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| Thursday 21st February 2008 | ||
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| Devon's first King Eider was a popular attraction near North Burrows
Country Park throughout the day. Supporting cast in Devon consisted of the
Long-billed Dowitcher at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB, Yellow-browed Warbler
in Plymouth and Great Grey Shrike on Dartmoor. Neighbouring Cornwall
hosted Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler, the probable Eastern Yellow
Wagtail, a rather unseasonal Garden Warbler and a report of five
Small Canada Geese flying over the Hayle Estuary was rather intriguing.
Elsewhere the White-crowned Sparrow was still on show in Norfolk, the Barrow's Goldeneye remained in Co Down and the Glossy Ibis was still in Lincolnshire. |
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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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| Wednesday 20th February 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of today was the continued presence of the first-winter drake
King Eider in Devon, which showed well all day. Other scarce wildfowl
included two Lesser Scaups, one at Draycote Water, Warwickshire, with
another drake reappearing at Stourhead NT, Wiltshire.
Other lingering rarities included the White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, three Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cornwall and Cleveland, Glossy Ibis in Lincolnshire and still good numbers of the scarcer egrets. The Black-bellied Dipper remained in East Yorkshire, and an apparent Dark-breasted Barn Owl was seen again in Wiltshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 19th February 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the confirmation of the presence of a 1st-winter
drake King Eider at Appledore in Devon - the first for the county. A
Spotted Crake at Shoreham, West Sussex, was an unexpected February
discovery, especially on a rocky beach.
Lingering rarities included the White-crowned Sparrow, three Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers, two Spotted Sandpipers, Wilson's Snipe and Barrow's Goldeneye. The Yellow Wagtail, thought to be of an eastern form was still near Saltash, Cornwall - the same site continued to host a Richard's Pipit. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 18th February 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the Thayer's Gull (or perhaps a hybrid) still in Derbyshire, although it was only seen briefly at Duckmanton. Elsewhere, lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the White-cronwed Sparrow in Norfolk, Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly, American Herring Gull in County Galway, Glossy Ibis in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, Richardson's Canada Goose in County Mayo, Ross's Goose in Cumbria, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Great White Egrets in both Merseyside and Powys and Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cleveland and Cornwall (two). Cattle Egret reports comprised eleven in Cornwall, five in both County Cork and Somerset, three in Devon and singles in Cheshire, Cumbria, Dorset, Lincolnshire and Wiltshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 17th February 2008 | ||
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| In Derbyshire the juvenile gull, either a Thayer's Gull or a hybrid,
remained in the Poolsbrook Country Park area for its second day. This is the
same individual that lingered in the Stanton Harcourt area of Oxfordshire
between 4th December 2007-8th January 2008.
Cumbria's first twitchable Cattle Egret was located just northwest of Carlisle - apparently the bird was present in the area for its fifth day. At least 54 Cattle Egrets were spread around Britain and Ireland today. Lingering highlights included the White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk, Glossy Ibises in Lincolnshire and Lancashire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cornwall (2) and Cleveland, Wilson's Snipe on Isles of Scilly, Spotted Sandpiper in Forth, Red-breasted and Ross's Geese in Cumbria and Franklin's Gull in Somerset. The top birds in Ireland included Black Duck in Co Kerry, American Herring Gull in Co Galway and the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Co Cork. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 16th February 2008 | ||
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| In Cumbria a Red-breasted Goose was discovered with Barnacle and
Pink-footed Geese near Drumburgh - unfortunately the Ross's Goose that had
recently been residing in the same fields could not be found. In Suffolk a
couple of adult Red-breasted Geese were with Dark-bellied Brent Geese at
Trimley - worryingly one of the pair sported a yellow ring.
Popular rarities included the White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk and Glossy Ibises in Lincolnshire and Lancashire. Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers lingered in Cleveland and Cornwall (2), the Spotted Sandpiper reappeared at Kinneil Lagoon, Forth and the long-staying Spotted Sandpiper also remained in Glamorgan. A Wilson's Snipe was still present on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, the Franklin's Gull made another brief appearance at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset and a Lesser Yellowlegs was still in Angus. Six Great White and at least 38 Cattle Egrets were logged and in Derbyshire a possible juvenile Thayer's Gull visited Poolsbrook Country Park. In Ireland highlights included American Buff-bellied Pipit, American Herring Gull, Forsters Tern and Lesser Yellowlegs. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 15th February 2008 | ||
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| New discoveries came in the form of a couple of Red-breasted Geese
with Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Chelmondiston, Suffolk and a Snowy Owl
in Co Galway near Spiddal.
Lingering rarities included two 2nd-winter Glossy Ibises (in Lancashire and Lincolnshire), Franklin's Gull in Somerset, three Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers (two in Cornwall and one in Cleveland), the White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk, Wilson's Snipe on Isles of Scilly and Cattle Egrets were still present in excellent numbers. As well as the aforementioned Snowy Owl Ireland also continued to host the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Co Cork and American Herring Gull in Co Galway. A Night Heron in Lancashire showed a facial pattern consistent with the American form hoactli. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 14th February 2008 | ||
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| Two White-billed Divers were reported from Lewis, Western Isles, off
Port Skigersta. The Franklin's Gull roosted again at Chew Valley lake,
Somerset, with other lingering rarities including the White-crowned Sparrow
at Cley, Norfolk, Wilson's Snipe on St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly, Glossy
Ibises in Lincolnshire and Lancashire and Lesser Scaup at Draycote
Water, Warwickshire.
The possible eastern Yellow Wagtail was seen again in Cornwall, at Lower Trevollard Farm, with a Richard's Pipit at the same site and two Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers remaining in the county. A Night Heron remained in Lancashire, at Mere Sands Wood LWT. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 13th February 2008 | ||
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| No new rarities today, but still a good scattering of quality birds. The
White-crowned Sparrow remained in Cley, Norfolk, with a very obliging
Bittern nearby at Beeston Regis. The Franklin's Gull roosted again at
Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, and the Wilson's Snipe was still on Scilly,
where a possible Hawksbill Turtle was also found on the beach at Porth
Hellick.
The three Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers were all seen well, and still very good numbers of Cattle Egrets were around, with several Great White Egrets also reported. The Glossy Ibis's remained at their chosen sites in Lincolnshire and Lancashire, and the juvenile American Herring Gull was still in County Galway. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 12th February 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Franklin's Gull in Somerset. Elsewhere in England, the White-crowned Sparrow remained in Norfolk as did the
Falcated Duck in Devon, single Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in both Cornwall and Cleveland,
Glossy Ibises in both Lancashire and Lincolnshire, Lesser Scaups in both Oxfordshire and Warwickshire,
Ross's Geese in both Cumbria and Lancashire and single Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire, Cheshire and Warwickshire. In Ireland the Barrow's Goldeneye showed again in County Down as did an American Herring Gull in County Galway. In Wales the Spotted Sandpiper continued to linger in Glamorgan and in Scotland the Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Angus. Cattle Egret reports comprised six in Cornwall, three each in both Devon and Somerset, two in Hampshire and singles in Cheshire and Lincolnshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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