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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Saturday 9th August 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the juvenile Black Stork at Greenside, County Durham. Present and showing well from early morning until mid afternoon when it was seen to fly northeast; locals suggest the bird has been present in the area for around a week and so it may well return.

Elsewhere, Two-barred Crossbills continued to arrive on the Shetland Isles with at least eighteen together at Sumburgh Head, nine juveniles on Fair Isle and a single juvenile on Yell.

Lingering rarities comprised the Lesser Grey Shrike and Hooded Merganser in Dorset, American Golden Plover in Kent, White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles, King Eider in County Wexford and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

A Red-footed Falcon was seen briefly in Highland at Glen Moriston, a Sabine's Gull showed well in Lancashire at Heysham as did the Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Doonfoot, Ayrshire and the Melodious Warbler at Sumburgh Head, Shetland Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 8th August 2008  
  Two-barred Crossbills continued to arrive on Shetland, with thirteen now present at Sumburgh Head, and a further juvenile on North Ronaldsay, Orkney. Another male was reported from Harris, Western Isles, comprising just the second record of the influx away from the Northern Isles.

A juvenile Black Stork was found this evening, near Blaydon, County Durham, and was present until dusk, when it went to roost. A moulting adult White-winged Black Tern was seen at Slapton Ley, Devon.

Lingering rarities included the Lesser Grey Shrike in Dorset, White-billed Diver and Citrine Wagtail on Orkney and an American Golden Plover in Kent.

Scarcities included a Tawny Pipit on Blakeney Point, Norfolk, with Sabine's Gull, Long-tailed Skua and Balearic Shearwater in the same county. Another Long-tailed Skua was seen in County Durham, with other Sabine's Gulls in Cleveland and North Yorkshire. A Barred Warbler was on Inner Farne, Northumberland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 7th August 2008  
  The Two-barred Crossbill tally continues to rise - nine were still on Fair Isle, at least eight were on Mainland Shetland and four visited South Ronaldsay, Orkney. An adult White-winged Black Tern commuted between Seaforth LWT and Crosby Marine Park, Merseyside, the American Golden Plover briefly reappeared at Elmley Marshes RSPB, Kent and the Lesser Grey Shrike and Hooded Merganser in Dorset, King Eider in Co Wexford, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and White-billed Diver in Orkney were all still available.

The Buff-breasted Sandpiper continued to show well at Doonfoot, Ayrshire and an Icterine Warbler was trapped at Landguard NR, Suffolk. A juvenile Red-backed Shrike was on the Farne Islands, Northumberland for its second day and the Melodious Warbler continued to show on Mainland Shetland
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 6th August 2008  
  The Two-barred Crossbill invasion continued today. On Shetland a flock of nine were on Fair Isle (along with an Icterine Warbler), six visited Sumburgh Head (where both Melodious Warbler and Red-backed Shrike were also on show) and another was on Fetlar. On Orkney two were located on North Ronaldsay, where a Pacific Golden Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper were also present. The White-billed Diver reappeared off South Ronaldsay.

In Cornwall a Spotted Sandpiper was found on the Camel Estuary, on Tiree a Lesser Grey Shrike was seen briefly and in Ayrshire a Buff-breasted Sandpiper arrived at Doonfoot. The female Lesser Grey Shrike was still in Dorset this evening.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 5th August 2008  
  On Shetland a Pallid Swift at Sumburgh Head, Mainland showed well into the evening, adding itself to only a handful of August records. Elsewhere on the archipelago Two-barred Crossbills were noted on Fair Isle and Unst.

Much further south the Lesser Grey Shrike was still in Dorset and in Co Meath two Glossy Ibises flew over Ardcath. Lingering wildfowl included the Hooded Merganser in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Clyde and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. Pectoral Sandpipers remained at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk and Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 4th August 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the first Aquatic Warbler of the autumn, found in the Shetland Isles, at Skaw on Unst. Elsewhere, a Caspian Tern flew past Formby Point, Merseyside and a White-rumped Sandpiper showed briefly at Cley, Norfolk.

Lingering rarities comprised both the Lesser Grey Shrike and Hooded Merganser still in Dorset and the Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

A Two-barred Crossbill present on St Kilda, Western Isles had first been seen alongside a Snowy Owl yesterday! Other late reports included another Two-barred Crossbill on Stronsay, Orkney Isles, a brief Pacific Golden Plover on Havergate Island, Suffolk and the Bonaparte's Gull still in County Kerry.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 3rd August 2008  
  Once again the highlight of the day was the Lesser Grey Shrike at Middlebere Heath, Dorset. Other lingering rarities included a Two-barred Crossbill on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Golden Plover on the Orkney Isles, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland and Hooded Merganser in Dorset. A Wilson's Petrel was again seen off the Isles of Scilly.

Migrant waders continue to be seen throughout the country, most notably Curlew Sandpipers (39 in five counties) and Wood Sandpipers (25 in twelve counties).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 2nd August 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Lesser Grey Shrike at Middlebere Heath, Dorset - only the fifth county record and the first since 1989. Elsewhere, a Citrine Wagtail was found on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles and new rare waders comprised a Baird's Sandpiper at Ballycotton, County Cork, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Spurn, East Yorkshire and a brief Pacific Golden Plover at Aberlday Bay, Lothian.

Lingering rarities included a Two-barred Crossbill on the Shetland Isles, the Pacific Golden Plover on the Orkney Isles, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Hooded Merganser in Dorset.

Seabird headlines were stolen by a Wilson's Petrel and four Cory's Shearwaters from a pelagic off the Scilly Isles but over 100 Cory's Shearwaters and five Great Shearwaters were seen from land in County Cork, a Great Shearwater passed Kent and 33 Balearic Shearwaters were reported from nine counties.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 1st August 2008  
  Four Two-barred Crossbills are present on Fair Isle, Shetland, with another bird still at Finstown, Orkney. The adult summer Pacific Golden Plover remains with the Golden Plover flock on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, and, nearby, a Bee-eater was present for a few minutes on Shapinsay.

Further south, the adult summer White-rumped Sandpiper is still on the Wyre Estuary, Lancashire. A possible Yelkouan Shearwater was seen off Pendeen Watch and Sennen Cove, Cornwall this morning, together with large numbers of Cory's Shearwaters, and smaller numbers of Balearic Shearwaters and Great Shearwaters.

The drake Ferruginous Duck was seen again at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, and a Great White Egret was in Kent, at Reculver Marshes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 31st July 2008  
  Just two Two-barred Crossbills were reported today, with one remaining at Esha Ness lighthouse, Shetland, and another still at Queenamidda, Orkney. Also on Orkney, the adult Pacific Golden Plover reappeared on North Ronaldsay.

A Black Stork was watched for a few minutes as it circled over Cramlington, Northumberland, and then drifted south. A Black Kite was seen to fly north-east over Rainham Marshes RSPB, London and the Glossy Ibis was seen again in Yorkshire, this time over Holmfirth before flying south.

An adult White-rumped Sandpiper was found this evening at Skippool Creek, Lancashire, and an Alpine Swift lingered at Kilcoole, County Wicklow for twenty minutes early afternoon. Late news involved a Fea's Petrel in County Galway, which was photographed from a fishing boat off Slyne Head last Monday.
-  Will Soar, RBA