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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Sunday 14th October 2018  
  The highlight day today was also the highlight of the year: a White-rumped Swift present at Hornsea Mere, East Yorkshire from late afternoon until dusk; the first British record of this species.

On the Shetland Isles a River Warbler was found on Mainland at Wester Quarff and a White-rumped Sandpiper was new at Pool of Virkie with other notables around the archipelago being the White-crowned Sparrow still on Foula, Swainson's Thrush on Yell, Booted Warbler, Pied-billed Grebe, Olive-backed Pipit, Pallas's Warbler, Little Bunting, Bluethroat, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Ring-necked Duck, Shorelark, three Barred Warblers and five Great Grey Shrikes. On the Isles of Scilly the Eastern Yellow Wagtail remained on Tresco as did the Tawny Pipit on Bryher and Greenish Warbler on St Agnes with around island totals of Melodious Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Wryneck, two each of both Common Rosefinch and Red-backed Shrike, four Grey Phalaropes and five Cattle Egrets.

New rarities elsewhere comprised a Bonaparte's Gull found in Northumberland at Low Newton-by-the-Sea and White-rumped Sandpipers in Cornwall at Hayle (though later died) and two on Inishmore, County Galway. In County Donegal the Stilt Sandpiper showed again at Inch Lake whilst the Pechora Pipit lingered on the Western Isles as did the Isabelline Shrike species in Devon, Subalpine Warbler species in County Cork, Spotted Sandpiper in Cleveland, Bee-eater in Clyde, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Dorset and Suffolk, and Ferruginous Ducks in both Forth and Suffolk.

Other scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Norfolk), Icterine Warbler (County Galway), Short-toed Lark (Cornwall), Common Rosefinch (Northumberland), Rough-legged Buzzard (Highland), American Wigeon (County Wicklow), two each of Little Bunting, Spotted Crake, Glossy Ibis and Surf Scoter, three of Rose-coloured Starling, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Pectoral Sandpiper and Ring-necked Duck, five Richard's Pipits and seven Shorelarks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 13th October 2018  
  New discoveries included Pechora Pipit (Western Isles), White's Thrush and three Olive-backed Pipits (Shetland), Alpine Swift and Semipalmated Sandpiper (Co Wexford), White-rumped and Semipalmated Sandpipers (Co Cork), Red-rumped Swallow (Kent), Olive-backed Pipit (East Yorkshire) and two offshore Wilson's Petrels (Cornwall).

The Shetland Isles hosted Swainson's Thrush, Booted Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, Citrine Wagtail, Pied-billed Grebe, two Pallas's Warblers, Bluethroat, Great Grey Shrike, Short-toed Lark, Barred Warbler, Ring-necked Duck and Common Rosefinch, whilst Isles of Scilly hosted Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Tawny Pipit, Greenish Warbler, two Richard's Pipits and Common Rosefinch.

Away from Shetland and Scilly lingering rarities comprised Spotted Sandpiper (Cleveland), Bee-eater (Clyde), White-rumped Sandpiper (Co Wexford), Lesser Yellowlegs (Cornwall, Dorset, Suffolk and Western Isles), Isabelline shrike sp (Devon), Olive-backed Pipits (East Yorkshire and Fife), Ferruginous Ducks (Forth and Suffolk), Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire) and American White-winged Scoter (Lothian).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 12th October 2018  
  Highlight of the day was the report of a Bridled Tern off Castlegregory (Co Kerry), whilst Spotted Sandpiper (Cleveland), Bee-eater (Clyde), White-rumped Sandpiper (Co Wexford), Red-rumped Swallow (Kent) and Booted Warbler (Shetland) were also discovered.

Lingering rarities comprised subalpine warbler species (Co Cork), Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset, Suffolk and Western Isles), Olive-backed Pipits (Fife and East Yorkshire), Ferruginous Duck (Forth), Greenish Warbler and Tawny Pipit (Isles of Scilly) and Swainson's Thrush (Shetland).

In addition to the aforementioned rarities, Shetland hosted Pallas's Warbler, two Great Grey Shrikes and at least three Barred Warblers, whilst Isles of Scilly produced a Bluethroat. Elsewhere the best of the scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Norfolk), Bluethroat (Orkney), Barred Warbler (Co Waterford), three Rose-coloured Starlings and Red-breasted Flycatchers and four Great Grey Shrikes.

Late news and confirmation of identifications from yesterday came in the form of Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Isles of Scilly), Western Black-eared Wheatear (Orkney), Arctic Warbler (Lincolnshire) and Red-throated Pipit (Lancashire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 11th October 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the finding of a Black-eared Wheatear on the Orkney Isles on North Ronaldsay whilst other discoveries included a Subalpine Warbler species in County Cork on Cape Clear, Greenish Warblers in County Cork at Ballynacarriga and in Lincolnshire at Gibraltar Point, and Olive-backed Pipits at Spurn, East Yorkshire and on the Isle of May, Fife (2).

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present included the Isabelline Shrike species in Devon, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Snowy Owls in both Gwynedd and the Western Isles, Baird's Sandpiper in Moray, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk and Lesser Yellowlegs in each of Dorset, Suffolk and Western Isles.

On the Isles of Scilly Tawny Pipit, Greenish Warbler, Little Bunting, Bluethroat, Richard's Pipit, Common Rosefinch, Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, two each of Wryneck and Lapland Bunting and nine Cattle Egrets were all logged whilst on the Shetland Isles Woodchat Shrike, two Little Buntings and two Barred Warblers were seen. Scarcities elsewhere comprised Pallas's Warbler (Northumberland), Melodious Warbler and Wryneck (Cornwall), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (County Clare), Lesser Snow Goose (Moray), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Rough-legged Buzzard (Cleveland), two each of Red-breasted Flycatcher, Barred Warbler and Common Rosefinch, three of Little Bunting and American Golden Plover, four Richard's Pipits and six Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 10th October 2018  
  The highlight of the day was a Swainson's Thrush in Shetland on Yell where it had first been seen yesterday. Elsewhere in Shetland both the White-crowned Sparrow and White-throated Sparrow remained on Foula, as did the Pied-billed Grebe on Mainland and Snowy Owl on Fetlar. In Scilly a Tawny Pipit was on Bryher and a Red-throated Pipit on St Martin's.

Elsewhere rarities noted comprised the American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Snowy Owl in Gwynedd, Forster's Tern in County Louth, Isabelline Shrike species in Devon at Thurlestone and the Western Isles on Barra, Pallid Harrier in Hertfordshire, Red-throated Pipits in Ceredigion and Conwy, Blue-winged Teal in County Kerry, Baird's Sandpiper in Moray, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall and Suffolk, and Ferruginous Ducks in Forth and Suffolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 9th October 2018  
  On the Shetland Isles both White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows remained on Foula, as did the Snowy Owl on Fetlar, Citrine Wagtail on Bressay and Pied-billed Grebe on Mainland along with Red-breasted Flycatcher, Barred Warbler and four Common Rosefinches. On the Isles of Scilly Tawny Pipit (Bryher), Greenish Warbler (St Agnes), Rose-coloured Starling (St Martin's), Barred Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck and five Cattle Egrets were all logged.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Pacific Diver still in County Cork, Isabelline Shrike species on the Western Isles, Baird's Sandpiper in Moray, Red-flanked Bluetail in East Yorkshire, Bee-eater in Northumberland, Pallid Harrier in Hertfordshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in both Cornwall and Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire and Ferruginous Ducks in both Forth (where new at Skinflats) and Suffolk.

Other scarcities included Ortolan Bunting (Norfolk), Hoopoe (Kent), Red-backed Shrike (Argyll), Wryneck (Cornwall), Temminck's Stint (Hampshire), Long-tailed Skua (County Durham), two each of Shorelark, American Wigeon and Surf Scoter, three of Red-breasted Flycatcher, Glossy Ibis and Rose-coloured Starling, four of Barred Warbler and Spotted Crake, five of Lapland Bunting and Pectoral Sandpiper and a total of eight Richard's Pipits.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 8th October 2018  
  New discoveries today included an Aquatic Warbler, Greenish Warbler and Red-throated Pipit in Scilly (the former of St Mary's, the latter two on St Agnes), a Snowy Owl in Shetland on Fetlar, a Greenish Warbler in Kent at North Foreland, a Citrine Wagtail in Essex at Holland Haven Country Park, a Lesser Yellowlegs in Western Isles at Aird an Runair, North Uist and a White-rumped Sandpiper in County Galway on Inishbofin.

Lingering rarities included the Blackpoll Warbler in County Galway, White-throated Sparrow, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Citrine Wagtail and Pied-billed Grebe in Shetland, Red-flanked Bluetail in Yorkshire, Isabelline Shrike in Western Isles, Bee-eater in Northumberland, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Norfolk, Tawny Pipit in Scilly, Pallid Harrier in Hertfordshire, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Baird's Sandpiper in Moray, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Blue-winged Teal in County Kerry, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 7th October 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Green Warbler on Lundy, Devon; just the fifth record for Britain of this species. New rarities elsewhere comprised a Blackpoll Warbler in County Galway on Inishbofin, a Hooded Merganser in Carmarthenshire at Kidwelly Quay, Radde's Warbler in Kent at Langdon Cliffs, Red-flanked Bluetail in East Yorkshire at Spurn and in Norfolk a Blyth's Reed Warbler was located on Blakeney Point and an Olive-backed Pipit flew over Burnham Overy Dunes.

On the Shetland Isles the Pied-billed Grebe remained with Citrine Wagtail, Blyth's Reed Warbler, American Golden Plover and two Yellow-browed Warblers all logged. Whilst the best on the Isles of Scilly were Tawny Pipit, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Little Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck, five Cattle Egrets and nine Yellow-browed Warblers.

Other rarities elsewhere comprised the Pacific Diver back again in County Cork at Crookhaven, American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Pallid Harrier in Hertfordshire, Bee-eater in Northumberland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Dorset and Suffolk, Black Duck in Highland, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and Ferruginous Ducks in both Hampshire and Suffolk. Whilst other scarcities included Ortolan Bunting (Norfolk), Red-backed Shrike (West Sussex), Wryneck (Cornwall), Shorelark (Kent), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Lesser Snow Goose (Moray), two each of Little Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling, Spotted Crake, American Wigeon and Glossy Ibis, three of Red-breasted Flycatcher, Common Rosefinch, Richard's Pipit and Great Grey Shrike, four American Golden Plovers, five Pectoral Sandpipers, seven Lapland Buntings, and a total of 14 Barred Warblers.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 6th October 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Pechora Pipit on Unst whilst around the Shetland Isles were Subalpine Warbler sp (Whalsay), Pied-billed Grebe (Mainland), Citrine Wagtail and American Golden Plover (Bressay), Melodious and Marsh Warbler, Little and Lapland Bunting, two Blyth's Reed, eight Barred and 11 Yellow-browed Warblers. Whilst on the Isles of Scilly Tawny Pipit, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck, two each of both Rose-coloured Starling and Great Shearwater, four Yellow-browed Warblers and six Cattle Egrets were all logged.

Rarities elsewhere comprised Isabelline Shrike sp and Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Pallid Harrier in Hertfordshire, Blyth's Reed Warbler in County Donegal, Alpine Swift briefly in County Cork, Bee-eater in Northumberland, Blue-winged Teal in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in each of Cornwall, Dorset, Suffolk and the Western Isles, and a White-billed Diver passed County Durham then Northumberland.

Scarcities elsewhere included Red-breasted Flycatcher (County Cork), Rose-coloured Starling (Lothian), Red-backed Shrike (West Sussex), Wryneck (Cornwall), Surf Scoter (Northumberland), Temminck's Stint (Hampshire), Spotted Crake (Hertfordshire), American Wigeon (Lancashire), Lesser Snow Goose (Moray), two each of Little Bunting, Richard's Pipit and Common Rosefinch, three Glossy Ibises, four Barred Warblers, six Long-tailed Skuas, nine American Golden Plovers and a total of 10 Pectoral Sandpipers.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 5th October 2018  
  New rarities comprised Black Scoter in Lancashire, Marsh Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire and Baird's Sandpiper in Cornwall.

The Shetland Isles continued to host both White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows, Lanceolated Warbler, Pied-billed Grebe, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Citrine Wagtail, Melodious Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Common Rosefinch, two Barred Warblers and American Golden Plovers and 12 Yellow-browed Warblers.

Isles of Scilly produced Tawny Pipit, Glossy Ibis, Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, two Rose-coloured Starlings, six Cattle Egrets, Corncrake, Common Rosefinch, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and five Yellow-browed Warblers.

Elsewhere lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull (Co Waterford), Lesser Yellowlegs (Cornwall, Dorset and Western Isles), Ferruginous Ducks (Hampshire and Suffolk), Pallid Harrier (Hertfordshire), Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Baird's Sandpiper and King Eider (Moray), Lesser Scaup (Somerset) and Isabelline shrike sp and Blyth's Reed Warbler (Western Isles).

Scarcities away from Shetland and Scilly included Hoopoe (Dorset), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Richard's Pipit (Cornwall), Corncrake (Lincolnshire), Red-backed Shrike (West Sussex), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), two Red-breasted Flycatchers, Common Rosefinches, Spotted Crakes and Little Buntings, three American Golden Plovers, four Barred Warblers, seven Pectoral Sandpipers and 15 Yellow-browed Warblers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA