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| Monday 31st July 2006 | ||
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| Seabirds dominated the proceedings with highlights being the first Fea's Petrel
of the summer passing Brandon Point, Co Kerry during the morning and eight Wilson's Petrels recorded
from a pelagic south of St Mary's, Isles of Scilly in the evening. A White-rumped Sandpiper was new in on North Ronaldsay, Orkney as was a Pectoral Sandpiper at Titchwell, Norfolk. Late news for yesterday from Ireland included the reappearance of both the American Black Tern at Lady's Island Lake, Co Wexford and the Long-billed Dowitcher at Shannon Airport Lagoon, Co Clare. |
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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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| Sunday 30th July 2006 | ||
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| The arrival of an adult White Pelican at Bough Beech Reservoir was arguably the highlight of the day.
Although it is probably impossible to be sure of the origin of this bird, it's appearance
does coincide with a White Pelican in the Netherlands and a long period of hot weather. Elsewhere, a Red-footed Falcon flew over Holland Haven, Essex and a second White-rumped Sandpiper arrived at Seaton Snook, Cleveland. In East Yorkshire a Red-necked Phalarope made a brief appearance at Kilnsea. The Marsh Sandpiper remained in Pagham Harbour, West Sussex as did both the Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire. Seawatching at Galley Head, Co Cork produced 975 Cory's, 22 Great and 10 Balearic Shearwaters whilst in Cornwall 72 Cory's, 5 Great and 45 Balearic Shearwaters passed Porthgwarra. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 29th July 2006 | ||
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| A change in the weather finally injected a little excitement into
proceedings. A Marsh Sandpiper at Pagham Harbour, West Sussex, adult
Franklin's Gull at Grunty Fen, Cambridgeshire and a Bee-eater over
Trunch, Norfolk were all hot finds and the Cattle Egret reappeared at
Grove Ferry NR, before it was relocated to Seaton GPs, Kent. In Lincolnshire a
Woodchat Shrike was located at Friskney, and Holland Haven, Essex hosted
a Pectoral Sandpiper, a species that has been thin on the ground so far
this 'autumn'. Across the Irish Sea, the first-summer American Black Tern
reappeared at Lady's Island Lake, County Wexford.
Seawatchers scored some mouth-watering tallies at several locations; seven Great Shearwaters were logged past Galley Head, County Cork, with singletons past Porthgwarra, Cornwall and Helvick Head, County Waterford. Several impressive Balearic Shearwater counts were made, including 60+ past Porthgwarra and 41 past Berry Head, Devon. Cory's Shearwaters were noted at a few locations, with a single past Seaton Sluice, Northumberland being the most notable record. Long-staying rarities included the adult White-rumped Sandpiper at Seaton Snook, Cleveland, Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire and Ferruginous Duck at Loch Gelly, Fife. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 28th July 2006 | ||
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| The best new bird found today was an adult Long-billed Dowitcher at Shannon
Airport Lagoon, County Clare. New finds also came in the form of a juvenile
Red-backed Shrike at Wouldham, Kent, an adult Common Crane at
Lough Beg, County Derry and a Spotted Crake at Martin Mere WWT,
Lancashire. A Wilson's Petrel was again seen on a Scilly pelagic along
with a first-summer Long-tailed Skua, an excellent record.
Elsewhere it was business as usual, with the Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs remaining at Gibraltar Point NNR, adult White-rumped Sandpiper still at Seaton Snook, Cleveland and the drake Ferruginous Duck was still at Loch Gelly, Fife. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 27th July 2006 | ||
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| In East Sussex a Black Stork flew west over Uckfield in the evening, possible the wandering bird that spent much of the last fortnight or so in Scotland. Wader-wise it was more of the same. The adult White-rumped Sandpiper at Seaton Snook (Cleveland) was only seen in the early morning and again at dusk. Presumably it had spent most of the day feeding on Seal Sands. In Lincolnshire both the Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Gibraltar Point NNR. The best of the rest included more dispersing Roseate Terns and the Red-backed Shrike still at Croxley Common Moor in Hertfordshire. | ||
| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 26th July 2006 | ||
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| An adult White-rumped Sandpiper at Seaton Snook, Clevelandwas the find of the day and a Great White Egret
was on Bardsey
Island, Gwynedd until 9am, when it flew off southwest. Elsewhere it was business
as usual; the adult Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs
were still at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire, the drake Ferruginous Duck
remained at Loch Gelly, Fife and the eclipse drake King Eider reappeared
off Blackdog, Aberdeenshire. In Hertfordshire the male Red-backed Shrike
was still at Croxley Common Moor and a Golden Oriole at Lydford, Devon was a
good local record.
The heat-wave looks set to continue, so we will either have to wait for a break in the current conditions to 'shake things up at bit' or hope for something extraordinarily rare off the back of this prolonged heat-onslaught. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 25th July 2006 | ||
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| A quiet (but even hotter) day by recent standards produced very little to shout about. The first-summer American Black Tern was still in County Wexford, commuting between Lady's Island Lake and Carnsore Point. At Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire the adult Long-billed Dowitcher was present until late morning, and in Hampshire the colour-ringed Great White Egret reappeared at Blashford Lakes HWT. The gorgeous male Red-backed Shrike was still at Croxley Common Moor, Hertfordshire and there was (another) unconfirmed report of a Roller, this time in Cornwall at St.Kew. | ||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 24th July 2006 | ||
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| Wader passage continues to pick up with a second adult White-rumped Sandpiper
joining its congener at the Pool of Virkie on Mainland Shetland, while in
Norfolk an adult Buff-breasted Sandpiper was watched for a couple of
hours at the Swim Coots scrape at Hickling Broad. In Lincolnshire both the Long-billed
Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Gibraltar Point NNR. Good
numbers of Black-tailed Godwits built up at many sites today and a few
more Wood Sandpipers put in appearances. A total of three Wilson's
Petrels were logged from a pelagic south of Scilly in the evening, along
with a 1st summer Sabine's Gull, and Balearic Shearwaters continue
to give a good showing in the English Channel.
On the insect front, a probable Southern Migrant Hawker was seen all too briefly at a private Broadland site in Norfolk, while in the same area the recording of many Yellow-winged Darters must surely herald the start of the best invasion since 1995. |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 23rd July 2006 | ||
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| The star find today was a Pallid Swift on Bryher, Scilly. Present
early afternoon, it was accompanied by another swift, which may also have been a
Pallid. Other finds today included an adult Lesser Yellowlegs briefly at
Old Hall Marshes RSPB, Essex and a Cattle Egret at Grove Ferry NR, Kent,
but only until 5.15am. The Black Stork has finally left the Eye Water
area; after being seen in Borders early in the morning, it was later logged
flying south southeast out to sea over Blyth Beach, Northumberland. There were
unconfirmed reports of a possible Pallid Swift in Nottinghamshire and
Bee-eater in Cornwall.
The first-summer American Black Tern remained at Carnsore Point, County Wexford throughout most of the day and in Lincolnshire the Nearctic duo of Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs were still at Gibraltar Point NNR. In Essex the Great White Egret was at Chigborough Lakes EWT in the the morning then at Old Hall Marshes RSPB in the evening. The Laughing Gull remained at Arlington Reservoir, East Sussex, one Great White Egret was still at Blashford Lakes HWT, Hampshire and in Fife the drake Ferruginous Duck was still at Loch Gelly. The best of the rest included the stunning male Red-backed Shrike at Croxley Common Moor, Hertfordshire, Common Rosefinch on North Ronaldsay, Orkney and Red-necked Phalarope still at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 22nd July 2006 | ||
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| Shetland hosted the first White-rumped Sandpiper of the autumn, an
individual at Pool of Virkie, Mainland. An adult Long-billed Dowitcher at
Gibraltar Point may have been a returning bird from 2004; the adult Lesser Yellowlegs
remained at the same site. In Essex yesterday's Great White Egret was
re-found at Loft's Farm GP and a Melodious Warbler at Portland Bill was
bang on cue.
The Irish 'Tern-Fest' continued today, with the finding of a first-summer Forster's Tern at Lady's Island Lake, County Wexford. The first-summer American Black Tern eluded twitchers for most of the day, but later reappeared at Carnsore Point, albeit briefly. A number of immature niger Black Terns were also present in the area, which caused the odd problem here and there! Elsewhere in Ireland, a Wilson's Petrel flew past Galley Head, along with 4 Great Shearwaters, 4 Cory's Shearwaters and 12 Balearic Shearwaters. A male Red-backed Shrike was at Croxley Common Moor, Hertfordshire and in East Sussex the first-summer Laughing Gull was still at Arlington Reservoir. In Scotland the Black Stork was still in Borders, Ferruginous Duck in Fife and King Eider again off Irvine harbour. The adult female Red-necked Phalarope continued to draw plenty of admirers at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk. A Hoopoe was reported at Harlington, Bedfordshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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