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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Tuesday 19th October 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of both a Grey-cheeked Thrush and a Red-flanked Bluetail on St Martin's, Isles of Scilly. Elsewhere around the archipelago was a Subalpine Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, two Richard's Pipits and five Lapland Buntings.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Green Heron still in Cornwall, Red-eyed Vireo, House Crow and American Golden Plover all in County Cork, American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford, Red-flanked Bluetail, King Eider and two Northern Long-tailed Tits in Suffolk, Baird's Sandpiper in Essex, Wilson's Phalarope in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Oxfordshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Waterford, American Golden Plover and a brief Black Kite in Devon and Ferruginous Ducks in Somerset (2) and West Yorkshire.

Scarcities included seven Rough-legged Buzzards across five counties, three Pallas's Warblers (Cornwall and Norfolk), two Red-breasted Flycatchers (Devon and Norfolk), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Cornwall), Rose-coloured Starling (East Sussex), Serin (Kent), Spotted Crake (Somerset) and Common Rosefinch (Cornwall).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 18th October 2010  
  Discovery of the day was Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, which flew over Sharpenhoe Clappers early this afternoon. On Lundy (Devon) a Red-flanked Bluetail was trapped and ringed.

Lingering passerines included Steppe Grey Shrike in Aberdeenshire, Northern Long-tailed Tits and Red-flanked Bluetail in Suffolk, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Co Waterford, and House Crow in Co Cork, rare waders comprised American Golden Plovers in Co Cork and Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Oxfordshire and Baird's Sandpiper in Essex and wildfowl included King Eider in Suffolk and Ferruginous Ducks in Suffolk and Somerset.

In Cornwall the Green Heron lingered at Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Isles of Scilly produced Subalpine Warbler, Little Bunting, American Golden Plover and Red-eyed Vireo.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 17th October 2010  
  New rarities came in the form of Red-flanked Bluetails in Norfolk and Suffolk, Red-throated Pipits on Shetland, London, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall and Cheshire, a couple of Northern Long-tailed Tits in Suffolk, Glossy Ibis in Devon and a Lesser Yellowlegs was reported in the West Midlands.

Lingering rarities included Green Heron in Cornwall, Steppe Grey Shrike in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Oxfordshire, Baird's Sandpiper in Essex, Red-eyed Vireo, Subalpine Warbler and Radde's Warbler on Isles of Scilly. Wilson's Phalarope in Kent, Squacco Heron in Pembrokeshire, Dusky Warbler in North Yorkshire, King Eider in Suffolk, American Golden Plover in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire and Blyth's Reed Warbler, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll and Little Bunting on Fair Isle.

In Ireland a Buff-bellied Pipit was discovered in Co Waterford (where a Long-billed Dowitcher remained), the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper lingered in Co Dublin and an American Golden Plover, Red-eyed Vireo and House Crow were in Co Cork.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 16th October 2010  
  A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was an excellent find at the Rogerstown Estuary in County Louth but, surprisingly, two of today's other headline birds were seabirds - Fea's Petrels - reported past North Ronaldsay in the Orkneys and Flamborough Head in Yorkshire, and with only two and a half hours between the sightings, they must have been different individuals. Also on Orkney a Black-throated Thrush was found on Mainland. New Red-flanked Bluetails were found at St.Abb's in Aberdeenshire and on Fair Isle in the Shetlands. A Radde's Warbler was reported on Gugh in the Scillies, and a Lesser Scaup was found at Loch Ryan in Dumrfries and Galloway.

The Hermit Thrush remained on Barra in the Western Isles and other lingering rarities included the Green Heron in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Oxfordshire, Baird's Sandpiper in Essex, Squacco Heron in Pembrokeshire and Red-eyed Vireo and Subalpine Warbler in the Scillies. The Steppe Grey Shrike was relocated at Loch of Strathbeg in Aberdeenshire and there was a King Eider on Fair Isle, which had been found yesterday as well as the lingering Blyth's Reed Warbler. A few Waxwings have been noted along the east coast and in the Northern Isles in the last couple of days.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 15th October 2010  
  New rarities found today were as follows: in Shetland a Red-flanked Bluetail at Troswick on Mainland; in Norfolk a Red-throated Pipit and a Little Bunting at Stiffkey; in Dorset a Red-throated Pipit at Portland; on Scilly a Subalpine Warbler at Kitty Down on St.Mary's and in Carmarthenshire a White-rumped Sandpiper at Kidwelly Quay. There were also new American Golden Plovers on the Western Isles and at Dawlish in Devon, plus a Lesser Yellowlegs in County Cork and a Glossy Ibis in Northumberland.

On the Western Isles the Hermit Thrush remained on Barra, with other popular lingering rarities including the Solitary Sandpiper in Devon, the Lesser Yellowlegs in Oxfordshire, the Green Heron in Cornwall and the Dusky Warbler in Northumberland.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Thursday 14th October 2010  
  A Hermit Thrush on Barra, Western Isles was discovered at Castlebay, where it remained all afternoon. A Steppe Grey Shrike was at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire, and single Red-eyed Vireos were at Firkeel, County Cork and on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly. Other new arrivals single Red-throated Pipits in Yorkshire, Cleveland, County Cork and Cornwall (2), Lesser Yellowlegs at Port Meadow, Oxfordshire and a Red-breasted Goose at Martin Mere WWT, Lancashire.

Shetland highlights included a Red-flanked Bluetail at Kergord, Olive-backed Pipit on Unst and Radde's Warbler at Toab, along with Daurian Shrike, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Coues's Arctic Redpoll, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Little Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling, Short-toed Lark, two Great Grey Shrikes, Red-breasted Flycatcher, five Yellow-browed Warblers, Barred Warbler and three Little Auks. Scilly highlights included Red-eyed Vireo, Subalpine Warbler, American Golden Plover, Tawny Pipit, two Red-breasted Flycacthers, Rose-coloured Starling, Melodious Warbler, Icterine Warbler, two Wrynecks, Common Rosefinch, five Yellow-browed Warblers and a Tundra Peregrine.

Long staying rarity highlights included Solitary Sandpiper in Devon, Green Heron in Cornwall, Red-flanked Bluetail in Norfolk, Squacco Heron in Pembrokeshire and House Crow in County Cork.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 13th October 2010  
  On Scilly, an Olive-backed Pipit was present on St Mary's this evening, whilst a Red-throated Pipit was seen on Tresco mid morning. Another Red-throated Pipit was seen at Pendeen, Cornwall. Further east, a Little Bunting was at Ramsgate, Kent, and an Ortolan Bunting was at Landguard NR, Suffolk, whilst further north an American Golden Plover was at Keiss, Highland, briefly and a Coues's Arctic Redpoll and a Radde's Warbler were on Shetland. A King Eider was reported from North Ronaldsay, Orkney and a White-rumped Sandpiper was seen in County Kerry.

Lingering rarities included Myrtle Warbler in County Cork, Solitary Sandpiper in Devon, Green Heron in Cornwall, Western Black-eared Wheatear and Subalpine Warbler in Isles of Scilly, Pied Wheatear in Orkney, Squacco Heron in Pembrokeshire, Red-flanked Bluetail in Norfolk and Daurian Shrike, two Olive-backed Pipits, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll and Western Bonelli's Warbler on Shetland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 12th October 2010  
  Today's highlights on the Isles of Scilly were both Pied and Western Black-eared Wheatear, Subalpine Warbler, American Golden Plover, Little Bunting, Pectoral Sandpiper, two each of Icterine Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Common Rosefinch, four Wrynecks and five Yellow-browed Warblers. Meanwhile, on the Shetland Isles were Daurian Shrike, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Olive-backed Pipit, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll, Radde's Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Snow Goose, Short-toed Lark, Red-breasted Flycatcher, two each of Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Barred Warbler and Great Grey Shrike, three Shorelarks, five Greenland Redpolls, 10 Yellow-browed Warblers and 85 Lapland Buntings.
 
Elsewhere, rare passerines comprised, in County Cork Myrtle Warbler, American Buff-bellied Pipit, Red-eyed Vireo, Red-flanked Bluetail and House Crow, on the Western Isles two Red-eyed Vireos together, in Lincolnshire a brief Black-eared Wheatear, in Northumberland Red-flanked Bluetail, Olive-backed Pipit and Dusky Warbler, in Norfolk a Red-flanked Bluetail, in North Yorkshire a Dusky Warbler, in Hampshire two brief Penduline Tits, in Cleveland a Red-throated Pipit and in London an Ortolan Bunting flew over.
 
Other rarities included the Green Heron still in Cornwall, Solitary Sandpiper in Devon, Squacco Heron in Pembrokeshire, Baird's Sandpiper in Essex, Wilson's Phalaropes in both Norfolk and County Wicklow, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Galway, King Eider in Suffolk, single Lesser Scaups in both Dumfries and Warwickshire, Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk and Glossy Ibises in Devon, Dumfries and County Tyrone.
 
Significant late news concerned a Common Nighthawk present yesterday at Horden, County Durham but not found there today
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 11th October 2010  
  Today, on the Scilly Isles the Western Black-eared Wheatear remained as did American Golden Plover, Tawny Pipit, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Common Rosefinch, Yellow-browed Warbler, two Wrynecks, three Little Buntings and five each of both Red-breasted Flycatcher and Lapland Bunting.

On the Shetland Isles the American Buff-bellied Pipit remained alongside Blyth's Reed, Western Bonelli's, Radde's and Dusky Warblers, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll, Olive-backed Pipit, Spotted and Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Shorelark, two Common Rosefinches, three each of Barred Warbler and Great Grey Shrike, seven Greenland Redpolls, 13 Yellow-browed Warblers and 67 Lapland Buntings.

Elsewhere, Nearctic landbirds comprised a Hermit Thrush still on the Western Isles, Myrtle Warblers in both County Cork and County Galway, Bobolink again in Pembrokeshire and Red-eyed Vireos in Cleveland and the Western Isles (2). Nearctic waders included Solitary Sandpiper (Devon), Baird's Sandpiper (Essex), Lesser Yellowlegs (County Wexford) and two Wilson's Phalaropes (Norfolk and County Wicklow). Rare passerines from Eurasia comprised five Red-flanked Bluetails (Lothian, Norfolk (2), Northumberland and the Orkney Isles), Paddyfield Warbler and Red-throated Pipit (together in County Clare), Penduline Tit (Devon), two Dusky Warblers (Northumberland and North Yorkshire), Little Bunting (East Yorkshire) and either a Pied or Eastern Black-eared Wheatear on the Orkney Isles. The best of the rest included the Green Heron still in Cornwall, House Crow in County Cork, Squacco Heron in Pembrokeshire, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, King Eiders in both Moray and Suffolk, three Ferruginous Ducks together in Suffolk, Ross's Goose in Dumfries and Glossy Ibises in Devon (2), Dumfries, Kent (7) and County Tyrone.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 10th October 2010  
  Another Mega day produced several Mega rarities - another Hermit Thrush on South Uist, Western Isles (the Barra bird found yesterday also remained on show), another Myrtle Warbler in Ireland (this time in Co Galway - the Co Cork bird also lingered), Isabelline Wheatear in Suffolk and Solitary Sandpiper in Devon.

New discoveries included Red-flanked Bluetail in Cleveland, Dusky Warblers in Northumberland and Cleveland, Red-throated Pipits in Co Cork (2), Isles of Scilly and Essex, Black-throated Thrush, Ortolan Bunting and Citrine Wagtail on Shetland, Paddyfield Warbler in Co Clare, Radde's Warbler in East Yorkshire and Northumberland, Olive-backed Pipit on Fair Isle, Red-eyed Vireo on Western Isles, Squacco Heron in Pembrokeshire, Black Kite in Kent, Daurian Shrike in Lincolnshire, Pied Wheatear on Orkney, three Little Buntings on Isles of Scilly and Black Kite in Co Donegal.

Lingering rarities included Black-eared Wheatear on Isles of Scilly, Red-flanked Bluetail in Northumberland, Olive-backed Pipit and Wilson's Phalarope in Norfolk, Baird's Sandpiper in Essex and Green Heron in Cornwall.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA