Hartlepool Headland's news-hugging first-summer WHITE-THROATED ROBIN is still present this morning despite going missing after late morning yesterday. It is back commuting between the two bowling greens this morning, showing well particularly on the seaward side of the outer green. The bird has been seen by well over 2,500 people now, perhaps influenced by the mass-media reporting this particular lost waif has enjoyed. It has been very well photographed, Mike Thrower obtaining the excellent series of shots reproduced above.
Back to yesterday (Thursday 7 June) and the avian highlights were as follows -:
Fairly typical early June stragglers involved ROSE-COLOURED STARLINGS at Lochearnhead (Forth) (in gardens between the A84 and the top end of Kendrum Road) and RED-FOOTED FALCONS at Ledbury (Herefordshire) (on the SW side just north of the A417 Leedon Way and just east of the B4216 New Street on Ledbury Cricket Ground viewable from the disused Full Pitcher pub car park - flew off late morning and not subsequently relocated) and briefly near Dorking at Ranmore Common (Surrey) at TQ 145 515 (first-summer female and adult male respectively). An ORTOLAN BUNTING was noted at the Canal Zone bank at Spurn Point (East Yorks) in the evening, whilst a EUROPEAN BEE-EATER spent a short time on wires just south of Woodnesborough before flying south. A scattering of RED-SPOTTED BLUETHROATS included a bird on Fair Isle and another briefly at Seaton Snook (Cleveland), whilst Fair Isle also yielded the first GREENISH WARBLER of the year and two new ICTERINE WARBLERS. On Tuesday, a BLYTH'S REED WARBLER was trapped and ringed at the Calf of Man Bird Observatory (Isle of Man). COMMON ROSEFINCHES included a singing young male at Balephuil on Tiree (Argyll), another at Scatness (Shetland) and the long-staying male on Anglesey
A first-summer BONAPARTE'S GULL reached Berneray (Outer Hebrides), perhaps the long-staying Lewis bird, whilst the similarly aged South Devon individual continued to range widely in the Exe Estuary area.
At Inner Marsh Farm RSPB (Cheshire), the PECTORAL SANDPIPER was still performing well on No.2 lagoon at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB.
The adult drake KING EIDER remains on the Ythan (Aberdeenshire), with two summering adult drake SURF SCOTERS nearby - off Murcar Golf Course and an adult drake AMERICAN WIGEON from Starnafin Farm at Strathbeg RSPB.
Other summer 'residents' included the GREAT WHITE EGRET at Denge Marsh, Dungeness RSPB (Kent).
Most confiding vagrant of the week must be Shetland's first SQUACCO HERON - feeding at ludicrous close range on roadside pools at Urafirth for two days at the beginning of the week (see Jim Nicholson's outstanding images).
In IRELAND, the first SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER of the year involved a bird at Black Rock Strand (County Kerry) yesterday, with two RED-NECKED PHALAROPES at Tacumshin (County Wexford).