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 5th November 2020  
  Rarities today comprised two Eastern Yellow Wagtails together in Suffolk at Walberswick, a Hume's Warbler new in Kent at Dungeness, Red-flanked Bluetail on the Isles of Scilly on St Mary's, Arctic Redpoll on the Orkney Isles on Rousay, Long-billed Dowitcher still in North Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in both Norfolk and County Waterford, and Dusky Warblers in Cornwall, East Sussex, Kent, Scilly, and the Western Isles.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler and Richard's Pipit (Kent), Rose-coloured Starling and Green-winged Teal (Dorset), Hoopoe (Northamptonshire), Red-backed Shrike (Devon), Great Grey Shrike (Gloucestershire), American Wigeon (Scilly), Ring-necked Duck (Lancashire), Honey Buzzard and two Shorelarks (Northumberland), three Waxwings, five Lapland Buntings, and a total of eight Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 4th November 2020  
 

A Hudsonian Whimbrel made a brief appearance on rocks at South Gare in Cleveland. An Eastern Stonechat sp (thought most likely to be maurus) was discovered near Easington in East Yorkshire. In Cornwall, a new Dusky Warbler was trapped and ringed in the Nanjizal Valley, where an Olive-backed Pipit flew over. Three White-billed Divers were off Papa Westray.

Still present were the Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Long-billed Dowitchers in North Yorkshire and Cumbria, Dusky Warbler in Norfolk, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, North Yorkshire and Co.Waterford.

Other highlights included Red-necked Phalarope (Glamorgan), Little Bunting (Surrey), Serin (Kent), Bluethroat (Fair Isle), Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), five Great Grey Shrikes, two Shorelarks, Sabine's Gull (Gwynedd), American Golden Plover (Argyll), Surf Scoter (Lothian), three Green-winged Teal, five Ring-necked Ducks, 20 Glossy Ibises, 45 Little Auks and a late Honey Buzzard (Northumberland).
-  David Campbell, RBA
Tuesday 3rd November 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Hermit Thrush on Mizen Head, County Cork that brings the autumn tally of Nearctic landbirds across Britain and Ireland to 26 individuals of 14 species.

Rarities elsewhere comprised a Hume's Warbler identified on Tiree, Argyll (where it was first seen four days ago), a Semipalmated Sandpiper new in County Clare at Islandavanna, Lesser Scaup still in Somerset, Dusky Warblers still in both Norfolk and West Sussex, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, County Waterford and North Yorkshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), Night Heron (Herefordshire), Red-backed Shrike (Orkney Isles), Great Grey Shrike (Shetland Isles), Shorelark (Norfolk), Long-tailed Skua (Cornwall), two each of Richard's Pipit, Surf Scoter and Ring-necked Duck, three Waxwings, 13 Glossy Ibises, and a total of 15 Lapland Buntings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 2nd November 2020  
 

Positive news came through on the White-winged Scoter in Lothian, two Penduline Tits in Hampshire and Long-billed Dowitchers in Cumbria and North Yorkshire. Lesser Yellowlegs were still in Norfolk, Somerset, Co.Waterford and North Yorkshire. Meanwhile, Dusky Warblers continued their stays in West Sussex, Norfolk and Scilly. Five White-billed Divers flew past Papa Westray in Orkney.

Other highlights today included Night Heron (Herefordshire), Little Bunting (Surrey), two Richard's Pipits, Red-breasted Flycatcher (Dorset), Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), two Great Grey Shrikes, two American Golden Plovers (together in Co.Derry), two Surf Scoters, American Wigeon (Devon), four Green-winged Teal, three Ring-necked Ducks and five Glossy Ibises.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Sunday 1st November 2020  
  Rarity highlights comprised White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Bonaparte's Gull (Pembrokeshire), White-billed Diver (Orkney), Lesser Yellowlegs (Devon, Norfolk and Somerset), Long-billed Dowitcher (North Yorkshire), Dusky Warblers (Norfolk, Isles of Scilly and West Sussex) and Lesser Scaup (Somerset).

The best of the rest included Little Bunting (Surrey), Richard's Pipit (Aberdeenshire), Short-toed Lark (Isles of Scilly), Rose-coloured Starlings (Dorset and Highland), Night Heron (Herefordshire) and American Wigeon (Devon).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 31st October 2020  
  An Upland Sandpiper visited Skokholm Island, Pembrokeshire briefly this morning, but couldn't be relocated.

Other new discoveries included a Fea's or Desertas Petrel past Mousehole and a Dusky Warbler at Nanquidno, both Cornwall and single Bonaparte's Gulls at Kildavin, County Carlow and on the Gann Estuary, Pembrokeshire.

Lingering rarities included two Penduline Tits in Hampshire, Dusky Warblers in Norfolk, Sussex and Northumberland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire, Norfolk, Scilly and Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Yorkshire and Lesser Scaup in Somerset.

Scarcity highlights included a Pallas's Warbler, a Short-toed Lark, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Waxwing, a Little Bunting, three Lapland Buntings, three Great Grey Shrikes, five Glossy Ibises, two American Wigeon, three Green-winged Teals, four Ring-necked Ducks, 35 Tundra Bean Geese, five Leach's Petrels, 24 Grey Phalaropes, eight Little Auks, 12 Pomarine Skuas, a Balearic Shearwater, two Sabine's Gulls, two Iceland Gulls and three Glaucous Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 30th October 2020  
  Today's most significant new rarity was an Eastern Yellow Wagtail at Eigg (Highland), present for its fourth day.

Lingering rarities comprised Eastern Stonechat (Cleveland), Penduline Tit (Hampshire), Brown Shrike (Northumberland), Dusky Warblers (Isles of Scilly [2], Kent, Norfolk, Northumberland and West Sussex), Long-billed Dowitcher (North Yorkshire), Lesser Yellowlegs (Isles of Scilly, Norfolk and North Yorkshire), Hume's Warbler (Orkney), Radde's Warbler (Shetland) and Red-flanked Bluetail (Worcestershire).

The best of the rest included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Dorset), Shorelark (North Yorkshire), Richard's Pipit (Aberdeenshire), Rose-coloured Starlings (Dorset, Gwynedd and Shropshire) and Little Bunting and Red-backed Shrike (Isles of Scilly).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 29th October 2020  
  New discoveries today included at least four Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls at Norwick, Unst and a Radde's Warbler at Loch of Clickimin, Mainland, Shetland, a second Dusky Warbler with the long staying bird at Porthloo, Scilly and a White-billed Diver off Filey, Yorkshire.

Lingering rarities included the Blackpoll Warbler, Olive-backed Pipit, Eastern Stonechat and two further Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls in Shetland, Hume's Warbler in Orkney, Red-flanked Bluetail in Worcestershire, Dusky Warblers in Sussex and Norfolk, five Penduline Tits in Hampshire, Pacific Golden Plover in Moray, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Norfolk, Scilly, Somerset and Yorkshire, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black Duck in Highland and Lesser Scaup in Somerset.

Scarcity highlights included a Serin, a Bluethroat, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Shorelark, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Great Grey Shrikes, four Little Buntings, four Lapland Buntings, a Black-bellied Dipper, a Surf Scoter, a Green-winged Teal, two American Wigeon, three Ring-necked Ducks, 22 Tundra Bean Geese, four Glossy Ibises, a Little Auk, a Great Shearwater, a Balearic Shearwater, three Pomarine Skuas, an American Golden Plover, four Grey Phalaropes, a Sabine's Gull, three Iceland Gulls and five Glaucous Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 28th October 2020  
 

A Mourning Dove at an undisclosed location in Co.Kerry was the rarest find of the day but an inland Red-flanked Bluetail - the first for the West Midlands region - trapped and ringed near Redditch in Worcestershire was notable, as was a gathering of five Penduline Tits at Titchfield Haven NNR in Hampshire. In Argyll, a Black-headed Bunting was seen briefly on Islay. Fair Isle hosted an American Buff-bellied Pipit and a new Olive-backed Pipit. Elsewhere in Shetland, another 'OBP' was on Foula, while three Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls were seen on Unst and a Coues's Arctic Redpoll was on Yell. A new Lesser Yellowlegs at Cley NWT in Norfolk turned out to be very showy, where another four Penduline Tits were seen.

The Blackpoll Warbler and Eastern Stonechat sp in Shetland, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Brown Shrike in Northumberland, Long-billed Dowitchers in Cumbria and North Yorkshire, Eastern Stonechat sp in Cleveland, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Red-eyed Vireo on Scilly, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Forth, Dusky Warblers were still in Norfolk, North Yorkshire, West Sussex and Scilly (two). Lesser Yellowlegs remained in North Yorkshire, Scilly.

Other national news included Pectoral Sandpiper (Western Isles), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Argyll), American Golden Plover (Co.Derry), Short-toed Lark (Scilly), three Rose-coloured Starlings, Red-breasted Flycatcher (Dorset), Red-backed Shrike (Fife), Parrot Crossbill (Lincolnshire), Little Bunting (Scilly), Rough-legged Buzzard (North Yorkshire, Hoopoe (Northumberland), five Great Grey Shrikes, Waxwing (Shetland), seven Glossy Ibises, two Surf Scoters, eight Ring-necked Ducks, three Green-winged Teal, two American Wigeon and Lesser Snow Goose (Highland).
-  David Campbell, RBA
Tuesday 27th October 2020  
 

The regular adult drake White-winged Scoter returned to the Firth of Forth, being seen off Fisherrow mid-morning. Two White-billed Divers were in South Nesting Bay in Shetland, a Baird's Sandpiper was found at Dawlish Warren in Devon and a new Dusky Warbler arrived on Fair Isle.

Positive news was received on the Blackpoll Warbler in Shetland, Brown Shrike in Northumberland, Pacific Golden Plover in Moray, Hume's Warbler in Orkney, both the Red-eyed Vireos on Scilly and the Eastern Stonechat sp in Shetland. Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Devon, Co.Waterford, Somerset, Scilly and North Yorkshire. Meanwhile, Dusky Warblers were still in West Sussex, Norfolk (two), Scilly and East Yorkshire.

Other news included Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland), Wryneck (Scilly), three American Golden Plovers, four Richard's Pipits, two Red-backed Shrikes, Barred Warbler (Shetland), Hoopoe (Northumberland), two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Great Grey Shrikes, five Glossy Ibises, three Green-winged Teal, six Ring-necked Ducks, two American Wigeon, two Grey Phalaropes, Little Auk (Orkney) and Lesser Snow Goose (Highland).
-  David Campbell, RBA