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| Thursday 1st June 2006 | ||
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| The most popular bird of the day was a fine summer-plumaged adult Spotted
Sandpiper that was found at Minsmere RSPB reserve at dawn and stayed
on show on the scrape throughout the day. Red-necked Phalaropes have been thin
on the ground so far this spring particularly when you take into account the
'stalling' northerly winds that have predominated over the last week or so. As
such a stunning female that popped up at Hickling Broad at least provided strong
local interest. However, those arriving late in the afternoon were to be
disappointed as what was probably the same individual appeared at Cley NWT
reserve an hour or so later. What was almost certainly yesterdays Black Kite
reappeared on Dartmoor, this time over Challacombe Down. In Co. Kerry a brace of
Whiskered Terns were reported early on at Blennerville, although they could not
be found by birders later but at least the 1st-summer Bonaparte's Gull provided some
compensation.
Dungeness retained its Red-rumped Swallow but lost its Bee-eater, while a male Red-backed Shrike at the same site was only enjoyed by the finders. An immature male Common Rosefinch at Portland continued the good run at this site although it provided less glamour than the breeding-plumaged male Red-breasted Flycatcher on Bardsey Island. A Purple Heron was reported flying in off the sea at Lizard Point (Cornwall) and the Night Heron remained at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford). The drake King Eider reappeared off Irvine harbour mouth in the evening. |
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| - Richard Moores, 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 31st May 2006 | ||
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| The final day of the month produced only one new rarity, a Black Kite over Buckfastleigh, Devon.
A Bee-eater and Red-rumped Swallow were at Dungeness, Kent, both
for their second day and on Shetland the
Savi's Warbler again showed well on Unst. Scilly hosted a singing first-summer
male Common Rosefinch on St.Martin's and a Tawny Pipit on Bryher,
whilst back on the mainland, a Marsh Warbler was trapped and ringed at
Portland, Dorset. Dorset also produced a Woodchat Shrike in the 'Bobolink
Field' at Hengistbury Head and in Somerset, an adult male Red-backed Shrike was
located at Catcott Lows. Passengers aboard a cruise past Sula Sgeir confirmed
that the adult Black-browed Albatross was still sitting pretty in the
Gannet colony this evening.
A couple of late reports of Nearctic raptors were intriguing; a possible Bald Eagle was observed on Sunday in Bundoran, Co.Donegal and on Shetland a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk was seen on Mainland on 5th, 6th and 14th May. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 30th May 2006 | ||
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| The outstanding report of the day came from Selsey Bill, West Sussex where a Bulwer's Petrel was seen twice with
Storm Petrels around midday. First watched feeding somewhat distantly offshore and not identified beyond 'large all dark petrel species' the bird later
reappeared closer to the shore and was identified as a Bulwer's Petrel before it headed west towards The
Solent. Coincidentally Bulwer's Petrel has recently been removed from the official British List
although there is a single accepted record from Ireland. Although somewhat eclipsed by events at Selsey Bill, Dungeness, Kent enjoyed an excellent day with a showy Red-rumped Swallow and a brief Bee-eater the highlights. The distinctive first-summer gull remained although European experts confirmed that it is certainly not a Heuglin's Gull but most likely a Yellow-legged Gull or hybrid. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 29th May 2006 | ||
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| The only news of newly discovered rarity today was of a Bonaparte's Gull at Blennerville, Co Kerry - although it was actually first seen there yesterday. However, scarcities appeared at several sites with Portland, Dorset
hosting Woodchat Shrike, Red-backed Shrike, Serin, Hoopoe
and Golden Oriole. An Icterine Warbler sang at St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent during the morning
as did a Melodious Warbler at Porthcawl, Glamorgan. Dapper female Red-necked Phalaropes proved to be popular attractions at both Marshside, Merseyside and Gouthwaite Reservoir, North Yorkshire. The male Wilson's Phalarope remained at Hillesden, Buckinghamshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 28th May 2006 | ||
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| Discoveries today included a Savi’s Warbler on Unst, Shetland and a
Laughing Gull at Bunbeg, Co Donegal. In Kent a Black Stork flew over Tonbridge and on the Western Isles seawatchers at the Butt of Lewis logged a passing
White-billed Diver. Yesterdays star bird - the Wilson’s Phalarope at Hillesden - remained to the delight of many, and the Iberian Chiffchaff continued to pronounce its territory at Postbridge, Devon. In Kent the distinctive first-summer gull remained throughout the day at Dungeness - although informed opinion suggests it is unlikely to be Heuglin’s Gull. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 27th May 2006 | ||
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| A Wilson's Phalarope at
Hillesden in Buckinghamshire, the first for the county, was a superb find which
caused some excitement in another relatively quiet day. In East Yorkshire a
Great Reed Warbler was found at Spurn Point but was frustratingly elusive,
however a singing male Serin made the wait for the Great Reed more bearable.
A female
King Eider joined the male at Blackdog, Aberdeenshire.
The splendid adult White-winged Black Tern in South Yorkshire commuted between Old Moor RSPB, Broomhill Flash and Wombwell Ings and often showed extremely well. In Pembrokeshire the female Subalpine Warbler stayed put on Ramsey Island RSPB and in Lancashire the pair of Black-winged Stilts continued to perform at Martin Mere WWT. In Cornwall, the Spotted Sandpiper and Red-rumped Swallow remained faithful to Newlyn and Maenporth respectively. Red-backed Shrikes have been thin on the ground this spring, so a female at Felixstowe Ferry was a welcome find. Nearby, in Norfolk a Hoopoe at Winterton North Dunes was the only news to shout about. In Dorset, 2 Woodchat Shrikes were on Portland; the first-summer by Coombefield Quarry entrance and another individual briefly at Verne Common. The stunning adult Purple Heron remained at College Reservoir, Cornwall and an adult Pectoral Sandpiper was on Cocklawburn Beach, Northumberland. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was located at Lough Beg, Co.Derry and in Kent, a first-summer gull considered by some to possibly be a Heuglin's Gull was at Dungeness for its second day. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 26th May 2006 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was a Whiskered Tern at Rockland Broad, Norfolk in the evening. First seen yesterday but not reported until today, an initial search drew a blank before the bird reappeared in the evening. In South Yorkshire a
White-winged Black Tern at Broomhill Flash may well have been the relocating bird from Lincolnshire. Elsewhere, in Cornwall both the Red-rumped Swallow at Maenporth and the Spotted Sandpiper at Newlyn remained but were elusive on occasion. The pair of Black-winged Stilts at Martin Mere, Lancashire continued to incubate their eggs. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 25th May 2006 | ||
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| Although fairly quiet today, three new rarities were found: a summer plumaged
Spotted Sandpiper at Newlyn Harbour, Cornwall, initially in the morning and relocated in the evening; a Gull-billed Tern for about an hour and a half in
the afternoon at Dungeness, Kent and a female Subalpine Warbler at Pagham
Harbour, seen for just 10 minutes in the afternoon. The other main attraction was the summer plumaged
White-winged Black Tern that remained at Barton-Upon-Humber gravel pits. Other lingering rarities were the Subalpine Warbler on Ramsey Island,
Pembrokeshire and the Blue-winged Teal in County Down. Once again Storm Petrels featured prominently along the south coast and 16 Long-tailed Skuas were seen in Shetland. Elsewhere an Icterine Warbler was at Dungeness, Kent, a Golden Oriole was at Spurn, Yorkshire and there were 3 Purple Herons in the south west, as well as a scattering of Spoonbills, Common Cranes and Honey Buzzards. |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 24th May 2006 | ||
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| Seabirds continued to dictate proceedings with the most notable event being
the 170+Long-tailed Skuas that were counted off Troon harbour during the
morning before continuing their migration overland. Storm Petrels were
once again prominent with wrecked birds littering the length of the English
Channel. The only new rarities were a Bee-eater over Maywick (Shetland) and a Red-rumped Swallow at Maenporth (Cornwall) although both were only seen briefly. In Lincolnshire the White-winged Black Tern showed up at Barton-Upon-Humber GPs at dawn and dusk but not in between. The Ramsey Island Subalpine Warbler remained on site, as did the King Eider at the Ythan Estuary (Aberdeenshire). Best of the rest included a male Ortolan Bunting on Fair Isle, single Bluethroats at South Gare (Cleveland) and on Fair Isle, female Red-necked Phalarope at Neumann’s Flash (Cheshire), Golden Oriole in off the sea at Cley (Norfolk) and a 1st summer Sabine’s Gull that flew south past Formby Point (Merseyside). Many birders bemoaned their chances of ever reaching the Sula Sgeir Black-browed Albatross, as it sank in that this remote rock was not readily reached by your average boat charter. One option was offered today – specially reduced by 33% for RBA customers – to £999 each! A week long trip leaving next Saturday from Oban to Aberdeen via Berneray, St. Kilda, The Flannan Islands, North Rona, Sula Sgeir, Foula and Fair Isle – surely a trip to find a spring MEGA on – if only it was possible to take a whole week off at such short notice! |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 23rd May 2006 | ||
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| This evening hot news broke of the return of the adult Black-browed
Albatross to Sula Sgeir, Western Isles. It was observed building a nest in
the Gannet colony at around 8pm by a few lucky observers on a passing boat. A
combination of the remoteness of the island, poor weather and lack of charter
boats could make twitching this 'Mega' easier said than done.
A superb white morph Gyr on South Ronaldsay, Orkney was an impressive find and elsewhere, an adult White-winged Black Tern at Barton-Upon-Humber GPs, Lincolnshire, Subalpine Warbler on Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire and a Red-rumped Swallow at Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire were all new birds. The Black Stork put in two appearances in North Yorkshire, over Wykeham Forest and Filey and a drake Ring-necked Duck was found at Willington GPs, Bedfordshire. In Ireland, the Gull-billed Tern was still at Ballymacoda, Co. Cork and a drake Blue-winged Teal remained at Castle Espie WWT, Co. Down. Late news from yesterday concerned a first-summer Forster's Tern at Lady's Island Lake, Co.Wexford |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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