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| Sunday 11th November 2007 | ||
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| Today was all about Little Auks - lots of Little Auks!
Thousands swarmed past the east coast throughout the day, with a peak count of
28,803 past the Farne Islands, Northumberland. Lower numbers were seen off
western and southern coastlines, with a scattering of birds making landfall at
inland locations. Seawatchers also scored a White-billed Diver off
Boulmer, Northumberland, then off Cullernose Point before finally being seen
flying north past St Abb's Head, Borders. Other seawatching highlights included the
odd Leach's Petrel, Long-tailed Skua, Grey Phalaropes and
several Pomarine Skuas.
On Western Isles a grey morph juvenile Gyr was discovered near Stornoway, Lewis, and staying in Scotland, an adult Bonaparte's Gull was off Fishtown of Usan, presumably a bird returning to spend the winter on the Angus coastline. Elsewhere rarities included a Ross's Goose with Pink-footed Geese on Plex Moss, Lancashire, Glossy Ibises in Somerset and Merseyside, Lesser Scaups in Co Donegal, Berkshire and Somerset, American Buff-bellied Pipit and Long-billed Dowitcher at Ballycotton, Co Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon. In Oxfordshire, the adult Franklin's Gull roosted at Farmoor Reservoir for a second consecutive evening. |
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| - Stuart Piner, 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 10th November 2007 | ||
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| An adult Franklins Gull roosted on Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire this
evening. A juvenile Ivory Gull was seen briefly on the Howmore Estuary,
South Uist mid afternoon. A very late Arctic Warbler was on Unst, and a
Kentish Plover was briefly on South Uist. A Lesser Yellowlegs was
found late afternoon at Montrose Basin, Angus, and two White-billed Divers
were seen: one flying past Flamborough, and a presumed returning adult off
Kirkabister, mainland Shetland, with a drake King Eider nearby. As yesterday, large numbers of seabirds continued to be seen around the east coast, although not in the record numbers of Friday. Again, the best count of Little Auks came from the Farne Islands, Northumberland, with over 7,000 birds flying past there. Inland, several Pomarine Skuas were found on reservoirs, such as Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire. Lingering rarities included Glossy Ibis in Somerset, Lesser Scaup in Berkshire, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, three Cattle Egrets in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Pine Bunting on Fair Isle, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Great White Egrets in Norfolk and Lancashire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 9th November 2007 | ||
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| Nearly all the messages today involved seabirds, with the high winds and
strong tidal surge bringing record breaking numbers of Little Auks within
sight of nearly all the seawatching sites along the east coast, with a maximum
count of over 18,700 seen off the Farne Islands, Northumberland. Elsewhere,
5,381 flew past Whitburn Obs, County Durham, 3,400 were off St.Mary's Island,
Northumberland, 2,800 past Flamborough Head, Yorkshire and 1,100 flew past
Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire. Several birds were reported from inland Norfolk,
including birds on roads and in pub car parks as far from the coast as Norwich.
Large numbers of Pomarine Skuas were also seen, with Leach's Petrels,
European Storm Petrels and Grey Phalaropes also being blown on shore.
An adult White-billed Diver was found off Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire, by birders searching for Wednesdays Brunnich's Guillemot. Lingering rarities included Glossy Ibis in Somerset, White-rumped Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Great White Egret in Lancashire and Lesser Scaup in Berkshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 8th November 2007 | ||
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| Negative news was the theme of the day in Scotland - both the Brünnich's
Guillemot at Girdle Ness and Mourning Dove on North Uist failed to show today in
(very) windy and wet conditions.
In Dorset one of the wandering Cattle Egrets made an appearance at Middlebere, whilst elsewhere long stayers included Lesser Yellowlegs at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, Lesser Scaup at Woolhampton Gravel Pits, Berkshire, American Buff-bellied Pipit near Land's End, Cornwall and White-rumped Sandpiper at Kenfig Pool NNR and Spotted Sandpiper at Lisvane Reservoir, Glamorgan. In East Norfolk both an adult white morph Lesser Snow Goose and Ross's Goose remained with Pink-footed Geese. Seawatchers continued to score decent totals of Pomarine Skuas and Little Auks, whilst the odd Leach's Petrel, Long-tailed Skua and Sabine's Gull were also noted. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 7th November 2007 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Brünnich's
Guillemot off Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire, which remained on show off the foghorn throughout the
afternoon.
Both Mourning Doves were still present, on Western Isles and in Co Galway, and an intriguing report related to a possible Mourning Dove at Druimindarroch, Highland. In Dorset a Cattle Egret flew over Hengistbury Head and long-stayers included the White-rumped Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Pine Bunting on Fair Isle, Lesser Scaup in Berkshire, Forster's Tern in Co Louth, Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall and Glossy Ibis in Merseyside. A decent number of Little Auks and Pomarine Skuas continued to delight east coast seawatchers. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 6th November 2007 | ||
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| Seawatchers delivered the star bird of the day, a White-billed Diver passing Sheringham, Norfolk during the morning. Over 200
Pomarine Skuas were seen from ten counties including maximums of 103 from Norfolk, 43 from East Yorkshire and 23 from Lincolnshire. Over 50
Little Auks included maximums of 17 from East Yorkshire, ten in Cleveland and nine in Norfolk. The Mourning Dove and Richardson's Canada Goose both remained on Western Isles as did the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, Penduline Tit and Lesser Yellowlegs together in Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Ross's Goose in Norfolk, Lesser Scaups in both Berkshire and Somerset and Great White Egrets in both Essex and Lancashire. In Glamorgan the Cattle Egret, Spotted Sandpiper and White-rumped Sandpiper were all seen and in County Cork American Buff-bellied Pipit, Long-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs and American Golden Plover were recorded. In what is a good winter for Great Grey Shrikes singles were recorded today in Berkshire, East Sussex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire and Surrey. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 5th November 2007 | ||
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| Both the Irish and Scottish Mourning Doves were still at their
respective sites throughout the day. New rarities included a Cattle Egret
at Kenfig Pool NNR, Glamorgan, where the White-rumped Sandpiper was still
on show, and a Great White Egret flew over Spurn Point, East Yorkshire. A
Lesser Yellowlegs at Rosscarbery, Co Cork may well have been a returning
bird.
In Cornwall the American Buff-bellied Pipit was still near Land's End, but proved to be extremely elusive. Equally elusive was the Penduline Tit at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, but the Lesser Yellowlegs was more obliging. In Co Louth a Forster's Tern was still at Cruisetown Strand, the probable Desert Lesser Whitethroat was still at Porthcurno, Cornwall and Berkshire's first Lesser Scaup remained at Woolhampton Gravel Pits. Pomarine Skuas and Little Auks were still available to those who seawatched off the east coast. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 4th November 2007 | ||
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| The star Sunday find was Ireland's second Cliff Swallow at
Ballymacrown, Co Cork. Elsewhere in Ireland the Mourning Dove remained in
Co Galway and the Red-rumped Swallow continued its stay in Co Donegal.
On the Western Isles the Mourning Dove continued to show well on North Uist, whilst a Richardson's Canada Goose and Great White Egret were both available nearby. Elsewhere in Britain new discoveries included a Penduline Tit at Minsmere RSPB (where the Lesser Yellowlegs was also still on show), Great White Egrets at Grove Ferry, Kent and Whitlingham Country Park, Norfolk and yesterday's Cattle Egrets in Dorset reappeared at Radipole Lake RSPB and Bestwall RSPB. Popular rarities included the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, White-rumped and Spotted Sandpipers in Glamorgan, Glossy Ibises in Somerset and Merseyside and Lesser Scaups in Wiltshire and Berkshire. An excellent Pomarine Skua and Little Auk passage was enjoyed by many on the east coast, and other odds and sods where three Richard's Pipits in Salthouse, Norfolk, Little Bunting in Kilnsea, East Yorkshire and a Red-breasted Flycatcher on Lewis, Western Isles. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 3rd November 2007 | ||
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| To the delight of weekend twitchers the Mourning Dove on North Uist,
Western Isles, remained on show throughout Saturday. Across the Irish Sea,
Ireland's first Mourning Dove also stayed put on Inishbofin, Co Galway.
In Cornwall a Red-flanked Bluetail was discovered in Cot Valley and the American Buff-bellied Pipit was still near Trevescan, whilst a Dusky Warbler and a probable Desert Lesser Whitethroat were both available at Porthcurno. A Glossy Ibis left Chew Valley Lake, Somerset early morning and was later seen at Catcott Lows NR and Shapwick Heath NNR. A party of four Cattle Egrets flew over Lytchett Bay, Dorset mid morning, before a singleton was seen at nearby Hole's Bay early afternoon. An American Golden Plover was located amongst Golden Plovers at Holt Fen, Cambridgeshire and on North Uist, a Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll made a brief appearance at Oban Trumisgarry, whilst both the Great White Egret and a couple of Ring-necked Ducks were all still available as supporting cast to the mega-dove. Other lingering rarities included Lesser Scaups in Wiltshire and Berkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Spotted and White-rumped Sandpipers in Glamorgan and Killdeer on Shetland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 2nd November 2007 | ||
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| The highlight today was astonishingly another Mourning Dove in County
Galway on Inishboffin the first record for Ireland. Yesterdays individual
also remained on North Uist all day. Two new American Buff-bellied
Pipits were also found today, one in Cornwall just east of Land's End and
the other in County Wexford at Carnsore Point. A third was still present
in County Cork.
The only other new rarity today was a Glossy Ibis at Chew Vally Lake, another Glossy Ibis was still present in Merseyside at Marshside RSPB. Other rarities still in the country today included Great White Egrets at Leighton Moss in Lancashire and another on North Uist. American Golden Plovers remained at Aberlady Bay in Lothian and on the Ythan Estuary in Aberdeenshire. In Glamorgan the Spotted Sandpiper was still on Lisvane Reservoir and White-rumped Sandpiper still at Kenfig Pool. The Wilson's Snipe was still on Scilly on St Mary's and a Dusky Warbler remained in Cornwall at Porthcurno. In East Anglia the Lesser Yellowlegs was still in Suffolk at Minsmere while Ross's Goose and Great White Egret were both still at Holkham in Norfolk. |
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| - Keith Langdon, RBA | ||
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