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| Thursday 7th November 2019 | ||
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| A Rose-breasted Grosbeak spent a few minutes near Salakee on St Mary's, Scilly late morning, but couldn't be relocated. Other new discoveries included a Penduline Tit at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, a Pallid Harrier or hybrid at Therfield, Hertfordshire and a Blue-winged Teal at Man Sands, Devon.
Lingering rarities seen today included the Steller's Eider and Siberian Rubythroat in Orkney, Paddyfield Pipit, American Buff-bellied Pipit and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Brown Shrike in Scilly, Hume's Warblers in Yorkshire (two) and County Cork, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Long-billed Dowitchers in Devon and Northumberland and six White-rumped Sandpipers in County Derry. Scarcity highlights included a Bluethroat, a Little Bunting, a Barred Warbler, a Common Rosefinch, two Lapland Buntings, three Great Grey Shrikes, six Pallas's Warblers, 133 Waxwings, a Black-bellied Dipper, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Glossy Ibis, a Green-winged Teal, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Black Brants, three Iceland Gulls, three Glaucous Gulls, 16 Pomarine Skuas and 63 Little Auks. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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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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| Wednesday 6th November 2019 | ||
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| The highlights of the day came from the Orkney Isles where the Steller's Eider
was relocated on Westray, a Siberian Rubythroat was discovered on North Ronaldsay and a Snowy Owl
was new on Hoy. New rarities elsewhere comprised a Brown Shrike on the Isles of Scilly on St Mary's, a Dusky Warbler in Cornwall at Kenidjack, and Hume's Warblers in East Yorkshire at both Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head. Lingering rarities confirmed as still preset were the Paddyfield Pipit and American Buff-bellied Pipit together in Cornwall, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Hume's Warblers in County Cork, Highland and North Yorkshire, Baird's Sandpiper in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and Northumberland, White-rumped Sandpiper in County Cork, Blue-winged Teal still in Clyde, and Lesser Scaups in both County Mayo and Cornwall. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 5th November 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Paddyfield Pipit in Cornwall,
whilst the Brown Shrike remained on the Western Isles and other eastern
passerines were Hume's Warblers in County Cork on Cape Clear, in Highland at Tarbat Ness, and
in North Yorkshire in Scarborough, Olive-backed Pipits in Fife on the Isle of May and in Highland at Tarbat Ness, two each of
Red-breasted Flycatcher and Richard's Pipit, and three Pallas's Warblers (East Yorkshire, Fife and North Yorkshire). Rarities elsewhere comprised the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Short-billed Dowitcher still in County Louth, Black Duck in Highland, Baird's Sandpiper in County Kerry, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitchers in Argyll, Devon and Northumberland, and White-rumped Sandpipers in County Londonderry (9) and the Western Isles (3). Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Serin (Dorset), Hoopoe (Norfolk), Rough-legged Buzzard (Cambridgeshire), Ring-billed Gull (County Louth), American Golden Plover (County Mayo and Western Isles), Glossy Ibis (two in Devon) and three Ring-necked Ducks. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Monday 4th November 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the identification of a Brown Shrike on the Western Isles on Barra where it had first been seen yesterday. In County Cork was a Hume's Warbler
was new on Cape Clear as was a Lesser Scaup at Helston, Cornwall. Rarities elsewhere were both the Paddyfield Pipit and American Buff-bellied Pipit still together in Cornwall, Radde's Warbler still in East Yorkshire, Baird's Sandpiper in County Kerry, Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Kentish Plover in Cleveland and four White-rumped Sandpipers in County Londonderry. Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Fife and Shetland Isles), Bluethroat and Red-breasted Flycatcher (both East Yorkshire), Barred Warbler (Lincolnshire), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Richard's Pipit (Dorset and London), American Golden Plover (County Mayo and Western Isles) and Ring-necked Duck (County Clare, Dorset and Essex). Significant late news concerned a female Pied Wheatear present yesterday in Worcestershire at Clifton. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 3rd November 2019 | ||
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| New rarities discovered today were a Radde's Warbler in East Yorkshire at Flamborough Head, Snowy Owl in Aberdeenshire near Alford and a Baird's Sandpiper
in County Kerry at Ballinskelligs. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were both the Paddyfield Pipit and American Buff-bellied Pipit still together in Cornwall at Sennen, Short-billed Dowitcher in County Louth, three Two-barred Crossbills together on the Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Kentish Plover in Cleveland, and White-rumped Sandpipers in Lancashire, County Londonderry (6) and the Western Isles (2). Scarcities included Ortolan Bunting (Devon), Bluethroat and Red-breasted Flycatcher (East Yorkshire), Serin (Kent), Wryneck (Dorset), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Ring-billed Gull (County Cork), Northern Long-tailed Tit (Norfolk), Pallas's Warbler (Dorset and East Yorkshire), American Golden Plover (Cambridgeshire and County Londonderry) and a total of five Richard's Pipits. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 2nd November 2019 | ||
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| A Blue-winged Teal was discovered at Milngavie, Clyde.
Lingering rarities seen today included the Paddyfield Pipit in Cornwall, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black Scoter and Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, another Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Short-billed Dowitcher in County Louth, Kentish Plover in Cleveland and a Lesser Yellowlegs and three White-rumped Sandpipers in Western Isles. Scarcity highlights included a Bluethroat, a Little Bunting, two Pallas's Warblers, two Red-breasted Flycatchers, two Shorelarks, three Great Grey Shrikes, eight Lapland Buntings, 27 Waxwings, an American Golden Plover, two Grey Phalaropes, two Leach's Petrels, two Long-tailed Skuas, five Pomarine Skuas, four Balearic Shearwaters, three Little Auks, a Surf Scoter, a Ring-necked Duck, two Green-winged Teals, a Black Brant, 26 Taiga Bean Geese, a Glossy Ibis, two Glaucous Gulls and four Iceland Gulls. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 1st November 2019 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Paddyfield
Pipit at Sennen (Cornwall), with the same field also hosting a
lingering American Buff-bellied Pipit. New discoveries included a Kentish Plover in Cleveland and White-rumped Sandpiper in Cheshire, whilst the Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland and Red-throated Pipit in Isles of Scilly also lingered. The best of the scarcities included Hoopoe (South Yorkshire), Little Bunting (Isles of Scilly), Bluethroat, Serin and Green-winged Teal (East Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Rough-legged Buzzard (Kent), Dotterel (Cornwall), Ring-necked Duck (Dorset), Lesser Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire), Todd's Canada Goose (Argyll), two Richard's Pipits and American Wigeons, three Great Grey Shrikes, four Pallas's Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatchers, Shorelarks and Lapland Buntings and eleven Waxwings. It is with great sadness that we received the news of the passing of John Brodie Good, aged 61, who died peacefully last Tuesday evening, 29th October, following a heart attack. Details of funeral arrangements will follow in due course. Our thoughts are with his partner, Sarah, daughter Kate, and all John's family at this time. |
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| - Stuart Piner and Dick Filby, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 31st October 2019 | ||
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| A revelation today came from Sennen, Cornwall where the presumed Richard's Pipit present since 23rd October has been proposed as a
Paddyfield Pipit based upon its distinctive calls. This would be first record of Paddyfield Pipit in the Western Palearctic as it is traditionally defined. Rarities seen elsewhere today were the Short-billed Dowitcher still in County Louth, White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Lesser Yellowlegs on the Western Isles, Lesser Scaup in County Mayo and White-rumped Sandpipers in County Kerry, County Londonderry (2), County Mayo and the Western Isles (4). Scarcities included Pallas's Warblers in both Cornwall and Lincolnshire, Bluethroat in East Yorkshire, Red-breasted Flycatchers in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, Hoopoe in South Yorkshire, American Golden Plover in County Wexford and a flock of six Northern Long-tailed Tits in Suffolk. Negative news came from both the Orkney Isles there was no sign of the Steller's Eider on Westray, and from East Yorkshire where new photographs from Fraisthorpe confirmed that the kestrel present there since 23rd October is a Common Kestrel but is a different bird to the Lesser Kestrel that had been accidentally photographed there on 22nd October. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 30th October 2019 | ||
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The Steller's Eider was seen today but proved evasive. There was no sign on Westray early morning but was relocated over 15 miles away off Shapinsay mid-morning. The next sighting was back on Westray late afternoon but there it was quickly flushed off by boating activity. The best of today's finds included Desert Wheatear at South Swale NR in Kent, Isabelline Wheatear at Kilnsea in East Yorkshire, Little Bittern at Titchwell RSPB in Norfolk, King Eider at Aberlady Bay in Lothian, Eastern Stonechat sp at Heacham in Norfolk and White-rumped Sandpiper at Belfast Lough RSPB in Co.Antrim. Still present were the Black Scoter in Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Co.Mayo, Long-billed Dowitcher in Argyll, and in Western Isles the flock of seven Two-barred Crossbills, Lesser Yellowlegs and White-rumped Sandpiper. The mooted Lesser Kestrel was still in East Yorkshire. Other notable news included Woodchat Shrike (Kent), Bluethroat (East Yorkshire), three Pallas's Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatcher (Lincolnshire), Short-toed Lark (Co.Donegal), Red-backed Shrike (Lincolnshire), seven Great Grey Shrikes, Rose-coloured Starling (Northumberland), American Golden Plover (Shetland), Pectoral Sandpiper (Western Isles), two Hoopoes, Wryneck (Dorset), five Shorelarks, two Richard's Pipits, three Rough-legged Buzzards, Black Brant (Dorset), two Green-winged Teal, two Ring-necked Ducks, five Leach's Petrels, two Grey Phalaropes and Glossy Ibis (Glamorgan). Little Auks and Pomarine Skuas continued to move off the east coast, though in smaller numbers than yesterday. |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 29th October 2019 | ||
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A juvenile Steller's Eider on Loch of Swartmill on Westray in Orkney trumped all other finds, at least till just before midnight when a roadside Tengmalm's Owl was found near Forsinard by a birder en-route to Orkney! Other finds today include Richardson's Cackling Goose on Islay in Argyll, Radde's Warbler in Suffolk, Eastern Stonechat sp at Easington in East Yorkshire and Lesser Yellowlegs at Wrafton in Devon. White-billed Divers flew past Papa Westray in Orkney (five) and Whitburn in Co.Durham. The flock of Two-barred Crossbills on North Uist increased to seven birds. News emerged that a drake Canvasback had met its end with an offshore wind turbine north of Westgate-on-Sea in Kent on 19th October, the same day that a Booted or Sykes's Warbler was trapped and ringed on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Continuing rarities were limited to the Short-billed Dowitcher in Co.Louth, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland and White-rumped Sandpipers in Co.Kerry and Western Isles. Scarcities included four Pallas's Warblers, two Red-breasted Flycatchers, Short-toed Lark (Co.Donegal), four Shorelarks, two Richard's Pipits, Rose-coloured Starling (Greater Manchester), four Great Grey Shrikes, Red-backed Shrike (Lincolnshire), two Wrynecks, Hoopoe (Lincolnshire), Red-necked Phalarope (West Yorkshire), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), two Black Brants, Surf Scoter (Lothian), two Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeon (Lancashire), Green-winged Teal (Orkney), two Ring-billed Gulls (Co.Louth and Co.Cork), Iceland Gull (East Yorkshire), Good seawatching conditions on the east coast produced - among other fare - hundreds of Little Auks, good numbers of Pomarine Skuas, Sabine's Gull (Co.Durham), three Leach's Petrels and three of the day's five Grey Phalaropes. |
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| - David Campbell, RBA | ||
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