Friday 31 July 2009

Scilly's second-ever MARSH SANDPIPER headlines




























MARSH SANDPIPER on Scilly (Robin Mawer), LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Paull Holme Strays (East Yorks) (3 images - Brett Richards), SLAVONIAN GREBE on the Exe Estuary (Devon) (Gary Thoburn) and BLACK-NECKED GREBE in Avon (Gary Thoburn)

This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Friday 31 July, issued at 2200 hours and published in close association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers whilst utilising additional information gleaned from the Regional Birdlines, BirdGuides, local email groups and websites and individual observers.

On the Isles of Scilly, adult MARSH SANDPIPER continues to show very well on Porthellick Pool, wading in the shallow water at either end of the pool. Approach the Sussex Hide with care.

In Norfolk, the adult breeding plumaged PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER remains for its 9th day, keeping to the saltings and adjacent mud of low tide at Breydon Water (Keith Dye et al), whilst an adult summer WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, the first of the year (382), showed well on Buxton Lagoon at Welney WWT Reserve.

After another successful breeding year, a family party of 3 CATTLE EGRETS have spent a second day at Chew Valley Lake (Avon), the juvenile showing well in the cattle field just north of Herons Green Pool, whilst in Berkshire, a further adult in full breeding attire remains for a second day at Padworth Lane GP (2nd county record) (Ken Moore, Roger Stansfield, et al). The long-staying GREAT WHITE EGRETS remain at Minsmere RSPB Island Mere (Suffolk) and Meare Heath (Somerset)

A heavily worn NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE present until at least mid April resurfaced today on wires by the B6277 just south of Alston Moor Golf Club entrance at NY 725 439, at Alston Moor (Cumbria), whilst a male EUROPEAN SERIN was seen briefly in a Holm Oak at Keyhaven Marshes (Hants)

ROSEATE TERNS which bred on Coquet Island and elsewhere are now migrating south down the North Sea coast, with 6 at East Chevington Pools (Northumberland), 7 at Low Newton-by-the-Sea (Northumberland) An adult SABINE'S GULL flew north past Flamborough Head (East Yorks) this morning.

In Fife, Loch Gelly continues to host both an eclipse drake RING-NECKED DUCK and a drake FERRUGINOUS DUCK, where they can both be 'scoped from the steps on the North Bank. An adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER remains at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire), whilst the adult LESSER YELLOWLEGS continues to show well downstream of the wooden bridge at Aberlady bay (Lothian).

A record count of 70 Yellow-legged Gulls roosted at Grafham Water (Cambs) this evening (Mark Hawkes)

Wood Sandpipers include singles at Chelmarsh Reservoir scrape (Shropshire), Priory Marsh, Christchurch Harbour (Dorset) and Grove Ferry (Kent), with 2 at Welney WWT (Norfolk)

The long-staying summer-plumaged adult SLAVONIAN GREBE remains on the Exe Estuary generally offshore of Cockwood (South Devon), whilst the late summer build up of RED-NECKED GREBES in the Firth of Forth includes 19 adults visible from the Ferny Ness car park (Lothian). Two BLACK-NECKED GREBES are at Blithfield Reservoir (Staffs)

Inland, Common Redstarts were displaced overnight, with 4 on the Quainton Hills (Mid-Bucks) and numerous others elsewhere, along with small numbers of Northern Wheatears.