Daily News Summaries
This page gives you access to all of RBA's daily news summaries (since April 13, 2006), 10 days at a time. The most recent are shown, or you can select a specific date to show (along with the previous 10 days). Prior to April 13, 2006 you can find weekly reviews, located in articles.
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Friday 7th October 2011  
  The identification of the Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly was finally confirmed today, with the bird remaining at Lower Moors, St Mary's.

Apart from a Glossy Ibis in Suffolk and a Lesser Scaup in Shetland, all the new rarities discovered today were nearctic waders. New Long-billed Dowitchers were at Caerlaverock WWT, Dumfries and Galloway, Lochlea, Ayrshire and Davidstow Airfield, Cornwall, White-rumped Sandpipers were at Fenham Flats, Northumberland, Black Rock Strand, County Kerry and West Gerinish, Western Isles, American Golden Plovers were on Tiree, Argyll, Hillwell, Shetland and Loch Stiapabhat, Western Isles and a Semipalmated Sandpiper was at Black Rock Strand, County Kerry.

Lingering Megas included Northern Waterthrush and Least Sandpiper in the Isles of Scilly, Semipalmated Plover in County Kerry and Sandhill Crane in Suffolk (until it flew south).
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 6th October 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Sandhill Crane in Suffolk at Boyton. Other rarities included the Pallid Harrier in Somerset, American Black Tern in Lincolnshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in East Sussex and the Orkney Isles, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll, three Black Kites together in Cornwall, Ferruginous Ducks in both Berkshire and Somerset, and 23 Glossy Ibises: 17 in County Cork, three in Dorset and singles in Cornwall, Kent and Isle of Wight.

Nearctic waders comprised Semipalmated Plover (County Kerry), Solitary Sandpiper (Lancashire and Isles of Scilly), Least Sandpiper (Isles of Scilly), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Western Isles (2), County Cork, County Wexford (2), Cornwall, Essex and County Mayo), Spotted Sandpiper (County Cork, Devon, Somerset), Long-billed Dowitcher (Carmarthenshire and Moray), Lesser Yellowlegs (Cornwall, Moray, Isles of Scilly and Western Isles), American Golden Plover (County Mayo, Isles of Scilly, Shetland Isles and Western Isles), White-rumped Sandpiper (County Wexford and Highland), five Buff-breasted Sandpipers and 18 Pectoral Sandpipers.

Otherwise, on the Isles of Scilly the Northern Waterthrush remained alongside Subalpine Warbler, Black Kite, 2 Short-toed Larks, Honey Buzzard and Yellow-browed Warbler. On the Shetland Isles a Daurian Shrike was discovered, as well as a Pallid Harrier, Olive-backed Pipit, Citrine Wagtail, three Little Buntings, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Short-toed Lark, two Common Rosefinches, Barred Warbler, Lapland Bunting and 15 Yellow-browed Warblers.
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 5th October 2011  
  Few new rarities were discovered today, with two Long-billed Dowitchers together at East Chevington NWT, Northumberland being the most noteworthy. Elsewhere, two Glossy Ibises flew over Boyton Marshes RSPB, Suffolk, a Spotted Sandpiper was at Lehid, County Kerry and a second Semipalmated Sandpiper arrived at Ardivachar, Western Isles.

Lingering rarities included the Sandhill Crane in Suffolk, Semipalmated Plover in County Kerry, Northern Waterthrush, Solitary Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, two Lesser Yellowlegs' and a Black Kite in Isles of Scilly, Solitary Sandpiper in Lancashire, Isabelline Shrike, Black-headed Bunting, Pallid Harrier, two Olive-backed Pipits, two Little Buntings and a Citrine Wagtail in Shetland and Subalpine Warbler and Blyth's Reed Warbler in County Cork. Also seen were 24 Glossy Ibises in five counties, three Long-billed Dowitchers and three Spotted Sandpipers.
Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 2nd October 2011  
  The wandering adult Sandhill Crane arrived in East Anglia today, choosing Suffolk to call home for the day. Initially seen over Kessingland late morning, it spent a few minutes at North Warren RSPB, before frustrating those en-route by flying off south. Thankfully, it was relocated nearby, and was still present at dusk at Boyton Marshes RSPB. Further north, the first Solitary Sandpiper for north-west England was discovered near Garstang by an RBA team member. This bird also remained in-situ until dusk.

Other discoveries today were headlined by an Isabelline Shrike in Shetland, which proved popular with the ever increasing numbers of birders on the archipelago. At least two Olive-backed Pipits were also new in Shetland, with other arrivals including a Red-eyed Vireo, a Subalpine Warbler and two Glossy Ibises in County Cork, a Long-billed Dowitcher in Moray, a Pallid Swift in Yorkshire, single Little Buntings in Scilly and Western Isles, Tawny Pipit in Cornwall and two White-rumped Sandpipers in County Kerry.

Other rarity highlights today included the Semipalmated Plover and Least Sandpiper in County Kerry, Northern Waterthrush in Scilly, American Black Tern in Lincolnshire, Black-headed Bunting, Alpine Swift and Citrine Wagtail in Shetland, single Long-billed Dowitchers in Lincolnshire, Carmarthenshire and Clyde and also seven Glossy Ibises, seven Semipalmated Sandpipers, four Lesser Yellowlegs, four Pallid Harriers and two Spotted Sandpipers.
Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 28th September 2011  
  In Shetland, a Black-headed Bunting was found on Unst, 2 Pallid Harriers were together on Mainland and lingering rarities included Lesser Grey Shrike and Coue's Arctic Redpoll on Mainland, Little Bunting on Whalsay and Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle.

Other Pallid Harriers included a new bird at Black Down in Somerset and singles on Mainland Orkney, North Ronaldsay and in West Sussex.

The Semi-palmated Plover remained at Ventry in County Kerry with other American waders in Ireland totalling: 1 Least Sandpiper; 4 Semi-palmated Sandpipers; 4 White-rumped Sandpipers; 1 Pectoral Sandpiper; 2 American Golden Plovers and 27 Buff-breasted Sandpipers (including 22 together at Tacumshin in County Wexford).

On Scilly there was an Aquatic Warbler on St.Agnes, a Black Kite over Bryher and Tresco, as well as the lingering Northern Waterthrush, Solitary Sandpiper, Ortolan Bunting and Lesser Yellowlegs on St.Mary's and the American Golden Plover on St.Martins.

A Baird's Sandpiper put in a brief appearance at Saltholme in Cleveland, a Ferruginous Duck was found at Pitsford Reservoir in Northamptonshire and other lingering rarities included Semi-palmated Sandpipers in Devon, Hampshire, Gloucestershire and Aberdeenshire; Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Somerset; Long-billed Dowitchers in Cornwall and Clyde; American Black Tern in Lincolnshire and a Red-eyed Vireo and 2 American Golden Plovers on Barra in the Western Isles.
Pete Hayman, RBA
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