Daily News Summaries
This page gives you access to all of RBA's daily news summaries (since April 13, 2006), 10 days at a time. The most recent are shown, or you can select a specific date to show (along with the previous 10 days). Prior to April 13, 2006 you can find weekly reviews, located in articles.
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Wednesday 30th July 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the continued arrival of Two-barred Crossbills in the northern isles. Today four were seen on the Shetland Isles - singles on Mainland at both East Voe of Scalloway and Esha Ness and two on Fair Isle - and three were seen on the Orkney Isles; all on the Mainland at Finstown, Rendall and Stenness.

A Bonaparte's Gull was discovered in County Kerry at Castlemaine with other new finds including an American Golden Plover at Elmley Marshes, Kent and a Cattle Egret at Earls Barton, Northamptonshire.

In southwest Britain and Ireland productive seawatching took place with Cory's Shearwater counts including site maximums of 710 off Cornwall, 205 off Devon, 53 off County Cork and five off the Isles of Scilly. Great Shearwaters comprised 25 off Cornwall, five off County Cork and three off Devon whilst a Sabine's Gull was seen off Cornwall.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 27th July 2008  
  The Northern Isles delivered today, with Shetland attracting a Two-barred Crossbill, on Fair Isle, and Orkney had an adult Pacific Golden Plover on North Ronaldsay.

Further south, a Glossy Ibis was on the East Yorkshire coast in the Spurn area until mid afternoon. The Marshside RSPB, Merseyside ibis was not seen today, despite searching; could it be that its long stay has ended?

A Great White Egret was seen at Trimley Marshes SWT, Suffolk, with another at Loughor, Glamorgan. Two Wilson's Petrels were seen from a boat NNW of Padstow, Cornwall, whilst longer staying rarities included White-rumped Sandpiper at Cley NWT, Norfolk, Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, King Eider at Tacumshin, County Wexford and the Glossy Ibis remained for its 4th day at Ennis, County Clare.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 26th July 2008  
  Despite being an otherwise fairly quiet day, again, several rarities were either seen or reported for the first time. A Red-footed Falcon was present over Queensferry, Lothian, for a few minutes this evening before continuing south, and a Black Stork was seen over Witcham, Cambridgeshire for a few minutes before drifting north-west.

What is probably the returning adult Long-billed Dowitcher was found at Shannon Airport Lagoon, County Clare, with the Glossy Ibis in the same county, still at Ennis. Other rarities included Lesser Scaup in Clyde, at Balgray Reservoir, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, at Chew Valley Lake, where the controversial large white-headed gull species was also present and the White-rumped Sandpiper was still in Norfolk, briefly at Cley NWT.

Late news for yesterday concerned the Caspian Tern again, this time at Kirkby on Bain Gravel-pits, Lincolnshire, briefly in the evening.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 23rd July 2008  
  An adult Caspian Tern was discovered at Collingham Gravel-pits, Nottinghamshire mid afternoon, and proceeded to show well until 7.45pm. It was, however, very mobile, and flew off, mainly north, several times, only to return a short while later. This is potentially the same bird as was seen at Old Moor RSPB, Yorkshire on the 15th July.

The Black Stork made another appearance in Essex, circling briefly over Shoeburyness, Southend-on-Sea mid evening. The adult White-rumped Sandpiper remained on Cley North Scrape, Norfolk, with other lingerers including the Lesser Scaup at Balgray Reservoir, Clyde, Glossy Ibis at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside, and two Great White Egrets flew over Portland Bill, Dorset.

Five Pectoral Sandpipers were seen, in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Yorkshire and Leicestershire, and a Ring-necked Duck was at Loch Gelly, Fife.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 22nd July 2008  
  A Bee-eater was seen briefly at Witham, Essex but, unfortunately, it was not seen by anyone but the initial observer. A drake Lesser Scaup remained on Balgray Reservoir, Clyde for its second day, and an adult White-rumped Sandpiper was located amongst the Dunlin flock on Cley North Scrape, Norfolk. Also at this site, and three others in England, was an adult Pectoral Sandpiper.

Long staying rarities included the White-billed Diver on Orkney and the Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, and late news for yesterday concerned a Red-footed Falcon in West Sussex.

The Hoopoe continued to show well in Yorkshire, near York, and the Red-backed Shrike was again seen at Sea Palling, Norfolk.

A press release from the Somerset Ornithological Society heralded the arrival of a new breeding species to the county, and possibly to Britain, with a pair of Cattle Egrets raising one young this summer.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 21st July 2008  
  An American Golden Plover was found in Argyll, on the Add Estuary at Crinan, but unfortunately it did not stay long. Other brief new rarities were a Black Stork near Braintree in Essex and two Wilson's Petrels seen from the evening pelagic off the Scillies. The Glossy Ibis could still be found at Marshside Marsh in Merseyside, but few other rarities were lingering.

Rose-coloured Starlings were at Lewis on the Western Isles still, with the bird at Hayle in Cornwall also reported again. A Hoopoe was well watched at Dunnington near York and four Pectoral Sandpipers could be found: in Essex, Norfolk, Leicestershire and South Yorkshire. A Ring-necked Duck was still at Linlithgow Loch in Lothian.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
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