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 20th August 2020  
  A first summer Eleonora's Falcon was photographed with a Hobby at Winterton, Norfolk mid morning today, but unfortunately it wasn't identified until after dark.

Other new discoveries included single Fea's /Desertas Petrels past Galley Head, County Cork and Pendeen, Cornwall (with a Wilson's Petrel also off the former location), a Caspian Tern at Gwithian, Cornwall, single Citrine Wagtails at Titchwell, Norfolk, Bardsey Island, Gwynedd and Loch of Strathbeg, Aberdeenshire and single Greenish Warblers at Boddam, Mainland and Isbister, Whalsay, both Shetland.

Lingering rarities included the Pacific Golden Plover in Northumberland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Shetland, two Black-winged Stilts in Somerset and one in Kent and Lammergeier in Derbyshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Hoopoe, two Wrynecks, five Icterine Warblers, five Barred Warblers, nine Red-backed Shrikes, two Pectoral Sandpipers, three Spotted Crakes, three Honey Buzzards, a Night Heron, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, a White-winged Black Tern, nine Roseate Terns, a Sabine's Gull, three Grey Phalaropes, 353 Great Shearwaters, 567 Cory's Shearwaters, 99 Balearic Shearwaters, six Long-tailed Skuas and nine Pomarine Skuas.
Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 19th August 2020  
  A Black-browed Albatross was reported from Pendeen Watch, Cornwall, whilst nearby a Fea's or Desertas Petrel went past Porthgwarra, with another off Killigerran Head. Single Greenish Warblers were on Holy Island, Northumberland and at Halligarth, Unst, Shetland.

Lingering rarities included the Gull-billed Tern in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Pacific Golden Plover in Northumberland, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Black-winged Stilt in Kent, Greenish Warblers in Fife, Yorkshire and Norfolk, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Shetland, Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll and Lammergeier in Derbyshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Common Rosefinch, two Rose-coloured Starlings, three Wrynecks, six Icterine Warblers, eight Red-backed Shrikes, ten Barred Warblers, three Spotted Crakes, a White-winged Black Tern, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Night Heron, a Glossy Ibis, a Sabine's Gull, seven Long-tailed Skuas, 11 Pomarine Skuas, 307 Great Shearwaters and 178 Cory's Shearwaters.
Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 18th August 2020  
  A Gull-billed Tern was discovered at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire and a Citrine Wagtail and Blyth's Reed Warbler were on Unst, Shetland.

Lingering rarities included the Citrine Wagtail in Gloucestershire, Greenish Warblers in Fife, Yorkshire and Norfolk (two), Pacific Golden Plover in Northumberland, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, two Black-winged Stilts in Somerset, Lammergeier in Derbyshire, Black Duck in Highland, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and five Wilson's Petrels were seen from the Scilly pelagic.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Common Rosefinch, three Wrynecks, five Red-backed Shrikes, five Icterine Warblers, six Barred Warblers, a White-winged Black Tern, a Dotterel, four Spotted Crakes, a Honey Buzzard, a Glossy Ibis, seven Roseate Terns, nine Cory's Shearwaters, 344 Great Shearwaters, five Balearic Shearwaters, two Long-tailed Skuas and three Pomarine Skuas.
Will Soar, RBA
Monday 17th August 2020  
 

A Citrine Wagtail flew over Voy on Mainland Orkney. Nine Greenish Warblers included two new birds in Norfolk, with four others still in the county, as well as a new bird in Fife and two still in East Yorkshire. Today's Scilly pelagic encountered six Wilson's Petrels.

Other rarities reported today included Pacific Golden Plover in Northumberland, Spotted Sandpipers in Cornwall and Co.Down, Black Duck in Highland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria and the Lammergeier in the Peak District. 

Among other highlights were an Ortolan Bunting (Suffolk), three Common Rosefinches, Melodious Warbler (Cornwall), eight Icterine Warblers, 10 Barred Warblers, six Wrynecks, 11 Red-backed Shrikes, Ring-billed Gull (Co.Louth), White-winged Black Tern (Northumberland), four Spotted Crakes (including three together in Cheshire), Purple Heron (Somerset), Rose-coloured Starling (Co.Donegal), Pectoral Sandpiper (Greater Manchester), two Glossy Ibises and continued noteworthy passage of juvenile Long-tailed Skuas on the east coast.
David Campbell, RBA
Sunday 16th August 2020  
 

A Red-rumped Swallow flew over Hook Head in Co.Wexford. Greenish Warblers were found in Norfolk (at foursites), Suffolk and East Yorkshire (two).

Continuing rarities included the Pacific Golden Plover in Northumberland, Citrine Wagtail in Gloucestershire, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Greenish Warblers in Norfolk and Fife, Gull-billed Terns in Suffolk and Co.Wexford, the Black-winged Stilt family in Somerset and the Lammergeier in Derbyshire.

The best of the rest were Night Heron (Berkshire), six Icterine Warblers, six Barred Warblers, eight Wrynecks, eight Red-backed Shrikes, Purple Heron (Somerset), Spotted Crake (Cheshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), White-winged Black Tern (Northumberland), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), Ortolan Bunting (nocmig in Kent), Sabine's Gull (Highland), four Temminck's Stints, Pectoral Sandpiper (Greater Manchester) and three Glossy Ibises. There was a continued good movement of Long-tailed Skuas on the east coast.
David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 15th August 2020  
  The most significant news of the day was the sighting of a Scopoli's Shearwater off Mundesley (Norfolk) - the same bird present in Lothian and Fife from 9th-11th August.

Elsewhere new discoveries comprised Citrine Wagtails in Gloucestershire and Shetland and Greenish Warbler in Norfolk.

The Lammergeier (Derbyshire), Spotted Sandpipers (Co Down and Cornwall), Bonaparte's Gull (Kent), Pacific Golden Plover (Northumberland), White-billed Diver (Shetland), Black-winged Stilt (Somerset) and Gull-billed Tern (Suffolk) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Purple Heron (Somerset), White-winged Black Tern (Northumberland), two Rose-coloured Starlings, three Wrynecks, four Temminck's Stints, at least four Barred Warblers, six Wilson's Petrels, six Icterine Warblers and seven Red-backed Shrikes.
Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 14th August 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of both a Thrush Nightingale and a Citrine Wagtail on the Shetland Isles; on Fair Isle and at Boddam, Mainland, respectively. New rarities elsewhere comprised a White-rumped Sandpiper in Leicestershire at Rutland Water, Kentish Plover in Dorset at Stanpit Marsh, a Bee-eater briefly in Lincolnshire at Glentham, and in County Wexford the Gull-billed Tern returned to Tacumshin.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Lammergeier still in Derbyshire, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Pacific Golden Plover in Northumberland, Gull-billed Tern in Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Black-winged Stilt in Somerset, Greenish Warblers in both Fife and Northumberland, Bonaparte's Gulls in Argyll and Kent, and six Wilson's Petrels at sea off the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Northumberland), Purple Heron (Somerset), Spotted Crake (Cheshire), Temminck's Stint (Hertfordshire), Dotterel (West Midlands), two each of Icterine Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Rose-coloured Starling, American Golden Plover, Sabine's Gull, and Glossy Ibis, four Barred Warblers, seven each of Cory's Shearwater and Red-backed Shrike, at least 15 Long-tailed Skuas, and a total of 42 Great Shearwaters.
Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 13th August 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Gull-billed Tern in Lancashire at Singleton with other new rarities comprising a Greenish Warbler in Fife on Isle of May, and two Kentish Plovers together on the Exe Estuary, Devon.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Lammergeier in Derbyshire, both Pacific Golden Plover and Greenish Warbler in Northumberland, Gull-billed Tern in Suffolk, Spotted Sandpipers in both Cornwall and County Down, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll, and Black-winged Stilt in Somerset, whilst the King Eider reappeared in Highland at Dornoch, and a Wilson's Petrel was at sea off the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcities included Melodious Warbler (Orkney Isles), White-winged Black Tern (Northumberland), Purple Heron (Somerset), Rose-coloured Starling (Pembrokeshire), Spotted Crake (Cheshire), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), American Golden Plover (Western Isles), Temminck's Stint (Hertfordshire), two each of Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-tailed Skua and Glossy Ibis, three Icterine Warblers, four Barred Warblers, and a total of 11 Red-backed Shrikes.
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 12th August 2020  
 

In Dorset, an Aquatic Warbler was trapped and ringed at Lytchett Bay. A Roller turned up at Easington in East Yorkshire and a Citrine Wagtail made a brief appearance at Pool of Virkie in Shetland. A Bee-eater was heard over Inverbervie in Aberdeenshire. Greenish Warblers were found at Sidestrand in Norfolk and Holy Island in Northumberland.

Ongoing rarities included the Collared Flycatcher in East Yorkshire, Pacific Golden Plover in Northumberland, Gull-billed Tern in Suffolk, Forster's Tern in Co.Louth, Spotted Sandpipers in Cornwall and Co.Down, Greenish Warbler in East Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Lammergeier in Derbyshire.

Among other highlights were Melodious Warbler (Orkney), 13 Icterine Warblers, six Barred Warblers, Wryneck (Orkney), Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), 10 Red-backed Shrikes, Spotted Crake (Cheshire), Temminck's Stint (Hertfordshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (East Yorkshire), two Long-tailed Skuas (Shetland) and two Glossy Ibises (Kent and Gwent).
David Campbell, RBA
Tuesday 11th August 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Scopoli's Shearwater in the Firth of Forth between Lothian and Fife; although it could not be located after mid-afternoon. Meanwhile, lingering rarities elsewhere included the Collared Flycatcher still in East Yorkshire, Lammergeier still in Derbyshire, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Pacific Golden Plover in Northumberland, Gull-billed Tern in Suffolk, Spotted Sandpipers in both Cornwall and County Down, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, two Black-winged Stilts together in Somerset, and a Wilson's Petrel at sea off the Isles of Scilly.

An east coast fall was headlined by a Booted Warbler on the Isle of May, Fife, Greenish Warblers in Kent at Coxheath, and in East Yorkshire at both Flamborough Head and Grimston, Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Wryneck (Scilly), five Barred Warblers, six Icterine Warblers, and a total of 11 Red-backed Shrikes.

Other scarcities included Purple Heron (Norfolk), Rose-coloured Starling (County Donegal), Sabine's Gull (Scilly), Long-tailed Skua (Shetland Isles), Dotterel (Northumberland), Temminck's Stint (Hertfordshire), two each of both Pectoral Sandpiper and Glossy Ibis.

Significant late news from Sunday concerned a Thrush Nightingale in Cornwall at Polgigga and a Greenish Warbler in East Sussex at Beachy Head.
Chris Batty, RBA