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.

Choose a starting date
Wednesday 5th September 2018  
  Rare warblers proved to be the highlight of the day with both Lanceolated and Arctic located on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, another Arctic Warbler in East Yorkshire at Flamborough Head and in Norfolk Greenish Warblers at both Blakeney Point and Burnham Overy Dunes.

The best of the rest comprised Pallid Harrier (Cheshire), Melodious Warbler (Pembrokeshire), White-winged Black Tern (Essex), Red-necked Phalarope (East Yorkshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lothian), Temminck's Stint (Hampshire), Sabine's Gull (Lincolnshire), Ring-necked Duck (Aberdeenshire), American Golden Plover and Rose-coloured Starling (both Argyll), two each of Ortolan Bunting, Red-backed Shrike and Cory's Shearwater, three each of Icterine Warbler, Long-tailed Skua, Spotted Crake and Dotterel, four each of both Barred Warbler and Common Rosefinch, and five each of Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Great Shearwater, 11 Wrynecks and a total of 97 Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 4th September 2018  
  The highlights of the day were a Pallid Harrier new in Cheshire at Parkgate Marsh and a Semipalmated Sandpiper at Cuckmere Haven, East Sussex. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Long-billed Dowitcher still in Lincolnshire, a King Eider in Highland, Ferruginous Duck in Essex and single Citrine Wagtails in each of Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcities included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Cornwall), Golden Oriole (Devon), Temminck's Stint (Hampshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lothian), Icterine Warbler and Buff-breasted Sandpiper (both Orkney Isles), two each of Rose-coloured Starling, Red-backed Shrike, Great Shearwater and Sabine's Gulls, three each of Ortolan Bunting and Red-necked Phalarope, four Long-tailed Skuas, five Spotted Crakes, six Common Rosefinches, seven Wrynecks, nine Barred Warblers and a total of 25 Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 3rd September 2018  
  The highlight of day was a Pallid Harrier in Suffolk briefly at Wherstead whilst lingering rarities included Snowy Owl still on the Western Isles, Stilt Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher together in Lincolnshire, Ferruginous Duck in Essex and Marbled Duck in Worcestershire.

On the Isles of Scilly Tawny Pipit, Citrine Wagtail and Hoopoe were all logged on St Mary's whilst on the Shetland Isles around island totals were Hooded Merganser, both Melodious and Icterine Warbler, two each of Arctic and Barred Warbler and eight Common Rosefinches.

Elsewhere scarcities included Common Rosefinch (Fife), Red-backed Shrike (London), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Dotterel (Cornwall), two each of Temminck's Stint, Pectoral Sandpiper and Glossy Ibis, three of Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Ortolan Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling, Red-necked Phalarope, Great Shearwater and Sabine's Gull, and five of Barred Warbler, Wryneck and Spotted Crake.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 2nd September 2018  
  Two Citrine Wagtails were discovered today, in Norfolk and Isles of Scilly, whilst the Stilt Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire), Hooded Merganser, Greenish Warbler and Arctic Warbler (Shetland), Snowy Owl (Western Isles), Greenish Warbler (Northumberland), Ferruginous Duck (Essex) and Forster's Tern (Co Louth) all lingered.

The best of the rest included American Golden Plover (Argyll), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lothian), Purple Heron (Essex), Dotterel (Kent), Hoopoe (Glamorgan), Corncrake (Cornwall), Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), two Temminck's Stints, Buff-breasted Sandpipers and Red-backed Shrikes, three Melodious Warblers and Red-necked Phalaropes, five Barred Warblers, six Spotted Crakes and Common Rosefinches, eight Ortolan Buntings and 13 Wrynecks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 1st September 2018  
  New discoveries today included a Greenish Warbler at East Chevington, Northumberland, a Red-rumped Swallow at Church Stretton, Shropshire and a Wilson's Petrel at sea off County Cork from a pelagic trip.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Arctic Warbler and Greenish Warbler in Shetland and Ferruginous Duck in Essex.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Marsh Warbler, a Golden Oriole, a Hoopoe, a Lapland Bunting, three Rose-coloured Starlings, four Ortolan Buntings, four Red-backed Shrikes, five Barred Warblers, six Common Rosefinches, nine Wrynecks, a Dotterel, a Temminck's Stint, an American Golden Plover, two Buff-breasted Sandpipers, three Red-necked Phalaropes, two Glaucous Gulls, two Ring-necked Ducks, a Montagu's Harrier, four Honey Buzzards, four Spotted Crakes, a White Stork, two Purple Herons, three Glossy Ibises and 18 Cattle Egrets. Seawatching and pelagic trips also produced 6 Great Shearwaters, 15 Balearic Shearwaters, two Pomarine Skuas and nine Leach's Petrels.
-  Will Soar, RBA
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