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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Wednesday 17th September 2014  
  Once again, the products of the continued easterly winds were evident, with the Dauran Shrike still on the Orkney Isles, Pallid Harrier on the Shetland Isles, Rustic Buntings in North Yorkshire (new at Filey) and Northumberland, and Greenish Warblers in Norfolk (new at Winterton) and Northumberland. Associated scarcities included 38 Yellow-browed Warblers, 28 Red-breasted Flycatchers, 16 Barred Warblers, seven Lapland Buntings, six each of Little Bunting, Common Rosefinch, Red-backed Shrike and Wryneck, three Ortolan Buntings, two each of Rose-coloured Starling and Richard's Pipit, and single Short-toed Lark (Orkney Islands), Golden Oriole (Northumberland), Marsh Warbler (Shetland Islands) and Great Grey Shrike (East Yorkshire).

Otherwise, the Snowy Owl continued (Moray), as did the Forster's Tern (County Louth), White-rumped Sandpiper (County Antrim), Lesser Yellowlegs (both Hampshire and Pembrokeshire), with Night Heron (Lancashire), Red-necked Phalarope and Cattle Egret (Cheshire), Temminck's Stint (Worcestershire), two Ring-billed Gulls, three Dotterel, four Long-tailed Skuas and Glossy Ibises, six Sabine's Gulls and 11 Pectoral Sandpipers.

Significant late news from Cornwall concerned a Western Bonelli's Warbler at Nanjizal on 15th September, with an Aquatic Warbler there on 9th September.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 16th September 2014  
  Despite it being another very busy day, only three rarities were discovered. These were a Red-throated Pipit at Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire, a Little Bunting on Fair Isle, Shetland and a Bonaparte's Gull at Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin. Surprising news came from the Isle of Wight, where the twelve Bee-eaters reappeared at Brading Marsh.

Lingering rarities included the Rustic Bunting, Little Bunting, Greenish Warbler and Blue-winged Teal (or hybrid) in Northumberland, Pallid Harrier in Shetland, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 15th September 2014  
  Today's new rarities comprised Daurian Shrike on North Ronaldsay (Orkney), Rustic Bunting on Farne Islands (Northumberland), Red-throated Pipit over Breydon Water (Norfolk), Two-barred Crossbill at Forest of Dean (Gloucestershire), Lesser Yellowlegs at Marloes Mere (Pembrokeshire) and Pallid Harrier over Sammy's Point (East Yorkshire).

The Pallid Harrier on Fair Isle, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Greenish Warbler in Northumberland and Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire all lingered.

The best of the rest included Purple Heron (Devon), Temminck's Stint (Worcestershire), Hoopoe (Norfolk), Richard's Pipit (Pembrokeshire), American Golden Plover (Co Kerry), Grey Phalarope (Worcestershire), White-winged Black Tern (Somerset) and Marsh Warbler (East Yorkshire), in addition to two each of Rose-coloured Starling, Ortolan Bunting, Common Rosefinch, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Dotterel. 32 Red-breasted Flycatchers, 31 Yellow-browed Warblers, 12 Barred Warblers, 11 Wrynecks, ten Pectoral Sandpipers, six Honey Buzzards and five Red-backed Shrikes were also logged today.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 14th September 2014  
  The record of the day was the astounding news of four Long-billed Dowitchers flying over Annesley Pit Top in Nottinghamshire. Duos have appeared in Britain on eight previous occasions, but the only group larger than this was in Ireland: a flock of five at Rahasane Turlough, County Galway in 1963. Single Little Buntings and Greenish Warblers were discovered in both Northumberland and the Isles of Scilly, with the only other rarity being a Forster's Tern at Dundalk, County Louth.

Lingering rarities were the Pallid Harrier in Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire and the Blue-winged Teal (or hybrid) in Northumberland.

It was a superb day for scarce migrants, mainly on the east coast, with totals of 34 Red-breasted Flycatchers, 18 Wrynecks, 16 Barred Warblers, 16 Yellow-browed Warblers, four Common Rosefinches, five Red-backed Shrikes, two Great Grey Shrikes, four Honey Buzzards, three Dotterel, two Corncrakes, two Lapland Buntings, a Marsh Warbler and a Hoopoe.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 13th September 2014  
  The second Whiskered Tern for the Isles of Scilly was seen today, on the Great Pool on Tresco. The only other record was from the same island, when one was shot in August 1851. Two Black-winged Stilts flew over Ferrybridge, Dorset, with two Bee-eaters doing the same over Brading, Isle of Wight. Further north, a Greenish Warbler was seen at Castlebay, Barra, Western Isles.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Stilt Sandpiper in County Wexford, Snowy Owl on the Aberdeenshire /Moray border, Citrine Wagtail in the Western Isles, Rustic Bunting in Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Durham and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 12th September 2014  
  The only new rarity reported today was a Citrine Wagtail at Grutness, Shetland, with late news from yesterday of a Lanceolated Warbler on the Isle of May, Fife.

Lingering rarities still present today included the Stilt Sandpiper in County Wexford, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in Hampshire and Pembrokeshire and Bonaparte's Gull in County Durham.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 11th September 2014  
  Headline rarities included Booted Warbler on Isles of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire and Pembrokeshire, Snowy Owl in Moray, Pallid Harrier on Fair Isle, Greenish Warbler in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Bonaparte's Gull in Co Durham.

The best of the rest included 14 Pectoral Sandpipers, nine Wrynecks, seven Barred Warblers, three Red-backed Shrikes, two Common Rosefinches, two Red-breasted Flycatchers, two White-winged Black Terns, Cattle Egret and Red-necked Phalarope (Cheshire), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Shetland), Purple Heron (Devon), Spotted Crake (Isles of Scilly), Ortolan Bunting (Northumberland) and American Golden Plover (Co Durham).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 10th September 2014  
  Rarities today comprised the Stilt Sandpiper back in County Wexford at Lady's Island Lake, whilst lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Pallid Harrier on the Shetland Isles, Snowy Owl in Moray, Paddyfield Warbler on the Orkney Isles, Western Bonelli's Warbler in Norfolk, and Citrine Wagtail on the Western Isles. New discoveries were a Baird's Sandpiper reported in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh, and both Bonelli's warbler sp and Greenish Warbler on Cape Clear, County Cork.

Scarcities included 14 Wrynecks, 10 Pectoral Sandpipers, eight Barred Warblers, six Red-backed Shrikes, five Sabine's Gulls, three Glossy Ibises, and two each of White-winged Black Tern, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Rose-coloured Starling, Icterine Warbler, Red-necked Phalarope, Spotted Crake, Long-tailed Skua and Dotterel, and single Yellow-browed Warbler (Shetland Isles), Melodious Warbler (Somerset), Purple Heron (Devon), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), Cattle Egret (Cheshire), Ortolan Bunting and Common Rosefinch (both Pembrokeshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 9th September 2014  
  In County Offaly, two Lesser Yellowlegs were found at Derrinlough. This is the second record of the species for the county, and is the first multi bird record since 1999 when two were at Banks Marsh, Lancashire. Another Greenish Warbler was at Whitburn Country Park, County Durham.

Lingering rarities included the Snowy Owl on Ben Macdui on the Moray /Aberdeenshire border, Pallid Harrier on Fair Isle, Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs at Normandy, Hampshire and Blue-winged Teal (or hybrid) at Castle Island, Northumberland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 8th September 2014  
  Today's new discoveries included a Pallid Harrier on Fair Isle (Shetland) and Citrine Wagtail at Lough Gash (Co Clare). The Lesser Yellowlegs (Hampshire) and Blue-winged Teal or hybrid (Northumberland) both lingered.

The best of the rest included 19 Wrynecks, 13 Barred Warblers, 11 Pectoral Sandpipers, 5 Red-backed Shrikes, 3 Rose-coloured Starlings, American Golden Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Argyll), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Lincolnshire), Woodchat Shrike (Devon), Spotted Crake (Cornwall), Icterine Warbler (Dorset), Red-necked Phalarope and Cattle Egret (Cheshire), Melodious Warbler (Co Cork) and Common Rosefinch (Pembrokeshire).

An Eastern Phoebe was reported in Nanquidno Valley (Cornwall) this morning, but sadly photographs of the bird showed a Spotted Flycatcher, not a Tyrant flycatcher.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA