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| Monday 30th June 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a pair of Black-winged Stilts in Hampshire. It seems likely they are the pair that made a failed breeding attempt at Neumann's Flash, Cheshire on 25th April-21st June before relocating to the adjacent Ashton's Flash on 27th-29th June and then migrating 175 miles to the south southeast to arrive at Beaulieu within twenty hours. The identification of the Balearic Woodchat Shrike in Somerset was confirmed this morning, just as the bird disappeared from view. Whilst in Lincolnshire another suspected Balearic Woodchat Shrike was discovered this evening at Saltfleet Haven. Other lingering rarities were the Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk and the Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Two Wilson's Petrels off the Isles of Scilly were the first recorded in the British Isles this summer. Scarcities included Short-toed Lark on the Orkney Isles, Common Rosefinch in Forth and two Rose-coloured Starlings on the Orkney Isles - there have now been at total of 31 Rose-coloured Starlings recorded from twenty British counties so far this summer. |
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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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| Sunday 29th June 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Woodchat Shrike that
is strongly suspected to be of the form badius - Balearic Woodchat Shrike - at Minehead, Somerset.
Elsewhere, a Great White Egret was found at Lurgangreen, County Louth and a
Black Kite showed at Wykeham Forest, North Yorkshire. Lingering rarities consisted of the Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Hooded Merganser in Dorset and the pair of Black-wingesd Stilts in Cheshire. Scarcities included Common Rosefinch in Forth, single Red-backed Shrikes both in Berkshire and Norfolk and Rose-coloured Starlings in Lancashire, Lincolnshire and the Orkney Isles (2). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 28th June 2008 | ||
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| A Cattle Egret at Leighton Moss RSPB was an excellent Lancashire
discovery and the only new rarity found today. A Lesser Yellowlegs at
Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk was present for its second day and in neighbouring Norfolk the
Lesser Yellowlegs continued to frequent Cley NWT. In Dorset the drake
Hooded Merganser was still in Weymouth and the pair of Black-winged
Stilts were again at Ashton's Flash, Cheshire.
Five Rose-coloured Starlings included popular birds in Lancashire and Lincolnshire and in Forth the Common Rosefinch was still in Tyndrum. Green-winged Teals were in Cheshire and Cambridgeshire and fourteen Roseate Terns were logged at various sites, including four together in Lincolnshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 27th June 2008 | ||
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| The highlights of the day were lingering rarities: Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk,
American Golden Plover on Anglesey, two Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire and the
Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Brief encounters included a Gull-billed Tern in Conwy,
Red-footed Falcon in Essex and Black Kite in Hampshire. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starlings in Highland, Lancashire and the Orkney Isles (2), Common Rosefinches in Forth and Highland, Red-backed Shrike in Norfolk and Hoopoe in Hampshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 26th June 2008 | ||
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| Birders at Spurn, East Yorkshire scored a remarkable double this afternoon.
The Pacific Swift first seen on Sunday made another appearance, this time
flying south then back north and then within a matter of minutes a Little
Swift flew south over The Triangle. Large numbers of Swifts have been
moving south in recent days, with at least 11,500 logged over Spurn yesterday.
A singing male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was discovered on Portland, Dorset and in Hampshire a Black Kite flew over Overton. In Anglesey the American Golden Plover remained on the Alaw Estuary and in Norfolk the Lesser Yellowlegs was still at Cley NWT. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 25th June 2008 | ||
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| New arrivals today include an adult American Golden Plover on
Anglesey, on the Alaw Estuary, two Black Kites in Yorkshire, at Grimston
and Knaresborough, and a Cattle Egret at Cley NWT, Norfolk. The adult
Lesser Yellowlegs remained at the same site, but the Lesser Grey Shrike
nearby appears to have departed.
A Bee-eater was seen once again in the Coventry area of Warwickshire, briefly over Radford, the first-summer drake Hooded Merganser remained in Weymouth, Dorset, and a probable Black-browed Albatross was seen on the Pembrokeshire coast. Scarcities included Red-backed Shrike in Norfolk, Common Rosefinch in Forth, Rose-coloured Starling in Orkney and an inland Roseate Tern at Broom Gravel-pits, Bedfordshire, with several other individuals at the coast. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 24th June 2008 | ||
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| A Lesser Yellowlegs at Cley NWT, Norfolk was today's best new
discovery. The Lesser Grey and Red-backed Shrikes also remained in
the same county and elsewhere a Black Kite flew over Chatteris,
Cambridgeshire and a Bee-eater briefly visited Ramsey Island,
Pembrokeshire.
Lingering rarities included the Hooded Merganser in Dorset, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Snowy Owl on North Uist. A Rose-coloured Starling on Orkney, Surf Scoters off the Devon and Aberdeenshire coastlines, Common Rosefinch in Forth and a Waxwing on Lewis were all also notable. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 23rd June 2008 | ||
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| Bird of the day was surely the male Sardinian Warbler at Flamborough
Head, Yorkshire. Unfortunately, the bird stayed just five minutes, allowing only
the finders to enjoy it. Elsewhere, a Black Stork was seen to fly over
Dancersend, Buckinghamshire late morning. This is perhaps the individual
seen in the same county on 9th June.
Just one lingering rarity was recorded, the Lesser Grey Shrike at Hickling, Norfolk continued to show well, with the male Red-backed Shrike also still nearby, at Sea Palling. Scarcities included the male Common Rosefinch at Tyndrum, Forth, still visiting the feeders at the Real Food Cafe intermittently. The long staying male Corncrake was heard to sing a few times this evening at Hurst, Berkshire, and the second-summer Night Heron was re-located at Earith, Cambridgeshire, a few hundred yards from where it was last seen on the 18th. At least 73 Common Crossbills were seen, as the influx continues across England. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 22nd June 2008 | ||
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| A Pacific Swift flew south over Kilnsea, East Yorkshire mid afternoon, but unfortunately the
bird did not linger in the area. Interestingly, in 2005 a Pacific Swift
flew south over neighbouring Spurn on 1st July. In Powys, a
white-rumped swift thought most likely to be a Pacific Swift flew up the Elan
Valley.
A mobile Bee-eater was at Brandon Marsh NR, Warwickshire and in south Norfolk another Bee-eater flew north over Belton Common. In east Norfolk the female Lesser Grey Shrike remained in Hickling and nearby the male Red-backed Shrike was still in Sea Palling. A possible Hudsonian Whimbrel at Welwick, East Yorkshire was observed in the high tide roost, a Glossy Ibis on Pilling Marsh, Lancashire was presumably the long-staying, wandering second-summer bird but in Cheshire the Black-winged Stilts had departed - sadly the lone young was predated on Friday night. In Co Mayo an adult Laughing Gull was on The Mullet and seawatching at the Bridges of Ross, Co Clare produced a Cory's Shearwater and Red-necked Phalarope. Other notable sightings today included a Hoopoe in Aberdeenshire, Common Rosefinch in Forth, Red-backed Shrike in West Sussex, White Storks in East Yorkshire and Hampshire, two drake Green-winged Teals in Cheshire and two Cattle Egrets and a Ring-billed Gull in Somerset. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 21st June 2008 | ||
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| In Norfolk a Lesser Grey Shrike was present in Hickling for its second
day. A Black Kite lingered over Laskill, North Yorkshire early afternoon
and in Co Armagh a Lesser Scaup was located at Oxford Island NNR.
In Lancashire the Melodious Warbler was trapped and ringed at Jackhouse Reservoir early morning but was not seen or heard again after release. In neighbouring Merseyside the long-staying Glossy Ibis was still present at Marshside RSPB. Notable scarcities spread around Britain included Green-winged Teal at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB, Cheshire, Red-backed Shrike in Sea Palling, Norfolk, Common Crane at Caerlaverock WWT, Dumfries & Galloway, Common Rosefinch at Tyndrum, Forth, Surf Scoter at Dawlish Warren NNR, Devon and a scattering of Spoonbills and Roseate Terns. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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