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.

Choose a starting date
Monday 6th August 2007  
  Wales produced the majority of the action today - a Roller on The Gower, Glamorgan, was present for its fifth day, the Black Stork reappeared on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey and a Gull-billed Tern remained on the Dovey Estuary, Ceredigion.

Another Black Stork flew over Liddington, Wiltshire early in the afternoon and a Great White Egret was flushed from Coalhouse Fort, Essex. Lingering rarities included the Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Bonaparte's Gull on Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Co Clare and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. An evening pelagic off Isles of Scilly scored three Wilson's Petrels.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 5th August 2007  
  The highlights of the day were the relocation of both the Oxfordshire Marsh Sandpiper (now at Farmoor Reservoir) and the Ceredigion Gull-billed Tern (see at Ynyslas) along with the reappearance of the Hudsonian Whimbrel on Walney Island, Cumbria.

Otherwise, a White-winged Black Tern was discovered at East Chevington, Northumberland in the evening and brief encounters included Wilson's Petrels off the Isles of Scilly, Pembrokeshire and Co Clare, an Alpine Swift in Flintshire and both Red-footed Falcon and Black Kite in Kent.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present included the Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Laughing Gull in Devon, Squacco Heron in Co Derry, Spotted Sandpiper in Co Clare, Bonaparte's Gull on Western Isles, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and the Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 4th August 2007  
  The highlight of the day was a juvenile Marsh Sandpiper at Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The bird frequented a flooded field from late morning until late in the evening and constituted the first county record. In Co Clare a wader-double was formed by a Spotted Sandpiper at Doonbeg complementing the Long-billed Dowitcher at Shannon Airport.

The Black Stork remained on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey whilst other popular long-staying rarities included the Glossy Ibis at Marshside Merseyside and Black Kite at Nocton Heath Lincolnshire; a further Black Kite was reported briefly at three locations in Kent.

Elsewhere, the Squacco Heron remained at Lough Beg, Co Derry as did the Bonaparte's Gull at South Uist, Western Isles and the Laughing Gull was seen again on the Exe Estuay, Devon.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 3rd August 2007  
  A report of a White-throated Needletail near St Helens at Carr Mill Dam in Merseyside would have been the undoubted highlight of the day, if not the year, had it remained long enough to be confirmed and enjoyed by the masses. A Gull-billed Tern which put in a brief appearance on the rising tide on the Dovey Estuary at Ynys-hir RSPB was a potential first for Ceredigion; it later transpired the bird was also seen briefly on Thursday's rising tide and Welsh birders will be hoping for a repeat performance tomorrow. An adult Bonaparte's Gull which showed briefly at Whitburn, County Durham may well have been a returning bird present in the Northeast from September to November last year. Likewise a first-summer Laughing Gull in Exmouth, Devon was almost certainly the bird last seen just upriver at Topsham on June 10th.

Remaining rarities including the Redhead still reported from Kenfig Pool in Glamorgan, Black Stork on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey, Black Kite reported still present at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis at Marshide RSPB in Merseyside, Bonaparte's Gull at Ardvule on South Uist, Western Isles and Long-billed Dowitcher at Shannon Airport Lagoon, County Clare. Among the best of the scarcities was a good passage of 51 Balearic Shearwaters past Porthgwarra, Cornwall and a smattering of Pectoral Sandpipers, Spoonbills, Ring-necked Ducks and Montagu's Harriers.  There was no sign of the controversial warbler believed to have been an Eastern Olivaceous or Sykes's Warbler in Manchester's Chinatown.
-  Andy Symes, RBA
Thursday 2nd August 2007  
  The major talking point of the day was the identification of an elusive warbler in the Chinatown district of Manchester city centre, Greater Manchester. Believed in the field to be either an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler or Sykes's Warbler it is hoped that the true identification can be ascertained from photographs. Another identification headache remained in Glamorgan in the form of the reported Redhead still present at Kenfig Pool.

Three Black Kites comprised the long-staying individual at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire and singles seen in flight at South Gare, Cleveland and Paignton, Devon.

Otherwise, the Black Stork remained on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey as did the Long-billed Dowitcher at Shannon Airport Lagoon, Co Clare. Five Kentish Plovers were found, one at Kenfig, Glamorgan and four together at Ferrybridge, Dorset.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 1st August 2007  
  The Black Stork continued to show on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey, throughout most of the day but the only new rarity discovered was a Black Kite over Hauxley NR, Northumberland. The long-staying Black Kite in Lincolnshire remained at Nocton Fen whilst in Merseyside the Glossy Ibis was still at Marshside RSPB.

Otherwise, it was quiet on the rarity front, apart from an unconfirmed report of a Redhead at Kenfig Pool NNR, Glamorgan.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 31st July 2007  
  The highlight of the day was a Black Stork on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey. Discovered in the early morning, the bird remained on show until dusk to the delight of many. Perhaps the same Black Stork had been seen on Thursday in Wiltshire and on Sunday near Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Elsewhere, a White-rumped Sandpiper briefly joined a Pectoral Sandpiper at Thorganby Ings, North Yorkshire, a Wilson's Petrel showed from an evening pelagic off the Isles of Scilly and four Glossy Ibises were seen in flight over Southport, Merseyside.

The Roller was seen again briefly at Usk Reservoir, Carmarthenshire and the White-rumped Sandpiper reappeared on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire whilst more obliging lingering rarities included the Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cumbria and Bonaparte's Gull on the Western Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 30th July 2007  
  The main items of news today involved the sighting of an adult Gull-billed Tern past Eccles, Norfolk, a Cattle Egret at Dungeness, Kent and in Powys, the Roller made another brief appearance at Usk Reservoir, near the Carmarthenshire border.

Long-stayers included the Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Black Kite in Lincolnshire, whilst a Cattle Egret was also still in Suffolk, at North Warren RSPB.

A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was located amongst a Dunlin flock at Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire and in North Yorkshire a Pectoral Sandpiper was at Thorganby Ings. On Orkney a Buff-breasted Sandpiper remained on North Ronaldsay.

Late news related to the report of a Black Stork over Berrington Pool, Shropshire, on Sunday, and on Saturday, a Long-billed Dowitcher returned to Shannon Airport Lagoon, Co Clare.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 29th July 2007  
  This evening's pelagic from the Isles of Scilly did not visit the same area that produced last night's Madeiran Petrel, and, although a Wilson's Petrel was seen, many will wonder if tomorrow's trip will find the Madeiran again, as it is due to visit the same area. Also on a negative note there was no sign of yesterday's reported Eleonora's Falcon in Northamptonshire and a Roller seen early in the morning at Usk Reservoir in Carmarthenshire could not be found later in the day. An Alpine Swift over Lodmoor in Dorset in the afternoon was equally un-obliging. More obliging were new White-rumped Sandpipers found at the Ythan Estuary in Aberdeenshire and Anthorn in Cumbria.

A probable first summer male Red-footed Falcon flew over Titchfield Haven in Hampshire with another bird still present on the Isle of Wight. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was a popular find at Patrington in Yorkshire, while a Woodchat  Shrike also remained popular in Somerset. A Great White Egret was found on the Esk Estuary in Cumbria, but it did not stay long.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Saturday 28th July 2007  
  Undoubtedly the exciting news of the day comes from the pelagic run this evening from St Mary's where a Madeiran Petrel was seen at close range (c10yds) for about a minute and then amazingly it was seen at a similar range 45 minutes later, again for about a minute. A truly amazing find.

Only two new rarities were discovered today, an Alpine Swift on Portland showed well but only for a short time late morning/early afternoon and very late news of a Red-footed Falcon on  Isle of Wight.  Other lingering rarities on offer today included the long-staying Black Kite in Lincolnshire, a Cattle Egret in Suffolk, Hudsonian Whimbrel still in Cumbria and Glossy Ibis in Merseyside. There were also a possible sighting of the Lesser Yellowlegs in Lancashire but the bird was seen only very briefly, even more exciting was a possible Chimney Swift in Suffolk, but this was only seen very briefly too. There was also a very late report of a possible Eleonora's Falcon this morning in Northamptonshire.

Also worth noting today was a Woodchat Shrike in Shropshire which showed well all afternoon and a Red-necked Phalarope in North York shire. The Rose-coloured Starling remained at Land's End, as did the Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Orkney and Night Herons in West Yorkshire.
-  Keith Langdon, RBA