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| Monday 9th October 2006 | ||
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| The Canada Warbler at Kilbaha in County Clare was, not surprisingly,
the main attraction today as many British birders made the journey to western
Ireland to see it. Kilbaha also continued to hold a Red-eyed Vireo as
well as Common Rosefinch and Red-breasted Flycatcher. The stunning
adult Roller at Beal in Northumberland also continued to prove very
popular.
A new White-rumped Sandpiper was at Cley in north Norfolk and nearby a Cattle Egret, without rings, was found at Blakeney freshmarsh. New rarities on the Shetlands came in the form of an Arctic Warbler on Mainland at Boddam and an Olive-backed Pipit on Mainland at Kergord. A juvenile American Golden Plover found at Fen Drayton in Cambridgeshire was possibly the bird previously at Farcet Fen. A Great White Egret was found in southern Ireland near Bantry. The Laughing Gull reappeared at Brora in Highland, Spotted Sandpipers were in Cornwall at Hayle and Upper Tamar Lake, the Western Bonelli's Warbler remained at Longstone on St.Mary's in The Scillies, the Hoopoe was still at Walsall in the West Midlands and there were three other American Golden Plovers in the country in addition to the one mentioned previously: on Tresco (Scillies); at Keyhaven (Hampshire) and at Deeping High Bank (Lincolnshire). |
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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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| Sunday 8th October 2006 | ||
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| Just as many where beginning to think autumn 2006 was doomed to be remembered
for it's distinct mediocrity, the first Canada Warbler to be recorded in
Britain and Ireland was found in Kilbaha, County Kerry this afternoon; this
first-winter bird constitutes only the second record for the Western Palearctic,
following an individual in Iceland in 1973.
An superb adult Roller in Northumberland was rather upstaged by the warbler, but was undeniably still a mega find. Initially located on Holy Island, it quickly found the mainland and was mobile in the Goswick and Beal are till dusk. A Black-throated Thrush on Foula continued the island's fabulous autumn and a probable Pechora Pipit was on Unst. In Devon, Upper Tamar Lake scored a superb double in the form of Spotted Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher. New White-rumped Sandpipers were found at Tyninghame Bay, Lothian, Freiston Shore, Lincolnshire and another remained at Dungeness RSPB for its second day. In Lincolnshire a Great White Egret flew over Saltfleetby NNR and Cruisetown Strand, County Louth, hosted a Forster's Tern. A Pacific or American Golden Plover was found in Cleveland at Bowesfield Marsh. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 7th October 2006 | ||
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| County Kerry created the headlines, with Kilbaha hosting both Red-eyed
Vireo and Spotted Sandpiper and Valentia Island holding a Greenish
Warbler. Elsewhere new discoveries included White-rumped Sandpipers at
Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk, Fair Isle, Shetland and Tacumshin, County Wexford.
Somerset also produced the goods, in the form of a Lesser Yellowlegs at
Weston and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Hunstpill. A Western Bonelli's
Warbler on St.Mary's, Scilly, was probably the long staying bird that was last seen on
Tuesday.
Popular rarities included the American Golden Plovers in Lincolnshire and Hampshire, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, and a juvenile Spotted Sandpiper was seen on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall, for it's second day. On Shetland the Upland Sandpiper was still on Unst until 10.10am when it flew south and Foula continued to hold a Lanceolated Warbler. The Red-eyed Vireo remained on The Mullet, County Mayo. Although not a vintage showing, seawatchers enjoyed a small passage on Leach's Petrels, mainly off the north west coastline. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 6th October 2006 | ||
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| Shetland once again produced the bird of the day in the form of an Upland
Sandpiper on Unst. Elsewhere an adult American Golden Plover was
located near Deeping High Bank, Lincolnshire, probably the same individual that
was near Epworth on Monday. In County Cork Ballycotton hosted not only a
White-rumped Sandpiper, but also a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and a
possible American Golden Plover. Back in Shetland, an eclipse drake
King Eider was located off West Burra.
The Foula 'birdfest' continued, with the Lanceolated Warbler, Coues's Arctic Redpoll and two Olive-backed Pipits all being logged. In County Mayo the Red-eyed Vireo and Snowy Owl remained on The Mullet and the Pallid Harrier made another brief appearance at Winterton, Norfolk. Seawatchers began to log the odd Leach's Petrel; given the strong westerly winds due overnight, these may be the first of many seen this weekend. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 5th October 2006 | ||
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| The second Red-eyed Vireo of the autumn was discovered this morning,
this time on
The Mullet, County Mayo; hopefully there will be more Nearctic landbirds to
follow. Other new rarities included an Alpine Swift in Ipswich, Suffolk and
Olive-backed Pipit on Lewis, Western Isles. In Shetland Foula continued to produce
the goods, this time with a Lanceolated Warbler; the Coues's Arctic
Redpoll also remained on the same island.
In Hampshire the American Golden Plover was still at Keyhaven and another remained on Tresco, Scilly. The Long-billed Dowitcher was at Oare Marshes, Kent and in Shetland Rustic Buntings remained on Unst and Fair Isle. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 4th October 2006 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Rustic Bunting on Unst, Shetland
Isles, an Arctic Redpoll on Foula, Shetland Isles and American Golden Plovers at Pennington Marshes, Hampshire and Myroe Levels, Co
Londonderry; the latter accompanied by five Buff-breasted and a Pectoral
Sandpiper. Rarities remaining from previous days were headlined by the River Warbler on Foula, Shetland, Pallid Harrier at Winterton, Norfolk, Red-eyed Vireo at Nanquidno, Cornwall, Snowy Owl on The Mullet, Co Mayo and Rustic Bunting on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles. Elsewhere the Bonaparte's Gull lingered in Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Lancashire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co Mayo and American Golden Plovers on both the Isles of Scilly and Shetland Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 3rd October 2006 | ||
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| The star find was a River Warbler on Foula, Shetland Isles. This was the first British record since September 2002 and the eleventh autumn record for Shetland. Following a spate of records in the mid 1990s this species has reverted back to gross rarity status and the next mainland record will attract quite a crowd. Elsewhere on the Shetland Isles a
Rustic Bunting appeared on Fair Isle. Lingering from yesterday the Red-eyed Vireo remained at Nanquidno, Cornwall as did the Long-billed Dowitcher at Oare Marshes, Kent. The Lancashire Glossy Ibis put in another brief appearance at Martin Mere and on Orkney the Isabelline Shrike was seen again on Eday. Otherwise long staying rarities included Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Red-rumped Swallow on Shetland Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Worcestershire, Bonaparte's Gull in Co Kerry and both Western Bonelli's Warbler and American Golden Plover on the Scilly Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 2nd October 2006 | ||
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| The star find today was a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler on the Shetland Isles at Skaw, Whalsay with an
American Golden Plover new in on the same island. On Orkney a White's Thrush was glimpsed on North Ronaldsay The first North American passerine of the autumn was a Red-eyed Vireo discovered at Nanquidno, Cornwall. Other discoveries included yet more North American waders with a Long-billed Dowitcher at Oare Marshes, Kent, an American Golden Plover at Castlemaine Harbour, Co Kerry and five Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Myroe Levels, Co Derry. In Lancashire the Glossy Ibis roosted overnight at Brockholes Quarry before departing to the southwest during the morning. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 1st October 2006 | ||
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| The most popular find today was a Glossy Ibis at Brockholes Quarry in
Lancashire, a truly excellent record. Photographs show it to be the same individual as that present at Radipole Lake, Dorset on 7th-8th September. In County Durham an adult American
Golden Plover was a notable discovery at Whitburn, and another was on
Fetlar, Shetland.
In Ireland a fine selection of rarities included Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Snowy Owl, three Lesser Yellowlegs, three Long-billed Dowitchers, two American Golden Plovers, ten Buff-breasted Sandpipers, a Baird's Sandpiper, a Red-necked Phalarope and a Purple Heron. The Pallid Harrier retuned to Winterton, Norfolk in the afternoon, the Isabelline Shrike remained on Barra, Western Isles, as did two Rustic Buntings on Foula, Shetland. In Worcestershire the Long-billed Dowitcher was still at Upper Bittell Reservoir and the Bonaparte's Gull remained in Newbiggin Bay, Northumberland. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 30th September 2006 | ||
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| The best finds today included a 1st-winter Isabelline Shrike on Barra,
Western Isles (presumably the bird previously on Lewis), a new Rustic Bunting
on Foula, Shetland and a flyover American Golden Plover at Middle Hope,
Somerset. Another Isabelline Shrike was reported on Eday, Orkney. In Ireland new
birds came in the form of a juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher in County Cork
and Baird's Sandpiper in County Kerry. Five American Golden Plovers
were also seen; two in County Kerry and singles in County Cork, County Galway
and County Tipperary.
Long staying rarities continuing to create the headlines included the Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler in County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher in Worcestershire and Marbled Duck in Dorset. On Shetland Thrush Nightingale, Arctic Warbler and Red-rumped Swallow remained on Mainland and in Conwy, Great Ormes Head hosted both Short-toed Lark and Woodchat Shrike, an impressive duo in the Northwest. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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