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 22nd August 2013  
  The highlight of a busy day was the arrival of a Booted Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, where it joined Western Subalpine, Marsh and Barred Warblers. Rarities elsewhere included two Citrine Wagtails, Lesser Yellowlegs and Buff-breasted Sandpiper together in County Wexford, Citrine Wagtail in Conwy (at Conwy RSPB), seven Two-barred Crossbills and a White-rumped Sandpiper in Norfolk, six Two-barred Crossbills together in South Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull still in Lancashire, American Golden Plover in County Mayo, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, a flyover Black Stork in Leicestershire, a brief Alpine Swift in County Antrim, and a Marbled Duck in Cheshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Pembrokeshire), Melodious Warbler (Isles of Scilly), Icterine Warbler (both Aberdeenshire and Orkney Isles), Red-breasted Flycatcher (East Yorkshire), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Orkney Isles), Spotted Crake (Northumberland and Somerset), Red-necked Phalarope (Norfolk), Surf Scoter (Angus), Night Heron (South Yorkshire) and four Pectoral Sandpipers.

Seabirds included Fea's Petrel, Wilson's Petrel, 27 Cory's Shearwaters and 48 Great Shearwaters all at sea off County Cork, and a Sabine's Gull passing County Clare.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 21st August 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the arrival of a Semipalmated Sandpiper in County Wexford, where it joined both Lesser Yellowlegs and Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Tacumshin, with other American waders present today comprising the Wilson's Phalarope still in Highland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Carmarthenshire, Buff-breasted Sandpiper in County Clare, and single Pectoral Sandpipers in Cleveland, Cornwall, County Louth, Kent and Northumberland.

Rarities elsewhere included eight Two-barred Crossbills in South Yorkshire, with another Two-barred Crossbill in Norfolk, Citrine Wagtail and Western Subalpine Warbler together on the Shetland Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Lancashire, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.

Scarcities included Night Heron (South Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Norfolk), Spotted Crake (Somerset), Red-backed Shrike (Isles of Scilly) and Common Rosefinch (Shetland Isles). Seawatching produced Cory's Shearwater (1,107 off County Cork, 7 each off County Clare and the Isles of Scilly), Great Shearwater (290 off County Cork and 8 off County Clare), Long-tailed Skua (County Clare) and Sabine's Gull (10 off County Clare and 3 off Highland).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 20th August 2013  
  Rarities today included seven Two-barred Crossbills still together in South Yorkshire, Black Duck again in County Mayo, Bonaparte's Gull in Lancashire, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, and both Citrine Wagtail and Western Subalpine Warbler together on the Shetland Isles. American waders noted today comprised Wilson's Phalarope in Highland, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Louth, American Golden Plover in County Mayo, Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Hampshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in both Carmarthenshire and County Wexford, and single Pectoral Sandpipers in Cleveland, Kent and Northumberland.

Scarce migrants included Woodchat Shrike (Northamptonshire), Short-toed Lark and Wryneck (Isles of Scilly), Common Rosefinch (Shetland Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Norfolk), Cattle Egret (County Wexford), and Night Heron (South Yorkshire).

Seawatching highlights were a Fea's Petrel, eight Great Shearwaters and a Sabine's Gull off County Clare, 800 Cory's Shearwaters, 57 Great Shearwaters and a Long-tailed Skua off County Cork, and a Sabine's Gull passing the Western Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 19th August 2013  
  Two Lesser Yellowlegs were discovered today, one in Cornwall and another in Forth, whilst a third lingered in Carmarthenshire. Elsewhere new discoveries included a Two-barred Crossbill on Orkney and a Barolo Shearwater was reported flying past the Co Kerry coastline.

Lingering rarities included six Two-barred Crossbills in South Yorkshire, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, Citrine Wagtail on Shetland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire and Bridled Tern in Northumberland.

Four Pectoral Sandpipers, Common Rosefinch (Fair Isle), Red-necked Phalarope (Norfolk), Common Crane (Forth), Night Heron (South Yorkshire), Spotted Crake (Somerset) and Icterine Warbler (Suffolk) were also logged today.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 18th August 2013  
  In Cornwall a Red-billed Tropicbird was seen (and photographed) by a single observer off Pendeen Watch this morning.

Elsewhere a Red-footed Falcon was discovered in Lincolnshire and lingering rarities comprised Lesser Yellowlegs in Carmarthenshire, six Two-barred Crossbills in South Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Lincolnshire, Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire, Snowy Owl in Co Donegal, Citrine Wagtail in Shetland, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire and Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire.

The best of the rest included six Pectoral Sandpipers, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalarope (Norfolk), Purple Heron (Isles of Scilly) and Cattle Egret (Kent).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 17th August 2013  
  On Fair Isle (Shetland) the Swinhoe's Petrel was again trapped overnight during a Storm Petrel ringing session.

Seawatchers logged Fea's Petrels off Bridges of Ross (Co Clare) (2), Berry Head (Devon) and Galley Head (Co Cork).

On Orkney a Blue-winged Teal arrived on North Ronaldsay and on Shetland a second Citrine Wagtail joined the bird already present on Fair Isle. Elsewhere lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull in Lancashire, Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire, Snowy Owl in Co Donegal, Lesser Yellowlegs in Carmarthenshire and at least five Two-barred Crossbills in South Yorkshire.

Scarcities included Pectoral Sandpipers in Kent, Orkney and Co Wexford, two Buff-breasted Sandpipers in Co Wexford, Night Heron in South Yorkshire, Woodchat Shrike in Lincolnshire and Temminck's Stint in Kent.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 16th August 2013  
  The highlight of the day was a pale morph Booted Eagle that flew south over Donington on Bain, Lincolnshire. Later in the day, belated news was received of a pale morph Booted Eagle arriving in off the sea at Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex on 9th August. Since a pale morph Booted Eagle toured Ireland then Britain between at least 5th March 1999 and 22nd June 2000 (but was not accepted as a wild bird), an escaped dark morph Booted Eagle was taken into care in Glamorgan on 16th November 2008, and single Booted Eagles have been suspected in at least Devon (August 2001), Kent (December 2002 and September 2007), Cornwall (October 2005), Essex (May 2010), Suffolk (May and June 2010), Hampshire (June 2010), Lincolnshire (April 2011), Shetland Isles (April 2012), and Norfolk (July 2013).

In Highland a Wilson's Phalarope was new on the Isle of Syke. Lingering rarities comprised Swinhoe's Petrel and Citrine Wagtail on the Shetland Isles, Bridled Tern in Northumberland, seven Two-barred Crossbills together in West Yorkshire, Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.

A Fea's Petrel passing Bridges of Ross, County Clare headlined the seawatching, with Cory's Shearwaters in County Clare, off County Kerry (2) and the Isles of Scilly, and Great Shearwaters in County Clare (94), County Kerry (109) and the Isles of Scilly.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 15th August 2013  
  The wandering Bridled Tern briefly returned to its favoured location today - the Inner Farne jetty, Northumberland. It was seen briefly early afternoon, but not again.

A further three Two-barred Crossbills were found at Broomhill Reservoir, South Yorkshire, making a total (so far) of nine. A stunning adult male appeared today, which was seen with two adult females and six juveniles. There are just two flocks larger than this one recorded recently, both on Shetland in the last influx year of 2008. A flock of 20 is accepted from Bedfordshire in 1890, as is a flock of nine in Cumbria in 1846.

The fourth Wilson's Petrel was recorded for the Scilly pelagic season, whilst lingering rarities present today included the Swinhoe's Petrel on Fair Isle, Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire and Bonaparte's Gull at Oare, Kent.

Scarcity highlights included a Short-toed Lark, Dotterel, Temminck's Stint, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers, three Pectoral Sandpipers, three Sabine's Gulls, seven Pomarine Skuas, two Cory's Shearwaters and 12 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 14th August 2013  
  The third or fourth record of Fea's Petrel of the year for Porthgwarra, Cornwall flew past Gwennap Head at 4.50pm. A Bee-eater over Fleetwood, Lancashire was also a surprise, whilst the Two-barred Crossbill flock at Broomhill Reservoir, South Yorkshire rose to six. A new adult Bonaparte's Gull was discovered in Northumberland, being seen at Cresswell Pond briefly mid afternoon before heading south.

Lingering rarities included the Swinhoe's Petrel, Citrine Wagtail and Western Subalpine Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland, Snowy Owl in County Donegal, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Carmarthenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 13th August 2013  
  A further four Two-barred Crossbills joined yesterday's juvenile at Broomhead Reservoir, South Yorkshire.

The Swinhoe's Petrel was re-trapped twice on Fair Isle last night, with the Citrine Wagtail and Western Subalpine Warbler also still on the island, whilst other lingering rarities included the Roller in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Carmarthenshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in County Durham and Kent and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA