The Friday Review

Well we have had some torrential rain in recent days, with parts of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Wales being hit the hardest; the Environment Agency has no less than 112 flood warnings in operation and huge areas of the west country are under water.. Gale force winds accompanied the rain too, causing structural damage and numerous fallen trees in their wake.


Both LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS remain in situ: at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucs) and Alkborough Flats (North Lincs) respectively, as do the two LESSER YELLOWLEGS - on the Wildfowler's Pool at the end of Railway Crossing Lane at Aldcliff Marshes (Lancs) and in Ernesettle Creek, Plymouth (South Devon), whilst a GREY PHALAROPE was this afternoon on the Yeo Estuary, Clevedon (Avon) in the Blake's Pool vicinity. In Staffordshire, a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER is at Drayton Bassett GP.

Rare wildfowl include drake Ring-necked Ducks at Chew Valley Lake (Avon), Eyebrook Reservoir (Leics), Helston Loe Pool (Cornwall) and on St John's Loch (Caithness), 3 drake Surf Scoters still offshore of Llandulas (Conwy), the drake American Wigeon still at Wintersett Reservoir (West Yorks) and the adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE at Farlington Marsh Deeps (Hants).

No less than 20 Great White Egrets are wintering in the UK, including 4 at Dungeness RSPB (Kent) with the GLOSSY IBIS still surviving at Marloes Mere (Pembs)

Freshwater displacements include a first-year Red-necked Grebe on Queen Mother Reservoir (Berkshire), Slavonian Grebes at Priory Country Park, Bedford (Beds) and Thorpe Park (Surrey), Great Northern Divers at Chasewater (Staffs), Chelmarsh Reservoir (Salop) and Blithfield Reservoir (Staffs).

Still perhaps 5,000 Bohemian Waxwings in the UK, sizeable flocks including 600 on the south side of Ullapool (Sutherland), 400+ on Skye (Highland), 80 in Aberdeen, 64 in Broome Road, Dumfries (D & G), 60 still by the entrance to Bielside Gardens, West Barns (Lothian), 86 in Milner St, Warrington (Cheshire), 180 on Arnott Crescent, Hulme (Gtr Manchester), 55 in Lenton (Notts), at least 200 in Denbigh (Clwyd), 52 in Birkenhead (Cheshire), 50 at Fairburn Ings RSPB (West Yorks), 380+ in Sheffield (South Yorks) and 200 in Hunslet (West Yorks).

Wintering Great Grey Shrikes include singles on Cannock Chase (Staffs), Thursley Common (Surrey), Beaulieu Road Station, New Forest (Hants), Morden Bog (Dorset), Santon Warren (Suffolk), Therfield Heath (Herts) and near Colchester at Hardy's Green (TL 942 234) (Essex)

A RICHARD'S PIPIT was seen briefly at Long Nanny Burn (Northumberland) with just wintering SHORE LARK at Gramborough Hill, Salthouse (Norfolk) whilst up to 8 HORNEMANN'S ARCTIC REDPOLLS remain on Unst (Shetland). In West Cornwall, a first-winter SUBALPINE WARBLER remains in suburban gardens in St Just - generally at the rear of 41 Princess Street, whilst in Scotland, the EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER at Kilminning (Fife) was last reported on 20 November.

In IRELAND, 12 Waxwings are at the Albert Bridge Road/Short Strand junction in Belfast (County Antrim), with a further 55 at the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Clondalkin, Dublin (County Dublin).

A BLUE-WINGED TEAL is at Ballylongford, with the long-staying GLOSSY IBIS at Timoleague (County Cork).