UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert 21st August 2007
August 21, 2007
This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday 21st August 2007, issued at 2200 hours and produced in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers (see www.rarebirdalert.com_ (http://www.rarebirdalert.com) for membership details).
Fresh NNE winds and overcast skies produced a small ‘fall’ on Blakeney Point (Norfolk) this afternoon, with at least 2 GREENISH WARBLERS found (in the Plantation and near Long Hills), an Icterine Warbler, a Barred Warbler and several Pied Flycatchers. James McCallum stumbled upon a GREAT SNIPE as he searched Yankee Ridge for incoming migrants, and this bird disappeared towards Long Hills at 1645. Both species take the 2007 total to 400 species!
Elsewhere in Norfolk, a juvenile MARBLED DUCK was seen just briefly early morning at Cantley Beet Factory Lagoons (favouring the easternmost bed) and the adult WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was again on Breydon Water (along with 5 Eurasian Spoonbills, 18 Mediterranean Gulls and Curlew Sandpiper).
Two Wrynecks appeared in Suffolk, with singles in Minsmere RSPB car park and at Landguard NR, with Trimley Marshes SWT Reserve producing Garganey, Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper and Black Tern. Two Wood Sandpipers remained at Boyton Marshes RSPB and seawatching produced excellent numbers of Arctic Skuas, a few Pomarine Skuas, 15+ Sooty Shearwaters and a lone Storm Petrel (off
Titchwell Beach).
Two juvenile WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERNS arrived in the Southeast today, with singles at Bough Beech Reservoir (Kent) and Weir Wood Reservoir, whilst further GREENISH WARBLERS included singles at Skaw, Unst (Shetland), on Fair Isle and on Inner Farne (Northumberland). An adult WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was discovered on Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour (Dorset), whilst nearby a YELLOWLEGS
species (perhaps more likely a Greater) was again in Brand’s Bay, Poole Harbour.
On Anglesey, the long-staying BLACK STORK spent much of the morning on the Alaw Estuary, whilst an adult summer Sabine’s Gull was again off Little Orme (Conwy), feeding with Black-legged Kittiwakes off Rhos-on-Sea promenade. A further resplendant Sabine’s Gull spent the morning well inland at Rutland Water (Leics), feeding with Black-headed Gulls distantly off the North Arm (John Wright, Steve Lister).
In addition to the aforementioned Greenish Warbler, Fair Isle today held first-winter CITRINE WAGTAIL, Red-backed Shrike and Common Rosefinch, whilst Baltasound, Unst, produced an adult ROSE-COLOURED STARLING. Spurn Point (East Yorks) held Wryneck and 2 Grasshopper Warblers
A Pectoral Sandpiper appeared briefly on the River Thames foreshore, NE of Coalhouse Fort (Essex), whilst a GREAT WHITE EGRET was new in at Blithfield Reservoir (Staffs) (in Blithe Bay until 1635 when flew off NW). Both juvenile PURPLE HERONS remained at Frensham Little Pond (Surrey) and Otmoor RSPB (Oxon) respectively, with the West Yorkshire GREAT WHITE EGRET still in residence at Swillington Ings. The juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON continues to afford exceptional views in Alexandra Park, Hastings (East Sussex), as does the SQUACCO HERON at Fenland Fisheries, NE of Earith (Cambs) and the first-summer GLOSSY IBIS at Marshside Marsh RSPB (Merseyside).
A MELODIOUS WARBLER remains for a second day south of Flamborough Head Lighthouse (East Yorks) whilst the ever-present BLACK KITE was again at Nocton Heath Ram Farm (Lincs) (at TF 017 634).
A juvenile dark morph LONG-TAILED SKUA dropped in to Queen Mother Reservoir (Berks) briefly (1206-1218) before drifting off slowly WSW (Chris Heard), with 2 birds seen off Canvey Seafront (Essex), whilst 15,500 Little Gulls were estimated to be present on Hornsea Mere (East Yorks). In Essex, the adult Ring-billed Gull has returned for its 10th consecutive winter at Westcliff-on-Sea promenade.
The first-summer Black-throated Diver continues its residency on Draycote Water (Warks) (John Oates et al).
In IRELAND, the adult BONAPARTE’S GULL and adult LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER remain at Shannon Airport Lagoons (Co. Clare), with an adult ROSE-COLOURED STARLING at Ennis. Bridges of Ross seawatching has resulted in sightings of FEA’S SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL (Richard Taylor et al) (west at 1225 on 21st) and an extremely early Little Auk & 2 Grey Phalaropes on 19th, with a WILSON’S PETREL off Cape Clear Island (Co. Cork) on 17th.
Highlights 16th-20th August
The Celtic Pelagic trips west of Scilly yielded at least 6 WILSON’S PETRELS and 4 Great Shearwaters over the weekend, with a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER on the Pool of Virkie (Shetland) (16th), LESSER YELLOWLEGS on the Taw Estuary, Barnstaple (North Devon) (16th), moulting adult WILSON’S PHALAROPE on pool between Catterick Racecourse and A1 (North Yorks) (18th-19th), WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at Canvey Point (Essex) (18th) and GULL-BILLED TERN west past Salthouse (Norfolk) on 20th. A LITTLE SHEARWATER was reported off North Ronaldsay (Orkney) on 19th.
RUDDY SHELDUCKS continued to arrive, with 3 juveniles at Holland Haven scrape (Essex) on 18th moving later in the day to Tollesbury Creek.
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