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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Friday 31st August 2018  
  New discoveries included Booted, Arctic and Greenish Warblers and a Citrine Wagtail on Shetland, Franklin's Gull on Western Isles, Red-rumped Swallow on Isles of Scilly, Citrine Wagtail and a flyby dowitcher species in East Yorkshire, Tawny Pipit in Devon and a flyover Terek Sandpiper in Kent.

Lingering rarities comprised Bonaparte's Gull (Co Sligo), Stilt Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire) and Hooded Merganser (Shetland).

Scarcity sightings included two Temminck's Stints, Dotterel and Red-backed Shrikes, three Purple Herons, Red-necked Phalaropes and Spotted Crakes, four Icterine Warblers, at least four Ortolan Buntings, six Common Rosefinches, 13 Wrynecks and 15 Barred Warblers.
Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 30th August 2018  
  A Booted or Sykes's Warbler was discovered at Porthgwarra, Cornwall, as was a Tawny Pipit at Landguard, Suffolk and a Bonaparte's Gull at Dunmoran, County Sligo.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, American Black Tern in Kent, Hooded Merganser in Shetland and Black Duck in Highland.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Rose-coloured Starling, three Icterine Warblers, five Barred Warblers, four Common Rosefinches, eight Wrynecks, three Spotted Crakes, a Red-necked Phalarope, three Glossy Ibises, a Dotterel, a Honey Buzzard, a Glaucous Gull, a Ring-necked Duck, two Surf Scoters and 42 Cattle Egrets. Seawatching and pelagic trips produced a Cory's Shearwater, three Great Shearwaters, two Sabine's Gulls and three Pomarine Skuas.
Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 29th August 2018  
  New discoveries today included a Western Bonelli's Warbler at Berry Head, Devon, an Aquatic Warbler at Nanjizal, Cornwall, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Arne, Dorset and a Red-footed Falcon on Sanday, Orkney. A dowitcher species flew past Hornsea, Yorkshire and another Marbled Duck was in Worcestershire at Bransford.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, American Black Tern in Kent, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Bonaparte's Gull in Wirral, Marbled Duck in Worcestershire and Ferruginous Duck in Essex.
Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 28th August 2018  
  Seawatching highlights today were a Yelkouan Shearwater identified passing Porthgwarra, Cornwall in the evening where a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel had passed in the morning. Elsewhere a Sabine's Gull was seen in Kent, a total of six Long-tailed Skuas were logged, and 14 Great Shearwaters were at sea off the Isles of Scilly.

Other rarities today comprised both the Stilt Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher still together in Lincolnshire, American Black Tern and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Hooded Merganser on the Shetland Isles, Marbled Duck in Worcestershire, Bonaparte's Gull on the Wirral and Ferruginous Duck in Essex.

Scarcities included Ortolan Bunting (East Sussex), Red-backed Shrike (London), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Orkney Isles), Temminck's Stint (East Yorkshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Suffolk), Dotterel (Cornwall), two each of both Rose-coloured Starling and Common Rosefinch, three Wrynecks, five Barred Warblers, six Spotted Crakes and a total of 71 Cattle Egrets (including 51 together in Devon at South Huish Marsh).
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 27th August 2018  
  New discoveries today included an Arctic Warbler at Hestingott, Shetland and a Red-footed Falcon on North Ronaldsay, Orkney.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Lincolnshire, American Black Tern in Kent, Marbled Duck in Worcestershire, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Bonaparte's Gull in Wirral and Ferruginous Duck in Essex.

Scarcity highlights included an Ortolan Bunting, a Wryneck, a Red-backed Shrike, two Common Rosefinches, two Rose-coloured Starlings, a Marsh Warbler, 13 Barred Warblers, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, two Dotterel, six Spotted Crakes and a Ring-billed Gull. Seawatching and pelagic trips produced three Long-tailed Skuas, five Pomarine Skuas, eight Sabine's Gulls, a Leach's Petrel, a Cory's Shearwater, six Great Shearwaters and 27 Balearic Shearwaters.
Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 26th August 2018  
  A Fea's/Desertas Petrel was seen off a pelagic off County Cork, whilst a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel was seen off Porthgwarra, Cornwall. A juvenile Marbled Duck spent the evening at Grimley, Worcestershire.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Lincolnshire, American Black Tern in Kent, Hooded Merganser in Shetland, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Wirral and Kent and a Wilson's Petrel off the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Common Rosefinch, a Barred Warbler, three Wrynecks, a Kentish Plover, four Spotted Crakes, a Glossy Ibis, two Purple Herons, two Cattle Egrets, a Surf Scoter and 26 Roseate Terns. Seawatching and pelagic trips produced eight Sabine's Gulls, ten Leach's Petrels, three Grey Phalaropes, four Long-tailed Skuas, 14 Pomarine Skuas, a Cory's Shearwater, 76 Great Shearwaters and 346 Balearic Shearwaters.
Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 25th August 2018  
  The highlight of the day was a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel which flew north past Whitburn, County Durham in the evening, which was then seen a short while later north past Cullercoats in Northumberland.

Lingering rarities included the Solitary Sandpiper on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Stilt Sandpiper at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire, American Black Tern at Dungeness, Kent, Citrine Wagtail on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly and Bonaparte's Gull at Hilbre Island, Wirral.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, three Wrynecks, a Red-necked Phalarope, an American Golden Plover, two Dotterel, an American Wigeon, five Spotted Crakes, a Purple Heron, a White Stork, five Glossy Ibises, six Cattle Egrets and a Honey Buzzard. Seawatching and pelagic trips produced two Sabine's Gulls, a Grey Phalarope, four Long-tailed Skuas, 19 Pomarine Skuas, five Balearic Shearwaters and 81 Great Shearwaters.
Will Soar, RBA
Friday 24th August 2018  
  A Long-billed Dowitcher was a new arrival at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire, whilst Wilson's Petrels were seen off Bridges of Ross, County Clare and off the Scillonian.III.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Lincolnshire, Spotted Sandpiper, Citrine Wagtail and two further Wilson's Petrels in the Isles of Scilly, Hooded Merganser in Shetland and American Black Tern and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent.

Scartcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, two Ortolan Buntings, two Melodious Warblers, two Barred Warblers, three Wrynecks, a Purple Heron, four Honey Buzzards, a Surf Scoter, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Red-necked Phalarope, four Spotted Crakes and a Glossy Ibis. Seawatching and pelagic trips also produced seven Cory's Shearwaters, 14 Great Shearwaters, 60 Balearic Shearwaters, six Grey Phalaropes, a Sabine's Gull, two Leach's Petrels, two Long-tailed Skuas and 13 Pomarine Skuas.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 23rd August 2018  
  In Co Clare a Barolo Shearwater and Wilson's Petrel flew past Bridges of Ross during the afternoon.

Lingering rarities comprised Stilt Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), American Black Tern (Kent), Black Duck (Highland), Bonaparte's Gulls (Wirral and Kent), Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and Citrine Wagtail (Isles of Scilly), Hooded Merganser and White-rumped Sandpiper (Shetland) and Semipalmated Sandpiper (Suffolk).

The best of the rest included Icterine Warbler (Norfolk), Wryneck (Kent), Melodious Warbler (East Sussex), two each of Purple Heron, Ortolan Bunting and Spotted Crake and four Barred Warblers.
Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 22nd August 2018  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Stilt Sandpiper at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire). Elsewhere an Aquatic Warbler was seen briefly at Lytchett Bay (Dorset), whilst the American Black Tern (Kent), Black Duck (Highland), Pacific Golden Plover (Moray), Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and Citrine Wagtail (Isles of Scilly), Hooded Merganser and White-rumped Sandpiper (Shetland), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Suffolk) and Bonaparte's Gull (Wirral) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Wilson's Petrel (Isles of Scilly), Ortolan Bunting (Suffolk), Rose-coloured Starling (Argyll), Wryneck (Devon), Icterine Warbler (Norfolk), two Barred Warblers, two Purple Herons and six Spotted Crakes.
Stuart Piner, RBA