Rare Bird Alert - Issue 33
November 16, 2007
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This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday 13th November 2007, issued at 2000 hours and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (see www.rarebirdalert.co.uk for details) and utilising information gleaned from Regional Birdlines, websites, local email groups and individual observers.
In Suffolk, a party of 4 PENDULINE TITS is present for a third day at Dingle Marshes, Walberswick, showing well by the footpath between Little Dingle Hill and the shingle bank. Up to 9 Water Pipits remain in the area, as well as 5 Twite and a small herd of 6 Bewick’s Swans.
A very late Wryneck was recorded today on Bardsey Island (Caernarvon), whilst other new birds today included a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER on Seal Sands (Cleveland) and an adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE at Caerlaverock WWT (Dumfries & Galloway) (the latter site hosting some 10,400 of this year’s 29,815 Barnacle Geese on the Inner Solway, as well as an adult and juvenile Greenland White-fronted Goose).
In the Outer Hebrides, a pristine-plumaged but exceptionally tame juvenile grey morph GYRFALCON remains for a third day, favouring somewhat urban surroundings between Stornoway Ferry Terminal and the airport (Lewis) (some expert commentators have suggested that the bird exhibits some Saker genes which would mean the bird is an escape). It cannot be confirmed whether the bird is ringed or not or is bearing jesses…
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Sandpipers
November 11, 2007
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This juvenile SPOTTED SANDPIPER has been present at Lanishen Reservoir, just north of Cardiff (South Wales), since Saturday 20th October, and is still present as I write on 5th November. (photographs by Mark Stirland)
This first-winter WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER has been showing down to a matter of yards on the NE shore of Kenfig Pool (South Glamorgan). It is unfortunately blind in its right eye but has managed to successfully evade any predators. It was initially discovered by Neil Donaghy on 29th October and is still present today (6th November). (photographs by Mark Stirland)
Life List updates
November 5, 2007
UK400 Club Life lists updated up to and including Mourning Dove and Greenland Redpoll, North Uist.
Members can log in to download, Non members please contact Lee for membership details.
Scilly Birds October 2007
November 5, 2007
Richard Stonier has a growing portfolio of pictures of common, scarce and rare species from all corners of the UK. Richard is a keen birder and since 2003 has been a keen photographer, see his selection of images taken on the Isles of Scilly during October 2007.
MEGA - AMERICAN MOURNING DOVE
November 3, 2007
An AMERICAN MOURNING DOVE is present for perhaps its third day on North Uist (Outer Hebrides), favouring a farm track about half a mile WSW of Clachan a Luib just SW of Loch na Faoileige at Carnack (at NF 803 635).
Brian Rabbitts identified the bird early afternoon and it remains present and showing well until dusk, click here for further images of the American Mourning Dove
It represents the third record for Britain following one trapped and ringed at the Calf of Man Bird Observatory (Isle of Man) on 31st October 1989 (found dead next day and now preserved in the Manx Museum) (British Birds 86: 496; 89:
157-161; 509, plates 69-71; Birding World 3: 64; Ibis 135: 220) and a first-winter at Carinish, North Uist (Outer Hebrides) from 13th-15th November 1999 (British Birds 93: 539; plate 40; Birding World 12: 453.
A further occurrence involved a plane-assisted arrival at Heathrow Airport Cargo Depot (London) on 9th February 1998. It had arrived on a plane from Chicago, USA (Rare Birds 4: 105).
Product Review - Dutch Birding Volume 29 Number 5
November 3, 2007
I was particularly impressed by the very latest issue of Dutch Birding, mostly because of the inclusion of a first rate identification paper on American Sandwich Tern. Written by Martin Garner, Ian Lewington and Jason Crook, this paper provides instructive and little-known information regarding the separation of both adult (but particularly first-winter) European and Nearctic Sandwich Terns.
Ian Lewington’s plate on page 274 is absolutely superb and in my view, one of the best this rare bird artist has ever produced. It features 9 birds depicting juvenile, first-winter and adult winter plumages and is fully annotated to provide an instant and highly useful reference. American Sandwich Tern is clearly a ‘countable form’ under the PSC and with single records from both Holland and Britain, the species is most likely going overlooked. Late autumn/early winter is likely to be the optimum period for UK occurrences. The paper is 14 pages long and features a brilliant selection of reference photographs.
The issue also features an article on a wide-ranging ringed adult Laughing Gull, recorded in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and The Netherlands, along with full documentation of the Dutch Crag Martin influx in November 2006 and Portuguese Moussier’s Redstart in November 2006-January 2007.
As usual, the WP reports pages are filled with immaculately reproduced, first-rate colour photographs (Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross, Elegant Tern, Hudsonian Godwit, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Red-necked Stint and Lesser Grey Shrike tanding out, as well as that of the 37 of 69 African Skimmers Ray Scally, Robert Fuge and I observed in Egypt this July) and this same high quality continues in the Recent Sightings section covering occurrences in Holland and Belgium.
Further pages document the first breeding by White-winged Black Tern and Paddyfield Warbler in the Netherlands and an educational account of a first-winter White-collared Flycatcher trapped and ringed on 14th September 2007.
Product Review - Fair Isle Bird Observatory Report for 2006
November 3, 2007
Less than ten months after the end of the year, the 2006 Fair Isle Bird Observatory Report landed on my desk this week - one of only a few 2006 bird reports thus far published. Once again, it is a bumper edition, at 160 pages long. A total of 204 species were recorded on the ‘Magic Isle’ in 2006 including one addition - North American Black Duck, whilst other highlights included Eurasian Scops Owl and Blyth’s Pipit. As ever, the daily log recorded the numbers and dates of all migrants, continuing the island’s invaluable 60 year database. The Fair Isle seabirds had a much better year than of late, with a record population of Great Skuas as well as more than 800 pairs of Arctic Terns.
Mark Warren and Deryk Shaw provide a very detailed monthly summary of sightings on pages 37-51 and this is followed by the First and Last Dates for Summer Migrants 2006 and a typically detailed and highly informative Systematic List (pages 53-101). As usual, this is enhanced by the inclusion of some wonderful full colour plates, featuring the impressive works of Rebecca Nason, Paul Baxter and Deryk Shaw. Highlights include the October White-rumped Sandpiper (4th record), May Scops Owl, September Woodchat Shrike, a page-full of rare pipits including Pechora, Olive-backed and Blyth’s, September Aquatic Warbler, August Melodious and Greenish Warblers, Lanceolated Warbler, October Scandinavian Arctic Redpoll, May Ortolan Bunting and April Hawfinch.
The Ringing Report by Paul Baxter provides details of the 6,599 birds of 112 species trapped and ringed on the island during 2006 including a 26 year old Fulmar, a 21 year old Shag, 17 year old Storm Petrel, 15 year old Arctic Skua,
29 year old Guillemot, 27 year old Razorbill and a Swedish ‘Northern’ Bullfinch that had moved 1,283 kms in 26 days.
At the back of the report, there are scientific papers on the Fair Isle Starling and Wren populations, along with the fully detailed Lepidoptera report pages 133-142), Mammal Report (143-145) and complete checklist.
This latest report can be obtained (priced £7.00 including p & p) from Deryk Shaw at
Fair Isle Bird Observatory
Fair Isle
Shetland ZE2 9JU
See also - _http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/index.htm
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