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 27th August 2018  
  New discoveries today included an Arctic Warbler at Hestingott, Shetland and a Red-footed Falcon on North Ronaldsay, Orkney.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Lincolnshire, American Black Tern in Kent, Marbled Duck in Worcestershire, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Bonaparte's Gull in Wirral and Ferruginous Duck in Essex.

Scarcity highlights included an Ortolan Bunting, a Wryneck, a Red-backed Shrike, two Common Rosefinches, two Rose-coloured Starlings, a Marsh Warbler, 13 Barred Warblers, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, two Dotterel, six Spotted Crakes and a Ring-billed Gull. Seawatching and pelagic trips produced three Long-tailed Skuas, five Pomarine Skuas, eight Sabine's Gulls, a Leach's Petrel, a Cory's Shearwater, six Great Shearwaters and 27 Balearic Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 26th August 2018  
  A Fea's/Desertas Petrel was seen off a pelagic off County Cork, whilst a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel was seen off Porthgwarra, Cornwall. A juvenile Marbled Duck spent the evening at Grimley, Worcestershire.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Lincolnshire, American Black Tern in Kent, Hooded Merganser in Shetland, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Wirral and Kent and a Wilson's Petrel off the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Common Rosefinch, a Barred Warbler, three Wrynecks, a Kentish Plover, four Spotted Crakes, a Glossy Ibis, two Purple Herons, two Cattle Egrets, a Surf Scoter and 26 Roseate Terns. Seawatching and pelagic trips produced eight Sabine's Gulls, ten Leach's Petrels, three Grey Phalaropes, four Long-tailed Skuas, 14 Pomarine Skuas, a Cory's Shearwater, 76 Great Shearwaters and 346 Balearic Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 25th August 2018  
  The highlight of the day was a Fea's/Desertas/Zino's Petrel which flew north past Whitburn, County Durham in the evening, which was then seen a short while later north past Cullercoats in Northumberland.

Lingering rarities included the Solitary Sandpiper on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Stilt Sandpiper at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire, American Black Tern at Dungeness, Kent, Citrine Wagtail on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly and Bonaparte's Gull at Hilbre Island, Wirral.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, three Wrynecks, a Red-necked Phalarope, an American Golden Plover, two Dotterel, an American Wigeon, five Spotted Crakes, a Purple Heron, a White Stork, five Glossy Ibises, six Cattle Egrets and a Honey Buzzard. Seawatching and pelagic trips produced two Sabine's Gulls, a Grey Phalarope, four Long-tailed Skuas, 19 Pomarine Skuas, five Balearic Shearwaters and 81 Great Shearwaters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 24th August 2018  
  A Long-billed Dowitcher was a new arrival at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire, whilst Wilson's Petrels were seen off Bridges of Ross, County Clare and off the Scillonian.III.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Lincolnshire, Spotted Sandpiper, Citrine Wagtail and two further Wilson's Petrels in the Isles of Scilly, Hooded Merganser in Shetland and American Black Tern and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent.

Scartcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, two Ortolan Buntings, two Melodious Warblers, two Barred Warblers, three Wrynecks, a Purple Heron, four Honey Buzzards, a Surf Scoter, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Red-necked Phalarope, four Spotted Crakes and a Glossy Ibis. Seawatching and pelagic trips also produced seven Cory's Shearwaters, 14 Great Shearwaters, 60 Balearic Shearwaters, six Grey Phalaropes, a Sabine's Gull, two Leach's Petrels, two Long-tailed Skuas and 13 Pomarine Skuas.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 23rd August 2018  
  In Co Clare a Barolo Shearwater and Wilson's Petrel flew past Bridges of Ross during the afternoon.

Lingering rarities comprised Stilt Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), American Black Tern (Kent), Black Duck (Highland), Bonaparte's Gulls (Wirral and Kent), Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and Citrine Wagtail (Isles of Scilly), Hooded Merganser and White-rumped Sandpiper (Shetland) and Semipalmated Sandpiper (Suffolk).

The best of the rest included Icterine Warbler (Norfolk), Wryneck (Kent), Melodious Warbler (East Sussex), two each of Purple Heron, Ortolan Bunting and Spotted Crake and four Barred Warblers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 22nd August 2018  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Stilt Sandpiper at Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincolnshire). Elsewhere an Aquatic Warbler was seen briefly at Lytchett Bay (Dorset), whilst the American Black Tern (Kent), Black Duck (Highland), Pacific Golden Plover (Moray), Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and Citrine Wagtail (Isles of Scilly), Hooded Merganser and White-rumped Sandpiper (Shetland), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Suffolk) and Bonaparte's Gull (Wirral) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Wilson's Petrel (Isles of Scilly), Ortolan Bunting (Suffolk), Rose-coloured Starling (Argyll), Wryneck (Devon), Icterine Warbler (Norfolk), two Barred Warblers, two Purple Herons and six Spotted Crakes.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 21st August 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an American Black Tern in Kent at Dungeness in the evening. Other new discoveries included a Marsh Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire on the Ythan Estuary, Greenish Warbler in Norfolk at Cromer and an Aquatic Warbler briefly in Hampshire at Lepe.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and Citrine Wagtail all on the Isles of Scilly, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Suffolk, both Hooded Merganser and White-rumped Sandpiper on the Shetland Isles, and Bonaparte's Gulls in both Kent and Wirral.

Scarcities included Ortolan Bunting (West Sussex), Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Common Rosefinch (Shetland Isles), Long-tailed Skua (Aberdeenshire), Glossy Ibis (Cornwall), two each of Melodious Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Wryneck, Spotted Crake and Pectoral Sandpiper, three of Purple Heron, Sabine's Gull and Cattle Egret and 20 Great Shearwaters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 20th August 2018  
  Once again the Isles of Scilly dominated the headlines with a Spotted Sandpiper identified on St Mary's where the Citrine Wagtail was still present, the Solitary Sandpiper remained on Tresco and a pelagic produced Wilson's Petrel, two Cory's Shearwaters, at least 500 Great Shearwaters and four Sabine's Gulls.

Rarities elsewhere comprised an Aquatic Warbler reported in Hampshire at Farlington Marshes, Pied-billed Grebe still in Argyll, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Suffolk and White-rumped Sandpipers in both County Sligo and on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Dorset), Barred Warbler (Shetland Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (County Cork), migrant Red-necked Phalarope (Leicestershire), inland Sabine's Gull (Glamorgan), two each of Melodious Warbler (East Sussex and Isle of Man), Rose-coloured Starling, Glossy Ibis and migrant Dotterel (Norfolk), three Cattle Egrets and four Spotted Crakes.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 19th August 2018  
  New rarities today comprised the first Citrine Wagtail of the autumn discovered on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, and a White-rumped Sandpiper briefly in Norfolk at Potter Heigham Marshes.

Other rarities today were the Solitary Sandpiper still on the Isles of Scilly, Western Bonelli's Warbler in Cleveland, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Suffolk, both Hooded Merganser and White-rumped Sandpiper on the Shetland Isles, and Bonaparte's Gulls still in both Kent and Wirral.

Seabirds included five Wilson's Petrels at sea between County Cork and the Isles of Scilly, a Long-tailed Skua (County Clare) and around island totals of five Sabine's Gulls, 13 Cory's Shearwaters and 143 Great Shearwaters.

Other scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Dorset), Icterine Warbler (East Yorkshire), Wryneck (Kent), Red-necked Phalarope (Leicestershire), Glossy Ibis (Cornwall), Rose-coloured Starling and Ring-billed Gull (Western Isles), two Barred Warblers, five Spotted Crakes and a total of eight Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 18th August 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Semipalmated Sandpiper in Suffolk at Minsmere where it showed throughout the day. Other rarities today comprised the Solitary Sandpiper still on the Isles of Scilly, Western Bonelli's Warbler in Cleveland, Hooded Merganser on the Shetland Isles, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Sligo and Bonaparte's Gulls in both Kent and Wirral.

Seabird highlights were a total of 13 Wilson's Petrels recorded between Cornwall and County Donegal, Sabine's Gull (County Donegal), Long-tailed Skua (County Durham), 423 Cory's Shearwaters and 782 Great Shearwaters with 350 and 750 of those logged at sea off the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcities included Melodious Warbler (Cornwall), Barred Warbler (Suffolk), Red-backed Shrike (East Yorkshire), American Golden Plover (Forth), Purple Heron (Dorset), Red-necked Phalarope (Leicestershire), Surf Scoter (Angus), two Wrynecks, three Glossy Ibises, five Spotted Crakes and a total of 15 Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA