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
Tuesday 28th July 2020  
 

In Northumberland, the very mobile Sooty Tern appeared at Howick mid-afternoon before visiting Embleton in the evening. Lingering rarities included the Gull-billed Tern in Co.Wexford, Caspian Tern in Hampshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, the Black-winged Stilt family in Somerset. The Lammergeier was reported over Froggat in Derbyshire.

Among other highlights were two Rose-coloured Starlings, Pectoral Sandpiper (Northumberland), Grey Phalarope (Pembrokeshire), two Long-tailed Skuas, seven Cory's Shearwaters and Great Shearwater (Co.Donegal).
-  David Campbell, RBA
Monday 27th July 2020  
 

Fishlake Meadows in Hampshire hosted a Caspian Tern. The day's Scilly pelagic produced four Wilson's Petrels, while another was seen from land at Deelick Point in Co.Kerry. A Fea's or Desertas Petrel was seen from Polperro in Cornwall.

The only continuing rarities reported were the Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Oxfordshire), three Pectoral Sandpipers and five Long-tailed Skuas. There was a good movement of Cory's and Great Shearwaters, mainly off Cornwall, where highest counts were 48 of the former past Porthgwarra and 40 Greats off Lizard Point. 

 
-  David Campbell, RBA
Sunday 26th July 2020  
 

In Northamptonshire, a Caspian Tern flew through Stanford Reservoir then Summer Leys NR.

The Laughing Gull in Co.Dublin continued its stay, as did the Gull-billed Tern in Co.Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Black-winged Stilt in Kent. The Lammergeier was seen again in Derbyshire.

Scarcities included two Pectoral Sandpipers, Long-tailed Skua (Shetland), Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), 23 Great Shearwaters and 22 Cory's Shearwaters.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 25th July 2020  
  Highlight of the day was a flyby adult Sooty Tern south off St Mary's Island (Northumberland) - presumably the same bird previously at Cemlyn (Anglesey) on 14th June, Minsmere RSPB and Sizewell power station (Suffolk) on 8th July and Maidenhead Bay (Ayrshire) on 23rd July.

Rarity sightings included a Caspian Tern at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucestershire), Bee-eater at Stallingborough Meadows (Lincolnshire), Gull-billed Tern (Co Wexford), Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Yellowlegs (Kent), Long-billed Dowitcher (Merseyside), two Black-winged Stilts (Somerset), whilst the Lammergeier was again reported in Derbyshire.

The best of the rest included Pectoral Sandpiper (East Yorkshire), Rose-coloured Starlings (Highland and Western Isles), Night Heron (Somerset) and Glossy Ibis (Gwent).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 24th July 2020  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Stilt Sandpiper in Orkney, Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, Black-winged Stilts in Somerset (three) and Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Laughing Gull in County Dublin and Lammergeier in Derbyshire /South Yorkshire.

Scarcity highlights included three Rose-coloured Starlings, two Pectoral Sandpipers, a Night Heron, a Glossy Ibis, five Honey Buzzards and a Long-tailed Skua.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 23rd July 2020  
  A Sooty Tern was present briefly at Maidens, Ayrshire mid afternoon before it flew north. A Stilt Sandpiper remained for its second day on Sanday, Orkney.

Other lingering rarites included the Lammergeier in Derbyshire /South Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in Cumbria and Merseyside, Black-winged Stilts in Somerset (five) and Kent, Laughing Gull in County Dublin and single Bonaparte's Gulls in County Louth and Argyll.

Scarcity highlights included two Rose-coloured Starlings, four Honey Buzzards, a Glossy Ibis, a Pomarine Skua, eight Long-tailed Skuas and ten Balearic Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 22nd July 2020  
 

A report emerged of a male Little Crake heard singing near Irstead in Norfolk the previous evening. Two Red-rumped Swallows were reported over Rye Harbour in Sussex.

Continuing rarities today comprised the Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs in Kent, the pair of Black-winged Stilts in Somerset, Laughing Gull in Co.Dublin, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, and the Lammergeier in the Peak District.

The day's supporting cast included two Pectoral Sandpipers (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), two Long-tailed Skuas (Orkney), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), two Purple Herons and Rose-coloured Starling (Cleveland).
-  David Campbell, RBA
Tuesday 21st July 2020  
 

In Co.Wexford, a Gull-billed Tern was found at Tacumshin. A Black Kite flew over Tincleton in Dorset and a Blyth's Reed Warbler was trapped and ringed in the Nanjizal Valley in Cornwall.

Rarities still in place included the Black Duck in Highland, Caspian Tern in Lincolnshire, Black-winged Stilt in Somerset, Long-billed Dowitchers Cumbria and Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs in Kent, Laughing Gull in Co.Dublin, Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and Argyll. The Lammergeier was still roaming the moors near the Derbyshire/South Yorkshire border.

Scarcities included Cory's Shearwater (Co.Durham), Rose-coloured Starling (Gwynedd), Glossy Ibis (Gwent) and five Long-tailed Skuas.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Monday 20th July 2020  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Lammergeier on the border of Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, Caspian Tern in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, both Lesser Yellowlegs and Black-winged Stilt in Kent, and Bonaparte's Gulls in both Argyll and Kent.

Scarcities included Marsh Warbler (Suffolk), Purple Heron (North Yorkshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (County Wexford), Glossy Ibis (Gloucestershire), three Rose-coloured Starlings, and a total of five Long-tailed Skuas.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 19th July 2020  
 

A White-rumped Sandpiper appeared at Ferrybridge in Dorset. A second Bonaparte's Gull turned up in Argyll on the Isle of Bute and a Black Kite flew over Maiden Bradley in Wiltshire.

Ongoing rarities comprised the Laughing Gull in Co.Dublin, Caspian Tern in Lincolnshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent, Argyll and Co.Louth and Lesser Yellowlegs in Kent, as well as the Black-winged Stilt family in Somerset and the male in Kent. The Lammergeier remained on the South Yorkshire/Derbyshire moors.

Scarcities included three Pectoral Sandpipers, three Rose-coloured Starlings, seven Long-tailed Skuas (including six on North Ronaldsay, Orkney) and Glossy Ibis (Worcestershire) 
-  David Campbell, RBA