Trumpeter Finch - Norfolk
June 3, 2008
A first-summer male TRUMPETER FINCH has been present on Blakeney Point (Norfolk) since Sunday 1st June, frequenting a rich area of Thrift flowers, 250 yards SE of the Seawatching Hide. This area is best observed from a distance from the dune-edge bordering the shingle beach, the finch being readily detected as it busily feeds on seeds on the open area of shingle beach at the base of the ridge.
To access this area, it is best to walk out at low tide along the beach, 2.2 miles west of the Cley West Bank Beach car park, taking between 27 minutes (if you run all the way) to 1 hour 15 minutes (if you take a more leisurely walk). There are many nesting Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers and Little Terns on the upper shingle ridge west of the car park, so please take extreme care when walking away from the tideline. Alternatively, there are regular boat trips to Blakeney Point from Morston Quay, costing just £8.00 return, and these can be pre-arranged and booked with ‘Bishop’s Boats’ on 01263 740 753.transparent;”>This bird constitutes the first-ever Trumpeter Finch for Norfolk and represents the 13th British record
Previous Occurrences in Britain (see Evans, Rare Birds in Britain and Ireland, pages 465-466). Those highlighted # were widely twitched.
# 1971 Suffolk Minsmere Dunes, first-summer male, 30th May intermittently to 19th June (British Birds 67: 342 & 70: 45-49: Ibis 120: 410).
1971 Sutherland Handa Island, 8th-9th June (British Birds 67: 342 & 70: 45-49; Scottish Bird Report 1971: 160; 1973: 279).
1981 Orkney Sanday, male, 25th-29th May (British Birds 76: 523; Scottish Bird Report 1981: 49).
# 1984 West Sussex Church Norton, Pagham Harbour, first-summer male, 19th-23rd May, when taken by a Eurasian Sparrowhawk (British Birds 78: 581; 79: 299-300, 580).
1985 Essex Foulness Island, 21st September (British Birds 79: 580; 80: 499-500).
1987 Northumberland Holy Island, male, 1st August (British Birds 81: 589).
1992 Caithness Balnakeil, near Durness, male, 4th June (British Birds 86: 528-529, plates 198-199; Scottish Bird Report 1992: 67).
# 2005 Suffolk Landguard Point, first-summer male, 21st-26th May (British Birds 100: 97, plate 35).
# 2005 Kent Whitstable, male, 24th-25th May (British Birds 100: 97
2005 Kent North Foreland, male, 9th June (British Birds 100: 97).<
# 2005 Kent Dungeness Beach, male, 11th-13th June (British Birds 100: 97).
2008 Outer Hebrides North Rona, first-summer male, 25th May.
** Black Lark ** Mega Alert **
April 20, 2008
Record Image
April 20th 2008
Black Lark - Winterton Dunes - Norfolk - present till dusk
** Mega Alert **
April 20, 2008
 20th April 2008
Calandra Lark - Fair Isle - Shetland at 3.30 PM
LOCAL MEGA - ROSS’S GULL in Lancashire
March 31, 2008
An adult ROSS’S GULL is present at Marton Mere LNR, just east of Blackpool (Lancs), showing well from the Fylde Bird Hide. The bird was first seen shortly after 12.30 and is still present at 2.20pm.
ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS
From the M55 junction 4 follow diversion then signs to Blackpool Zoo. Once here, use the car park and walk east to the mere; DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH THE CARAVAN PARK.
Rare Bird Alert issue 6
March 11, 2008
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This is the British Birding Association Rare Bird Alert for Monday 10th March 2008, issued at 1700 hours and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com) and utilising additional information gleaned from Birdguides, the Regional Birdline network, local email groups and websites and individual observers. All Irish rare bird news is by kind courtesy of John Coveney and BINS
One of the most intense storms of the winter arrived over Southern Britain overnight,
bringing heavy rain and gale force winds (reaching 95 mph on the Isle of Wight, 82 mph
on the Mumbles, Swansea and 77 mph on Scilly). Coinciding with high spring tides, the
south coast took some battering, particularly Devon and Cornwall. Despite its potency,
few birds of interest arrived in its wake, with seawatching in Dorset and South Devon
yielding little more than a handful of Balearic and Manx Shearwaters, Pomarine Skuas
and Sandwich Terns.
Download the full report Issue 6 - 2008
Rare Bird Alert for CORNWALL - 6th March 2008
March 6, 2008
A LITTLE BUNTING remains for its 4th day 6 miles SE of Truro and south of Portscatho at Porth Farm NT Reserve. Park in the designated car park and walk back along the road for a short way and take the track north for just under half a mile to the stile to view the stubble field at SW 867 329.
A EURASIAN HOOPOE remains for an 8th day 2 miles SE of Land’s End at Polgigga just west of the B3315 and opposite the small duckpond in gardens at ‘The Vineries’. Please respect the privacy of residents. Other early migrants include the odd Sandwich Tern, a trickle of Sand Martins, a White Wagtail and a few Barn Swallows.
Some 20 or more CATTLE EGRETS remain, with 18 between Drift Reservoir and Sancreed in the Treganhoe Farm area and singles at Stithians Reservoir (close to the Golden Lion causeway at the NW end) and SW of Wadebridge at Hay.
The EURASIAN BITTERN is still present at Stithians Reservoir, at the southern end (view from the hide or the causeway), with 6 RED-BILLED CHOUGH on The Lizard and 2 at Land’s End..
On the Hayle Estuary, a 2nd-winter GLAUCOUS GULL and up to 8 Mediterranean Gulls remain, whilst nearby, a mobile and elusive WATER PIPIT remains on the small pools at St Gothian’s Sands LNR (north of Gwithian). At least two juvenile ICELAND GULLS remain in the area, commuting between Drift Reservoir and Newlyn Harbour, with another WATER PIPIT wintering on the beach by the Red River Mouth, Marazion.
At Pendower Beach, Red-necked Grebe, 5 Black-throated Divers and 3 Great Northern Divers remain offshore, whilst Mount’s Bay (Penzance/Marazion) has up to 5 wintering Slavonian Grebes, 2 Black-throated Divers and 5 Great Northern Divers. Some 37 Purple Sandpipers can be seen at high tide at Penzance Harbour Jubilee Pool.
In terms of passerines, up to 4 SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFFS remain at Long Rock Pool, Marazion, with a YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER at Lower Nansloe Farm (in willows by the entrance track) and a HUME’S LEAF WARBLER at Tehidy Country Park, Camborne.
Rare Bird Alert - Issue 5 2008
March 1, 2008
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This is the British Birding Association Rare Bird Alert for Friday 29th February 2008, issued at 2100 hours and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com) and utilising additional information gleaned from Birdguides, the Regional Birdline network, local email groups and websites and individual observers. All Irish rare bird news is by kind courtesy of John Coveney and BINS
At the end of a very mild week (and in fact one of the warmest Februarys on record), it came as no surprise to see a number of early migrants recorded, including large numbers of Pied Avocets, numerous Eurasian Curlews, Sand Martins, a single House Martin in Cornwall, the odd Northern Wheatear and a Little Ringed Plover in Hampshire (266th species of the year).
Download the full report Issue 5 - 2008
UK400 Rare Bird Alert-Issue 4
February 26, 2008
To Read The Full Issue Right Click and Save As to Download
This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Monday 17th February 2008, utilising information gleaned from the Regional Birdlines, local email groups and websites, www.Birdguides.com and Rare Bird Alert pagers (www.rarebirdalert.com). All Irish rare bird news is by kind courtesy of John Coveney and BINS
Irish NewsUK400 Club Rare Bird Alert February 2008
IRELAND
In County Galway, the Nimmo’s Pier/Galway Harbour area continues to attract a juvenile NORTH AMERICAN HERRING GULL, 3 different adult RING-BILLED GULLS, up to 17 Iceland Gulls and 3 Glaucous Gulls, with the neighbouring coastline and Mutton Island Causeway attracting the adult winter FORSTER’S TERN at high tide.
At least 20 CATTLE EGRETS remain in Ireland (including 8 at Clogheen Marsh, Cork), with an adult female SNOWY OWL between Spiddal and Marycullen (Co. Galway) on 15th and the AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT still at Redbarn Strand, Youghal (Co. Cork). In Northern Ireland, the adult drake BARROW’S GOLDENEYE remains at Quoile Pondage.
Download the full report Issue 4 - 2008
UK400 Club Rare Bird Alerts
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