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| Thursday 11th July 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was continuing record influx of Two-barred Crossbills to the Shetland Isles where a total of 47 were recorded today including 14 on Fair Isle, eight on Whalsay, seven on Mainland at Sumburgh Head alone and six each on both Unst and Yell. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Gull-billed Tern still in South Yorkshire, Marsh Sandpiper in Suffolk, both Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Yellowlegs together in Kent, two separate Blue-winged Teals in Clyde and the Lesser Scaup in Borders. Scarcities included Hoopoe (Nottinghamshire), Glossy Ibis (Merseyside) and 16 Cory's Shearwaters (all at sea off the Isles of Scilly). |
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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 10th July 2019 | ||
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| Discoveries today included a Marsh Sandpiper in Suffolk at Minsmere,
a Gull-billed Tern in South Yorkshire at Adwick Washlands and a Two-barred Crossbill
on the Orkney Isles on North Ronaldsay, whilst on the Shetland Isles a total of 32
Two-barred Crossbills today included 19 new birds. In Kent the Bonaparte's Gull returned to Oare Marshes to moult and was joined by a Lesser Yellowlegs that photographs show to be the same adult Lesser Yellowlegs as that present earlier this year on Fair Isle, Shetland on 18th May, at Scatness, Mainland, Shetland on both 19th-29th May and 19th-20th June and Cley, Norfolk on 7th-8th July. The Lesser Yellowlegs at Titchwell, Norfolk on 29th June-4th July 2019 was a different bird and both of these were distinct from those that wintered at Lodmoor, Dorset until 20th April, visited Bryher, Isles of Scilly on 11th May and Castle Espie, County Down on 30th May all of which were different from each other. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Terek Sandpiper still in Cheshire albeit only briefly, a Blue-winged Teal still in Clyde, Lesser Scaup in Borders, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk and two Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (County Roscommon), Serin (Kent), Common Rosefinch (Western Isles), Purple Heron (Somerset), Grey-headed Wagtail (Shetland Isles), Glossy Ibis (Merseyside), two Waxwings (Lothian) and three Rose-coloured Starlings. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 9th July 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Sooty Tern in East Yorshire at Flamborough Head before it
later headed north past Long Nab, North Yorkshire, west past Cowbar, Cleveland, north at Whitburn, County Durham, and then in Northumberland
north past both Newbiggin and Cullernose Point before reaching Seahouses. On the Shetland Isles 28 Two-barred Crossbills were discovered today - including nine at Sumburgh Head, seven on Fair Isle and five on Fetlar - bringing the total there for the week to 35. Elsewhere, a further Two-barred Crossbill rested on a boat off Wick, Highland. A Terek Sandpiper arrived in Cheshire at Burton Mere Wetlands whilst other rarities today were the Baikal Teal still in Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Borders, both Blue-winged Teals in Clyde, two Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and territorial Savi's Warblers still on Anglesey and in Suffolk. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (County Roscommon), Marsh Warbler (Orkney Isles), Cory's Shearwater (Cornwall) and Glossy Ibis (Merseyside), whilst four Rose-coloured Starlings brought the total for this summer to 51. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 8th July 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of two Two-barred Crossbills on Unst; the third in a week following the individual on Out Skerries on 4th July. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Lesser Yellowlegs and two Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, territorial Savi's Warbler on Anglesey, Baikal Teal in Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Borders and both Blue-winged Teals in Clyde. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Cambridgeshire), Cory's Shearwater (East Yorkshire), Serin (Kent), Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles) and Glossy Ibis (Merseyside). |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 7th July 2019 | ||
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| A Lesser Yellowlegs was found at Cley NWT, Norfolk today.
Lingering rarities included the Gull-billed Tern in Wirral, which appeared to become much more mobile, being seen at Burton Mere Wetlands, Cheshire and Shotwick, Flintshire, before returning to Thurstaston, Savi's Warbler in Anglesey, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Wexford, Black Duck in Highland, Lesser Scaup in Borders, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Baikal Teal in Northumberland and two Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk. Scarcity highlights included a Serin, a Hoopoe, a Red-backed Shrike, two Rose-coloured Starlings, a Grey Phalarope, a Temminck's Stint, a White-winged Black Tern, two Honey Buzzards, two Glossy Ibises, a Balearic Shearwater and a Ring-necked Duck. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 6th July 2019 | ||
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| A White-rumped Sandpiper at Tacumshin, Wexford was the only new rarity discovered today.
Lingering rarities were the Squacco Heron in Lincolnshire, Gull-billed Tern in Wirral, two Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Baikal Teal in Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Borders and Savi's Warbler in Anglesey. Scarcity highlights included a Serin, two Rose-coloured Starlings, a White-winged Black Tern, a Pomarine Skua, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Temminck's Stint, three Glossy Ibises, two Honey Buzzards, a Green-winged Teal, a Balearic Shearwater and two Glaucous Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 5th July 2019 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Squacco Heron at Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire, a Black-eared or Pied Wheatear at Shanklin, Isle of Wight and a Bee-eater sp over Inverbervie, Aberdeenshire.
Lingering rarities included the Gull-billed Tern in Wirral, Savi's Warbler in Anglesey, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Shetland, two Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Lesser Scaup in Borders and Baikal Teal in Northumberland. Scarcity highlights included two Serins, four Rose-coloured Starlings, a Night Heron, a Purple Heron, four Glossy Ibises, a White-winged Black Tern, two Honey Buzzards and a Green-winged Teal. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 4th July 2019 | ||
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A female Two-barred Crossbill arrived in Shetland on Out Skerries. There was a possible sighting of the Giant Petrel sp passing Dunbar in the morning, and late news emerged of a Roller on a boat off Lundy on Sunday. Among the rarities still in place were the Baikal Teal in Northumberland, Collared Pratincole in Carmarthenshire, Gull-billed Tern in Wirral, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Savi's Warbler in Anglesey, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Shetland and two Black-winged Stilts together in Norfolk. The best of the rest included Red-breasted Flycatcher (trapped and ringed in Northamptonshire), White-winged Black Tern (Cleveland), Purple Heron (Somerset), two Serins (together in Dorset), six Rose-coloured Starlings, Temminck's Stint (Cleveland), Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Green-winged Teal (Norfolk) and two Glossy Ibises. |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 3rd July 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the arrival of a Collared Pratincole in Carmarthenshire at Llanelli whilst other discoveries included a Gull-billed Tern on the Wirral at Thurstaston and in Norfolk two Black-winged Stilts at Potter Heigham. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Snowy Owl in County Kerry, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Baikal Teal in Northumberland, Blyth's Reed Warbler on the Shetland Isles and the territorial Savi's Warbler on Anglesey. Scarcities included Night Heron (Isles of Scilly), Red-backed Shrike (Suffolk), Purple Heron and Green-winged Teal (Norfolk), Glossy Ibis (Merseyside), three Serin and four Rose-coloured Starlings. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 2nd July 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was an unidentified Northern or Southern Giant Petrel passing north at Whitburn, County Durham
before then reappearing later in the evening at Cullernose Point, Northumberland. There is only one accepted record of Southern Giant Petrel in the Western
Palearctic: at sea off Italy seen from a ferry crossing the Adriatic Sea between Greece and Ancona on 2nd September 1991. In addition an unidentified Northern or Southern Giant Petrel is accepted
as having passed Ouessant, Finistere, France on 2nd November 1967 whilst unaccepted records of Giant Petrels from Britain
were seen at sea near Wolf Rock, Cornwall on 20th October 1967, passing Rubha na Faing, Islay, Argyll on 6th June 1976 and
from Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire on 4th July 1988. A Southern Giant Petrel submitted from Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on 16th August 2000 was found not
proven by the British Birds Rarities Committee. Other new rarities today were a Bonaparte's Gull discovered in County Wexford at Tacumshin, a Red-rumped Swallow briefly in Cornwall at Polgigga whilst in Norfolk two Black-winged Stilts at Wells were presumably the same pair as present there on 22nd May 2019, with one there again on 27th May and then at nearby Burnham Norton and Burnham Overy on 16th June, suggesting that they attempted to breed nearby but failed. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were both Squacco Heron and Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Baikal Teal in Northumberland, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Black Duck in Highland, territorial Savi's Warbler on Anglesey and Iberian Chiffchaff in County Durham. Scarcities included Purple Heron and Green-winged Teal (Norfolk), White-winged Black Tern (Buckinghamshire), Serin (Dorset), Temminck's Stint (North Yorkshire), Spotted Crake (Gloucestershire) and Rose-coloured Starling (Shetland Isles), the latter being 41st of this species to be located across Britain and Ireland since 24th May. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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