APRIL 16th: UK FIRST RECORDS: 🥇
AMERICAN COOT
Fulica americana americana
A probable 1st summer was found at Stodmarsh, Kent on April 16th 1996 where it lingered for fourteen days and was last seen on April 29th (30th).
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A 1st summer American Coot in Kent at Stodmarsh in 1996 - ©Alan Tate, many thanks. 👍🏻
Marsh Sandpiper in Hampshire on Normandy Marsh, Lymington in 2024 - ©Gareth Rees, many thanks. 👍🏻
Pallid Swift on the Isles-of-Scilly at Porth Hellick, St Mary's in 2013 - ©Ashley Fisher, many thanks. 👍🏻
APRIL 16th: 🧾
Good morning! 🖐🏻👋🏻
There were thirty-five (35)) accepted records on this day including one UK first... 😃
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Woodchat still at Hendra this afternoon #cornwallbirding #RareBirdsuk
Black-throated Thrush still at Maysheil in the Lammermuirs, East Lothian, late morning today. Favouring the sheep field to the north, opposite the farm entrance and the trees next to the road. @aberladybirder.bsky.social @annesinc.bsky.social #birdinglothian #birdingscotland #rarebirdsuk
A 1st winter American Herring Gull in Suffolk at Great Livermere in 2017 - ©Nick Moran, many thanks. 👍🏻
A male Ferruginous Duck in Leicestershire on Stanford Reservoir in 2024 - ©Chris Hubbard, many thanks. 👍🏻
A 1st summer Great Spotted Cuckoo in Glamorgan at Cwm Cadlan, Penderyn in 2015 - ©Richard Smith, many thanks. 👍🏻
APRIL 15th: 🧾
Good morning! 🖐🏻👋🏻
There were twenty-seven (27) accepted records on this day... 😃
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Myrescough Quarry this morning, 1st win Bonaparte's gull still. Wing flap part of video slowed to make it easier to see the underwing pattern. #LancsBirding #UKBirding #RarebirdsUK
APRIL 14th: UK FIRST RECORDS: 🥇
OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT
Anthus hodgsoni yunnanensis
One was processed on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire on April 14th 1948.
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An adult Ancient Murrelet in N. Devon on Lundy in 1991 - ©Unknown. 🤷🏻♂️
A 1st winter Great Blue Heron on the Isles-of-Scilly at Lower Moors, St Mary's in 2015 - ©Ashley Fisher, many thanks. 👍🏻
A 1st summer male Western Subalpine Warbler in Dorset at Wallsend, Portland in 2024 - ©Mike Kirby, many thanks. 👍🏻
APRIL 14th: 🧾
Good morning! 🖐🏻👋🏻
There were thirty-eight (38) accepted records on this day including one UK first... 😃
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APRIL 13th: BRITISH LIST UPDATES: 🆕
BONAPARTE'S GULL
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
The BBRC has announced that Bonaparte's Gull is no longer considered a description species.
The British List remains at 636 species (A = 619; B = 7; C = 10).
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An Iberian Wagtail on the Isles-of-Scilly at Little Porth, St Mary's in 2022 - ©Martin Goodey, many thanks. 👍🏻
Pallid Swift on the Isles-of-Scilly at Porth Hellick, St Mary's in 2024 - ©Martin Goodey, many thanks. 👍🏻
A male Western Subalpine Warbler in Dorset at Portland Bill in 2017 - ©David Stone, many thanks. 👍🏻
APRIL 13th: 🧾
Good morning! 🖐🏻👋🏻
There were thirty-five (35) accepted records on this day... 😃
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Fabulous views of the long-staying but sometimes elusive North American Bonaparte's Gull at various sites around Lerwick over the last few days. The ninth record for Shetland.
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A male Kentish Plover in Norfolk on Cley Marsh in 2022 - ©Mike Edgecombe, many thanks. 👍🏻
A juvenile Pallid Harrier in S. Gloucestershire near Shirehill Bridge in the Shire Valley in 2016 - ©Martyn Hayes, many thanks.👍🏻
APRIL 12th: 🧾
Good morning! 🖐🏻👋🏻
There were thirty-one (31) accepted records on this day... 😃
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I was really excited when I found the adult Bonaparte's on a chilly Saturday at Swanpool. It's still really clear in the mind & I remember that, with a less than extensive grapevine in my notebook at the time (I was pretty new on the scene as a rabid teenager out as often as school work and parents would allow!) it was a struggle to spread news. After speaking to Richard Crossley (who was a couple of years above me at Okehampton Comprehensive) I ended up calling a local "Corn" ~ an arch suppressor of the time & very much one of the notorious old guard of Cornish birders who *really* didn't like sharing anything much ~ who gruffly thanked me for the information and ended by saying "we don't spread news here"... A few months after submitting, I got the Mike Rogers handwritten postcode advising me of the acceptance with a nice note from Peter Grant complimenting me on my notes. I never forgot that... Very happy times.
The last Bonaparte's Gull I saw as an official rarity was last September when one of our regular trips to Sandwich took in the superb long-returning adult at Oare Marshes. Just like that moulting adult in 1983, I really enjoyed this quality Nearctic vagrant.
There's been a fair bit of chat about BBRC removing Bonaparte's Gull from the official rarity list. I guess the time had come...I've got a real soft spot for them, the 2nd BB rare I found, 43 years ago when I was a proper kid birder😱 - shame they spelt my name wrong!
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Two for the price of one; very often, the large shearwaters have been interlinked in my birding career, so why not?
collapsedbirder.blogspot.com?m=0
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APRIL 11th: UK FIRST RECORDS: 🥇
SAVANNAH SPARROW
Passerculus sandwichensis
One spent six days on Portland Bill, Dorset from April 11th - 16th 1982.
It was processed and photographed on April 12th and identified as Ipswich Sparrow - P. s. princeps.
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A male Blue Rock Thrush in Powys in the Elan Valley in 2007 - ©Dr Stephen Bridgman, many thanks. 👍🏻
Crag Martin in E. Yorkshire at Flamborough Head/ Thornwick Bay in 2014 - ©Andrew Hood, many thanks. 👍🏻
Short-toed Treecreeper in Kent at Dungeness in 2018 - ©Martin Casemore, many thanks. 👍🏻
APRIL 11th: 🧾
Good morning! 🖐🏻👋🏻
There were thirty-four (34) accepted records on this day including one UK first... 😃
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Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) I managed to get over to Boldon flats, Co Durham this afternoon to see this class bird, just a canny distance away. #UKbirding #NEbirding #RarebirdsUK #birds #Birdguides
APRIL 10th: UK FIRST RECORDS: 🥇
BAROLO SHEARWATER
Puffinus baroli
A male was found expired near Earsham, Norfolk on or around this date in 1858 and is now at The Castle Museum, Norwich.
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An adult Black Stork in Hampshire in the Linwood area, New Forest in 2011 - ©Robert Keen, many thanks. 👍🏻
A 1st summer male Balearic Woodchat Shrike in Cornwall at Windmill Farm NR in 2010 - ©Steve Bury, many thanks. 👍🏻
An adult male Pallid Harrier in Kent at South Swale in 2016 - ©Richard Jones, many thanks. 👍🏻
APRIL 10th: 🧾
Good morning! 🖐🏻👋🏻
There were thirty-one (31) accepted records on this day including one UK first... 😃
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#rarebirdsUK
#UKbirding
An adult male Rock Thrush from Little Arthur Farm, St Martin's, Isles-of-Scilly in 2017 - ©Brian Harrison, many thanks. 👍🏻
Tawny Pipit on St Mary's GC, Isles-of-Scilly in 2023 - ©Kris Webb, many thanks. 👍🏻
An adult White-tailed Lapwing in Norfolk on Ken Hill Marsh in 2022 - ©Ian Williams, many thanks. 👍🏻
APRIL 9th: 🧾
Good morning! 🖐🏻👋🏻
There were thirty-four (34) accepted records on this day... 😃
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A Marsh Sandpiper less than half a marathon from home provided a nice opportunity after work today.
Thou shalt not grumble too much about heat haze.
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An adult Baltic Gull in Dorset at West Bexington in 2023 - ©Mike Morse, many thanks. 👍🏻
A 1st winter Northern Mockingbird in W. Sussex at Pulborough in 2021 - ©Matt Eade, many thanks. 👍🏻
A 1st winter female Two-barred Crossbill in Nottinghamshire from Sherwood Forest in 2021 - ©Trevor Woodland, many thanks. 👍🏻
APRIL 8th: 🧾
Good morning! 🖐🏻👋🏻
There were twenty-eight (28) accepted records on this day... 😃
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