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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Monday 9th November 2009  
  A Dusky Warbler on St Mary's (Isles of Scilly) was today's best new discovery, but headline lingering rarities comprised Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent, Brown Shrike in Surrey, Wilson's Phalarope in Gloucestershire, Baird's Sandpiper in Lothian and Dusky Warbler in Suffolk. At least six Glossy Ibises, four Great White Egrets and a Cattle Egret were recorded.

In Ireland both Red-throated Pipit and Bluethroat remained at Ballycotton (Co Cork).

Rose-coloured Starlings were logged in Oxfordshire and Cornwall, the Bluethroat remained in Perth & Kinross and a Wryneck was trapped on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 8th November 2009  
  During a day of several false starts, real new rarities included a Red-rumped Swallow at Udale Bay, Highland and a Red-throated Pipit at Ballycotton, County Cork. New Great White Egrets were in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Lancashire. The Wilson's Phalarope was seen a couple of times at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire, but only remained on view for short periods. The Dusky Warbler in Suffolk was equally difficult today, proving very elusive in the scrub north of Warrenhouse Wood.

Lingering rarities included the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Baird's Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Richardson's Canada Goose in County Sligo and single American Golden Plovers in Norfolk and County Down.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 7th November 2009  
  A Wilson's Phalarope at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire was a rather surprising find, being just the third November record ever, with the only other winter record being the Cleveland individual on 9th January 2005. A Baird's Sandpiper in Lothian was slightly less unexpected, as were new Great White Egrets in Devon and Suffolk.

Long staying rarities still present today included the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Oxfordshire, Dusky Warbler in Suffolk, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian. A Pallas's Warbler was on Harris, Western Isles and a Red-breasted Flycatcher was at Seaford Head, Sussex.

Yesterday, a probable Taiga Flycatcher was seen near St Just, Cornwall, but there was no sign of it today, despite extensive searching.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 6th November 2009  
  In Kent the Fan-tailed Warbler continued its current stint of performing well at Pegwell Bay and in Surrey the Brown Shrike was still on show at Staines Moor. An American Golden Plover visited Cley NWT (Norfolk), the Dusky Warbler remained at Gunton Warren (Suffolk) and in Lothian the Lesser Yellowlegs was still present at Aberlady Bay.

Six Great White Egrets, five Glossy Ibises and three Cattle Egrets were logged, American Golden Plovers lingered in Cornwall and Co Down and the best of the rest included Short-toed Lark (East Yorkshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (Dorset), Dotterel (Cambridgeshire) and a flock of 25 Waxwings in Cleveland.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 5th November 2009  
  An Olive-backed Pipit at Flamborough Head (East Yorkshire) and Dusky Warbler on Whalsay (Shetland) were today's star discoveries.

In Kent the Fan-tailed Warbler lingered at Pegwell Bay Country Park and in nearby Surrey the Brown Shrike was still on show. Suffolk continued to host the Dusky Warbler at Gunton Warren and both Lesser Yellowlegs and Red-rumped Swallow remained at Aberlady, Lothian.

Up to seven Great White Egrets, five Glossy Ibises and three Cattle Egrets were recorded and in Ireland the American Buff-bellied Pipit was seen again at Clahane Strand, Co Clare.

Best of the rest included Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Oxfordshire, Rose-coloured Starling on Orkney, American Wigeon in Dumfries & Galloway and Bluethroat on Shetland.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 4th November 2009  
  Southeast England continued to host the long-staying Brown Shrike in Surrey and Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent, whilst the main new discovery concerned an Olive-backed Pipit on Mainland Shetland.

Lingering rarities comprised Dusky Warbler in Suffolk and both Red-rumped Swallow and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian. Five Great White Egrets were also recorded (including three together in Lancashire) but just one Cattle Egret (in Cornwall) was logged.

In Ireland Co Galway produced a new American Golden Plover.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 3rd November 2009  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Red-rumped Swallow at Aberlady, Lothian.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Brown Shrike still in Surrey, Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent, Radde's Warbler in Cornwall, Dusky Warbler in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, American Golden Plover in Cornwall, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Oxfordshire and Great White Egrets in both Kent and Lincolnshire.

Scarcities included seven Lapland Buntings, five Green-winged Teals, two each of Ring-necked Duck, Yellow-browed Warbler and Little Auk and single Rough-legged Buzzard (County Durham), Pectoral Sandpiper (Nottinghamshire), Sabine's Gull (Northumberland), Great Grey Shrike (Powys) and Black Brant (Dorset).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 2nd November 2009  
  Newly discovered rarities today were a Dusky Warbler in Suffolk at Gunton, an American Golden Plover in Cornwall at Dozmary Pool and a Taverner's Canada Goose on Islay, Argyll.

Lingering rarities comprised the Brown Shrike still in Surrey, Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent, Olive-backed Pipit on the Isles of Scilly, Radde's Warbler in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Oxfordshire, Glossy Ibises in Somerset (3) and West Sussex (2) and Great White Egrets in Kent, Lancashire (3) and Suffolk.

Scarcities included five each of Yellow-browed Warbler and Lapland Bunting, three Great Grey Shrikes, two each of Ring-necked Duck, Sabine's Gull, Ring-billed Gull and Shorelark and single Short-toed Lark (Orkney Isles), Barred Warbler and Richard's Pipit (both Aberdeenshire), Long-tailed Skua (Cornwall), Little Auk (Isles of Scilly), Green-winged Teal (Norfolk) and Black Brant (Dorset).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 1st November 2009  
  The Brown Shrike remained in Surrey, as did the Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent, Forster's Tern between County Dublin and County Meath, Olive-backed Pipit on the Isles of Scilly, Radde's Warbler and Greenish Warbler in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, American Golden Plover in County Down, Glossy Ibises in Somerset (5) and County Wexford, two Cattle Egrets in Somerset and Great White Egrets in Essex, Lancashire (3) and Suffolk.

Scarcities included six Yellow-browed Warblers, five Shorelarks, four Bluethroats, three Ring-necked Ducks, two each of Short-toed Lark, Richard's Pipit and Great Grey Shrike and single Little Bunting (East Yorkshire), Ring-billed Gull (Derbyshire), Lapland Bunting (West Sussex), Black Brant (County Sligo), Sabine's Gull and Green-winged Teal (Northumberland).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 31st October 2009  
  A Swainson's Thrush showed well all day at Old Head of Kinsale, County Cork, although the news didn't reach a wider audience until late this evening. Two Olive-backed Pipits were found at opposite ends of the country, one on the Isles of Scilly and the other on Shetland, with a Blue-winged Teal also on the latter. Single Red-rumped Swallows were at Thorpeness, Suffolk and Helvick Head, County Waterford, and a Radde's Warbler was trapped at Abbotsbury Swannery, Dorset.

The Greenish Warbler remained at Church Cove, Cornwall (its identity proven by sonograms), with other lingering rarities including Brown Shrike in Surrey, Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Oxfordshire, Pied Wheatear in Fife, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Radde's Warbler in Cornwall, American Golden Plover in County Cork, single Long-billed Dowitchers in Lancashire and Cheshire and Glossy Ibises in Kent (2), Sussex (3) and County Wexford.
-  Will Soar, RBA