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| Saturday 16th May 2009 | ||
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| Easterly rarities continued to arrive today, with the star being a male
Collared Flycatcher at Crail, Fife. Single Thrush Nightingales were
in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Suffolk, a second Little Bittern was on
the Isles of Scilly, a Red-footed Falcon flew over the Black-winged
Pratincole in Kent, single Red-rumped Swallows were in Norfolk and
Kent, an Alpine Swift was in Carmarthenshire and a Subalpine Warbler
was on Orkney.
The Collared Pratincole was still in Norfolk, as was Rustic Bunting on Shetland, Pallid Swift in Merseyside, Balearic Woodchat Shrike in County Wexford, Savi's Warbler in Essex and the Great Reed Warbler on the Isles of Scilly, |
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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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| Friday 15th May 2009 | ||
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| As the easterly winds continued the good passage of scarce migrants brought
in a few rarities. A Collared Pratincole was found in Norfolk this
evening, with the Black-winged Pratincole remaining in Kent. A Rustic
Bunting was seen on Shetland, and a Red-throated Pipit was on the
Farne Islands, Northumberland.
Other new rarities included a Black Kite in Norfolk, White-billed Diver in Argyll and a Great White Egret in Northamptonshire. Lingerers included Great Reed Warbler and at least two Red-rumped Swallows on the Isles of Scilly, Balearic Woodchat Shrike in County Wexford and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. Good numbers of Bluethroats and Icterine Warblers arrived on the east coast and on the Northern Isles, along with smaller numbers of Temminck's Stint, Hoopoe, Grey-headed Wagtail and Golden Oriole. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 14th May 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities provided today's highlights - Black-winged Pratincole
(Kent), Citrine Wagtail (Norfolk), Great Reed Warbler, Little
Bittern and Red-throated Pipit (Scilly) and Savi's Warbler
(Essex) were all still on show.
In Merseyside the Pallid Swift reappeared at Crosby Marine Park/Seaforth LWT, two Red-rumped Swallows were seen on Isles of Scilly, the Balearic Woodchat Shrike remained in Co Wexford, White-winged Black Terns visited Great Livermere Lake, Suffolk and and Covenham Reservoir, Lincolnshire and on Mainland Orkney a Snowy Owl was seen again. In Somerset a Black Kite was logged over three different locations. Scarcities included nine Icterine Warblers, thirteen Temminck's Stints, two Kentish Plovers, two Bluethroats, and single Red-backed Shrike, Marsh Warbler, Serin and Wryneck. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 13th May 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of a busy day was a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea; it had initially found yesterday and thought to be a Greenish Warbler. Elsewhere, a Subalpine Warbler showed well in Kent at Dungeness, a
White-billed Diver was in County Galway off Inishbofin, a White-winged Black Tern was in Warwickshire at Draycote Water and, on the Isles of Scilly, a
Great Reed Warbler and three Red-rumped Swallows were on St Mary's. Brief encounters included a
Blyth's Reed Warbler in Norfolk, Alpine Swift and two Red-rumped Swallows in Dorset, Black Kite in Cornwall and single Great White Egrets in both Gloucestershire and West Sussex. Lingering rarities comprised the Black-winged Pratincole still in Kent, Citrine Wagtail in Norfolk, Red-throated Pipit on the Isles of Scilly, Balearic Woodchat Shrike in County Wexford, Lesser Scaup on the Shetland Isles and White-winged Black Tern in Surrey. Scarcities comprised 18 Temminck's Stints, seven migrant Golden Orioles, four each of Icterine Warbler and Kentish Plover, three Bluethroats, two Grey-headed Wagtails and singles of Melodious Warbler, Short-toed Lark, Rough-legged Buzzard, Hoopoe, Green-winged Teal, Pectoral Sandpiper and Lapland Bunting. A major arrival of Black Terns was witnessed in southeastern England with 900 reported from 35 counties including maxima of 239 in Norfolk, 130 in Cambridgeshire, 54 in Suffolk, 45 in Lincolnshire and 34 in Hertfordshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 12th May 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Black-winged Pratincole at Grove Ferry, Kent. Discovered early in the morning, the bird remained into the evening, when it strayed briefly to the adjacent Stodmarsh. New rarities comprised a Citrine Wagtail in Norfolk at Cley, a Balearic Woodchat Shrike in County Wexford at Duncormick, Greenish Warbler in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea, White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire at Girdle Ness and a mobile Black Kite in west Cornwall. The Isles of Scilly enjoyed a busy day with a Red-throated Pipit new on St Agnes, Red-rumped Swallow on St Mary's and Woodchat Shrike on Bryher. Lingering rarities included the Franklin's Gull and Wood Duck on the Shetland Isles, White-winged Black Tern in Surrey, two Bee-eaters in Norfolk and the Great White Egret in Cleveland. Scarcities included four Temminck's Stints, two Grey-headed Wagtails, singles of Bluethroat, American Wigeon, Surf Scoter, Pectoral Sandpiper, Lapland Bunting and another Woodchat Shrike (in Somerset). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 11th May 2009 | ||
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| A Marsh Sandpiper was seen in Essex at Vange Marshes RSPB this
afternoon, although it was flushed off by Black-headed Gulls after only a short
time. Nearby, in Surrey, a White-winged Black Tern was on Staines
Reservoirs North Basin all day.
In Scotland a Hudsonian Whimbrel was seen in Argyll, White-billed Diver in Highland and a Franklin's Gull, two Black Ducks and the Wood Duck were on Shetland, but there was no sign of the Brown-headed Cowbird. Three Bee-eaters lingered in Norfolk all afternoon, but news was slow to get out. A Black Kite was seen in Hampshire, and the Little Bittern remained on the Isles of Scilly. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 10th May 2009 | ||
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| A pratincole at Reculver, Kent, initially reported as a Collared Pratincole
was later re-identified as the first Black-winged Pratincole to grace
British shores for eight years. On Isles of Scilly a Little Bittern was
discovered on St Mary's and in Dumfries & Galloway a Whiskered Tern
lingered off Seafield.
Lingering rarities included the singing male Brown-headed Cowbird on Fair Isle, Red-rumped Swallow in Norfolk, Savi's Warbler in Essex, Pallid Swift in Merseyside and Wood Duck on Shetland. Great White Egrets were recorded in Powys and Cleveland and five Cattle Egrets comprised three in Cambridgeshire and singles in Lancashire and Leicestershire. Notable scarcities came in the form of Great Grey Shrikes in Norfolk and Staffordshire, Woodchat Shrike on Isles of Scilly, Purple Heron in Somerset, Waxwing on Lewis, as well as 46 Dotterels, four Temminck's Stints, three Golden Orioles, three Pectoral Sandpipers and two Grey-headed Wagtails. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 9th May 2009 | ||
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| The male Brown-headed Cowbird remained for its second day on Fair
Isle, Shetland, delighting the few that managed to charter onto the island this
afternoon. Also on Shetland, two Black Ducks were on Loch of Hillwell
this evening, and the Wood Duck was still on Loch of Brow.
Further south, a male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was present all day at Portland Bill, Dorset. New Red-rumped Swallows were in Northamptonshire and London, and the two were still in Norfolk, at Cley and then, later, Weybourne. A Red-footed Falcon was also in Norfolk, and a Black Kite was in Kent. The Blue-winged Teal reappeared in County Tipperary, and the Pallid Swift was still in Merseyside. The Savi's Warbler continued to sing in Essex, and the North American peep was still in Devon. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 8th May 2009 | ||
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| Hot news today related to the discovery of a Brown-headed Cowbird on
Fair Isle, Shetland. The only previous British record concerned a bird on Islay,
Argyll on 24th April 1988 - this bird was only seen by the finder, so
Brown-headed Cowbird is one of the most-wanted species on the British List.
Other new rarities included Alpine Swifts in Somerset, East Yorkshire and Co Wicklow, Snowy Owl on Orkney, two Red-rumped Swallows in Norfolk, Red-footed Falcon in Kent and White-billed Diver in Argyll. Lingering rarities comprised the Savi's Warbler in Essex, Pallid Swift in Merseyside, Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper in Devon, Black Kite in Essex and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. Cattle Egrets were logged in Cambridgeshire (3), Cornwall and Leicestershire, the Purple Heron was still in Suffolk, a Pectoral Sandpiper was discovered on Foula, Shetland and in Dorset the Woodchat Shrike remained on Portland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 7th May 2009 | ||
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| In Norfolk, two Red-rumped Swallows lingered at Cromer for 2.5 hours,
and a Red-footed Falcon flew west past Stiffkey late afternoon. A
Great White Egret was at Herringfleet, Suffolk this evening, and a third
Cattle Egret joined the two in Cambridgeshire. Others remained in
Leicestershire and Cornwall.
The Pallid Swift was still present in Merseyside, as was the Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Savi's Warbler in Essex, Black Kite in London and the North American peep in Devon. A Bee-eater was seen in Suffolk yesterday. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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