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| Saturday 9th September 2006 | ||
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| A brisk early autumn day with the highlight a Paddyfield Warbler which
was trapped and ringed on St Mary's (Scilly), but as is often the case it could
not be found again after its release. A Snowy Owl found the remote rocky
habitat of The Mullet (Co.Mayo) to its liking and showed well throughout the
day. Two Cattle Egrets at Stanpit Marsh/Hengistbury Head (Dorset) may
well have been the same individuals present in north Kent on Thursday. A Red-rumped
Swallow was reported amongst large numbers of hirundines at Jockey Shield
(Cumbria) in the evening and a White-winged Black Tern flew past East
Tilbury (Essex). What was presumed to be the White Pelican seen
previously in Kent and Essex made a surprise reappearance at Nosterfield
(N.Yorks). At this rate it may eventually meet up with the other roaming
individual in Northumberland!
The adult Bonaparte's Gull continued to show well at Newbiggin (N'berland) and American waders continued to be well represented by five Semipalmated Sandpipers, one Baird's Sandpiper, two White-rumped Sandpipers, a Lesser Yellowlegs, a Long-billed Dowitcher and seven Buff-breasted Sandpipers, but the only new arrival was an adult American Golden Plover on Lewis (W.Isles). Remaining rarities included Subalpine Warbler on Bryher (Scilly) and Red-footed Falcon at Minsmere (Suffolk) Inland birders had a lively day with Pectoral Sandpipers turning up at several reservoirs and gravel pits, while what was presumably the same Long-tailed Skua moved from Pitsford Reservoir (Northants) to Queen Mother Reservoir (Berks), but the most unusual inland report was a Barred Warbler at Sewardstone Marsh (Essex). |
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| - Andy Symes, 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 8th September 2006 | ||
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| Nearctic waders continued to delight many with yet another Semipalmated
Sandpiper found in Ireland, this individual at Rosslare Backstrand (Co.
Cork), whilst in Cornwall a mobile juvenile Baird's Sandpiper was found
at the Hayle Estuary (Cornwall). Other new waders of noted included a Red-necked
Phalarope at Bittell Reservoirs (Worcs), Pectoral Sandpipers at
Blacktoft Sands RSPB (E.Yorks), Coedbach Marsh (Carmarthens) and Ballycotton
(Co. Cork), and White-rumped Sandpiper at Blennerville (Co. Kerry). The
latter county also hosted its' record count of Buff-breasted Sandpipers as
the flock at Carrahane Strand increased to five birds.
Tiree continued its' hot streak with a Bonelli's Warbler species at Ben Hynish during the evening. Other passerines of note included a Red-throated Pipit reported from Porthgwarra, Tawny Pipit reported from Nanquidno Valley (both Cornwall) while the Citrine Wagtail remained on Fair Isle. In Northumberland the adult Bonaparte's Gull turned up at Newbiggin during the afternoon where it performed admirably in return for fried potato payment. In Dorset the Glossy Ibis was at Radipole Lake RSPB reserve during the early morning at least while an ibis species was reported flying over Woolacombe (Devon) during the evening. |
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| - Richard Moores, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 7th September 2006 | ||
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| The star find today was a Glossy Ibis at Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset.
Only the second ever Wilson's Petrel to be recorded in the North Sea flew
north past Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland early evening, whilst another was
reported from a fishing boat off the Devon coast. Other new rarities came in the
form of a White-rumped Sandpiper at Ballycotton, County Cork, a
Baird's Sandpiper at Ferriter's Cove, County Kerry and two Cattle Egrets
on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent.
Many of yesterday's major rarities were still present, including the Citrine Wagtails in Scilly and Shetland, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford and two Semipalmated Sandpipers in County Kerry. On Bryher, Scilly the Subalpine Warbler reappeared in the afternoon. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 6th September 2006 | ||
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| Hot news today came in the form of a first-winter Citrine Wagtail on
St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly, juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper at Newport
Wetlands, Gwent, American Golden Plover over Beachy Head, East Sussex and
a Greenish Warbler on Bressay, Shetland.
Ireland continued to create headlines with four Semipalmated Sandpipers, five Buff-breasted Sandpipers, White-rumped Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, two Lesser Yellowlegs, along with a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling and a Wilson's Petrel making up the end-of-day tally. A report of a possible dark morph Eleonora's Falcon at Amble Marshes, Cornwall will have raised a few eyebrows and elsewhere the Citrine Wagtail remained on Fair Isle, Red-rumped Swallow on Mainland Shetland and two Buff-breasted Sandpipers were on South Uist, Western Isles. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 5th September 2006 | ||
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| Southern Ireland once again produced the goods today, with two more
Semipalmated Sandpipers being found in County Kerry, at Smerwick Harbour and
Blennerville. Add to this an adult White-rumped Sandpiper at Trabeg, also
County Kerry, the first Spotted Sandpiper of the autumn at Nethertown and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Tacumshin,
County Wexford and the
Greenish Warbler on Brownstown Head, County Waterford; it wasn't a bad day at all over the
Irish Sea.
On Scilly Bryher hosted both Greenish and Subalpine Warblers and a in Hampshire the juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper continued to show well at Keyhaven Marshes. In Suffolk the female Red-footed Falcon remained at Minsmere RSPB, as did the Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle and Red-rumped Swallow at Hoswick, Shetland. There was some late news from Shetland that will have made many a British twitcher take a sharp intake of breath; the Hippolais warbler present on 16th August, which was initially identified as an Icterine Warbler, then reidentified as an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, as been reidentified again from photos by Killian Mullarney, Hadoram Shirihai and Lars Svensson as the first Olive-tree Warbler for Britain and Northwest Europe. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 4th September 2006 | ||
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| The highlights of the day were a mobile adult Bonaparte's Gull at East Chevington and Cresswell, Northumberland and a fine juvenile
Semipalmated Sandpiper at Keyhaven Marshes, Hampshire. Other Semipalmated Sandpipers
remained at Smerwick Harbour, Co Kerry and on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly. Other Scilly rarities included a
Subalpine Warbler on Bryher and the White-rumped Sandpiper on Tresco. In East Anglia the female Red-footed Falcon showed well at Minsmere, Suffolk but a first-winter Citrine Wagtail at Stiffkey Fen, Norfolk only made a brief appearance. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 3rd September 2006 | ||
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| Ireland enjoyed an even better day than yesterday for Nearctic waders. In
County Kerry a Semipalmated Sandpiper was at Smerwick Harbour, whilst a
White-rumped Sandpiper was at nearby Burnham Lagoon, in Dingle. In County
Cork the
Semipalmated Sandpipers remained at Ballycotton and Lissagriffin and a
Buff-breasted Sandpiper was at Kilcoole, County Wicklow. The Long-billed
Dowitcher and Pectoral Sandpiper remained faithful to Shannon Airport Lagoon, as
did the Lesser Yellowlegs to Dundrum Inner Bay, County Down.
Scilly also fared well for 'peeps', scoring a Semipalmated Sandpiper on St.Agnes; this bird is a different individual to the 'probable' seen on Bryher a few days ago. Nearby, the adult White-rumped Sandpiper returned to Tresco and a Pectoral Sandpiper was reported on St.Mary's. Back in Ireland a Greenish Warbler was found on Brownstown Head, County Waterford. A female Red-footed Falcon visited Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk. In Scotland Pectoral Sandpipers were located at Lochlea Farm Pool, Ayrshire, Tyninghame Bay, Lothian and on South Uist, Western Isles; another was at Cley NWT, Norfolk. The American Golden Plover was still present on Tiree, Argyll. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 2nd September 2006 | ||
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| Nearctic waders in southern Ireland created the headlines today. Semipalmated Sandpipers
were at Ballycotton and Lissagriffin, County Cork and
a Baird's
Sandpiper was at Lady's Island Lake, County Wexford. Shetland produced an Arctic Warbler on Foula and the Red-rumped Swallow was still at Hoswick, Mainland. In Argyll, Tiree continued to host the tremendous treble of Booted Warbler and Pacific and American Golden Plovers. A Great White Egret returned to Blashford Lakes HWT, Hampshire and the Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Dundrum Inner Bay, County Down. Elsewhere scarcities included the juvenile Night Heron at Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex and the juvenile Temminck's Stint continued to show well at Foxcote Reservoir, Buckinghamshire. In Nottinghamshire the Dutch-ringed White Stork remained at Eaton and the juvenile Red-necked Phalarope was still at Hickling Broad NWT, Norfolk. On Fair Isle the Melodious Warbler continued its stay and was joined by a Woodchat Shrike and another Melodious Warbler was found at Tacumshin, County Wexford. Pectoral Sandpipers were located at Havergate Island RSPB, Suffolk and North Uist, Western Isles and plenty of Long-tailed Skuas were logged past coastal watchpoints. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 1st September 2006 | ||
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| The Isles of Scilly stole the show today, producing a Subalpine Warbler
on St.Agnes and a probable Semipalmated Sandpiper on Bryher. Yesterday's
White-rumped Sandpiper was relocated on the former island and St.Mary's
offered a Tawny Pipit briefly on the golf course. In Argyll the Booted Warbler and adult American Golden Plover remained on Tiree and on Mainland Shetland the Red-rumped Swallow returned to Hoswick. The stunning Snowy Owl remained on North Uist, a Great White Egret was at Old Hall Marshes RSPB, Essex and Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Dundrum Inner Bay, County Down. The best of the rest included the Night Heron at Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex, Hoopoe at Lawford, Essex, a brief juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper on Fleetwood Golf Course, Lancashire, juvenile Temminck's Stint still at Foxcote Reservoir, Buckinghamshire, Red-backed Shrike at Reculver, Kent and another impressive movement of Great Shearwaters off Ireland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 31st August 2006 | ||
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| The Scottish Islands stole the limelight today, and probably not for the last
time this autumn, with an Arctic Warbler on Fetlar, in the Shetlands, and
a Booted Warbler on Tiree, in Argyll. The latter island also still hosted
both an American Golden Plover and a Pacific Golden Plover.
The Snowy Owl remained on North Uist, in the Western Isles, with a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and a possible American Herring Gull on South Uist. A Melodious Warbler remained on Fair Isle, Shetlands, while in the Orkneys there was some good seawatching with 44 Great Shearwaters and 2 Cory's Shearwaters past North Ronaldsay. Not to be outdone, south-west Ireland produced another Fea's Petrel, this one past Cape Clear Island in County Cork. Elsewhere, a White-rumped Sandpiper was on Tresco in The Scillies, and Great White Egrets were again at Chigborough in Essex and Sturminster in Dorset. Two Long-tailed Skuas went past Dungeness, Kent, eight Spoonbills were together at Havergate Island in Suffolk, a Wryneck was in London at Bushy Park and inland Temminck's Stints were at Foxcote Reservoir, Buckinghamshire and Lound in Nottinghamshire. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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