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| Sunday 14th October 2007 | ||
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| Foula continued its excellent run of birds this autumn with three more
Olive-backed Pipits, along with Common Rosefinch and a few
Yellow-browed Warblers. Elsewhere on Shetland, two more Arctic Redpolls
were reported, and a Rustic Bunting was at Sumburgh briefly. The
Red-flanked Bluetail remained at Scatness, and Pechora Pipit and
Blyth's Reed Warblers both continued to show. At the other end of the country, a Rustic Bunting was on St.Mary's, Scilly, a Raddes Warbler was on Western Rocks and the Penduline Tit was heard to fly over the Great Pool, Tresco. The Blackpoll Warbler was less mobile today, showing well on the Garrison for much of the day. In Pembrokeshire, a Semipalmated Sandpiper was found on the Gann Estuary, and four American Golden Plovers were seen around the country. The Baird's Sandpiper in Perth and Kinross remained in an area with no access on Loch Leven, but the White-billed Diver in Sussex continued to show well off Selsey Bill. |
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| - Will Soar, 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 13th October 2007 | ||
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| Shetland again produced a selection of quality birds with White's Thrush
and Red-flanked Bluetail joining Pechora Pipit, Paddyfield
Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler and Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll
on south Mainland, while Unst produced two Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls
and a Blyth's Reed Warbler.
Two White-billed Divers flew past Whitburn, County Durham, and one was then seen passing Hartlepool Headland in Cleveland, while another remained on the sea off Selsey Bill. Other new reports included a Great White Egret at Pitsford Reservoir, Northants, American Golden Plover at Kilnsea/Easington, East Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck at Martham, Norfolk, Greenish Warbler joining Blyth's Reed Warbler at Mizen Head, County Cork, Red-throated Pipit over St Agnes, Scilly, Richardson's Canada Goose on Islay, Argyll and White-winged Black Tern at Rutland Water, Leicestershire. The ever-increasing numbers of birders on Scilly were able to enjoy the probable Wilson's Snipe, Grey-cheeked Thrush and two Blackpoll Warblers on St Mary's and the Blyth's Reed Warbler on Bryher among typical October scarcities such as Red-breasted Flycatcher, Woodchat Shrike, Yellow-browed Warblers and Lapland Buntings. Belated news concerned a Least Sandpiper yesterday on the Isle of Lewis (a potential first record for the Western Isles) which could not be relocated this afternoon, and a probable American Robin well described by a non-birder in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, last Sunday. |
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| - Andy Symes, RBA | ||
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| Friday 12th October 2007 | ||
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| An interesting day, with up to 23 new rarities being found across the
country. Most significant was the relocation of Oxfordshire's American
Buff-bellied Pipit, which was found at Port Meadow late afternoon. Two
Cattle Egrets were found, one on the Kent/East Sussex border, and one in
Somerset at Chew Valley Lake, which was probably the same bird that was reported
as a Great White Egret yesterday. On Scilly, rarities included a probable Wilson's Snipe for its second day, a very brief Penduline Tit, another brief Great White Egret, a Grey-cheeked Thrush, a Blyth's Reed Warbler and a flyover Red-throated Pipit. The Blackpoll Warbler remained on St.Mary's, but continued to be very mobile. Shetland hosted a Pechora Pipit on Mainland at Toab, with three Dusky Warblers, Olive-backed Pipit, Arctic Redpoll and Lesser Yellowlegs also on the islands, with Pallas's Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatchers and Yellow-browed Warblers with them. In Argyll, a Marsh Sandpiper was reported from South Uist, a Baird's Sandpiper was on Loch Levan, Perth and Kinross, and a Ferruginous Duck was on a private broad briefly in Norfolk. Remaining rarities included White-billed Diver in Sussex, Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Dusky Warbler in Yorkshire and Paddyfield Warbler on Shetland. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 11th October 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was confirmation of Ireland's first Blyth's Reed Warbler at Mizen Head, County Cork. On the Western Isles an
American Golden Plover was found on Benbecula. Elsewhere, the White-billed Diver remained at Selsey Bill, West Sussex as did the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Holkham Pines Norfolk, Dusky Warbler at Easington East Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Great White Egret in Lancashire. On the Isles of Scilly St Agnes saw a Radde's Warbler discovered alongside Common Rosefinch, Richard's Pipit and Lapland Bunting. The Blackpoll Warbler, Woodchat Shrike and Red-breasted Flycatcher all remained on St Mary's whilst further Lapland Buntings were seen on St Martin's and Tresco. Six Yellow-browed Warblers were recorded around the islands. On the Shetland Isles a King Eider remained on Mainland as did a Ring-necked Duck and four Yellow-browed Warblers. The Spotted Sandpiper was seen again on Yell and a Little Bunting was on Out Skerries. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 10th October 2007 | ||
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| Another Blackpoll Warbler was found on St.Mary's, Scilly at Porth
Hellick, with the Garrison bird being seen briefly mid morning. The
identification of an acrocephalus warbler was confirmed at Barnes, London,
today, as yet another Blyth's Reed Warbler. The Buff-bellied Pipit was reported briefly early morning at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire, with three remaining in Ireland. Other lingering rarities included Blyth's Reed Warblers in Yorkshire and Wirral, Paddyfield Warbler on Shetland, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Norfolk, Dusky Warblers in Yorkshire and Cornwall and a superb adult summer White-billed Diver in Sussex. Yellow-browed Warblers continued to entertain on the east coast, with several birds finding their way inland. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 9th October 2007 | ||
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| Another mega for Scilly broke this afternoon in the form of a Blackpoll
Warbler on the Garrison which showed very well, eventually, for the
assembled masses. Also on Scilly, a Greenish Warbler was reported in the
Parsonage, St.Agnes, the Woodchat Shrike remained on St.Mary's, as did a
Red-backed Shrike, Barred Warbler and several Yellow-browed Warblers. In Oxfordshire, an American Buff-bellied Pipit remained for its 5th day on the causeway at Farmoor Reservoir, giving excellent views, with another American Buff-bellied Pipit still in County Clare. On Shetland, new rarities included a Paddyfield Warbler, an American Golden Plover, Arctic Redpoll and an Arctic Warbler, with scarce species such as Melodious Warbler and Little Bunting also present. A Dusky Warbler was found in Cornwall, a White-billed Diver off Selsey Bill, Sussex; the Long-billed Dowitcher remained in Kent, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Norfolk, Great White Egrets in Lancashire and Staffordshire, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Blyth's Reed Warbler on the Wirral and Lesser Scaup in Somerset. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 8th October 2007 | ||
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| The star find today was another American Buff-bellied Pipit, this time inland at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire. Elsewhere, a
Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was confirmed at Holkham Norfolk, a Dusky Warbler
at Easington East Yorkshire, a Long-billed Dowitcher at Lough Beg County Londonderry and
Great White Egrets in Cornwall (two), Dorset and Staffordshire. Lingering rarities included American Buff-bellied Pipits in County Clare and County Cork (two), Blyth's Reed Warblers in East Yorkshire (two) and Wirral, Lesser Grey Shrike in Norfolk, Radde's Warbler in Essex, Dusky Warbler in Nottinghamshire, Black Kite and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Marbled Duck in Suffolk and Great White Egrets in both Hampshire and Lancashire. On the Shetland Isles, Whalsay recorded a Citrine Wagtail, Yell the Spotted Sandpiper, Mainland the Killdeer and Unst an Arctic Redpoll. Scarcities recorded around the archipelago today comprised 35 Yellow-browed Warblers, four Common Rosefinches, three Lapland Buntings, two Barred Warblers and singles of Melodious Warbler, Little Bunting, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Bluethroat and Red-backed Shrike. On the Isles of Scilly the Woodchat Shrike remained on St Mary's along with Red-breasted Flycatcher, Barred Warbler and Red-backed Shrike, Tresco continued to host Pectoral Sandpiper and Dotterel, St Martin's a Wryneck and St Agnes a Lapland Bunting. Thirteen Yellow-browed Warblers were scattered around the islands. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 7th October 2007 | ||
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| Potentially the biggest bird of the day (in every respect) was a vulture,
apparently thought by the observers to be a Griffon Vulture, which spent
several hours over the Isle of Wight in the afternoon. Birders on the south
coast could do well to keep their eyes on the skies tomorrow.
The remarkable autumn for Buff-bellied Pipits continued with two birds at Lissagriffin, County Cork and another at Liscannor, County Clare, along with the remaining Fair Isle bird. Blyth's Reed Warblers stole the show for many on the mainland with a remarkable three in East Yorkshire (at Flamborough, Kilnsea and Easington) and the confirmation of the bird found yesterday at Red Rocks on the Wirral. The first Dusky Warbler of the autumn chose to appear at the remarkable inland location of Netherfield, Nottinghamshire, where it was eventually seen and heard well, but a Greenish Warbler at the equally unusual location of Catford in London could not be relocated. A Radde's Warbler seen again at The Naze, Essex proved popular but was typically elusive, while the best Scilly could muster were Woodchat and Red-backed Shrikes, Barred and Yellow-browed Warblers and a Common Rosefinch. The east coast deluge of Yellow-browed Warblers continued and a few birds even made it inland. A count of nine in County Galway was particularly noteworthy. There was no sign of yesterday's reported Dendroica species on Shetland, but news of Iceland's second ever Yellow-bellied Sapsucker gave renewed hope for those searching for Nearctic vagrants in the southwest, Scilly and Scotland. |
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| - Andy Symes, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 6th October 2007 | ||
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| An intriguing report surfaced from Shetland this evening, of a Dendroica
species at Kergord, Mainland. No further details were available, but from a
description the bird may well have been a Bay-breasted Warbler. Also on Shetland
were several long staying rarities including Killdeer, Arctic Redpoll,
Spotted Sandpiper and Olive-backed Pipit.
Several Blyth's Reed Warblers were found, including at least one at Spurn, Yorkshire, one at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, as well as two or three possibles around the country. Greenish Warblers and Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers were reported from Wells and Holkham, Norfolk, joining double figures of Yellow-browed Warblers. An American Golden Plover showed well on Tiree, Argyll, as did a Great White Egret in Dorset, but a probable Pratincole species failed to reappear near Norwich, Norfolk. A Buff-bellied Pipit was in County Cork, and a Lesser Yellowlegs was found on Orkney. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 5th October 2007 | ||
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| For the second consecutive Friday Foula produced a Siberian mega - this time
a male Siberian Rubythroat. The island also held at least one Blyth's
Reed Warbler, at least two Olive-backed Pipits and a Pechora
Pipit for its second day. Elsewhere on Shetland the American Buff-bellied
Pipit remained on Fair Isle, the Killdeer was still on Mainland and
the Spotted Sand on Yell also lingered.
New discoveries included a Radde's Warbler at Holme NOA, Norfolk, juvenile American Black Tern at Tacumshin, Co Wexford, 1st-summer drake Lesser Scaup at Trimley Trout Lake, Suffolk, American Golden Plover on Tiree, Argyll and Long-billed Dowitcher at Oare Marshes, Kent. There was no sign of the 1st-winter Brown Flycatcher at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire, but a Red-backed Shrike was still on show and nearby the Turkestan Shrike remained at Buckton. In Lincolnshire a Radde's Warbler remained at Donna Nook and in Norfolk the probable Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler was a popular attraction. On Isles of Scilly highlights included a Woodchat Shrike on St Mary's and Dotterel and Pectoral Sandpiper on Tresco. In Co Cork, Ballycotton continued to host the juvenile Sharp-tailed and Semipalmated Sandpipers. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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