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| Saturday 18th March 2023 | ||
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The remarkable Alpine Swift gathered pace with 27 logged today across nine counties comprising 16 in Ireland and 11 in Britain including six together in Dorset, and four together in both County Cork and County Waterford. Other rarities comprised the White-throated Sparrow still in Cheshire (and still unavailable), Baikal Teal still in Gwynedd, Pallid Harrier, Long-billed Dowitcher and two Ferruginous Ducks in Norfolk, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Suffolk, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Northumberland, Coues's Arctic Redpoll and King Eider in Cleveland, and Lesser Scaups in Cornwall, Oxfordshire, and Somerset. Scarcities included Serin (Kent), Little Bunting (Hertfordshire), Richard's Pipit (Gloucestershire), Ring-billed Gull (County Cork), Great Grey Shrike (Lothian), two each of both American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal, three of Rough-legged Buzzard, Surf Scoter, and Waxwing, six Glossy Ibises, nine Shorelarks, and a total of 12 Ring-necked Ducks. Incoming summer migrants included 24 Garganey, 21 Swallows, 11 House Martins, 10 Ospreys, six Willow Warblers, two each of Ring Ouzel and Sedge Warbler, and a Common Tern. |
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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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| Friday 17th March 2023 | ||
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| New Alpine Swifts today involved birds at Minehead, Somerset, Bull Point, Devon, Lodmoor, Dorset, Bamburgh, Northumberland, Drogheda, County Louth, Ballycroy, County Mayo, Kenmare, County Kerry (four), and Midleton (two), Clonakilty and Carrigaline (now three), all County Cork, whilst lingering birds remained in Gloucestershire, Cornwall and County Waterford (two).
Other lingering rarities present today included the Ross's Gull in Aberdeenshire, Hume's Warbler in Kent, Red-rumped Swallow in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk, Baikal Teal in Gwynedd, King Eider in Cleveland and Lesser Scaups in Somerset and Oxfordshire. Scarcity highlights included a Richard's Pipit, a Little Bunting, a Yellow-browed Warbler, three Great Grey Shrikes, four Waxwings, ten Shorelarks, a Dutch-ringed White Stork, six Glossy Ibises, an American Wigeon, two Surf Scoters, three Green-winged Teals, six Ring-necked Ducks, ten Tundra Bean Geese, a Ring-billed Gull, six Glaucous Gulls and ten Iceland Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 16th March 2023 | ||
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The influx of Alpine Swifts gathered pace with 12 today comprising singles in Argyll, Conwy, Devon, and Gloucestershire, two in Cornwall, and in Ireland three each in County Cork, County Dublin, and County Waterford: 19 have now been located since 13th March. An associated arrival was a Red-rumped Swallow in Cornwall at Walmsley Sanctuary. Rarities elsewhere comprised the American Herring Gull still in Highland, Ross's Gull still in Aberdeenshire, Baikal Teal in Gwynedd, Hume's Warbler in Kent, Pallid Harrier, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Ferruginous Duck all in Norfolk, Coues's Arctic Redpoll and King Eider both in Cleveland, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Northumberland, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Suffolk, and Lesser Scaup in Oxfordshire. Scarcities included Rough-legged Buzzard (Orkney), Little Bunting (Hertfordshire), Richard's Pipit (Gloucestershire), Ring-billed Gull (County Cork), Surf Scoter (Conwy), two Green-winged Teals, three each of Snow Goose and Great Grey Shrike, seven Waxwings, 11 Ring-necked Ducks, and a total of 13 Glossy Ibises. Incoming summer migrants included seven Swallows, four Garganey, three Willow Warblers, Swift, and House Martin. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 15th March 2023 | ||
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Once again the highlight of the day was Alpine Swifts with new birds today in County Cork at Carrigaline, Cornwall at Falmouth, and Gloucestershire at Oldbury making a total of 12 located in the last three days. Rarities elsewhere comprised the White-winged Scoter again in Lothian, Ross's Gull still in Aberdeenshire, Baikal Teal in Gwynedd, both Coues's Arctic Redpoll and King Eider in Cleveland, two Penduline Tits together in Kent, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Northumberland, Lesser Scaups in Oxfordshire and Somerset, and four White-billed Divers on the Shetland Isles. Scarcities included Night Heron (Devon), Little Bunting (Hertfordshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Somerset), American Wigeon (Oxfordshire), two Ring-billed Gulls, three each of Great Grey Shrike and Green-winged Teal, five Shorelarks, eight of Ring-necked Duck and Glossy Ibis, and a total of 13 Waxwings. Incoming summer migrants included 143 Wheatears, 11 Swallows, five House Martins, three Garganey, two Swifts, and singles of Stone Curlew, Ring Ouzel, Yellow Wagtail, and Osprey. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 14th March 2023 | ||
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Rarities today comprised an Alpine Swift briefly in Merseyside at Marshside, the Ross's Gull still in Aberdeenshire, Isabelline Wheatear still in Cornwall, Coues's Arctic Redpoll and King Eider both in Cleveland, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Suffolk, White-rumped Sandpiper in Gloucestershire, Long-billed Dowitcher on the Orkney Isles, Lesser Scaup in Oxfordshire, and the Richardson's Cackling Goose in Northumberland. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Somerset), Richard's Pipit (Gloucestershire), two Ring-billed Gulls, three each of both Great Grey Shrike and Green-winged Teal, four of Little Bunting and Glossy Ibis, nine Ring-necked Ducks, 11 Shorelarks, and a total of 12 Waxwings. Incoming summer migrants included 180 Sand Martins, 20 Little Ringed Plovers, 16 Wheatears, eight House Martins, six Swallows, four Ospreys, three of Garganey and Stone Curlew, and a White Wagtail. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 13th March 2023 | ||
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The highlight of the day was an incredible seven Alpine Swifts together in Dungarvan, County Waterford. Associated arrivals from the south included 82 Sand Martins, seven Little Ringed Plovers, six White Wagtails, five Swallows, four of both Garganey and House Martin, and a Wheatear in Cornwall. Rarities elsewhere comprised a Coues's Arctic Redpoll confirmed in Cleveland at Dorman's Pool, Richardson's Cackling Goose still in Northumberland, King Eider in Cleveland, and Lesser Scaups in both Oxfordshire and Somerset. Scarcities included Little Bunting (Hertfordshire), American Wigeon (Oxfordshire), Great Grey Shrike (West Sussex), Yellow-browed Warbler (Lancashire), Black Brant (Kent), two Green-winged Teals, three Waxwings, four each of both Ring-billed Gull and Shorelark, and a total of six Ring-necked Ducks. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 12th March 2023 | ||
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Rarities today comprised the Ross's Gull still in Aberdeenshire, Baikal Teal still in Gwynedd, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Suffolk, Hume's Warblers in both Kent and Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher on the Orkney Isles, White-rumped Sandpiper in Gloucestershire, King Eider in Cleveland, Lesser Scaup in Oxfordshire, and Ferruginous Ducks in Norfolk (4) and Staffordshire. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Somerset), Rough-legged Buzzard (Orkney), Richard's Pipit (Isles of Scilly), and Surf Scoter (Conwy), two each of Little Bunting, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Lapland Bunting, Black Brant, and Yellow-browed Warbler, three Shorelarks, four of Ring-billed Gull, Great Grey Shrike, and Glossy Ibis, six Waxwings, and a total of 12 Ring-necked Ducks. Incoming summer migrants included 17 Sand Martins, three each of both Garganey and Little Ringed Plover, two Wheatears, Whinchat in South Yorkshire, and Yellow Wagtail in Norfolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 11th March 2023 | ||
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Lingering rarities included the Ross's Gull in Aberdeenshire, American Herring Gull in Highland, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, three Lesser Scaups in Oxfordshire and Somerset and County Armagh, Hume's Warbler in Kent, King Eider in Cleveland, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Suffolk, White-rumped Sandpiper in Gloucestershire, three Ferruginous Ducks in Norfolk, Isabelline Wheatear in Cornwall, and two Cackling Geese in Western Isles. Scarcity highlights included six Lapland Buntings, Little Bunting, two Yellow-browed Warblers, three Great Grey Shrikes, Rough-legged Buzzard, two Little Auks, 13 Shorelarks, nine Waxwings,Glossy Ibis, American Wigeon, Black Brant, Green-winged Teal, 13 Ring-necked Ducks, Todd's Canada Goose, Snow Goose, two Tundra Bean Geese, Kumlien's Gull, three Ring-billed Gulls, six Glaucous Gulls and 14 Iceland Gulls. |
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| - Ben Clark, RBA | ||
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| Friday 10th March 2023 | ||
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| A Long-billed Dowitcher was discovered on Sanday, Orkney today.
Lingering rarities included the Ross's Gull in Aberdeenshire, American Herring Gull in Highland, Black Duck in County Mayo, Lesser Scaups in Oxfordshire, Somerset, Western Isles (two) and County Armagh and two Cackling Geese in Western Isles. Scarcity highlights included a Richard's Pipit, a Little Bunting, a Rose-coloured Starling, 12 Shorelarks, 12 Waxwings, seven Glossy Ibises, an American Wigeon, two Green-winged Teal, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, a Todd's Canada Goose, two Snow Geese, three Tundra Bean Geese, a Kumlien's Gull, four Ring-billed Gulls, four Glaucous Gulls and 20 Iceland Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 9th March 2023 | ||
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Rarities today comprised the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, American Herring Gull still in Highland, Hume's Warbler in Kent, Red-breasted Goose in Argyll, Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim, Lesser Scaups in both Oxfordshire and the Western Isles, and Cackling Geese in County Mayo and the Western Isles (2). Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling and Yellow-browed Warbler (Somerset), Rough-legged Buzzard (Orkney Isles), Ring-billed Gull (County Antrim), Richard's Pipit (Isles of Scilly), Great Grey Shrike (Bedfordshire), two each of both Snow Goose and Green-winged Teal, three Little Buntings, five Glossy Ibises, and a total of nine Ring-necked Ducks. Incoming summer migrants included Osprey in Highland, House Martin in Somerset, two each of Garganey and Little Ringed Plover, and three Sand Martins. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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