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| Friday 7th July 2023 | ||
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New rares today were Bonaparte's Gull in Highland at Loch Gairloch, Tawny Pipit at Isle of Wight at Culver Down, Bee-Eater in Cornwall at Paul, Caspian Tern on Orkney at Papa Westray, Lesser Scaup in Cambridgeshire at Grafham Water, Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire at Draycote Water, 30 Wilson's Petrels were seen flying past various County Cork sites. Rarities elsewhere included a Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, 3 Bee-Eaters in Norfolk, two Lesser Scaups in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk, Black-winged Stilts in Gloucestershire, and South Yorkshire (8). Scarcities included Marsh Warbler, Red-necked Phalarope, Purple Heron, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, and Glossy Ibis. |
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| - Ben Clark, 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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| Thursday 6th July 2023 | ||
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Pacific Swift was again the highlight of the day with a brief encounter at Sittenham, Highland. Rarities elsewhere included a Caspian Tern in Lincolnshire at Gibraltar Point, the American Black Tern still in Northumberland, both Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Scaup in Norfolk, Bee-eaters in Norfolk (3) and the Isles of Scilly (3), Black-winged Stilts in Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire (8), and in Kent the Bonaparte's Gull returned to Oare Marshes to moult there for the eleventh successive autumn. Seabirding produced a Fea's/Desertas Petrel in County Cork off Ballycotton, three Wilson's Petrels and a Sabine's Gull at sea off the Isles of Scilly, Long-tailed Skua from County Cork, and a total of 11 Corys Shearwaters. Scarcities included Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Purple Heron (Northumberland), Temminck's Stint (East Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Suffolk), and three Glossy Ibises. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 5th July 2023 | ||
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Rarities today comprised the Pacific Swift still on the Shetland Isles, the American Black Tern still in Northumberland, both Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Scaup in Norfolk, Wilson's Petrel in Cornwall, Bee-eaters in Norfolk (3) and the Isles of Scilly (12), and Black-winged Stilts in Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire (9), and South Yorkshire (2). Scarcities included Purple Heron (Northumberland), Red-backed Shrike (Orkney Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Temminck's Stint (East Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Suffolk), two each of Marsh Warbler, Night Heron, and Glossy Ibis, and four Cory's Shearwaters. Disappointingly the report of a Spanish Sparrow in Ceredigion on 13th June has proved to be a hoax. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 4th July 2023 | ||
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Rarities today comprised the Pacific Swift showing again on the Shetland Isles where the Broad-billed Sandpiper remained, the Least Tern still in County Dublin, American Black Tern in Northumberland, Steppe Grey Shrike in Highland, Long-billed Dowitcher, Caspian Tern, Lesser Scaup, and three Bee-eaters in Norfolk, 10 Wilson's Petrels see from Cornwall, a Black Kite briefly in Kent, and Black-winged Stilts in Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire (9), and South Yorkshire (8). Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Cambridgeshire), White-spotted Bluethroat (Gloucestershire), Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Hoopoe (Worcestershire), Purple Heron (Northumberland), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Spotted Crake (Dumfries and Galloway), Great Shearwater (Cornwall), Glossy Ibis (Essex), three Cory's Shearwaters, and four Night Herons. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 3rd July 2023 | ||
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Rarities today comprised the American Black Tern still in Northumberland, the Steppe Grey Shrike still in Highland, Caspian Tern, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Lesser Scaup in Norfolk, Wilson's Petrels in Cornwall and at sea off the Isles of Scilly (18), Bee-eaters in Norfolk (3) and Scilly (12), Black-winged Stilts in Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire (6), and South Yorkshire (7), and in Northumberland the Bonaparte's Gull returned to Bamburgh where it was first seen in summer 2013. Scarcities included White-spotted Bluethroat (Gloucestershire), White-winged Black Tern (Cambridgeshire), Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles), Red-backed Shrike and Red-necked Phalarope (Orkney Isles), Purple Heron (Northumberland), Night Heron (South Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Suffolk), two each of both Great Shearwater and Glossy Ibis, four Sabine's Gulls, and a total of nine Cory's Shearwaters. Significant late news concerned a Barolo Shearwater seen yesterday in Argyll in the Sound of Jura, and on 13th June a Spanish Sparrow reportedly photographed on the Carmarthenshire-Ceredigion border near Lampeter. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 2nd July 2023 | ||
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The highlight of the day was a Pacific Swift present on the Shetland Isles at Sumburgh Head, Mainland briefly mid morning, where it or another had been present on 19th June 2022. Elsewhere rarities comprised the Least Tern still in County Dublin, American Black Tern still in Northumberland, Steppe Grey Shrike in Highland, Wilson's Petrel in Cornwall, Broad-billed Sandpiper in Shetland, Lesser Scaup in Norfolk, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Black Kites reported in Devon and Oxfordshire, Black-winged Stilts in Gloucestershire and South Yorkshire (8), and Bee-eaters in Norfolk (4) and the Isles of Scilly (12). Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Lancashire), White-spotted Bluethroat (Gloucestershire), Purple Heron (Northumberland), Red-backed Shrike (Orkney Isles), and two each of both Night Heron and Glossy Ibis. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 1st July 2023 | ||
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| Twelve Bee-eaters roamed St Mary's, Isles of Scilly from mid afternoon, with a further five seen at Dalkeith, Lothian. In Cornwall, two more Wilson's Petrels flew past Pendeen Watch and another went past Trevedran.
Lingering rarities seen today included the Least Tern in County Dublin, Steppe Grey Shrike in Highland, Pacific Golden Plover in Orkney, Lesser Scaup, Long-billed Dowitcher and three Bee-eaters in Norfolk and Black-winged Stilts in Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire (five) and Yorkshire (eight). Scarcity highlights included a White-spotted Bluethroat, a Red-backed Shrike, a Purple Heron, two Night Herons, five Glossy Ibises, two Honey Buzzards, a Ring-necked Duck, a Leach's Petrel, a Great Shearwater, a Cory's Shearwater, a Balearic Shearwater and a White-winged Black Tern. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 30th June 2023 | ||
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| Seawatching produced a Fea's or Desertas Petrel and a Great Shearwater off Pendeen and a Wilson's Petrel off Trevedran, both Cornwall, another Wilson's Petrel off Bridges of Ross, County Clare, three more Great Shearwaters off Deelick Point, County Kerry and a Cory's Shearwater from the Scillonian III. Other rarities found today included a Pacific Golden Plover on North Ronaldsay, Orkney and a Baltic Gull at Cromer, Norfolk.
Lingering rarities included the Steppe Grey Shrike in Highland, Lesser Scaup, Long-billed Dowitcher and three Bee-eaters in Norfolk, two Black-winged Stilts in Yorkshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and American Black Tern in Northumberland. Scarcity highlights included a Serin, a White-spotted Bluethroat, a Red-backed Shrike, three Marsh Warblers, a Purple Heron, two Night Herons, two Glossy Ibises, three Honey Buzzards, a Pectoral Sandpiper and three Balearic Shearwaters. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 29th June 2023 | ||
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Notable discoveries today included a brief Little Swift in Lincolnshire at Alkborough Flats, a Steppe Grey Shrike in Highland at Branault, and a Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk at Hickling Broad. Rarities elsewhere comprised Caspian Tern, Lesser Scaup, Ferruginous Duck, and three Bee-eaters all still in Norfolk, American Black Tern still in Northumberland, a Black Kite briefly in Kent, two Wilson's Petrels at sea off the Isles of Scilly, and Black-winged Stilts in Gloucestershire and South Yorkshire (9). Scarcities included White-spotted Bluethroat (Gloucestershire), Icterine Warbler (Clyde), Red-backed Shrike (Staffordshire), Common Rosefinch (East Yorkshire), Purple Heron (Northumberland), Night Heron (Cambridgeshire), Glossy Ibis (Essex), and two each of White-winged Black Tern, Marsh Warbler, and Pectoral Sandpiper. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 28th June 2023 | ||
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The highlight of the day was the first Lesser Scaup for Norfolk identified at Colney, whilst in southwest England single Wilson's Petrels were seen from land in Cornwall at Pendeen Watch and Start Point, Devon. Rarities elsewhere comprised Caspian Terns in both Kent and Norfolk, three Bee-eaters still together in Norfolk, and Black-winged Stilts in Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire (11), and South Yorkshire (8). Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Northumberland), American Golden Plover (Norfolk), Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (Orkney Isles), Ring-necked Duck (Suffolk), Glossy Ibis (Essex), and two each of both Bluethroat, Marsh Warbler, and Night Heron. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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