Daily News Summaries
This page gives you access to all of RBA's daily news summaries (since April 13, 2006), 10 days at a time. The most recent are shown, or you can select a specific date to show (along with the previous 10 days). Prior to April 13, 2006 you can find weekly reviews, located in articles.
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Monday 30th July 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Sooty Tern on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire where it has now been seen intermittently for eleven days. Other seabirds included a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel passing Carnsore Point, County Wexford, five Wilson's Petrels at sea off the Isles of Scilly, and between County Cork and the Isle of Wight 22 Cory's and 41 Great Shearwaters were logged.

Terrestrial rarities comprised a Lesser Yellowlegs new in Devon at Wrafton, Marsh Sandpiper and Bonaparte's Gull both still in Kent, and both Semipalmated Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk.

Scarcities included Icterine Warbler and Marsh Warbler (together on the Shetland Isles), Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis (Leicestershire), Surf Scoter (County Durham), migrant Red-necked Phalarope (Kent), Green-winged Teal (Cleveland), Cattle Egret (Cheshire), two each of both Rose-coloured Starling and Spotted Crake and a total of four Pectoral Sandpipers.

Significant late news concerned the reappearance of the Franklin's Gull in Cleveland yesterday evening.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 29th July 2018  
  Astonishing news today from seawatchers at Porthgwarra, Cornwall where a Trindade Petrel passed west in the early afternoon. A new British bird when accepted it will represent the fourteenth record for the Western Palearctic but the first away from mid Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Cape Verde that may in actuality be part of the routine range of this species. Trindade Petrel has previously been suspected in England at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire on 13th June 1982, Pendeen Watch, Cornwall on 28th September 1988 and passing Dungeness, Kent on 4th January 1998.

Other seabirds included 57 (!) Wilson's Petrels at sea off Cape Clear, County Cork with two more passing The Lizard, Cornwall along with a Long-tailed Skua there and totals between County Cork and Kent of 68 Cory's and 213 Great Shearwaters.

Otherwise, terrestrial rarities comprised the Semipalmated Sandpiper from East Yorkshire on Friday relocated today in Norfolk at Snettisham, the Marsh Sandpiper in London at Rainham Marshes still present early this morning before (presumably) relocating to Cliffe Pools, Kent this afternoon, the lingering Lesser Yellowlegs still in Norfolk and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent.

Scarcities included Purple Heron (Leicestershire),Surf Scoter (County Durham), migrant Red-necked Phalarope (Kent), Green-winged Teal (Cleveland), two each of both Rose-coloured Starling and Glossy Ibis, three Cattle Egrets, and a total of four Pectoral Sandpipers.
Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 28th July 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Sooty Tern in Aberdeenshire on the Ythan Estuary where it showed throughout the day. Other lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Marsh Sandpiper in London, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Baltic Gull in South Yorkshire.

Seawatching produced both a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel passing Mizen Head, County Cork, a Wilson's Petrel at sea off Cornwall and between Devon and County Cork totals of 242 Cory's and 20 Great Shearwaters.

Scarcities included Icterine Warbler and Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles), Purple Heron (Leicestershire), Surf Scoter (County Durham), Spotted Crake (Ceredigion), Green-winged Teal (Cleveland), two each of Rose-coloured Starling, Red-necked Phalarope, Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret, and a total of four Pectoral Sandpipers.
Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 27th July 2018  
  The highlights of the day included a Marsh Sandpiper discovered in London at Rainham Marshes and a Semipalmated Sandpiper identified at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire. Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised the Franklin's Gull still in Cleveland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, territorial Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Baltic Gull in South Yorkshire and Black Kite in Cambridgeshire but the Sooty Tern could not be relocated in Aberdeenshire.

Seawatching produced both a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel and a Sabine's Gull passing Porthgwarra, Cornwall and between Devon and County Cork totals of 97 Cory's and 373 Great Shearwaters.

Scarcities included Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Spotted Crake (Worcestershire), Red-necked Phalarope (Highland), Surf Scoter (Western Isles), Glossy Ibis (Kent), two each of both Purple Heron and Pectoral Sandpiper, five Cattle Egrets, and a total of nine Rose-coloured Starlings.
Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 26th July 2018  
  The first unidentified Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel of the year passed Ballycotton, County Cork this evening, whilst the first Marsh Sandpiper for Cornwall spent the evening at Devoran Quay.

Lingering rarities included the Sooty Tern in Aberdeenshire, Baltic Gull in Yorkshire, Franklin's Gull in Cleveland, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk. Two Wilson's Petrels were seen from the evening pelagic off Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a White-winged Black Tern, a Green-winged Teal, a Glaucous Gull, a Glossy Ibis, a White Stork, two Purple Herons, three Pectoral Sandpipers, five Roseate Terns, six Balearic Shearwaters, 30 Cory's Shearwaters and 178 Great Shearwaters.
Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 25th July 2018  
  In Cleveland, a Marsh Sandpiper was present at Scaling Dam Reservoir briefly, with the lingering Franklin's Gull also still on site. A Black Kite was reported from Great Fen, Cambridgeshire.

Other lingering rarities included the Sooty Tern on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire, Baltic Gull in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowegs at Titchwell, Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes, Kent and Ferruginous Duck at Skinflats Lagoons, Forth.

Scacrcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Spotted Crake, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Grey Phalarope, a Honey Buzzard, two Glaucous Gulls, three Pectoral Sandpipers, four Roseate Terns, 11 Balearic Shearwaters and 20 Great Shearwaters.
Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 21st July 2018  
  In Cleveland, an adult Franklin's Gull spent just over 45 minutes at Scaling Dam Reservoir late afternoon, a White-rumped Sandpiper was in Kent at Oare Marshes KWT (joining the summering Bonaparte's Gull), and a Wilson's Petrel was in County Cork, seen from a pelagic off Baltimore.

Lingering rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs at Titchwell, Norfolk and the two Savi's Warblers at Minsmere, Suffolk.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Purple Heron, an Iceland Gull, a Pectoral Sandpiper, two Temminck's Stints, two White-winged Black Terns, two Glossy Ibises, two Honey Buzzards, two Pomarine Skuas, four Balearic Shearwaters and 40 Great Shearwaters.
Will Soar, RBA
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