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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Wednesday 18th November 2020  
  The second Crag Martin for Orkney was discovered at Kirkwall mid afternoon, whilst an American Buff-bellied Pipit at Amble, Northumberland is a county first. Late news from County Galway concerned a Belted Kingfisher at Ballyquirke Lake on 10th.

Lingering rarities included the Hudsonian Godwit in Fife, Greater Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Desert Wheatear and Dusky Warbler in Norfolk, other Dusky Warblers in Nottinghamshire, Scilly and Yorkshire, Black Scoter in Northumberland and Bonaparte's Gull in Pembrokeshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Pallas's Warblers, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Hoopoe, two Great Grey Shrikes, two Shorelarks, four Lapland Buntings, three Glossy Ibises, an American Wigeon, a Green-winged Teal, a Black Brant, two Snow Geese, four Tundra Bean Geese, a Pomarine Skua, a Kumlien's Gull, four Glaucous Gulls and ten Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 17th November 2020  
  Incredible news this morning of a White-bellied Storm Petrel moving east past Cley, Norfolk. This is the first record of this species in the Western Palearctic following an unidentified Black-bellied or White-billed Storm Petrel at Severn Beach, Gloucestershire on 25th November 2009 and another submitted from Sheringham, Norfolk on 10th December 2007. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Hudsonian Godwit in Fife, Greater Yellowlegs and Eastern Yellow Wagtail together in Suffolk, Desert Wheatear in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup on the Shetland Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Pembrokeshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in both Cumbria and North Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Waterford and North Yorkshire, and Dusky Warblers in Norfolk (2), Nottinghamshire and Isles of Scilly (2). Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Cornwall), Hoopoe (Bedfordshire), Surf Scoter (County Louth), Waxwing (Shetland), Kumlien's Gull (Scilly), two each of Rose-coloured Starling, Great Grey Shrike, Snow Goose and Glossy Ibis, three of both Ring-necked Duck and Shorelark, and a total of 10 Lapland Buntings.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 16th November 2020  
  A Dusky Warbler was found inland at Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire.

Lingering rarities included the Hudsonian Godwit in Fife, Greater Yellowlegs and two Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Suffolk, Belted Kingfisher in County Cork, Desert Wheatear and two Dusky Warblers in Norfolk (with others of the latter in Yorkshire and Scilly), Pacific Golden Plover in Moray, Long-billed Dowitcher in Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup in Shetland and three White-billed Divers in Orkney.

Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Parrot Crossbill, three Great Grey Shrikes, three Lapland Buntings, four Shorelarks, six Glossy Ibises, a Ring-necked Duck, an American Wigeon, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Black Brant, two Snow Geese, three Tundra Bean Geese, two Leach's Petrels, two Little Auks, nine Pomarine Skuas, five Glaucous Gulls and nine Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 15th November 2020  
  Discoveries today included a Long-billed Dowitcher on the Orkney Isles at Loch of Tankerness and on the Shetland Isles a Lesser Scaup at Loch of Spiggie.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Hudsonian Godwit in Fife, Belted Kingfisher in County Cork, both Greater Yellowlegs and Dusky Warbler in Suffolk, Pacific Golden Plover in Moray, Desert Wheatear and Dusky Warbler in Norfolk, Olive-backed Pipit in Lincolnshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Pembrokeshire, Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, and Lesser Yellowlegs in County Waterford.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Cornwall), Ring-billed Gull (County Louth), Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), Hoopoe (Bedfordshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), American Wigeon (Northumberland), two each of Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, Snow Goose and Shorelark, four Great Grey Shrikes, and five each of both Glossy Ibis and Lapland Bunting.
Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 14th November 2020  
 

A juvenile Pallid Swift appeared over Knott End and Fleetwood (Lancashire) towards the end of the day; it didn't afford good enough views for identification in the field, but photographs examined in the evening were enough to nail it.

The Belted Kingfisher in Co.Cork, Hudsonian Godwit in Fife and Desert Wheatear in Norfolk were still present, as were the Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Suffolk, Greater Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Pacific Golden Plover in Moray, King Eider and Bonaparte's Gull in Pembrokeshire, and Ferruginous Duck in East Yorkshire. Two separate Dusky Warblers were still showing in Norfolk, with others lingering in Suffolk, East Yorkshire and Scilly.

Other national news included Ring-billed Gull (Louth), Pallas's Warbler (Suffolk), Hoopoe (Bedfordshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), three Shorelarks, Great Grey Shrike (Gloucestershire), Black Brant (Dorset), Ring-necked Duck (Lancashire), three Surf Scoters and Glossy Ibis (Kent).
David Campbell, RBA
Friday 13th November 2020  
  A male Desert Wheatear was discovered on the beach at Salthouse, Norfolk late afternoon. On Scilly, a Blyth's Reed Warbler was found on Tresco and up to three Dusky Warblers were on St Mary's.

Lingering rarities still present today included the Hudsonian Godwit in Fife, Belted Kingfisher in County Cork, Greater Yellowlegs, two Eastern Yellow Wagtails and Dusky Warbler in Suffolk, other Dusky Warblers in Norfolk (two) and Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in Yorkshire and Cumbria, King Eider in Pembrokeshire, Ferruginous Duck in Yorkshire and Bonaparte's Gull in Pembrokeshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Barred Warbler, a Hoopoe, a Rose-coloured Starling, two Pallas's Warblers, three Great Grey Shrikes, three Lapland Buntings, a Rough-legged Buzzard, ten Glossy Ibises, two Grey Phalaropes, three Little Auks, two Pomarine Skuas, a Tundra Bean Goose, two Black Brants, three Snow Geese, a Surf Scoter, five Ring-necked Ducks, a Ring-billed Gull, four Iceland Gulls and four Glaucous Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 12th November 2020  
  New discoveries today included a Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Portland Bill, Dorset and a Black Kite over Dungeness, Kent. A King Eider was present for its 3rd day at Little Haven, Pembrokeshire.

Lingering rarities included the Hudsonian Godwit at Guardbridge, Fife, Greater Yellowlegs and two Eastern Yellow Wagtails at Dunwich, Suffolk, another Eastern Yellow Wagtail at Kelling, Norfolk, Dusky Warblers at Lowestoft, Suffolk, Spurn, Yorkshire, Quendale, Shetland and Beeston and Muckleburgh, both Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitchers at Scorton, Yorkshire and Arnside, Cumbria and Lesser Yellowlegs' at Nosterfield, Yorkshire, Capel Fleet, Kent and Dungarven, County Waterford.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Hoopoe, a Rose-coloured Starling, three Great Grey Shrikes, nine Lapland Buntings, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Tundra Bean Goose, two Snow Geese, a Surf Scoter, a Ring-necked Duck, four Green-winged Teal, 14 Glossy Ibises, two Glaucous Gulls, five Iceland Gulls and a Pomarine Skua.
Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 11th November 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the Hudsonian Godwit still in Fife, Greater Yellowlegs and two Eastern Yellow Wagtails still all together in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, and Dusky Warblers in East Yorkshire (2), Norfolk (2), the Shetland Isles, and Suffolk.

Scarcities included Serin (Norfolk), Little Bunting (Surrey), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Hoopoe (Bedfordshire), Great Grey Shrike (Nottinghamshire), Rose-coloured Starling, Green-winged Teal and Black Brant (Dorset), two Pallas's Warblers, seven Lapland Buntings, and a total of 22 Glossy Ibises.
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 10th November 2020  
  The highlight of the day was confirmation of the continued presence of the Hudsonian Godwit on the Eden Estuary, Fife.

Rarities discovered today comprise a Little Swift in County Cork at Glengarriff, a Pine Bunting in County Kildare, Franklin's Gull in West Yorkshire at Anglers' County Park, Isabelline Shrike species on the Shetland Isles on Yell with a Radde's Warbler on nearby Unst, the Forster's Tern back again in County Galway, and the Black Scoter again in Northumberland.

Other rarities comprised the Belted Kingfisher still in County Cork, Greater Yellowlegs still in Suffolk, Brown Shrike on the Western Isles, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in both Norfolk and Suffolk (2), Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll on Shetland, Kentish Plover in Somerset, King Eider in Moray, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, and a total of ten Dusky Warblers.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (Surrey), Richard's Pipit (London), Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), Hoopoe (Bedfordshire), Shorelark (East Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (Western Isles), Ring-necked Duck (Lancashire), three Green-winged Teals, four Waxwings, five each of Pallas's Warbler, Great Grey Shrike and Glossy Ibis, and six Lapland Buntings.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 9th November 2020  
 

Ireland produced the day's two megas, with a female Belted Kingfisher at Castletown Bearhaven in Co.Cork and a young male Lesser Kestrel at an undisclosed site in Co.Clare. A Pallid Swift was reported at Towan Head near Newquay in Cornwall, the fifth record this autumn. Somerset had a Kentish Plover at Burnham-on-Sea and a new Lesser Yellowlegs turned up on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. Dusky Warblers were found in Highland, Scilly, Norfolk (two), Northumberland and Suffolk (two).

Significant late news from Fife concerned a Hudsonian Godwit  unwittingly photographed in flight over the Eden Estuary on 3rd November.

The Greater Yellowlegs and Eastern Yellow Wagtail were still in Suffolk, while the Long-billed Dowitcher in North Yorkshire, Olive-backed Pipit in Lincolnshire, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, North Yorkshire and Co.Waterford were all still present. Dusky Warblers continued their stays in East Yorkshire (two) and Scilly.

Among the best of the rest were Short-toed Lark (Aberdeenshire), two Little Buntings (Surrey and Co.Waterford), Richard's Pipit (Scilly), seven Pallas's Warblers (including sites in Suffolk with three and two), Barred Warbler (East Yorkshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), Hoopoe (Bedfordshire), Great Grey Shrike (Nottinghamshire), American Golden Plover (Argyll), three Green-winged Teal, three Ring-necked Ducks, two Todd's Canada Geese and five Glossy Ibises.
David Campbell, RBA