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.

Choose a starting date
Friday 31st October 2014  
  New discoveries today included a white Gyr in a ploughed field near Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, a Ross's Goose at West Water Reservoir, Borders and three Little Buntings on Fair Isle, Shetland.

The Eastern Crowned Warbler remained at Brotton, Cleveland all day. Other lingering rarities included the Black Scoter in Angus, Pallid Harrier in Somerset, Franklin's Gull in Hampshire, Dusky Warbler in Northumberland, Red-throated Pipit in the Isles of Scilly, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in Cornwall and County Clare, Lesser Scaup in Berkshire and Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Sligo.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 30th October 2014  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of Britain's third Eastern Crowned Warbler at Hunley Hall Golf Course (Cleveland). Elsewhere a Dusky Warbler arrived on Farne Islands (Northumberland) and a Little Bunting was discovered on Fair Isle, whilst the Franklin's Gull (Hampshire), Pallid Harrier (Somerset), Lesser Scaups (Berkshire, Glamorgan and Powys), two Red-throated Pipits (Isles of Scilly), Red-flanked Bluetail (Co Mayo), Blue-winged Teal or hybrid (Northumberland), Forster's Tern (Co Dublin) and Lesser Yellowlegs (Co Dublin and Cornwall) all lingered. A Richardson's Canada Goose returned to Lissadell (Co Sligo).

The best of the rest included White-winged Black Tern (East Sussex), Hoopoe and Red-backed Shrike (Suffolk), Barred Warblers (Norfolk and Co Cork), Spotted Crake, Rose-coloured Starling and Ortolan Bunting (Isles of Scilly), Short-toed Larks (Isles of Scilly and Orkney), Wryneck (Devon), Cattle Egrets (East Sussex and Cheshire), American Golden Plover (Cornwall) and Richard's Pipit (North Yorkshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 29th October 2014  
  The fourth Grey-cheeked Thrush of the autumn was found this afternoon, on Fetlar at Strandburgh Ness. Both an Olive-backed Pipit and a Red-throated Pipit were found on the Isles of Scilly, the former at Old Town, St Mary's and the latter on the campsite on St Agnes. A drake Lesser Scaup was at Wraysbury GPs, Berkshire.

The Red-flanked Bluetail remained in County Mayo, as did the Black Scoter in Angus, Forster's Tern in County Dublin, Pallid Harrier in Somerset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll and the second Red-throated Pipit on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 28th October 2014  
  A Franklin's Gull at Blashford Lakes HWT (Hampshire) was presumably the same bird seen there on 19th October. Elsewhere new discoveries included a Desert Wheatear in Pembrokeshire, Radde's Warbler on Isles of Scilly, Little Bunting in East Sussex and Red-flanked Bluetail in Co Mayo.

Lingering rarities included Siberian Stonechat in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Forster's Tern in Co Dublin and Pallid Harrier in Somerset, whilst White-winged Black Tern (East Sussex), Pallas's Warbler (West Sussex), Richard's Pipit (Orkney), American Golden Plover and Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), Hoopoe (Suffolk), Ortolan Bunting (Isles of Scilly), two Cattle Egrets, two Red-backed Shrikes, two American Wigeons, two Barred Warblers, four Ring-necked Ducks, seven Red-breasted Flycatchers and 16 Rough-legged Buzzards were also logged.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 27th October 2014  
  New discoveries included Siberian Stonechat and Little Bunting in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co Clare and White-rumped Sandpiper on Western Isles, whilst lingering rarities comprised Siberian Stonechat (Hampshire), Pallid Harrier (Somerset), Lesser Scaup (Powys), Lesser Yellowlegs (Cornwall) and Forster's Tern and Lesser Yellowlegs (Co Dublin).

The best of the included American Golden Plover (Cornwall), Hoopoe (Suffolk), Bluethroat (Shetland), White-winged Black Tern (East Sussex), Barred Warbler (Hampshire), Short-toed Lark (Isles of Scilly), Ortolan Bunting (Isles of Scilly), two Glossy Ibises, two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Cattle Egrets, two Red-backed Shrikes, three American Wigeons, three Richard's Pipits, five Red-breasted Flycatchers and at least eight Rough-legged Buzzards.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 26th October 2014  
  Eastern rarities discovered today included a Radde's Warbler and a Little Bunting in Cornwall (at Kenidjack and St Levan respectively), and single Red-throated Pipits in the Isles of Scilly (on St Mary's airfield) and in Essex (at St Osyth).

Lingering rarities included the Black Scoter in Angus, Pallid Harrier in Somerset, Siberian Stonechat in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall and Forster's Tern in County Dublin.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 25th October 2014  
  An adult Eleonora's Falcon was seen over Kingston Seymour, Somerset briefly late morning. A Penduline Tit at Snape, Suffolk was the only other new rarity discovered today.

The Chimney Swift remained on Lewis, Western Isles, as did the Grey-cheeked Thrush on Fair Isle, Shetland, but there was no sign of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo in Cornwall.

Other lingering rarities included the Black Scoter in Angus, Pallid Harrier in Somerset, Siberian Stonechat in Hampshire, Forster's Tern and Lesser Yellowlegs in County Dublin (with another of the latter still in Cornwall), Spotted Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 24th October 2014  
  Another Grey-cheeked Thrush was discovered today, on Fair Isle, Shetland, whilst lingering Nearctic landbirds still surviving included the Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Porthgwarra, Cornwall and the Chimney Swift on Lewis, Western Isles.

Most surprising discovery today was a Wilson's Petrel at Tayinloan, Argyll, which was off the Gigha ferry jetty briefly before being killed and eaten by gulls. Both an Olive-backed Pipit and a White-rumped Sandpiper were found on the Isles of Scilly, on St Agnes and Tresco respectively.

Other lingering rarities included the Black Scoter in Angus, Forster's Tern in County Dublin, Pallid Harrier in Somerset, Siberian Stonechat in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire and single Lesser Yellowlegs' in Cornwall and County Dublin.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 23rd October 2014  
  An outstanding day for Nearctic landbirds was headlined by a Black-billed Cuckoo on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles - the first anywhere in the British Isles since 10th October 1990. Only seen briefly, with attempts to relocate it revealing a Grey-cheeked Thrush. Meanwhile, in Cornwall a Yellow-billed Cuckoo showed for most of the day at Porthgwarra, whilst on the Western Isles a Chimney Swift arrived at the Butt of Lewis, a Grey-cheeked Thrush was found on Barra, and the Hermit Thrush remained on North Uist.

Other rarities comprised the Booted Warbler still in Lothian, Siberian Stonechat in Hampshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and two Little Buntings on the Shetland Isles, Spotted Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, King Eider in Highland, a Lesser Scaup in Argyll, and an Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in County Kerry.

On the Isles of Scilly Ortolan Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Corncrake and two American Wigeons were logged, with in Cornwall American Golden Plover, Rose-coloured Starling and Wryneck beinge seen, White-winged Black Tern and Red-breasted Flycatcher remained in East Sussex, single Surf Scoters were in both Lothian and Norfolk, Barred Warbler in Fife and Red-backed Shrike in Suffolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 22nd October 2014  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Hermit Thrush on North Uist (Western Isles). Elsewhere new discoveries included a flyby Forster's Tern in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier in Somerset, King Eider in Highland, Little Bunting in Dorset, and Olive-backed Pipit in Shetland.

Lingering rarities included Olive-backed Pipit in Co Durham, Booted Warbler in Lothian, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Siberian Stonechat in Hampshire, two Little Buntings in Shetland, Spotted Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire and Bonaparte's Gull in Devon.

In addition to the Forster's Tern seawatchers logged Ring-billed Gull (Western Isles), Sabine's Gulls, Long-tailed and Pomarine Skuas, Grey Phalaropes, Leach's Petrels, Balearic Shearwaters and Little Auks, whilst Surf Scoters were logged in Norfolk and East Yorkshire. A Red-backed Shrike (Suffolk), Barred Warbler (Fife), Ortolan Bunting (Devon), White-winged Black Tern (East Sussex), Wryneck (Pembrokeshire), Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall), American Wigeon (Orkney), two Great Grey Shrikes, two American Golden Plovers, two Red-breasted Flycatchers, two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Green-winged Teals, two Cattle Egrets, three Shorelarks and approximately nine Rough-legged Buzzards were also logged.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA