry, both Kent.
Lingering rarities included the Gull-billed Tern in County Wexford and Lesser Yellowlegs, Black-winged Stilt and Bonaparte's Gull all in Kent. Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Hoopoe, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Montagu's Harrier, seven Honey Buzzards, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, a Long-tailed Skua, a Cory's Shearwater and seven Balearic Shearwaters. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
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.
|
|
|
| Thursday 30th July 2020 | ||
|
||
| A probable Zino's Petrel was seen from the evening pelagic off the Isles of Scilly. This would be the first record for Britain if confirmed. Six Wilson's Petrels were also seen, along with both Great and Cory's Shearwaters.
Other new discoveries, or relocations, today included a Caspian Tern at Lunt Meadows, Merseyside, then on the Kent Estuary in Cumbria and at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire, and a Long-billed Dowitcher at Martin Mere WWT, Lancashire. A Gull-billed Tern was present at Alton Water, Suffolk, yesterday. Lingering rarities included the Gull-billed Tern in County Wexford and Lesser Yellowlegs and Black-winged Stilt in Kent. Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, four Honey Buzzards, an Iceland Gull, two Glaucous Gulls, five Great Shearwaters, six Cory's Shearwaters, a Pomarine Skua, five Long-tailed Skuas and three Balearic Shearwaters. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Wednesday 29th July 2020 | ||
|
||
| In Northumberland the Sooty Tern was again around Cullernose Point from late afternoon. The Gull-billed Tern remained at Tacumshin, County Wexford, as did the Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes and Black-winged Stilt at Dungeness, both Kent (with the pair of stilts still in Somerset), Pacific Golden Plover at Derrybeg, County Donegal, Long-billed Dowitcher at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside and the Lammergeier was reported a couple of times in Derbyshire.
Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, six Honey Buzzards, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Glaucous Gull, two Cory's Shearwaters, two Great Shearwaters, two Balearic Shearwaters and a Pomarine Skua. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Tuesday 28th July 2020 | ||
|
||
In Northumberland, the very mobile Sooty Tern appeared at Howick mid-afternoon before visiting Embleton in the evening. Lingering rarities included the Gull-billed Tern in Co.Wexford, Caspian Tern in Hampshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, the Black-winged Stilt family in Somerset. The Lammergeier was reported over Froggat in Derbyshire. Among other highlights were two Rose-coloured Starlings, Pectoral Sandpiper (Northumberland), Grey Phalarope (Pembrokeshire), two Long-tailed Skuas, seven Cory's Shearwaters and Great Shearwater (Co.Donegal). |
||
| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Monday 27th July 2020 | ||
|
||
Fishlake Meadows in Hampshire hosted a Caspian Tern. The day's Scilly pelagic produced four Wilson's Petrels, while another was seen from land at Deelick Point in Co.Kerry. A Fea's or Desertas Petrel was seen from Polperro in Cornwall. The only continuing rarities reported were the Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Oxfordshire), three Pectoral Sandpipers and five Long-tailed Skuas. There was a good movement of Cory's and Great Shearwaters, mainly off Cornwall, where highest counts were 48 of the former past Porthgwarra and 40 Greats off Lizard Point. |
||
| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Sunday 26th July 2020 | ||
|
||
In Northamptonshire, a Caspian Tern flew through Stanford Reservoir then Summer Leys NR. The Laughing Gull in Co.Dublin continued its stay, as did the Gull-billed Tern in Co.Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Black-winged Stilt in Kent. The Lammergeier was seen again in Derbyshire. Scarcities included two Pectoral Sandpipers, Long-tailed Skua (Shetland), Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), 23 Great Shearwaters and 22 Cory's Shearwaters. |
||
| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Saturday 25th July 2020 | ||
|
||
| Highlight of the day was a flyby adult Sooty Tern south off
St Mary's Island (Northumberland) - presumably the same bird previously at
Cemlyn (Anglesey) on 14th June, Minsmere RSPB and Sizewell power station
(Suffolk) on 8th July and Maidenhead Bay (Ayrshire) on 23rd July. Rarity sightings included a Caspian Tern at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire), Bee-eater at Stallingborough Meadows (Lincolnshire), Gull-billed Tern (Co Wexford), Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Yellowlegs (Kent), Long-billed Dowitcher (Merseyside), two Black-winged Stilts (Somerset), whilst the Lammergeier was again reported in Derbyshire. The best of the rest included Pectoral Sandpiper (East Yorkshire), Rose-coloured Starlings (Highland and Western Isles), Night Heron (Somerset) and Glossy Ibis (Gwent). |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Friday 24th July 2020 | ||
|
||
| Lingering rarities still present today included the Stilt Sandpiper in Orkney, Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, Black-winged Stilts in Somerset (three) and Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Laughing Gull in County Dublin and Lammergeier in Derbyshire /South Yorkshire.
Scarcity highlights included three Rose-coloured Starlings, two Pectoral Sandpipers, a Night Heron, a Glossy Ibis, five Honey Buzzards and a Long-tailed Skua. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Thursday 23rd July 2020 | ||
|
||
| A Sooty Tern was present briefly at Maidens, Ayrshire mid afternoon before it flew north. A Stilt Sandpiper remained for its second day on Sanday, Orkney.
Other lingering rarites included the Lammergeier in Derbyshire /South Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in Cumbria and Merseyside, Black-winged Stilts in Somerset (five) and Kent, Laughing Gull in County Dublin and single Bonaparte's Gulls in County Louth and Argyll. Scarcity highlights included two Rose-coloured Starlings, four Honey Buzzards, a Glossy Ibis, a Pomarine Skua, eight Long-tailed Skuas and ten Balearic Shearwaters. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Wednesday 22nd July 2020 | ||
|
||
A report emerged of a male Little Crake heard singing near Irstead in Norfolk the previous evening. Two Red-rumped Swallows were reported over Rye Harbour in Sussex. Continuing rarities today comprised the Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs in Kent, the pair of Black-winged Stilts in Somerset, Laughing Gull in Co.Dublin, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, and the Lammergeier in the Peak District. The day's supporting cast included two Pectoral Sandpipers (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), two Long-tailed Skuas (Orkney), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), two Purple Herons and Rose-coloured Starling (Cleveland). |
||
| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
|
||