SAND PLOVERS

The UK400 Club/British Birding Association now considers MONGOLIAN SAND PLOVER as a separate species to both LESSER and GREATER SAND PLOVER, based largely on the original paper/fieldwork here http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2010.00635.x/abstract and many years of study by Erik Hirshfeld. Further references include Birding World 16: 377-385, 4: 399, 6: 369-372 & 6: 454-455; British Birds 93: 162-189; Dutch Birding 4: 113-130 & 5: 37-66 and in Alula 1/96: 28-33

MONGOLIAN SAND PLOVER in County Cork

Dennis O'Sullivan discovered a summer-plumaged MONGOLIAN SAND PLOVER in County Cork this evening, the bird being sighted at Pilmore Quay just prior to dusk. This could be the bird seen two Tuesday's ago at Lossiemouth Beach (Moray).....

Northumberland's BRIDLED TERN moved to the Isle of May (Fife) last night whilst on Fair Isle, a SWINHOE'S STORM PETREL was trapped and ringed overnight

Meanwhile, more TWO-BARRED CROSSBILLS continue to arrive with the tally over 25 now - most on Shetland - although a twitchable juvenile still remains on Salthouse Heath in North Norfolk

Another Day, Another Mega...

What on earth is going on......this morning a first-year ASCENSION ISLAND FRIGATEBIRD was found in Bowmore Harbour, on the island of Islay in Argyll. RSPB warden David Wood was sent/shown these images by the finders, the bird remaining until at least 0900 hours. It was looked for by John Armitage and others early afternoon but there was no further sign of it.

Panic stations set in among certain UK twitchers with one entrepid Yorkshire lister chartering a 3-seater aircraft at two grand......

The only other British record was of an immature picked up alive on Tiree (Argyll) on 8-9 July 1953 whilst there is a single record of a MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD from Salop more recently (which died in care).

John Armitage provides a little more insight here - http://birdingodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/ascension-island-frigate-bird-on-isle.html

Latest ROUND BRITAIN tour nets 208 species

My most recent ROUND BRITAIN tour from 24 May through 2 June 2013 netted a staggering 208 species of bird - a new record for a week-long period - highlights being undoubtedly the drake HARLEQUIN DUCK on North Uist and the exciteable male CAPERCAILLIE in Abernethy Forest

It was another great team effort with young Chris Birding (Bromley) joining us for the second time this year. Above, we took rare time out to dine in style

I have at least two ROUND BRITAIN TOURS planned for 2014, so if you would like to reserve a space, contact me now at LGREUK400@aol.com

Spaces still remain on this autumn's OCTOBER EXTRAVAGANZA TOURS, concentrating on twitching all of the great rares on offer, from Shetland to Scilly. If its new birds you want, then don't miss out on these limited space trips 

Booking Dates 5-12 October; 14-19 October; 21-25 October

BRIDLED TERN on Inner Farne

Three from DAVID CARR

...And three from PAUL ROWE

The adult BRIDLED TERN currently residing on Inner Farne in Northumberland - now present for its fourth day. Boats can be booked from Seahouses Harbour at a cost of £15 per person for two hours viewing. Bird is extremely erratic in its appearances though but favours roosting with Arctic Terns on rocks by the quay...