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Netfugl har været i dialog med Rare Bird Alert og har fået lov til at bringe Rare Bird Alerts ugentlige opdatering af, hvad der sker i UK på Netfugl. Det betyder, at Netfugls læsere nu regelmæssigt fremadrettet gerne skulle kunne se en nyhed med en overskrift a la følgende:

RBA weekly round-up: 13 - 19 June 2012


Bag denne overskrift vil der være en kort opdatering af højdepunkterne fra UK. Det kunne se sådan ud:

RBA weekly round-up: 13 - 19 June 2012

The week's highlights:
Little Bittern plays hide and seek in Hertfordshire
A new Black Scoter in Aberdeenshire
Roller splashes its colours in Yorkshire to 14th
First Wilson’s Petrel of the autumn off Scilly
Fair Isle’s River Warbler remains to 13th

The third week of June is always something of an in-between period, the very last of the spring migrants fading away, each one vying to be the last, whilst at the same time the very first hints of autumn start to be noted.

This year was no exception, with a tiny though steady trickle of east coast passerines doing their best to extend the season whilst definite stirrings were noted in the seabird department.

As ever, the weather dominated the events of the week, affecting both the bird headlines and those of the national news as well. With continuing depressed temperatures, yet more rain and now strong winds as well, the birds (as well as the rest of us) could have been forgiven for thinking it was already full autumn.

The week began with a cool northerly airflow and heavy cloud before a deep low pressure area crossed the country on 14th-16th bringing highly unseasonal strong winds and rain. As has been typical this spring, its track was again well to the south, ensuring a soaking for southern Britain yet better weather for at least parts of northern Scotland.

Headline birds
Although not the rarest bird, a female Little Bittern along the River Colne near Stocker’s Lake, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire was the highlight of the week. Though first noted on 10th, it was only available for visitors from 13th before disappearing once more, only to reappear on 16th and 17th. Despite playing such a hide and seek game, it nevertheless gave excellent views when it was there and the photographers should have gone home happy. This is only the eighth Little Bittern for Hertfordshire and the first since a bird at Rye Meads in May 1997.

The rarest bird of the week, however, was another (this time a first-summer male) Black Scoter in the target-rich seaduck flocks off Murcar Golf Course, Blackdog, Aberdeenshire. This is now the second for the county, following hot on the heels of the adult drake at the same site from June to October 2011. To add to the merriment, the Black Scoter shared its stretch of coast with a King Eider and four Surf Scoters. Black Scoter is still a very rare bird in Britain with only eight previous records since the first, at Gosford Bay, Lothian in 1987/88. Prior to these recent Aberdeenshire birds, the only other records this century come from Burghead (Moray), Llanfairfechan (Gwynedd) and Leighton Moss (Lancashire).

Still lingering was Yorkshire’s Roller. As if to please the photographers even more, this exquisite bird remained in and around its field at Aldbrough, Yorkshire until 14th but could not be found next day. This must count as one of the most-visited Rollers ever and certainly the one with the best pictorial record of its stay.

Right on cue, the first Wilson’s Petrel of the season was seen off St. Mary’s on 13th. Although now an expected feature of the summer/early autumn (and not even a BBRC rarity) these amazing wanderers from the southern oceans are still a thrill to imagine. They also still represent a teasing prospect for the bird-finder for away from Scilly they remain a quality prize indeed. Although we can no doubt look forward to many more in the coming weeks, the news of each one still surely gives a little frisson of excitement.

Finally, Fair Isle’s River Warbler, found on 11th, remained to 13th and so just sneaks into this week’s report as well.

Much more in the full online round-up including
Gripping photos of a female Grey Phalarope in Highland
A map plotting the extraordinary movements around Britain of a White Stork flock this spring
Little Bittern stats and facts
plus much more...




Som det ses, så afsluttes nyheden med et link til Rare Bird Alerts hjemmeside, hvor der vil være fotos, videoer, statistik og andet relevant materiale. Det kan kun anbefales at klikke på ovenstående link, hvor der bl.a. er information om det første engelske yngleforsøg af Sølvhejre (se videoen på RBAs side). En art som mange har spået kunne blive en danske yngelfugl inden længe på baggrund af de mange fugle, der årligt ses i Danmark.

Netfugl har ønsket at bringe denne ugentlige opdatering, da de ting der sker i UK ofte er en god ledetråd for, hvilke fugle der rør på sig og hvad vi danskere med lidt held måske selv kan finde i felten.

God fornøjelse!