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| Tuesday 19th August 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of a Stilt Sandpiper at Coombe Hill Meadows, Gloucestershire. First seen on Friday - when it was suspected of being a dowitcher -
this county first was located there again this afternoon and showed well into the evening. In Ireland, the fourth Fea's Petrel of the autumn was recorded, this time in County Clare passing the Bridges of Ross, and in County Louth a Long-billed Dowitcher found at Dundalk Docks was perhaps a returning individual. Lingering rarities were headlined once again by the Audouin's Gull on the Lincolnshire coast between Sutton on Sea and Chapel St Leonards. Elsewhere, the Marsh Sandpiper remained in Norfolk as did the Glossy Ibis in West Yorkshire, Greenish Warbler in Northumberland, Cattle Egret and Hooded Merganser in Dorset and Great White Egret in Hampshire. |
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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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| Monday 18th August 2008 | ||
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| In Lincolnshire the Audouin's Gull again showed on and off in the
Chapel Point area from late morning until early evening, giving excellent views
at times. A Marsh Sandpiper arrived at Hickling Broad NWT, Norfolk and
other highlights included Greenish Warblers on Farne Islands,
Northumberland and North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Thrush Nightingale and four
Two-barred Crossbills on Fair Isle, Two-barred Crossbill on
Mainland Shetland and Glossy Ibis at Allerton Bywater.
Both the Snowy Owl and Baird's Sandpiper remained on Western Isles, the Red-necked Phalarope was still at Saul Warth, Gloucestershire, Great White Egrets graced Hampshire and Co Galway and a Wilson's Petrel lingered off Old Head of Kinsale, Co Cork. Wrynecks, Red-backed Shrikes and Barred Warblers arrived in small numbers and an Icterine Warbler and Marsh Warbler were on Orkney. A Pectoral Sandpiper was at Freiston Shore RSPB, Lincolnshire, for its second day and in Kent the Spotted Crake remained at Oare Marshes NR. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 17th August 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was relocation of the Audouin's Gull on the Lincolnshire coast at Chapel Point. Present mid afternoon and again briefly this evening, this species is once again proving difficult to twitch. New discoveries included at Paddyfield Warbler on Whalsay, Shetland Isles, a Glossy Ibis in West Yorkshire at Allerton Bywater, Great White Egret in County Galway at Lough Corrib and a Cattle Egret at Dungeness, Kent. The Bonaparte's Gull in Angus at Lunan Bay, the Snowy Owl on the Western Isles on North Uist and the Cattle Egret at Ballard Down, Dorset were all presumably returning or locally relocating birds. Lingering rarities comprised five Two-barred Crossbills and a Citrine Wagtail together on the Shetland Isles, Wilson's Phalarope in Northumberland, American Golden Plover and Falcated Duck in Kent, Lesser Scaup in Clyde, Great White Egret in Hampshire and Hooded Merganser in Dorset. There was a notable influx of Black Terns to England with 293 reported from fourteen counties including Staffordshire (77), Kent (72), London (56) and Warwickshire (27). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 16th August 2008 | ||
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| New discoveries today were headlined by a Booted Warbler in Kent at Kingsdown,
Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, a new Baird's Sandpiper on South Uist, Western Isles and a
Wilson's Petrel passing Bridges of Ross, County Clare. Lingering rarities comprised the Wilson's Phalarope in Northumberland, five Two-barred Crossbills together on Shetland, American Golden Plover in Kent and Hooded Merganser in Dorset. The regular Great White Egret returned to Blashford Lakes, Hampshire Notable scarcities included a Red-necked Phalarope in Gloucestershire, Spotted Crake in Kent, two White Storks in Hertfordshire and, on the Shetland Isles, a Common Rosefinch and two Barred Warblers were seen. Late news received today concerned an adult Audouin's Gull present briefly yesterday evening in Lincolshire at Huttoft Car Terrace before flying off south. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 15th August 2008 | ||
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| The next two weeks are now well known for their records of Fea's Petrels,
the majority being sighted from Irish west coast headlands. Today, at least one
was seen, first from Galley Head early morning, with it, or another in the
Dunowen Head area this evening, both sites being in County Cork. Other Irish
seabirds included a Wilson's Petrel off the Bridges of Ross, County
Clare, and 'padder' species such as Cory's Shearwaters, Great Shearwaters,
Balearic Shearwaters, Long-tailed Skuas, Pomarine Skuas, Grey Phalaropes and
Sabine's Gulls were all seen.
Another Wilson's Petrel was seen from this evening's pelagic out of St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, with the Wilson's Phalarope still present in Northumberland, at Grindon Lough. Other lingerers included the Lesser Grey Shrike in Dorset, American Golden Plover in Kent, three Two-barred Crossbills on Shetland and the Cattle Egret in Norfolk. National scarcities included a Red-necked Phalarope at Saul Warth, Gloucestershire, two drake Surf Scoters off Blackdog, Aberdeenshire, Melodious Warbler trapped and ringed near Sennen, Cornwall and an inland Montagu's Harrier on the Hertfordshire/Buckinghamshire border near Tring was a good record for the area. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 14th August 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Wilson's
Phalarope at Grindon Lough, Northumberland, which could often show well,
despite being elusive in the vegetation. The Lesser Grey Shrike was also
still present at Middlebere, Dorset, and there are still three Two-barred
Crossbills at Sumburgh Head, Shetland, although these were the only birds
reported today.
A remarkable record of Thrush Nightingale also surfaced today, with news of a bird being trapped and ringed on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire on Saturday. Other late news concerned another sighting of a Yelkouan-type Shearwater in the south-west, this time off St Ives Island, Cornwall yesterday. The adult Baird's Sandpiper remained on South Uist, Western Isles, with the Cattle Egret also still at Blakeney, Norfolk, White-winged Black Tern still at Thamesmead, London and the Ferruginous Duck was still at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 13th August 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Wilson's Phalarope at Grindon Lough, Northumberland. First seen yesterday - but only identified today - the bird remained into the evening. Elsewhere, a
Baird's Sandpiper was discovered in the Western Isles on South Uist and a Thrush Nightingale arrived on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles. Lingering rarities comprised the Black Stork in County Durham, Cattle Egret in Norfolk, American Golden Plover in Kent, White-winged Black Tern in Highland and Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Single Rose-coloured Starlings were found in both Highland and Argyll, with a Short-toed Lark remaining in the latter. Good seawatching was available with Bridges of Ross, County Clare producing the second Fea's Petrel of the autumn and Pendeen Watch, Cornwall recording shearwater tallies of 11 Great, 16 Cory's and 27 Balearic. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 12th August 2008 | ||
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| Headline rarities today included nine Two-barred Crossbills on
Shetland (eight on Fair Isle, one on Fetlar), the Black Stork in Co
Durham, Lesser Grey Shrike in Dorset, White-winged Black Tern in
London and the White-billed Diver on Orkney. A Cattle Egret
dropped into Cley NWT, Norfolk and lingering wildfowl came in the form of
Lesser Scaup in Clyde, Hooded Merganser in Dorset and King Eider
in Wexford.
A Short-toed Lark was a tremendous find on Tiree, Argyll. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 11th August 2008 | ||
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| White-winged Black Terns arrived at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire and Inverness, Highland and in London another White-winged Black Tern was present at Thamesmead for its second day. On the Western Isles a female Red-footed Falcon was reported on Harris, the juvenile Black Stork continued to commute between Northumberland and Co Durham and in Dorset both the Lesser Grey Shrike and Hooded Merganser were still in situ. On Orkney a Two-barred Crossbill was still on North Ronaldsay and the White-billed Diver continued to linger off South Ronaldsay. In Kent the American Golden Plover made another appearance at Elmley Marshes RSPB. | ||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 10th August 2008 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today comprised a Citrine Wagtail on the Orkney Isles at Stenness and a
Cattle Egret in Poole Harbour, Dorset. The juvenile Black Stork seen yesterday in County Durham crossed the county boundary into Northumberland where it showed well during the afternoon at Throckley. Lingering rarities included three Two-barred Crossbills on the Shetland Isles, Lesser Grey Shrike and Hooded Merganser in Dorset, White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles, Lesser Scaup in Clyde, American Golden Plover in Kent, King Eider in County Wexford and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. The Scillonian III pelagic trip off the Isles of Scilly produced a brief Wilson's Petrel, two Grey Phalaropes, two Great, four Cory's and a single Sooty Shearwater and an estimated 400 Storm Petrels. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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