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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Friday 12th October 2007  
  An interesting day, with up to 23 new rarities being found across the country. Most significant was the relocation of Oxfordshire's American Buff-bellied Pipit, which was found at Port Meadow late afternoon. Two Cattle Egrets were found, one on the Kent/East Sussex border, and one in Somerset at Chew Valley Lake, which was probably the same bird that was reported as a Great White Egret yesterday.

On Scilly, rarities included a probable Wilson's Snipe for its second day, a very brief Penduline Tit, another brief Great White Egret, a Grey-cheeked Thrush, a Blyth's Reed Warbler and a flyover Red-throated Pipit. The Blackpoll Warbler remained on St.Mary's, but continued to be very mobile.

Shetland hosted a Pechora Pipit on Mainland at Toab, with three Dusky Warblers, Olive-backed Pipit, Arctic Redpoll and Lesser Yellowlegs also on the islands, with Pallas's Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatchers and Yellow-browed Warblers with them.

In Argyll, a Marsh Sandpiper was reported from South Uist, a Baird's Sandpiper was on Loch Levan, Perth and Kinross, and a Ferruginous Duck was on a private broad briefly in Norfolk. Remaining rarities included White-billed Diver in Sussex, Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Dusky Warbler in Yorkshire and Paddyfield Warbler on Shetland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 11th October 2007  
  The highlight of the day was confirmation of Ireland's first Blyth's Reed Warbler at Mizen Head, County Cork. On the Western Isles an American Golden Plover was found on Benbecula.

Elsewhere, the White-billed Diver remained at Selsey Bill, West Sussex as did the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Holkham Pines Norfolk, Dusky Warbler at Easington East Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Great White Egret in Lancashire.

On the Isles of Scilly St Agnes saw a Radde's Warbler discovered alongside Common Rosefinch, Richard's Pipit and Lapland Bunting. The Blackpoll Warbler, Woodchat Shrike and Red-breasted Flycatcher all remained on St Mary's whilst further Lapland Buntings were seen on St Martin's and Tresco. Six Yellow-browed Warblers were recorded around the islands.

On the Shetland Isles a King Eider remained on Mainland as did a Ring-necked Duck and four Yellow-browed Warblers. The Spotted Sandpiper was seen again on Yell and a Little Bunting was on Out Skerries.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 10th October 2007  
  Another Blackpoll Warbler was found on St.Mary's, Scilly at Porth Hellick, with the Garrison bird being seen briefly mid morning. The identification of an acrocephalus warbler was confirmed at Barnes, London, today, as yet another Blyth's Reed Warbler.

The Buff-bellied Pipit was reported briefly early morning at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire, with three remaining in Ireland.

Other lingering rarities included Blyth's Reed Warblers in Yorkshire and Wirral, Paddyfield Warbler on Shetland, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Norfolk, Dusky Warblers in Yorkshire and Cornwall and a superb adult summer White-billed Diver in Sussex.

Yellow-browed Warblers continued to entertain on the east coast, with several birds finding their way inland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 9th October 2007  
  Another mega for Scilly broke this afternoon in the form of a Blackpoll Warbler on the Garrison which showed very well, eventually, for the assembled masses. Also on Scilly, a Greenish Warbler was reported in the Parsonage, St.Agnes, the Woodchat Shrike remained on St.Mary's, as did a Red-backed Shrike, Barred Warbler and several Yellow-browed Warblers.
In Oxfordshire, an American Buff-bellied Pipit remained for its 5th day on the causeway at Farmoor Reservoir, giving excellent views, with another American Buff-bellied Pipit still in County Clare.
On Shetland, new rarities included a Paddyfield Warbler, an American Golden Plover, Arctic Redpoll and an Arctic Warbler, with scarce species such as Melodious Warbler and Little Bunting also present.
A Dusky Warbler was found in Cornwall, a White-billed Diver off Selsey Bill, Sussex; the Long-billed Dowitcher remained in Kent, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Norfolk, Great White Egrets in Lancashire and Staffordshire, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Blyth's Reed Warbler on the Wirral and Lesser Scaup in Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 8th October 2007  
  The star find today was another American Buff-bellied Pipit, this time inland at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire. Elsewhere, a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was confirmed at Holkham Norfolk, a Dusky Warbler at Easington East Yorkshire, a Long-billed Dowitcher at Lough Beg County Londonderry and Great White Egrets in Cornwall (two), Dorset and Staffordshire.

Lingering rarities included American Buff-bellied Pipits in County Clare and County Cork (two), Blyth's Reed Warblers in East Yorkshire (two) and Wirral, Lesser Grey Shrike in Norfolk, Radde's Warbler in Essex, Dusky Warbler in Nottinghamshire, Black Kite and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Marbled Duck in Suffolk and Great White Egrets in both Hampshire and Lancashire.

On the Shetland Isles, Whalsay recorded a Citrine Wagtail, Yell the Spotted Sandpiper, Mainland the Killdeer and Unst an Arctic Redpoll. Scarcities recorded around the archipelago today comprised 35 Yellow-browed Warblers, four Common Rosefinches, three Lapland Buntings, two Barred Warblers and singles of Melodious Warbler, Little Bunting, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Bluethroat and Red-backed Shrike.

On the Isles of Scilly the Woodchat Shrike remained on St Mary's along with Red-breasted Flycatcher, Barred Warbler and Red-backed Shrike, Tresco continued to host Pectoral Sandpiper and Dotterel, St Martin's a Wryneck and St Agnes a Lapland Bunting. Thirteen Yellow-browed Warblers were scattered around the islands.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 7th October 2007  
  Potentially the biggest bird of the day (in every respect) was a vulture, apparently thought by the observers to be a Griffon Vulture, which spent several hours over the Isle of Wight in the afternoon. Birders on the south coast could do well to keep their eyes on the skies tomorrow.

The remarkable autumn for Buff-bellied Pipits continued with two birds at Lissagriffin, County Cork and another at Liscannor, County Clare, along with the remaining Fair Isle bird. Blyth's Reed Warblers stole the show for many on the mainland with a remarkable three in East Yorkshire (at Flamborough, Kilnsea and Easington) and the confirmation of the bird found yesterday at Red Rocks on the Wirral. The first Dusky Warbler of the autumn chose to appear at the remarkable inland location of Netherfield, Nottinghamshire, where it was eventually seen and heard well, but a Greenish Warbler at the equally unusual location of Catford in London could not be relocated.

A Radde's Warbler seen again at The Naze, Essex proved popular but was typically elusive, while the best Scilly could muster were Woodchat and Red-backed Shrikes, Barred and Yellow-browed Warblers and a Common Rosefinch. The east coast deluge of Yellow-browed Warblers continued and a few birds even made it inland. A count of nine in County Galway was particularly noteworthy. There was no sign of yesterday's reported Dendroica species on Shetland, but news of Iceland's second ever Yellow-bellied Sapsucker gave renewed hope for those searching for Nearctic vagrants in the southwest, Scilly and Scotland.
-  Andy Symes, RBA
Saturday 6th October 2007  
  An intriguing report surfaced from Shetland this evening, of a Dendroica species at Kergord, Mainland. No further details were available, but from a description the bird may well have been a Bay-breasted Warbler. Also on Shetland were several long staying rarities including Killdeer, Arctic Redpoll, Spotted Sandpiper and Olive-backed Pipit.


Several Blyth's Reed Warblers were found, including at least one at Spurn, Yorkshire, one at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, as well as two or three possibles around the country.


Greenish Warblers and Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers were reported from Wells and Holkham, Norfolk, joining double figures of Yellow-browed Warblers.


An American Golden Plover showed well on Tiree, Argyll, as did a Great White Egret in Dorset, but a probable Pratincole species failed to reappear near Norwich, Norfolk. A Buff-bellied Pipit was in County Cork, and a Lesser Yellowlegs was found on Orkney.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 5th October 2007  
  For the second consecutive Friday Foula produced a Siberian mega - this time a male Siberian Rubythroat. The island also held at least one Blyth's Reed Warbler, at least two Olive-backed Pipits and a Pechora Pipit for its second day. Elsewhere on Shetland the American Buff-bellied Pipit remained on Fair Isle, the Killdeer was still on Mainland and the Spotted Sand on Yell also lingered.

New discoveries included a Radde's Warbler at Holme NOA, Norfolk, juvenile American Black Tern at Tacumshin, Co Wexford, 1st-summer drake Lesser Scaup at Trimley Trout Lake, Suffolk, American Golden Plover on Tiree, Argyll and Long-billed Dowitcher at Oare Marshes, Kent.

There was no sign of the 1st-winter Brown Flycatcher at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire, but a Red-backed Shrike was still on show and nearby the Turkestan Shrike remained at Buckton. In Lincolnshire a Radde's Warbler remained at Donna Nook and in Norfolk the probable Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler was a popular attraction.

On Isles of Scilly highlights included a Woodchat Shrike on St Mary's and Dotterel and Pectoral Sandpiper on Tresco.

In Co Cork, Ballycotton continued to host the juvenile Sharp-tailed and Semipalmated Sandpipers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 4th October 2007  
  The main birds today were the Brown Flycatcher in Yorkshire, with the Turkestan Shrike just up the road, and a back up of three Blyth's Reed Warblers, American Buff-bellied Pipit on Scilly, and Subalpine Warbler and Lesser Grey Shrike in Norfolk.

Lingering rarities in Shetland included Spotted Sandpipers on Unst and Yell, and American Buff-bellied Pipit on Fair Isle, along with good numbers of scarce migrants.

A Raddes Warbler was trapped and ringed at Donna Nook, Lincolnshire, an adult American Golden Plover was found in Lothian, whilst in Ireland a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and a Semipalmated Sandpiper were the highlights, along with a Baird's Sandpiper.

Very good numbers of Yellow-browed Warblers continued to be found all down the east coast, along with other scarce migrants.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 3rd October 2007  
  The discovery of a Brown Flycatcher at Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire dominated the news today. The bird was found in the morning, but news did not break until early afternoon, and , although the bird remained in the Old Fall Plantation till dusk, it did not always prove easy to locate. The only previous record in the UK was of a bird on Fair Isle in July 1992 which is currently on Category D of the British list.

Also on the east coast a new Blyth's Reed Warbler was found on Holy Island in Northumberland, with the bird also remaining at Whitburn in County Durham. The Turkestan Shrike remained at Buckton near Flamborough, the Lesser Grey Shrike and probable Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler both remained in Norfolk and a Radde's Warbler was still at The Naze in Essex. Yellow-browed Warblers were seen in numbers all down the east coast with several Great Grey Shrikes also reported and a Greenish Warbler still to be found in Wells Woods, Norfolk.

On Scilly a smart Red-throated Pipit was found on St.Mary's and there was a Great White Egret over Bryher, but no sign of any American Buff-bellied Pipits on the islands. On The Shetlands, a Citrine Wagtail was found on Whalsay and there are now two Lanceolated Warblers on Fair Isle, along with the American Buff-bellied Pipit which remains on the island. Belated news from the Out Skerries was of a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler found there yesterday, but not seen today. In Ireland, a Spotted Sandpiper was new at Ballycotton in County Cork.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA