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| Wednesday 15th August 2018 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Solitary Sandpiper on Tresco, Isles of Scilly; the fifteenth record for those islands where the most recent British record was also present on 12th-17th October 2012 (on Bryher then St Mary's). New rarities elsewhere were a Hooded Merganser on the Shetland Isles at Lerwick with a White-rumped Sandpiper nearby at Pool of Virkie, and a Bonaparte's Gull on North Uist, Western Isles. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Forster's Tern in County Louth, Ferruginous Duck in Essex, and Bonaparte's Gulls in both Kent and Wirral. Seawatching produced Wilson's Petrels passing both County Clare and County Cork and between County Clare and Cornwall totals of 19 Cory's Shearwaters, 42 Great Shearwaters, Sabine's Gull and Long-tailed Skua. Scarcities included Night Heron (Herefordshire), Red-backed Shrike (East Yorkshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Leicestershire), White Stork (Norfolk), Surf Scoter (Angus), two Cattle Egrets and four Spotted Crakes. |
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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 14th August 2018 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of an Arctic Warbler on the Shetland Isles on Unst. Rarities elsewhere comprised the
Pacific Golden Plover still in Moray, Baird's Sandpiper on the Western Isles,
Forster's Tern in County Louth, King Eider in Ceredigion and Bonaparte's Gulls in both Kent and Wirral. Two Wilson's Petrels were at sea off the Isles of Scilly with national totals of four Cory's and 17 Great Shearwaters logged. Scarcities included American Golden Plover (Suffolk), Red-necked Phalarope (Leicestershire), Purple Heron (Kent), Pectoral Sandpiper (Northumberland), Ring-necked Duck (Derbyshire), Ring-billed Gull (Argyll), Surf Scoter (Angus), two each of both Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret, and three of Red-backed Shrike and Spotted Crake. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 13th August 2018 | ||
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| The first Aquatic Warbler of the autumn was found in a mist net near Weymouth, Dorset early morning.
Lingering rarities included the Pacific Golden Plover in Moray, Baird's Sandpiper in Scilly, King Eider in Ceredigion, Ferruginous Duck in Essex and Bonaparte's Gulls in Wirral and Kent. Two Wilson's Petrels were seen from the Scilly pelagic. Scarcity highlights included a Barred Warbler, an Icterine Warbler, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Ring-necked Duck, a Dotterel, an American Golden Plover, a Red-necked Phalarope, two Pectoral Sandpipers, three Red-backed Shrikes, a Honey Buzzard, a Glossy Ibis, three Purple Herons and four Spotted Crakes. Seawatching and pelagic trips produced a Long-tailed Skua, eight Pomarine Skuas, four Cory's Shearwaters, 12 Great Shearwaters and 82 Balearic Shearwaters. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 12th August 2018 | ||
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| A Bonaparte's Gull was found at Hoylake on the Wirral and pelagic trips off the Scillies produced a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel as well as two Wilson's Petrels, with another Wilson's Petrel being seen from the Scillonian. A further two were seen from a pelagic off County Cork.
Lingering rarities included the Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Baird's Sandpiper on the Western Isles, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Cork, Pacific Golden Plover in Moray and Ferruginous Duck in Essex. Well over 100 Great Shearwaters were logged in the south and west but only 5 Cory's Shearwaters. Spotted Crakes were in Northumerland, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Red-backed Shrikes were in Yorkshire and Essex, an American Golden Plover was in Yorkshire, Pectoral Sandpipers were in Northumberland, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire and a Red-necked Phalarope was in Leicestershire. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 11th August 2018 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today included a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel off Porthgwarra, Cornwall, a Blue-winged Teal at Alkborough Flats, Lincolnshire, a Marsh Sandpiper at Cliffe Pools, Kent and a Baird's Sandpiper at Ardivachar, Western Isles.
Lingering rarities included just the Baird's Sandpiper on Scilly and the Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, and a Wilson's Petrel was seen on the Scilly pelagic. Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Ring-necked Duck, a Pectoral Sandpiper, two Purple Herons, two Glossy Ibises, two White Storks, four Spotted Crakes, four Honey Buzzards and an Iceland Gull. Seabird totals were 276 Great Shearwaters, 64 Cory's Shearwaters, 182 Balearic Shearwaters, two Long-tailed Skuas and three Pomarine Skuas. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 10th August 2018 | ||
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| Lingering rarities seen today included the Franklin's Gull at Pinchinthorpe, Cleveland, Baird's Sandpiper on Tresco, Scilly, White-rumped Sandpiper at Lower Rosses, County Sligo, Forster's Tern at Dundalk, County Louth and Snowy Owl on North Uist, Western Isles. Two Wilson's Petrels were seen from the pelagic off Scilly.
Scarcity highlights included a White-winged Black Tern, a White Stork, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Glossy Ibises, three Spotted Crakes, three Grey Phalaropes, a Long-tailed Skua, four Pomarine Skuas, seven Cory's Shearwaters at least 209 Great Shearwaters. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 9th August 2018 | ||
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| Two classic August rarities were found today: a Greenish Warbler was at Newtonhill in Aberdeenshire and a Baird's Sandpiper was on Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. The latter location also provided a memorable pelagic trip this evening with a bumper count of 14 Wilson's Petrels as well as 43 Great Shearwaters. There were also 2 Great Shearwaters and 6 Cory's Shearwaters seen from the Scillonian on the crossings to and from the islands.
The Franklin's Gull was relocated in a stubble field near Guisborough in Cleveland and other lingering rarities comprised Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Forster's Tern in County Louth and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent. A Roseate Tern was a great inland find at Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire, there were Spotted Crakes in Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, Red-backed Shrikes in Yorkshire and Essex, a Rose-coloured Starling in Shetland, Glossy Ibises in Essex, Devon and London, a Pectoral Sandpiper in Northumberland and Purple Herons remained in Leicestershire and Somerset. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 8th August 2018 | ||
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| A white morph Gyr was on Fair Isle, Shetland today.
Lingering rarities included the Franklin's Gull at Scaling Dam Reservoir, Cleveland/North Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup at Drift Reservoir, Cornwall, Snowy Owl on St Kilda, Western Isles, King Eider at Ynys-hir, Ceredigion and Bonaparte's Gull at Oare, Kent. Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Wryneck, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, a White Stork, a Surf Scoter, a Honey Buzzard, two Spotted Crakes, a Ring-billed Gull, a Long-tailed Skua, three Pomarine Skuas, three Cory's Shearwaters, nine Great Shearwaters and 130 Balearic Shearwaters. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 7th August 2018 | ||
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| In County Louth the Forster's Tern re-appeared again at Soldier's Point, having last been seen there in October last year. Two White-rumped Sandpipers were found today - at Lower Rosses in County Sligo and at Redcar in Cleveland. Two Bee-eaters flew over Teddington Lock in London and a White-billed Diver was at Culdaff in County Donegal, but there was no sign of the Sooty Tern in Aberdeenshire.
The Franklin's Gull put in another appearance at Scaling Dam on the North Yorkshire/Cleveland Border and lingering rarities comprised Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Black Duck in Highland, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Snowy Owl on the Western Isles. The Buff-breated Sandpiper was still in Yorkshire, Rose-coloured Starlings remained on the Shetlands and Western Isles, Spotted Crakes were still in Cheshire and Norfolk and Pectoral Sandpipers were in Northumberland, Cornwall, County Derry and County Armagh. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Monday 6th August 2018 | ||
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| A Lesser Scaup was found today at Drift Reservoir, Cornwall.
Lingering rarities included the Franklin's Gull again at Scaling Dam Reservoir, Yorkshire/Cleveland, Black Duck at Strontian, Highland, Bonaparte's Gull at Oare, Kent and two Wilson's Petrels from the Scilly pelagic. Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Temminck's Stint, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Ring-billed Gull, a Leach's Petrel, a Pomarine Skua, a Sabine's Gull, a Glaucous Gull, an Iceland Gull, a White Stork, two Spotted Crakes, two Purple Herons, two Glossy Ibises and three Pectoral Sandpipers. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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