News Summary

News Summary 2 December 2009

In IRELAND, a very late first-winter WILSON'S PHALAROPE was discovered yesterday feeding on the grassy spit between the hide and the car park at Inch Island Lake, Lough Swilly (County Donegal), whilst in SCOTLAND, continuing Nearctic waders include a juvenile BAIRD'S SANDPIPER in Whitesands Bay, Barns Ness and an adult LESSER YELLOWLEGS on the estuary by the main wooden footbridge by the car park at Aberlady Bay (both birds in Lothian). All aforementioned SPOTTED SANDPIPERS were seen, with a partially spotted adult in Clyde and juveniles in Essex, Hampshire and South Devon.

The strong Northerly winds displaced a few LITTLE AUKS including 10 past Spurn Point (East Yorks) and the odd bird in North Norfolk and North Kent, with displaced GREY PHALAROPES at Pennington Marsh Butts Lagoon (Hants) and Amberley Wild Brooks (Sussex). A long-staying juvenile SABINE'S GULL survives on St Mary's (Scilly).

A drake FERRUGINOUS DUCK is new in and showing well on the main lake at Pugney's Country Park (West Yorks) with the drake RING-NECKED DUCK still on Foxcote Reservoir (North Bucks) and NORTH AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEALS at Cley NWT (Norfolk) and on Porthellick Pool, St Mary's (Scilly).

A late YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER was seen briefly yesterday at Maesteg (South Wales) and at least 1 PENDULINE TIT remains by the Hanson Hide at Dungeness ARC Pit (Kent). Two EUROPEAN SERINS remain at the west end of Rainham Marsh RSPB (London) and a juvenile ROSE-COLOURED STARLING in Pembroke Dock (Pembs).

The first two TUNDRA BEAN GEESE arrived at North Warren RSPB (Suffolk), with TAIGA BEAN GEESE in the Yare Valley at Cantley (Norfolk) now numbering 40. A further 266 are on winter territory at Luckenburn Farm, near Slamannan (Central Region). A single white morph adult GREATER SNOW GOOSE remains in North Norfolk.

GREAT WHITE EGRETS to be found include the long-staying bird at Denge Marsh (Kent), one of two at Lakenheath/Hockwold Fens (Suffolk), Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancs) and at Pitsford Reservoir (Northants), whilst CATTLE EGRETS include two still at Pennington Marshes (Hants) and one by the entrance track at Dungeness (Kent). The latter site also hosts two first-winter GLOSSY IBISES still.

The unsettled weather continues to displace divers inland with a BLACK-THROATED on Farmoor (Oxon) last night and up to 27 predominantly juvenile GREAT NORTHERNS scattered widely across the country.