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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Sunday 12th August 2018  
  A Bonaparte's Gull was found at Hoylake on the Wirral and pelagic trips off the Scillies produced a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel as well as two Wilson's Petrels, with another Wilson's Petrel being seen from the Scillonian. A further two were seen from a pelagic off County Cork.

Lingering rarities included the Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Baird's Sandpiper on the Western Isles, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Cork, Pacific Golden Plover in Moray and Ferruginous Duck in Essex.

Well over 100 Great Shearwaters were logged in the south and west but only 5 Cory's Shearwaters. Spotted Crakes were in Northumerland, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Red-backed Shrikes were in Yorkshire and Essex, an American Golden Plover was in Yorkshire, Pectoral Sandpipers were in Northumberland, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire and a Red-necked Phalarope was in Leicestershire.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Saturday 11th August 2018  
  New rarities discovered today included a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel off Porthgwarra, Cornwall, a Blue-winged Teal at Alkborough Flats, Lincolnshire, a Marsh Sandpiper at Cliffe Pools, Kent and a Baird's Sandpiper at Ardivachar, Western Isles.

Lingering rarities included just the Baird's Sandpiper on Scilly and the Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, and a Wilson's Petrel was seen on the Scilly pelagic.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Ring-necked Duck, a Pectoral Sandpiper, two Purple Herons, two Glossy Ibises, two White Storks, four Spotted Crakes, four Honey Buzzards and an Iceland Gull. Seabird totals were 276 Great Shearwaters, 64 Cory's Shearwaters, 182 Balearic Shearwaters, two Long-tailed Skuas and three Pomarine Skuas.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 10th August 2018  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Franklin's Gull at Pinchinthorpe, Cleveland, Baird's Sandpiper on Tresco, Scilly, White-rumped Sandpiper at Lower Rosses, County Sligo, Forster's Tern at Dundalk, County Louth and Snowy Owl on North Uist, Western Isles. Two Wilson's Petrels were seen from the pelagic off Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included a White-winged Black Tern, a White Stork, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Glossy Ibises, three Spotted Crakes, three Grey Phalaropes, a Long-tailed Skua, four Pomarine Skuas, seven Cory's Shearwaters at least 209 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 9th August 2018  
  Two classic August rarities were found today: a Greenish Warbler was at Newtonhill in Aberdeenshire and a Baird's Sandpiper was on Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. The latter location also provided a memorable pelagic trip this evening with a bumper count of 14 Wilson's Petrels as well as 43 Great Shearwaters.  There were also 2 Great Shearwaters and 6 Cory's Shearwaters seen from the Scillonian on the crossings to and from the islands.

The Franklin's Gull was relocated in a stubble field near Guisborough in Cleveland and other lingering rarities comprised Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Forster's Tern in County Louth and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent.

A Roseate Tern was a great inland find at Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire, there were Spotted Crakes in Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, Red-backed Shrikes in Yorkshire and Essex, a Rose-coloured Starling in Shetland, Glossy Ibises in Essex, Devon and London, a Pectoral Sandpiper in Northumberland and Purple Herons remained in Leicestershire and Somerset.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Wednesday 8th August 2018  
  A white morph Gyr was on Fair Isle, Shetland today.

Lingering rarities included the Franklin's Gull at Scaling Dam Reservoir, Cleveland/North Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup at Drift Reservoir, Cornwall, Snowy Owl on St Kilda, Western Isles, King Eider at Ynys-hir, Ceredigion and Bonaparte's Gull at Oare, Kent.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Wryneck, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, a White Stork, a Surf Scoter, a Honey Buzzard, two Spotted Crakes, a Ring-billed Gull, a Long-tailed Skua, three Pomarine Skuas, three Cory's Shearwaters, nine Great Shearwaters and 130 Balearic Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 7th August 2018  
  In County Louth the Forster's Tern re-appeared again at Soldier's Point, having last been seen there in October last year. Two White-rumped Sandpipers were found today - at Lower Rosses in County Sligo and at Redcar in Cleveland. Two Bee-eaters flew over Teddington Lock in London and a White-billed Diver was at Culdaff in County Donegal, but there was no sign of the Sooty Tern in Aberdeenshire.

The Franklin's Gull put in another appearance at Scaling Dam on the North Yorkshire/Cleveland Border and lingering rarities comprised Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Black Duck in Highland, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Snowy Owl on the Western Isles.

The Buff-breated Sandpiper was still in Yorkshire, Rose-coloured Starlings remained on the Shetlands and Western Isles, Spotted Crakes were still in Cheshire and Norfolk and Pectoral Sandpipers were in Northumberland, Cornwall, County Derry and County Armagh.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Monday 6th August 2018  
  A Lesser Scaup was found today at Drift Reservoir, Cornwall.

Lingering rarities included the Franklin's Gull again at Scaling Dam Reservoir, Yorkshire/Cleveland, Black Duck at Strontian, Highland, Bonaparte's Gull at Oare, Kent and two Wilson's Petrels from the Scilly pelagic.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Temminck's Stint, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Ring-billed Gull, a Leach's Petrel, a Pomarine Skua, a Sabine's Gull, a Glaucous Gull, an Iceland Gull, a White Stork, two Spotted Crakes, two Purple Herons, two Glossy Ibises and three Pectoral Sandpipers.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 5th August 2018  
  The Sooty Tern was seen on the Ythan Estuary in the morning and again in the evening. The Pacific Golden Plover was on the Findhorn Estuary in Moray during the day and the Ferrunginous Duck was seen again at Abberton Reservoir in Essex in the morning.

The long staying Bonaparte's Gull was still in Kent but there was no sign of the Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk.

Scarcities included Surf Scoters (Angus and Durham), Purple Heron (Leicestershire), Temminck's Stint (Surrey), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Yorkshire), Green-winged Teal (Cleveland), Spotted Crake (Norfolk), Pectoral Sandpipers (Cornwall, County Wexford and Northumberland), and Ring-billed Gull and Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles).
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Saturday 4th August 2018  
  In Essex a Ferruginous Duck was discovered at Abberton Reservoir.

Lingering rarities included the Sooty Tern in Aberdeenshire, Snowy Owl in Western Isles, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and a Wilson's Petrel was seen from a pelagic off County Cork.

Scarcity highlights included a Common Rosefinch, a Wryneck, a Surf Scoter, a Ring-necked Duck, a Green-winged Teal, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, an American Golden Plover, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Red-necked Phalarope, two Grey Phalaropes, two Pectoral Sandpipers, two Glaucous Gulls, three Spotted Crakes, three Honey Buzzards, four Pomarine Skuas, a Cory's Shearwater, eight Balearic Shearwaters and 11 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 3rd August 2018  
  The most significant news of the day was the re-appearance of the Sooty Tern on the Ythan Estuary in Aberdeenshire late in the evening. The Pacific Golden Plover at Findhorn Bay in Moray also made a re-appearance. There was a female type Hooded Merganser at Errol in Perth and Kinross but it was not clear whether or not it was the same escaped bird that was in Fife earlier in the year.

Two Wilson's Petrels were seen from a pelagic off the Scillies in the evening and lingering rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Bonaparte’s Gull in Kent and King Eider in Ceredigion. Two White Pelicans that arrived at Tacumshin in County Wexford in the afternoon were found to be ringed escapees.

Spotted Crakes were in Cheshire and Norfolk (now 2 at Potter Heigham), the Red-necked Phal remained in Kent, a Pectoral Sandpiper was still in Cornwall and an American Golden Plover was briefly on the Kent Estuary in Cumbria. There was a notable early autumn influx of Pied Flycatchers along south and east coasts.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA