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| Saturday 18th August 2012 | ||
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| New discoveries included three Aquatic Warblers trapped in Dorset, a
Booted Warbler on Mainland Shetland, a Greenish Warbler on Out
Skerries (Shetland) and an Ortolan Bunting at Spurn (East Yorkshire).
In Ireland two Fea's Petrels were logged off Carnsore Point (Co Wexford) and a White-rumped Sandpiper arrived on the Bann Estuary (Co Derry). The Snowy Owl lingered in Co Donegal and the long-staying Glossy Ibis remained in Co Wexford. Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised Alpine Swifts in Lothian and Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire and Bonaparte's Gull in Co Durham. The best of the rest included at least five Barred Warblers, four Red-backed Shrikes, three Spotted Crakes, two Icterine Warblers and Wryneck (Orkney), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Northumberland), Woodchat Shrike (Dorset) and Pectoral Sandpiper (Lincolnshire). A warbler sp at Kilminning (Fife) which had initially been identified as a Melodious then Icterine on Thursday, before again being renamed as an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler this morning, was finally reidentified from photographs as a Chiffchaff. |
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| - Stuart Piner, 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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| Friday 17th August 2012 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today included a Citrine Wagtail on Unst,
Shetland, single Alpine Swifts in Cornwall (Newquay) and Lothian (Corstorphine)
and Wilson's Petrels in County Clare and County Kerry (3).
Lingering rarities seen today included the Snowy Owl in County Donegal, Bonaparte's Gull in County Durham, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Baird's Sandpiper in County Kerry, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, and Glossy Ibis in County Cork. Scarcity highlights included a Dotterel, a Common Rosefinch, five Barred Warblers, two Icterine Warblers, two Wrynecks, three Red-backed Shrikes, a Red-necked Phalarope and a Night Heron. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 16th August 2012 | ||
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| The second Franklin's Gull for County Meath was seen briefly today, at
the same site as the first back in 1999. The first Booted Warbler of the
year was found on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, whilst the presumed returning
Bonaparte's Gull reappeared at Whitburn Steel, County Durham this evening. A
Baird's Sandpiper was in County Kerry at Ballinrannig.
Lingering rarities included just the Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. Scarcity highlights included five Barred Warblers, three Icterine Warblers, three Red-backed Shrikes, two Wrynecks, a Hoopoe, a Spotted Crake, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Grey Phalarope, a Glaucous Gull, four White Storks, a Night Heron and two Ring-billed Gulls. Seabirds included four Great Shearwaters, 10 Cory's Shearwaters, two Long-tailed Skuas, seven Pomarine Skuas and a Sabine's Gull. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 15th August 2012 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Black-winged Stilt watched flying over Pett Level, East
Sussex. Whilst at Cley, Norfolk a Baltic Gull was identified in the evening, although unfortunately it did not bear a
ring to confirm the identification. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Greenish Warbler still on the Orkney Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire. Scarcities included five Barred Warblers, three Wrynecks, two each of both Icterine Warbler and Pectoral Sandpiper, Purple Heron (Norfolk), Red-backed Shrike (Orkney Isles), Spotted Crake (Cornwall), Long-tailed Skua (Norfolk), Sabine's Gull (Cornwall), Ring-billed Gull (County Down), Caspian Gull (Buckinghamshire) and Great White Egret (Kent), whilst totals of commoner migrants included 178 Black Terns, 61 Curlew Sandpipers, 52 Garganey, 26 Pied Flycatchers, 22 Wood Sandpipers and 20 Little Stints. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 14th August 2012 | ||
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| New discoveries included a Marsh Sandpiper at Hickling Broad NWT
(Norfolk), Greenish Warbler on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) and two
Citrine Wagtails on Fair Isle (Shetland).
A Citrine Wagtail on Orkney, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire and Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire, Co Cork and West Sussex were also logged. The best of the rest included Melodious Warbler (Isles of Scilly), Red-backed Shrike (Orkney), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), Pectoral Sandpiper (Merseyside), Night Heron (Hampshire), twelve Barred Warblers, two Spotted Crakes and two Wrynecks. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 13th August 2012 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Least Sandpiper in County Kerry at Carrahane Strand. Elsewhere, rarities
comprised the Black-headed Bunting still on the Orkney Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire,
White-rumped Sandpiper in East Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, and
single Glossy Ibises in both Pembrokeshire and Suffolk. Scarcities included six Long-tailed Skuas (including a juvenile in West Yorkshire), four White Storks (together in Somerset), three each of both Icterine Warbler and Caspian Gull, Night Heron (Hampshire), Barred Warbler (Orkney Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (Merseyside), and Great White Egret (Worcestershire), whilst totals of passage migrants included 183 Black Terns, 61 Pied Flycatchers, 24 Curlew Sandpipers and 14 Wood Sandpipers. Significant late news concerned an Eleonora's Falcon present on 11th August at Porthgwarra, Cornwall. News of this first-summer dark morph - hunting over the cliffs there during the afternoon - was only broadcast today. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 12th August 2012 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of single Aquatic Warblers in
both Cornwall at Marazion, and in Dorset at Portland Bill. Elsewhere, a Citrine Wagtail
joined the lingering Black-headed Bunting on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles, with associated arrivals
from the east including Icterine Warbler (East Yorkshire), Red-backed Shrike (Norfolk), and
Barred Warblers (Angus, Suffolk and Shetland Isles). Rarities elsewhere included a brief Pallid Harrier and two Wilson's Petrels in County Clare, Bonaparte'e Gull in Argyll, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, White-rumped Sandpiper in East Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, and Glossy Ibis in County Wexford. Scarcities included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (County Wexford), Pectoral Sandpiper (Kent and Merseyside), Temminck's Stint (Kent), Night Heron (Hampshire), Spotted Crake (Cornwall), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Long-tailed Skua (East Yorkshire), Sabine's Gull (County Clare), Ring-billed Gull (County Down), Caspian Gull (Cambridgeshire), White Stork (Somerset) and Great White Egret (Shropshire and Worcestershire). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 11th August 2012 | ||
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| In Yorkshire, a White-rumped Sandpiper was found at Spurn at Beacon
Ponds this afternoon. A Black Kite flew over Coventry in Warwickshire.
The male Black-headed Bunting continued it's stay on North Rondaldsay in the Orkney Islands and, in Argyll, the Bonaparte's Gull was again seen on the Add Estuary. Glossy Ibises were seen in County Wexford and Hampshire. Other long-staying rarities were the Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire and the Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk. A Rose-coloured Starling was found at Gulberwick on Mainland Shetland, with another bird reported at Urafirth. Marazion in Cornwall hosted a Spotted Crake and Pectoral Sandpipers were to be found in Kent and Merseyside |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Friday 10th August 2012 | ||
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| The first Aquatic Warbler of the year was discovered today at South
Milton Ley, Devon. This site, or nearby Thurlestone, has recorded seven Aquatic
Warblers since 2007, with only 2008 being a blank year. Late news from yesterday
involved at least two Black-winged Stilts in Somerset, on Wet Moor, but
they couldn't be located today.
Lingering rarities included the Black-headed Bunting on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Long-billed Dowitcher at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire, Ferruginous Duck at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk and Glossy Ibis at Tacumshin, County Wexford. Scarcities highlights were represented by a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Night Heron, a Golden Oriole and three Pectoral Sandpipers. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 9th August 2012 | ||
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| A Bee-eater heard over Castlemorris, Pembrokeshire was the only new
rarity reported today.
Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Northumberland (which remained until mid evening only), two Blue-winged Teals together in County Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire and Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk. Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Dorset, a Night Heron in Hampshire, Purple Heron in Cambridgeshire, Pectoral Sandpiper in Cornwall and a Surf Scoter in Aberdeenshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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