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.


Saturday 6th August 2016

	American waders remained in focus today with two Semipalmated Sandpipers - new in County Kerry at Reenroe, and lingering in Pembrokeshire - Hudsonian Whimbrel still in Cornwall, Spotted Sandpiper in Somerset, White-rumped Sandpipers in each of County Antrim, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, and single Pectoral Sandpipers in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. Other rarities comprised the Dalmatian Pelican still in Cornwall, American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, and Squacco Heron in Lincolnshire, but unfortunately the Western Purple Swamphen could not be located in Suffolk. Scarcities included Melodious Warbler (Kent), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Ring-billed Gull (County Galway), White Stork (London and West Sussex), and three each of Pectoral Sandpiper, Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret. Seabirds included Long-tailed Skua (Norfolk), 10 Great Shearwaters (Cornwall, Isles of Scilly and County Waterford) and 16 Cory's Shearwaters (County Cork and Cornwall).
- Chris Batty, RBA


Friday 5th August 2016

	Rarity highlights included the Western Purple Swamphen (Suffolk), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Pembrokeshire), Spotted Sandpiper (Somerset/Dorset), Squacco Heron (Lincolnshire), White-rumped Sandpipers (Co Antrim, Lincolnshire and Angus) and Hudsonian Whimbrel and Dalmatian Pelican (Cornwall). The best of the rest included Melodious Warbler (Pembrokeshire), Cattle Egret (Merseyside), White-winged Black Tern (Aberdeenshire), two Pectoral Sandpipers and two Glossy Ibises.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Thursday 4th August 2016

	The Least Sandpiper at Seaton, Devon, was briefly joined by a second individual this morning. Elsewhere new discoveries included Spotted Sandpiper at Sutton Bingham Reservoir (Somerset/Dorset), White-rumped Sandpiper at Cley (Norfolk) and a Bee-eater at sea north of Fraserburgh (Aberdeenshire). The Western Purple Swamphen (Suffolk), Dalmatian Pelican and Hudsonian Whimbrel (Cornwall), White-rumped Sandpipers (Angus, Lincolnshire and Co Antrim) and Bonaparte's Gull (Kent) all lingered. Seabird highlights comprised at least six Wilson's Petrels (at least five from a Scilly pelagic and one off the County Kerry coastline), 31 Cory's Shearwaters and five Great Shearwaters. The best of the rest included two Pectoral Sandpipers (Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire).
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Wednesday 3rd August 2016

	The best seawatching day of the year so far saw the first Fea's/Zino's Petrel passing Ram Head, County Waterford, Wilson's Petrel between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, a Grey Phalarope in Pembrokeshire, Long-tailed Skua passing County Clare, and at least 747 Cory's Shearwaters between County Clare and Cornwall, and 47 Great Shearwaters between County Kerry and Cornwall. Single White-rumped Sandpipers were discovered in both County Antrim and Norfolk, whilst lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Purple Swamphen in Suffolk, Least Sandpiper in Devon, American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, both Dalmatian Pelican and Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall, Little Bittern in Somerset, White-rumped Sandpiper in Lincolnshire, and single Bonaparte's Gulls in both Kent and Northumberland. Scarcities included Purple Heron (Norfolk), Spotted Crake (Cheshire), Cattle Egret (Merseyside), White Stork (London), two Surf Scoters, three Glossy Ibises, and four Pectoral Sandpipers (Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Essex and Lincolnshire).
- Chris Batty, RBA


Tuesday 2nd August 2016

	The most significant discovery was a Least Sandpiper at Black Hole Marsh, Devon. Lingering rarities included the Western Purple Swamphen in Suffolk, Dalmatian Pelican and Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall, Black Duck Highland, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Little Bittern in Somerset. The best of the rest included Pectoral Sandpipers (Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire), Spotted Crake (Cheshire), Cattle Egret (Suffolk) and Glossy Ibis (Merseyside).
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Monday 1st August 2016

	The Western Purple Swamphen lingered at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, as did the Dalmatian Pelican on the Hayle Estuary RSPB, Cornwall, White-rumped Sandpiper at Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire, Little Bittern at Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset, Wilson's Petrel off St Mary's, Isles of Scilly and Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes NR, Kent. Scarcity highlights included a Long-tailed Skua, a Spotted Crake, a White Stork, two Pectoral Sandpipers, three Glossy Ibises, four Honey Buzzards, five Cory's Shearwaters and 11 Great Shearwaters.
- Will Soar, RBA


Sunday 31st July 2016

	A Western Purple Swamphen was at Minsmere RSPB for its second day. Unlike most previous reports of purple swamphen in Britain (which have typically involved birds of an eastern form and considered - and sometimes proven - to be escapes from captivity), the Minsmere bird is a Western Purple Swamphen, and arriving hot on the heels of a bird currently in Morbihan, Brittany, France, coupled with a reported rapid range expansion by the species, it is potentially of wild origin. Minsmere RSPB also hosted a Citrine Wagtail and Caspian Tern, but neither lingered. Elsewhere new discoveries comprised Baird's Sandpiper in Norfolk, Bee-eaters in Lothian and Gloucestershire and Black Kite in Co Wexford. Lingering rarities included American White-winged Scoter (Aberdeenshire), King Eider (Co Donegal), Dalmatian Pelican (Cornwall), White-rumped Sandpipers (Co Wexford and Lincolnshire), Lesser Scaup (Perth & Kinross) and Bonaparte's Gulls (Kent and Northumberland). The best of the rest included Temminck's Stint (Co Derry), Pectoral Sandpiper (Cambridgeshire), Spotted Crake (Cheshire) and four Cattle Egrets.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Saturday 30th July 2016

	Discoveries today included a Black Stork in Derbyshire over Ogston Reservoir, and a Lesser Scaup at Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross. The latter bird being the individual fitted with a nasal-saddle in Portugal in December 2013, and first seen in Britain in Powys in October 2014, then last recorded in Clyde on 1st May 2016. Lingering rarities comprised an American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, both Dalmatian Pelican and Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall, Little Bittern in Somerset, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Kent and Northumberland, and single White-rumped Sandpipers in Lincolnshire and County Wexford. Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Aberdeenshire), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), White Stork (London), Spotted Crake (Cheshire), Wryneck (Surrey), three Glossy Ibises, and six Cattle Egrets.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Friday 29th July 2016

	Lingering rarities included Hudsonian Whimbrel (Cornwall), Little Bittern (Somerset), Bonaparte's Gull (Northumberland) and White-rumped Sandpipers in Lincolnshire and Co Wexford. The best of the rest included White-winged Black Tern (Aberdeenshire), Spotted Crakes (Cheshire), Cattle Egrets (Co Wexford and Merseyside), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lancashire), White Stork (London) and Glossy Ibises (South Yorkshire and Merseyside).
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Thursday 28th July 2016

	The highlight of the day was the discovery of a White-rumped Sandpiper in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh. Elsewhere, rarities comprised both the Dalmatian Pelican and Hudsonian Whimbrel still in Cornwall, American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, and Bonaparte's Gull in Northumberland. Scarcities incuded Spotted Crake (Cheshire), White Stork (London), Honey Buzzard (Suffolk), Cattle Egret and Glossy Ibis (together in Merseyside), and two each of both Pectoral Sandpiper (Essex and Northumberland) and Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire and Lothian). Seabird highlights were three Cory's Searwaters and 15 Great Shearwaters between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
- Chris Batty, RBA