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| Friday 30th October 2015 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall at Marazion. Elsewhere, new rarities comprised a
Dusky Warbler on the Shetland Isles on Unst, and a Ferruginous Duck at Washington, County Durham. In Gloucestershire the
Semipalmated Sandpiper reappeared at Slimbridge. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Pallid Harrier in County Mayo, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Northern Harrier on the Orkney Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire, and single Dusky Warblers in both Kent and the Isles of Scilly. However, the Chestnut Bunting had gone from Papa Westray, Orkney Isles. Scarcities included five Pallas's Warblers, four Cattle Egrets, three Serins, two each of both American Wigeon and Glossy Ibis, Little Bunting (Dorset), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Cleveland), American Golden Plover (East Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Shorelark (Suffolk), Barred Warbler and Rose-coloured Starling (both Cornwall). |
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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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| Thursday 29th October 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Lesser Yellowlegs at Breydon Water,
Norfolk, an Olive-backed Pipit at Land's End, Cornwall, a Pallid
Harrier at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire and an Azorean Yellow-legged
Gull at Kilvington, Nottinghamshire.
Lingering rarities included the Chestnut Bunting and Northern Harrier in Orkney, Penduline Tit in Suffolk, single Dusky Warblers in County Cork, Kent and the Isles of Scilly, Pallid Harrier in County Mayo, Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Donegal and Lesser Scaup in County Kerry. The best of the rest were singles of Red-breasted Flycatcher, Ortolan Bunting, Little Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling, Surf Scoter, American Wigeon and Grey Phalarope, two each of Richard's Pipit, Black Brant, Green-winged Teal and Little Auk, three each of American Golden Plover and Lapland Bunting, four Rough-legged Buzzards, five Glossy Ibises, seven Pallas's Warblers, nine Great Grey Shrikes, 12 Bean Geese, 14 Pomarine Skuas and 16 Yellow-browed Warblers. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 28th October 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Dusky Warbler at Knockadoon Head,
County Cork (potentially just the 11th record for Ireland, the 8th for County
Cork) and a White-billed Diver past Lamba Ness, Unst, Shetland.
Lingering rarities included the Chestnut Bunting and Northern Harrier in Orkney, Pallid Harrier and Arctic Warbler in County Mayo (with another of the former in Lincolnshire), Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Yorkshire, Dusky Warbler and Radde's Warbler in the Isles of Scilly (with another of the former in Kent), Olive-backed Pipit in Shetland, Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, American Herring Gull in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan. Scarcity totals included singles of Ortolan Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling and American Wigeon, two each of Red-breasted Flycatcher, Serin, Barred Warbler, Rough-legged Buzzard, Glossy Ibis and Ring-necked Duck, three each of Richard's Pipit and American Golden Plover, seven Pomarine Skuas, nine Great Grey Shrikes, 10 Pallas's Warblers, 11 Little Auks and 35 Yellow-browed Warblers. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 27th October 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries comprised Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in
East Yorkshire, Pallid Harrier in Lincolnshire and
Radde's Warbler on Isles of Scilly, whilst the Chestnut Bunting
(Orkney), Long-billed Dowitcher (Hampshire), Arctic
Warbler and Pallid Harrier (Co Mayo), Lesser
Scaup (Co Kerry and Glamorgan), Dusky Warbler (Isles
of Scilly) and Gull-billed Tern (Co Kerry) all lingered. The best of the rest included 13 Pallas's Warblers, four Richard's Pipits, four American Golden Plovers, two Little Buntings, Ortolan Bunting (Fair Isle), Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), Short-toed Lark (Isles of Scilly), Melodious Warbler (Co Cork), Barred Warbler (Orkney), Serin (Norfolk) and Red-breasted Flycatcher (Co Cork). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 26th October 2015 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Chestnut Bunting on
Papa Westray (Orkney), whilst in Co Cork a Chimney Swift flew over Mizen Head.
Elsewhere new discoveries included Dusky Warblers in Kent and Isles Scilly. The Long-billed Dowitcher (Hampshire), Gull-billed Tern and Black Scoter (Co Kerry), Northern Harrier (Orkney), Olive-backed Pipit (Shetland), White-rumped Sandpiper (Hampshire) and Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan) all lingered. The best of the rest included Ortolan Bunting (Shetland), Little Bunting (Shetland), Short-toed Lark (Isles of Scilly), Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), five American Golden Plovers, seven Pallas's Warblers and eight Richard's Pipits. Late news concerned a report of a drake Canvasback on Lewis, Western Isles, yesterday. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 25th October 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Red-flanked Bluetail on Bardsey
Island, Gwynedd, a Pallid Harrier through Spurn, East Yorkshire, a
Radde's Warbler at Berry Head, Devon and a White-rumped Sandpiper at
Farlington Marshes, Hampshire.
The Chestnut Bunting lingered all day on Papa Westray, Orkney, whilst other lingering rarities included the Blyth's Pipit in the Isles of Scilly, Siberian Stonechat in Norfolk, Red-flanked Bluetail in Kent, Olive-backed Pipit in Shetland, Arctic Warbler and Pallid Harrier in County Mayo, Northern Harrier in Orkney, Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll. Scarcity totals were singles of Little Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Short-toed Lark, Wryneck, Temminck's Stint, Pectoral Sandpiper, American Wigeon, Lesser Snow Goose and Ring-billed Gull, two each of Bluethroat, Pallas's Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Shorelark and Glossy Ibis, three Green-winged Teals, five Ring-necked Ducks, six Rough-legged Buzzards, seven American Golden Plovers, eight Lapland Buntings, nine Richard's Pipits, 27 Great Grey Shrikes and 35 Yellow-browed Warblers. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 24th October 2015 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the relocation of the Chestnut Bunting on
Papa Westray, Orkney. From mid afternoon it showed very well, and was still
present into the evening.
New discoveries today included a drake Bufflehead on Ullswater, Cumbria, a Siberian Stonechat at Hook-with-Warsash, Hampshire and the Forster's Tern returned to Nimmo's Pier, County Galway. Lingering rarities included the Blyth's Pipit in the Isles of Scilly, Greater Yellowlegs on the Isle of Wight, Siberian Stonechat in Norfolk, Olive-backed Pipit in Shetland, Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Argyll, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 23rd October 2015 | ||
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| A White's Thrush was discovered today at Gulberwick, Shetland, as was
a White-rumped Sandpiper on Lough Swilly, County Donegal.
Lingering rarities comprised the Blyth's Pipit in the Isles of Scilly, Northern Harrier in Orkney, Siberian Stonechat in Norfolk, Olive-backed Pipit in Shetland, Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan. Scarcity highlights included a Pallas's Warbler, a Barred Warbler, a Little Bunting, a Shorelark, a Temminck's Stint, two Ortolan Buntings, two Serins, two American Golden Plovers, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Green-winged Teals, two American Wigeon, three Little Auks, three Rose-coloured Starlings, five Glossy Ibises, six Pomarine Skuas, six Richards's Pipits, eight Leach's Petrels, up to nine Rough-legged Buzzards, 12 Lapland Buntings, 21 Great Grey Shrikes and 29 Yellow-browed Warblers. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 22nd October 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries comprised an Arctic Warbler in Co Mayo and
a White-rumped Sandpiper in Co Kerry, whilst
Siberian Stonechat (Norfolk), Blyth's and
Olive-backed Pipits (Isles of Scilly), Lesser Scaup
(Glamorgan), Ferruginous Duck and Long-billed
Dowitcher (Hampshire), Pallid Harrier (Co Mayo),
American Herring Gull (Cornwall), Gull-billed Tern
(Co Kerry), Richardson's Cackling Geese (Argyll) and
Northern Harrier (Orkney) all lingered. The best of the rest included Short-toed Lark, Common Rosefinch and Ortolan Bunting (Isles of Scilly), Shorelark (Suffolk), Red-backed Shrike (Co Cork), Temminck's Stint (Somerset), Pallas's Warbler (North Yorkshire), two American Golden Plovers, two Rose-coloured Starlings, seven Richard's Pipits and at least 21 Great Grey Shrikes. Significant late news concerns potentially the first Chestnut Bunting for Britain, present on Papa Westray, Orkney Isles on 19th-20th October, but unfortunately not identified until after it had departed. There are nine accepted records in the Western Palearctic: in the Netherlands in 1937, Norway 1974 and 2010, Malta 1983, Slovenia 1987, Finland 2002, France 2009 and 2014, and Hungary 2011. All of these records fell between 24th September and 12th November, with six in October. Chestnut Bunting is currently only on Category E of the British List, with eight rejected records of presumed escapes; on Foula (Shetland Isles) on 9th-13th June 1974, Isle of May (Fife) 11th June 1985, Fair Isle (Shetland) 15th-16th June 1986, Bardsey Island (Gwynedd) 18th-19th June 1986, Out Skerries (Shetland Isles) 2nd-5th September 1994, Salthouse (Norfolk) 30th May-1st June 1998, Whitburn (County Durham) 17th-20th May 2000, and Fair Isle (Shetland) 4th-7th September 2002. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 21st October 2015 | ||
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| New discoveries included Siberian Stonechat in Norfolk,
Spotted Sandpiper on Isles of Scilly and Lesser
Yellowlegs and Cackling Goose in Argyll, whilst
Brown Shrike (Cornwall), Dusky Warbler
(Lincolnshire), Blyth's Pipit and Olive-backed Pipit
(Isles of Scilly), Olive-backed Pipit (Shetland),
Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan), Red-flanked Bluetail (Kent),
White-rumped Sandpiper (Northumberland) and Gull-billed
Tern (Co Kerry) all lingered. The best of the rest included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Co Wexford), Pallas's Warbler and Barred Warbler (East Yorkshire), two Ortolan Buntings, two American Golden Plovers, three Rose-coloured Starlings, three Richard's Pipits, five Rough-legged Buzzards and five Glossy Ibises. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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