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 17th November 2018  
  New discoveries comprised Isabelline shrike species (Glamorgan), Lesser Yellowlegs (Co Wexford), Dusky Warbler (Easington) and Richardson's Cackling Goose (Western Isles), whilst Eastern Yellow and Citrine Wagtails (Isles of Scilly), King Eider and two Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk), Dusky Warbler (Merseyside), a dowitcher species (Lancashire), Pallid Swift and Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset) and Black Duck (Highland) all lingered.

The best of the rest included White-winged Black Tern (Nottinghamshire), two Pallas's Warblers and four Richard's Pipits.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 16th November 2018  
  New discoveries included Hume's Warbler in Orkney, Alpine Swift in Lancashire, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside and a pratincole species in Cleveland, whilst Mourning Dove (Co Galway), King Eiders (Ceredigion and Norfolk), Pied Wheatear (Cornwall), Pallid Swifts (Dorset and Kent), Lesser Yellowlegs (Highland), Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire) and Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail and Dusky Warbler (Isles of Scilly).

The best of the rest comprised Common Rosefinch (Shetland), Hoopoe (Angus), Pallas's Warbler (Essex), American Wigeon (Lancashire), two Rough-legged Buzzards, seven Ring-necked Ducks, 26 Shorelarks at least 251 Waxwings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 15th November 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Mourning Dove in County Galway at Ballyconneely. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Eastern Yellow Wagtail still on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly where it was joined by a Citrine Wagtail with two Dusky Warblers nearby, Pallid Swifts new in Dorset at Portland and in Kent at New Romney, both Pied Wheatear and Dusky Warbler still in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, King Eiders in both Ceredigion and Norfolk, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Dorset and Highland.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Devon), Parrot Crossbill (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Oxfordshire), Little Bunting (Cornwall), American Wigeon (Lancashire), Dotterel (Angus), two each of Hoopoe, Richard's Pipit, Surf Scoter, six of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Great Grey Shrike, seven Lapland Buntings, 16 Shorelarks, 36 Waxwings and a total of 132 Cattle Egrets
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 14th November 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an Eastern Yellow Wagtail on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly. rarities elsewhere comprised both the Pied Wheatear still in Cornwall, Franklin's Gull still in Dorset, Pallid Swift and King Eider both in Norfolk, Black Scoter still in Northumberland, Dusky Warbler on the Isles of Scilly and Lesser Yellowlegs in both Dorset and Highland.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Isle of Man), Hoopoe (Angus), Glossy Ibis (Devon), two each of Richard's Pipit, American Wigeon and Ring-necked Duck, three of Great Grey Shrike and Lapland Bunting, four Rough-legged Buzzards, nine Shorelarks, 63 Waxwings and a total of 141 Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 13th November 2018  
  A Dusky Warbler was discovered in Kenidjack Valley, Cornwall, whilst new Pallid Swifts were over Filey, North Yorkshire and North Foreland, Kent (two).

Lingering rarities included the Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Shetland (now confirmed from sound-recordings), Franklin's Gull and Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Highland, Spotted Sandpiper in County Durham, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, King Eider in Norfolk and two Dusky Warblers in Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, two Hoopoes, three Great Grey Shrikes, four Pallas's Warblers, five Lapland Buntings, 16 Shorelarks, 251 Waxwings, a Grey Phalarope, two Glossy Ibises, a Lesser Snow Goose, ten Tundra Bean Geese, an American Wigeon, seven Ring-necked Ducks, two Pomarine Skuas, a Glaucous Gull and six Rough-legged Buzzards.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 12th November 2018  
  News of the second Mourning Dove for County Galway was the highlight of the day, the bird present in Ballyconneely recently. A Franklin's Gull in Weymouth, Dorset was seen a couple of times at Radipole Lake RSPB, before roosting in Weymouth Bay, whilst what is presumably the returning Pacific Diver reappeared in Mount's Bay, Cornwall.  Pallid Swifts were found at Burniston, Yorkshire, Cromer, Happisburgh and Tilney All Saints, all Norfolk and Reculver, Kent.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Little Swift in Cleveland, Black Scoter in Northumberland, King Eider in Norfolk, Black Duck in Highland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Highland, Spotted Sandpiper in County Durham, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire and two Dusky Warblers in Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Red-backed Shrike, two Great Grey Shrikes, three Hoopoes, three Rose-coloured Starlings, four Pallas's Warblers, five Lapland Buntings, 18 Shorelarks, 64 Waxwings, a Dotterel, a Lesser Snow Goose, two Tundra Bean Geese, an American Wigeon, two Green-winged Teals, six Ring-necked Ducks, nine Rough-legged Buzzards, an Iceland Gull and a Glaucous Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 11th November 2018  
  The influx of rare swifts continued with a Little Swift accompanying a Pallid Swift in Cleveland at Hartlepool Headland and watched roosting there into darkness. Other Pallid Swifts were identified today in Cleveland at Seaton Carew, County Durham at South Shields, East Yorkshire at both Flamborough Head and Kilnsea, Lincolnshire at Goxhill and in Suffolk at Thorpeness where two were watched together. In addition, unidentified Pallid or Common Swifts today were noted in County Durham, Essex (2), Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Kent (2), North Yorkshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. There has been a total of eighteen Pallid Swifts identified in Britain and Ireland since 17th October.

Rarities elsewhere in England comprised a Pied Wheatear in Cornwall at Trevose Head, the Black Scoter still in Northumberland, King Eider in Norfolk, Dusky Warbler on the Isles of Scilly and Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset. In Ireland a Baird's Sandpiper was new at Tacumshin, County Wexford as was a Lesser Yellowlegs in County Cork at Clonakilty whilst the Forster's Tern showed in County Galway, Spotted Sandpiper was confirmed in County Sligo and three White-rumped Sandpipers remained together in County Londonderry.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Suffolk), Barred Warbler (Shetland Isles), Red-backed Shrike (London), Ring-billed Gull (Argyll), Lesser Snow Goose (Highland), Dotterel (Kent), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), three Hoopoes, four each of Pallas's Warbler, Richard's Pipit, Lapland Bunting and Ring-necked Duck, 10 Rough-legged Buzzards, 42 Shorelarks and a total of 206 Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 10th November 2018  
  New discoveries included a Penduline Tit in London, White-billed Diver in Northumberland, Baird's Sandpiper in Co Wexford and Pallid Swifts in Gwent and Kent, whilst unidentified Pallid or Common Swifts were logged in Aberdeenshire, Co Durham, Dorset, East Sussex, Kent, Norfolk, West Sussex and Worcestershire.

Lingering rarities included Lesser Scaup (Anglesey), Dusky Warblers (Co Durham and Isles of Scilly), Spotted Sandpiper (Co Durham), Forster's Tern (Co Galway), Black Duck and Lesser Yellowlegs (Highand), Black Scoter (Northumberland) and King Eider (Norfolk).

The best of the rest included Little Bunting (Cornwall), Barred Warbler (Norfolk), three Rose-coloured Starlings, Pallas's Warblers and Hoopoes, at least five Parrot Crossbills, six Rough-legged Buzzards and 11 Yellow-browed Warblers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 9th November 2018  
  A Hume's Warbler was discovered at Flamborough (East Yorkshire), whilst Pied Wheatear (Wirral), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), King Eider (Norfolk), White-billed Diver (Kent), Lesser Yellowlegs (Highland), Hume's Warbler (Dorset) and Spotted Sandpiper and Dusky Warbler (Co Durham) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit (Suffolk), two Hoopoes, three Rose-coloured Starlings, eight Parrot Crossbills and up to 11 Rough-legged Buzzards.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 8th November 2018  
  Rarity highlights comprised Pied Wheatears (Shetland and Wirral), Black Scoter (Northumberland), Hume's Warbler (Dorset), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Eastern Stonechat and King Eider (Norfolk), White-billed Diver (Kent), Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset and Highland), Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire), Dusky Warblers (Co Durham and Shetland) and Blyth's Reed Warbler (Co Cork).


The best of the rest included Red-backed Shrike (London), American Wigeon (Lancashire), White-tailed Eagle (North Yorkshire), two Common Rosefinches, two Hoopoes (Co Durham and Wiltshire), four Parrot Crossbills (Norfolk) and up to 12 Rough-legged Buzzards.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA