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| Tuesday 26th May 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities today included the Squacco Heron at Wicken Fen NT,
Cambridgeshire, Pallid Swift at Seaforth, Merseyside, Savi's Warbler
in the Lee Valley Park, Essex, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Great
White Egret at Saltholme Pools RSPB, Cleveland.
Two Whiskered Terns arrived at Earls Barton GPs, Northamptonshire mid morning, with one remaining at Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire. A Black Kite was seen in Gloucestershire. A probable American Dunlin was found on the Isles of Scilly this evening, whilst the Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper remained at Dawlish Warren NNR, Devon. |
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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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| Monday 25th May 2009 | ||
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| Adult Laughing Gulls at Marton Mere LNR (Lancashire) and Testwood
Lakes (Hampshire) were today's headline discoveries. Black Kites in
Lothian, Cornwall and Essex and three Bee-eaters in East Sussex were also
new, whilst sightings of Whiskered Terns at Broomhill Flash and Wombwell
Ings (South Yorkshire) and Fairburn Ings RSPB (West Yorkshire) presumably
involved birds seen yesterday at Swillington Ings, West Yorkshire (where one
Whiskered Tern remained).
In Kent the Black-winged Pratincole remained at Grove Ferry NR before relocating to Elmley Marshes RSPB later in the day. In Cambridgeshire the Squacco Heron continued to show well at Wicken Fen NT and other lingering rarities included the Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper in Devon, Franklin's Gull on Shetland, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Great White Egret in Cleveland, Red-footed Falcon in South Yorkshire, Collared Pratincole in West Yorkshire and Savi's Warbler in Essex. Scarcities included Common Rosefinches in Norfolk and Orkney, American Wigeon in Perth & Kinross, Hoopoe in Kent, Marsh Warblers in Dorset and East Yorkshire and Red-necked Phalarope in Aberdeenshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 24th May 2009 | ||
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| Once again, a fairly small area of Yorkshire produced some good birds, with
three Whiskered Terns joining the Collared Pratincole at
Swillington Ings, a Woodchat Shrike at Pugney's Country Park and a
Red-footed Falcon and Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Hatfield Moors, with
another Buff-breasted Sandpiper just 15 miles away in Lincolnshire.
Further south, a Squacco Heron was found at Wicken Fen NT,
Cambridgeshire, along with a Black Kite, and a Red-rumped Swallow
was at Paxton Pits NR.
Further south still, a Black Duck was in Cornwall, and seven Bee-eaters, a Black Kite and a Red-rumped Swallow were on the Isles of Scilly. Three more Bee-eaters were in each of Dorset and Kent, and the Black-winged Pratincole remained in the latter. Other lingering rarities included Savi's Warbler in Essex, Subalpine Warbler, Franklin's Gull and Laughing Gull on Shetland, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Forster's Tern in County Wexford. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 23rd May 2009 | ||
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| Yorkshire produced some excellent birds today, the best being a Terek
Sandpiper at Patrington Haven for a couple of hours this evening. A
Collared Pratincole at Swillington Ings was presumably the Norfolk bird
relocating, but the Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Hatfield Moors was a new
arrival. A Melodious Warbler was at Spurn, with another in Cornwall, and
a Marsh Warbler was at Kilnsea, with others in Dorset and Shetland.
An adult Gull-billed Tern was seen on the Exe Estuary, Devon this evening, and a Bee-eater was in Cornwall, with another three in Norfolk. Single Red-rumped Swallows were in Hampshire and Cornwall. Lingering rarities included the Black-winged Pratincole in Kent, Laughing Gull and Subalpine Warbler on Shetland, Savi's Warbler in Essex and the North American peep reappeared in Devon this evening. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 22nd May 2009 | ||
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| Two male Subalpine Warblers were found today, with a Western in
Cornwall and another on Shetland. Also on Shetland a Bee-eater was seen
briefly on Fair Isle. A Caspian Tern flew over Freiston Shore RSPB,
Lincolnshire, whilst, nearby, in Norfolk, a Black Kite flew over Breydon
Water.
Both pratincoles remained, with the Black-winged Pratincole in Kent and Collared Pratincole in Norfolk. The Savi's Warbler continued to sing in Essex, and the Pallid Swift was still in Merseyside. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 21st May 2009 | ||
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| An adult Laughing Gull flew north over Skomer, Pembrokeshire this
evening, whilst in Shetland the second-summer Laughing Gull remained on
Mainland. A Snowy Owl was discovered on St Kilda, Western Isles, and in
Co Mayo the Snowy Owl was still on Inishkea Islands. In Suffolk a
Black Kite flew over Rendlesham Forest.
Lingering rarities included Black-winged Pratincole in Kent, Collared Pratincole in Norfolk, Pallid Swift in Merseyside, Savi's Warbler in Essex, Wood Duck on Shetland, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and in East Yorkshire a Red-rumped Swallow flew south over Spurn for the second consecutive day. Great White Egrets were logged in Wiltshire and Cleveland and scarcity highlights comprised Golden Oriole in Lincolnshire, Surf Scoter off Aberdeenshire, Balearic Woodchat Shrike in Wexford, Icterine Warblers on Shetland and in East Yorkshire, and Bluethroat on Shetland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 20th May 2009 | ||
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| A party of six Bee-eaters in Dorset, a lone Bee-eater in
Lothian, Red-rumped Swallows in East Yorkshire and Cleveland, Black
Kite in Kent and Black-headed Wagtail in Norfolk were all new
discoveries today.
Lingering rarities included the two Pratincoles, Black-winged in Kent and Collared in Norfolk, Squacco Heron in Dorest and Pallid Swift on Isles of Scilly. Great White Egrets were logged in Cleveland and Norfolk. In Lancashire a male Ortolan Bunting visited a feeding station near Pilling, in Norfolk the Woodchat Shrike was relocated near Morston (the Balearic Woodchat Shrike also remained in Co Wexford), a Purple Heron reappeared at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset and an Icterine Warbler was trapped on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 19th May 2009 | ||
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| Rarity highlights included both Collared Flycatcher and Red-rumped Swallow still in Fife,
Black-winged Pratincole in Kent, Collared Pratincole in Norfolk,
Pallid Swift in Merseyside, Pallid Swift and Red-rumped Swallow on the Isles of Scilly,
Snowy Owl in County Mayo, a brief Squacco Heron in Suffolk, Balearic Woodchat Shrike in County Wexford,
Great White Egret in Cleveland and the Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper remaining in Devon. On the Shetland Isles the Laughing Gull remained along with two Subalpine Warblers, six Bluethroats, five Icterine Warblers, a Wryneck and a Grey-headed Wagtail. Scarce migrants elsewhere totaled seven Long-tailed Skuas, five Bluethroats, four Temminck's Stints, three each of Icterine Warbler and Grey-headed Wagtail, two each of Rose-coloured Starling and Golden Oriole and singles of Woodchat Shrike (Norfolk), White Stork (Angus) and Ring-billed Gull (County Westmeath). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 18th May 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a brief Squacco Heron in Suffolk at Felixstowe Ferry. Elsewhere, both
Red-rumped Swallow and White-winged Black Tern were discovered in Fife, as was a
White-billed Diver in Ayrshire and a Subalpine Warbler in Aberdeenshire. Brief encounters included a Red-rumped Swallow in Kent, single
Red-footed Falcons in both East Yorkshire and Norfolk and Bee-eaters
in Lincolnshire (3) and Lothian. Lingering rarities included the Collared Flycatcher still in Fife, Black-winged Pratincole in Kent, Collared Pratincole in Norfolk, Balearic Woodchat Shrike in County Wexford, Great White Egret in Cleveland and Subalpine Warbler on the Orkney Isles. The Shetland Isles recorded Laughing Gull, Lesser Scaup, Subalpine Warbler, three Icterine Warblers, four Bluethroats and five Grey-headed Wagtails whilst the Isle of Scilly logged Little Bittern, two Red-rumped Swallows and an Iceland Gull. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 17th May 2009 | ||
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| A fine selection of new rarities were discovered today, including a brief
Greenish Warbler in Northumberland, Pallid Swift on Isles of Scilly,
Thrush Nightingale in Aberdeenshire, Red-rumped Swallow in Kent,
Bee-eaters in Lincolnshire (5) and Angus, Red-footed Falcon in
East Yorkshire, Laughing Gull on Mainland Shetland and Black Kites
in Hampshire and Cornwall.
Pratincoles were again popular, the Black-winged remained in Kent and the Collared was still in Norfolk and in Fife the Collared Flycatcher continued to show well near Crail. Other lingering rarities came in the form of Savi's Warbler in Essex, at least one Red-rumped Swallow on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, Pallid Swift in Merseyside and Subalpine Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney. A couple of adult drake Ferruginous Ducks were logged at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset and in Devon the Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper reappeared at Dawlish Warren NNR. Scarcities included two Melodious Warblers (both in Suffolk), eight each of Icterine Warbler and Bluethroat, two Red-backed Shrikes, seven Grey-headed Wagtails, four Temminck's Stints and single Wryneck and Ortolan Bunting. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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