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| Tuesday 4th August 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a brief White-winged Black Tern at Frieston Shore, Lincolnshire this evening. Lingering rarities comprised the Great Spotted Cuckoo still in Norfolk, Marsh Sandpiper on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian and two Cattle Egrets and a Great White Egret in Somerset. Scarcities included a Spotted Crake in Hampshire and single Pectoral Sandpipers in each of Cleveland, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Northumberland. Seawatchers recorded single Cory's Shearwaters from County Galway and Cornwall and Balearic Shearwaters off County Cork (4), Cornwall (11) and Dorset (9). |
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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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| Monday 3rd August 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Great Spotted Cuckoo
in Norfolk, Marsh Sandpiper on the Isle of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian,
White-rumped Sandpiper in Angus, Ferruginous Duck in Fife and Great White Egret
in Somerset. Seawatching reports included - for the second day running - a possible Yelkouan Shearwater passing Porthgwarra, Cornwall with a belated report that the Black-browed Albatross had been seen offshore from there again yesterday. Of the more expected seabirds, single Cory's Shearwaters were seen from Cornwall and County Cork, a Great Shearwater passed County Cork and Balearic Shearwaters were seen from Cornwall (15), County Waterford, County Wicklow and Dorset (2). On land, scarcities included the Melodious Warbler still in Dorset, Great Grey Shrike in Cumbria, Ring-billed Gull in County Dublin and single Pectoral Sandpipers in Aberdeenshire, Cleveland, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 2nd August 2009 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the first Fea's Petrel of the year; passing Galley Head, County Cork late in the afternoon. Other brief encounters included a
Caspian Tern in Gloucestershire and a Black Kite in Northamptonshire, whilst in Lincolnshire a
Whiskered Tern showed well at Fiskerton Fen in the evening. Lingering rarities confirmed as present today comprised the Great Spotted Cuckoo, Pacific Golden Plover and White-rumped Sandpiper all still in Norfolk, Marsh Sandpiper on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, White-rumped Sandpiper in Angus, Ferruginous Duck in Fife, two Cattle Egrets together in Somerset and single Great White Egrets in Kent, Somerset and Suffolk. Scarcities included two each of Icterine Warbler, Spotted Crake and Surf Scoter and singles of Melodious Warbler, Hoopoe, Ring-necked Duck, Pectoral Sandpiper, Great Grey Shrike and Ring-billed Gull. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 1st August 2009 | ||
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| The day was dominated by an unprecedented influx of Wilson's Petrels with 27 passing the Bridges of Ross, County Clare, a further 15 off Brandon Point County Kerry, two off Porthgwarra, Cornwall and one passing Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire. Pelagic trips recorded a further nine off the Isles of Scilly and two off St Ives, Cornwall, making a day total of 56 birds: contrasting starkly with the combined total of eighteen bird days throughout June and July 2009. Elsewhere, in Norfolk the Great Spotted Cuckoo was relocated at Weybourne and both the Pacific Golden Plover and White-rumped Sandpiper remained in situ, the Marsh Sandpiper was still on the Isles of Scilly, the Lesser Yellowlegs continued to show in Lothian as did both a Great White Egret and Cattle Egrets (2) in Somerset, and single Ferruginous Ducks were in both Cambridgeshire and Fife. Scarcities included a Purple Heron in London, Ring-necked Duck in Fife, Great Grey Shrike in Cumbria, seven Sabine's Gulls passing County Clare and single Pectoral Sandpipers in Aberdeenshire, Cleveland and Norfolk. Balearic Shearwaters totaled 31 in seven counties (including 24 in Cornwall), Black Terns totaled 45 in ten counties (including 13 in Leicestershire) and Curlew Sandpipers totaled 54 in four counties (including 48 in Hampshire). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 31st July 2009 | ||
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| A White-rumped Sandpiper arrived at Welney WWT (Norfolk) this morning,
where it showed into the evening. Lingering waders included a Marsh Sandpiper
on Isles of Scilly and Pacific Golden Plover in Norfolk. The
Ferruginous Duck was still in Fife, Cattle Egrets remained in
Somerset and Berkshire, the Lesser Yellowlegs was seen again at Aberlady
Bay (Lothian) and Great White Egrets lingered in Somerset and Suffolk.
A Wilson's Petrel was observed from a Scilly pelagic this evening, a Sabine's Gull was logged past Flamborough Head (East Yorkshire), a Serin appeared at Keyhaven (Hampshire) and a Pectoral Sandpiper remained in Aberdeenshire. In Cumbria the surprise news of the day related to the confirmation that a Great Grey Shrike last reported on 14th April was still present at Alston Moor. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 30th July 2009 | ||
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| New rarities included a Whiskered Tern in Derbyshire and Lesser
Yellowlegs in Norfolk, but neither lingered. Cattle Egrets arrived in
Somerset (3) and Berkshire.
Elsewhere the Marsh Sandpiper remained on Isles of Scilly, the Pacific Golden Plover was still in Norfolk and Lesser Yellowlegs remained in East Yorkshire and Lothian. A Pacific or American Golden Plover flew over Tacumshin (Co Wexford) and in Fife both the Ferruginous Duck and Ring-necked Duck were again logged at Lochgelly Loch. Pectoral Sandpipers were recorded in Aberdeenshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 29th July 2009 | ||
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| The second Marsh Sandpiper for the Isles of Scilly was discovered this
evening, and continued to show well at Porth Hellick until dusk. In County
Louth, a Gull-billed Tern was seen off Cooley Point early evening, and two
Wilson's Petrels flew past the Bridges of Ross, County Clare.
Lingering rarities included the Pacific Golden Plover at Breydon Water, Norfolk, whilst either a Pacific or American Golden Plover flew south past Southwold, Suffolk, this evening. In Scotland, the Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Lothian, and both the Ferruginous Duck and Ring-necked Duck were still in Fife. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 28th July 2009 | ||
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| Lingering rarities included the adult Pacific Golden Plover at Breydon
Water, Norfolk, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in Lothian and Yorkshire,
Franklin's Gull on Orkney, Great White Egret in Somerset and
Ferruginous Duck in Fife, where it was joined by a Ring-necked Duck.
On the Isles of Scilly, the probable Black-browed Albatross was seen, once again distantly off St Martin's, but a pelagic a couple of hours later in the area failed to find the troublesome bird. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 27th July 2009 | ||
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| A Lesser Grey Shrike on Mainland Shetland was today's best new
discovery and Pacific Golden Plover in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs
in Lothian and East Yorkshire and Ferruginous Duck in Fife all lingered.
A possible Black-browed Albatross and a possible Scopoli's Shearwaters were both seen off the Isle of Scilly, where two Wilson's Petrels were also logged from a pelagic. Great White Egrets remained in Suffolk and Somerset, a Pectoral Sandpiper visited Manby, Lincolnshire and in East Yorkshire a Cory's Shearwater was tracked north past Spurn and Grimston. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 26th July 2009 | ||
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| Two untwitchable Mega-rarities provided today's headlines - an immature
Black-browed Albatross past Porthgwarra (Cornwall) and a flyby Fan-tailed
Warbler at Whitstable (Kent).
Elsewhere the golden plover sp at Breydon Water (Norfolk) was reidentified as a Pacific Golden Plover and in Fife a Ferruginous Duck appeared at Lochgelly Loch. In East Yorkshire the Lesser Yellowlegs made another appearance at Paull Holme Strays whilst in Lothian another Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Aberlady Bay. Great White Egrets lingered in Somerset and Suffolk and Pectoral Sandpipers were logged in Lothian and Cleveland. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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