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| Sunday 11th June 2006 | ||
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| A Marsh Sandpiper at Coldharbour Lagoon, Kent was today's star bird,
but flew west soon after it was found. Other new rarities included a Great
Reed Warbler at Loch of Kinnordy, Angus, which was possibly the same bird that was at
Forfar Loch in mid May. The first Wilson's Petrels of the Scilly pelagic
season were seen, with three in the evening about 6 miles south of St.Mary's. A Gull-billed
Tern flew past Goring in West Sussex before heading inland over Worthing,
whilst at the other end of the country, a Red-rumped Swallow was reported
at Mey Village east of Thurso in Highland. Spurn Point, in East Yorkshire, had a
memorable day with a Bee-eater present for a short while in the morning,
a male Red-footed Falcon through in the evening, a probable Pallid Swift
through with over 4,500 Common Swifts during the day, and 2 Spoonbills
over in the early afternoon. Nearby the mobile Great White Egret
reappeared at Hornsea Mere.
In Bedfordshire the splendid first-summer male Red-footed Falcon continued to perform at Marston Vale Millennium County Park but was often distant whilst hawking with Hobbies in the glorious summer sky. In Lincolnshire the Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Gibraltar Point. On Anglesey the controversial tern, now thought by many to be a hybrid or an aberrant Sandwich Tern, remained at Cemlyn Lagoon, but was a little less obliging. A Pectoral Sandpiper was found in Cleveland, an unseasonal Black Redstart was at Blakeney Point in Norfolk and one or two Black Terns were still around. |
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| - Pete Hayman, 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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| Saturday 10th June 2006 | ||
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| Best of the new discoveries today was a first-summer male Red-footed Falcon at Marston Vale Millennium Country Park, Bedfordshire, which performed well in the evening. A female Red-footed Falcon was on Mainland Shetland and a Caspian Tern in Hampshire was seen off Sandy Point at 1pm then past Barton-on-Sea at 6.45pm. In Cheshire a Great White Egret was at Woolston Eyes and not too far away in southeast Liverpool, a swift sp with a white rump and throat could have been 'the one that got away'. Another Great White Egret flew over Atwick, East Yorkshire and in Derbyshire, a Bee-eater was reported over Codnor Park. Norfolk hosted a singing male Red-backed Shrike at Friary Hills, and the Lesser Yellowlegs returned to Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire. Last but by no means least, an Icterine Warbler was found at Filey in the evening | ||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 9th June 2006 | ||
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| Find of the day was an elusive male Rustic Bunting in an Overstrand
garden, Norfolk. A pratincole species seen flying over the road between
Cambridge and St.Neots, Cambridgeshire, would have caused a stir if it had been
pinned down and specifically identified. The Lincolnshire Lesser Yellowlegs
moved from Freiston Shore RSPB to Gibraltar Point NNR during the morning and in Cumbria a Great White Egret graced
Walney Island. A White Pelican on the sea off Whitehead, Co.Antrim was an
intriguing record.
Quality scarcities included an Icterine Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney and a female Red-backed Shrike at Fife Ness, Fife. Late news from Wednesday related to an adult Baird's Sandpiper at Aston-on-Trent Gravel Pits, Derbyshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 8th June 2006 | ||
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| In Merseyside a Black Stork flew north-east over Marshside RSPB at 12.20pm. The only other new rarities involved a Red-rumped Swallow at Polgigga, Cornwall, and a Great White Egret in East Yorkshire that was first seen to fly in off the sea at Aldbrough in the morning before being relocated at Hornsea Mere in the evening. In Lincolnshire the Lesser Yellowlegs reappeared at Freiston Shore RSPB in the afternoon. Red-backed Shrikes were relatively numerous while a belated report from yesterday of a Woodchat Shrike from Cambridgeshire would have represented the first county record for 166 years had it been confirmed. In London, the Nightjar continued to perform exceptionally well in central Teddington. | ||
| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 7th June 2006 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Lesser Yellowlegs at Freiston Shore, Lincolnshire where the bird was on show for the majority of the day before departing to the south. In Borders three
Bee-eaters flew over near Reston. The best of the rest comprised a showy male Red-backed Shrike at Titchwell, Norfolk and lingering Purple Herons at College Reservoir, Cornwall and Walberswick, Suffolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 6th June 2006 | ||
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| A good day for fresh discoveries with the highlight being a Pacific Golden Plover that spent much of the afternoon at Hickling Broad, Norfolk before departing to the southwest. In Scotland an adult
Laughing Gull was located on North Uist, Western Isles with a Subalpine Warbler
on Fair Isle, Shetland whilst in Northern Ireland an adult White-winged Black Tern at Belfast Lough, Co Down in the evening. Mobile rarities included a Black Stork seen flying over Margate late in the afternoon and Gazeley, Suffolk late in the evening. A Black Kite over Polzeath, Cornwall occurred amid a mass arrival of Red Kites into west Cornwall including at least eighteen in the vicinity of Land's End. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 5th June 2006 | ||
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| The prize find today was an adult Whiskered Tern at Loch of Skene, Aberdeenshire. Found late afternoon the bird showed well before departing southwards mid evening. Meanwhile, on Anglesey, the tern - widely believed to be a Cayenne Tern - continued to incubate eggs at Cemlyn Lagoon. A singing Short-toed Lark made a brief appearance at Tacumshin, Co Wexford where the Night Heron remains. Elsewhere, a widespread scattering of Black Terns were noted along with typical late spring migrants such as Red-backed Shrikes and Temminck's Stints. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 4th June 2006 | ||
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| At Cemlyn Lagoon, Anglesey the adult unidentified tern first seen yesterday was present again today and appears to be paired to a Sandwich Tern and incubating eggs in the colony. Although not identified for certain it seems to closely resemble the tropical American
eurygnatha form of Sandwich Tern; Cayenne Tern. If this bird is a
Cayenne Tern it would represent the first record for both the British Isles and the Western Palearctic but proving the identity
beyond all doubt may prove difficult. The Western Subalpine Warbler remained on the Farne Islands, Northumberland where the ring number proved it to be the same individual as that present at Spurn, East Yorkshire on Friday - an overnight movement of around 150 miles north northwest. A Woodchat Shrike showed well at Metton, Norfolk in the evening whilst brief rarities included male Red-footed Falcons reported at both Holt Heath, Dorset and Farlington Marshes, Black Kites over Hawkcombe Head, Somerset and Cubbington, Warwickshire and Bee-eaters at Sancreed, Cornwall (2) and Dunwich, Suffolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 3rd June 2006 | ||
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| An orange-billed tern joined Sandwich Terns at Cemlyn
Lagoon this evening; it exhibited an interesting suite of features, but spent long periods out of view in the tern colony. Hopefully better views will be gained tomorrow. Other new rarities came in the form of
a male Subalpine Warbler on Farne Islands, Northumberland, an adult Laughing Gull found on
Lewis, Western Isles and a Red-rumped Swallow at Ferrybridge, Dorset. In
Fife a Black-winged Stilt was reported flying north, just north of
St.Monance.
In Ireland the 1st-summer Bonaparte's Gull remained at Blennerville, Co.Kerry and in Ayrshire the stunning adult drake King Eider lingered in Irvine Harbour and a drake King Eider reappeared off the Shetland coastline. In Norfolk a male Red-backed Shrike was a fantastic find at Old Costessey, near Norwich. A scattering of scarcities were located in the North East, including an Icterine Warbler at Whitburn, Co.Durham, female Serin at Flamborough Head and male Common Rosefinch at Spurn, East Yorkshire. A Red-breasted Flycatcher at Porth Meudwy, Gwynedd was the second in the county in the last three days. On Scilly yesterday's 'pelagic' Hoopoe was relocated on St.Martin's and a singing Melodious Warbler was at Powerstock Common, Dorset. Late news from yesterday related to a Purple Heron at Walberswick NNR. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 2nd June 2006 | ||
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| The cooler north and westerly weather systems of late finally gave way across
much of the country to warm, calmer conditions, and the star attraction of the
day was a bird from the south-east, a male Black-headed Bunting found on
Bardsey Island, Gwynedd, in the morning, which showed well throughout the day.
This site is currently enjoying a purple patch with other birds on the island
during the day including a Hoopoe, a Serin and a Golden Oriole. Elsewhere, a Western Subalpine Warbler was ringed at Spurn, East Yorkshire. In Co. Wexford, the possible Citrine Wagtail
of yesterday at
Tacumshin was confirmed as such today, and the
1st-summer Night Heron remained at the same site. Portland in Dorset had
another great day with Bee-eater, male Red-backed Shrike,
Hoopoe and Serin all recorded, though not all were obliging. A flock of
five Bee-eaters was seen at Hoveton in Norfolk early in the afternoon and
later a flock of 6 to 8 birds lingered for a while nearby at Caister-on-Sea.
Of the lingering rarities, the Spotted Sandpiper remained a popular attraction at Minsmere in Suffolk, the Bonaparte's Gull was still at Blennerville in County Kerry, the Iberian Chiffchaff continued to hold territory on Dartmoor, Devon, and on Shetland, the Savi's Warbler remained at Skaw on Unst. A male Red-backed Shrike was new at Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex, and a Hoopoe was found at Dersingham Bog in Norfolk. In Cornwall a Purple Heron flew over Wadebridge, with another still lingering at College Reservoir and a Golden Oriole was at Bosistow Farm near Land's End. On Fair Isle, Shetland, the long-staying Short-toed Lark was still present along with a female Red-backed Shrike. Most bizarre record of the day was on The Scillies where a Hoopoe was seen from a pelagic 3 miles south-west of Bishop Rock, flying towards St.Agnes! Also today, a belated report of a probable Gull-billed Tern feeding in fields near Lamorna, Cornwall on 31st May. |
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| - Richard Moores and Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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