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| Friday 4th August 2017 | ||
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| Rarity highlights included Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and
Dorset, long-staying Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll,
Bee-eaters in Highland and Nottinghamshire [7] and Black-winged
Stilts in Norfolk, Essex [5] and Kent [5]. Six Wilson's Petrels
were logged; three from an Isles of Scilly pelagic, two from the Scillonian
crossing and one off Lizard Point (Cornwall). The best of the rest included Hoopoe (West Yorkshire), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Western Isles), American Night Heron (Shropshire), Woodchat Shrike (Devon), two White-winged Black Terns and three Pectoral Sandpipers. |
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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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| Thursday 3rd August 2017 | ||
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| The wandering Caspian Tern made an appearance at Carr Vale
NR (Derbyshire) late afternoon, having been present in West Yorkshire the
previous day. Elsewhere lingering rarities included White-rumped
Sandpiper (Western Isles), Bee-eaters
(Nottinghamshire), Black-winged Stilt (Norfolk), Marsh
Sandpiper (Kent), Bonaparte's Gulls (Kent and Dorset)
and Forster's Tern (Co Louth). Seabirds were again well represented, with the highlight being a Barolo Shearwater observed off Prawle Point (Devon). Elsewhere an Isles of Scilly pelagic produced some incredible totals, including at least 15 Wilson's Petrels, 750 Great Shearwaters and 250 Cory's Shearwaters! Wilson's Petrels were also logged off Orcombe Point (Devon) and Bridges of Ross (Co Clare). The best of the rest included American Night Heron (Shropshire), Night Herons (Somerset and Northumberland), White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lincolnshire) and Grey Phalarope (Highland). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 2nd August 2017 | ||
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| Seawatching highlights included Fea's/Deserta's Petrels off
Porthgwarra (Cornwall) and Galley Head (Co Cork) and ten Wilson's
Petrels logged off Cornish watchpoints. Elsewhere rarities comprised Caspian Tern in West Yorkshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in Western Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Norfolk and familes of Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire. The best of the rest included Temminck's Stint in Norfolk, Night Heron in Northumberland, Red-backed Shrike in North Yorkshire and White-winged Black Tern in Lincolnshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 1st August 2017 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Baird's Sandpiper at Stanford Reservoir on the border Northamptonshire and Leicestershire. Elsewhere, lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the
American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Forster's Tern in County Louth,
Marsh Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull and nine Black-winged Stilts in Kent,
Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, three Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and the colony of seven
Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire. Seabirds again featured with Wilson's Petrels at sea off the Isles of Scilly (8) and County Kerry and totals of 22 Cory's and seven Great Shearwaters between Cornwall and County Cork, whilst a Sabine's Gull flew past County Durham. Scarcities included Night Heron (Northumberland), White-winged Black Tern and Pectoral Sandpiper (both Lincolnshire), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), White Stork (East Sussex), two Rose-coloured Starling (both Highland), two Surf Scoters (together in Aberdeenshire), a total of 14 Cattle Egrets, and at least 15 Glossy Ibises (including 14 in Cornwall and 7 in Devon). Significant late news concerned the confirmed breeding of Night Herons on the Somerset Levels at Westhay Moor where two adults present on 9th July were accompanied by two juveniles on 16th-26th July. Earlier in the summer singles had been seen at nearby Shapwick Heath on 4th June and Ham Wall on 16th-24th June. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 31st July 2017 | ||
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| Exciting seabirding continued in the southwest with a Wilson's Petrel, four
Cory's Shearwaters and three Great Shearwaters passing Cape Clear, County Cork, and in the evening at least seven
Wilson's Petrels at sea off the Isles of Scilly alongside 29 Cory's and three
Great Shearwaters. Rarities included the Forster's Tern still in County Louth, Two-barred Crossbill on the Shetland Isles, Marsh Sandpiper and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, five Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and seven Bee-eaters still at the colony in Nottinghamshire. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Sabine's Gull (Norfolk), Ring-billed Gull (County Galway), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), a total of 15 Cattle Egrets, and most notably 15 Glossy Ibis (including a flock of 14 in Cornwall). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 30th July 2017 | ||
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| Once again Wilson's Petrel dominated the news with in County Cork at least 40 logged from a pelagic off Fastnet Cork and a single passing Galley Head, and in Cornwall four off Porthgwarra. Other seabirds included a total of 14
Cory's and 36 Great Shearwaters between County Cork and Cornwall, and a total of 103
Balearic Shearwaters included 50 off Bolt Tail, Devon. Rarities today comprised a Bonaparte's Gull discovered in Dorset at Brownsea Island, the American White-winged Scoter still in Aberdeenshire, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Marsh Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull and 10 Black-winged Stilts all in Kent, King Eider in Ceredigion, White-rumped Sandpiper on the Western Isles and seven Bee-eaters still at their colony in Nottinghamshire. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Glossy Ibis (Suffolk), Night Heron (Shropshire), two Pectoral Sandpipers (Lincolnshire and London), and a total of 16 Cattle Egrets. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 29th July 2017 | ||
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| Seabirds dominated the headlines again with a total of nine Wilson's Petrels seen from Cornwall, 26
Cory's Shearwaters reported between County Cork and Devon, 109 Great Shearwaters
between County Cork and Cornwall, and two Sabine's Gulls passed County Cork. The four Two-barred Crossbills present today - three on the Shetland Isles and one still in Fife on the Isle of May - brings the influx total to seven individuals since the 21st July. Other rarities comprised a White-rumped Sandpiper new on the Western Isles on North Uist, the Forster's Tern still in County Louth, Marsh Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull and 11 Black-winged Stilts in Kent, two Black-winged Stilts still in Norfolk and at least four Bee-eaters still in Nottinghamshire. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Glossy Ibis (Suffolk), Red-backed Shrike (East Yorkshire and North Yorkshire), three Pectoral Sandpipers and eight Cattle Egrets. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Friday 28th July 2017 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was notable seawatching in Cornwall culminating in three
Wilson's Petrels seen from land: two passing Lizard Point and one off
Porthgwarra. Large shearwaters totalled 175 Cory's between County Kerry and Devon and 169
Great Shearwaters between County Cork and Dorset, with the majority of both species being seen from Porthgwarra, Cornwall. Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised single Marsh Sandpipers in both Kent and Lincolnshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in East Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull and the flock of 10 Black-winged Stilts in Kent, and at least five Bee-eaters still in Nottinghamshire. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Cambridgeshire), Glossy Ibis (Suffolk), and three Pectoral Sandpipers. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 27th July 2017 | ||
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| An incredible 20+ Wilson's Petrels were observed from an
Isles of Scilly pelagic this evening. Elsewhere two Wilson's Petrels
were logged from a pelagic off Penzance (Cornwall) and another was seen
from Valentia Island (Co Kerry). A third Two-barred Crossbill joined the two already on Unst (Shetland), whilst the lone Two-barred Crossbill remained on Isle of May (Fife). The breeding Bee-eaters (Nottinghamshire), Marsh Sandpiper and Bonaparte's Gull (Kent), Black-winged Stilt families (Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Kent) and Forster's Tern (Co Louth) all lingered. The best of the rest included American Night Heron (Shropshire), Purple Heron (Isles of Scilly), White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Temminck's Stint (Essex) and Pectoral Sandpipers (Gloucestershire and Lincolnshire). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 26th July 2017 | ||
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| Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Gull-billed Tern
at Martin Mere WWT (Lancashire), whilst Two-barred Crossbills
in Shetland (2) and Fife, King Eider in Ceredigion,
Black-winged Stilt familes in Kent and Cambridgeshire,
Forster's Tern in Co Louth, Little Bittern in
Somerset, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Bee-eaters
in Nottinghamshire all lingered. The best of the rest included American Night Heron (Shropshire), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), White-winged Black Tern (East Yorkshire) and Pectoral Sandpipers in Gloucestershire and Lincolnshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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