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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Tuesday 28th August 2012  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of another Greenish Warbler on the English east coast; at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire. Elsewhere, Greenish Warblers remained in both Norfolk and Northumberland (2), a Lesser Scaup arrived at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, the Bonaparte's Gull was still in County Durham, as was the Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, and single Glossy Ibis in both Cambridgeshire and Carmarthenshire.

Scarcities included seven each of both Wryneck and Pectoral Sandpiper, six Spotted Crakes, five Barred Warblers, and single Surf Scoter (Conwy), Ring-billed Gull (Forth), Red-necked Phalarope (Dumfries and Galloway), Woodchat Shrike (Dorset), Icterine Warbler (North Yorkshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Ceredigion), Melodious Warbler and Common Rosefinch (together in Pembrokeshire). Seawatching highlights included three Cory's Shearwaters, two Great Shearwaters and two Sabine's Gulls.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 27th August 2012  
  A Barolo Little Shearwater flew west past Bridges of Ross, County Clare mid afternoon, but gave good views to just three of the assembled crowd.

Other rarities seen today included Greenish Warblers in Norfolk and Northumberland (2), Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire and single Glossy Ibises in Cambridgeshire and Somerset.

Seawatching continued to entertain, with good numbers of Long-tailed Skuas and Pomarine Skuas seen, as well as smaller numbers of Sabine's Gulls, Grey Phalaropes and a single Leach's Petrel.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 26th August 2012  
  An arrival of Greenish Warblers today resulted in birds in Norfolk (Blakeney Point), Yorkshire (Kilnsea) and Northumberland (Farne Islands, Holy Island and Tynemouth).

Lingering rarities included the Thrush Nightingale in Shetland, Snowy Owl in County Donegal, Baird's Sandpiper in Pembrokeshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Wicklow, Blue-winged Teals in Clyde and County Wexford and Glossy Ibises in Cambridgeshire, Sussex and County Wexford.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 25th August 2012  
  Neither of the top two rarities discovered today lingered for longer than half an hour. Both in Yorkshire briefly this evening: a Broad-billed Sandpiper was at Nosterfield NR and a Gull-billed Tern was at Tophill Low NR. Other new rarities included single Blue-winged Teals at Carbarns Pool, Clyde and Tacumshin, County Wexford, and a Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.

Lingering rarities included Wilson's Phalarope in County Cork, Baird's Sandpiper in Pembrokeshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Wicklow, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Citrine Wagtail in Shetland and single Glossy Ibises in Cambridgeshire, Pembrokeshire and County Wexford.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 24th August 2012  
  The highlight of the day was a Spanish Sparrow in Suffolk; photographed at Landguard mid morning, it was not relocated later in the day. Elsewhere, a Fea's Petrel passed Porthgwarra, Cornwall, a Wilson's Phalarope arrived in County Cork at Rosscarbery, a Glossy Ibis was found on the Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, and a Thrush Nightingale was trapped on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Baird's Sandpiper in Pembrokeshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Ortolan Bunting on the Orkney Isles, and single White-rumped Sandpipers in both County Kerry and County Wicklow.

Scarcities included eight Barred Warblers, seven Wrynecks, two each of Icterine Warbler, Hoopoe, White-winged Black Tern (together in Hampshire), Spotted Crake and Ring-billed Gull, and single Kentish Plover and Purple Heron (Kent), Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), Woodchat Shrike and Cattle Egret (Dorset), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (North Yorkshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 23rd August 2012  
  New discoveries included an Aquatic Warbler trapped in Gunwalloe (Cornwall) and a Black Kite over Rainham Marshes RSPB and Crayford Marshes (London).

Lingering rarities included Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, American Golden Plover in Cambridgeshire, White-rumped Sandpiper in Co Wicklow, Snowy Owl in Co Donegal, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.

Scarcity totals comprised nine Wrynecks, four Barred Warblers, three Great White Egrets, two Purple Herons, two Spotted Crakes, Woodchat Shrike (Dorset), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire) and Pectoral Sandpiper (Aberdeenshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 22nd August 2012  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Lesser Grey Shrike on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly. Elsewhere, a White-rumped Sandpiper was a new arrival in County Wicklow at Kilcoole.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Broad-billed Sandpiper in Cleveland, Baird's Sandpiper and Glossy Ibis both  in Pembrokeshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, American Golden Plover in Cambridgeshire, Ortolan Bunting on the Orkney Isles, and Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk.

Scarcities included nine Barred Warblers, five Wrynecks, four White Storks, and Woodchat Shrike (Dorset), Red-backed Shrike (Orkney Isles), Purple Heron (Kent), Spotted Crake (Leicestershire), and Pectoral Sandpiper (North Yorkshire). Seawatching highlights came from the west coast of Ireland where four Sabine's Gulls, three Great Shearwaters and a Long-tailed Skua were noted.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 21st August 2012  
  New discoveries came in the form of a Broad-billed Sandpiper at Seaton Snook (Cleveland), Tawny Pipit at Bradwell on Sea (Essex), Aquatic Warbler at Steart (Somerset), American Golden Plover at Earith (Cambridgeshire) and White-rumped Sandpiper at Snettisham RSPB (Norfolk), whilst in Ireland an Alpine Swift was in Co Kerry and a Wilson's Petrel flew past Co Cork.

A Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Arctic Warbler on Shetland, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire and Baird's Sandpiper in Pembrokeshire all lingered.

The best of the rest included Purple Heron in Kent, Red-necked Phalarope in Lincolnshire, Woodchat Shrike in Dorset, two Spotted Crakes, three Great White Egrets, three Dotterel, four Barred Warblers and seven Wrynecks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 20th August 2012  
  The highlight of the day was the arrival of a Baird's Sandpiper at West Angle Bay, Pembrokeshire. Discoveries elsewhere included an Ortolan Bunting on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles, whilst a Least Sandpiper flew over Cape Clear, County Cork, and a Black Kite was seen briefly in Kent.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Booted Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Aquatic Warbler on the Wirral, Bonaparte's Gull in County Durham, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Londonderry and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.

Scarcities included six Barred Warblers, four White Storks (together in Somerset), three Wrynecks, two each of Melodious Warbler, Woodchat Shrike, Red-backed Shrike, Ring-billed Gull and Sabine's Gull, and single migrant Golden Oriole (Orkney Isles), Common Rosefinch (Shetland Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Purple Heron (Kent), Ring-necked Duck (Perth and Kinross), and Pectoral Sandpiper (Aberdeenshire).

Significant late news from 19th August concerned a Marsh Sandpiper in Cornwall by the Camel Estuary, and a seawatch at Toe Head, County Cork, produced both Barolo Little Shearwater and Wilson's Petrel.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 19th August 2012  
  A Tawny Pipit at Barking Bay (London), Aquatic Warbler at Red Rocks NR (Wirral), Arctic Warbler on Fair Isle (Shetland) and a Black Kite over Montrose Basin (Angus) were today's headline discoveries.

Lingering rarities included Ferruginous Ducks in Suffolk and Somerset, Booted Warbler on Shetland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, whilst in Ireland the White-rumped Sandpiper was still in Co Derry and a Fea's Petrel flew past Cape Clear (Co Cork).

The best of the rest included Spotted Crake in Hampshire, Red-necked Phalarope in Lincolnshire, Woodchat Shrike in Dorset, Night Heron in Hampshire, Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Co Clare, Rose-coloured Starling in Norfolk, Golden Oriole on Shetland, in addition to two Melodious Warblers, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Dotterel, two Pectoral Sandpipers, three Icterine Warblers, three Wrynecks and at least eight Barred Warblers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA