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 26th September 2012  
  The highlight of a busy day was the discovery of three Pallas's Grasshopper Warblers on the east coast; in Aberdeenshire at Collieston, in Cleveland at Hartlepool, and in County Durham at Whitburn. Other new rarities included a Fea's Petrel, Greater Yellowlegs and Little Bunting all in Aberdeenshire, Lanceolated Warbler and Olive-backed Pipit on the Orkney Isles, now two American Buff-bellied Pipits and a new American Golden Plover on the Western Isles, Arctic Warbler and Baird's Sandpiper in Northumberland, two Greenish Warblers in East Yorkshire, Little Bunting in Gwynedd, American Golden Plover in Lancashire and now three Ortolan Buntings in Dorset.

On the Shetland Isles another new Lanceolated Warbler joined Paddyfield Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler and Olive-backed Pipit on Fair Isle, Sykes's Warbler and Olive-backed Pipit were on Foula, Blyth's Reed Warbler on Unst, and Olive-backed Pipit on Yell, with a supporting cast of seven Little Buntings, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, two Common Rosefinches, five Barred Warblers, three Richard's Pipits, Red-backed Shrike, 36 Yellow-browed Warblers and nine Lapland Buntings. Meanwhile, on the Isles of Scilly an American Buff-bellied Pipit was found on St Mary's, with Aquatic Warbler, Citrine Wagtail, two Ortolan Buntings, Rose-coloured Starling, Barred Warbler, Dotterel, two Lapland Buntings and a Great Shearwater also logged.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities confirmed as still present included the Short-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Booted Warbler in Norfolk, Greenish Warbler in North Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Little Buntings in both Cleveland and the Orkney Isles, and American Golden Plovers in Cumbria and the Orkney Isles (2).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 24th September 2012  
  A White's Thrush was found on the Farne Islands, Northumberland today: the second record for the county. Poor weather restricted viewing to just the birders on Inner Farne, with no boats able to sail. Despite a distinct lack of a Magnolia Warbler, Fair Isle still produced a Paddyfield Warbler, an Olive-backed Pipit and a Little Bunting, with the neighbouring Shetland Isles getting a Blyth's Pipit, two Blyth's Reed Warblers and another Olive-backed Pipit. Orkney scored a River Warbler on South Ronaldsay, whilst further south the east coast produced a Greenish Warbler (Norfolk), two Little Buntings (Cleveland and Norfolk) and an Ortolan Bunting (Yorkshire).

Across the Irish Sea, an American Buff-bellied Pipit was in County Cork, a Semipalmated Sandpiper was in County Kerry and two American Golden Plovers were in County Galway. Scilly had another Ortolan Bunting and a Citrine Wagtail.

Lingering rarity highlights included the Sykes's Warbler in Shetland, Booted Warbler in Norfolk, Short-billed Dowitcher in Dorset and American Buff-bellied Pipit on the Western Isles.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 22nd September 2012  
  On the Shetland Isles Booted Warbler and Blyth's Reed Warbler joined the Arctic Warbler on Fair Isles, whilst a Great Reed Warbler arrived on Unst, and a supporting cast across the archipelago comprised Marsh Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Rose-coloured Starling, Wryneck, two each of both Bluethroat and Red-backed Shrike, five Common Rosefinches, 12 Lapland Buntings, 16 Barred Warblers and 68 Yellow-browed Warblers. Meanwhile, on the Isles of Scilly a Rose-coloured Starling, Wryneck and four Lapland Buntings were seen.

Nearctic waders remained in evidence with the Short-billed Dowitcher still in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, two Semipalmated Sandpipers (Ceredigion and County Cork), two Baird's Sandpipers (Norfolk and South Yorkshire), four White-rumped Sandpipers, nine Buff-breasted Sandpipers, 10 American Golden Plovers and 20 Pectoral Sandpipers.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Baillon's Crake still in London, American Buff-bellied Pipit on the Western Isles, Ferruginous Duck in Lincolnshire, and a Glossy Ibis between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

However, it was bews of scarce drift migrants that dominated the airwaves today, with - away from Shetland and Scilly - one each of Little Bunting, Melodious Warbler, Icterine Warbler and Bluethroat, two Ortolan Buntings, three Red-backed Shrikes, five Wrynecks, seven Common Rosefinches, nine Red-breasted Flycatchers, 11 Barred Warblers, 77 Yellow-browed Warblers and 107 Lapland Buntings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 21st September 2012  
  A busy day for new rarities. Top of the standings came from Out Skerries, Shetland, with both Pechora Pipit and Lanceolated Warbler discovered. Nearby, an Arctic Warbler and a Citrine Wagtail were found on Fair Isle, whilst a Blyth's Reed Warbler was on Unst. Another Blyth's Reed Warbler was further south on Sanday, Orkney. Off the west coast, an American Buff-bellied Pipit was on the beach at Smerclate, South Uist.

Further south, an adult male Red-footed Falcon flew over Fenwick,. Northumberland, with a White-rumped Sandpiper also in the same county. Another White-rumped Sandpiper joined the Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper at Hoylake, Wirral. Ortolan Buntings were found on Lundy, Devon, and on St Mary's and St Agnes, both Isles of Scilly.

Lingering rarities were headlined by the Short-billed Dowitchers in Dorset and Isles of Scilly, Baillon's Crake in London, Western Bonelli's Warbler on Isles of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, White-rumped Sandpiper in Somerset, Semipalmated Sandpipers in County Cork and Ceredigion, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire and Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 20th September 2012  
  A Western Bonelli's Warbler and an Ortolan Bunting were both discovered on The Garrison, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, whilst another of the latter was at Skibbereen, County Cork. A Semipalmated Sandpiper was at Borth, Ceredigion, with two at Garretstown, County Cork, and an American Golden Plover was at Carrahane Strand, County Kerry.

The North American peep remained at Hoylake, Wirral, but opinion remains divided over its identification (Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper). Other lingering rarities included the Short-billed Dowitchers in Dorset and the Isles of Scilly, Baillon's Crake in London, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Lothian, White-rumped Sandpiper in Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, American Golden Plovers in Orkney (3) and Western Isles (2), Glossy Ibises in Cambridgeshire and County Wexford, Black Duck in County Mayo, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and Ferruginous Duck in Lincolnshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 19th September 2012  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Western Sandpiper at Hoylake, Wirral, where it showed well over the high tide, but was identified at that time as a Semipalmated Sandpiper. Other Nearctic waders today comprised Short-billed Dowitchers in both Dorset and the Isles of Scilly, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Lothian, Baird's Sandpiper in Norfolk, Spotted Sandpiper on the Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, White-rumped Sandpiper in Somerset, seven American Golden Plovers (four on the Orkney Isles), nine Buff-breasted Sandpipers and 24 Pectoral Sandpipers.

Other rarities included an American Buff-bellied Pipit on South Uist, Western Isles, the Baillon's Crake still in London, Blue-winged Teal in Merseyside, Ferruginous Duck in Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, and a Saker briefly in Lothian.

Scarcities included 23 Lapland Buntings, seven Long-tailed Skuas, three Spotted Crakes, and single Barred Warbler (Norfolk), Red-backed Shrike (Orkney Isles), and Ring-necked Duck (South Yorkshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
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