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| Wednesday 30th April 2014 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of both the Cretzschmar's Bunting
and Caspian Stonechat on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, alongside Red-spotted
Bluethroat, Short-toed Lark, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Great Grey
Shrike. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Collared Flycatcher still in Borders at St Abb's Head, Collared Pratincole in Devon, Blue-winged Teal in Kent, White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire, and a brief Tawny Pipit on the Wirral. Scarcities included 13 migrant Dotterel, seven Glossy Ibises, six Wrynecks, three Hoopoes, Purple Heron (Glamorgan), Serin (Dorset), Ring-necked Duck (Shropshire), Cattle Egret (Cambridgeshire), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), and Yellow-browed Warbler (East Yorkshire, then died). |
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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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| Tuesday 29th April 2014 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today comprised a brief Marsh Sandpiper in East Yorkshire at Burton Pidsea, a
Black-winged Stilt in West Sussex at Medmerry, a Two-barred Crossbill
in Norfolk at Santon Warren, a Little Bunting on Fair Isle, and a brief
Black Kite over Wangford, Suffolk. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were both the Cretzschmar's Bunting and Caspian Stonechat on Fair Isle, Collared Flycatcher and Subalpine Warbler together in Borders, Pied-billed Grebe in Clyde, Collared Pratincole in Devon, Blue-winged Teal in Kent, White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire, and Red-rumped Swallows in both Cornwal (2) and the Isles of Scilly. Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Glamorgan), Red-breasted Flycatcher (County Durham), Yellow-browed Warbler (Kent), Temminck's Stint (Suffolk), Richard's Pipit (Borders and Norfolk), Wryneck (two in Norfolk), three each of both Hoopoe and Cattle Egret, and seven each of Glossy Ibis and migrant Dotterel. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 28th April 2014 | ||
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| In Borders a Collared Flycatcher and a Subalpine Warbler were
discovered at St Abb's Head.
On Fair Isle the Cretzschmar's Bunting and Caspian Stonechat lingered, where a Short-toed Lark and Red-breasted Flycatcher were also logged. Elsewhere new rarities included a flyover Black Stork in Shropshire, Little Bunting on the Wirral and Red-rumped Swallows in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, whilst Collared Pratincole in Devon, Pied-billed Grebe in Clyde, two Black-winged Stilts in Kent, two Two-barred Crossbills in Norfolk, Franklin's Gull in Carmarthenshire and two White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire all lingered. The best of the rest included nine Wrynecks, six Dotterel, two Hoopoes, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Ring-necked Ducks, Woodchat Shrike (Glamorgan), Yellow-browed Warbler (Lothian), Serin (West Sussex), Richard's Pipit (North Yorkshire), Golden Oriole (Cornwall), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire) and Grey-headed Wagtail (East Yorkshire). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 27th April 2014 | ||
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| Britain's fifth Cretzschmar's Bunting was discovered on Fair Isle, Shetland
mid afternoon, where it was seen briefly by just a few observers. This is the third
record for the island, and the county, following birds in 1967 and 1979, with
the other two records coming from nearby Orkney in 2008 and 1998. Perhaps rarer
still, a male Caspian Stonechat was also on Fair Isle this evening, and the
Eastern Subalpine Warbler also remained on the island.
Further south, a Little Bunting was at Holme NWT, Norfolk briefly, and single Red-rumped Swallows were at Steyning, Sussex and Marazion, Cornwall. A White-billed Diver was also in Shetland, off West Burra. Lingering rarities still present today included the Collared Pratincole in Devon, Pied-billed Grebe in Clyde, Franklin's Gull in Carmarthenshire and Glamorgan, two Black-winged Stilts and a Blue-winged Teal in Kent, King Eider in Fife and Two-barred Crossbill in Norfolk. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 26th April 2014 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was Britain's first Alpine Accentor for ten
years in Norfolk, the same county as the last one on 20th April 2004 at
Overstrand. Today's individual was seen on the Holme NOA reserve early morning,
but it couldn't be found after the initial sightings.
Also in East Anglia a Whiskered Tern was seen at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk briefly, and a Black Kite flew over Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire. Lingering rarities included the Collared Pratincole in Devon, Pied-billed Grebe in Clyde, Baikal Teal in Cambridgeshire, two Black-winged Stilts and a Blue-winged Teal in Kent, Lesser Scaup in Staffordshire, King Eider and White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire and Franklin's Gull in Carmarthenshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 25th April 2014 | ||
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| New discoveries today included another Eastern Subalpine Warbler in
Shetland, trapped and ringed on Fair Isle, a Whiskered Tern at Otmoor
RSPB, Oxfordshire, a Red-throated Pipit on Bryher, Isles of Scilly and a
King Eider on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire. Confirmation came for the
Pied-billed Grebe in Clyde, which was still present yesterday but not
today, and other late news involved a Great Spotted Cuckoo, which was on
The Lizard, Cornwall yesterday but, again, not today.
Lingering rarities included the Franklin's Gull in Carmarthenshire, Blue-winged Teal in Kent, Lesser Scaup again in Staffordshire, King Eider in Fife, White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire, Eastern Subalpine Warbler on Mainland Shetland, Sardinian Warbler in County Cork and Two-barred Crossbill in Shropshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 24th April 2014 | ||
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| Today's new discoveries included an Eastern Subalpine Warbler in
Shetland, a flock of ten Black-winged Stilts in Kent, Whiskered Tern
in Norfolk and Tawny Pipit in North Yorkshire.
Lingering rarities comprised Franklin's Gull in Carmarthenshire, Blue-winged Teal in Kent, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, two White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire and Sardinian Warbler in Co Cork. The best if the rest included Night Heron on the Wirral, Richard's Pipit in Dorset, Spotted Crake in Kent, White Stork in Berkshire, Ring-necked Duck in Cambridgeshire, two Cattle Egrets, four Hoopoes, six Wrynecks, eight Glossy Ibises and 11 Dotterels. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 23rd April 2014 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the relocation of the Franklin's Gull in South Wales, today at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. Otherwise, new rarities comprised a
Bonaparte's Gull in County Kerry at Dingle, and a Lesser Scaup at Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamashire. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Sardinian Warbler in County Cork, Blue-winged Teal in Kent, Black Kite on the Orkney Isles, and Two-barred Crossbills in both Norfolk and South Yorkshire. Scarcities included Night Heron (Wirral), Red-backed Shrike (Lincolnshire), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Great Grey Shrike (Shetland Isles), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Pectoral Sandpiper (Norfolk), two migrant Dotterel (North Yorkshire), Serin (Dorset and Western Isles), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire), four each of both Hoopoe and Glossy Ibis, and seven Wrynecks. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 22nd April 2014 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was confirmation of the Collared Pratincole still in Devon at Northam Burrows,
present until mid afternoon when it flew off east. Elsewhere, new rarities discovered today comprised a
Blue-winged Teal in Kent at Sandwich Bay, a Black Kite on the Orknkey Isles, and single Red-rumped Swallows in both Cornwall at Praa Sands, and Grove Ferry, Kent. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Sardinian Warbler in County Cork, Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, King Eider in County Donegal, and Two-barred Crossbill in Norfolk. Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Isles of Scilly), Purple Heron (Kent), Night Heron (Shetland Isles), American Wigeon (Argyll), Cattle Egret (Cambridgeshire), Serin (Dorset and Western Isles), and four each of Hoopoe, Wryneck and Glossy Ibis. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 21st April 2014 | ||
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| Today's new discoveries included flyby Franklin's Gull in Cleveland
and White-billed Diver in East Sussex, whilst a Western Subalpine Warbler
was discovered in West Sussex. In Dorset a male Northern Harrier was
photographed in flight over Portland Bill this morning whilst in Devon a
pratincole sp was at Northam Burrows Country Park this evening
Lingering rarities included Baikal Teal in Cambridgeshire, Sardinian Warbler in Co Cork, White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire and Western Isles (2), Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Kent, King Eiders in Fife and Co Donegal, Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries & Galloway and Two-barred Crossbill in Kent. The best of the scarcities included Spotted Crake in Kent, Richard's Pipit in Norfolk (the probable Richard's Pipit remained in East Yorkshire), Woodchat Shrike on Isles of Scilly, Shorelark in Kent, Hoopoes in Norfolk and Somerset, Serins in Dorset, Western Isles and East Sussex, Wryneck in Northumberland, Yellow-browed Warbler in Worcestershire and Cattle Egret in Cambridgeshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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