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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Monday 13th September 2021  
  Rarities today included the Green Warbler, White-tailed Lapwing, and Black-browed Albatross all still in East Yorkshire, Western Bonelli's Warbler and Balearic Woodchat Shrike on the Isles of Scilly, two Arctic Warblers together on the Shetland Isles at Quendale, Forster's Tern still in County Louth, Black Stork still in Lincolnshire, Black Scoter in Angus, King Eider on Shetland, and a fly-over Black Kite in Kent.

Nearctic waders today comprised a Lesser Yellowlegs new in Suffolk at Shelley, a Baird's Sandpiper in County Kerry at Cashen, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers, and a total of 13 Pectoral Sandpipers.

Other scarcities included Woodchat Shrike, Bluethroat, Hoopoe (Shetland), Lapland Bunting (East Yorkshire), two each of Little Bunting, Marsh Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, and Surf Scoter, three of Red-backed Shrike and Sabine's Gull, four of Ortolan Bunting and Common Rosefinch, six Dotterel, 10 Long-tailed Skuas, 11 Barred Warblers, 12 Glossy Ibises, and 16 Wrynecks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 12th September 2021  
 

A Fea's/Desertas Petrel flew north past Flamborough Head in the late afternoon. Other new birds included Booted Warbler on Barra, Pallid Harrier on the Isle of Wight, Baird's Sandpiper in Co.Derry, and Arctic Warblers in Orkney, Shetland and Argyll. A Wilson's Petrel was seen from the Scillonian.

East Yorkshire continued to offer the Green Warbler, White-tailed Lapwing and Black-browed Albatross. Other rarities still present included the Western Bonelli's Warbler and Balearic Woodchat Shrike on Scilly, Snowy Owl in Aberdeenshire, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and King Eider in Shetland.

Other national news included two Dotterel, Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Western Isles), 13 Pectoral Sandpipers, three Sabine's Gulls, nine Glossy Ibises, Hoopoe (Devon), 31 Wrynecks, six Red-backed Shrikes, Woodchat Shrike, Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Melodious Warbler (Scilly), 16 Barred Warblers, three Rose-coloured Starlings, two Bluethroats, three Red-breasted Flycatchers, 22 Common Rosefinches, four Ortolan Buntings and two Lapland Buntings (Orkney).
David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 11th September 2021  
 

An Arctic Warbler was found at Quendale Mill in Shetland.

The Green Warbler, White-tailed Lapwing and Black-browed Albatross extended their time in East Yorkshire, while other rarities comprised the Western Bonelli's Warbler and Balearic Woodchat Shrike on Scilly, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Baird's Sandpiper in Co.Cork and Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and Co.Down.

Further highlights included Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall), Dotterel (Pembrokeshire), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Western Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Greater Manchester), Glossy Ibis (Kent), Hoopoe (Devon), 23 Wrynecks, six Red-backed Shrikes, Woodchat Shrike (Shetland), 10 Barred Warblers, Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Shetland), 27 Common Rosefinches and Little Bunting (Shetland).
David Campbell, RBA
Friday 10th September 2021  
  In Yorkshire, the Green Warbler remained at Buckton, the Black-browed Albatross remained at Bempton and the White-tailed Lapwing remained at Blacktoft.

New discoveries today included a Collared Flycatcher on Fair Isle and an Arctic Warbler at Boddam, both Shetland, a Gull-billed Tern at Snettisham, Norfolk, a Thrush Nightingale at Calf of Man, Isle of Man, a Citrine Wagtail at Aikerness, Orkney, a Baird's Sandpiper at Blennerville, County Kerry, a Bee-eater on St Mary's, Scilly and a Baltic Gull at Thrybergh Country Park, Yorkshire. A Western Rufous Turtle Dove was on North Ronaldsay, Orkney for a second day.

Other lingering rarities included the Balearic Woodchat Shrike and Western Bonelli's Warbler in Scilly, Snowy Owl in Western Isles, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk, Baird's Sandpiper in County Cork and Bonaparte's Gulls in County Down and Kent.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 9th September 2021  
 

The first Green Warbler to be in any way twitchable on the British mainland was found in a mistnet at Buckton in East Yorkshire late this morning. Tracking it down in the field post-release was a challenge, but the occasional glimpse was the reward for hours of patience into the evening.

Other finds included Bonelli's warbler sp at Land's End in Cornwall and on St.Martin's, Scilly, as well as Citrine Wagtail on St.Kilda and a Blyth's Reed Warbler on Brownstown Head in Co.Waterford. Also on Scilly, at least one Bee-eater flew over St.Mary's, while a Wilson's Petrel was seen in nearby waters from the evening pelagic.

Still present were the White-tailed Lapwing and Black-browed Albatross in East Yorkshire, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk, Western Bonelli's Warbler on Scilly, Forster's Tern in Co.Louth, Black Duck in Co.Mayo and Bonaparte's Gulls in Co.Down and Kent.

Other highlights included 11+ Pectoral Sandpipers, four Dotterel, two Sabine's Gulls, four Glossy Ibises, Purple Heron (Hants), 18 Wrynecks, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Woodchat Shrikes, two Red-breasted Flycatchers, Melodious Warbler (Shetland), five Barred Warblers, Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), 16 Common Rosefinches and two Ortolan Buntings.

 

 
David Campbell, RBA
Wednesday 8th September 2021  
  Rarities today comprised White-tailed Lapwing and Arctic Warbler both still in East Yorkshire, now two Western Bonelli's Warblers on the Isles of Scilly, Forster's Tern still in County Louth, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Baird's Sandpiper in County Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs on the Orkney Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, and King Eider on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike and Marsh Warbler (Isles of Scilly), Ortolan Bunting (County Cork), White-winged Black Tern (Hampshire), Purple Heron (Kent), Sabine's Gull (East Yorkshire), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), two each of Red-backed Shrike, Rose-coloured Starling, and Long-tailed Skua, three Melodious Warblers, five Pectoral Sandpipers, six Barred Warblers, 19 Common Rosefinches, and a total of 24 Wrynecks.

A first-winter Lesser Grey Shrike at Galley Head, County Cork was seen to be bearing a colour-ring that showed it was a captive-bred that had been released in Spain.
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 7th September 2021  
  New today were a Lesser Yellowlegs on the Orkney Isles on North Ronaldsay, and a White-rumped Sandpiper in Forth at Skinflats, whilst other Nearctic waders comprised single Baird's Sandpipers still in both County Cork and County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk, and seven Pectoral Sandpipers.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the White-tailed Lapwing, Black-browed Albatross and Arctic Warbler all in East Yorkshire, Western Bonelli's Warbler on the Isles of Scilly, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Black Scoter in Angus, and on Orkney a Fea's/Desertas Petrel was seen again.

Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Scilly), Bluethroat (Gloucestershire), Sabine's Gull (Highland), Great Shearwater (Western Isles), Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall), three each of both Red-backed Shrike and Glossy Ibis, five Barred Warblers, six Dotterel, 14 Common Rosefinches, and a total of 18 Wrynecks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 6th September 2021  
  Discoveries today included an Eleonora's Falcon briefly in Norfolk at Gayton, an Arctic Warbler in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea, a Baird's Sandpiper in County Kerry at Waterville, and Fea's/Desertas Petrels passing both the Orkney Isles and the Western Isles.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were both the White-tailed Lapwing and Black-browed Albatross in East Yorkshire, Western Bonelli's Warbler on the Isles of Scilly, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, and Bonaparte's Gull in County Cork.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (Gloucestershire), Woodchat Shrike (Scilly), Melodious Warbler and Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Rose-coloured Starling and Lapland Bunting (Orkney), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), Sabine's Gull (Lothian), Long-tailed Skua (Kent), Red-breasted Flycatcher and two Ortolan Buntings (Dorset), two each of Pectoral Sandpiper, Dotterel and Spotted Crake, three Surf Scoters, four Glossy Ibises, five Red-backed Shrikes, seven Barred Warblers, and a total of 20 Common Rosefinches.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 5th September 2021  
 

An incredible minimum of 73 Wilson's Petrels were seen from the pelagic out of Baltimore in Co.Cork today. In Co.Galway, a Booted Warbler was found at Galley Head. Two Greenish Warblers filtered west, turning up at Polgigga in Cornwall and Cape Clear in Co.Cork. Other finds included a Ferruginous Duck in the Gloucestershire section of the Cotswold Water Park, Red-rumped Swallow over Littlehampton in Sussex and Blyth's Reed Warblers on Bardsey in Gwynedd and Blakeney Point in Norfolk.

The White-tailed Lapwing and Black-browed Albatross in East Yorkshire, Western Bonelli's Warbler on Scilly, Black Stork in Lincolnshire and Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and Co.Down all remained.

Other highlights included two Spotted Crakes, Pectoral Sandpiper (Co.Cork), five Dotterel, American Golden Plover (Shetland), Grey Phalarope (Co.Cork), seven Glossy Ibises, 47 Wrynecks, White-winged Black Tern (Hampshire), three Red-backed Shrikes, Red-breasted Flycatcher (Scilly), six Barred Warblers, 13 Common Rosefinches and three Ortolan Buntings.
David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 4th September 2021  
 

The best finds of the day were a Western Bonelli's Warbler on St.Mary's (Scilly) a Lesser Yellowlegs at Tacumshin in Co.Waterford and a Fea's/Desertas Petrel past Newbiggin in Northumberland. Another of the latter was off North Ronaldsay.

Still present were the White-tailed Lapwing in East Yorkshire, Black-browed Albatross in East Yorkshire, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Black Scoter in Angus, Black Stork in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gulls in Co.Down and Kent, and Snowy Owl in Aberdeenshire.

The pick of the best otherwise involved Surf Scoter (Angus), Spotted Crake (Northumberland), three Dotterel, White-winged Black Tern (Hampshire), two Glossy Ibises, Montagu's Harrier (Essex), 33 Wrynecks, Melodious Warbler (Co.Cork), Icterine Warbler (Kent), six Barred Warblers, Bluethroat (Scilly), seven Common Rosefinches and Ortolan Bunting (Cornwall).
David Campbell, RBA