Daily news summaries

Catch up with RBA's daily birdnews summaries. Browse ten days at a time, or choose a date to read summaries from that day backwards.

Daily summaries are available from 13 April 2006. For earlier weekly reviews, visit our articles.

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Friday 13th July 2007  
  The star find today was a Squacco Heron at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, where it remained on show throughout the day - much to the delight of local birders, as the last Suffolk record was way back in 1912!

Long-stayers included the Killdeer on Shetland and Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cumbria. A second Pectoral Sandpiper joined yesterdays lone bird at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire, whilst the singleton remained at Musselburgh Lagoons, Lothian.

Late news from yesterday related to a White-rumped Sandpiper on Inishkea Islands, Co Mayo and a report of a Black Stork in Hampshire, seen in flight over Steep Marsh.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 12th July 2007  
  A quiet day for rarities produced only the Hudsonian Whimbrel on Walney Island, Cumbria, and Glossy Ibis at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside.

In Carmarthenshire the Buff-breasted Sandpiper was at Coedbach Marsh for its second day, but was extremely elusive. A male Common Rosefinch was an excellent find on The Wirral, at Caldy, but it was only seen briefly. Elsewhere a couple of Pectoral Sandpipers were discovered, at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire and Musselburgh Lagoons, Lothian.

So, a good day for Northwest England, but a very average day for the the rest of Britain and Ireland.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 11th July 2007  
  Yet another Yellow-nosed Albatross - but again, news has reached birders after the event - and once again, the report is accompanied by crippling photos taken by a non-birder. Following the bird released off Brean Down, Somerset on 30th June and at least two birds seen in Scandinavia recently, news was released tonight of another at Manor Farm Fishing Lakes, in Manton, Lincolnshire on 3rd-4th July, where it was photographed by a local fisherman. The number of individuals involved in all the recent Western Palearctic records is open to speculation, but one thing is for certain, there may well be more out there waiting to be found - check your local reservoir, perhaps it is not quite game-over for Yellow-nosed Albatross just yet.

The best discoveries today were a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Coedbach Marsh, Carmarthenshire, Red-necked Phalarope at Cley NWT, Norfolk and Pacific Golden Plover at Tacumshin, Co Wexford.

Elsewhere, it was left to long-stayers to create the rest of the news; these included the Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cumbria and Bonaparte's Gull on Western Isles, where a Rose-coloured Starling also remained.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 10th July 2007  
  With no new rarities being found it was long-staying rarities that proved the highlights today. The Glossy Ibis appeared again at Marshside Merseyside, the Great White Egret remained by Loch Lomond Clyde as the did the Bonaparte's Gull on South Uist Western Isles. In North Yorkshire the Spotted Sandpiper was seen again at Wykeham Lakes but access to this site is being denied.

Late news concerned the Killdeer remaining at Virkie, Shetland Isles until yesterday at least, and constituting the first summer record of this species in the British Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 9th July 2007  
  The most notable discovery today was a Whiskered Tern present briefly at Machrihanish, Argyll. In Co Clare a Wilson's Petrel was seen from Bridges of Ross.

The Hudsonian Whimbrel remained on Walney Island Cumbria as did the Subalpine Warbler on Isle of May Fife, Lesser Yellowlegs at Broad Lough Co Wicklow and Bonaparate's Gull on South Uist Western Isles.

Late news from yesterday concerned a Great White Egret near Barcombe Mills, East Sussex.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 8th July 2007  
  A quiet day with highlights being several long-staying rarities. In Cumbria the Hudsonian Whimbrel was still on Walney Island as was the Subalpine Warbler on Isle of May Fife, Bonaparte's Gull on South Uist Western Isles and Great White Egret at Loch Lomond Clyde.

Balearic Shearwaters were again prominent off the English south coast with over 80 seen from Portland Bill, Dorset.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 7th July 2007  
  A quite quiet day on the rarity front today, new rarities being the belated news of the discovery of an adult Spotted Sandpiper in North Yorkshire on a private site, though there was no sign of it today.  The only other new rarities to be reported were a probable American Herring Gull in Cornwall and brief view of a possible Chimney Swift in Northumberland.

Other rarities today were the Hudsonian Whimbrel still in Cumbria, Bonaparte's Gull on South Uist, King Eider in Argyll, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co. Wicklow,  Great White Egret in Clyde and the Ferruginous Duck still in Somerset.

Sea watching in the south and west today produced a couple of Cory's Shearwaters, Sooty Shearwater, a couple of Pomarine Skuas and again good numbers of Balearic Shearwaters and Storm Petrels.
-  Keith Langdon, RBA
Friday 6th July 2007  
  Following two sightings past the Bridges of Ross on Wednesday it seems the now traditional summer Wilson's Petrel season has kicked off in style with three birds seen today from a pelagic trip south of St Agnes on the Isles of Scilly. The only other new rarity to be found today was a Lesser Yellowlegs at Broad Lough in County Wicklow, while there was also belated news of a White-rumped Sandpiper at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire on Tuesday. Elsewhere it was another quiet day with remaining rarities represented by the Hudsonian Whimbrel at Walney Island, Cumbria and single Great White Egrets at Wards Pond, Clyde and Loch Doon, Ayrshire.

Strong westerly winds created some interest for seawatchers in the south and west as small numbers of Storm Petrels were blown onshore along the coast between Dorset and Dumfries and Galloway. The peak count came from Workington harbour in Cumbria where 100 passed in one hour. The highest count of Balearic Shearwaters once again came from Portland Bill in Dorset with 20 birds seen, while a huge count of 10,000 Manx Shearwaters passed St Ives, Cornwall.
-  Andy Symes, RBA
Thursday 5th July 2007  
  There was an unconfirmed report of a White-tailed Plover in Cambridgeshire today, seen in flight between Swaffham Prior and Swaffham Bulbeck. Elsewhere, the Caspian Tern put in another appearance on The Fylde in Lancashire, this time it was seen briefly at Lytham St.Anne's, before flying off. In Norfolk, a Black Kite flew over the A149 west of Holkham in the afternoon, whilst the Hudsonian Whimbrel could still be found at at Walney Island in Cumbria.

Both of the Great White Egrets found in Scotland yesterday were still present today, one in Ayrshire and one near Loch Lomond in Clyde, and on the Isle of May, the female Subalpine Warbler remained, albeit somewhat elusively. Seawatching along western approaches continued to yield Storm Petrels in small numbers, but off Portland there were over 90 Balearic Shearwaters and 5,000 Manx Shearwaters.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Wednesday 4th July 2007  
  The highlight of the day was a Black Stork watched circling over Bough Beech Reservoir, Kent before drifting off only to be relocated briefly over Eastry. Nearby, an Alpine Swift flew over Sandwich Bay. Single Great White Egrets were found at Wards Pond, Clyde and Loch Doon, Ayrshire.

The Hudsonian Whimbrel remained on Walney Island, Cumbria and late news from Scotland concerned the continued presence of the Subalpine Warbler on the Isle of May, Fife yesterday and a Dark-eyed Junco on 23rd June at Kylesku, Highland.

Seawatchers enjoyed two Wilson's Petrels off Bridges of Ross, Co Clare whilst in southwest England 55 Cory's Shearwaters passed Porthgwarra with a further 17 seen from St Mary's, Isles of Scilly.
-  Chris Batty, RBA