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| Thursday 15th June 2017 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Black-headed Bunting on the Shetland Isles on Foula; the second to be found there in less than a week. Elsewhere, a singing
Greenish Warbler was found in Argyll on Colonsay, and in Kent a Bee-eater flew over Foreness Point. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Elegant Tern in West Sussex, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Cumbria, Little Bittern (Somerset), Iberian Chiffchaff (Cheshire), single Red-footed Falcons in both Somerset and Surrey, and family parties of Black-winged Stilts in both Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. Scarcities included Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Serin (both Dorset), Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis (together in Somerset), Rose-coloured Starling (County Durham), territroial Icterine Warbler (Highland), Surf Scoter (Orkney Isles), Ring-necked Duck (Argyll), Night Heron (Shropshire) and a total of nine Cattle Egrets. |
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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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| Wednesday 14th June 2017 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today comprised a Rustic Bunting on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, a
Blyth's Reed Warbler singing in Cumbria at Siddick Ponds, and a Wilson's Petrel in the Western Approaches. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Elegant Tern in West Sussex, territorial Iberian Chiffchaff in Cheshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Cumbria, Red-footed Falcon in Surrey, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Ferruginous Duck in County Durham, and family parties of Black-winged Stilts in both Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling in County Durham, Purple Heron in South Yorkshire, Icterine Warblers in both Highland the Shetland Isles, Marsh Warblers in Cleveland and the Shetland Isles (2), and Cattle Egrets in Lancashire and Merseyside (2). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 13th June 2017 | ||
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| Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Elegant Tern in West Sussex,
Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Squacco Heron in Kent, King Eider in Aberdeenshire,
Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall, Somerset, Suffolk and Surrey, and family parties of
Black-winged Stilts in both Cambridgeshire and Norfok. Scarcities included Marsh Warbler (Cleveland), Red-necked Phalarope (Gloucestershire), Purple Heron (Cornwall), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), Night Heron (Shropshire), two each of both Rose-coloured Starling and Icterine Warbler, and six Cattle Egrets. The Baird's Sandpiper reported yesterday in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh remained overnight and proved to be a Dunlin. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 12th June 2017 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Baird's Sandpiper identified at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire in the evening. Elsewhere the first
Wilson's Petrel of the summer was seen off the Isles of Scilly, a Red-footed Falcon was new in Ceredigion at Llyn Berwyn, and a pair of
Black-winged Stilts with two young are in Cambridgeshire at Ouse Washes. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Elegant Tern in West Sussex, Squacco Heron in Kent, Iberian Chiffchaff in Cheshire, territorial Savi's Warbler and family party of seven Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Ferruginous Duck in County Durham, and single Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall, Suffolk and Surrey. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Cleveland), Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Ring-necked Duck (Argyll), two Cattle Egrets (together in Devon), and three each of both Marsh Warbler and migrant Red-necked Phalarope. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 11th June 2017 | ||
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| The Elegant Tern remained at Church Norton, West Sussex on and off all
day, occasionally heading out to sea to feed but returning to the tern island a
few hours later.
New discoveries today included a Squacco Heron at Dungeness, Kent, a female Subalpine Warbler species at Virkie, Shetland and several groups of Bee-eaters were in Devon, with eight at Galmpton, three over Chudleigh and two at Holsworthy. Other lingering rarities included the Iberian Chiffchaff in Cheshire, single Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall, Somerset, Surrey and Suffolk, Little Bittern in Somerset, seven Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Cumbria, Black Duck in Highland, Ferruginous Duck in County Durham and King Eider in Aberdeenshire. Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Common Rosefinch, a Great Shearwater, a Ring-billed Gull, two Icterine Warblers, two Marsh Warblers, two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Hoopoes, two Glaucous Gulls, two Iceland Gulls, two Pomarine Skuas, four Honey Buzzards and seven Red-necked Phalaropes. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 10th June 2017 | ||
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| Having briefly reappeared at Hayling Island (Hampshire) yesterday evening,
the Elegant Tern was relocated at Church Norton (West Sussex)
late morning, and remained in the area until the late evening. Elsewhere new discoveries included a Red-footed Falcon in Surrey and three flyover Bee-eaters in Suffolk, whilst Red-footed Falcons (Suffolk and Somerset), Black-winged Stilt family (Norfolk), Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria) and Iberian Chiffchaff (Cheshire) all lingered. The best of the rest included Red-necked Phalarope (Warwickshire/Staffordshire border), White-winged Black Tern (Norfolk), Icterine Warbler (Highland), Hoopoe (Gloucestershire), Rose-coloured Starling (Glamorgan), two Night Herons (Shropshire and Norfolk) and two Marsh Warblers (Cleveland and Orkney). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Friday 9th June 2017 | ||
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| In Hampshire the Elegant Tern reappeared off Hayling Island
this evening, but only for a short time early evening. Elsewhere a Bee-eater was briefly at Lydd (Kent), King Eider (Aberdeenshire), Iberian Chiffchaff (Cheshire), Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria), Black Duck (Highland), Black-winged Stilt family and Savi's Warbler (Norfolk), Little Bittern and Red-footed Falcon (Somerset) and Red-footed Falcon (Suffolk). The best of the rest included Purple Heron (South Yorkshire), Ortolan Bunting (Orkney), Red-necked Phalarope and Night Heron (Norfolk), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Woodchat Shrike and Icterine Warbler (Highland), Hoopoe (Gloucestershire), Rose-coloured Starling (Glamorgan) and Marsh Warbler (Cleveland). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 8th June 2017 | ||
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| The Elegant Tern could not be relocated today in Hampshire but rarities noted
as present were the Spotted Sandpiper still in Cumbria, a Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk and
in Norfolk the Black-winged Stilts that arrived at Potter Heigham
Marshes on 5th May now have four chicks. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern and Night Heron (both Norfolk), Ortolan Bunting and Common Rosefinch (together on the Orkney Isles), Woodchat Shrike (Highland), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Hoopoe (Gloucestershire), two migrant Red-necked Phalaropes, three Red-backed Shrikes, four Cattle Egrets and a total of eight Marsh Warblers. Significant late news from Devon concerned a Black-headed Bunting on 4th June near Wembury and a Bee-eater on 6th June at Man Sands. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 7th June 2017 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of an Elegant Tern in Hampshire at Hayling Island. Found at Fishery Creek mid morning roosting on the rising tide but present only until late morning when it flew out of Chichester Harbour. Interestingly the bird was wearing colour-rings that proved it to be an individual previously present on the Atlantic seaboard of France most summers since 2002 and trapped and ringed in a Sandwich Tern colony at the Banc d' Arguin, Gironde on 3rd July 2003. The identity of this bird has been confirmed as Elegant Tern by genetic analysis - as have all the other candidate Elegant Terns in Europe that have been tested - and it's appearance is very similar to that of the first British record present at Dawlish Warren on 18th May 2002 and it seems likely to be the same individual. It has also been seen in the interim staging on migration in southern Spain and then twice in winter in South Africa; at Kromme Estuary in March 2005 and again at Rooi Els River and Buffels Bay on 2nd and 5th March 2017. Although yet to be accepted, there are three other British records: one visiting Norfolk then Devon in 2002, a further (third) individual in 2002 moving from Devon to Gwynedd, and one in Dorset on 10th May 2005. New rarities elsewhere comprised a Greenish Warbler on the Shetland Isles on Whalsay, and single Red-footed Falcons in Suffolk at North Warren and briefly at Spurn, East Yorkshire. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Black Duck in Highland, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Little Bittern in Gloucestershire, Spotted Sandpiper in Cumbria and King Eider in Aberdeenshire. Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Highland), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Hoopoe (Gloucestershire), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), two each of both Icterine Warbler and migrant Red-necked Phalarope, three Common Rosefinches, four Red-backed Shrikes, five Marsh Warblers and eight Cattle Egrets. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 6th June 2017 | ||
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| Rarities today were limited to a brief Red-footed Falcon in Cornwall at Lizard and the long-staying
Black Duck still in Highland at Strontian. Scarcities included two territorial Marsh Warblers (both in Cleveland), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Red-backed Shrike (Fife), Golden Oriole (Orkney Isles), Common Rosefinch (Shetland Isles) and a total of 12 Cattle Egrets. The gale force winds and rain that caused so few landbirds to be recorded today brought some seabirds within sight of land with two Long-tailed Skuas (Western Isles), three Balearic Shearwaters, Sooty Shearwaters off four counties and a scattering of Storm Petrels. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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