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 12th August 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Snowy Owl in County Mayo at Tarmon Hill; first seen here on 9th September 2006 and then present intermittently there until 8th March 2017. Another reoccurence was the Alpine Swift in East Yorkshire again at Bempton Cliffs, whilst a Bonaparte's Gull in Cardiff, Glamorgan is in an area with periodic sightings of this species since 2004.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Long-billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte's Gull and three Black-winged Stilts in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, King Eider in Ceredigion, White-rumped Sandpipers in both Northumberland and County Wexford, three Black-winged Stilts in Essex and seven Bee-eaters in Leicestershire.

Notable seabirds continued to show with Wilson's Petrels at sea off County Cork (16), Cornwall (3) and the Isles of Scilly and two seen from land at Bridges of Ross, County Clare. Cory's Shearwater reports totaled 171 with 120 Great Shearwaters and seven Sabine's Gulls reported.

Scarcities included Melodious Warbler (Dorset), Rose-coloured Starling and Common Rosefinch (Highland), Red-necked Phalarope (Suffolk), Pectoral Sandpiper (County Mayo), Dotterel (South Yorkshire), Glossy Ibis (Norfolk), two each of both White-winged Black Tern and Cattle Egret, and three Surf Scoters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 11th August 2017  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Long-billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte's Gull and four Black-winged Stints in Kent, three Black-winged Stilts in Essex, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland, seven Bee-eaters in Leicestershire and two Wilson's Petrels from the Scilly pelagic.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Wryneck, a Leach's Petrel, an American Night Heron, a Glaucous Gull, an Iceland Gull, two White-winged Black Terns, two Purple Herons, two Surf Scoters, three Glossy Ibises, five Red-necked Phalaropes, five Pomarine Skuas, 16 Cory's Shearwaters and 65 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 10th August 2017  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Thrush Nightingale at Gramborough Hill, Norfolk. The county also continued to host the Baird's Sandpiper at Potter Heigham Marshes. Elsewhere rarities comprised seven Bee-eaters in Leicestershire, White-rumped Sandpipers in Northumberland and Co Wexford, Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher and five Black-winged Stilts in Kent and Wilson's Petrels from an Isles of Scilly pelagic (2) and off Cape Clear (Co Cork).

The best of the rest included Purple Heron (Cambridgeshire), American Night Heron (Shropshire), White-winged Black Tern (Leicestershire) and Melodious Warblers (Cornwall and Kent).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 9th August 2017  
  Lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull and Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, King Eider in Ceredigion, seven Bee-eaters in Leicestershire and White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland.

Three Wilson's Petrels were logged from an Isles of Scilly pelagic, whilst the best of the rest included Pectoral Sandpiper (Staffordshire), American Night Heron (Shropshire), White-winged Black Terns (Devon and Leicestershire), Red-backed Shrike and Night Heron (Kent), Purple Heron (Isle of Wight) and inland Sabine's Gulls in Berkshire, London and Warwickshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 8th August 2017  
  A Long-billed Dowitcher was found at Oare Marshes KWT, Kent, today, joining the summering Bonaparte's Gull, and a White-rumped Sandpiper was a new arrival in County Galway, at Ballyconneely.

Other lingering rarities included the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Baird's Sandpiper in Norfolk, White-rumped Sandpiper in Northumberland, six Bee-eaters in Leicestershire, King Eider in Ceredigion, five Black-winged Stilts in Essex and a Wilson's Petrel from the Scilly pelagic.

Scarcity highlights included a Spotted Crake, a White-winged Black Tern, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Surf Scoter, an Iceland Gull, an American Night Heron, two Temminck's Stints, four Glossy Ibises, 56 Cory's Shearwaters and 67 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 7th August 2017  
  The highlight of the day was an Alpine Swift that lingered at Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire during the morning, whilst single White-rumped Sandpipers were discovered in both County Wexford at The Cull and in Northumberland at St Mary's Island. In Cornwall a Wilson's Petrel again flew past Porthgwarra, and in Leicestershire six Bee-eaters at Ulverscroft, Leicestershire had relocated eight miles southwest from their aborted breeding site in Nottinghamshire.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Baird's Sandpiper in Norfolk, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Forster's Tern in County Louth, King Eider in Ceredigion and parties of Black-winged Stilts in both Kent (4) and Essex (5).

Scarcities included three Pectoral Sandpiper, six Glossy Ibises, 14 Cattle Egrets, and totals of 36 Cory's Shearwaters and 163 Great Shearwaters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 6th August 2017  
  Seabirds again provided the highlights and were headlined by a total of sixty Wilson's Petrels logged comprising 58 in County Cork and singles in County Mayo and the Isles of Scilly. Supporting cast included 176 Great Shearwaters between Cornwall and County Cork, 85 Cory's Shearwaters, four Sabine's Gulls and two Long-tailed Skuas.

Rarities comprised the American White-winged Scoter still in Aberdeenshire, Baird's Sandpiper in Norfolk, King Eider in Ceredigion, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and parties of five Black-winged Stilts in both Essex and Kent.

Scarcities included Ring-billed Gull (Pembrokeshire), American Night Heron (Shropshire), two Surf Scoters (together in Aberdeenshire), three Pectoral Sandpipers, eight Cattle Egrets and a total of 10 Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 5th August 2017  
  A Baird's Sandpiper was found at Potter Heigham Marshes, Norfolk today.

Lingering rarities included the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Marsh Sandpiper in Kent, six Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and five in both Essex and Kent, King Eider in Ceredigion, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and two Wilson's Petrels were seen from the Scilly pelagic.

Scarcity highlights included a Temminck's Stint, a White-winged Black Tern, a Sabine's Gull, a White Stork, two Pectoral Sandpipers, three Pomarine Skuas, three Cory's Shearwaters, 11 Great Shearwaters and 12 Glossy Ibises.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 4th August 2017  
  Rarity highlights included Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and Dorset, long-staying Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Bee-eaters in Highland and Nottinghamshire [7] and Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Essex [5] and Kent [5]. Six Wilson's Petrels were logged; three from an Isles of Scilly pelagic, two from the Scillonian crossing and one off Lizard Point (Cornwall).

The best of the rest included Hoopoe (West Yorkshire), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Western Isles), American Night Heron (Shropshire), Woodchat Shrike (Devon), two White-winged Black Terns and three Pectoral Sandpipers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 3rd August 2017  
  The wandering Caspian Tern made an appearance at Carr Vale NR (Derbyshire) late afternoon, having been present in West Yorkshire the previous day. Elsewhere lingering rarities included White-rumped Sandpiper (Western Isles), Bee-eaters (Nottinghamshire), Black-winged Stilt (Norfolk), Marsh Sandpiper (Kent), Bonaparte's Gulls (Kent and Dorset) and Forster's Tern (Co Louth).

Seabirds were again well represented, with the highlight being a Barolo Shearwater observed off Prawle Point (Devon). Elsewhere an Isles of Scilly pelagic produced some incredible totals, including at least 15 Wilson's Petrels, 750 Great Shearwaters and 250 Cory's Shearwaters! Wilson's Petrels were also logged off Orcombe Point (Devon) and Bridges of Ross (Co Clare).

The best of the rest included American Night Heron (Shropshire), Night Herons (Somerset and Northumberland), White-winged Black Tern (Lincolnshire), Red-backed Shrike (North Yorkshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Lincolnshire) and Grey Phalarope (Highland).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA