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| Thursday 26th May 2011 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Least Sandpiper at Old Moor, South Yorkshire. After being identified late in the afternoon, it remained until dusk and constituted the third record for Yorkshire (following singles in July 1991 and October 1999) and the third to be discovered in spring the British Isles; the others being in Hampshire in May 1977 and Staffordshire/Warwickshire in 2002. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Eastern Subalpine Warbler in the Shetland Isles, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Devon and Gwynedd, Red-footed Falcon in Somerset, Savi's Warbler in Dorset, and American Golden Plover in County Wexford. The best of the rest included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Northumberland), Icterine Warbler (Fife, Orkney Isles and Shetland Isles), Common Rosefinch (Orkney and Shetland), Red-backed Shrike (Orkney and Shetland), Hoopoe (Gwent), Night Heron (Warwickshire), Purple Heron (Lincolnshire and Suffolk), White-tailed Eagle (Lincolnshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire and Orkney) and Great White Egret (County Sligo). |
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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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| Wednesday 25th May 2011 | ||
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| In County Kerry, a first summer American Herring Gull was seen at
Tralee Valley Park, whilst in Dorset a Bee-eater was on Portland. An
Ortolan Bunting was reported from Cley, Norfolk.
Lingering rarities included the Trumpeter Finch in Devon, Savi's Warbler in Dorset, Red-footed Falcon in Somerset, Bonaparte's Gull in Gwynedd and Tawny Pipit in Yorkshire. Headline scarcities included a Common Rosefinch, Golden Oriole, Night Heron, Purple Heron, Red-necked Phalarope, Surf Scoter and three White Storks. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 24th May 2011 | ||
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| Highlight of the day would have been the first-winter Ross's Gull at
Port Carlisle, Cumbria if it had lingered, with just three Little Gulls being
present a few minutes after the sighting. In Kent, a female Red-footed Falcon
was seen at Stodmarsh NNR early morning only.
Lingering rarities included the surprise re-appearance of the juvenile Northern Harrier at Tacumshin, County Wexford, where it was again present with an American Golden Plover, a White-billed Diver and a Night Heron. The Trumpeter Finch remained in Devon, as did the Savi's Warbler in Dorset, Red-footed Falcon in Somerset, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Gwynedd and Devon, Tawny Pipit in Yorkshire and Red-rumped Swallow in Isles of Scilly. Scarcity highlights included a Common Rosefinch, White-spotted Bluethroat, Serin, Woodchat Shrike, Spotted Crake, Purple Heron, two Night Herons, two Pectoral Sandpipers and three Red-necked Phalaropes in England (with two others in Western Isles). Sea-watching was, once again, excellent in north-west Scotland, with over a thousand Long-tailed Skuas seen, as well as good numbers of Pomarine Skuas and a few Leach's Petrels and Sabine's Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 23rd May 2011 | ||
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| A Pallid Swift at Bexhill (East Sussex) and Bonaparte's Gulls
at Cley/Satlhouse (Norfolk) and Porthmadog (Gwynedd) were today's headline discoveries.
Lingering rarities included Trumpeter Finch on Lundy (Devon), Red-rumped Swallow on Isles of Scilly, Red-footed Falcon at Walton Head (Somerset), Rustic Bunting and Eastern Subalpine Warbler on Fair Isle (Shetland), Savi's Warbler at Lodmoor RSPB (Dorset) and Tawny Pipit at Easington (East Yorkshire). Scarcities included Common Rosefinches in Norfolk and Argyll, Pectoral Sandpiper in Worcestershire, Purple Herons in Suffolk and Kent, Woodchat Shrike in Gwynedd and Night Heron in Warwickshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 22nd May 2011 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Pallid Swift present for a brief period over Graham Water, Cambridgeshire. Elsewhere, other brief encounters included a
Bonaparte's Gull in Norfolk, Black Stork in Glamorgan, Black Kites in both the Orkney Isles and Cornwall, and a
Red-rumped Swallow in Kent. A Red-footed Falcon showed well in the evening at Ham Wall, Somerset. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Rustic Bunting in North Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Devon and the Western Isles, Savi's Warbler in Dorset, Red-rumped Swallow on the Isles of Scilly and Tawny Pipit in East Yorkshire. Scarcities included Common Rosefinch (Argyll), Woodchat Shrike (Gwynedd), Night Heron (Warwickshire), Purple Heron (East Yorkshire and Suffolk), Golden Oriole (Cambridgeshire and the Isles of Scilly), Surf Scoter (Lothian) and Ring-necked Duck (Perth and Kinross and Somerset). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 21st May 2011 | ||
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| A male Rustic Bunting at Filey, Yorkshire was probably the highlight
of the day, with another on Fair Isle, one at Skaw, Unst and late news also of
one yesterday at Esha Ness, all Shetland. A Red-footed Falcon was watched
at Coverack, Cornwall for an hour, and there was a report of a Black-browed
Albatross in Ayrshire.
Lingering rarities included Trumpeter Finch in Devon, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, House Crow in County Cork, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Tawny Pipit in Yorkshire, Savi's Warbler in Dorset, Red-rumped Swallow in Isles of Scilly, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Devon and Cornwall and the Black Stork reappeared in Northamptonshire. Scarcity highlights included a White-spotted Bluethroat in Kent, Night Heron in Warwickshire, Purple Heron in Suffolk, White-tailed Eagle in Lincolnshire, Pectoral Sandpiper in Yorkshire, Buff-breasted Sandpiper in County Wexford, Red-necked Phalarope in Norfolk, Kentish Plover in Kent and Woodchat Shrike in Gwynedd. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 20th May 2011 | ||
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| A Black-winged Stilt at Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset proved popular,
remaining until late morning. Further north, a Rustic Bunting was present
on Unst, Shetland, and a Lesser Yellowlegs was on South Uist, Western
Isles for its second day. A Red-rumped Swallow lingered on St Mary's,
Isles of Scilly, and a Black Kite flew over Sibton, Suffolk.
Other rarities confirmed as still present today included Trumpeter Finch in Devon, Broad-billed Sandpiper in Wirral, Savi's Warbler in Dorset, Eastern Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, Tawny Pipit in Yorkshire, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Cornwall, Aberdeenshire and Western Isles and Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire. Scarcities included Short-toed Lark in Isles of Scilly, Night Heron in Warwickshire, Woodchat Shrike in Gwynedd, Corncrake in Anglesey, Surf Scoter in Lothian, White-spotted Bluethroat, two Shorelarks and a Red-necked Phalarope in Norfolk, Purple Heron in Suffolk and Buff-breasted Sandpiper in County Wexford. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 19th May 2011 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Balearic Woodchat Shrike identified on St Martin's, Isles of
Scilly; where it is present for a fifth day. Elsewhere, brief encounters included
single Red-footed Falcons in East Sussex, Kent and Somerset, Alpine Swift in Essex, and both
Black Kite and Bee-eater in Kent. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Trumpeter Finch in Devon, Broad-billed Sandpiper in Wirral, Eastern Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Cornwall and Devon, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Savi's Warbler on Dorset, and both Red-rumped Swallow and Tawny Pipit in East Yorkshire. Scarcities included Short-toed Lark (Isles of Scilly), Purple Heron (County Antrim), Woodchat Shrikes (Kent and Pembrokeshire), Night Herons (Gloucestershire and Warwickshire), American Wigeon (Western Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Norfolk) and White-tailed Eagle (East Yorkshire). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 18th May 2011 | ||
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| New discoveries included a flyover Little Bittern on St Martin's
(Isles of Scilly) and Gull-billed Tern over Kelling Water Meadows
(Norfolk) before it relocated to Titchwell RSPB, then later Thornham. Red-rumped Swallows were
seen at Seaforth LWT (Merseyside) and Sandwich Bay (Kent) and a Lesser Scaup
was at Cuckney Dam (Nottinghamshire) for its second day. A Red-throated Pipit
was reported on a lawn in Low Hauxley (Northumberland).
The Savi's Warbler (Dorset), Bonaparte's Gulls (Cornwall and Devon), Broad-billed Sandpiper (Wirral), Eastern Subalpine Warbler (Shetland) and Trumpeter Finch (Devon) all lingered. The best of the rest included Night Heron in Warwickshire, Woodchat Shrikes in Pembrokeshire and on Isles of Scilly, Short-toed Lark on Isles of Scilly and Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Cheshire. In Ireland a Black Kite was at Lough Boora Parklands (Co Offaly), whilst the White-billed Diver lingered off Tacumshin (Co Wexford). Late news from yesterday related to a Franklin's Gull in Clashnessie Bay (Highland). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 17th May 2011 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Snowy Owl discovered in the Orkney Isles, on Mull Head, Deerness. Elsewhere, a
Gull-billed Tern was seen during the morning at Stanpit Marsh, Dorset, as was a
Citrine Wagtail on Anglesey at Cemlyn. A Bee-eater lingered
between Easington and Spurn, East Yorkshire, whilst brief encounters included Black Kite and
Red-rumped Swallow; both in Kent. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Trumpeter Finch in Devon, the elusive Great Snipe and Lesser Yellowlegs together in Norfolk, Broad-billed Sandpiper in Wirral, single Bonaparte's Gulls in both Cornwall and Devon, territorial Savi's Warbler in Dorset, Tawny Pipit in East Yorkshire, House Crow in County Cork, and American Golden Plover in County Wexford. The best of the rest comprised Night Heron (Warwickshire), Short-toed Lark (Isles of Scilly), Purple Heron (County Antrim), Red-necked Phalarope (Norfolk), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Cheshire and County Wexford (2)), Woodchat Shrike (Kent and Pembrokeshire), Ring-necked Duck (County Armagh and Kent), and Pectoral Sandpiper (Aberdeenshire and Suffolk). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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