Rare Bird Alert – Friday July 13th 2007
This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Friday 13th July 2007, issued at 2000 hours, and produced in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (for membership enquiries, contact Brian Egan on 01603 457016), the premier service for Rare Bird Information in Britain.
The bird of the day was Suffolk’s first-ever twitchable SQUACCO HERON (in fact, the first county record since 1912) – showing well at Minsmere RSPB reserve throughout the day. Initially seen flying in from the direction of the sea at 0715 hours (per Ivan Levitt), it then performed well in front of Island Mere hide for the next hour or more. It then got fairly mobile before settling in fields viewable from the Eastbridge/Sluice Bushes footpath early afternoon. It then moved to the neighbouring Levels fields, where it was still showing until at least 1800 hours this evening (per Lee Gregory/Matt Deans).
In neighbouring Norfolk, an adult Roseate Tern frequented the Sea Palling reefs and adjacent beach with Common Terns this afternoon (earlier off Waxham Beach) (per Andy Kane), whilst at least one adult Roseate Tern remains off Dawlish Warren (South Devon) and at Lodmoor CP (Dorset). 1-2 adults have recently visited Minsmere scrape (Suffolk) (from South Hide), as well as some very dark-billed adult Arctic Terns.
Two adult Pectoral Sandpipers were present at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancs) Allen Pools this morning, whilst another remained at Musselburgh Lagoons wader scrape (Lothian) with 3 adult Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits. The moulting HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL remains with up to 5 Whimbrel and 60 Eurasian Curlews on Wylock Marsh, just south of Biggar on Walney Island. Park sensibly in the narrow Mawflat Lane to view west over the saltmarsh at SD 206 642. Under no circumstances, wander on to the saltmarsh; there are many nesting Eiders and roosting waders here.
The first-summer GLOSSY IBIS has spent most of the last week c3 miles NE of Stockport (Merseyside) at Marshside Marsh RSPB, where it has been favouring Polly’s Pool and has been showing well.
On Shetland, the summering KILLDEER was showing well today at Virkie, frequenting the pool and rocky coastline just east of Ness Boating Club, whilst on Orkney, a Leach’s Petrel and 49 Storm Petrels flew north past North Ronaldsay. In Sutherland, a very confiding first-summer Glaucous Gull remains in Brora village, roosting on chimney pots close to the small harbour, whilst in Galloway, the 3rd-summer Iceland Gull remains on Loch Ryan – at the Bishop Burn mouth (per Chris Baines). The first-summer BONAPARTE’S GULL remains on South Uist at Howmore River, whilst nearby, the adult-type ROSE-COLOURED STARLING continues at Drimsdale.
On 11th July, an adult BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER frequented Coedbach Marsh, between Kidwelly and Commissioner’s Bridge (Carmarthenshire) (viewed from the adjacent A484), whilst the week has seen a scattering of mobile Spoonbills at various localities, a moulting female Red-necked Phalarope at Cley NWT (Norfolk) on 11th and the odd Cory’s Shearwater. Large numbers of Balearic Shearwaters remain in the English Channel, with up to 80 recorded daily off Portland Bill (Dorset) (per Martin Cade/PBO website).
In IRELAND, an adult PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER in breeding plumage was present at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford) on 11th July (excellently photographed by Eric Dempsey; see images on BirdsIreland website) (first for the year), whilst an adult WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen on Inishkea Islands (Co. Mayo) on 12th July. A Spoonbill has been present at Castle Espie WWT, at the NW end of Strangford Lough (Co. Down).
PLEASE REMEMBER TO REGISTER YOUR VOTE ON EAGLE OWLS ON THE UK400CLUB FORUM. The final date for voting is on 1st September 2007
