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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Sunday 17th August 2014  
  Lingering rarities included the Isle of Wight Bee-eaters, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Lesser Scaup in Somerset, whilst in Ireland a Fea's Petrel flew past Kilcummin Head (Co Mayo) and White-rumped Sandpiper was logged at Pilmore (Co Cork).

Scarcities included Night Heron (Warwickshire), Cattle Egret (West Sussex), Red-necked Phalarope and Barred Warbler (Orkney), Spotted Crakes (East Yorkshire and Norfolk), Glossy Ibis (Lincolnshire) and Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 16th August 2014  
  New birds discovered today included a Western Bonelli's Warbler in Dorset, trapped and ringed at Portland Bill, a Terek Sandpiper at Swalecliffe, Kent and a Fea's Petrel past the Bridges of Ross, County Clare. A Blyth's Reed Warbler trapped and ringed on Fair Isle was the second individual on the island in three days, and just the fifth August record in Britain.

The only lingering rarities seen again today were the Franklin's Gull in the evening roost at Cley, Norfolk, and at least one of the breeding Bee-eaters on the Isle of Wight.

Scarcities included a Melodious Warbler in Sussex, Wryneck in London, Night Heron in Warwickshire, Long-tailed Skua in Sussex and Temminck's Stint in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 15th August 2014  
  A very quiet day rarity wise, but the successful fledging of three young Bee-eaters on the Isle of Wight was the clear highlight. The four adults also remained on site.

Back on the Mainland, the adult Franklin's Gull made another appearance in the evening roost at Cley NWT, Norfolk, with the Lesser Scaup in Somerset being the only other rarity reported.

Scarcity highlights included an Icterine Warbler (the second record for Leicestershire), five Barred Warblers, a Marsh Warbler, a Common Rosefinch, a Night Heron, a Spotted Crake, an American Golden Plover, a Temminck's Stint, a Long-tailed Skua, two Pomarine Skuas, two Sabine's Gulls, two Cory's Shearwaters, two Great Shearwaters and a Kumlien's Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 14th August 2014  
  The highlight of the day was a Blyth's Reed Warbler new-in on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the Stilt Sandpiper still in Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, and four Bee-eaters remain at the nest on the Isle of Wight.

Scarcities included Night Heron (Warwickshire), Cattle Egret and Pectoral Sandpiper (both West Sussex), Glossy Ibis (Essex and Lincolnshire), Spotted Crake (Devon, London and Norfolk), five Caspian Gulls, 14 Great White Egrets and a total of 34 Spoonbills.

Seabirds included Wilson's Petrel, three Cory's and three Great Shearwaters off the Isles of Scilly, Great Shearwater passing Cornwall, three Cory's Shearwaters passing East Yorkshire, and the confiding Long-tailed Skua still in West Sussex.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 13th August 2014  
  In Norfolk, the adult Franklin's Gull reappeared on Simmond's Scrape at Cley NWT this evening, a welcome return after its brief visit on 6th August. Another Fea's Petrel flew past Kilcummin Head, County Mayo, whilst late news from yesterday concerned a Terek Sandpiper at Far Ings NR, Lincolnshire, which couldn't be located today.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Northumberland, two Bee-eaters on the Isle of Wight and Lesser Scaup in Somerset, and another Wilson's Petrel was seen from the evening Scilly pelagic.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 12th August 2014  
  Lingering rarities included Stilt Sandpiper in Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, the breeding Bee-eaters on Isle of Wight, five Black-winged Stilts in Suffolk and Laughing Gull in Co Cork.

Seawatchers logged Wilson's Petrels from an Isles of Scilly pelagic (3) and off Bridges of Ross (Co Clare), 35 Cory's Shearwaters, 16 Great Shearwaters and three Sabine's Gulls, whilst two Spotted Crakes (London and Norfolk), Glossy Ibis (Lincolnshire), Long-tailed Skua and Pectoral Sandpiper (West Sussex) were also recorded.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 11th August 2014  
  In Shetland a Greenish Warbler was discovered at Sumburgh Farm, Mainland, whilst the Sykes's Warbler remained on Whalsay.

Other lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Northumberland, Citrine Wagtail in Gwynedd, Pacific Golden Plover in Orkney, five Black-winged Stilts in Sussex and at least one Bee-eater on the Isle of Wight.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 10th August 2014  
  The highlight of the day was a Sykes's Warbler, which was trapped at Symbister on Whalsay, Shetland.

Many eyes were drawn to the sea, however, as ex-Hurricane Bertha tracked across the country. The best sighting was a Fea's Petrel, seen off two headlands in County Mayo, whilst a Wilson's Petrel, 95 Cory's Shearwaters and 77 Great Shearwaters were logged.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Northumberland, Citrine Wagtail in Gwynedd, at least two Black-winged Stilts in Sussex, at least two Bee-eaters on the Isle of Wight, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Lesser Scaup in Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 9th August 2014  
  The highlight of the day could have been the white Gyr along the cliff at Sidestrand, Norfolk, had it lingered for more than a few minutes. Further south, an Alpine Swift flew south over Kingsdown, Kent and a Wilson's Petrel was seen from a pelagic trip off the Isles of Scilly. A juvenile Citrine Wagtail was at Grindon Lough, Northumberland briefly, with another still on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd.

Other lingering rarities included the Black-winged Pratincole in Cambridgeshire, Stilt Sandpiper in Northumberland, White-rumped Sandpiper in Norfolk, five Black-winged Stilts in both Sussex and Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Laughing Gull in County Cork and at least four Bee-eaters on the Isle of Wight.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 8th August 2014  
  The first Citrine Wagtail of the autumn was on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd from mid morning onwards. It was a crisp juvenile, and follows a first-summer female which was present on the island for two days in late May. Elsewhere, a juvenile Black-winged Stilt was reported from Keyhaven, Hampshire, with three juveniles also remaining at Cavenham, Suffolk.

Other lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Northumberland, Black-winged Pratincole in Cambridgeshire, single White-rumped Sandpipers in Norfolk and Lincolnshire, three Bee-eaters on the Isle of Wight and Lesser Scaup in Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA