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| Thursday 18th March 2021 | ||
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A first-winter American Herring Gull spent its second day at Newlyn Harbour, Cornwall. There was late news of an Eyebrowed Thrush in east Kent from mid-January to early February. The Northern Mockingbird continued its stay in Devon, while other rarities still present included the Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, Pacific Diver in Co.Mayo, all three Penduline Tits in Somerset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside and White-billed Diver in Shetland. Among the other highlights from the day's birding were Great Grey Shrike (Derbyshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Taiga Bean Goose (Suffolk), Black Brant (East Yorkshire), two Yellow-browed Warblers and Todd's Canada Geese; three Little Buntings, Green-winged Teal and Glossy Ibises; four Ring-billed Gulls and 15 Ring-necked Ducks. |
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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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| Wednesday 17th March 2021 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today comprised a Two-barred Crossbill in Surrey at Crooksbury Common, and a
Pacific Diver in County Mayo at Elly Bay. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Northern Mockingbird and Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Double-crested Cormorant in County Kerry, Laughing Gull in Dorset, Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, Hooded Merganser in Suffolk, White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in both County Cork and Gloucestershire, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both County Wexford (2) and North Yorkshire. Scarcities included Yellow-browed Warbler (Buckinghamshire), Kumlien's Gull (County Kerry), Black Brant (East Yorkshire), Taiga Bean Goose (Suffolk), two each of Long-tailed Skua, Ring-billed Gull, and American Wigeon, three of Little Bunting, Great Grey Shrike, and Green-winged Teal, five of Glossy Ibis and Lapland Bunting, and a total of nine Ring-necked Ducks. Incoming spring migrants included Cuckoo (Suffolk), Willow Warbler (Dorset), White Wagtail (Ayrshire), two each of Ring Ouzel, Garganey, Osprey, and House Martin, eight Swallows, 10 Little Ringed Plovers, 16 Wheatears, and a total of 156 Sand Martins. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 16th March 2021 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Baikal Teal in Hampshire at Ripley. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Northern Mockingbird
still in Devon, Pied-billed Grebe still in Lancashire, Laughing Gull
in Dorset, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, three
Penduline Tits together in Somerset, and on the Shetland Isles both King Eider and
White-billed Diver. Scarcities included American Wigeon (Cleveland), Yellow-browed Warbler (Buckinghamshire), Great Grey Shrike (Suffolk), Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland Isles), two each of Long-tailed Skua, Ring-billed Gull, and Black Brant, three of Little Bunting, Lapland Bunting, and Green-winged Teal, five Glossy Ibises, and a total of 11 Ring-necked Ducks. Incoming spring migrants included Ring Ouzel (Dorset), Osprey (Leicestershire), Little Ringed Plover (East Sussex), Swallow (Devon), two Garganey, nine White Wagtails, 15 Wheatears, and 37 Sand Martins. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 15th March 2021 | ||
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There was late news of a Baikal Teal at Ripley in Hampshire yesterday. Long-stayers included the Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, Laughing Gull in Dorset, the three Penduline Tits in Somerset, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in North Yorkshire, White-billed Diver in Orkney and one of the Dusky Warblers in Merseyside. The day's scarcity highlights comprised Rose-coloured Starling (Borders), Long-tailed Skua (South Yorkshire), American Wigeon (Cleveland); two each of Great Grey Shrike, Surf Scoter, Black Brant, Todd's Canada Goose and Kumlien's Gull; three Ring-billed Gulls and Little Buntings, six Glossy Ibises, seven Green-winged Teal and 18 Ring-necked Ducks. A flock of 10 Waxwings was reported in Co.Westmeath. The first Common Tern of the year was seen on Scilly. |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 14th March 2021 | ||
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| Rarities today comprised the Laughing Gull still in Dorset, Pied-billed Grebe still in Lancashire,
Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside, Lesser Scaup in County Waterford, and three Penduline Tits
together in Somerset. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Oxfordshire), Taiga Bean Goose (Suffolk), Grey Phalarope (Cambridgeshire), Little Auk (Highland), Kumlien's Gull (County Kerry), two each of American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Black Brant, and Leach's Petrel, three of both Little Bunting and Long-tailed Skua, five Glossy Ibises, nine Ring-billed Gulls, 10 Lapland Bunting, and a total of 21 Ring-necked Ducks. Incoming spring migrants included Tree Pipit (Isle of Wight), House Martin (Kent), two each of both Garganey and Swallow, four White Wagtails, six Little Ringed Plovers, eight Wheatear, and a total of 59 Sand Martins. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 13th March 2021 | ||
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The Northern Mockingbird continued its stay in Devon, while the Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire and Laughing Gull in Dorset continued to headline. Updates were also received on the Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Long-billed Dowitcher in North Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon and Bonaparte's Gull in Co.Wexford - all of which were still on show. Dusky Warblers remained in Merseyside and Norfolk. Further highlights from the day's birding included Long-tailed Skua (South Yorkshire), Shorelark (Lothian), Great Grey Shrike (Gloucestershire), two American Wigeon, two Black Brants (East Yorkshire), three Little Buntings, four Waxwings (Highland), five Ring-billed Gulls and Glossy Ibises, six Leach's Petrels and 10 Ring-necked Ducks. |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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| Friday 12th March 2021 | ||
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| A Bonaparte's Gull was in Wexford town, County Wexford late afternoon.
Lingering rarities included the Northern Mockingbird in Devon, Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, Laughing Gull in Dorset, Rustic Bunting in Surrey and three Penduline Tits in Somerset. Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, two Lapland Buntings, three Little Buntings, five Waxwings, a Leach's Petrel, a Pomarine Skua, four Long-tailed Skuas, a Green-winged Teal, two American Wigeon, seven Ring-necked Ducks, a Taiga Bean Goose, a Black Brant, five Glossy Ibises, four Ring-billed Gulls, 12 Glaucous Gulls and 22 Iceland Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 11th March 2021 | ||
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In Dorset, a second-winter Laughing Gull found at Abbotsbury Swannery in the morning was relocated at roost in Weymouth Bay towards dusk. The Rustic Bunting was still at Thursley Common (Surrey). Remarkably, two unseasonable adult Long-tailed Skuas were seen today: one among other gale-driven birds off Severn Beach (Gloucestershire) and another over fields on the outskirts of Sheffield (South Yorkshire). Other scarcities included three Little Buntings (the two in Surrey and a new bird in Sussex), two Leach's Petrels, four Waxwings (Highland), Green-winged Teal (Western Isles), 14 Ring-necked Ducks, two American Wigeon, Taiga Bean Goose (Suffolk) and Black Brant (Co.Dublin). |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 10th March 2021 | ||
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| Rarities today comprised the Pied-billed Grebe still in Lancashire, Rustic Bunting still in Surrey, and
Spotted Sandpiper still in Ayrshire. In County Cork a Snowy Owl was found dead near Cork. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Borders), American Wigeon (County Antrim), Great Grey Shrike (East Yorkshire), two each of Little Bunting (together in Surrey), Ring-billed Gull, Black Brant, and Green-winged Teal, and a total of four Ring-necked Ducks. Stormy weather has paused spring migration but incoming migrants included Willow Warbler (Worcestershire), three Little Ringed Plovers, and 26 Sand Martins. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 9th March 2021 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the first-winter Ross's Gull
in County Down at Killough; where it had earlier been present on 18th February. Rarities elsewhere comprised a brief White-billed Diver discovered in North Yorkshire at Filey, both the Northern Mockingbird and Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Devon, the Pied-billed Grebe still in Lancashire, three Penduline Tits together in Somerset, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside, and Long-billed Dowitcher in North Yorkshire. Scarcities included Ring-billed Gull (County Limerick), American Wigeon (County Antrim), Great Grey Shrike (East Yorkshire), Lapland Bunting (Northumberland), Green-winged Teal and Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland Isles), two each of Little Bunting, Shorelark, Yellow-browed Warbler, and Kumlien's Gull, four Waxwings, six Glossy Ibises, and a total of nine Ring-necked Ducks. Incoming spring migrants included Hoopoe (County Cork), Osprey (Northumberland), House Martin (Buckinghamshire), two Swallows, six Wheatears, nine White Wagtails, 10 Little Ringed Plovers, and a total of 29 Sand Martins. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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