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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Thursday 13th September 2018  
  New discoveries today included a Marsh Sandpiper at Vange, Essex, two Baird's Sandpipers at Gann, Pembrokeshire, single Arctic Warblers at Lowestoft, Suffolk and Cunningsburgh, Shetland and a Pallid Harrier at Colaton Raleigh, Devon.

Lingering rarities included the American White-winged Scoter at Musselburgh, Lothian, Forster's Tern at Dundalk, County Louth, Red-footed Falcon at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire and Ferruginous Duck at Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross.

Scarcity highlights included a Woodchat Shrike, a Red-backed Shrike, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Hoopoe, a Melodious Warbler, a Icterine Warbler, two Barred Warblers, three Yellow-browed Warblers, five Ortolan Buntings, five Wrynecks, six Common Rosefinches, eight Lapland Buntings, a Montagu's Harrier, two Spotted Crakes, two American Golden Plovers, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, seven Pectoral Sandpipers, a Glossy Ibis, a Great Shearwater, a Sabine's Gull, two Grey Phalaropes, a Long-tailed Skua, five Pomarine Skuas and 50 Leach's Petrels.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 12th September 2018  
  Rarity highlights comprised American Black Tern present for its third day in Co Derry, Red-footed Falcon and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Pallid Harrier on Shetland, Baird's Sandpiper on Isles of Scilly, Ferruginous Duck in Perth & Kinross, Greenish Warbler on Orkney and American White-winged Scoter in Lothian.

The best of the rest included Woodchat Shrike and Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Hoopoe (Highland), Dotterel (Hampshire), three Red-backed Shrikes, Common Rosefinches and Lapland Buntings, four American Golden Plovers and Spotted Crakes, five Barred Warblers, seven Wrynecks, eight Pectoral Sandpipers and at least eight Buff-breasted Sandpipers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 11th September 2018  
  The highlight of the day was a new Lanceolated Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, where the Pallid Harrier remained alongside Richard's Pipit, Common Rosefinch, Yellow-browed Warbler and three Barred Warblers.

Rarities elsewhere comprised a Lesser Scaup joining the Ferruginous Duck at Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross, both Red-footed Falcon and Long-billed Dowitcher still in Lincolnshire, Baird's Sandpiper on the Isles of Scilly and Greenish Warbler on the Orkney Isles.

Other scarcities included American Golden Plover (County Wexford), Rose-coloured Starling and Lapland Bunting (Western Isles), Common Rosefinch (East Yorkshire), Hoopoe (Highland), Ring-necked Duck (Essex), Long-tailed Skua (Suffolk) and Ring-billed Gull (County Sligo), three Spotted Crakes, four Sabine's Gulls, six each of both Wryneck and Pectoral Sandpiper, seven Buff-breasted Sandpipers, 11 Great Shearwaters and 27 Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 10th September 2018  
  The higlight of the day was a Lanceolated Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles. Meanwhile on the Shetland Isles Pallid Harrier, four each of Blyth's Reed Warbler, Barred Warbler and Common Rosefinch were logged along with seven Yellow-browed Warblers. On the Isles of Scilly Baird's Sandpiper and two each of Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper and Wryneck were seen.

Rarities elsewhere included a Red-footed Falcon new in Lincolnshire at Gibraltar Point, the American White-winged Scoter remained in Lothian, Pallid Harrier in Cheshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire and Greenish Warbler in Norfolk whilst scarcities included Melodious Warbler and Ortolan Bunting (both Cornwall), Common Rosefinch (East Yorkshire), Hoopoe (Highland), American Golden Plover (County Wexford), Red-necked Phalarope (Nottinghamshire) and five Wrynecks. Seawatching produced a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel passing Seven Heads, County Cork, a Long-tailed Skua, four Leach's Petrels and a total of 17 Great Shearwaters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 9th September 2018  
  The drake American White-winged Scoter returned to Musselburgh, Lothian, a Semipalmated Sandpiper was near Skippool, Lancashire (for 4th day), a Red-rumped Swallow was at Caerthillian, Cornwall, a Baird's Sandpiper was on Tresco, Scilly, a Subalpine Warbler was at Mizen Head, County Cork and a Wilson's Petrel flew past Bridges of Ross, County Clare. Shetland produced a Lesser Yellowlegs on Unst and single Blyth's Reed Warblers on Foula and Fair Isle.

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

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, an Icterine Warbler, a Serin, a Richard's Pipit, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Lapland Bunting, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Hoopoes, five Barred Warblers, ten Wrynecks, ten Common Rosefinches, 21 Yellow-browed Warblers, two American Golden Plovers, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers, seven Pectoral Sandpipers, a Corncrake, four Spotted Crakes, four Honey Buzzards and 65 Cattle Egrets. Seawatching and pelagic trips produced four Grey Phalaropes, five Sabine's Gulls, four Long-tailed Skuas, 15 Pomarine Skuas, 26 Great Shearwaters and 106 Leach's Petrels.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 8th September 2018  
  New discoveries today included a Blyth's Reed Warbler and Pallid Harrier in Shetland, at Rerwick and on Fair Isle respectively, and three Wilson's Petrels off Porthgwarra, Cornwall.

Lingering rarities included the White-throated Sparrow on Foula, Shetland, single Arctic Warblers at Hauxley, Northumberland and on Fair Isle, Greenish Warbler at Blakeney, Norfolk, Pallid Harrier at Neston, Cheshire, Long-billed Dowitcher at Frampton, Lincolnshire and Ferruginous Duck at Abberton, Essex.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Red-backed Shrike, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Melodious Warbler, an Icterine Warbler, two Marsh Warblers, two Hoopoes, three Lapland Buntings, nine Wrynecks, ten Common Rosefinches, ten Yellow-browed Warblers, 11 Barred Warblers, five Spotted Crakes, a Honey Buzzard, two American Golden Plovers, three Pectoral Sandpipers, four Buff-breasted Sandpipers, four Leach's Petrels, six Pomarine Skuas, 26 Great Shearwaters, two Glossy Ibises and 77 Cattle Egrets.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 7th September 2018  
  A White-throated Sparrow arrived on Foula, Shetland this afternoon, with other new discoveries including another Arctic Warbler on Fair Isle (joining two already present), Arctic Warbler and Greenish Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Greenish Warbler in Norfolk and Black Kite in Bedfordshire.

Lingering rarities included the Booted Warbler in Suffolk, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Shetland, Snowy Owl in Western Isles and Ferruginous Duck in Essex.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-breasted Flycatcher, an Ortolan Bunting, a Melodious Warbler, two Icterine Warblers, three Red-backed Shrikes, five Yellow-browed Warblers, nine Common Rosefinches, ten Barred Warblers, 13 Wrynecks, a Dotterel, a Temminck's Stint, a Pectoral Sandpiper, three American Golden Plovers, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers, a Corncrake, three Spotted Crakes, a Montagu's Harrier, three Honey Buzzards, three White Storks, a Long-tailed Skua, five Pomarine Skuas, two Leach's Petrels and a Glaucous Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 6th September 2018  
  New discoveries included a Booted Warbler in Suffolk, Greenish and Arctic Warblers in East Yorkshire and two Blyth's Reed Warblers and two Arctic Warblers in Shetland. The Pallid Harrier (Cheshire), Ferruginous Duck (Essex) and Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire) all lingered.

Scarcity highlights included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Suffolk), Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Essex), Dotterel (Norfolk), Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), two Red-backed Shrikes, Ortolan Buntings, Red-necked Phalaropes and Temminck's Stints, three Yellow-browed Warblers, four Spotted Crakes, five Common Rosefinches and Barred Warblers and eleven Wrynecks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
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