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| Wednesday 11th May 2016 | ||
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| Another cracking day for rare birds was headlined by the finding of a
Semipalmated Plover at Tacumshin in Co Wexford. A strong supporting
cast of new discoveries included Blyth's Pipit in Gwynedd,
Franklin's Gull in Essex, two Caspian Terns in
Somerset and Pacific Golden Plover in Co Donegal, along with
Black Kites (Cumbria and Argyll), Black-winged Stilt
and Western Bonelli's Warbler (Dorset), Alpine Swift
and Bee-eater (Norfolk), subalpine warbler
species (Isles of Scilly), Great Reed Warbler (Cleveland),
Citrine Wagtail (East Yorkshire) and Two-barred
Crossbill (Northumberland). Lingering rarities included Dalmatian Pelican (Cornwall), Caspian Stonechat (Hampshire), Calandra Lark (Shetland), Western Rufous Turtle Dove (Kent), Whiskered Terns (Cleveland), Snowy Owl and Red-rumped Swallows (Isles of Scilly), White-billed Diver (Aberdeenshire), Red-footed Falcon (South/East Yorkshire), Eastern Subalpine Warbler (Shetland), Thrush Nightingale (Northumberland) and Citrine Wagtail (Fife). The best of the rest included Ortolan Bunting (Shetland), Hoopoe (Highland), Purple Heron (Devon), Spotted Crake (Isles of Scilly), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), two Serins, two Melodious Warblers, two Woodchat Shrikes, two White-winged Black Terns, two Bluethroats, four Wrynecks, at least four Grey-headed Wagtails and six Red-backed Shrikes. |
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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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| Tuesday 10th May 2016 | ||
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| An excellent day for rarities was headlined by the discovery of a
Calandra Lark on Fair Isle (Shetland) and a Caspian Stonechat
in Hampshire, whilst Collared Pratincole (London),
Thrush Nightingales (Fife and Northumberland), Citrine Wagtails
(Cleveland and Fife), Bee-eaters (Cornwall, East
Yorkshire and Dorset [2]), Eastern Subalpine Warbler
(Shetland), Black Kite (Gwynedd/Anglesey), Black-winged
Stilt (Dorset), Whiskered Tern (Gloucestershire),
Great Reed Warbler (Isles of Scilly) and subalpine
warbler species (Cornwall) were all new in. Lingering rarities included Dalmatian Pelican (Cornwall), King Eider and White-billed Diver (Aberdeenshire), Whiskered Terns (Cleveland), Eastern Subalpine Warbler (Gwynedd), Western Subalpine Warbler and subalpine warbler species (Shetland), Western Rufous Turtle Dove (Kent) and Red-rumped Swallows (Isles of Scilly). The best of the rest included White-winged Black Terns (Warwickshire), Serin (Cornwall), Ortolan Bunting (North Yorkshire), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Fife), Common Rosefinch (Isle of Man), Melodious Warblers (Isles of Scilly and probably East Yorkshire), two Wrynecks, three Woodchat Shrikes, four Red-backed Shrikes and seven Bluethroats. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Monday 9th May 2016 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Dalmatian Pelican in Cornwall, where it was actually first seen on Saturday, at Gwithian. Today the bird lingered between Land's End, Sennen and Polgigga for much of the day, and it transpired that it had previously visited Poland between 6th-11th April, Germany on 16th April-1st May, and eastern France on 3rd May. New discoveries included a Terek Sandpiper in Ceredigion at Ynys-hir, Baird's Sandpiper in Lancashire at Stocks Reservoir, three White-billed Divers together in County Donegal, Great Reed Warblers in both Derbyshire at Willington, and at Netherfield, Nottinghamshire, and Subalpine Warblers in Cornwall, Gwynedd, Isles of Scilly, and the Shetland Isles (3). In addition, brief encounters included both Pallid Harrier and Black Kite in County Kerry, Gull-billed Tern in Pembrokeshire, Black Kite in Lancashire, Red-footed Falcon in West Yorkshire and Bee-eater in Kent. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Kent, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, both Snowy Owl and two Red-rumped Swallows on the Isles of Scilly, Western Bonelli's Warbler in Lincolnshire, two Whiskered Terns together on Cleveland, King Eider in Highland, Red-footed Falcon in South Yorkshire, and Ferruginous Duck in County Durham. The best of the rest comprised Melodious Warbler (Isles of Scilly), two each of White-winged Black Tern, Short-toed Lark and Serin, three of Bluethroat, Red-backed Shrike and Wryneck, four of both Woodchat Shrike and Grey-headed Wagtail, and six Golden Orioles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 8th May 2016 | ||
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| An exiciting day with new rarities including a Broad-billed Sandpiper in Merseyside at Marshside, Bonelli's Warbler sp in Lincolnshire at Gibraltar Point, two Whiskered Terns together in Cleveland at Saltholme, Western Subalpine Warblers in County Wexford on Great Saltee and on Fair Isle, Red-footed Falcon in South Yorkshire at Thorne Moors, Black-headed Wagtails in both Denbeighshire and Pembrokeshire, White-billed Diver in County Donegal, Red-rumped Swallow in Cornwall, three Red-rumped Swallows together on the Isles of Scilly, Tawny Pipit and a Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, whilst elsewhere brief encounters included two Whiskered Terns and an Alpine Swift in Gloucestershire, Black Kites in Cornwall and Lancashire, Red-footed Falcon in Norfolk, Red-rumped Swallow in Kent and Bee-eater in Dorset. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Kent, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall, Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset, Black-winged Stilt in Norfolk, and both Lesser Yellowlegs and King Eider in Aberdeenshire. Scarcities included Kentish Plover (Dorset), Serin (London), Purple Heron (Norfolk), two each of White-winged Black Tern, Red-backed Shrike and Grey-headed Wagtail, three Hoopoes, four each of Short-toed Lark, Bluethroat and Golden Oriole, and six of both Woodchat Shrike and Temminck's Stint. | ||
| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 7th May 2016 | ||
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| The first twitchable Alpine Accentor since 2004 was discovered this
evening at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire. A Pied-billed Grebe was on
Loch Feorlin, Argyll for its second day. It or another was present at the same
site for a week in 2014.
Other new discoveries today included a singing male Dusky Warbler in Norfolk, a Pallid Harrier in Lancashire, two Whiskered Terns in both Hampshire and Cheshire, single Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and Dorset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Aberdeenshire, two Black Kites in Kent and another in Hampshire, single Bee-eaters in Norfolk and Yorkshire and White-billed Diver in Shetland. Lingering rarity highlights included the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Kent, Snowy Owl, Iberian Chiffchaff and Red-rumped Swallow in the Isles of Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset, King Eider in Highland and White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 6th May 2016 | ||
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| An Eastern Bonelli's Warbler was still present at the Calf of Man on the
Isle of Man this morning, having been trapped and ringed there yesterday.
New discoveries today included two Whiskered Terns at Long Eaton GPs, Derbyshire before moving to Attenborough NR, Nottinghamshire, a Pallid Harrier over Wykeham Lakes and Long Nab, Yorkshire, a Black-winged Stilt and a Black Kite at Grove Ferry NNR, Kent, two more Black-winged Stilts at Hengistbury Head, Dorset, a Red-footed Falcon on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly and a Red-rumped Swallow over Pegwell Bay, Kent. Lingering rarities included the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Kent, Snowy Owl and Iberian Chiffchaff in the Isles of Scilly, Black-winged Stilt in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Wexford, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk. The Pomarine Skua passage continued along the south coast, with the highest counts coming from Dungeness (119), Splash Point (76) and Birling Gap (62). |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 5th May 2016 | ||
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| Rarities discovered today comprised Lesser Yellowlegs (Co
Wexford), Red-rumped Swallows (Isles of Scilly [2] and
Shetland), Red-footed Falcon (reported in Cornwall),
Black-winged Stilt (Lincolnshire) and Black Kite
(Kent). Lingering birds included Western Rufous Turtle Dove
(Kent), Red-footed Falcon (Dorset), Iberian Chiffchaff
and Snowy Owl (Isles of Scilly) and Savi's
Warbler (Suffolk). The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit (Isles of Scilly), Surf Scoter (East Yorkshire), Purple Heron (Devon), Cattle Egret (West Sussex), American Golden Plover (Glamorgan), Shorelark (Shetland), three Hoopoes, three Golden Orioles, four Serins, four Temminck's Stints, four Woodchat Shrikes, six Glossy Ibises and at least 13 Dotterels. A passage of Pomarine Skuas along the English south coast included totals of 58 past Splash Point (East Sussex) and 33 past Selsey Bill (West Sussex). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 4th May 2016 | ||
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| In Kent a brief Lesser Kestrel was reported at Pegwell Bay,
whilst elsewhere new discoveries included Red-footed Falcons in
Cornwall and Dorset, Alpine Swift and Great Bustard
in Kent, Red-rumped Swallow in Dorset and two Black-winged Stilts in
Surrey. Lingering rarities included Western Rufous Turtle Dove (Kent), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Shetland), Savi's Warbler (Suffolk), Snowy Owl (Isles of Scilly) and Black-winged Stilt (Lincolnshire) whilst sarcity highlights included Hoopoes (Suffolk, Isle of Man, Gloucestershire and East Yorkshire), Short-toed Lark (Shetland), Woodchat Shrikes (Pembrokeshire and Derbyshire), Wryneck (Norfolk), Serins (Norfolk and East Yorkshire), Purple Heron (Essex), Spotted Crake (Kent) and Golden Oriole (Cambridgeshire). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 3rd May 2016 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a showy Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the Shetland Isles on West
Burra: only the second spring record in Britain or Ireland - following a female suppressed at Holme, Norfolk on 4th-5th May 2006 - and just the fifth record for Scotland. Elsewhere, a
Black-winged Stilt was new in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh, a Black Kite showed briefly in Suffolk, and a
White-rumped Sandpiper flew past Walney Island, Cumbria. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Kent, both Snowy Owl and Iberian Chiffchaff on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs in Argyll, Black-headed Wagtail in Norfolk, and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk. Scarcities included Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Rough-legged Buzzard (Lincolnshire), Spotted Crake (Suffolk), three Hoopoes, seven Glossy Ibises, and 18 Dotterel (all together in Norfolk). Eight Long-tailed and 347 Pomarine Skuas passed North Uist, Western Isles. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 2nd May 2016 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today comprised a flock of 10 Black-winged Stilts in West Sussex at Pulborough Brooks, a
Lesser Yellowlegs in Argyll on Islay, and a Black-headed Wagtail at Titchwell, Norfolk. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Kent, Glaucous-winged Gull in County Cork, American Herring Gull in Cornwall, Iberian Chiffchaff in Shropshire, Savi's Warblers in both Norfolk and Suffolk, single White-billed Divers in both Aberdeenshire and the Orkney Isles, King Eider in Highland, and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan. Scarcities included Short-toed Lark (Shetland Isles), Wryneck (Lothian), Montagu's Harrier (East Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (County Down), Kumlien's Gull (County Mayo), two Rough-legged Buzzards, three Hoopoes, 11 Glossy Ibises, and a total of 24 migrant Dotterel. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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