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| Friday 3rd August 2007 | ||
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| A report of a White-throated Needletail near St Helens at Carr Mill
Dam in Merseyside would have been the undoubted highlight of the day, if not the
year, had it remained long enough to be confirmed and enjoyed by the masses. A Gull-billed
Tern which put in a brief appearance on the rising tide on the Dovey Estuary
at Ynys-hir RSPB was a potential first for Ceredigion; it later transpired the
bird was also seen briefly on Thursday's rising tide and Welsh birders will be
hoping for a repeat performance tomorrow. An adult Bonaparte's Gull which
showed briefly at Whitburn, County Durham may well have been a returning bird
present in the Northeast from September to November last year. Likewise a
first-summer Laughing Gull in Exmouth, Devon was almost certainly the
bird last seen just upriver at Topsham on June 10th.
Remaining rarities including the Redhead still reported from Kenfig Pool in Glamorgan, Black Stork on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey, Black Kite reported still present at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis at Marshide RSPB in Merseyside, Bonaparte's Gull at Ardvule on South Uist, Western Isles and Long-billed Dowitcher at Shannon Airport Lagoon, County Clare. Among the best of the scarcities was a good passage of 51 Balearic Shearwaters past Porthgwarra, Cornwall and a smattering of Pectoral Sandpipers, Spoonbills, Ring-necked Ducks and Montagu's Harriers. There was no sign of the controversial warbler believed to have been an Eastern Olivaceous or Sykes's Warbler in Manchester's Chinatown. |
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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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| Thursday 2nd August 2007 | ||
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| The major talking point of the day was the identification of an elusive warbler in the Chinatown district of Manchester city centre, Greater Manchester. Believed in the field to be either an
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler or Sykes's Warbler it is hoped that the true identification can be ascertained from photographs. Another identification headache remained in Glamorgan in the form of the reported
Redhead still present at Kenfig Pool. Three Black Kites comprised the long-staying individual at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire and singles seen in flight at South Gare, Cleveland and Paignton, Devon. Otherwise, the Black Stork remained on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey as did the Long-billed Dowitcher at Shannon Airport Lagoon, Co Clare. Five Kentish Plovers were found, one at Kenfig, Glamorgan and four together at Ferrybridge, Dorset. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 1st August 2007 | ||
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| The Black Stork continued to show on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey,
throughout most of the day but the only new rarity discovered was a Black
Kite over Hauxley NR, Northumberland. The long-staying Black Kite in
Lincolnshire remained at Nocton Fen whilst in Merseyside the Glossy Ibis
was still at Marshside RSPB.
Otherwise, it was quiet on the rarity front, apart from an unconfirmed report of a Redhead at Kenfig Pool NNR, Glamorgan. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 31st July 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Black Stork on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey. Discovered in the early morning, the bird remained on show until dusk to the delight of many. Perhaps the same
Black Stork had been seen on Thursday in Wiltshire and on Sunday near Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Elsewhere, a White-rumped Sandpiper briefly joined a Pectoral Sandpiper at Thorganby Ings, North Yorkshire, a Wilson's Petrel showed from an evening pelagic off the Isles of Scilly and four Glossy Ibises were seen in flight over Southport, Merseyside. The Roller was seen again briefly at Usk Reservoir, Carmarthenshire and the White-rumped Sandpiper reappeared on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire whilst more obliging lingering rarities included the Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cumbria and Bonaparte's Gull on the Western Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 30th July 2007 | ||
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| The main items of news today involved the sighting of an adult Gull-billed
Tern past Eccles, Norfolk, a Cattle Egret at Dungeness, Kent and in
Powys, the Roller made another brief appearance at Usk Reservoir, near
the Carmarthenshire border.
Long-stayers included the Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Black Kite in Lincolnshire, whilst a Cattle Egret was also still in Suffolk, at North Warren RSPB. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was located amongst a Dunlin flock at Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire and in North Yorkshire a Pectoral Sandpiper was at Thorganby Ings. On Orkney a Buff-breasted Sandpiper remained on North Ronaldsay. Late news related to the report of a Black Stork over Berrington Pool, Shropshire, on Sunday, and on Saturday, a Long-billed Dowitcher returned to Shannon Airport Lagoon, Co Clare. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 29th July 2007 | ||
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| This evening's pelagic from the Isles of Scilly did not visit the same area
that produced last night's Madeiran Petrel, and, although a Wilson's Petrel was
seen, many will wonder if tomorrow's trip will find the Madeiran again, as it is
due to visit the same area. Also on a negative note there was no sign of
yesterday's reported Eleonora's Falcon in Northamptonshire and a Roller
seen early in the morning at Usk Reservoir in Carmarthenshire could not be found
later in the day. An Alpine Swift over Lodmoor in Dorset in the afternoon
was equally un-obliging. More obliging were new White-rumped Sandpipers
found at the Ythan Estuary in Aberdeenshire and Anthorn in Cumbria.
A probable first summer male Red-footed Falcon flew over Titchfield Haven in Hampshire with another bird still present on the Isle of Wight. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was a popular find at Patrington in Yorkshire, while a Woodchat Shrike also remained popular in Somerset. A Great White Egret was found on the Esk Estuary in Cumbria, but it did not stay long. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 28th July 2007 | ||
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| Undoubtedly the exciting news of the day comes from the pelagic run this
evening from St Mary's where a Madeiran Petrel was seen at close range
(c10yds) for about a minute and then amazingly it was seen at a similar range 45
minutes later, again for about a minute. A truly amazing find.
Only two new rarities were discovered today, an Alpine Swift on Portland showed well but only for a short time late morning/early afternoon and very late news of a Red-footed Falcon on Isle of Wight. Other lingering rarities on offer today included the long-staying Black Kite in Lincolnshire, a Cattle Egret in Suffolk, Hudsonian Whimbrel still in Cumbria and Glossy Ibis in Merseyside. There were also a possible sighting of the Lesser Yellowlegs in Lancashire but the bird was seen only very briefly, even more exciting was a possible Chimney Swift in Suffolk, but this was only seen very briefly too. There was also a very late report of a possible Eleonora's Falcon this morning in Northamptonshire. Also worth noting today was a Woodchat Shrike in Shropshire which showed well all afternoon and a Red-necked Phalarope in North York shire. The Rose-coloured Starling remained at Land's End, as did the Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Orkney and Night Herons in West Yorkshire. |
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| - Keith Langdon, RBA | ||
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| Friday 27th July 2007 | ||
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| A sighting of a probable Chimney Swift over Conwy RSPB, Conwy this
morning, followed hot on the heels of the lingering individual in York -
unfortunately the North Wales bird did not hang around. Elsewhere in the
Northwest the adult Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Leighton Moss RSPB,
Lancashire, the Glossy Ibis was still at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside and
the Hudsonian Whimbrel was seen again on Walney Island, Cumbria.
On Orkney a Buff-breasted Sandpiper was on North Ronaldsay, and nearby, the summering Lesser Grey Shrike was still on Fair Isle, Shetland. On the Western Isles the Bonaparte's Gull was on South Uist. A Great White Egret briefly graced the Middlebere area of Poole Harbour, Dorset, and in Kent the adult female Ferruginous Duck returned to New Hythe Gravel Pits. In Cornwall a Rose-coloured Starling was mobile in the Land's End complex and in Lincolnshire the Black Kite remained at Nocton Fen. An evening pelagic off the Isles of Scilly produced three Wilson's Petrels, Great Shearwater and a couple of Sabine's Gulls. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 26th July 2007 | ||
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| The Chimney Swift failed to make an appearance in York, but there were still
plenty of goodies on offer throughout Britain. In Suffolk, an adult Cattle Egret
was located at North Warren RSPB, but it was not seen after early afternoon. In Merseyside, the
White-rumped Sandpiper was relocated on Crosby Beach and nearby, the
Glossy Ibis remained at Marshside RSPB. In North Lancashire, the Lesser
Yellowlegs was present at Leighton Moss RSPB, but was extremely mobile over
a large area with Redshanks and Greenshanks.
Other bits and bobs included a Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall, at Trewellard and Wryneck in Dorset, at West Bay. A dark-rumped Whimbrel was logged past Lowestoft, Suffolk, this evening - the Hudsonian Whimbrel was still on Walney Island, Cumbria yesterday. Another belated item of news from yesterday concerned a Snowy Owl reappearing on Lewis, Western Isles, after an absence from this island of over three months. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 25th July 2007 | ||
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| The Chimney Swift remained in York, North Yorkshire, but was seen
briefly on just a handful of occasions throughout the day.
Elsewhere, a Lesser Yellowlegs was at Leighton Moss, Lancashire for its second day and in Merseyside the Glossy Ibis remained at Marshside RSPB. A Great White Egret flew south past Spurn, East Yorkshire this afternoon and in Co Derry a Squacco Heron continued to show at Lough Beg. A Black Kite flew over the A1 near Tuxford, Nottinghamshire. A handful of Great Shearwaters were logged off the south coast of Ireland, with Cory's Shearwaters off Galley Head, Co Cork and Prawle Point, Devon. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Will Soar, RBA | ||
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