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| Sunday 26th April 2009 | ||
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| Twelve Whiskered Terns were seen today. Eight were still at Willington
GPs, Derbyshire until mid morning, with one relocated nearby at Long Eaton GPs
late afternoon. Five were found in neighbouring Staffordshire, at Croxall Lakes
NR mid afternoon, another two were at Saltholme Pools RSPB, Cleveland and a
single bird was at Quoile Pondage, County Down. Red-rumped Swallows
continued to arrive, with one at Bockhill, Kent, and at least two in Yorkshire,
being seen at Flamborough, then Filey and finally two were over Spurn.
In Northumberland, a male Black-headed Wagtail was found on Holy Island, but the Norfolk bird had departed. At Gruinart RSPB, Islay, both Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs were seen, along with the drake Green-winged Teal. A male Subalpine Warbler was in Gwent, a Ferruginous Duck was in Somerset and a Great White Egret was in Norfolk. |
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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 25th April 2009 | ||
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| An excellent day for new rarities was headlined by a Black-headed Wagtail
in Norfolk, Whiskered Tern in Gloucestershire (eight of the incredible
flock of eleven Whiskered Terns also remained in Derbyshire),
Black-winged Stilt in Cambridgeshire, two Red-rumped Swallows in
Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Kent, White-billed Diver in Western
Isles and Red-footed Falcon in Dorset.
In Shetland the Subalpine Warbler reappeared and the Wood Duck remained in situ, a Lesser Scaup was still in Glamorgan, two Cattle Egrets lingered on the South Lancashire mosses and three Great White Egrets were noted. The best of the scarcities included Bluethroat on Anglesey, Purple Heron in London, Red-backed Shrike in Kent, Wryneck in Norfolk, Pectoral Sandpiper in Leicestershire, Little Bunting in East Yorkshire, Woodchat Shrike in Co Waterford, Golden Oriole in Suffolk and Dotterels in Essex (8) and Lincolnshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 24th April 2009 | ||
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| An unprecedented arrival of Whiskered Terns into Derbyshire today. A
flock of 11 were found at Willington GPs at 12.45pm, remaining into the evening.
The previous largest group in Britain was the four in 2005 that were seen in
Yorkshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire, and there are six records of two birds.
An adult male Red-footed Falcon was watched for a few minutes over Kelling Heath, Norfolk, and an Alpine Swift was watched for a similar length of time over Meare Heath, Somerset. A Red-rumped Swallow was seen to fly south past both Horsey and Winterton, Norfolk, mid morning. Very few other rarities were seen today: the Ferruginous Duck remained at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, two Cattle Egrets were on Plex Moss, Lancashire, and another was near Land's End, Cornwall. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 23rd April 2009 | ||
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| A quiet day for rarities, with the only new bird being a Ferruginous Duck
at Stewartby Lake, Bedfordshire. Two new Cattle Egrets were seen in
Lancashire, which were present for their second day. Other Cattle Egrets were in
Cornwall and Devon.
On Shetland, the drake Wood Duck returned to the Loch of Brow, with the male Subalpine Warbler still nearby at Scatness. Further south, the Lesser Scaup was still in Glamorgan, Great White Egret in Somerset and Hooded Merganser in Dorset. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 22nd April 2009 | ||
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| The apparent Glaucous-winged Gull remained at Beddington sewage farm,
London.
A Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk was only the second reported in the county, and the country, this year. Another Subalpine Warbler was discovered, this time on Shetland, whilst Black Kites were over St Margaret's at Cliffe and Westenhanger, both Kent. The presumably returning Forster's Tern was found at Tacumshin, County Wexford, whilst a drake Blue-winged Teal was on Reddan's Lough, County Tipperary. In Essex, the Lesser Yellowlegs remained on the Blackwater Estuary, and Lesser Scaups were still in both Glamorgan and Yorkshire. Great White Egrets were in London and Essex, and a Cattle Egret was in Cornwall. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 21st April 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the identification of Britain's third Glaucous-winged
Gull, at Beddington, London. Present on a landfill site (that, remarkably, also hosted Britain's first
Glaucous-winged Gull, on 18th April 2007) during the afternoon, and thought to be a hybrid Glaucous Gull, the true identity was not suspected until photographs were posted on the internet during the evening. It now transpires that the same bird had earlier been present - but not identified - in Berkshire at Queen Mother Reservoir on 3rd February, 26th March and 20th April, in Buckinghamshire at Willen Lake on 8th and 9th March, in Bedfordshire at Stewartby Lake on 10th March and in London at Rainham Marshes on 12th and 16th-21st March. As, in it’s home range, Glaucous-winged Gull is prone to hybridising with other large gulls, proving that the parents of this bird were both pure Glaucous-winged Gulls may never be possible. Other rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs still in Essex, Taverner's Canada Goose again in Dumfries and Galloway, Cattle Egret in Devon and, in Hampshire, a Red-rumped Swallow was reported briefly near Andover. Scarcities included a Woodchat Shrike in County Waterford, Hoopoe in West Sussex, Temminck's Stint on the Isles of Scilly, Rough-legged Buzzard and Green-winged Teal in Norfolk, Ring-necked Duck in Highland, Ring-billed Gull in County Antrim, two Lesser Snow Geese together in Aberdeenshire and Pectoral Sandpipers in Gloucesterhire, Leicestershire (2) and West Sussex. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 20th April 2009 | ||
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| A Red-rumped Swallow on Shetland, Black Kite in Kent and
Alpine Swift on Isle of Wight were all new discoveries today. Lingering
rarities included the White-throated Sparrow in Hampshire, Lesser
Yellowlegs in Essex and Subalpine Warbler and Lesser Scaup in
East Yorkshire.
Scarcities comprised a Short-toed Lark on Isles of Scilly, Hoopoe in Norfolk, Pectoral Sandpipers in Leicestershire (2) and Western Isles and Purple Heron in Suffolk. Cattle Egrets remained in East Sussex, Devon and Cornwall and the Great White Egret lingered in Clyde. In Shetland the drake Wood Duck remained on Mainland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 19th April 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the White-throated Sparrow in Hampshire,
Snowy Owl in Cornwall, Subalpine Warbler in East Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Essex,
Lesser Scaup in East Yorkshire, two White-billed Divers together on the Western Isles and the Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Cattle Egret reports concerned three each in both County Cork and Cornwall and singles in Devon and East Sussex. Scarcities included two Kentish Plovers together in Cornwall, single Hoopoes in County Cork, Dorset and the Isle of Man, three each of Ring-necked Duck and Green-winged Teal, two Surf Scoters, a Rough-legged Buzzard in Cambridgeshire, American Wigeon in Aberdeenshire, Wryneck on the Orkney Isles, Pectoral Sandpiper on the Western Isles and a Great Grey Shrike in Gloucestershire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 18th April 2009 | ||
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| Three new Subalpine Warblers were found today, with birds at Spurn,
Yorkshire, Bardsey Island, Gwynedd and Great Saltee Island, County Wexford. Also
in County Wexford, a Bonaparte's Gull was seen at Tacumshin. Two Great
White Egrets were at Christchurch, Dorset, whilst another was at the Ouse
Washes, Cambridgeshire, and the long staying bird remained in Clyde.
In Hampshire, the White-throated Sparrow became more elusive at Old Winchester Hill. The Red-rumped Swallow in Wirral was seen at Leasowe this evening, and the Lesser Yellowlegs was seen again at Heybridge Basin, Essex. Other lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull in Oxfordshire, single Lesser Scaups in Forth and Glamorgan and lesser golden plover in Norfolk. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 17th April 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities included Red-rumped Swallow on the Wirral,
Bonaparte's Gull in Oxfordshire, American Golden Plover in Norfolk,
White-throated Sparrow in Hampshire, Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan
and East Yorkshire and on Shetland the drake Wood Duck was on Mainland
for its second day.
In Suffolk a Red-footed Falcon was reported between Great Ashfield and Norton, a Great White Egret was seen near Allhallows, Kent, and in Cheshire the Cattle Egret remained near Frodsham. Elsewhere a Wryneck was briefly at Blakeney, Norfolk, a Red-breasted Flycatcher was at Dungeness and a Kentish Plover visited Pegwell Bay, Kent and in Suffolk the Purple Heron was seen again near Shingle Street. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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