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 16th August 2019  
  Rarity highlights comprised remaining Blue-winged Teal (Clyde), Bonaparte's Gull (Co Clare), Long-billed Dowitcher and White-rumped Sandpiper (Co Wexford) and Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire), whilst four Wilson's Petrels were logged from an Isles of Scilly pelagic.

The best of the rest included Glossy Ibis (Devon), Ring-necked Duck (Essex), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Icterine Warbler and two Red-necked Phalaropes (Shetland) and two Surf Scoters (Angus and Lothian).
Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 15th August 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Squacco Heron still in West Sussex, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Long-billed Dowitchers in both County Antrim and Lincolnshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in County Clare and Kent, the Snowy Owl reappeared on St Kilda, Western Isles, and 10 Wilson's Petrels were logged at sea off the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcties included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Barred Warbler and Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), two Glossy Ibises and three Sabine's Gulls.
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 14th August 2019  
  New discoveries included a Long-billed Dowitcher in Co Down and Wilson's Petrel off the Cornish coast, whilst the Squacco Heron (West Sussex), Snowy Owl (Shetland), Long-billed Dowitcher (Co Wexford) and Blue-winged Teal (Clyde) all lingered.

The best of the rest included American Golden Plover (Aberdeenshire), Ring-necked Duck (Essex), Pectoral Sandpiper (Highland), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Serin (Isles of Scilly), Common Rosefinch and Red-necked Phalarope (Shetland).
Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 13th August 2019  
  A Black Kite was seen near Crowborough, Sussex, and a Wilson's Petrel was seen from a pelagic off Baltimore, County Cork (with another two off the Scilly pelagic as well).

Lingering rarities included the Snowy Owl and six Two-barred Crossbills in Shetland, Squacco Heron in Sussex, Long-billed Dowitchers in Lincolnshire, County Antrim and County Wexford, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Wexford, Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and County Clare and Blue-winged Teal in Clyde.

Scarcity highlights included a Serin, a Shorelark, a Grey-headed Wagtail, four Marsh Warblers, a Grey Phalarope (until mid evening when it appeared to be taken by a Kestrel), an American Golden Plover, a Dotterel, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Glossy Ibis, a Long-tailed Skua, two Pomarine Skuas, a Glaucous Gull and two Honey Buzzards.
Will Soar, RBA
Monday 12th August 2019  
  A new group of six Two-barred Crossbills was discovered at Catfirth, Shetland.

Lingering rarities included the Squacco Heron in Sussex, 16 Two-barred Crossbills in Shetland, Long-billed Dowitchers in Lincolnshire and County Antrim, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Cork, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland, Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and County Clare, a Wilson's Petrel off Scilly and Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, but there were no reports of the Little Bustard in Yorkshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Grey-headed Wagtail, two Marsh Warblers, a Honey Buzzard, a Grey Phalarope, a Cory's Shearwater, 247 Balearic Shearwaters, a Long-tailed Skua, two Pomarine Skuas, a Surf Scoter and five Glossy Ibises.
Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 11th August 2019  
 

The highlight of the day was a Stilt Sandpiper at Rathlin Island in Co.Antrim, while other new waders were a Long-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake in Co.Wexford and a White-rumped Sandpiper at Holy Island in Northumberland. In Co.Clare, a Bonaparte's Gull was at Clahane for its second day. Two Wilson's Petrels were seen during the evening's Scilly pelagic. A total of 10 Two-barred Crossbills in Shetland included four new birds.

Among rarities continuing to show were the Little Bustard in West Yorkshire, Squacco Heron in Sussex, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co.Cork, Long-billed Dowitchers in Lincolnshire and Co.Antrim, and continuing White-rumped Sandpipers in Co.Wexford (three) and Co.Wicklow.

The day's scarcities included American Golden Plover (Co.Donegal), Long-tailed Skua (Pembrokeshire), two Sabine's Gulls (Shetland and Cornwall), Ring-billed Gull (Co.Kerry), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Grey Phalarope (Dorset), Ring-necked Duck (Essex) and two Marsh Warblers (part of the East Yorkshire family group).
David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 10th August 2019  
  A Pacific Swift was discovered at Hornsea Mere, Yorkshire mid morning, where it remained until early afternoon. It was later seen very briefly 21 miles south-east along the coast over Easington mid evening.

Other new discoveries today included a Great Reed Warbler at Rerwick, nine Two-barred Crossbills at Lerwick and another at Northdale, all Shetland, another Two-barred Crossbill on Tiree, Argyll, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Blessington, County Wicklow and Wilson's Petrels were seen off Bridges of Ross, County Clare and Kerry Head, County Kerry (two).

Lingering rarities still present today included the Little Bustard, Squacco Heron in Sussex, four Two-barred Crossbills in Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Antrim, two White-rumped Sandpipers in County Wexford, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent.

Scarcity highlights included a Common Rosefinch, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Great Shearwater, Grey-headed Wagtail (Orkney), six Cory's Shearwaters, two Pomarine Skuas, seven Long-tailed Skuas, a Sabine's Gull and a Surf Scoter.
Will Soar, RBA
Friday 9th August 2019  
  New discoveries comprised a Spotted Sandpiper at Brent Reservoir (London) and White-rumped Sandpiper at Tacumshin (Co Wexford), whilst the Little Bustard (West Yorkshire), Snowy Owl (Shetland), White-rumped Sandpipers (Co Wexford [2] and Lincolnshire), Long-billed Dowitchers (Co Wexford and Lincolnshire), Blue-winged Teal (Clyde) and Black Duck (Highland) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Co Wexford) and Glossy Ibis (Devon). Seawatchers in South-west produced a peak count of 385 Balearic Shearwaters past Berry Head (Devon), whilst five Cory's and two Great Shearwaters were logged off Cornish headlands and three Long-tailed Skuas comprised a lingering bird in Devon and singles past the Co Durham and Cornwall coastlines.
Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 8th August 2019  
  A new Two-barred Crossbill was found at Hoswick, Shetland, whilst in County Wexford there was a Long-billed Dowitcher at Tacumshin and a second White-rumped sandpiper arrived at Lady's Island Lake.

Lingering rarities included the Little Bustard in Yorkshire, Squacco Heron and Ferruginous Duck in Sussex, Long-billed Dowitchers in Lincolnshire and County Antrim, Snowy Owl and another Two-barred Crossbill in Shetland and Blue-winged Teal in Clyde.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, five Marsh Warblers, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Ring-necked Duck, a White Stork, three Glossy Ibises, four Balearic Shearwaters and five Pomarine Skuas.
Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 7th August 2019  
 

The Little Bustard obliged for much of the day in West Yorkshire, as did Cheshire's Gull-billed Tern. Other rarities extending their stays included the Squacco Heron in Sussex, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, four Two-barred Crossbills in Shetland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire and four White-rumped Sandpipers (three in Lincolnshire and the singles in Norfolk and East Yorkshire)

There was little other significant national news besides an Icterine Warbler and the family of Marsh Warblers East Yorkshire.
David Campbell, RBA