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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Tuesday 15th August 2017  
  A Wilson's Petrel was seen from a boat off Bolt Head, Devon.

Lingering rarities included the Long-billed Dowitcher and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, White-rumped Sandpipers in Cleveland and Northumberland, Alpine Swift in Yorkshire, five Bee-eaters in Leicestershire and a Wilson's Petrel from the Scilly pelagic.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Sabine's Gull, a Pectoral Sandpiper, two Dotterels, two White-winged Black Terns, a Long-tailed Skua, 11 Pomarine Skuas, seven Cory's Shearwaters and 35 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 14th August 2017  
  Both a Caspian Tern and a White-rumped Sandpiper were found at Greatham Creek, Cleveland with another of the latter also found at Snettisham, Norfolk.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Alpine Swift in Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte's Gull and four Black-winged Stilts in Kent, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland, four Bee-eaters in Leicstershire and single Wilson's Petrels were seen off Scilly and County Kerry.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Dotterel, a Pectoral Sandpiper, two White-winged Black Terns, two Glossy Ibises, three Pomarine Skuas, 81 Great Shearwaters and 102 Cory's Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 13th August 2017  
  New discoveries today included a Barolo Shearwater off Porthgwarra, Cornwall, a Semipalmated Sandpiper at Sully, Glamorgan, both a Long-billed Dowitcher and a Lesser Yellowlegs at Clogheen Marsh, County Cork, a Bonaparte's Gull at Caherfearlane, County Kerry and four Bee-eaters flew over Sutton Bonington, Nottinghamshire.

Lingering rarities included the Snowy Owl in County Mayo, Alpine Swift in Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher, four Black-winged Stilts and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, single White-rumped Sandpipers in Northumberland and County Wexford, King Eider in Ceredigion and five Bee-eaters in Leicestershire. Twelve Wilson's Petrels were seen Scilly, Cornwall and County Cork.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 12th August 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Snowy Owl in County Mayo at Tarmon Hill; first seen here on 9th September 2006 and then present intermittently there until 8th March 2017. Another reoccurence was the Alpine Swift in East Yorkshire again at Bempton Cliffs, whilst a Bonaparte's Gull in Cardiff, Glamorgan is in an area with periodic sightings of this species since 2004.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Long-billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte's Gull and three Black-winged Stilts in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, King Eider in Ceredigion, White-rumped Sandpipers in both Northumberland and County Wexford, three Black-winged Stilts in Essex and seven Bee-eaters in Leicestershire.

Notable seabirds continued to show with Wilson's Petrels at sea off County Cork (16), Cornwall (3) and the Isles of Scilly and two seen from land at Bridges of Ross, County Clare. Cory's Shearwater reports totaled 171 with 120 Great Shearwaters and seven Sabine's Gulls reported.

Scarcities included Melodious Warbler (Dorset), Rose-coloured Starling and Common Rosefinch (Highland), Red-necked Phalarope (Suffolk), Pectoral Sandpiper (County Mayo), Dotterel (South Yorkshire), Glossy Ibis (Norfolk), two each of both White-winged Black Tern and Cattle Egret, and three Surf Scoters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 11th August 2017  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Long-billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte's Gull and four Black-winged Stints in Kent, three Black-winged Stilts in Essex, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland, seven Bee-eaters in Leicestershire and two Wilson's Petrels from the Scilly pelagic.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Wryneck, a Leach's Petrel, an American Night Heron, a Glaucous Gull, an Iceland Gull, two White-winged Black Terns, two Purple Herons, two Surf Scoters, three Glossy Ibises, five Red-necked Phalaropes, five Pomarine Skuas, 16 Cory's Shearwaters and 65 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 10th August 2017  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Thrush Nightingale at Gramborough Hill, Norfolk. The county also continued to host the Baird's Sandpiper at Potter Heigham Marshes. Elsewhere rarities comprised seven Bee-eaters in Leicestershire, White-rumped Sandpipers in Northumberland and Co Wexford, Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher and five Black-winged Stilts in Kent and Wilson's Petrels from an Isles of Scilly pelagic (2) and off Cape Clear (Co Cork).

The best of the rest included Purple Heron (Cambridgeshire), American Night Heron (Shropshire), White-winged Black Tern (Leicestershire) and Melodious Warblers (Cornwall and Kent).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 9th August 2017  
  Lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull and Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, King Eider in Ceredigion, seven Bee-eaters in Leicestershire and White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland.

Three Wilson's Petrels were logged from an Isles of Scilly pelagic, whilst the best of the rest included Pectoral Sandpiper (Staffordshire), American Night Heron (Shropshire), White-winged Black Terns (Devon and Leicestershire), Red-backed Shrike and Night Heron (Kent), Purple Heron (Isle of Wight) and inland Sabine's Gulls in Berkshire, London and Warwickshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 8th August 2017  
  A Long-billed Dowitcher was found at Oare Marshes KWT, Kent, today, joining the summering Bonaparte's Gull, and a White-rumped Sandpiper was a new arrival in County Galway, at Ballyconneely.

Other lingering rarities included the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Baird's Sandpiper in Norfolk, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland, six Bee-eaters in Leicestershire, King Eider in Ceredigion, five Black-winged Stilts in Essex and a Wilson's Petrel from the Scilly pelagic.

Scarcity highlights included a Spotted Crake, a White-winged Black Tern, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Surf Scoter, an Iceland Gull, an American Night Heron, two Temminck's Stints, four Glossy Ibises, 56 Cory's Shearwaters and 67 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
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