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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Wednesday 6th August 2008  
  The Two-barred Crossbill invasion continued today. On Shetland a flock of nine were on Fair Isle (along with an Icterine Warbler), six visited Sumburgh Head (where both Melodious Warbler and Red-backed Shrike were also on show) and another was on Fetlar. On Orkney two were located on North Ronaldsay, where a Pacific Golden Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper were also present. The White-billed Diver reappeared off South Ronaldsay.

In Cornwall a Spotted Sandpiper was found on the Camel Estuary, on Tiree a Lesser Grey Shrike was seen briefly and in Ayrshire a Buff-breasted Sandpiper arrived at Doonfoot. The female Lesser Grey Shrike was still in Dorset this evening.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 5th August 2008  
  On Shetland a Pallid Swift at Sumburgh Head, Mainland showed well into the evening, adding itself to only a handful of August records. Elsewhere on the archipelago Two-barred Crossbills were noted on Fair Isle and Unst.

Much further south the Lesser Grey Shrike was still in Dorset and in Co Meath two Glossy Ibises flew over Ardcath. Lingering wildfowl included the Hooded Merganser in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Clyde and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. Pectoral Sandpipers remained at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk and Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 4th August 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the first Aquatic Warbler of the autumn, found in the Shetland Isles, at Skaw on Unst. Elsewhere, a Caspian Tern flew past Formby Point, Merseyside and a White-rumped Sandpiper showed briefly at Cley, Norfolk.

Lingering rarities comprised both the Lesser Grey Shrike and Hooded Merganser still in Dorset and the Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

A Two-barred Crossbill present on St Kilda, Western Isles had first been seen alongside a Snowy Owl yesterday! Other late reports included another Two-barred Crossbill on Stronsay, Orkney Isles, a brief Pacific Golden Plover on Havergate Island, Suffolk and the Bonaparte's Gull still in County Kerry.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 3rd August 2008  
  Once again the highlight of the day was the Lesser Grey Shrike at Middlebere Heath, Dorset. Other lingering rarities included a Two-barred Crossbill on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Golden Plover on the Orkney Isles, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland and Hooded Merganser in Dorset. A Wilson's Petrel was again seen off the Isles of Scilly.

Migrant waders continue to be seen throughout the country, most notably Curlew Sandpipers (39 in five counties) and Wood Sandpipers (25 in twelve counties).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 2nd August 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Lesser Grey Shrike at Middlebere Heath, Dorset - only the fifth county record and the first since 1989. Elsewhere, a Citrine Wagtail was found on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles and new rare waders comprised a Baird's Sandpiper at Ballycotton, County Cork, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Spurn, East Yorkshire and a brief Pacific Golden Plover at Aberlday Bay, Lothian.

Lingering rarities included a Two-barred Crossbill on the Shetland Isles, the Pacific Golden Plover on the Orkney Isles, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Hooded Merganser in Dorset.

Seabird headlines were stolen by a Wilson's Petrel and four Cory's Shearwaters from a pelagic off the Scilly Isles but over 100 Cory's Shearwaters and five Great Shearwaters were seen from land in County Cork, a Great Shearwater passed Kent and 33 Balearic Shearwaters were reported from nine counties.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 1st August 2008  
  Four Two-barred Crossbills are present on Fair Isle, Shetland, with another bird still at Finstown, Orkney. The adult summer Pacific Golden Plover remains with the Golden Plover flock on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, and, nearby, a Bee-eater was present for a few minutes on Shapinsay.

Further south, the adult summer White-rumped Sandpiper is still on the Wyre Estuary, Lancashire. A possible Yelkouan Shearwater was seen off Pendeen Watch and Sennen Cove, Cornwall this morning, together with large numbers of Cory's Shearwaters, and smaller numbers of Balearic Shearwaters and Great Shearwaters.

The drake Ferruginous Duck was seen again at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, and a Great White Egret was in Kent, at Reculver Marshes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 31st July 2008  
  Just two Two-barred Crossbills were reported today, with one remaining at Esha Ness lighthouse, Shetland, and another still at Queenamidda, Orkney. Also on Orkney, the adult Pacific Golden Plover reappeared on North Ronaldsay.

A Black Stork was watched for a few minutes as it circled over Cramlington, Northumberland, and then drifted south. A Black Kite was seen to fly north-east over Rainham Marshes RSPB, London and the Glossy Ibis was seen again in Yorkshire, this time over Holmfirth before flying south.

An adult White-rumped Sandpiper was found this evening at Skippool Creek, Lancashire, and an Alpine Swift lingered at Kilcoole, County Wicklow for twenty minutes early afternoon. Late news involved a Fea's Petrel in County Galway, which was photographed from a fishing boat off Slyne Head last Monday.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 30th July 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the continued arrival of Two-barred Crossbills in the northern isles. Today four were seen on the Shetland Isles - singles on Mainland at both East Voe of Scalloway and Esha Ness and two on Fair Isle - and three were seen on the Orkney Isles; all on the Mainland at Finstown, Rendall and Stenness.

A Bonaparte's Gull was discovered in County Kerry at Castlemaine with other new finds including an American Golden Plover at Elmley Marshes, Kent and a Cattle Egret at Earls Barton, Northamptonshire.

In southwest Britain and Ireland productive seawatching took place with Cory's Shearwater counts including site maximums of 710 off Cornwall, 205 off Devon, 53 off County Cork and five off the Isles of Scilly. Great Shearwaters comprised 25 off Cornwall, five off County Cork and three off Devon whilst a Sabine's Gull was seen off Cornwall.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 29th July 2008  
  A Mediterranean shearwater, thought most likely to be a Yelkouan Shearwater was observed for twenty minutes alongside a Balearic Shearwater off Berry Head, Devon this morning. Given the difficulty in separating Yelkouan Shearwater from both Manx and Balearic Shearwaters, prolonged views and sufficient photographic evidence will no doubt be required to add this species to the British List. Elsewhere on the south coast, Cory's Shearwaters were observed in decent numbers - totals included 205 past Porthgwarra, Cornwall, 61 past St Agnes, Isles of Scilly and 52 past Galley Head, Co Cork. A few Great Shearwaters were also mixed in with the Cory's movement.

Two more Two-barred Crossbills arrived on Mainland Orkney, and in Shetland the female remained in situ in Sandgarth. Back on Orkney, a Bee-eater was watched in Stromness and the Pacific Golden Plover continued its stay on North Ronaldsay. A new Pectoral Sandpiper was at Hanningfield Reservoir, Essex, whilst another remained at Holland Haven Country Park, also in Essex and others were still in Cumbria and Norfolk

News from Spurn related to the successful breeding of a pair of Marsh Warblers, which raised at least three young this summer.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 28th July 2008  
  Four Two-barred Crossbills were discovered on the Northern Isles - two on Fair Isle, one on Mainland Shetland and another on Mainland Orkney. A White-rumped Sandpiper arrived at Cresswell Pond NWT, Northumberland and in Oxfordshire two Bee-eaters flew south over Oxford.

A possible Booted Eagle was observed flying east over Christchurch, Dorset and lingering rarities included Pacific Golden Plover on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Lesser Scaup at Balgray Reservoir, Clyde, Hooded Merganser in Weymouth, Dorset and Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset. Another Ferruginous Duck was reported at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire.

At Spurn Point a Marsh Warbler was located, a Pectoral Sandpiper was found at Titchwell RSPB and elsewhere Pectoral Sandpipers remained at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, Holland Haven Country Park, Essex and Port Carlisle, Cumbria.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA