Friday 13 July 2012

Midsummer doldrums

Little going on it seems, although the weather remains unsettled with continuous localised flash flooding....


In Greater London, a gorgeous adult male RED-BACKED SHRIKE continues for a fourth day north of Heathrow Airport at Lake Farm Country Park just south of Hayes. It is frequenting a small patch of bushes 100 yards NE of the car park in Dawley Road.

Returning rare waders include an adult WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at Frampton Marsh RSPB (North Lincs) and an adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER at the north end of Cresswell Pond (Northumberland)

In North Norfolk, a GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK remains on Blakeney Point, frequenting the base of the Yankee Ridge area, a 50 minute walk west from Cley Coastguards, whilst in Suffolk, the female EUROPEAN SERIN continues to tease vsitors at Landgaurd Nature Reserve (but generally disappears after 0700 hours).

A great local bird, a male MONTAGU'S HARRIER, is still being regularly seen in Lancashire, where it remains ESE of Slaidburn at Champion Moor.

Minsmere RSPB has a GLOSSY IBIS still present on the South Levels

BALEARIC SHEARWATERS are currently a daily event at Portland Bill (Dorset), whilst at least 3 WILSON'S STORM PETRELS were seen from a Scilly pelagic yesterday evening.

In Ireland, the only recent reports are of at least 1 GLOSSY IBIS still at Tacumshin (County Wexford) and another at Timoleague (County Cork) and a BLACK STORK that flew over Ballyvaughan towards Black Head (County Clare)