 |
|
|
| Friday 5th June 2009 | ||
|
||
| New arrivals today included a Paddyfield Warbler on the Wirral, which
was trapped and ringed on Hilbre Island before disappearing, a Greenish
Warbler singing near Brixham, Devon and a Red-footed Falcon at
Winterton, Norfolk. Late news concerned an adult Gull-billed Tern
yesterday in Hampshire, and a White's Thrush on Tuesday in Fife.
Lingering rarities included the Black-winged Pratincole in Norfolk, Black Duck in Cornwall, Pallid Swift in Merseyside, four Cattle Egrets in County Waterford and the Squacco Heron in Cambridgeshire. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
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.
|
|
|
| Thursday 4th June 2009 | ||
|
||
| There were no confirmed sightings of the Oriental Pratincole at Dungeness,
Kent today, but a pratincole species was reported from Grove Ferry NNR briefly.
The Black-winged Pratincole remained on show all day at Thornham,
Norfolk, but there was no sign of the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear on the Isles
of Scilly.
A Black Kite was seen in Argyll, a Snowy Owl was on the Western Isles and a Red-rumped Swallow was in Cornwall. The Squacco Heron remained in Cambridgeshire, as did the Red-breasted Goose in Aberdeenshire. Four Cattle Egrets were in County Cork, and a Great White Egret was in Suffolk. A Red-necked Phalarope was at Hickling Broad, Norfolk, and Golden Orioles were seen on the Isles of Scilly and in Gwynedd. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was seen at Attenborough NR, Nottinghamshire, and a Spotted Crake was heard singing in Angus. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Wednesday 3rd June 2009 | ||
|
||
| The highlight of the day was the relocation of the Oriental Pratincole to Kent. Perhaps first glimpsed in Oxfordshire, at Otmoor on 25th May, it was first seen for certain at Pagham Harbour, West Sussex on 28th-29th May but the true identity was not suspected until after the bird had departed - it had been reported as a Collared Pratincole. However, given that the three previous Oriental Pratincoles in Britian had all lingered for some time, it seemed probable that this bird would show again, and today it did, at Dungeness from late morning until well into the evening. Elsewhere, lingering rarities included the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear still on the Isles of Scilly, Black-winged Pratincole and Great White Egret both in Norfolk, Black Duck in Cornwall, Squacco Heron in Cambridgeshire and both Subalpine Warbler and Great Reed Warbler on the Shetland Isles. A Cattle Egret was found in Oxfordshire and a Great White Egret visited County Tipperary whilst the American Wigeon lingered in Lancashire, single Marsh Warblers were in East Yorkshire and the Shetland Isles, and a Bluethroat reached Gwynedd. |
||
| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Tuesday 2nd June 2009 | ||
|
||
| Hot news today related to the discovery of a 1st-summer male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly. After initially being photographed as an odd
wheatear, the bird soon 'firmed up' as the first confirmed Black-eared Wheatear
to be found in Britain since 2002.
The excellent run of Laughing Gull records continued with an adult on Coll, Argyll, whilst in Oxfordshire a Black Kite flew over Wootton and in Hampshire a Red-rumped Swallow was observed at Portsdown Hill. A Spotted Sandpiper was discovered on the Cefni Estuary, Anglesey. Lingering rarities included Black-winged Pratincole in Norfolk, Squacco Heron in Cambridgeshire, Great Reed Warbler and Lesser Scaup on Shetland, Pallid Swift in Merseyside, Black Duck in Cornwall and Red-breasted Goose in Aberdeenshire. Scarcity highlights included a male Common Rosefinch in Gloucestershire, Red-backed Shrikes on Isles of Scilly and Isle of Man and Icterine Warbler on Orkney. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Monday 1st June 2009 | ||
|
||
| The highlight of the day was the first Black Stork of the year, seen in flight near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. Other brief encounters included a
Bee-eater in Suffolk, single Great White Egrets in both Dorset and Hampshire and
Black Kites in Cornwall, Devon and West Sussex. A Subalpine Warbler was found on Unst, Shetland Isles and in the evening a
White-winged Black Tern was discovered at Blanket Nook, County Donegal. Lingering rarities comprised the Black-winged Pratincole and Great Reed Warbler both still in Norfolk, Squacco Heron in Cambridgeshire, Black Duck in Cornwall, Great Reed Warbler on the Shetland Isles and the elusive Gull-billed Tern still in Devon. Scarce landbirds were represented by two each of migrant Golden Orioles, Icterine Warbler and Marsh Warblers and single Bluethroat (Argyll), Serin (Dorset), Hoopoe (Buckinghamshire) and Red-backed Shrike (Isles of Scilly). |
||
| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Sunday 31st May 2009 | ||
|
||
| The highlight of day was the discovery of a Black-winged Pratincole near Holme, Norfolk, although unfortunately is disappeared before it’s true identity was confirmed. Elsewhere, a singing male
Iberian Chiffchaff was found on South Uist, Western Isles and brief encounters included a
Red-footed Falcon in Kent, Alpine Swift in Clyde, single Red-rumped Swallows in both County Cork and Norfolk,
Black Kites in Hampshire and Suffolk and Bee-eaters in Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire. Lingering rarities included the Forster's Tern still in County Wexford, Squacco Heron in Cambridgeshire and Great White Egret in Norfolk, whilst in Devon the Gull-billed Tern showed again briefly at the Clyst Estuary. On the Shetland Isles a River Warbler joined the Great Reed Warbler on Fair Isle, a Great Reed Warbler remained on Out Skerries and other birds around the archipelago included a Lesser Scaup, four Marsh Warblers and a Bluethroat. Scarcities elsewhere included four migrant Golden Orioles, three Icterine Warblers and three Marsh Warblers, two each of Purple Heron, Serin, Bluethroat and Red-backed Shrike and single Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall), Common Rosefinch (Gloucestershire), American Wigeon (Lancashire), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire) and Grey-headed Wagtail (Orkney Isles). |
||
| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Saturday 30th May 2009 | ||
|
||
| The highlight of the day was a Stilt Sandpiper seen briefly at Grove Ferry, Kent. Other brief encounters included an
Alpine Swift on the Western Isles, Red-footed Falcon in Northumberland and a
Great White Egret in Norfolk. A Bee-eater lingered on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly. Lingering rarities included the Squacco Heron still in Cambridgeshire, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Savi's Warbler in Essex, Bee-eater in Cornwall and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. On the Shetland Isles there were two Great Reed Warblers, a Lesser Scaup, Icterine Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Common Crane, Honey Buzzard and two Golden Orioles. Scarcities elsewhere comprised four Purple Herons, two each of both Common Rosefinch and Surf Scoter and singles of Short-toed Lark (Norfolk), Melodious Warbler (Cornwall), American Wigeon (Lancashire), Red-necked Phalarope (Leicestershire), Grey-headed Wagtail (Berkshire), Ring-necked Duck and Green-winged Teal (both Western Isles). Significant negative news concerned the disappearance of the pratincole from Pagham Harbour, West Sussex. Present on 28th and 29th May and identified in the field as a Collared Pratincole, photographs show that the bird was actually an Oriental Pratincole - only Britain's sixth record - although probably actually only the fourth individual - and the first since a mobile bird visited Norfolk, East Sussex and Suffolk in 1993 (with others in Suffolk in 1981 and Kent in 1988). |
||
| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Friday 29th May 2009 | ||
|
||
| A Great Knot was discovered on Breydon Water, Norfolk late afternoon,
and was present until dusk. Although fairly close when first found, the bird
soon flew out to the middle of the estuary and remained very distant, and
possibly unidentifiable, for the rest of the evening, leading some to question
the identification.
Three Bee-eaters were found, one in Cornwall, one in Kent and one on Orkney. Lingering rarities included Collared Pratincole in Sussex, Squacco Heron in Cambridgeshire, Savi's Warbler in Essex, Whiskered Tern in Yorkshire and Great Reed Warbler on Shetland. The Western Sandpiper or Semipalmated Sandpiper was again present on the beach at Dawlish Warren NNR, Devon. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Thursday 28th May 2009 | ||
|
||
| A Great Reed Warbler on Out Skerries (Shetland) and a probable
Collared Pratincole at Pagham Harbour (West Sussex) were today's new
rarities.
Lingering rarities included the Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper in Devon, Squacco Heron in Cambridgeshire, Subalpine Warbler and Wood Duck on Shetland, Whiskered Tern in West Yorkshire, Cattle Egret in Northamptonshire and Great White Egret in Cleveland. Scarcities came in the form of a probable Short-toed Lark on Isles of Scilly, Red-backed Shrikes in Kent and Suffolk, Woodchat Shrike and Spotted Crake in Dorset and two Icterine Warblers on Shetland, as well as four migrant Honey Buzzards, three Red-necked Phalaropes and two Golden Orioles. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Wednesday 27th May 2009 | ||
|
||
| East Yorkshire provided the best of today's new birds, in the form of a brief
Great Reed Warbler at Patrington Haven and a Bee-eater at Spurn,
then later at Easington. In Kent a couple of Black Kites flew over
Sandwich Bay and a Great White Egret visited Swale NNR. In
Northamptonshire a Cattle Egret arrived at Summer Leys NR.
In Cambridgeshire the Squacco Heron remained at Wicken Fen NT and in Devon the Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper lingered at Dawlish Warren NNR. Other lingering rarities included Pallid Swift in Merseyside, Laughing Gull, Lesser Scaup and Wood Duck in Shetland, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Whiskered Tern in West Yorkshire. Scarcities included a Red-necked Phalarope in Staffordshire, American Wigeon in Perth & Kinross, Spotted Crake in Dorset and Ring-necked Duck on Western Isles. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||