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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Monday 7th August 2017  
  The highlight of the day was an Alpine Swift that lingered at Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire during the morning, whilst single White-rumped Sandpipers were discovered in both County Wexford at The Cull and in Northumberland at St Mary's Island. In Cornwall a Wilson's Petrel again flew past Porthgwarra, and in Leicestershire six Bee-eaters at Ulverscroft, Leicestershire had relocated eight miles southwest from their aborted breeding site in Nottinghamshire.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Baird's Sandpiper in Norfolk, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Forster's Tern in County Louth, King Eider in Ceredigion and parties of Black-winged Stilts in both Kent (4) and Essex (5).

Scarcities included three Pectoral Sandpiper, six Glossy Ibises, 14 Cattle Egrets, and totals of 36 Cory's Shearwaters and 163 Great Shearwaters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 6th August 2017  
  Seabirds again provided the highlights and were headlined by a total of sixty Wilson's Petrels logged comprising 58 in County Cork and singles in County Mayo and the Isles of Scilly. Supporting cast included 176 Great Shearwaters between Cornwall and County Cork, 85 Cory's Shearwaters, four Sabine's Gulls and two Long-tailed Skuas.

Rarities comprised the American White-winged Scoter still in Aberdeenshire, Baird's Sandpiper in Norfolk, King Eider in Ceredigion, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and parties of five Black-winged Stilts in both Essex and Kent.

Scarcities included Ring-billed Gull (Pembrokeshire), American Night Heron (Shropshire), two Surf Scoters (together in Aberdeenshire), three Pectoral Sandpipers, eight Cattle Egrets and a total of 10 Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 5th August 2017  
  A Baird's Sandpiper was found at Potter Heigham Marshes, Norfolk today.

Lingering rarities included the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Marsh Sandpiper in Kent, six Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and five in both Essex and Kent, King Eider in Ceredigion, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and two Wilson's Petrels were seen from the Scilly pelagic.

Scarcity highlights included a Temminck's Stint, a White-winged Black Tern, a Sabine's Gull, a White Stork, two Pectoral Sandpipers, three Pomarine Skuas, three Cory's Shearwaters, 11 Great Shearwaters and 12 Glossy Ibises.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 4th August 2017  
  Rarity highlights included Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and Dorset, long-staying Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Bee-eaters in Highland and Nottinghamshire [7] and Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Essex [5] and Kent [5]. Six Wilson's Petrels were logged; three from an Isles of Scilly pelagic, two from the Scillonian crossing and one off Lizard Point (Cornwall).

The best of the rest included Hoopoe (West Yorkshire), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Western Isles), American Night Heron (Shropshire), Woodchat Shrike (Devon), two White-winged Black Terns and three Pectoral Sandpipers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 3rd August 2017  
  The wandering Caspian Tern made an appearance at Carr Vale NR (Derbyshire) late afternoon, having been present in West Yorkshire the previous day. Elsewhere lingering rarities included White-rumped Sandpiper (Western Isles), Bee-eaters (Nottinghamshire), Black-winged Stilt (Norfolk), Marsh Sandpiper (Kent), Bonaparte's Gulls (Kent and Dorset) and Forster's Tern (Co Louth).

Seabirds were again well represented, with the highlight being a Barolo Shearwater observed off Prawle Point (Devon). Elsewhere an Isles of Scilly pelagic produced some incredible totals, including at least 15 Wilson's Petrels, 750 Great Shearwaters and 250 Cory's Shearwaters! Wilson's Petrels were also logged off Orcombe Point (Devon) and Bridges of Ross (Co Clare).

The best of the rest included American Night Heron (Shropshire), Night Herons (Somerset and Northumberland), White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lincolnshire) and Grey Phalarope (Highland).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 2nd August 2017  
  Seawatching highlights included Fea's/Deserta's Petrels off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) and Galley Head (Co Cork) and ten Wilson's Petrels logged off Cornish watchpoints.

Elsewhere rarities comprised Caspian Tern in West Yorkshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in Western Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Norfolk and familes of Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire.

The best of the rest included Temminck's Stint in Norfolk, Night Heron in Northumberland, Red-backed Shrike in North Yorkshire and White-winged Black Tern in Lincolnshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 1st August 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Baird's Sandpiper at Stanford Reservoir on the border Northamptonshire and Leicestershire. Elsewhere, lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Marsh Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull and nine Black-winged Stilts in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, three Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and the colony of seven Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire.

Seabirds again featured with Wilson's Petrels at sea off the Isles of Scilly (8) and County Kerry and totals of 22 Cory's and seven Great Shearwaters between Cornwall and County Cork, whilst a Sabine's Gull flew past County Durham.

Scarcities included Night Heron (Northumberland), White-winged Black Tern and Pectoral Sandpiper (both Lincolnshire), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), White Stork (East Sussex), two Rose-coloured Starling (both Highland), two Surf Scoters (together in Aberdeenshire), a total of 14 Cattle Egrets, and at least 15 Glossy Ibises (including 14 in Cornwall and 7 in Devon).

Significant late news concerned the confirmed breeding of Night Herons on the Somerset Levels at Westhay Moor where two adults present on 9th July were accompanied by two juveniles on 16th-26th July. Earlier in the summer singles had been seen at nearby Shapwick Heath on 4th June and Ham Wall on 16th-24th June.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 31st July 2017  
  Exciting seabirding continued in the southwest with a Wilson's Petrel, four Cory's Shearwaters and three Great Shearwaters passing Cape Clear, County Cork, and in the evening at least seven Wilson's Petrels at sea off the Isles of Scilly alongside 29 Cory's and three Great Shearwaters.

Rarities included the Forster's Tern still in County Louth, Two-barred Crossbill on the Shetland Isles, Marsh Sandpiper and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, five Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and seven Bee-eaters still at the colony in Nottinghamshire.

Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Sabine's Gull (Norfolk), Ring-billed Gull (County Galway), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), a total of 15 Cattle Egrets, and most notably 15 Glossy Ibis (including a flock of 14 in Cornwall).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 30th July 2017  
  Once again Wilson's Petrel dominated the news with in County Cork at least 40 logged from a pelagic off Fastnet Cork and a single passing Galley Head, and in Cornwall four off Porthgwarra. Other seabirds included a total of 14 Cory's and 36 Great Shearwaters between County Cork and Cornwall, and a total of 103 Balearic Shearwaters included 50 off Bolt Tail, Devon.

Rarities today comprised a Bonaparte's Gull discovered in Dorset at Brownsea Island, the American White-winged Scoter still in Aberdeenshire, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Marsh Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull and 10 Black-winged Stilts all in Kent, King Eider in Ceredigion, White-rumped Sandpiper on the Western Isles and seven Bee-eaters still at their colony in Nottinghamshire.

Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Glossy Ibis (Suffolk), Night Heron (Shropshire), two Pectoral Sandpipers (Lincolnshire and London), and a total of 16 Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 29th July 2017  
  Seabirds dominated the headlines again with a total of nine Wilson's Petrels seen from Cornwall, 26 Cory's Shearwaters reported between County Cork and Devon, 109 Great Shearwaters between County Cork and Cornwall, and two Sabine's Gulls passed County Cork.

The four Two-barred Crossbills present today - three on the Shetland Isles and one still in Fife on the Isle of May - brings the influx total to seven individuals since the 21st July. Other rarities comprised a White-rumped Sandpiper new on the Western Isles on North Uist, the Forster's Tern still in County Louth, Marsh Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull and 11 Black-winged Stilts in Kent, two Black-winged Stilts still in Norfolk and at least four Bee-eaters still in Nottinghamshire.

Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Glossy Ibis (Suffolk), Red-backed Shrike (East Yorkshire and North Yorkshire), three Pectoral Sandpipers and eight Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA