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| Friday 29th August 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Northern
Waterthrush, Yellow Warbler and Solitary Sandpiper together on Cape Clear, County Cork. Elsewhere in Ireland, a
Semipalmated Sandpiper was seen on The Mullet, County Mayo and the Buff-breasted Sandpiper remained in County Clare. Other rarities discovered today included a Citrine Wagtail in Suffolk at Landguard, the returning Bonaparte's Gull in Angus at Scurdie Ness and a brief Bee-eater at Port Erin, Isle of Man. A Purple Heron was new in Suffolk as was a Red-backed Shrike in North Yorkshire and both Ortolan Bunting and Wryneck in Dorset. Lingering rarities comprised the Semipalmated Sandpiper still in Devon, Baird's Sandpiper in Cambridgeshire, Black Stork in North Yorkshire, Glossy Ibis in West Yorkshire, three Cattle Egrets in Somerset, Great White Egret in Shropshire, single Marsh Sandpipers in both Essex and Norfolk and both Pacific Golden Plover and White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles. |
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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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| Thursday 28th August 2008 | ||
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| Whilst there were no new birds in Ireland today, Cape Clear Island once again
attracted attention, with the continued presence of the Northern Waterthrush,
Yellow Warbler and Solitary Sandpiper. Nearby, the second
Yellow Warbler was still at Mizen Head. Other North American rarities
included a Semipalmated Sandpiper at Dawlish Warren NNR, Devon, although
this bird has apparently been present three days. The Baird's Sandpiper
was still inland, at Paxton Pits NR, Cambridgeshire, and the long staying
Long-billed Dowitcher remained at Dundalk Docks, County Louth..
A Red-footed Falcon was seen this evening at Holme, Norfolk, and the Marsh Sandpiper was still at Rush Hill Scrape, with another still present at Heybridge GPs, Essex. A Wilson's Petrel was seen from this evenings Scilly pelagic, and the juvenile Black Stork continued its stay in North Yorkshire, near Cawood. The Glossy Ibis was once again at Swillington Ings, West Yorkshire, and the White-billed Diver was in Water Sound, Orkney. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 27th August 2008 | ||
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| It just kept getting better for County Cork! On Cape Clear, after
seeing the Yellow Warbler birders found just a few yards away a
Northern Waterthrush and Solitary Sandpiper together on the same puddle, just
feet apart, in the same scope view! Nearby, the second Yellow Warbler
remained at Mizen Head.
A Baird's Sandpiper in Cambridgeshire was not quite on the same scale, but it is still only the second for the county, and the first since 1963. Single Marsh Sandpipers remained in Norfolk and Essex, and the Black Stork was still present and elusive in North Yorkshire. The Glossy Ibis reappeared nearby, again at Swillington Ings this morning and other rarities included Snowy Owl at Balranald, Western Isles, Pacific Golden Plover on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset and a new Great White Egret at Ellesmere, Shropshire, which represented the second for Shropshire. Scarcities included a Melodious Warbler trapped and ringed at Brew Pool, Cornwall, where a different bird was trapped on the 15th. Two Wrynecks remained, in Norfolk and County Durham, two Red-backed Shrikes were in Suffolk, Grey Phalaropes were in Hampshire and Cornwall, a Hoopoe was in Kent and a Rose-coloured Starling was still on Orkney, along with small numbers of the scarcer seabirds. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 26th August 2008 | ||
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| An exciting day to be in Ireland and definitely a Red Letter day for County Cork. News broke of not one but two Yellow Warblers,
the 1st and 2nd ever for the Cork, and only the 3rd and 4th for Ireland. Both birds were still present this evening. One is at
Mizen Head; The other, on Cape Clear Island, possibly present
since Sunday when it may have been seen briefly in flight. Hopefully these represent the first of a what will prove to be a bumper showing of american passerines this year. Also in Cork today a Fea's Petrel flew
past Galley Head and a juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper was at
Lissagriffin Lake.
In England, the juvenile Black Stork was rediscovered, the result of a report to the RSPB being forwarded to Rare Bird Alert. It had roosted overnight near Stillingfleet, North Yorkshire on Saturday, and based on that news was relocated today by diligent local birders. It remained on show much of the day and was the first truly twitchable Black Stork in Yorkshire since 1976. Elsewhere a Wilson's Petrel was a rare sighting from land as it flew past Gwennap Head, Cornwall. Lingering rarities consisted of single Marsh Sandpipers in Norfolk and Essex, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Pacific Golden Plover on Orkney and Snowy Owls on the Western Isles and on The Mullet, County Mayo. The latter is presumably a returning bird. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 25th August 2008 | ||
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| The first British Fea's Petrel of the year was seen in Cornwall today,
when it flew west past Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra at 2pm. Other headlands failed
to produce large numbers, but Great Shearwaters, Grey Phalaropes, Sabine's
Gulls and Balearic Shearwaters were all seen.
Two Marsh Sandpipers remained, in Essex at Heybridge GPs, and in Norfolk on Rush Hill Scrape. Lingering scarcities in Norfolk included the Wryneck at Kelling Heath and Tawny Pipit on Blakeney Point, with a Red-backed Shrike nearby in Suffolk, at Landguard NR, and a Kentish Plover briefly at Minsmere RSPB. Further rarities comprised the Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, Great White Egret at Blashford Lakes HWT, Hampshire and a Cattle Egret on Brownsea Island NT, Dorset. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 24th August 2008 | ||
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| Seabirds once again provided much of the entertainment today, with Irish
headland's producing Little Shearwater in County Clare and Fea's
Petrel in County Mayo, and a Wilson's Petrel was seen from a pelagic
trip out of Inishboffin, County Galway. Elsewhere in Ireland, the long staying
Long-billed Dowitcher was again present at Dundalk Docks, County Louth.
A report of an American Robin in Devon came seven hours after the event, and an Aquatic Warbler was seen at Marazion Marsh RSPB, Cornwall. Another Marsh Sandpiper was found, this time at Heybridge GPs, Essex, where it remained until dusk, with another still on Rush Hill Scrape, Norfolk. The Pacific Golden Plover remained on the River Wampool, Cumbria, and the White-billed Diver was seen again on South Ronaldsay, Orkney. Inland phalaropes included a Red-necked Phalarope at Weston sewage works, Somerset and a Grey Phalarope at Marsh Lane NR, West Midlands, with another at Pennington Marshes, Hampshire. A Tawny Pipit was seen on Blakeney Point, Norfolk, with Icterine Warbler and Wryneck also in the county. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 23rd August 2008 | ||
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| In Lincolnshire, the Audouin's Gull made a further appearance in the
Chapel Point area this morning but was not seen again after about 8am. On Fair
Isle a second Citrine Wagtail joined the bird already present and a
Common Rosefinch was also seen there. Black Kites were seen on the
Isle of Sheppey in Kent and in County Wicklow, whilst in County Donegal, the
Black Duck returned to Blanket Snook by Lough Swilly.
In Norfolk, the Marsh Sandpiper was still to be found at Hickling Broad on Rush Hill Scrape, with other remaining rarities including the Great White Egret at Blashford Lakes in Hampshire, the Pacific Golden Plover at Anthorn in Cumbria, the Long-billed Dowitcher at Dundalk Docks in County Louth, the Cattle Egret at Colyford Common in Devon and in West Yorkshire the Glossy Ibis moved from Allerton Bywater to Swillington Ings during the day. A Grey Phalarope was still in Hampshire with a Red-necked Phalarope at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset this evening. A number of Balearic and Sooty Shearwaters were seen off the East Anglian coast in the morning and a Wryneck was found at Kelling Heath in Norfolk. An inland Gannet flew over a music festival on the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Friday 22nd August 2008 | ||
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| The Lincolnshire Audouin's Gull made another appearance in the Chapel
Point area this evening and on Orkney a new Pacific Golden Plover arrived
on North Ronaldsay. A Black Kite flew south over Sunk Island, East
Yorkshire, a Cattle Egret was noted at Colyford Common LNR, Devon, the
Pacific Golden Plover reappeared at Anthorn, Cumbria and other lingering
rarities included Semipalmated Sandpiper in Co Cork, Citrine Wagtail
on Fair Isle, Marsh Sandpiper at Hickling Broad NWT, Norfolk and
White-winged Black Tern near Inverness, Highland.
A Red-necked Phalarope in Gloucestershire, Grey Phalaropes in Hampshire and Somerset (2), Wryneck at Landguard NR, Suffolk, Icterine Warbler briefly at Castle Carrock, Cumbria and Corncrake at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire were the headline scarcities. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 21st August 2008 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Audouin's Gull on the Lincolnshire coast north of Chapel St Leonards. Once again it was present on the beach mid afternoon before flying out to sea. Newly discovered rarities comprised a Semipalmated Sandpiper in County Cork at Youghal and a Great White Egret at Leighton Moss, Lancashire. Lingering rarities included the Booted Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Glossy Ibis in West Yorkshire, Cattle Egret and Hooded Merganser in Dorset and White-winged Black Terns in both Highland and Lincolnshire. The Stilt Sandpiper in Gloucestershire and Marsh Sandpiper in Norfolk were both seen during the day but had disappeared by the evening. Small numbers of migrant passerines arrived - particularly Pied Flycatchers - but also a Wryneck in Angus and one each of Marsh Warbler, Red-backed Shrike and Wryneck on the Shetland Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 20th August 2008 | ||
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| A Booted Warbler on Mainland Shetland, three Greenish Warblers
in Aberdeenshire (at Sands of Forvie NNR, Loch of Strathbeg RSPB and Cruden Bay
Woods) and White-winged Black Tern at Covenham Reservoir, Lincolnshire
were today's best new discoveries. In Cumbria the identification of the
Pacific Golden Plover found yesterday at Anthorn was confirmed - this
stretch of the Cumbrian coastline continues to produce quality waders year after
year.
The Stilt Sandpiper was still at Coombe Hill Meadows, Gloucestershire and other lingering rarities included Marsh Sandpiper in Norfolk, Glossy Ibis in West Yorkshire, White-billed Diver in Orkney, Hooded Merganser in Dorset and Baird's Sandpiper and Snowy Owl on Western Isles. The Lincolnshire Audouin's Gull failed to make an appearance in the Chapel Point area. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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