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 28th July 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Sooty Tern in Aberdeenshire on the Ythan Estuary where it showed throughout the day. Other lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Marsh Sandpiper in London, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Baltic Gull in South Yorkshire.

Seawatching produced both a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel passing Mizen Head, County Cork, a Wilson's Petrel at sea off Cornwall and between Devon and County Cork totals of 242 Cory's and 20 Great Shearwaters.

Scarcities included Icterine Warbler and Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles), Purple Heron (Leicestershire), Surf Scoter (County Durham), Spotted Crake (Ceredigion), Green-winged Teal (Cleveland), two each of Rose-coloured Starling, Red-necked Phalarope, Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret, and a total of four Pectoral Sandpipers.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 27th July 2018  
  The highlights of the day included a Marsh Sandpiper discovered in London at Rainham Marshes and a Semipalmated Sandpiper identified at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire. Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised the Franklin's Gull still in Cleveland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, territorial Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Baltic Gull in South Yorkshire and Black Kite in Cambridgeshire but the Sooty Tern could not be relocated in Aberdeenshire.

Seawatching produced both a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel and a Sabine's Gull passing Porthgwarra, Cornwall and between Devon and County Cork totals of 97 Cory's and 373 Great Shearwaters.

Scarcities included Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Spotted Crake (Worcestershire), Red-necked Phalarope (Highland), Surf Scoter (Western Isles), Glossy Ibis (Kent), two each of both Purple Heron and Pectoral Sandpiper, five Cattle Egrets, and a total of nine Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 26th July 2018  
  The first unidentified Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel of the year passed Ballycotton, County Cork this evening, whilst the first Marsh Sandpiper for Cornwall spent the evening at Devoran Quay.

Lingering rarities included the Sooty Tern in Aberdeenshire, Baltic Gull in Yorkshire, Franklin's Gull in Cleveland, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk. Two Wilson's Petrels were seen from the evening pelagic off Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a White-winged Black Tern, a Green-winged Teal, a Glaucous Gull, a Glossy Ibis, a White Stork, two Purple Herons, three Pectoral Sandpipers, five Roseate Terns, six Balearic Shearwaters, 30 Cory's Shearwaters and 178 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 25th July 2018  
  In Cleveland, a Marsh Sandpiper was present at Scaling Dam Reservoir briefly, with the lingering Franklin's Gull also still on site. A Black Kite was reported from Great Fen, Cambridgeshire.

Other lingering rarities included the Sooty Tern on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire, Baltic Gull in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowegs at Titchwell, Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes, Kent and Ferruginous Duck at Skinflats Lagoons, Forth.

Scacrcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Spotted Crake, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Grey Phalarope, a Honey Buzzard, two Glaucous Gulls, three Pectoral Sandpipers, four Roseate Terns, 11 Balearic Shearwaters and 20 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 24th July 2018  
  The bird of the day was the lingering Sooty Tern, which was available for most of the daylight period on the Ythan Estuary (Aberdeenshire). Elsewhere the Franklin's Gull reappeared on the Cleveland/North Yorkshire border, whilst the Black Duck (Highland), Ferruginous Duck (Forth), Bonaparte's Gull (Kent), Lesser Yellowlegs (Norfolk), Savi's Warbler (Suffolk) and Snowy Owl (Western Isles) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Purple Heron (Somerset), Red-backed Shrike (Surrey), two Rose-coloured Starlings and three Pectoral Sandpipers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 23rd July 2018  
  The Sooty Tern returned to the Ythan Estuary this evening, where it lingered from 5.10pm until dusk. Elsewhere the Snowy Owl (Western Isles), Savi's Warbler (Suffolk), Lesser Yellowlegs (Norfolk), Bonaparte's Gull (Kent) and Ferruginous Duck (Forth) all lingered, and a Wilson's Petrel was logged from an Isles of Scilly pelagic.

The best of the rest included Red-backed Shrike (Surrey), Purple Heron (Somerset), Pectoral Sandpipers (Kent, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Shetland), Rose-coloured Starlings (Argyll [2] and East Yorkshire) and American Golden Plover (Argyll).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 22nd July 2018  
  Lingering rarities comprised Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Ferruginous Duck in Forth and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, whilst a Wilson's Petrel flew past Porthgwarra and a Bonaparte's Gull was reported in Mousehole (Cornwall).

The best of the rest included Pectoral Sandpipers (Kent and Lincolnshire), Glossy Ibises (Devon and Leicestershire), Temminck's Stints (Kent and Norfolk), Purple Herons (Leicestershire, Suffolk and Somerset), Golden Oriole (Isles of Scilly) and Red-backed Shrike (Surrey).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 21st July 2018  
  In Cleveland, an adult Franklin's Gull spent just over 45 minutes at Scaling Dam Reservoir late afternoon, a White-rumped Sandpiper was in Kent at Oare Marshes KWT (joining the summering Bonaparte's Gull), and a Wilson's Petrel was in County Cork, seen from a pelagic off Baltimore.

Lingering rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs at Titchwell, Norfolk and the two Savi's Warblers at Minsmere, Suffolk.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Purple Heron, an Iceland Gull, a Pectoral Sandpiper, two Temminck's Stints, two White-winged Black Terns, two Glossy Ibises, two Honey Buzzards, two Pomarine Skuas, four Balearic Shearwaters and 40 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 20th July 2018  
  The highlight of the day came late on, when the Sooty Tern was relocated on the Ythan Estuary (Aberdeenshire) at dusk. Elsewhere in Scotland a Ferruginous Duck in Forth and three Two-barred Crossbills on Orkney were logged, whilst English rarities comprised Lesser Yellowlegs (Norfolk), Savi's Warbler (Suffolk) and Bonaparte's Gull (Kent).

The best of the rest included Red-backed Shrike (Surrey), Temminck's Stints (Norfolk [2] and Kent), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Purple Herons (Dorset and Kent), White-winged Black Tern (East Yorkshire), Pectoral Sandpipers (Lincolnshire and Kent), Great Shearwater (Cornwall) and a report of a Golden Oriole (East Yorkshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 19th July 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Sooty Tern in Northumberland where - after being missing for eleven days - it was again seen on the Farne Islands briefly at Inner Farne before being relocated on the mainland at Long Nanny in the evening but once again it soon flew off.

New rarities today comprised a Black Stork in Devon at Avon Dam, a Bonaparte's Gull in Gwynedd at Porthmadog and on the Orkney Isles now two Two-barred Crossbills on Westray. Rarities elsewhere comprised Lesser Yellowlegs (Norfolk), Bonaparte's Gull and four Black-winged Stilts (together in Kent) and two Wilson's Petrels (at sea off the Isles of Scilly).

Scarcities included American Golden Plover (Argyll), Rose-coloured Starling (Shetland Isles), Red-backed Shrike (Surrey), Purple Heron (Dorset), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Temminck's Stint (Kent), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), Great Shearwater (Isles of Scilly), two Glossy Ibises, three Pectoral Sandpipers and six Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA