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| Sunday 16th December 2012 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the confiding American Buff-bellied Pipit in Berkshire at Queen Mother Reservoir. Elsewhere, rarities
noted comprised the Pacific Diver still in Cornwall, American Coot in County Galway,
Gyr on the Western Isles, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk,
Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Blue-winged Teal
and Richardson's Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Somerset,
Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Glossy Ibis in Hampshire, and a Black Kite reported in Hertfordshire. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Temminck's Stint (Somerset), Grey Phalarope (Bedfordshire), Americna Wigeon (Norfolk and West Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (County Waterford), Green-winged Teal (Lancashire), and Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall (2), Devon, Highland and Somerset). Waxwings were recorded across 47 counties between Highland, Lothian, Kent and the Isles of Scilly, including maximum site counts including 254 in East Yorkshire, 175 Leicestershire, 170 in Glamorgan, 160 in Staffordshire, 125 in Gloucestershire and 100 in Derbyshire. |
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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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| Saturday 15th December 2012 | ||
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| An Arctic Redpoll reported at Ramsley Reservoir, Derbyshire was
potentially the only rarity discovered today.
Popular rarities remaining for weekend birders included the American Buff-bellied Pipit at Queen Mother Reservoir, Berkshire and Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Aldeburgh, Suffolk, whilst others included the American Coot and Forster's Tern in County Galway, Penduline Tit in Cambridgeshire, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Dusky Warbler on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokshire, Blue-winged Teal in Dumfries and Galloway, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire and single Richardson's Canada Geese in County Sligo and Dumfries and Galloway. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 14th December 2012 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Berkshire at Queen Mother Reservoir. Elsewhere, lingering rarities confirmed as still present
today comprised the American Coot in County Galway, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll
in Suffolk, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Blue-winged Teal in Dumfries and Galloway,
Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire. Scarcities included American Wigeon (West Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (County Waterford), Green-winged Teal (Lancashire), Sabine's Gull and Ring-billed Gull (both County Cork). Waxwings were recorded across 32 counties between Highland, Angus, Devon and Kent, with maximum flocks included 102 in Gloucestershire, 94 in Shropshire, and 60 each in both Gwent and Kent. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 13th December 2012 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the identification of an American Buff-bellied Pipit in Berkshire at Queen Mother Reservoir. First glimpsed yesterday, the bird showed well today, and mirrored previous occurences of this species in Lincolnshire at Wyberton between 5th December 2005 and 29th January 2006, and at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire on 8th-10th October 2007. Elsewhere, new rarities found today were a Gyr on the Orkney Isles in Deerness, and an American Golden Plover at Burnfoot, County Donegal. Meanwhile, lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk, two Penduline Tits together in Cambridgeshire, Falcated Duck in Oxfordshire, Lesser Scaups in Cornwall, County Kerry and Somerset, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Glossy Ibis in Hampshire. Scarcities comprised Red-breasted Flycatcher (Cornwall), Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Surf Scoter (Suffolk), American Wigeon (West Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Devon, County Kerry and Norfolk), Ring-billed Gull (West Yorkshire), and Grey Phalarope (Bedfordshire and Dorset). Waxwings were recorded across 47 counties between Forth, Fife, Devon and Kent, with maximum flocks of 300 in Cumbria, 150 in Leicestershire, and 100 each in both Nottinghamshire and Shropshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 12th December 2012 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were both the American
Coot and Forster's Tern in County Galway, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk, Subalpine Warbler
and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Baird's Sandpiper in County Kerry,
Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Blue-winged Teal in Dumfries and Galloway, and
Lesser Scaup in Somerset. Scarcities included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Cornwall), Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), American Wigeon (Norfolk and West Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Devon), Ring-billed Gull (West Yorkshire), and Rough-legged Buzzard (Anglesey). Waxwings were reported from 53 counties between Highland, Angus, Kent and Devon, with flocks including 300 in Angus, 200 in West Yorkshire, and 100 each in Essex, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 11th December 2012 | ||
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| Today's headline rarities included a Gyr on North Uist (Western
Isles), Pacific Diver off Marazion and Subalpine Warbler at St
Just (Cornwall), Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Aldeburgh (Suffolk),
Falcated Duck at Farmoor Reservoir (Oxfordshire), Desert Wheatear at
Rattray Head (Aberdeenshire), Ferruginous Duck at Wimbleball Lake
(Somerset), Red-breasted Goose (Hampshire), Lesser Yellowlegs at Ernesettle Creek (Devon), Blue-winged
Teal at Lamb Island (Dumfries & Galloway) and Long-billed Dowitcher
at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire) and Alkborough Flats (Lincolnshire).
Elsewhere Red-breasted Flycatcher (Cornwall), Richardson's Canada Goose (Norfolk), Ring-necked Duck (Leicestershire), Ring-billed Gull (West Yorkshire), American Wigeon (West Yorkshire) and Temminck's Stint (Somerset) were all recorded. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 10th December 2012 | ||
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| Today's best new discovery was a Dusky Warbler on Isles of Scilly, whilst
lingering rarities included Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk, Falcated Duck
in Oxfordshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in Gloucestershire and Lincolnshire,
Pacific Diver and Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in
Lincolnshire, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and
Cornwall and Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Devon. In Essex four flyover
Glossy Ibises were
recorded and another Glossy Ibis lingered in Hampshire.
The best of the rest included White-tailed Eagle in Norfolk, Ring-necked Ducks in Cornwall and Norfolk and American Wigeon in West Yorkshire. A Franklin's Gull present at Lessingham (Norfolk) yesterday could not be found today. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 9th December 2012 | ||
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| Bird of the day goes to the superb Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at
Aldeburgh, Suffolk, which remained on the beach for a second day, and was often
too close to focus binoculars on.
New discoveries included a drake Falcated Duck on Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire, and the Blue-winged Teal reappeared on North Bull Island, County Dublin. Other lingering rarities included the Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in Dorset, Lesser Yellowlegs' in Lincolnshire and Devon, Long-billed Dowitchers in Lincolnshire and Gloucestershire, Lesser Scaup and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Lesser Scaup in County Clare, three Richardson's Canada Geese in County Sligo and Glossy Ibises in Hampshire and Pembrokeshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 8th December 2012 | ||
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| Highlight of the day should undoubtedly have been the Hornemann's Arctic
Redpoll at Blythburgh, Suffolk. It showed very well on the beach early
afternoon, but was unfortunately identified in the field as a Lapland Bunting,
before being re-identified after dark.
A Penduline Tit was also in Suffolk, at Minsmere RSPB. Further north, a King Eider was seen a couple of times off Filey Brigg, North Yorkshire, whilst in the south-west, the Bonaparte's Gull reappeared in Devon, this time at Teignmouth. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today included the Pacific Diver and Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, American Coot and Forster's Tern in County Galway, Pied-billed Grebe on the Western Isles, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, two Penduline Tits in Cambridgeshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in Dorset, Baird's Sandpiper in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in Devon, single Lesser Scaups in Somerset and County Clare and Lincolnshire and Glossy Ibis in Hampshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 7th December 2012 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Little Bunting at East Burrafirth,
mainland Shetland, and a drake Lesser Scaup at Blagdon Lake, Somerset
(presumably the Chew Valley Lake individual relocating).
Lingering rarities included the Pacific Diver off Marazion, Cornwall, American Coot on Murloch, County Galway, Pied-billed Grebe on Loch na Bagh, Western Isles, Northern Harrier at Tacumshin, County Wexford, Forster's Tern in Galway, Desert Wheatear at Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire, White-rumped Sandpiper at Longham Lakes, Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire, Lesser Scaup on Lough Gash, County Clare and Glossy Ibises at Marloes, Pembrokeshire and Ringwood, Hampshire. Scarcity highlights included Temminck's Stint, Pomarine Skua, Surf Scoter, American Wigeon, Sabine's Gull, Iceland Gull, four Glaucous Gulls, two Ring-billed Gulls and eight Caspian Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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