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| Monday 26th October 2020 | ||
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A Fea's/Desertas Petrel was the clear highlight of a seawatch at Pendeen in Cornwall. The plantation at East Denwick in Deerness, Orkney, produced a Hume's Warbler which was trapped and ringed. New Lesser Yellowlegs appeared on Tresco, Scilly, and North Uist, Western Isles. The Indigo Bunting showed until lunchtime on St.Agnes, Scilly, before flying off and not returning by the end of the day. The White's Thrush continued its stay in Devon, while the Blackpoll Warbler in Shetland and Brown Shrike in Northumberland also stayed put. Other positive updates on rarities involved the Red-eyed Vireo on Scilly, Red-flanked Bluetail in Western Isles, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Co.Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Co.Derry, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles and Eastern Stonechat sp in Cleveland and Shetland. Lesser Yellowlegs lingered in Devon, Somerset and North Yorkshire. Dusky Warblers were still in Anglesey, West Sussex, East Yorkshire, Norfolk (two) and Kent. Scarcity news included eight Parrot Crossbills (a flock over Stiffkey, Norfolk), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Little Bunting (Shetland), Common Rosefinch (Western Isles), two Richard's Pipits, two Bluethroats, two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Barred Warblers, Pallas's Warbler (Sussex), Short-toed Lark (East Yorkshire), Shorelark (Kent), two Red-backed Shrikes, five Great Grey Shrikes, Hoopoe (Northumberland), seven Ring-necked Ducks, Surf Scoter (Highland), four Green-winged Teal, Black Brant (Dorset), Todd's Canada Goose (Argyll) and a total of eight Glossy Ibises. |
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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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| Sunday 25th October 2020 | ||
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The big news of the day was the discovery of an Indigo Bunting on St.Agnes, Scilly, in the afternoon, which went on to show for birders arriving on boats from other islands. It represents the fourth record for Britain and Ireland and overshadowed the Red-eyed Vireo found on the same island today. Scilly also had a second Red-eyed Vireo on Bryher. A White's Thrush was at Gulberwick in Shetland.An East Siberian White Wagtail and a new Eastern Stonechat sp turned up on Unst, Shetland. Dusky Warblers were found near Crawley in West Sussex and at Wylfa Head, Anglesey. The Brown Shrike stayed put in Northumberland, as did the White's Thrush in Devon and the Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Eastern Stonechat sp in Cleveland and Norfolk, Red-flanked Bluetails in Norfolk and Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria and Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Norfolk, Devon, North Yorkshire and Co.Waterford. Dusky Warblers were still in Norfolk, Scilly and East Yorkshire. Other highlights today included Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), two Little Buntings, Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Bluethroat (Orkney), Barred Warbler (Northumberland), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Shetland), Red-backed Shrike (Kent), four Great Grey Shrikes, Pallas's Warbler (Conwy), Shorelark (Kent), four Rose-coloured Starlings, three Hoopoes, Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Orkney), two Surf Scoters, two Green-winged Teal, five Ring-necked Ducks, two Todd's Canada Geese and 14 Glossy Ibises. |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 24th October 2020 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the Isles of Scilly on Gugh; the twentieth individual Nearctic landbird of the autumn and the eleventh species. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Brown Shrike still in Northumberland, Red-flanked Bluetails in both Norfolk and the Western Isles, Eastern Stonechats in Cleveland and Norfolk, Olive-backed Pipits in Norfolk (2) and Scilly, Dusky Warblers in East Yorkshire, Norfolk and Scilly, Long-billed Dowitchers in Cumbria and North Yorkshire, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Norfolk, Somerset, County Waterford, and North Yorkshire. Scarcities Little Bunting (Norfolk), Red-backed Shrike (Kent), Barred Warbler and American Wigeon (Nothumberland), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Ring-billed Gull (County Louth), Sabine's Gull (Devon), two each of Hoopoe, Richard's Pipit, Shorelark, Great Grey Shrike, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Surf Scoter, three American Golden Plovers, five Ring-necked Ducks, six Glossy Ibises, and seven Waxwings. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 23rd October 2020 | ||
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| Today's new discoveries included Pallid Swift in Hampshire,
Dusky Warblers in Cornwall and Kent, Coues's Arctic
Redpoll in Shetland and Lesser Scaup in Somerset. The Brown Shrike and Desert Wheatear (Northumberland), Red-flanked Bluetail (Western Isles), Blackpoll Warbler (Shetland), Lesser Yellowlegs (Devon, Norfolk and Somerset), Eastern Stonechats (Cleveland and Norfolk), Long-billed Dowitcher (Cumbria), Richardson's Cackling Geese (Western Isles [2] and Forth) and at least eight Dusky Warblers all lingered. The best of the rest included American Golden Plover and Shorelark (Kent), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Pembrokeshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), Barred Warbler and Hoopoe((Northumberland), Parrot Crossbill and Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), two Red-backed Shrikes, Pectoral Sandpipers and Todd's Canada Geese, five Pallas's Warblers and Ring-necked Ducks, six Richard's Pipits, eight Great Grey Shrikes and Waxwings and eleven Glossy Ibises. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 22nd October 2020 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Rustic Bunting at Nanjizal, Cornwall, two Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls at Baltasound, Unst and one near Melby, Mainland, with a Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Burravoe, all Shetland, single Dusky Warblers on St Martin's, Scilly and at Mid Yell, Shetland, a Pallid Swift at Posbrook, Hampshire, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Welney, Norfolk and single Richardson's Cackling Geese near Fallin, Forth and at Termoncarragh, County Mayo. Significant late news concerned a Double-crested Cormorant on 29th September on a boat 149 miles west of Valentia Island, County Kerry.
Lingering rarities included the Blackpoll Warbler, Pine Bunting, Red-throated Pipit, Olive-backed Pipit, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Shetland, White's Thrush in Devon, Brown Shrikes in Yorkshire and Northumberland, two Red-flanked Bluetails, Eastern Stonechat and three Dusky Warblers in Norfolk, Red-flanked Bluetail in Western Isles, further Eastern Stonechats in Cleveland and Sussex, Desert Wheatear in Northumberland, two Dusky Warblers in Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs' in Somerset, Devon and Yorkshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper in County Kerry, Blue-winged Teal in County Mayo and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll. Scarcity highlights included a Common Rosefinch, a Short-toed Lark, a Shorelark, a Parrot Crossbill, two Red-breasted Flycatchers, two Hoopoes, two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Red-backed Shrikes, three Bluethroats, five Pallas's Warblers, five Little Buntings, five Richard's Pipits, six Great Grey Shrikes, ten Waxwings, 19 Lapland Buntings, a Pectoral Sandpiper, an American Golden Plover, an American Wigeon, two Green-winged Teal, five Ring-necked Ducks, a Snow Goose, a Black Brant, four Tundra Bean Geese, a Rough-legged Buzzard, two Honey Buzzards, six Glossy Ibises, an Iceland Gull, two Glaucous Gulls, a Little Auk, two Long-tailed Skuas and 140 Great Shearwaters. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 21st October 2020 | ||
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| Rarities present today comprised the Eastern Rufous Bush Chat still in Norfolk,
Blackpoll Warbler, Pine Bunting, Red-throated Pipit and two
Arctic Redpolls all on the Shetland Isles, Brown Shrikes still in both Northumberland and West Yorkshire,
Desert Wheatear in Northumberland, Olive-backed Pipits in Dorset and Shetland,
Red-flanked Bluetails in Northumberland and Norfolk (2), Eastern Stonechats in Cleveland, Norfolk and West Sussex,
Lesser Yellowlegs in both Devon and North Yorkshire, and a total of 10 Dusky
Warblers. Scarcities included Short-toed Lark, Pallas's Warbler and Red-backed Shrike (all on the Isles of Scilly), Richard's Pipit (Ceredigion), Hoopoe (Northumberland), Dotterel (County Kerry), two each of Bluethroat, Little Bunting, Barred Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, American Golden Plover and Lesser Snow Goose, three Ring-necked Ducks, and four of both Red-breasted Flycatcher and Surf Scoter. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 20th October 2020 | ||
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| The Shetland Isles provided the highlight of the day when a Pine Bunting was discovered on Unst where the
Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll remained, whilst on Mainland the Blackpoll Warbler
continued at Aith. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Eastern Rufous Bush Chat still in Norfolk but increasingly elusive, Brown Shrikes in both Northumberland and West Yorkshire (although Turkestan Shrike was suggested as an alternative identification for the latter), Desert Wheatear in Northumberland, Wilson's Phalarope in Hampshire, Kentsh Plover in Somerset, White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, County Dublin, Somerset and North Yorkshire, four Eastern Stonechats, eight Red-flanked Bluetails (including one inland in Bedfordshire), and a total of 12 Dusky Warblers. Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (County Durham), Rose-coloured Starling and Richard's Pipit (Dorset), Red-backed Shrike (Kent), Wryneck (County Kerry), Purple Heron (Staffordshire), Lesser Snow Goose (Highland), Surf Scoter (Lothian), two each of American Golden Plover, Little Bunting, Hoopoe, and Ring-necked Duck, and three Red-breasted Flycatchers. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 19th October 2020 | ||
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| A new Red-flanked Bluetail was discovered at Bamburgh, Northumberland, with a second Dusky Warbler arriving nearby on Holy Island, and another of the latter found on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly.
Lingering rarities included the Eastern Rufous Bush Chat, Red-flanked Bluetail, Eastern Stonechat sp and three Dusky Warblers in Norfolk, Blackpoll Warbler and five Arctic Redpolls in Shetland, Northern Brown Shrike in Yorkshire, Brown Shrike, Desert Wheatear, two Red-flanked Bluetails and two further Dusky Warblers in Northumberland, other Red-flanked Bluetails in Bedfordshire and Western Isles, single Eastern Stonechats in Scilly and Cleveland, more Dusky Warblers in Scilly (two), Essex and Yorkshire, Wilson's Phalarope in Hampshire, Pacific Golden Plover and King Eider in Moray, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in Somerset, Devon and County Dublin, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll. Scarcity highlights included a Barred Warbler, a Red-backed Shrike, a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Shorelark, two Short-toed Larks, two Richard's Pipits, two Lapland Buntings, four Little Buntings, four Pallas's Warblers, four Rose-coloured Starlings, seven Great Grey Shrikes, two Rough-legged Buzzards, a Grey Phalarope, two American Golden Plovers, three Glossy Ibises, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Lesser Snow Goose, two Tundra Bean Geese, three Black Brants, a Surf Scoter, a Green-winged Teal, two Ring-necked Ducks, a Little Auk, six Balearic Shearwaters and eight Pomarine Skuas. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 18th October 2020 | ||
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| Mega rarities still present today were the Eastern Rufous Bush Chat in Norfolk at Stiffkey,
Taiga Flycatcher in County Durham at South Shields, Masked Shrike in Kent at
Reculver, and Blackpoll Warbler at Aith, Mainland, Shetland Isles. Other rarities from the east comprised Brown Shrikes in both Northumberland and West Yorkshire, a Desert Wheatear new in Northumberland, Hume's Warbler on Shetland, Great Reed Warbler in Devon, both Blyth's Reed Warbler and Olive-backed Pipit in Norfolk, Radde's Warbler in East Yorkshire, three Eastern Stonechats, four Red-throated Pipits, 11 Red-flanked Bluetails, and a total of 18 Dusky Warblers. From American and the Arctic came a Pacific Diver to The Mullet, County Mayo, American Buff-bellied Pipit on Scilly, Snowy Owl, Arctic Redpoll and White-billed Diver all on Shetland, King Eider still in Moray, Baird's Sandpiper in Somerset, Wilson's Phalarope in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Londonderry, and four Lesser Yellowlegs. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 17th October 2020 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Rufous Bush Chat discovered at Stiffkey, Norfolk where it showed throughout the day; the first British record since 1980. Also
new was a Masked Shrike in Kent at Shuart; the fifth British record. Otherwise, rarities from east comprised Taiga Flycatcher still in County Durham, White's Thrush in Devon, Brown Shrike in Northumberland, Lanceolated Warbler on Shetland, Pacific Golden Plover in Moray, Red-throated Pipit on the Isles of Scilly, Olive-backed Pipits in both East Yorkshire and Scilly, Eastern Stonechats in Cleveland, Norfolk, and Scilly, 13 Red-flanked Bluetails, and a total of 20 Dusky Warblers. From American and the Arctic were the Blackpoll Warbler and Arctic Redpoll on Shetland, American Buff-bellied Pipit on Scilly, Wilson's Phalarope in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, White-billed Diver in Orkney, and four Blue-winged Teals together on the Western Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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