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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Thursday 29th July 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Franklin's Gull in Staffordshire at Chasewater. Lingering rarities elsewhere comprised the House Finch still in Devon, Whiskered Tern in Cleveland, Laughing Gull in County Antrim and Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk. In Cumbria a probable Semipalmated Sandpiper at Port Carlisle remained distant throughout.

Scarcities included two Surf Scoters (together in Aberdeenshire), two Caspian Gulls (Bedfordshire and Leicestershire), Purple Heron (Kent), Cattle Egret (Staffordshire) and Pectoral Sandpiper (Cornwall).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 28th July 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of both a Whiskered Tern and a White-rumped Sandpiper together in Cleveland at Saltholme, although the former flew off during the evening.

A Wilson's Petrel was again located off the Isles of Scilly, with lingering rarities elsewhere comprising the Glossy Ibis in County Wexford and the Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, and scarcities including three Caspian Gulls, two Pectoral Sandpipers, a White-spotted Bluethroat (Norfolk) and Cattle Egret (Staffordshire), whilst in Kent both the Purple Herons and a Great White Egret remained at Denge Marsh.

Significant late news concerned the continued presence of the House Finch in Devon at East Prawle, the Laughing Gull in County Antrim and a Black Stork recently seen in flight at North Molton, Devon.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 27th July 2010  
  The seventh King Eider for Norfolk was found at Sheringham mid morning, lingering offshore all day between here and West Runton. It is likely that this is the same individual seen in Yorkshire recently.

The only other rarities seen today were the Glossy Ibis at Tacumshin, County Wexford, and Ferruginous Duck at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk.

Scarcity highlights included Sabine's Gull in Warwickshire, Purple Herons in Kent and Northamptonshire, Cattle Egret in Staffordshire and good numbers off Balearic Shearwaters, Roseate Terns and Spoonbills.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 26th July 2010  
  An American Golden Plover on Oronsay (Argyll) was today's best new discovery. Elsewhere a Wilson's Petrel was logged from a pelagic off Isles of Scilly, a Laughing Gull remained in Co Antrim, and Cattle Egrets were still in Staffordshire (at Doxey Marshes) and Essex (at Vange Marshes).

In Kent the Great White Egret and Purple Herons remained at Dungeness RSPB, a Surf Scoter lingered in Angus and a Ring-necked Duck was still in Fife.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 25th July 2010  
  Highlights came in the form of a Melodious Warbler on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd), Purple Herons at Summer Leys NR (Northamptonshire) and Sandwich Bay (Kent), and Cattle Egrets at Doxey Marshes (Staffordshire) and Vange Marshes/Wat Tyler Country Park (Essex).

Lingering rarities included Little Bitterns in Somerset, King Eider in North Yorkshire and American Herring Gull in Co Kerry, whilst two Pectoral Sandpipers remained in Norfolk, a juvenile Caspian Gull was still in Devon, both Purple Heron and Great White Egret continued to show at Dungeness RSPB (Kent) and in Angus a Surf Scoter lingered in Lunan Bay.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 24th July 2010  
  In London, a belated report concerned an adult Whiskered Tern, seen on the outfall at Cross Ness LNR early morning before flying east.

In Staffordshire, the adult Franklin's Gull reappeared at Chasewater briefly, before flying east, and the worn first-summer American Herring Gull was still at Blennerville, County Kerry. The King Eider remained off Filey, North Yorkshire, and another possible Yelkouan Shearwater flew past Gwennap Head, Cornwall.

Scarcity highlights included Common Rosefinch on Fair Isle, Shetland, White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk, Grey Phalarope on Lewis, Western Isles, two Ring-necked Ducks in Fife, Purple Heron in Kent, Great White Egrets in Kent and Somerset, Pectoral Sandpipers in Norfolk (2) and Northamptonshire and Caspian Gull in Devon.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 23rd July 2010  
  Lingering rarities included the King Eider in North Yorkshire, American Herring Gull in Co Kerry, Glossy Ibis in Co Wexford and Laughing Gull in Co Antrim whilst in Norfolk a probable Wilson's Petrel was observed off Sheringham and Cley.

In Somerset a couple of sightings of a juvenile Little Bittern at Ham Wall RSPB confirmed that the species has successfully bred in Britain for the first time since 1984,  when a pair raised three young at Potteric Carr YWT (South Yorkshire).

In Angus a Surf Scoter was in Lunan Bay, a Pectoral Sandpiper was at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) and in Kent at least one Purple Heron and the Great White Egret lingered at Dungeness RSPB.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 22nd July 2010  
  In County Kerry, the adult Terek Sandpiper remained at Blennerville, with other lingering rarities including female Little Bittern at Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset and King Eider at Filey, North Yorkshire. A Wilson's Petrel was seen from this evening's Scilly pelagic.

There was no sign of either the White-tailed Plover at Dungeness, Kent or the adult Franklin's Gull at Chasewater, Staffordshire.

Scarcity highlights included a new Pectoral Sandpiper at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk, with another still nearby at Welney WWT. Seabirds included a Cory's Shearwater in Northumberland, Long-tailed Skua in Yorkshire, Grey Phalarope in Pembrokeshire, Roseate Terns in Northumberland (8) and Cornwall (3) and 15 Balearic Shearwaters in three counties. Spoonbills remained on Scilly, in Aberdeenshire (4) and in Norfolk (14), both Purple Heron and Great White Egret continued their stay at Dungeness, Kent and a Red-necked Phalarope was at Loch Barvas, Lewis.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 21st July 2010  
  Lingering rarities again provided the highlights, with the White-tailed Plover still in Kent, Franklin's Gull in Staffordshire, Terek Sandpiper in County Kerry and King Eider in North Yorkshire.

Scarcities included a Purple Heron and Great White Egret together in Kent, a Great White Egret in Nottinghamshire, Pectoral Sandpiper in Norfolk and single Caspian Gulls in both Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 20th July 2010  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the White-tailed Plover in Kent, Franklin's Gull in Staffordshire, Terek Sandpiper in County Kerry and King Eider in North Yorkshire.

Scarcities included two Surf Scoters (together in Aberdeenshire), two Great White Egrets, a Spotted Crake in East Yorkshire, Purple Heron in Kent, Pectoral Sandpiper in Norfolk and Cory's Shearwater briefly off Cleveland.
-  Chris Batty, RBA