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.


Monday 18th September 2017

	The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Black-billed Cuckoo on the Shetland Isles at Dale of Walls, Mainland - only the second record for the archipelago following one on Foula on 11th-12th October 1953. Other rarities from the west were Least, Baird's and Spotted Sandpipers all in Dorset, Forster's Tern still in County Louth, Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Isles of Scilly, Baird's Sandpiper in County Cork, Pectoral Sandpiper in Berkshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in County Kerry, Lincolnshire and the Orkney Isles, two American Golden Plovers and seven Buff-breasted Sandpipers. Whilst from the east, both the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler and Arctic Warbler remained in Norfolk, a Dusky Warbler was new in Kent at Reculver, as well as Marsh Warbler (East Yorkshire), Little Bunting (Fife), two each of both Common Rosefinch and Red-backed Shrike, three of Red-breasted Flycatcher and Wryneck, seven Barred Warblers and 29 Yellow-browed Warblers. Birds from elsewhere included King Eider (again in Ceredigion), Woodchat Shrike (still in Gloucestershire), Red-necked Phalarope (Suffolk), Glossy Ibis (London), two Rose-coloured Starlings, three Spotted Crakes and 14 Lapland Buntings.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Sunday 17th September 2017

	The highlight of the day was a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler in Norfolk at Burnham Overy Marshes present from mid afternoon until dusk and showing well at times. Rarities discovered elsewhere included a Baird's Sandpiper in Dorset at Littlsea, a Red-throated Pipit in County Donegal on Tory Island, Arctic Warblers in East Yorkshire at Easington and in Norfolk at Wells Woods, and Greenish Warblers in both East Yorkshire at Spurn Point and Kent at Seabrook. On Fair Isle Western Bonelli's Warbler, Rustic Bunting, Citrine Wagtail, Melodious Warbler, Little Bunting, Bluethroat and Red-breasted Flycatcher were all located whilst elsewhere around the Shetland Isles Golden Oriole, Lapland Bunting, two Barred Warblers, four Common Rosefinches and a total of 32 Yellow-browed Warblers were all present. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the American Redstart on the Western Isles, Semipalmated Plover in County Mayo, Least Sandpiper in Dorset, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Isles of Scilly, Baird's Sandpiper in County Cork, Greenish Warbler in Northumberland, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both Kent and Lincolnshire. Elsewhere scarcities included Little Bunting (Fife), Marsh Warbler (Orkney Isles), Red-breasted Flycatcher (East Yorkshire), Woodchat Shrike (Gloucestershire), American Golden Plover (Isles of Scilly), White-winged Black Tern (Hertfordshire), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire), Ortolan Bunting and Hoopoe (together in Dorset), two each of Rose-coloured Starling, Barred Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Red-necked Phalarope and Spotted Crake, and three Buff-breasted Sandpipers.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Saturday 16th September 2017

	New discoveries today included a Long-billed Dowitcher at Saltfleet, Lincolnshire, a Baird's Sandpiper at Hatfield Moors, Yorkshire, an Arctic Warbler at Esha Ness, Shetland, single Greenish Warblers at Easington, Yorkshire and Druridge Pools, Northumberland and a Blyth's Reed Warbler at Hope Point, Kent. >Lingering rarities included the American Redstart and Semipalmated Sandpiper in the Western Isles, Semipalmated Plover in County Mayo, Least Sandpiper and Baird's Sandpiper in Dorset, Baird's Sandpiper in Moray, Semipalmated Sandpiper in the Isles of Scilly, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus and Citrine Wagtail in Suffolk. Scarcity highlights included a White-winged Black Tern, a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Woodchat Shrike, an Ortolan Bunting, two Red-backed Shrikes, a Common Rosefinch, a Short-toed Lark, a Hoopoe, a Rose-coloured Starling, five Barred Warblers, six Wrynecks, two Spotted Crakes, two American Golden Plovers, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers, six Pectoral Sandpipers, four Red-necked Phalaropes, 15 Grey Phalaropes and a Little Auk.
- Will Soar, RBA


Friday 15th September 2017

	Rarity highlights included the lingering American Redstart (Western Isles), Least and Stilt Sandpipers (Dorset), Red-rumped Swallow (West Sussex), Lesser Yellowlegs (Angus), Baird's Sandpipers (Dorset, Co Sligo and South Yorkshire), Semipalmated Sandpipers (Western Isles and Isles of Scilly), Citrine Wagtail (Suffolk), Long-billed Dowitcher (Kent) and Hudsonian Whimbel (Co Sligo). The best of the rest included Ortolan Bunting (Shetland), Spotted Crake (Ayrshire), Purple Heron (Lancashire), White-winged Black Tern (Hertfordshire), Woodchat Shrike (Gloucestershire), Rose-coloured Starling (Cumbria), Hoopoe (Dorset), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), two each of Glossy Ibises and Red-necked Phalaropes, three each of Buff-breasted Sandpiper and American Golden Plover, up to four Wrynecks, four Pectoral Sandpipers and six Yellow-browed Warblers.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Thursday 14th September 2017

	New rarities included a Baird's Sandpiper present in West Yorkshire for its second day, a flyover Tawny Pipit in Dorset and a report of a Pallid Swift in Kent. Elsewhere the American Redstart (Western Isles), Least and Stilt Sandpipers (Dorset), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Isles of Scilly), Citrine Wagtail (Suffolk), White-billed Diver (Shetland), Long-billed Dowitcher (Kent), Semipalmated Plover and Snowy Owl (Co Mayo), Baird's Sandpipers (Co Cork, Moray and Dorset) and Lesser Yellowlegs (Angus) all lingered. The best of the rest included Barred Warbler (East Yorkshire), Spotted Crake (Ayrshire), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Purple Heron (Lancashire), Woodchat Shrike (Gloucestershire), White-winged Black Tern (Hertfordshire), Hoopoe (Dorset), Short-toed Lark (Lothian), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), Honey Buzzard (Suffolk), two each of American Golden Plover, Lesser Snow Goose, Red-backed Shrike and Ortolan Bunting, four each of Red-necked Phalarope, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Wryneck, five Yellow-browed Warblers and seven Pectoral Sandpipers. Excellent west coast seawatching again produced multiple Long-tailed Skuas, Sabine's Gulls, Grey Phalaropes and Leach's Petrels.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Wednesday 13th September 2017

	Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Semipalmated Plover at Achill Island (Co Mayo), possibly the same bird which frequented the site from 2nd-14th October 2016. Elsewhere American waders included Least, Stilt and Baird's Sandpipers in Dorset, Semipalmated Sandpipers in Co Kerry, Western Isles and Isles of Scilly, Long-billed Dowitchers in Kent and East Yorkshire, White-rumped Sandpiper (Co Kerry) Baird's Sandpiper in Moray, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, three American Golden Plovers, five Buff-breasted Sandpipers and seven Pectoral Sandpipers. The American Redstart lingered on Barra (Western Isles), whilst Citrine Wagtail (Suffolk) and Arctic Warbler (Shetland) also remained in situ. Seawatching in Cornwall produced a Wilson's Petrel and a Gull-billed Tern. The best of the rest included American Night Heron (Shropshire), Hoopoe (Dorset), Spotted Crake (Ayrshire), Red-backed Shrike (Aberdeenshire), Purple Heron (Glamorgan), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), White-winged Black Tern (Hertfordshire), two each of Ortolan Buntings, Barred Warblers, three Wrynecks and six Yellow-browed Warblers. Excellent west coast seawatching produced many Leach's Petrels along with smaller numbers of Sabine's Gulls, Long-tailed Skuas and Grey Phalaropes.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Tuesday 12th September 2017

	New discoveries included an American Buff-bellied Pipit (Co Galway), Lesser Yellowlegs (Cornwall), Red-rumped Swallow (Devon), Bee-eater (East Sussex), Greenish Warbler (Orkney) and Arctic Warbler (Shetland), whilst the American Redstart (Barra, Western Isles), Least, Stilt and Baird's Sandpipers (Dorset), Lesser Yellowlegs (Angus), Semipalmated Sandpipers (Isles of Scilly and Western Isles), Long-billed Dowitchers (East Yorkshire and Kent) and Citrine Wagtail (Suffolk) all lingered. The best of the rest included Purple Heron (Lancashire), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Kentish Plover (Kent), Woodchat Shrike (Gloucestershire), Common Rosefinch (Co Mayo), Red-necked Phalarope (Cheshire), Hoopoe (Dorset), White-winged Black Tern (Hertfordshire), two each of Red-backed Shrike, Yellow-browed Warblers and American Golden Plovers, six Wrynecks and six Pectoral Sandpipers. West coast seawatching produced more Sabine's Gulls, Leach's Petrels and Grey Phalaropes, whilst a handful of the latter species made their way to inland sites.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Monday 11th September 2017

	The highlight of the day was a remarkable double of Stilt Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper together in Dorset at Lodmoor. Canadian waders elsewhere comprised single Semipalmated Sandpipers in both the Isles of Scilly and Western Isles, Baird's Sandpiper in Cornwall, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher in East Yorkshire, single Lesser Yellowlegs in both Angus and County Kerry, six Buff-breasted Sandpipers and seven Pectoral Sandpipers. Meanwhile, on the Shetland Isles a Lanceolated Warbler was discovered at Quendale, Mainland, and a Great Snipe arrived on Fair Isle, with others notables around the archipelago being Little Bunting and Ortolan Bunting, Wryneck, Icterine and Yellow-browed Warbler, and two Common Rosefinches. Other lingering rarities comprised the American Redstart on the Western Isles, Arctic Warbler on the Orkney Isles and Citrine Wagtail in Suffolk. Strong westerly winds brought excellent seawatching to west coast locations with multiple Leach's Petrels, Sabine's Gulls, Grey Phalaropes, Long-tailed and Pomarine Skuas, and a Wilson's Petrel passing Cornwall.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Sunday 10th September 2017

	New discoveries today included a Greater Yellowlegs on Hilbre Island, Wirral, a Wilson's Petrel at Saltcoats, Ayrshire, a Fea's/Desertas Petrel at Carnsore Point, County Wexford, an Arctic Warbler at Sandwich Bay, Kent and a Baird's Sandpiper at Clonakilty. County Cork. The American Redstart remained in the Western Isles, as did the Citrine Wagtail in Suffolk, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in Angus and County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Yorkshire, single Semipalmated Sandpipers in Isles of Scilly, County Wexford and County Kerry, single Baird's Sandpipers in Cornwall and County Sligo, single White-rumped Sandpipers in Lincolnshire and County Cork, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in County Cork and another Wilson's Petrel in County Clare. Scarcity highlights included a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Woodchat Shrike, a Barred Warbler, a Common Rosefinch, a Spotted Crake, a Purple Heron, an American Wigeon, a Surf Scoter, a Glossy Ibis, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Honey Buzzards, three Yellow-browed Warblers, four Wrynecks, four Buff-breasted Sandpipers, eight Pectoral Sandpipers and 21 Lapland Buntings. Seawatching produced four Cory's Shearwaters, 17 Great Shearwaters, 12 Long-tailed Skuas, 15 Pomarine Skuas, 45 Grey Phalaropes, 51 Sabine's Gulls and up to 127 Leach's Petrels.
- Will Soar, RBA


Saturday 9th September 2017

	The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the American Redstart on Barra, Western Isles. New discoveries today included a Wilson's Phalarope at Alston Wetland, Lancashire, a Long-billed Dowitcher at Kilnsea, Yorkshire, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Cloghane, County Kerry, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Clogheen, County Cork, a Citrine Wagtail at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, an Arctic Warbler at Quendale, Shetland and a Greenish Warbler at Flamborough, Yorkshire. Other lingering rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, single Semipalmated Sandpipers in Isles of Scilly, County Wexford and County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Hudsonian Whimbrel in County Sligo, single Baird's Sandpipers in Cornwall and Dorset, White-rumped Sandpiper in Lincolnshire and Arctic Warbler in Shetland.
- Will Soar, RBA