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 26th July 2007  
  The Chimney Swift failed to make an appearance in York, but there were still plenty of goodies on offer throughout Britain. In Suffolk, an adult Cattle Egret was located at North Warren RSPB, but it was not seen after early afternoon. In Merseyside, the White-rumped Sandpiper was relocated on Crosby Beach and nearby, the Glossy Ibis remained at Marshside RSPB. In North Lancashire, the Lesser Yellowlegs was present at Leighton Moss RSPB, but was extremely mobile over a large area with Redshanks and Greenshanks.

Other bits and bobs included a Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall, at Trewellard and Wryneck in Dorset, at West Bay.

A dark-rumped Whimbrel was logged past Lowestoft, Suffolk, this evening - the Hudsonian Whimbrel was still on Walney Island, Cumbria yesterday. Another belated item of news from yesterday concerned a Snowy Owl reappearing on Lewis, Western Isles, after an absence from this island of over three months.
-  Stuart Piner and Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 25th July 2007  
  The Chimney Swift remained in York, North Yorkshire, but was seen briefly on just a handful of occasions throughout the day.

Elsewhere, a Lesser Yellowlegs was at Leighton Moss, Lancashire for its second day and in Merseyside the Glossy Ibis remained at Marshside RSPB. A Great White Egret flew south past Spurn, East Yorkshire this afternoon and in Co Derry a Squacco Heron continued to show at Lough Beg. A Black Kite flew over the A1 near Tuxford, Nottinghamshire.

A handful of Great Shearwaters were logged off the south coast of Ireland, with Cory's Shearwaters off Galley Head, Co Cork and Prawle Point, Devon.
-  Stuart Piner and Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 24th July 2007  
  The main talking point today was the discovery of an unseasonal Chimney Swift in York City Centre, North Yorkshire. The bird associated with Common Swifts, and made brief appearances intermittently throughout the day. There have only been two previous records of Chimney Swift in Yorkshire, both occurring at Spurn - interestingly, one of these was present on 6th August, in 2000.

In Kent a Bee-eater was heard flying over Cobham, and other rarities on show included the White-rumped Sandpiper at Seaforth LWT, Merseyside, Cattle Egret at Grove Ferry NNR, Kent (along with a Temminck's Stint), Squacco Heron at Lough Beg, Co Derry and Black Kite at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire. The Glossy Ibis continued its stay at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside, where a Pectoral Sandpiper also remained.

Elsewhere the Night Herons were still at Fairburn Ings RSPB, West Yorkshire, the Green-winged Teal was at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire and a Temminck's Stint visited Ibsley Water, Hampshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 23rd July 2007  
  Breaking news today came from the Orkney Islands where a White-winged Black Tern was present for a second day at Loch of Tankerness, Mainland.

In northwest England the Hudsonian Whimbrel was seen again on Walney Island, Cumbria whilst in Merseyside the White-rumped Sandpiper and Glossy Ibis remained at Seaforth and Marshside respectively. The Squacco Heron remained at Lough Beg Co.Derry as did the Black Kite at Nocton Heath Lincolnshire and one the Cattle Egrets at Grove Ferry Kent.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 22nd July 2007  
  The highlight of the day was the arrival of a White-rumped Sandpiper at Seaforth, Merseyside, complemented by the discovery of a Pectoral Sandpiper alongside the long staying Glossy Ibis at nearby Marshside.

The Squacco Heron remained at Lough Beg, Co Derry as did the Black Kite at Nocton Fen, Lincolnshire. In Kent both the Cattle Egrets were seen - along with a Temminck's Stint - at Grove Ferry. On the Shetland Isles the Killdeer and Lesser Grey Shrike remained at Virkie and Fair Isle respectively.

Popular scarcities included two Night Herons together at Fairburn Ings West Yorkshire, a Temminck's Stint at Cley Norfolk and a Pectoral Sandpiper at Elmley Kent. An Icterine Warbler was an unseasonal find on the Farne Islands, Northumberland.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 21st July 2007  
  Rare herons were the order of the day with the highlight being a Squacco Heron at Lough Beg, Co Londonderry - only the second record for Northern Ireland and the first there since 1881. In Kent two Cattle Egrets - an adult and a juvenile - were found together at Grove Ferry.

The Black Kite continued to show well at Nocton Heath, Lincolnshire as did the Glossy Ibis at Marshside, Merseyside. The Lesser Yellowlegs was seen again on the Rogerstown Estuary, Co Dublin and a Wilson's Petrel was again recorded from a pelagic off the Isles of Scilly. Late news for yesterday from the Shetland Isles concerned confirmation that the Lesser Grey Shrike remains on Fair Isle.

A total of 34 Black Terns were recorded in thirteen counties scattered between Devon, Conwy, West Yorkshire and Norfolk, however, the White-winged Black Tern had gone from Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 20th July 2007  
  Appalling weather conditions across much of the country kept many birders indoors but hardy souls who ventured out were rewarded with a fine adult Spotted Sandpiper at Draycote Water in Warwickshire and an adult White-winged Black Tern at Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire. Draycote holds all three previous accepted county records of Spotted Sandpiper, with the most recent in 1990, while Farmoor holds all seven accepted records of White-winged Black Tern in Oxfordshire! Unfortunately for would-be observers of the Farmoor bird the reservoir had to be closed late afternoon to due to flooding in the area.

A pelagic from St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, once again recorded two Wilson's Petrels, but the only other rarity to be reported was the lingering first-summer Bonaparte's Gull on South Uist in the Western Isles. Scarcities included Pectoral Sandpipers in Kent and North Yorkshire and a scattering of Roseate Terns, Spoonbills and Balearic Shearwaters, while late news of rarities included a Black Kite reported near Scarborough on Thursday morning and another report of a Great White Egret at Minsmere RSPB yesterday evening; sadly even more belated was a report of a Black Stork on Wesbury Moor, Somerset on 1st July.
-  Andy Symes, RBA
Thursday 19th July 2007  
  Other than belated reports of a Great White Egret in Co Durham and a White-rumped Sandpiper in West Sussex there was no significant breaking news today.

Long-staying rarities confirmed as still being present comprised the Black Kite at Nocton Heath Lincolnshire, Hudsonian Whimbrel on Walney Island Cumbria, Glossy Ibis at Marshside Merseyside and Subalpine Warbler on the Isle of May Fife. The Spotted Sandpiper is still at Wykeham Lakes North Yorkshire but is not accessible to birders.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 18th July 2007  
  After the no-show yesterday, this evening saw the reappearance of the Roller in East Yorkshire, this time on the outskirts of Skeffling, but only briefly. In Lincolnshire the Black Kite at Nocton Heath showed on and off throughout the day, whilst in Merseyside the Glossy Ibis remained in situ at Marshside RSPB. The female Subalpine Warbler continued to summer on Isle of May, Fife, and Pectoral Sandpipers were at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire and Elmley Marshes RSPB, Kent. One of the regular pelagics from the Isles of Scilly once again connected with a Wilson's Petrel and an adult Night Heron was at Fairburn Ings RSPB, West Yorkshire for its second day; yesterday it was joined by an immature.

Late news from yesterday related to an American Golden Plover on the Monach Isles, Western Isles (the same bird initially identified as a Pacific Golden Plover at the weekend), the Spotted Sandpiper remained at Wykeham Lakes, North Yorkshire and the Long-billed Dowitcher was reported again at Hayle Estuary RSPB, Cornwall. Even older news came from Highland, where a male Black-headed Bunting was on Canna recently and in Ireland, a Laughing Gull was at Inchydoney, Co Cork, on 11th July.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 17th July 2007  
  The Spurn area produced the star bird for the second consecutive day - this time an adult Pacific Golden Plover on the Humber Estuary. Nearby, there was no sign of the Roller in the Easington area. Other new discoveries came in the form of a Baird's Sandpiper (and Buff-breasted Sandpiper) on Inishkeeragh Island, Co Donegal, Great White Egret at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk and a Night Heron graced Fairburn Ings RSPB, North/West Yorkshire.

In Lincolnshire the Black Kite remained at Nocton Heath throughout the day, and a second bird was reported flying over Beckingham, also in Lincolnshire. In Fife the long-staying Subalpine Warbler was still on Isle of May, the Hudsonian Whimbrel continued to frequent Walney Island, Cumbria and the Glossy Ibis remained at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside.

News from Sunday related to the continuing presence of the Spotted Sandpiper at Wykeham Lakes, North Yorkshire - unfortunately, access is still being denied.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA