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| Sunday 20th July 2008 | ||
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| A few more rarities were discovered today, with the best being a superb male
Two-barred Crossbill at Evie, Orkney this morning, and an adult
Semipalmated Sandpiper at Balranald, Western Isles.
A Black Kite was seen near Corby Glen, Lincolnshire mid-morning. Lingering rarities included the adult White-rumped Sandpiper at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, White-winged Black Tern at Rye Harbour NR, East Sussex and Glossy Ibis at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside. The King Eider was seen again at Tacumshin, County Wexford, and the Hooded Merganser remained in Weymouth, Dorset. Seabirds continued to be seen in small numbers, the best being two Cory's Shearwaters in Aberdeenshire, a Sabine's Gull in County Durham, along with a few Pomarine Skuas, Balearic Shearwaters and good numbers of Roseate Terns. |
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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 19th July 2008 | ||
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| The Black Stork in Kent was watched for much of the morning, as it
left its roost at Wickhambreaux and did a circuit of the north-east corner
of the county. Nearby, the White-winged Black Tern remained for its sixth
day at Rye Harbour NR, East Sussex.
Elsewhere, White-rumped Sandpipers remained at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk and Tacumshin, County Wexford, and the Glossy Ibis returned to Marshside RSPB, Merseyside. A Cattle Egret was present briefly at Pagham Harbour LNR, West Sussex. At least six Pectoral Sandpipers were seen, and the elusive Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Alkborough Flats, Lincolnshire also made an appearance. An eclipse drake Ring-necked Duck was located at Linlithgow Loch, Lothian. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 18th July 2008 | ||
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| Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk enjoyed a Nearctic waderfest this morning - the
headline find was an adult Semipalmated Sandpiper and both
White-rumped and Pectoral Sandpipers were also noted. Pectoral
Sandpipers were also located at Cley NWT, Norfolk and Holland Haven Country
Park, Essex.
In Kent a Black Stork was at Chartham early in the afternoon before being relocated at nearby Seaton this evening. In East Sussex the adult White-winged Black Tern remained at Rye Harbour NR and in Dorset a Cattle Egret made another appearance at Radipole Lake RSPB. Following a brief holiday in Cheshire, the Glossy Ibis arrived back in Lancashire, once again visiting Martin Mere WWT and in Dorset the Hooded Merganser was still in Weymouth. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 17th July 2008 | ||
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| A Snowy Owl on St Kilda, Great White Egret at Rutland Water,
Leicestershire and Cattle Egret at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset were all reported
today. A Wilson's Petrel was observed from a pelagic off the Isles of
Scilly, the White-rumped Sandpiper remained at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk and
in Cheshire the Glossy Ibis (more that likely the 2nd-summer previously
resident in Lancashire and North Merseyside) was at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB for
its second day. In Orkney the White-billed Diver continued to show well,
as did the Hooded Merganser in Weymouth, Dorset.
The unseasonable Shorelark was once again seen in the Spurn area, East Yorkshire and a Pectoral Sandpiper was discovered at Swineham Gravel Pits, Dorset. Eleven Spoonbills were spread around the country (including six together in Norfolk). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 16th July 2008 | ||
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| Tacumshin in County Wexford hosted a new White-rumped Sandpiper,
which, along with a Pectoral Sandpiper and the King Eider (now
present for it's fifth day) made it today's rarity hotspot. Elsewhere a new
Cattle Egret was at Siblyback Reservoir in Cornwall and the White-winged
Black Tern was seen again at Rye Harbour in Sussex.
Lingering rarities included the White-rumped Sandpiper at Minsmere in Suffolk and the smart White-billed Diver in Orkney. The long staying Glossy Ibis in the north-west moved to Inner Marsh Farm in Cheshire today. Rose-coloured Starlings were on the Western Isles and in Aberdeenshire, with another in Highland yesterday. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 15th July 2008 | ||
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| A Caspian Tern flew west over Old Moor RSPB, South Yorkshire this
morning, but unfortunately it didn't linger. In Bedfordshire a Ferruginous
Duck was discovered at Cainhoe Quarry and in Suffolk the White-rumped
Sandpiper remained at Minsmere RSPB, as did the White-winged Black Tern
in East Sussex and White-billed Diver in Orkney.
Summering wildfowl included the Hooded Merganser in Weymouth, Dorset and King Eider at Tacumshin, Co Wexford and male Red-backed Shrikes were at Sea Palling, Norfolk and Grove Ferry NR, Kent. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 14th July 2008 | ||
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| An adult White-winged Black Tern at Rye Harbour NR, East Sussex was a
new arrival today, and was present throughout the day. A White-rumped
Sandpiper was present at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk for its second day and a
report of a 'yellow-billed tern sp' in Flintshire was intriguing, it is obviously hoped that
it reappears.
The White-billed Diver was still on South Ronaldsay, Orkney, where a Rose-coloured Starling was also present on the Mainland. In Ireland, the first-summer drake King Eider was seen again at Tacumshin, County Wexford. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was seen briefly in Lincolnshire this evening, and the male Red-backed Shrike was present at Sea Palling, Norfolk. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 13th July 2008 | ||
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| In Cleveland the Terek Sandpiper reappeared at Saltholme Pools early
afternoon, before relocating to nearby Seal Sands later in the day. The adult
summer White-billed Diver continued to show well on Orkney, the King
Eider was still at Tacumshin, Co Wexford, as was the Lesser Yellowlegs
in Southwold, Suffolk and Glossy Ibis in Merseyside. A probable drake
Canvasback at Hornsea Mere, East Yorkshire, will be popular if the
identification firms up.
A Woodchat Shrike was discovered on Two Tree Island, Essex and in East Yorkshire a Shorelark at Easington was a summer rarity. The Common Rosefinch was still at the Real Food Cafe in Forth and a Pectoral Sandpiper made an appearance at Elmley RSPB, Kent. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 12th July 2008 | ||
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| The new rarities today were all, most likely, birds that have been sighted
nearby recently. A Lesser Yellowlegs was again in Suffolk, this time at
Southwold this evening. The first-summer drake King Eider reappeared at
Tacumshin, County Wexford, with adult Forster's Tern and adult
Pectoral Sandpiper at the same site.
Elsewhere, a Wilson's Petrel was seen from a research vessel 60 miles west of St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, and a Cattle Egret flew towards Chesil Beach, Dorset this afternoon. The adult White-billed Diver remained on South Ronaldsay, Orkney, but the Terek Sandpiper in Cleveland appears to have departed. There are still growing numbers of both Roseate Terns and Spoonbills across the east coast, with other scarcities sighted including Common Rosefinch (Forth), Sabine's Gull (Cleveland), Red-backed Shrike (Norfolk) and Montagu's Harrier (Lincolnshire). |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 11th July 2008 | ||
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| The quiet period continues with lingering birds providing the only
highlights. The Terek Sandpiper remained at Saltholme Pools in Cleveland
but was again only seen early in the morning and late in the evening. The
Cattle Egret was found again at Goldcliff Pools in Gwent and the Hooded
Merganser was still to be found in Weymouth in Dorset.
In Norfolk, the over-summering male Red-backed Shrike was still present at Sea Palling and nine Spoonbills were together at Cley. A few Balearic Shearwaters in the south west and a continued scattering of Roseate Terns were the only other birds of note. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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