Rarity news from ICELAND

Iceland's 3rd (and first twitchable) PIED-BILLED GREBE was found in NE Iceland yesterday and today the 4th SOLITARY SANDPIPER (and first since 1995) was also in the NE. More remarkable in my opinion is the first Icelandic breeding record of Bohemian Waxwing - a pair with four fledged young is at Mývatn (per Edward)

First SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER for ICELAND

See images here at http://www.flickr.com/photos/omarrun/with/5956224606/

Bird was discovered yesterday - 19 July

Long-standing BROWN FISH OWL nest-site is blown by holiday-makers

See http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=41512

This pair of Brown Fish Owls have been in residence for some time but only now since photographs have emerged been confirmed as this species......

Presumed escape BLUE GROSBEAK in Norway

This female-type Blue Grosbeak was recently discovered on the small island of Store Faerder in Norway - http://birding.blogg.no/1310747327_pictures_of_the_blue_.html

The bill size appears to suggest that it is one of the South American sedentary races of Blue Grosbeak rendering it a likely escape from captivity

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL at Varanger, NORWAY

Today, Danish birder and former rarities commitee member, mr. Henrik Haaning Nielsen saw an adult GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL at Kiberg, Varanger,Norway.

Vi ses snart på Verdens Ende på Grenen!

DK500Club ornitolog, Rolf Christensen, Hvidefyrvej 4, DK-9990 Skagen, Danmark

French BOOBY still present but is it moribund?

The adult RED-FOOTED BOOBY is still on Sainte-Croix lake in S France today Monday 4 July. The lake is 80 km NE of Marseille and 90 km NW of Nice, the two closest international airports. This morning the bird was sitting on a pedalo / paddleboat next to the entrance of the Verdon gorges, around 43.801 / 6.247, so probably visible from the bridge over the Verdon on the road D957 between Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and Les Salles-sur-Verdon.

One additional piece of info: the bird is feeding alone BUT is said to be so tame that it was possible to catch it by hand (despite being in good physical condition apparently). What this means, I have no idea. The species is reputedly very tame on the breeding grounds and the last year's Spanish bird was certainly very tame also, so whether this excludes a natural origin or not, we don't know. The bird is unringed but obviously should be searched for PIT tags (which is planned for the near future) (per Pierre Crochet)

RED-FOOTED BOOBY in France again

Following last year's remarkable events, an adult RED-FOOTED BOOBY spent all day yesterday inland at Lac de Saine Croix in the Alpes-de-Hautes provence.

Elsewhere, the immature YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON continues to survive in Funchal Harbour on Madeira