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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Saturday 11th October 2014  
  The Bonelli's warbler at Scalloway, Shetland (present since yesterday) was heard to give the diagnostic call of Eastern Bonelli's Warbler late morning. Also found on the archipelago today was a Pechora Pipit at Kergord, a Siberian Stonechat at Hoswick and single Olive-backed Pipits at White Ness, Virkie, Wester Quarff and Uyeasound.

A Booted Warbler was new in at Torness, Lothian, as was an Arctic Warbler at Donna Nook, Lincolnshire and Little Bunting at Church Cove, Cornwall.

Lingering rarity highlights included the Solitary Sandpiper in County Wexford, Little Crake in Suffolk, Steppe Grey Shrike in Norfolk, Snowy Owl and King Eider in Moray, Eastern Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall and Tawny Pipit in Sussex.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 10th October 2014  
  A Lesser Grey Shrike at Biggleswade Common, Bedfordshire was, perhaps surprisingly, not a first for the county, as one was picked up dead by the River Ouse on the unlikely date of 25th January 1907. An Eastern Subalpine Warbler was discovered at Porthgwarra, Cornwall, and both a Fea's Petrel and a Wilson's Petrel was off a boat off Galley Head, County Cork. The Isles of Scilly produced a new Tawny Pipit on St Agnes, with Shetland adding a Western Bonelli's Warbler and four more Olive-backed Pipits to their autumn tally. A Little Bunting was on nearby Orkney, at St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay.

Lingering rarity highlights included the Little Crake in Suffolk, Solitary Sandpiper in County Wexford, Steppe Grey Shrike in Norfolk, Tawny Pipit in Sussex, King Eider in Moray, Blue-winged Teal (or hybrid) in Northumberland and three more Olive-backed Pipits and five more Little Buntings in the Northern Isles.

The Shorelark which has been present at Askernish, South Uist, Western Isles since yesterday is now thought likely to be a nominate American Horned Lark.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 9th October 2014  
  On the Isles of Scilly the Blyth's Pipit reappeared on St Mary's, although reports suggested it was mobile and not present for very long. Other lingering Mega rarities included the Scarlet Tanager on Barra, Western Isles, Solitary Sandpiper at Rathanganon, County Wexford and Little Crake at Minsmere, Suffolk.

A Great Snipe was trapped and ringed near Landrindod Wells, Powys overnight, with other new discoveries including a Rustic Bunting on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly and an Olive-backed Pipit and three Little Buntings in Shetland.

Lingering rarity highlights included the Steppe Grey Shrike in Norfolk, Gyr in the Western Isles and Laughing Gull in County Cork.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 8th October 2014  
  The highlight of the day was the confirmation of a Lanceolated Warbler on the Shetland Isles at Quendale, with the Siberian Rubythroat still nearby at Levenwick, where a White's Thrush was also reported briefly, a Radde's Warbler new at Walls, a Siberian Stonechat new on Fetlar, along with archipelago totals of seven Yellow-browed Warblers, six Olive-backed Pipits, three each of Little Bunting and Great Grey Shrike, two each of Short-toed Lark and Dotterel, and single Hoopoe, Bluethroat and Lapland Bunting.

On the Isles of Scilly Red-breasted Flycatcher, Barred Warbler, Dotterel, two Common Rosefinches and three Yellow-browed Warblers were noted.

Rarities elsewhere included the Scarlet Tanager still on the Western Isles, Solitary Sandpiper in County Wexford, Little Crake in Suffolk, Steppe Grey Shrike in Norfolk, Pechora Pipit and five Olive-backed Pipits on the Orkney Isles, and in Aberdeenshire, brief Pallid Harrier, Radde's Warbler and Little Bunting.

A Barolo Shearwater seen at sea off Land's End, Cornwall today followed one at sea off County Clare yesterday.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 7th October 2014  
  New discoveries today included a Solitary Sandpiper near Duncormick, County Wexford, a Red-eyed Vireo at Low Newton, Northumberland, a Tawny Pipit at Newhaven, Sussex and a Pallid Harrier, Olive-backed Pipit and two Little Buntings in Shetland.

Lingering rarities included the Scarlet Tanager in the Western Isles, Siberian Rubythroat in Shetland, Steppe Grey Shrike in Norfolk, Little Crake in Suffolk and Lesser Yellowlegs in County Dublin.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 6th October 2014  
  Today's headline discovery was a Scarlet Tanager on Barra (Western Isles) - the first for Scotland. Elsewhere new discoveries included a Radde's Warbler and Siberian Stonechat on Shetland and three Olive-backed Pipits on North Ronaldsay (Orkney), whilst a Blyth's Pipit was present on St Mary's (Isles of Scilly) for its second day.

In addition to the aforementioned new discoveries, Shetland also hosted the Siberian Rubythroat, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll and eight Little Buntings. Lingering rarities away from Shetland comprised Little Crake (Suffolk) and Steppe Grey Shrike (Norfolk) whilst a Little Bunting was on North Ronaldsay (Orkney).

The best of the rest included Melodious Warbler (Shetland), American Golden Plover (Highland), Hoopoe (Bedfordshire), Surf Scoter (Conwy), Red-backed Shrike (Suffolk), Cattle Egret (Cheshire), two Barred Warblers, three Pectoral Sandpipers, three Rose-coloured Starlings, three Short-toed Larks and four Common Rosefinches.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 5th October 2014  
  The first Steppe Grey Shrike for Norfolk was discovered today at Burnham Norton, with the parish shrike list boasting examples of all six species on the county list. A juvenile White-rumped Sandpiper at Balgarva, Western Isles was the only other new rarity today.

Lingering rarities included the Siberian Rubythroat, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll, Pallid Harrier and Little Bunting in Shetland, Swainson's Thrush in County Clare, Little Crake in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Cork and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 4th October 2014  
  Today's highlights included a Swainson's Thrush at Loop Head (Co Clare), Little Crake at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk), a Barolo Shearwater past Cemlyn (Anglesey), White's Thrush on Fair Isle (Shetland) and on Mainland Shetland the Siberian Rubythroat remained a Levenwick. Elsewhere new discoveries included Red-throated Pipit (East Yorkshire) and Gyr (Western Isles).

In addition to the aforementioned rarities the Shetland Isles hosted Pallid Harrier, King Eider, Olive-backed Pipit and three Little Buntings. In Northumberland the Blue-winged Teal (or hybrid) lingered at Castle Island and a Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Co Dublin.

The best of the rest included Barred Warbler (Shetland), Red-backed Shrike (Suffolk), Ring-necked Duck (Highland), American Wigeon (Co Donegal), Melodious Warbler (Argyll), two Common Rosefinches, two Bluethroats, two Richard's Pipits, two Red-breasted Flycatchers, two American Golden Plovers, three Cattle Egrets, four Rose-coloured Starlings, six Glossy Ibises, six Pectoral Sandpipers and six Dotterel.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 3rd October 2014  
  The highlight of the day came from the Shetland Isles where a male Siberian Rubythroat was discovered on Mainland at Levenwick. Elsewhere around the archipelago were Olive-backed Pipit, Rose-coloured Starling, Rough-legged Buzzard, Bluethroat, Corncrake, two Barred Warbler, three Little Buntings and 16 Yellow-browed Warblers. Meanwhile, on the Isles of Scilly Little Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling and two Yellow-browed Warblers were logged.

A Red-eyed Vireo - the fourth in nine days - was discovered in County Mayo at Achill Island, a Gyr was reported in Argyll on Islay, and the Blue-winged Teal remained in Northumberland.

Scarcities included Melodious Warbler (Argyll and Pembrokeshire), Rose-coloured Starling (County Cork and Dorset), Barred Warbler (Bedfordshire), Hoopoe (County Galway), Red-backed Shrike (Suffolk) and Cattle Egret (Kent).

Significant late news concerned a Semipalmated Sandpiper present yesterday in County Mayo on Achill Island.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 2nd October 2014  
  Rarities on Shetland included Rustic and Little Buntings, Eastern Subalpine Warbler and King Eider. Elsewhere the Masked Shrike (East Yorkshire), Little Bunting (Scilly), Blue-winged Teal or hybrid (Northumberland) and Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan) all lingered, whilst a Lesser Yellowlegs was discovered in Co Cork.

The best of the rest included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Western Isles), Wryneck, Richard's Pipit and Marsh Warbler (Shetland), American Wigeon (Orkney), Hoopoe (Gwynedd), Purple Heron (Norfolk), Cattle Egret (Kent), two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Surf Scoters, two Pectoral Sandpipers, three Red-backed Shrikes, four Bluethroats, four Red-breasted Flycatchers and eight Barred Warblers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA