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
Monday 30th August 2021  
 

A Fea's or Desertas Petrel flew north past Hartlepool Headland in Cleveland and was tracked north along the coast as far as Donmouth in Aberdeenshire. An unidentified pratincole was seen near Misson in Nottinghamshire and a Black Kite flew over Garinish Point in Co.Cork.

Still present were the White-tailed Lapwing in East Yorkshire, Black-winged Pratincole and King Eider in Shetland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gulls in Co.Down and Kent, and Forster's Tern in Co.Louth.

Additional news included Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall), two Dotterel, two Temminck's Stints, American Golden Plover (Shetland), three Sabine's Gulls, five Glossy Ibises, Montagu's Harrier (Essex), 17 Wrynecks, Golden Oriole (Nottinghamshire), Barred Warbler (East Yorkshire) and Bluethroat (Scilly).
-  David Campbell, RBA
Sunday 29th August 2021  
  New discoveries today included an Olive-backed Pipit in Cornwall, a Wilson's Petrel from a pelagic off Pembrokeshire and a Bonaparte's Gull at Belfast Lough RSPB, County Antrim.

Lingering rarities still present included the White-tailed Lapwing and Black-browed Albatross in Yorkshire, Forster's Tern in County Louth and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent.

Scarcity highlights included a Bluethroat, a Common Rosefinch, a Rose-coloured Starling, four Barred Warblers, 26 Wrynecks, two Dotterel, two Temminck's Stints, two Pectoral Sandpipers, two American Golden Plovers, a Purple Heron, six Glossy Ibises, three Great Shearwaters, four Pomarine Skuas, 14 Long-tailed Skuas, a Sabine's Gull and a Ring-billed Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 28th August 2021  
  New discoveries today included a second Arctic Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland and a Greenish Warbler at Ardmair, Highland.

Lingering rarities included the White-tailed Lapwing and Black-browed Albatross in Yorkshire, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Booted Warbler in Shetland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent.

Scarcity highlights included an Icterine Warbler, two Red-backed Shrikes, three Common Rosefinches, eight Barred Warblers, 16 Wrynecks, a Dotterel, two Temminck's Stints, two Purple Herons, 12 Glossy Ibises, two Cory's Shearwaters, two Great Shearwaters, five Sabine's Gulls, six Pomarine Skuas and around 19 Long-tailed Skuas.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 27th August 2021  
  A Fea's or Desertas Petrel flew north past Cowbar, Cleveland this evening, before being tracked along the coast through County Durham and Northumberland. The Elegant Tern relocated to Hodbarrow, Cumbria, with new discoveries including an Arctic Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland and single Greenish Warblers on Great Saltee Island, County Wexford and at Whitby, Yorkshire (joining another lingering bird).

Other lingering rarities included the White-tailed Lapwing and Black-browed Albatross in Yorkshire, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent.

Scarcity highlights included an Icterine Warbler, a Red-backed Shrike, a Rose-coloured Starling, 11 Barred Warblers, 17 Wrynecks, a Grey Phalarope, a Pectoral Sandpiper, two American Golden Plovers, three Temminck's Stints, a Honey Buzzard, a Purple Heron, eight Glossy Ibises, five Sabine's Gulls, two Pomarine Skuas, 29 Long-tailed Skuas and a Ring-billed Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 26th August 2021  
 

Blacktoft Sands RSPB recorded its 52nd wader species with a White-tailed Lapwing on view all day. The Black-browed Albatross was present early in the morning and again from just before 5pm at Bempton Cliffs; in the meantime, there was a sighting of an adult off Sheringham in Norfolk at lunchtime, about 95 miles away.

A flock of nine Bee-eaters were at Beachy Head in Sussex in the morning, a White-rumped Sandpiper appeared at Aberlady Bay in Aberdeenshire in the evening, and a Black Kite flew over Conyer in Kent. In Borders, a Citrine Wagtail was reported near Cove.

Positive updates were received on the Forster's Tern in Co.Louth, Black-winged Pratincole in Shetland, Pacific Golden Plover in Lincolnshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Greenish Warbler in North Yorkshire and Citrine Wagtail on Scilly.

Other highlights included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Kent), two American Golden Plovers, Red-necked Phalarope (Kent), three Dotterel, five Sabine's Gulls, six Glossy Ibises, Purple Heron (Somerset), 10 Wrynecks, Red-backed Shrike (Cambridgeshire), two Barred Warblers, Rose-coloured Starling (Co.Derry) and Common Rosefinch (Orkney).
-  David Campbell, RBA
Wednesday 25th August 2021  
  Discoveries today included a Citrine Wagtail on the Isles of Scilly on St Mary's, and a Greenish Warbler in North Yorkshire at Saltwick Nab, whilst in Norfolk a Long-billed Dowitcher reappeared at Hickling Broad.

Rarities confirmed as still present were single Greenish Warblers in East Yorkshire, the Isles of Scilly, and the Shetland Isles, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmathenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs on Scilly, and Bonaparte's Gull on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Dorset), American Golden Plover (Orkney Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (Norfolk), Icterine Warbler (East Yorkshire), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), Temminck's Stint (Northumberland), Sabine's Gull (Cleveland), three Long-tailed Skuas, four of both Melodious Warbler and Red-backed Shrike, five Barred Warblers, 12 Wrynecks, and a total of 13 Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 24th August 2021  
  Discoveries today included a Black-winged Pratincole briefly in Hampshire at East Dean with a further pratincole species briefly at Annesley Pit Top, Nottinghamshire, a Caspian Tern in Suffolk off Southwold, and Greenish Warblers in Norfolk at Horsey and on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Least Tern still in County Dublin, Forster's Tern still in County Louth, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, both Lesser Yellowlegs and Wilson's Petrel on Scilly, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Kent and the Shetland Isles, Black Kite in Pembrokeshire, Baltic Gull in Oxfordshire, and Greenish Warblers in both East Yorkshire (2) and Shetland.

Scarcities included American Golden Plover (Orkney Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (County Durham), Montagu's Harrier (Norfolk), Cory's Shearwater and Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), three each of Melodious Warbler, Barred Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Red-backed Shrike, and Wryneck, four Glossy Ibises, and a total of six Long-tailed Skuas.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 23rd August 2021  
  Rarities today included the Eastern Rufous Bush Chat still in Cornwall, Black-browed Albatross still in East Yorkshire, Elegant Tern still in Merseyside, both Black-winged Pratincole and Bonaparte's Gull on the Shetland Isles, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs and Wilson's Petrel on the Isles of Scilly, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, and Black Kites briefly in East Yorkshire and Pembrokeshire.

Notable drift migrants from the northeast included eight Greenish Warblers (in County Durham, East Yorkshire (3), Norfolk, North Yorkshire (2), and Shetland), Icterine Warbler (Norfolk), Marsh Warbler (Shetland), five Red-backed Shrikes, six each of both Barred Warbler and Common Rosefinch, and a total of seven Wrynecks.

Other scarcities included Buff-breasted Sandpiper and White-winged Black Tern (Kent), American Golden Plover (Orkney Isles), Cory's Shearwater (East Yorkshire), Sabine's Gull (Scilly), two each of Pectoral Sandpiper and Long-tailed Skua, four of Melodious Warbler and Great Shearwater, and six Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 22nd August 2021  
 

Britain's 10th Rufous Bush Chat was found near Coverack in Cornwall. Given the 40-year gap between the last two records, it was a welcome surprise for another to come so soon. The Least Tern was relocatedin Co.Dublin on the Rogerstown Estuary, while a Bee-eater was heard over Tiree in Argyll and five Wilson's Petrels made the pelagic out of Baltimore in Co.Cork worthwhile. The gentle flow of air from the north and east delivered five Greenish Warbler, with two in North Yorkshire and others in Aberdeenshire, Norfolk and Shetland.

Continuing rarities included the Elegant Tern in Merseyside, Black-browed Albatross in East Yorkshire, Forster's Tern in Co.Louth, Pacific Golden Plover in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in Carmarthenshire and Cheshire, Lesser Yellowlegs on Scilly and Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and Shetland.

Other highlights included Icterine Warbler (Norfolk), three Melodious Warblers, six Barred Warblers, seven Wrynecks, Red-backed Shrike (Aberdeenshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Somerset), six Common Rosefinches, Spotted Crake (Dorset), two Purple Herons, Surf Scoter (Angus), two Pectoral Sandpipers (Somerset), two Temminck's Stints, three Great Shearwaters, six Sabine's Gulls, five Long-tailed Skuas, Ring-billed Gull (Co.Louth), Common Rosefinch, five Glossy Ibises and three migrant Dotterel.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 21st August 2021  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Black-browed Albatross in Yorkshire, Black Stork and Pacific Golden Plover in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in Carmarthenshire and Cheshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Scilly, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and two Wilson's Petrels in both County Cork and Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included a Golden Oriole, a Serin, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Spotted Crake, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Temminck's Stint, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Montagu's Harrier, three Honey Buzzards, a Purple Heron, two Glossy Ibises, four Great Shearwaters, three Pomarine Skuas, five Long-tailed Skuas, a Sabine's Gull and a Glaucous Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA