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 18th August 2010  
  A juvenile Aquatic Warbler was trapped and ringed at Teifi Marshes NR, Ceredigion this morning, which was, amazingly, the second record for the site within three days. One was also reported at Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset, before being downgraded to a possible. An Arctic Warbler was discovered at Haroldswick, Unst, Shetland.

Another Wilson's Petrel was seen from a Scilly pelagic this evening. The male Lesser Grey Shrike remained at Kelling, Norfolk, for its second day, as did the Whiskered Tern in Cleveland.

Scarcity highlights included seven Great Shearwaters, six Red-backed Shrikes, four Honey Buzzards, three each of Spotted Crake, Wryneck and Great White Egret, two each of Barred Warbler, Dotterel and Cattle Egret, and single Icterine Warbler, Purple Heron, Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-tailed Skua, Pomarine Skua and White-winged Black Tern.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 17th August 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Lesser Grey Shrike in Norfolk at Kelling Quags. Found during the afternoon, the bird lingered into the evening and showed well.

Lingering rarities comprised the Sykes's Warbler still on the Shetland Isles (but disappointingly the individual in Northumberland was not seen today), the House Finch still in Devon, Whiskered Tern in Cleveland, Glossy Ibis in County Wexford and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

Scarcities included five Great Shearwaters (off Cornwall and County Clare), three each of Surf Scoter (together in Aberdeenshire), Red-backed Shrike and Great White Egret, two each of White-winged Black Tern (East Yorkshire and London), Icterine Warbler, Cattle Egret and Spotted Crake and single White-spotted Bluethroat (Norfolk), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (County Clare), Ring-billed Gull (Lancashire) and Caspian Gull (Lincolnshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 16th August 2010  
  In Northumberland, the Sykes's Warbler remained at Druridge Bay all day, showing very well this afternoon and into the evening. Amazingly, another was discovered today, this time on Shetland, representing the second for Unst and the sixth record for the archipelago.

Two juvenile Aquatic Warblers were found today, both in mist nets, in Devon and Ceredigion. In Ireland, the returning drake Black Duck was once again on Achill Island, County Mayo, whilst lingering rarities included Whiskered Tern in Cleveland, Lesser Yellowlegs' in Cheshire and Isles of Scilly, Glossy Ibis in County Wexford and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

Scarcity totals were highlighted by two Spotted Crakes, two Buff-breasted Sandpipers, four Red-backed Shrikes, two Cattle Egrets, three Great White Egrets, and single Dotterel, Purple Heron, White-winged Black Tern, Ring-billed Gull and Ring-necked Duck.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 15th August 2010  
  A Sykes's Warbler was discovered this afternoon at Druridge Bay in Northumberland, but it's identity was not confirmed until this evening. If it is still present tomorrow it will undoubtedly prove very popular. Elsewhere on the east coast a Citrine Wagtail was found this morning at Spurn but it did not remain for long. In Cornwall tantalisingly brief views were had of a possible Audouin's Gull near Padstow. Two White-winged Black Terns were discovered today: one at Hornsea Mere in Yorkshire and one at Dungeness in Kent. The latter site also boasted a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Cattle Egret, a Great White Egret and at least one Purple Heron. Other lingering rarities included the Whiskered Tern in Cleveland, Glossy Ibises in County Wexford and in Hampshire (although only seen briefly this morning), the Lesser Yellowlegs on Scilly (which has moved to Tresco) and the Snowy Owl in County Mayo.

Spotted Crakes were in Kent and County Durham and scarce migrants along the east coast included: 3 Barred Warblers, 5 Icterine Warblers, 3 Red-backed Shrikes and a Wryneck.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Saturday 14th August 2010  
  The first big movement of autumn migrants occurred today, with, predictably, the east coast faring the best. The headline bird was a Thrush Nightingale on the Farne Islands, Northumberland, followed closely by an Ortolan Bunting at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire and a Greenish Warbler at Wells, Norfolk. Further north, an Arctic Warbler was on Fair Isle, Shetland.

A Blue-winged Teal was at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, Cambridgeshire this evening, and a Glossy Ibis was seen briefly at Keyhaven, Hampshire. Lingering rarities included Whiskered Tern in Cleveland and Glossy Ibis in County Wexford.

Scarcities included at least four Icterine Warblers, three Red-backed Shrikes, two Barred Warblers, five Wrynecks, a Purple Heron and a Spotted Crake.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 13th August 2010  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Whiskered Tern in Cleveland, a mobile Glossy Ibis in Dorset, the Laughing Gull in County Antrim and a Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk.

Scarcities included three Great White Egrets, two Cattle Egrets, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Norfolk), Spotted Crake (Kent), Ring-necked Duck (Fife) and Caspian Gull (Nottinghamshire). Seawatching highlights included single Long-tailed Skuas off each of East Yorkshire, County Durham and Northumberland, a Cory's Shearwater passing Norfolk and two Sabine's Gulls seen from County Mayo. Scarce drift migrants comprised an Icterine Warbler in Norfolk and a Wryneck in Cleveland.

Significant late news from Ireland concerned a Wilson's Petrel seen yesterday off County Galway and an Azorean Yellow-legged Gull present last Sunday in County Kerry at Bennerville.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 12th August 2010  
  The highlight of the day was reappearance of the female Snowy Owl on Tarmon Hill, County Mayo for it's fifth successive autumn. In previous years it has first been recorded between 26th August and 9th September and has remained until as late as the 13th October.

Elsewhere, rarities comprised the Pacific Golden Plover still on the Western Isles, the Whiskered Tern still in Cleveland, Laughing Gull in County Antrim, Lesser Yellowlegs in both Cheshire and the Isles of Scilly, Greenish Warbler on the Orkney Isles and single Glossy Ibis in both Dorset and County Wexford.

Scarcities included four Surf Scoters (together in Aberdeenshire), two Great White Egrets, Sabine's Gull, Long-tailed Skua, Purple Heron, Spotted Crake and Cattle Egret (the last three all in Kent).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 11th August 2010  
  A quieter day today, with rarity highlights including Greenish Warbler at Sumburgh, Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs on St Agnes, Scilly, Pacific Golden Plover on South Uist, Western Isles, American Herring Gull at Blennerville, County Kerry and Glossy Ibis at Tacumshin, County Wexford.

Scarcities recorded today included Spotted Crake in Kent, Dotterel in Yorkshire, Icterine Warbler on Shetland, Pectoral Sandpipers in Northumberland and Norfolk and Ring-necked Duck in Fife.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 10th August 2010  
  Early autumn rarities continued to arrive today, with a Greenish Warbler at Sumburgh, Shetland, and another for its second day at Finstown, Orkney. An Icterine Warbler was on Yell, Shetland, a Spotted Crake was at Grove Ferry, Kent and a Dotterel was near Aldbrough, Yorkshire.

Two Wilson's Petrels were seen from a pelagic off County Kerry, and late news concerned a report of a King Eider north of Winterton, Norfolk yesterday. Lingering rarities included Baird's Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Lesser Yellowlegs on the Isles of Scilly, White-rumped Sandpiper and Whiskered Tern in Cleveland and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

Scarce seabirds included 14 Great Shearwaters, four Cory's Shearwaters, three Long-tailed Skuas, a Pomarine Skua and a Sabine's Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 9th August 2010  
  All today's new rarities were Nearctic waders - a White-rumped Sandpiper at South Gare (Cleveland), Lesser Yellowlegs on St Agnes (Isles of Scilly) and a possible Semipalmated Sandpiper at Blacktoft Sands RSPB (East Yorkshire). In Nottinghamshire the Baird's Sandpiper lingered at Lound.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities included Whiskered Tern in Cleveland, American Herring Gull in Co Kerry, Pacific Golden Plover on Western Isles and a probable Greenish Warbler was on Mainland Orkney.

A Wilson's Petrel was logged from an Isles of Scilly pelagic, a juvenile Kentish Plover joined a high tide wader roost at Seasalter (Kent), Melodious Warblers were on Farne Islands (Northumberland) and Portland (Dorset), two Purple Herons and a Great White Egret lingered at Dungeness (Kent) and Great White Egrets were also seen in Somerset (2) and Cornwall. A Spotted Crake was briefly at Dorman's Pool (Cleveland).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA