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
Sunday 8th November 2020  
  Sunday saw the arrival of several late autumn scarce eastern passerines - Olive-backed Pipit (Lincolnshire), Hume's Warblers (Suffolk and Lincolnshire) and Dusky Warblers (Cornwall, East Yorkshire [up to 6], Lincolnshire, Norfolk [2] and Isles of Scilly).

Lingering rarities comprised Greater Yellowlegs (Suffolk), Pied-billed Grebe (Cumbria), Lesser Yellowlegs (Devon and Norfolk), Black Duck (Highland), Eastern Yellow Wagtails (Suffolk [2] and Norfolk) and Brown Shrike (Western Isles).

Scarcity highlights included Little Bunting (Surrey), Pallas's Warbler (Devon, Suffolk and Norfolk), Red-backed Shrike (Isles of Scilly), Barred Warbler (Norfolk), Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), Hoopoe (Bedfordshire) and Parrot Crossbill (Cambridgeshire).
Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 7th November 2020  
 

A Greater Yellowlegs distracted birders looking for the wagtails at Dingle Marshes RSPB, Suffolk. The fifth Hume's Warbler of the autumn appeared in Kilnsea in East Yorkshire, while a Dusky Warbler was new at Sandwich Bay in Kent. In Co.Cork, a Snowy Owl was photographing consuming a gull on the harbour wall at Cobh overnight.

Positive updates went out on the Brown Shrike in Western Isles, Pied-billed Grebe in Cumbria, the two Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Suffolk, Pacific Golden Plover in Moray, Red-flanked Bluetail on Scilly, Bonaparte's Gull in Pembrokeshire, Richardson's Cackling Geese in Argyll and Clyde, Dusky Warblers on Scilly and Western Isles and in Kent, Long-billed Dowitchers in Cumbria and North Yorkshire, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, North Yorkshire and Norfolk.

Other highlights included American Golden Plover (Co.Wexford), Pectoral Sandpiper (North Yorkshire), Richard's Pipit (Devon), Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), three Pallas's Warblers, seven Great Grey Shrikes, four Shorelarks, seven Waxwings, three Surf Scoters, two Green-winged Teal, seven Ring-necked Ducks, Black Brant (Dorset), two Todd's Canada Geese (Argyll), two Snow Geese (Forth) and eight Glossy Ibises.
David Campbell, RBA
Friday 6th November 2020  
  The first Common Nighthawk for Kent was photographed over Burham Marsh mid afternoon, but it couldn't be relocated later. A Pied-billed Grebe was new for Cumbria at Walney Island, with other new discoveries including a Brown Shrike at Port Nis, Lewis, Western Isles, single Eastern Yellow Wagtails at Kelling, Norfolk and Prestwick Carr, Northumberland, a Richardson's Cackling Goose at Cadder, Clyde and a White-billed Diver at Quendale, Shetland.

Lingering rarities included the two Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Suffolk, Hume's Warbler in Orkney, Red-flanked Bluetail in Scilly, Dusky Warbler and Snowy Owl in Western Isles, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll and Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire and County Waterford.

Scarcity highlights included a Pallas's Warbler, a Red-backed Shrike, a Common Rosefinch, two Little Buntings, two Richard's Pipits, two Shorelarks, two Waxwings, three Great Grey Shrikes, 15 Lapland Buntings, an American Wigeon, three Green-winged Teals, five Surf Scoters, a Todd's Canada Goose, two Snow Geese, two Black Brants, 17 Tundra Bean Geese, three Glossy Ibises, an American Golden Plover, four Grey Phalaropes, four Glaucous Gulls and six Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
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