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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Wednesday 31st August 2016  
  New discoveries today were a brief Aquatic Warbler at Lytchett Bay, Dorset and a Spotted Sandpiper on Great Skellig, County Kerry.

Lingering rarities included the Hudsonian Whimbrel and Dalmatian Pelican in Cornwall, Booted Warbler in Shetland, Baird's Sandpiper in Yorkshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper in County Kerry, Pacific Golden Plover in Argyll and White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland.

Scarcity highlights included a Barred Warbler, a Hoopoe, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Dotterel, a Spotted Crake, a Temminck's Stint, two Ortolan Buntings, three Lapland Buntings, two Honey Buzzards, five Pectoral Sandpipers and eight Wrynecks.

Seawatching produced seven Cory's Shearwaters, eight Great Shearwaters, two Sabine's Gulls, four Leach's Petrels, two Long-tailed Skuas, 11 Pomarine Skuas and a Grey Phalarope.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 30th August 2016  
  In Lincolnshire an adult Western Purple Swamphen was discovered at Alkborough Flats. The well-twitched Suffolk bird was last seen at Minsmere RSPB on 5th August - it is likely that today's sightings involves the same individual, having travelled 138 miles to the north west.

Elsewhere, rarity sightings included Baird's Sandpiper (South Yorkshire), Dalmatian Pelican, Semiplamated Sandpiper and Hudsonian Whimbrel (Cornwall), Greenish Warbler and Booted Warbler (Shetland), Pacific Golden Plover (Argyll), Black Duck (Highland), Red-footed Falcon (Norfolk) and Fea's/Zino's Petrel (Co Kerry).

The best of the rest included White-winged Black Tern (Cleveland), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Co Galway), Spotted Crake (East Yorkshire), sound-recorded Ortolan Bunting (Dorset), Melodious Warbler (Gwynedd), Temminck's Stint (Isles of Scilly), two Pectoral Sandpipers, three Barred Warblers and at least 15 Wrynecks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 29th August 2016  
  New discoveries today included a Pacific Golden Plover on Tiree, Argyll, an Arctic Warbler at Geosetter, Shetland and a Greenish Warbler at Marsden, County Durham.

Lingering rarities included the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall, Semipalmated Sandpiper in County Kerry, Lesser Yellowlegs in Essex, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Black Duck in Highland and King Eider in County Donegal.

There were no sightings of the Royal Tern today.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 28th August 2016  
  A Sykes's Warbler was trapped on North Ronaldsay, Orkney this evening. Nearby in Shetland, single Booted Warblers were on Fair Isle and at Sumburgh Head, an Arctic Warbler was at Mid Dale and a Blyth's Reed Warbler and Greenish Warbler were both also on Fair Isle. Other new discoveries today included a Fea's or Zino's Petrel past Pendeen Watch and a Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Camel Estuary, both Cornwall.

Lingering rarities still present today included the Royal Tern in both County Kerry and County Clare, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Essex, Semipalmated Sandpiper in County Kerry, Baird's Sandpiper and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Black Duck in Highland another Arctic Warbler in Shetland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 27th August 2016  
  New discoveries included Arctic Warbler (Shetland), Spotted Sandpiper (Isles of Scilly), Tawny Pipit (East Sussex), Greenish Warbler (Dorset), four Semipalmated Sandpipers (Co Clare, Co Kerry [2] and Co Cork) and Wilson's Petrel (Co Cork).

Lingering rarities comprised Royal Tern (Co Clare/Co Kerry), Dalmatian Pelican and Hudsonian Whimbrel (Cornwall), Lesser Yellowlegs (Essex), Black Duck (Highland), Baird's Sandpiper (Kent) and White-rumped Sandpiper (Northumberland).

Scarcity sightings included White-winged Black Tern and Purple Heron (Oxfordshire), Ortolan Bunting (Dorset), Spotted Crake (East Yorkshire), Golden Oriole (Norfolk), Ring-necked Duck (Orkney), Common Rosefinch and Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Cattle Egret (Merseyside), Dotterel and Melodious Warbler (Isles of Scilly), two Icterine Warblers, three Pectoral Sandpipers, four Barred Warblers and ten Wrynecks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 26th August 2016  
  New discoveries included Baird's Sandpiper in Kent and Semipalmated Sandpiper in Co Kerry, whilst the Royal Tern (Co Kerry/Co Clare), White-rumped Sandpiper (Northumberland), Lesser Yellowlegs (Essex), Hudsonian Whimbrel, Citrine Wagtail and Dalmatian Pelican (Cornwall) and American White-winged Scoter (Aberdeenshire) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Purple Heron (Oxfordshore), Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Serin (Norfolk), Temminck's Stint (Kent), Ortolan Bunting (Dorset), Barred Warbler and Spotted Crake (East Yorkshire), Cattle Egret (Co Wexford), Hoopoe (Hampshire), two Pectoral Sandpipers, two Melodious Warblers, three Icterine Warblers, four Red-backed Shrikes and ten Wrynecks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 25th August 2016  
  The Royal Tern was still present in County Kerry today, and it also visited the other side of the estuary in County Clare, where it was last reported from Carrigaholt Bay early evening.

New discoveries today included a Citrine Wagtail at Polgigga, Cornwall, a Pallid Harrier at Toab, Shetland and a Greenish Warbler on the Isle of May, Fife.

Lingering rarities included the Least Sandpiper in County Clare, Hudsonian Whimbrel and Dalmatian Pelican in Cornwall, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Lesser Yellowlegs in Essex, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland, King Eider in County Donegal, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Northamptonshire and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 24th August 2016  
  Highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Royal Tern in Co Kerry, whilst an Azorean Yellow-legged Gull visited Stanwick Gravel Pits (Northamptonshire), and the American White-winged Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Least Sandpiper (Co Clare), Lesser Yellowlegs (Essex and Co Dublin), Forster's Tern (Co Louth), Dalmatian Pelican and Hudsonian Whimbrel (Cornwall), White-rumped Sandpiper (Northumberland) and Greenish Warbler (Shetland) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Serin (Suffolk), Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Spotted Crake (East Yorkshire), Hoopoe (Dorset), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), two Ortolan Buntings, two Barred Warblers, three Melodious Warblers (all on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd, where two Icterine Warblers were also located), three Temminck's Stints, four Icterine Warblers (including the aforementioned Bardsey birds),  four Red-backed Shrikes and nine Wrynecks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 23rd August 2016  
  Highlight of the day was the rediscovery of last week's Royal Tern - following its all-too-brief visit to Co Mayo on 16th-17th August, today it resurfaced in Co Kerry, at Beale Strand.

Elsewhere new discoveries included Booted Warbler and Greenish Warbler at Porthgwarra (Cornwall), Greenish Warbler on Fair Isle (Shetland), Lesser Yellowlegs at Rogerstown Estuary (Co Dublin) and White-rumped Sandpiper at Banks Marsh (Lancashire). Lingering rarities comprised American White-winged Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Terek Sandpiper (Co Wexford), Dalmatian Pelican and Hudsonian Whimbrel (Cornwall), Lesser Yellowlegs (Essex), Bonaparte's Gull (Kent), White-rumped Sandpiper (Northumberland) and Greenish Warblers (Shetland), whilst, on Fair Isle, the Swinhoe's Petrel was heard during an overnight Storm Petrel ringing session.

Scarcity sightings included Ring-necked Duck (Shetland), Ortolan Bunting (Isles of Scilly), Purple Heron (Oxfordshire), Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Melodious Warbler (East Sussex), Dotterel (Co Waterford), Spotted Crake (East Yorkshire), Richard's Pipit (East Yorkshire), two Temminck's Stints, two Cattle Egrets, three Red-backed Shrikes and 16 Wrynecks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 22nd August 2016  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of the first Booted Warbler of the year, on Fetlar, Shetland Isles. Related sightings included Greenish Warblers in Dorset at Portland, the Orkney Isles at Evie and the Shetland Isles (2), Common Rosefinch (Shetland Isles), Barred Warbler (Orkney Isles), Red-backed Shrike (Norfolk), two Icterine Warblers, six Wrynecks, also Melodious Warbler (Isles of Scilly), White-winged Black Tern (Leicestershire), and Spotted Crake (East Yorkshire).

Rare waders comprised a Lesser Yellowlegs new in Essex at Vange Marsh, the Terek Sandpiper still in County Wexford, Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall, Semipalmated Sandpiper in County Kerry, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland, and a Temminck's Stint in London.

Seabirds included Wilson's Petrels in County Clare and the Isles of Scilly (4), and totals of two Sabine's Gulls, two Great Shearwaters and five Cory's Shearwaters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA