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 13th August 2008  
  The highlight of the day was a Wilson's Phalarope at Grindon Lough, Northumberland. First seen yesterday - but only identified today - the bird remained into the evening. Elsewhere, a Baird's Sandpiper was discovered in the Western Isles on South Uist and a Thrush Nightingale arrived on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles.

Lingering rarities comprised the Black Stork in County Durham, Cattle Egret in Norfolk, American Golden Plover in Kent, White-winged Black Tern in Highland and Hooded Merganser in Dorset.

Single Rose-coloured Starlings were found in both Highland and Argyll, with a Short-toed Lark remaining in the latter.

Good seawatching was available with Bridges of Ross, County Clare producing the second Fea's Petrel of the autumn and Pendeen Watch, Cornwall recording shearwater tallies of 11 Great, 16 Cory's and 27 Balearic.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 12th August 2008  
  Headline rarities today included nine Two-barred Crossbills on Shetland (eight on Fair Isle, one on Fetlar), the Black Stork in Co Durham, Lesser Grey Shrike in Dorset, White-winged Black Tern in London and the White-billed Diver on Orkney. A Cattle Egret dropped into Cley NWT, Norfolk and lingering wildfowl came in the form of Lesser Scaup in Clyde, Hooded Merganser in Dorset and King Eider in Wexford.

A Short-toed Lark was a tremendous find on Tiree, Argyll.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 11th August 2008  
  White-winged Black Terns arrived at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire and Inverness, Highland and in London another White-winged Black Tern was present at Thamesmead for its second day. On the Western Isles a female Red-footed Falcon was reported on Harris, the juvenile Black Stork continued to commute between Northumberland and Co Durham and in Dorset both the Lesser Grey Shrike and Hooded Merganser were still in situ. On Orkney a Two-barred Crossbill was still on North Ronaldsay and the White-billed Diver continued to linger off South Ronaldsay. In Kent the American Golden Plover made another appearance at Elmley Marshes RSPB.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 10th August 2008  
  New rarities discovered today comprised a Citrine Wagtail on the Orkney Isles at Stenness and a Cattle Egret in Poole Harbour, Dorset. The juvenile Black Stork seen yesterday in County Durham crossed the county boundary into Northumberland where it showed well during the afternoon at Throckley.

Lingering rarities included three Two-barred Crossbills on the Shetland Isles, Lesser Grey Shrike and Hooded Merganser in Dorset, White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles, Lesser Scaup in Clyde, American Golden Plover in Kent, King Eider in County Wexford and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

The Scillonian III pelagic trip off the Isles of Scilly produced a brief Wilson's Petrel, two Grey Phalaropes, two Great, four Cory's and a single Sooty Shearwater and an estimated 400 Storm Petrels.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 9th August 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the juvenile Black Stork at Greenside, County Durham. Present and showing well from early morning until mid afternoon when it was seen to fly northeast; locals suggest the bird has been present in the area for around a week and so it may well return.

Elsewhere, Two-barred Crossbills continued to arrive on the Shetland Isles with at least eighteen together at Sumburgh Head, nine juveniles on Fair Isle and a single juvenile on Yell.

Lingering rarities comprised the Lesser Grey Shrike and Hooded Merganser in Dorset, American Golden Plover in Kent, White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles, King Eider in County Wexford and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

A Red-footed Falcon was seen briefly in Highland at Glen Moriston, a Sabine's Gull showed well in Lancashire at Heysham as did the Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Doonfoot, Ayrshire and the Melodious Warbler at Sumburgh Head, Shetland Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 8th August 2008  
  Two-barred Crossbills continued to arrive on Shetland, with thirteen now present at Sumburgh Head, and a further juvenile on North Ronaldsay, Orkney. Another male was reported from Harris, Western Isles, comprising just the second record of the influx away from the Northern Isles.

A juvenile Black Stork was found this evening, near Blaydon, County Durham, and was present until dusk, when it went to roost. A moulting adult White-winged Black Tern was seen at Slapton Ley, Devon.

Lingering rarities included the Lesser Grey Shrike in Dorset, White-billed Diver and Citrine Wagtail on Orkney and an American Golden Plover in Kent.

Scarcities included a Tawny Pipit on Blakeney Point, Norfolk, with Sabine's Gull, Long-tailed Skua and Balearic Shearwater in the same county. Another Long-tailed Skua was seen in County Durham, with other Sabine's Gulls in Cleveland and North Yorkshire. A Barred Warbler was on Inner Farne, Northumberland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 7th August 2008  
  The Two-barred Crossbill tally continues to rise - nine were still on Fair Isle, at least eight were on Mainland Shetland and four visited South Ronaldsay, Orkney. An adult White-winged Black Tern commuted between Seaforth LWT and Crosby Marine Park, Merseyside, the American Golden Plover briefly reappeared at Elmley Marshes RSPB, Kent and the Lesser Grey Shrike and Hooded Merganser in Dorset, King Eider in Co Wexford, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and White-billed Diver in Orkney were all still available.

The Buff-breasted Sandpiper continued to show well at Doonfoot, Ayrshire and an Icterine Warbler was trapped at Landguard NR, Suffolk. A juvenile Red-backed Shrike was on the Farne Islands, Northumberland for its second day and the Melodious Warbler continued to show on Mainland Shetland
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
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