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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Monday 29th September 2014  
  A Myrtle Warbler was on South Mainland Shetland at dawn, but the bird soon departed the area. Elsewhere on Shetland a White's Thrush was discovered at Durigarth (Mainland), a Black-headed Bunting arrived on Out Skerries, whilst Rustic Bunting and Eastern Subalpine Warbler were both logged on Unst.

Away from Shetland new discoveries included Pallid Harrier on Orkney, a brief Dusky Warbler in Norfolk, Blue-winged Teal in Co Clare and Little Buntings on Isles of Scilly and East Yorkshire, whilst the Masked Shrike (East Yorkshire), Red-eyed Vireo (Co Cork), Lesser Yellowlegs (Hampshire), Snowy Owl (Moray/Aberdeenshire) and Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Temminck's Stint and Bluethroat (Shetland), Melodious Warbler (Western Isles), Purple Heron (Somerset), Serin (Norfok), Cattle Egret (West Sussex), Hoopoe (Gwynedd), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (West Yorkshire), Great Grey Shrike (London), Ortolan Bunting and Short-toed Lark (Cornwall) and Rose-coloured Starlings on Isles of Scilly and in Co Cork.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 28th September 2014  
  A Swainson's Thrush at Norwick, Unst, Shetland performed well today, after it was found early afternoon, but there was no sign of the Ovenbird in County Cork. Another Red-eyed Vireo was found, at Firkeel, County Cork, whilst back in Shetland a Greenish Warbler was at Lower Voe, Mainland.

Lingering rarities included the Masked Shrike in Yorkshire, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll, Eastern Subalpine Warbler and Little Bunting in Shetland, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 27th September 2014  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an Ovenbird at Mizen Head, County Cork. It was only seen by the finder late afternoon, and wasn't seen by others before dusk. The second Red-eyed Vireo of the autumn was found on Loop Head, County Clare, and a Baird's Sandpiper was at Lenadoon Point, County Sligo.

Significant late news concerned a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler at Sea Palling, Norfolk on 19th September.

Lingering rarities included the Masked Shrike in Yorkshire, Great Snipe, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll, two Little Buntings and a King Eider in Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Baird's Sandpiper in County Mayo, Laughing Gull in County Cork, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Blue-winged Teal (or hybrid) in Northumberland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 26th September 2014  
  Birders on Shetland today produced a new Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Veensgarth, Mainland and a new Little Bunting at Baltasound, Unst (with another of the latter still lingering on the Out Skerries), along with three Red-breasted Flycatchers, a Wryneck, three Yellow-browed Warblers and three Barred Warblers.

New discoveries elsewhere included a King Eider at Burghead, Moray and a Baird's Sandpiper at Louisburgh, County Mayo, whilst lingerers included the Masked Shrike in Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire and Blue-winged Teal (or hybrid) in Northumberland.

Scarcities away from Shetland included a Melodious Warbler, a Bluethroat, a Red-backed Shrike, a Spotted Crake, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Surf Scoter, a Ring-necked Duck, a Long-tailed Skua, two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Dotterel, two Leach's Petrels, three Sabine's Gulls, four Red-breasted Flycatchers, four Pectoral Sandpipers, five Wrynecks and six Yellow-browed Warblers.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 25th September 2014  
  A brief Red-eyed Vireo at Sumburgh Hotel, Shetland became the third record for the archipelago, with all three occurring in the last three years. Elsewhere in Shetland the Great Snipe remained on Foula, the Pechora Pipit, Eastern Subalpine Warbler and Rustic Bunting all remained at Baltasound, Unst and the Little Bunting was still on the Out Skerries.

Further south, the Masked Shrike saw out its 6th day at Kilnsea, Yorkshire, whilst other lingering rarities included the Snowy Owl in Moray, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Blue-winged Teal (or hybrid) in Northumberland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 24th September 2014  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Great Snipe on Foula. Elsewhere on the Shetland Isles both the Pechora Pipit and Eastern Subalpine Warbler both remained on Unst, as did the Red-throated Pipit on Fair Isle, and Little Bunting on Out Skerries, whilst scarcities around the archipelago included Short-toed Lark, Marsh Warbler, Bluethroat, Richard's Pipit, Great Grey Shrike, Temminck's Stint and Greenland Redpoll, two each of both Rose-coloured Starling and Red-breasted Flycatcher, three Barred Warblers, five Common Rosefinches, and eight Yellow-browed Warblers. Meanwhile, on the Isles of Scilly White-spotted Bluethroat, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Barred Warbler, Wryneck and Yellow-browed Warbler were all noted.

Other rarities today comprised the Masked Shrike still in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Blue-winged Teal in Northumberland and a Black Kite briefly in Kent.

Seabirds on the move were headlined by a Cory's Shearwater passing Norfolk, whilst national totals of six Sabine's Gulls, 16 Long-tailed Skuas, 22 Pomarine Skuas and 95 Balearic Shearwaters were logged.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 23rd September 2014  
  A flyover Red-throated Pipit at Landguard NR (Suffolk) was the only new rarity reported today, but lingering birds included the Masked Shrike in East Yorkshire, Eastern Subalpine Warbler and four Little Buntings on Shetland, Greenish Warbler in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Forster's Tern in Co Louth and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.

Scarcities included Hoopoe and Golden Oriole (Shetland), Richard's Pipit (Hampshire), Spotted Crake (Cornwall), Cattle Egret (Lancashire), American Wigeon (Perth & Kinross), Montagu's Harrier (Essex), two Glossy Ibises, two Buff-breasted Sandpipers, two Bluethroats, three Short-toed Larks, three Melodious Warblers, four Pectoral Sandpipers, four Rose-coloured Starlings, six Red-backed Shrikes, seven Barred Warblers, eight Red-breasted Flycatchers and eight Wrynecks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 22nd September 2014  
  On Shetland a Lanceolated Warbler (Fair Isle) and Pechora Pipit (Unst) were discovered, whilst two Subalpine Warblers, Rustic Bunting, two Arctic Warblers, Red-throated Pipit, Blyth's Reed Warbler, two Bluethroats, Olive-backed Pipit and three Little Bunting were spread around the archipelago.

In East Yorkshire the Masked Shrike remained at Spurn, whilst elsewhere lingering rarities comprised Arctic Warbler (Co Cork), Forster's Tern (Co Louth), Greenish Warbler and Olive-backed Pipit (Norfolk), Siberian Stonechat (Northumberland) and Lesser Yellowlegs (Hampshire), whilst a Pallid Harrier was reported at Sculthorpe Moor (Norfolk) and a Wilson's Petrel was seen from a survey vessel off Co Kerry.

Scarcity reports included Spotted Crake (Cornwall), Surf Scoter (Co Kerry), Golden Oriole (Western Isles), Ortolan Bunting (Kent), Richard's Pipit (Hampshire), five Rose-coloured Starlings, 18 Barred Warblers, three Melodious Warblers, 11 Wryneck, 15 Red-breasted Flycatchers, at least 26 Yellow-browed Warblers, eight Pectoral Sandpipers, five Red-backed Shrikes and five Honey Buzzards.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 21st September 2014  
  Despite the continued presence of the Masked Shrike at Spurn, the bird of the day must surely be Fea's Petrel. One was found off Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire at 8.15am, and was tracked north along the coast through North Yorkshire, Cleveland, County Durham and Northumberland, being logged at at least 15 sites up to Holy Island at 6.15pm. At 4.45pm a second Fea's Petrel went north past Whitburn, County Durham.

A Barolo Shearwater was seen from a research vessel off County Kerry, whilst other new discoveries included single Arctic Warblers at Lissagriffin, County Cork and Norby, Shetland, an Olive-backed Pipit on Fair Isle, a lingering Black Kite over Sculthorpe, Norfolk and a White-rumped Sandpiper at Blanket Nook, County Donegal.

Other lingering rarity highlights seen today included single Olive-backed Pipits in Norfolk and Yorkshire, Red-throated Pipit, Pallid Harrier, Rustic Bunting and four Little Buntings in Shetland, Siberian Stonechat in Northumberland, Greenish Warbler in Norfolk, Snowy Owl in Moray, Forster's Tern in County Louth and Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 20th September 2014  
  The highlight of the day was the early morning discovery of Britain's third Masked Shrike at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire, where it remained until dusk, with an Olive-backed Pipit nearby. Elsewhere, a Semipalmated Sandpiper was identified in Hampshire at Keyhaven Lagoon, a Snowy Owl was discovered in Highland at Inchnadamph, and a Franklin's Gull was reported at St John's Point, County Down, whilst brief encounters included Red-throated Pipit (Lincolnshire), Little Bunting (East Yorkshire) and Black Kite (Cambridgeshire).

On the Shetland Isles a Pallid Harrier remained (Loch of Spiggie), with Red-throated Pipit (Fair Isle), Great Reed Warbler (Bressay), and Arctic Warbler (Hoswick) all new, supported by Rose-coloured Starling, Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, two Bluethroats, three each of both Little Bunting and Barred Warbler, four Red-breasted Flycatchers, five Common Rosefinches and 15 Yellow-browed Warblers. Meanwhile, on the Isles of Scilly the Booted Warbler remained with a Common Rosefinch and Wryneck.

Lingering rarities elsewhere comprised the Daurian Shrike (Orkney Isles), Snowy Owl (Moray), Siberian Stonechat (Northumberland), Bonelli's warbler (Cornwall), Lesser Yellowlegs (Hampshire), White-rumped Sandpiper (County Antrim), Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan), and three Olive-backed Pipits (in Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Orkney).

Away from Shetland and Scilly, scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Cambridgeshire), Cattle Egret and Red-necked Phalarope (Cheshire) and Temminck's Stint (Worcestershire), Marsh Warbler and Great Grey Shrike (both East Yorkshire), two each of Melodious Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Richard's Pipit and Sabine's Gull, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers, four Red-backed Shrikes, nine each of Wryneck and Pectoral Sandpiper, 16 Barred Warblers, 27 Red-breasted Flycatchers and 47 Yellow-browed Warblers.
-  Chris Batty, RBA