 |
|
|
| Wednesday 30th May 2012 | ||
|
||
| Yesterday's Western Orphean Warbler had disappeared, but a fine selection of
new rarities were discovered, including a Thrush Nightingale in Fife,
Bonaparte's Gull on Shetland, Black-winged Stilt in West Yorkshire,
Red-footed Falcons in Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex, Gull-billed Tern in
South Yorkshire, Greenish Warbler in Co Cork, Great Reed Warbler
and Red-rumped Swallow in Norfolk, Bee-eater in Gwynedd, two
Subalpine Warblers in Devon and Squacco Heron in Kent.
Rarities confirmed as still being present were the Baillon's Crake in Anglesey, Forster's Tern and Red-footed Falcon in Co Wexford, Black-headed Bunting on Shetland, Iberian Chiffchaff in Cornwall and Great Reed Warbler in Somerset. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, 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.
|
|
|
| Tuesday 29th May 2012 | ||
|
||
| Britain's sixth Orphean Warbler was trapped and ringed at Hartlepool
Headland, Cleveland this morning, in the same net that produced last year's
White-throated Robin. It was released at the bowling green on the headland and
it remained on show throughout the day, making it the first twitchable Orphean
in Britain since the famous Isles of Scilly bird in 1981. The bird is believed
to be of the form hortensis, Western Orphean Warbler; only one of the
five previous British records have been positively assigned to form - a bird
trapped at Portland in 1955 was also identified as a Western.
New discoveries came thick and fast, including Roller, Red-footed Falcon and Savi's Warbler in East Yorkshire, Black-headed Bunting on Shetland, Collared Flycatcher in Co Donegal, Black Kites in Kent and Norfolk, Black-winged Stilt in Co Durham and Bee-eaters in Isles of Scilly and Cumbria. Lingering rarities comprised Red-footed Falcons in Co Wexford and Suffolk, two Bonaparte's Gulls in London, Iberian Chiffchaff in Cornwall, Black-winged Stilts in Hampshire and Devon, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and Great Reed Warbler in Somerset. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Monday 28th May 2012 | ||
|
||
| Island discoveries today included a Black-headed Bunting on Bryher,
Isles of Scilly, a Broad-billed Sandpiper on South Uist, Western Isles,
an Eastern Subalpine Warbler on Tiree, Argyll and a White-billed Diver
off Sumburgh, Shetland. Mainland birds were headlined by an Iberian
Chiffchaff in Cornwall, a Pallid Harrier in Northamptonshire, a
Black-winged Stilt in Cumbria, a Tawny Pipit in Kent and a
Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk. A Black Kite, a Glossy Ibis and
seven Bee-eaters rounded off the new rarities.
Long staying rarities included the Forster's Tern and Red-footed Falcon, Black-winged Stilt in Devon, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and three Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Sunday 27th May 2012 | ||
|
||
| The highlight of the day was the arrival of single Black-winged Stilts in Devon
by the Exe Estuary, and Hampshire at Pennington Marshes, the latter bird joining a Glossy Ibis on site. All other new rarities were but brief
encounters: Caspian Tern in Aberdeenshire, Bee-eaters on Anglesey and in East Sussex (2). Lingering rarities comprised the territorial Baillon's Crake still on Anglesey, Greater Yellowlegs in Aberdeenshire, Rustic Bunting on Shetland Isles, Great Reed Warbler in Somerset, Red-footed Falcon in County Wexford, and Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire (3), County Wexford (2) and West Sussex. In London the Bonaparte's Gull remained on the River Thames at Thamesmead, with a different Bonaparte's Gull present there yesterday. Scarcities included 15 Temminck's Stints, nine Red-backed Shrikes, five Golden Orioles, four Marsh Warblers, three Common Rosefinches, two Pectoral Sandpipers, Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Western Isles), White-winged Black Tern (Cleveland), Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall), Rose-coloured Starling (East Sussex), Short-toed Lark and Red-spotted Bluethroat (both Northumberland). |
||
| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Saturday 26th May 2012 | ||
|
||
| Black Kites and Bee-eaters were the most prominent species'
today, with the former seen in Cornwall (2), Dorset, Hertfordshire, Gwynedd,
Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria, and the latter seen and/or heard in Cornwall
(2), Sussex, Berkshire, Essex (6), Norfolk (9) and Cleveland. Other new arrivals
included a Rustic Bunting at Scousburgh and a Subalpine Warbler
on Fair Isle, both Shetland, single Greenish Warblers at Landguard NR,
Suffolk and Northward Hill RSPB, Kent and a Red-rumped Swallow on The
Mullet, County Mayo.
The Baillon's Crake was heard again in Anglesey, with other lingering rarities including Greater Yellowlegs in Aberdeenshire, Great Reed Warbler in Somerset, Bonaparte's Gull in London, Forster's Tern, Red-footed Falcon and two Glossy Ibises in County Wexford, Black-winged Stilt in Dorset and three other Glossy Ibises in Sussex. Scarcity highlights involved two White-winged Black Terns in Kent, also two Red-breasted Flycatchers, two Common Rosefinches, nine Red-backed Shrikes, six Golden Orioles, two Icterine Warblers and five Marsh Warblers. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Friday 25th May 2012 | ||
|
||
| A Greenish Warbler at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire was the most unusual
rarity today, with more classic Spring vagrants including a new Thrush
Nightingale on Fair Isle, Shetland, a Black Stork in Buckinghamshire,
a Black Kite and six Bee-eaters in Norfolk (with another of the
former in Dorset), a Red-footed Falcon in County Wexford and two
Red-rumped Swallows on Unst, Shetland. A Black-winged Stilt was seen
in Gwent and two Glossy Ibises were in Sussex.
The Baillon's Crake remained in Anglesey, as did the Greater Yellowlegs in Aberdeenshire, Great Reed Warbler in Somerset, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cleveland, Rustic Bunting in Shetland, two Black-winged Stilts in Dorset and Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire (two) and County Wexford (three). |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Thursday 24th May 2012 | ||
|
||
| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Long-billed Dowitcher at Saltholme, Cleveland. Elsewhere, new rarities comprised
Black-winged Stilts in Cambridgeshire at Paxton Pits, Devon at Lower Yelland, and Dorset at both Abbotsbury and Weymouth,
Rustic Bunting on the Shetland Isles at Sumburgh Head, Red-rumped Swallow on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, and
Glossy Ibises in East Sussex at Rodmell, and County Wexford at Tacumshin (2). Brief encounters included a
Black Kite in Devon, Red-footed Falcon in County Cork, and Bee-eaters in Kent (3) and Lincolnshire. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the territorial Baillon's Crake on Anglesey, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in London, Great Reed Warblers in both Dorset and Somerset, and two Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire. Scarcities included nine Golden Orioles, four White Storks (together in Somerset), four Temminck's Stints, three Marsh Warblers, two each of both Common Rosefinch and Red-necked Phalarope, and single Short-toed Lark (Isles of Scilly), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Fife), Icterine Warbler (Dorset), Woodchat Shrike (Isles of Scilly), Red-backed Shrike (Orkney Isles) and Rough-legged Buzzard (Kent). |
||
| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Wednesday 23rd May 2012 | ||
|
||
| Hot news this evening related to a singing male Baillon's Crake
present at Malltraeth Marsh RSPB (Anglesey) for its second day.
In Herefordshire the Cream-coloured Courser lingered until late morning when it departed Bradnor Hill in a south-westerly direction. Elsewhere lingering rarities included Great Reed Warblers in Somerset and Dorset, Red-rumped Swallow and Forster's Tern in Co Wexford, Snowy Owl on Western Isles and Bonaparte's Gull in London. A Red-footed Falcon in Cambridgeshire and Black Kite in Norfolk were both flyover records. The best of the rest included Woodchat Shrike in Dorset, Red-breasted Flycatcher in Aberdeenshire, Night Heron in West Sussex, Bluethroats in Lincolnshire and Northumberland, Marsh Warbler in Suffolk, Purple Heron in Hertfordshire, Short-toed Lark on Isles of Scilly and Hoopoes in Borders and Devon. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Tuesday 22nd May 2012 | ||
|
||
| A singing Great Reed Warbler was discovered at Radipole Lake RSPB,
Dorset, a female Subalpine Warbler was at Virkie, Shetland (with a
Red-rumped Swallow nearby on Fair Isle), a Black-winged Stilt flew
north over Barleycraft GP, Cambridgeshire, a Red-footed Falcon lingered
over Sleaford, Lincolnshire, an American Golden Plover was at Ballycotton,
County Cork and a Glossy Ibis was seen at Moore NR, Cheshire.
Lingering rarity highlights included the Cream-coloured Courser in Herefordshire, Greater Yellowlegs in Aberdeenshire, Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, Great Reed Warbler in Somerset, Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Red-footed Falcon in Buckinghamshire, Bee-eater in Kent, Red-rumped Swallow in County Wexford, Bonaparte's Gull in London, Snowy Owl in the Western Isles, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde and two Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire. |
||
| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
|
||
|
|
|
| Monday 21st May 2012 | ||
|
||
| The Cream-coloured Courser lingered in Herefordshire throughout the
day.
New discoveries comprised Rustic Bunting in North Yorkshire, Subalpine Warbler on Shetland, Red-footed Falcon in Buckinghamshire, Bee-eaters in Kent (6), Co Waterford and Devon and Black Kite in Devon. Lingering rarities included Savi's Warblers in Norfolk and Hertfordshire, Bee-eater in Norfolk, Great Reed Warbler in Somerset, White-rumped Sandpiper on Holy Island, Greater Yellowlegs and King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Red-rumped Swallow and Forster's Tern in Co Wexford, Bonaparte's Gull in London, Thrush Nightingale on Shetland and Blue-winged Teal in Clyde. Glossy Ibises were seen in Devon (2) and Pembrokeshire (4). The best of the rest included Short-toed Lark on Shetland and Isles of Scilly, Woodchat Shrike in Hampshire, Serin in Suffolk, Icterine Warblers in East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Northumberland and Norfolk, Bluethroats in Northumberland (3) and Co Donegal, Red-backed Shrike in Northumberland, Red-breasted Flycatchers in Norfolk and Shetland, Common Rosefinch in Norfolk and Night Heron in Devon. |
||
| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
|
||