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 13th September 2015  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of three Pallid Harriers on the Shetland Isles; two together on Unst at Northdale, and one on Fair Isle. Otherwise, an Arctic Warbler was new in County Galway on Inishbofin, whilst the Arctic Warbler remained in Lothian, as did the Black Stork in East Yorkshire, and the Long-billed Dowitcher on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (North Yorkshire), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Northumberland), Lapland Bunting (East Yorkshire), White-winged Black Tern (Norfolk), Temminck's Stint (Gloucestershire), Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis (together in Somerset), Great Shearwater (Pembrokeshire), Long-tailed Skua (Fife), Dotterel (Anglesey), American Wigeon (County Wexford), two each of Icterine Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Red-necked Phalarope, Sabine's Gull, Ring-billed Gull and Cattle Egret, three Ortolan Buntings, four Honey Buzzards, six Barred Warblers, seven Red-backed Shrikes, eight Pectoral Sandpipers, 10 Wrynecks and 17 Yellow-browed Warblers.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 12th September 2015  
  An Eastern Olivaceous Warbler was trapped and ringed at Skaw, Whalsay, Shetland this afternoon. Nearby, a new Citrine Wagtail was on Fair Isle, whilst a Greenish Warbler was found further south at Marsden Quarry, County Durham.

The Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler remained at Isbister, as did the Long-billed Dowitcher on Yell, both Shetland. Other lingering rarities included the Arctic Warbler in Lothian, Black Stork in East Yorkshire and Red-footed Falcon in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcity highlights included singles of Ortolan Bunting, Bluethroat, Melodious Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Corncrake and White-winged Black Tern, two each of Common Rosefinch and Grey Phalarope, three each of Icterine Warbler and Dotterel, four each of Pectoral Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope, five each of Red-breasted Flycatcher and Red-backed Shrike, 10 Barred Warblers and 17 each of Yellow-browed Warbler and Wryneck.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 11th September 2015  
  A Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler at Isbister, Shetland is the second earliest found in Britain, beaten only by the bird trapped on 6th September last year at Titchfield Haven, Hampshire. An Arctic Warbler was at Skateraw, Lothian, whilst late news from yesterday concerned a Short-toed Treecreeper at Dungeness, Kent.

Lingering rarities included the Booted Warbler at Sumburgh, Pallid Harrier at Loch of Hillwell and Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle, all Shetland, Red-footed Falcon at Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire and Black Stork at Sunk Island, Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 10th September 2015  
  Rarity highlights included Booted Warbler (Shetland), Red-footed Falcons (Northumberland and Aberdeenshire), Citrine Wagtail (Norfolk), Wilson's Petrel (Isles of Scilly) and Black Stork (East Yorkshire).

The best of the rest included Spotted Crake (Pembrokeshire), Dotterel (Cornwall), Pectoral Sandpiper (Norfolk), Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), Red-breasted Flycatcher (East Yorkshire), two White-winged Black Terns, two Icterine Warblers, two Ortolan Buntings, two Red-necked Phalaropes, three Long-tailed Skuas, three Common Rosefinches, three Red-backed Shrikes, 11 Wrynecks, 12 Barred Warblers and 12 Yellow-browed Warblers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 9th September 2015  
  A Fea's/Zino's Petrel flew past Spurn (East Yorkshire) early this morning. New discoveries included Booted Warbler on Mainland Shetland and Red-footed Falcon in Northumberland, whilst Forster's Tern (Co Dublin), Black Stork (East Yorkshire), Long-billed Dowitcher (Shetland), Bee-eater (Cumbria) and Citrine Wagtail (Orkney) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Little Bunting (Dorset), Icterine Warbler (Northumberland), Red-necked Phalarope (Suffolk), Hoopoe (Dorset), Pectoral Sandpiper (West Sussex), three Rose-coloured Starlings, three Barred Warblers, three White-winged Black Terns, three Common Rosefinches, four Wrynecks, five Ortolan Buntings, nine Red-backed Shrikes and 21 Yellow-browed Warblers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 8th September 2015  
  The highlight of the day was a Fea's/Zino's Petrel that this evening flew north past Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire, then Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

Elsewhere, a Western Bonelli's Warbler was found in County Cork at Galley Head, with an Azorean Yellow-legged Gull new nearby at Blackrock. On the Shetland Isles a Long-billed Dowitcher arrived on Yell, Arctic Warbler and Citrine Wagtail were on Fair Isle, and a Pallid Harrier remained at Hillwell, Mainland. A Wilson's Phalarope was seen briefly in Lincolnshire, with a similarly brief Subalpine Warbler species in Norfolk, the lingering Citrine Wagtail still on the Orkney Isles, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, and three Bee-eaters together in Cumbria.

Scarcities included four Red-backed Shrikes, three each of Rose-coloured Starling, Barred Warbler and Temminck's Stint, two of White-winged Black Tern, Yellow-browed Warbler and Dotterel, and single Hoopoe (Wirral), Common Rosefinch (Fife), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (West Sussex), Long-tailed Skua (East Yorkshire), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry) and American Wigeon (County Wexford).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 7th September 2015  
  On Isles of Scilly a Paddyfield Warbler was discovered on St Agnes. Elsewhere lingering rarities included Bee-eaters (Cumbria), Ferruginous Duck (Somerset), Citrine Wagtails (Shetland and Orkney), Pallid Harrier (Shetland) and Forster's Tern (Co Dublin), whilst there was an unconfirmed report of a Red-billed Tropicbird in Mount's Bay (Cornwall).

The best of the rest included White-winged Black Tern (Norfolk), American Wigeon (Dumfries & Galloway), Dotterel (Gwynedd), Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), Ortolan Bunting (Cornwall), Hoopoe (Dorset), two Rose-coloured Starlings, three Pectoral Sandpipers, three Cattle Egrets, five Red-backed Shrikes, six Barred Warblers and eight Wrynecks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 6th September 2015  
  Rarities today comprised both Citrine Wagtail and Greenish Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles, the Forster's Tern back in County Dublin at Rush, a Pallid Harrier still on the Shetland Isles, lingering Black Storks in both East Sussex and East Yorkshire, and Lesser Scaup and Ferruginous Duck together in Somerset.

Scarcities included nine Barred Warblers, eight Long-tailed Skuas, six Red-backed Shrikes, five Wrynecks, four Pectoral Sandpipers, two each of Rose-coloured Starling (togther on the Isles of Scilly), White-winged Black Tern and Sabine's Gull, American Golden Plover (County Londonderry), Bluethroat (Orkney Isles), Surf Scoter (Western Isles), American Wigeon (County Wexford), Cattle Egret (Kent), Ring-billed Gull (Lancashire) and Cory's Shearwater (East Yorkshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 5th September 2015  
  New discoveries today included a Tawny Pipit on Hayling Island, Hampshire, a Blue-winged Teal on Lough Beg, County Derry and a Black Kite over Cardiff, Glamorgan. A probable Subalpine warbler species was present for a second day at Eoropie, Lewis, Western Isles.

Other lingering rarities included the Black Storks in East Yorkshire and East Sussex and three Bee-eaters still in Cumbria,

East coast seawatching provided the bulk of the news today, with totals of two Great Shearwaters, three Cory's Shearwaters, 21 Balearic Shearwaters, c36 Long-tailed Skuas, 30 Pomarine Skuas, three Sabine's Gulls, six Storm Petrels and a high count of 126 Sooty Shearwaters (past Flamborough Head).
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 4th September 2015  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Black Storks at Bexhill, East Sussex and Sunk Island, East Yorkshire, the Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle, Shetland, the Greenish Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney and the Lesser Scaup and Ferruginous Duck both at Chew Valley Lake in Somerset. One Bee-eater fledged at Lower Gelt, Cumbria where the two adults remained in attendance, with at least one more chick still in the nest.

Scarcity highlights included an Ortolan Bunting, an Icterine Warbler, a White-winged Black Tern, two Hoopoes, three Honey Buzzards, six Red-backed Shrikes, seven Barred Warblers and 11 Wrynecks.
-  Will Soar, RBA