Not a lot new turning up

Same old, same old......


Not much on offer today I am afraid, so little to target for at the weekend

Pick of the bunch perhaps, a relatively new-ish GREAT WHITE EGRET in Cambridgeshire - 2 miles east of Whittlesey amd SE of Eastrea at Wype Doles favouring fenland ditches north of Wypemere Farm, whilst up to 4 (of the 5) still remain in the Dungeness RSPB reserve area.

Both LESSER YELLOWLEGS' remain present with that at Aldcliffe Marsh (Lancs) and the other at Ernesettle Creek, Plymouth (South Devon), with the LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS still at Long Nanny Burn (Northumberland) at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucs) and a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at Drayton Bassett Pits (Staffs) on the new workings just south of the North Pit (park sensibly by Middleton Hall and take the muddy track to the conveyor belt and canal).

An adult COMMON CRANE is a good bet at Amberley Wild Brooks (RSPB (West Sussex), having been present all week, whilst a LITTLE AUK has survived swimming back and forth along the beach between Cley and Salthouse (North Norfolk) for a second day. In West Sussex also, the first-winter female HOODED MERGANSER remains faithful to the tidal creek at the north end (North Wall) of Pagham Harbour (park in Church lane and walk to the sluice).

In the Southwest, Chew Valley lake (Avon) offers both LESSER SCAUP and RING-NECKED DUCK, whilst in Hampshire, the adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE continues to graze The Deeps fields amongst 2,500 Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Farlington Marshes HWT. All 3 of this autumn's RING-NECKED DUCKS still remain on Tresco Great Pool (Scilly), as does the female on Slapton Ley (South Devon)..

Other RED-BREASTED GEESE include single adults ESE of Anthorn at Whitrigg (Cumbria) and on Islay (Argyll), where on the latter island, up to 9 different vagrant CANADA GEESE remain with Barnacle Geese.

In Breckland Norfolk, a BLACK-BELLIED DIPPER has started to get more reliable, showing up more frequently just north of the bridge over the River Theyt in central Thetford

A PALLAS'S LEAF WARBLER present for its third day in the old lighthouse garden at Dungeness (Kent) (with the ever-present GLAUCOUS GULL nearby on the beach) whilst in Scotland, the EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER that has no plans to leave still lingers in the Rose bushes within the lower car park at Kilminning (Fife Ness, Fife).

Up to 6,000 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS remain in Britain, still largely in northern England and Scotland - the largest single gathering of which being the flock of 1,000 or so birds in the Kyle of Lochalshe and Kyleakin areas (Highland).

A few snippets from IRELAND where the 5 COMMON CRANES and at least one juvenile NORTHERN HARRIER remain at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford), the female SURF SCOTER and VELVET SCOTER offshore at Glenbeigh (Co. Kerry) and pair of SURF SCOTERS at Gowlane, a RICHARD'S PIPIT in stubble fields near Forgotten Corner (Tacumshin), a SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF for a second day in Churchtown (Tacumshin), the adult FORSTER'S TERN in Galway Harbour (Co. Galway) and a LESSER SCAUP (one of three recent birds) near Castlegregory (Co. Kerry) at Lough Gill.