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| Sunday 29th October 2006 | ||
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| Few new rarities were discovered today with a Radde's Warbler on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd and a
Rustic Bunting on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly being the pick of the bunch;
a White-rumped Sandpiper in Co Kerry and a Cattle Egret in Essex
provided a supporting cast. In Northumberland the Daurian Shrike remained at Cresswell and the Bonaparte's Gull at Newbiggin with other long-staying rarities including the Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Forster's Tern in Co Louth and the two Red-breasted Geese in Lincolnshire. Elsewhere a Long-billed Dowitcher, two Ferruginous Ducks, three Great White Egrets, four American Golden Plovers and five White-rumped Sandpipers were all recorded. The most frustrating news was of the presence of a Siberian Rubythroat in a garden in Sunderland, Co Durham from at least 26th-28th October. Following the identification (from photographs) it was most disappointing that access was not arranged. |
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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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| Saturday 28th October 2006 | ||
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| The final Saturday in October failed to provide the hoped for late autumn mega, but a scattering of rarities were available around the country. The best new bird was a Marbled Duck at North Warren RSPB, Suffolk, but this record will undoubtedly be tainted with the usual controversy that surrounds this species. In Kent the stunning male Penduline Tit continued to perform at Dungeness RSPB and in Northumberland the Daurian Shrike remained at Cresswell Pond. Cambridgeshire continued to host the juvenile American Golden Plover at Little Paxton Gravel Pits and in Yorkshire the Great White Egret toured a selection of waterbodies in the morning before reappearing at New Swillington Ings. The Thrush Nightingale remained on Fair Isle. Little Auks were recorded in small numbers off the mainland, but in Northumberland the Farne Islands scored a massive tally of 1,997 by midday. Late news from 19th October related to a Killdeer on North Uist, presumably the same bird seen last weekend in Argyll. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 27th October 2006 | ||
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| New discoveries today were headlined by a Desert Wheatear on St Agnes, Isle of Scilly, a
Daurian Shrike at Druridge Pools, Northumberland, Penduline Tit at Dungeness, Kent,
Dusky Warbler at Gunton, Suffolk and American Golden Plover at Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire. The White-billed Diver remained off Cape Clear, Co Cork and the late Thrush Nightingale stayed on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles. The Glossy Ibis put in another appearance at Marshside, Merseyside and the pair of Red-breasted Geese present recently in Lincolnshire were seen passing Spurn, East Yorkshire. Of local significance were a Rose-coloured Starling at Kidwelly, Carmarthensire, a Richard's Pipit at Rumworth Lodge, Greater Manchester and a movement of 494 Little Auks past the Farne Islands, Northumberland. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 26th October 2006 | ||
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| The pace of the autumn continues to slow down with the only new rarity today being a brief
Red-throated Pipit on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly. However, the archipelago continues to support an impressive
selection of rare and scarce birds with Blyth's Pipit, American
Robin, Serin, two Short-toed Larks, Rose-coloured
Starling, Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck and six Yellow-browed
Warblers. Elsewhere the Spotted Sandpiper continued to perform at Hayle Estuary, Cornwall as did the Red-breasted Geese in Lincolnshire, Great White Egret in South Yorkshire and White-rumped Sandpipers in Norfolk. Several long-staying rarities, such as Ferruginous Ducks in both Kent and Somerset, look set to remain for the duration and, when coupled with an arrival of Little Auks, added a real feel of winter to the day. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 25th October 2006 | ||
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| Fair Isle hosted both a Thrush Nightingale and the first Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll of the autumn.
Elsewhere it was another relatively quiet day, with the best of the rest being
an Aquatic Warbler and American Robin on Isles of Scilly, whilst
in Cornwall the Least Sandpiper reappeared at Hayle Estuary.
A Pallas's Warbler was a nice find on Hengistbury Head, Dorset and a decent movement of Little Auks was recorded, mainly on the east coast. In Norfolk the drake Surf Scoter remained offshore at Titchwell RSPB for it's second day. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 24th October 2006 | ||
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| There were very few new rarities located during a relatively quiet day by
recent standards. In County Cork Cape Clear remained in the headlines, with a
White-billed Diver being seen off there today, with another off Mainland
Shetland. A Cattle Egret was
briefly at Hanningfield Reservoir early morning and the Great White Egret
in Yorkshire was relocated in the Wombwell Ings/ Broomhill Flash area. In
Argyll a juvenile White-rumped Sandpiper was on Islay.
Long staying rarities included the Red-flanked Bluetail in Suffolk, American Robin on Scilly, and a party of three White-rumped Sandpipers at Cley NWT, Norfolk. Large pipits continued to cause headaches on Isles of Scilly, but once again the individual in question was finally confirmed as a Blyth's Pipit. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 23rd October 2006 | ||
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| The headline news today came from the Shetland Isles where a Blyth's Pipit
was confirmed on Fair Isle when it was trapped and ringed, an Olive-backed Pipit
remains on the same island with Red-flanked Bluetails both on Shetland Mainland at Brae and
still on Whalsay at Skaw. An Alpine Swift flew over Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, a Cattle Egret arrived at Budleigh Salterton, Devon and three White-rumped Sandpipers showed well at Cley, Norfolk. On the Scilly Isles an American Robin put in a brief appearance on Bryher with the long-staying bird still on Tresco and the other highlight being the Booted Warbler still on St Mary's. Elsewhere, most notable amongst the rarities were the Red-flanked Bluetail in Suffolk, Forster's Tern Co Louth, Black Duck Co Kerry, Glossy Ibis Lancashire, Red-breasted Goose Lincolnshire, Arctic Redpoll, Shetland and both Spotted Sandpiper and Siberian Stonechat in Cornwall. A falcon on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd during the afternoon was initially proposed as a potential Eleonora's Falcon but, following better views, was thought less likely to be this species. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 22nd October 2006 | ||
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| The undoubted highlight of the day came in the form of a Crag Martin
at the unlikely location of Tices Meadow, Surrey. On Friday an amazing total of
five Crag Martins were in Sweden, so perhaps a sighting in
Britain this weekend shouldn't have come as too much of a shock. However, this
is a truly remarkable find, but such a pity it did not hang around long enough
for it to be successfully twitched; after showing briefly with House Martins the
birds departed and there was no further sign by dusk.
In County Durham a pair of Alpine Swifts performed an aerial display over Sunderland late in the afternoon and on Anglesey a first-winter Isabelline Shrike was discovered at Great Ormes Head. A Franklin's Gull made an all too brief appearance at Sennen Cove, Cornwall and a brief glimpse of a possible Yellow-billed Cuckoo frustrated observers on Cape Clear Island, County Cork. Long staying rarities included the Red-flanked Bluetail in Suffolk and Aquatic Warbler, Booted Warbler and American Robin on Isles of Scilly. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 21st October 2006 | ||
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| The star bird today was what was presumed to be a Pacific Swift lingering over Horsey, Norfolk early afternoon but departing before any would-be twitchers arrived. New discoveries elsewhere included a Red-flanked Bluetail on Whalsay, Shetland, Killdeer on Oronsay, Argyll, Desert Wheatear at Meikle Loch, Aberdeenshire, Olive-backed Pipits at Spurn, East Yorkshire and Blackdog, Aberdeenshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper on The Mullet, Co Mayo, Siberian Stonechat at Porthcurno, Cornwall and a Lesser Yellowlegs at Clonakilty, Co Cork. On the Scilly Isles there was no sign of the Daurian Shrike but Pied Wheatear showed briefly on Bryher whilst around the islands American Robin, Booted Warbler, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Short-toed Lark, Bluethroat, Richard's Pipit and two each of Red-breasted Flycatcher and Yellow-browed Warbler were all seen. The Red-flanked Bluetail in Suffolk remained at Thorpeness as did the two Red-breasted Geese at Saltfleet, Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis at Pilling, Lancashire, Spotted Sandpiper at Hayle Estuary, Cornwall and American Golden Plovers at both Holy Island, Northumberland and Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 20th October 2006 | ||
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| The Scillies produced the majority of today's new rarities, with a Pied
Wheatear on Bryher in the afternoon and a Blyth's Pipit briefly on
the same island in the morning. There was a Daurian Shrike on The
Garrison on St.Mary's, and an Olive-backed Pipit flew over the same
location in the morning. The islands also continued to host two Western
Bonelli's Warblers and the warbler at Green Farm on St.Mary's, which was
trapped and ringed in the afternoon and found to be a Booted Warbler,
rather than a Sykes' Warbler. The American Robin remained on Tresco,
there were Little Buntings on Bryher and St.Mary's, a Short-toed Lark
on St.Mary's and Bluethroat, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Yellow-browed
Warbler were all present on the islands.
Elsewhere, a Radde's Warbler was found on Holy Island in Northumberland, whilst, in Ireland, there was a Booted Warbler at Mizen Head in County Cork and a Black Duck at Ventry Beach in County Kerry. An Olive-backed Pipit was seen briefly at Sumburgh on Mainland Shetland. The Hermit Thrush was a popular attraction on Cape Clear in County Cork, where it gave excellent views all day and the Red-flanked Bluetail continued it's stay at Thorpeness in Suffolk. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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