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 18th June 2006  
  Sunday began with exciting news of a Squacco Heron at Shapwick Heath NNR; after roosting overnight it was on show until 5.10am, when it flew towards Meare Heath. Unfortunately there was no further sign of the bird by dusk. Six miles south of the St.Mary's, Scilly an outstanding total of 8 Wilson's Petrels were seen from a pelagic in the evening. However, the rest of the day was comparatively quiet, with the only notable finds being a male Red-backed Shrike at Burnham Overy Dunes, Norfolk and Marsh Warbler at Reighton Sands, North Yorkshire. The singing Scops Owl continued to show on and off during the night in Thrupp, Oxfordshire.

Late news for Friday related to a White-winged Black Tern on Harris, Western Isles.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 17th June 2006  
  Two Red-footed Falcons created Saturday's headline news; an adult male was between St.Ishmael's and Sandyhaven Pill, Pembrokeshire and in Nottinghamshire a first-summer was at Budby Common late in the evening. A Bee-eater over Bockhill Monument, Kent provided a little early morning excitement but elsewhere proceedings were rather static; the crowds once again flocked to the Scops Owl in Thrupp, Oxfordshire and other long-stayers included the Lesser Yellowlegs in Lincolnshire, Great Reed Warbler in Angus and King Eider in Ayrshire.

Three flocks of Common Scoter were found inland today; an impressive 25 at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire, 12 at Bough Beech Reservoir, Kent and 9 at Houghton Green Flash, Cheshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 16th June 2006  
  A pelagic three miles southwest of Bishop Rock, Scilly produced a Wilson's Petrel this evening and in Cornwall a Black Kite flew south over Trethorne at 3.30pm. The Oxfordshire Scops Owl continued to entertain the crowds in Thrupp during the hours of darkness, and not too far away the Bedfordshire Red-footed Falcon was still present at Marston Vale Millennium Country Park, but only until midday. In Scotland the Great Reed Warbler remained at Loch of Kinnordy RSPB, Angus. 

Late news from yesterday came in the form of a probable River Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland. A twitchable River Warbler would no doubt prove incredibly popular, as it has been a whole decade since one was available to the masses.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 15th June 2006  
  A Great Reed Warbler at Sandwich Bay, Kent was the best new rarity found today, where it showed on and off until at least early evening. At least 2 Bee-eaters were heard as they flew over Titchfield Haven, Hampshire, and a Black Kite flew east over Sennen, Cornwall.

The Scops Owl performed another late-night show in Thrupp, Oxfordshire, and the Marsh Sandpiper remained at Dungeness RSPB, Kent. Other long-stayers included the first-summer male Red-footed Falcon at Marston Vale Millennium County Park, Bedfordshire and Lesser Yellowlegs at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 14th June 2006  
  In Thrupp, Oxfordshire the Scops Owl continued singing for over an hour after dawn and resumed well before dusk. Although in the main elusive the bird was glimpsed on occasion and showed well at least once today.

A Marsh Sandpiper at Dungeness, Kent was perhaps the same bird as that seen at Reculver, Kent briefly last Sunday. Found on Denge Marsh during the morning the bird became elusive during the afternoon.

Elsewhere, in Co Wexford the Night Heron showed again at Tacumshin whilst on Shetland a small arrival of late drift migrants included a Marsh Warbler and a Red-backed Shrike on Unst and Red-backed Shrikes on both Whalsay and Mainland at Virkie.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 13th June 2006  
  The major news release tonight was of a singing male Scops Owl just outside Kidlington, Oxfordshire. The bird has been on territory at Thrupp for at least three weeks when it was first noticed by inquisitive residents. There is a similar record of a singing Scops Owl in southern England, at Dummer, Hampshire - 45 miles to the south of Kidlington - from 12th May until 14th July 1980. If the current bird remains until mid July it will certainly prove to be a popular attraction, although - as was the case with the Dummer bird - gaining an acceptable view may prove very difficult.

Highlights elsewhere included a lingering Purple Heron at Old Moor, South Yorkshire and a Red-necked Phalarope at Eyebrook Reservoir, Leicestershire. In Scotland the singing Great Reed Warbler at Loch of Kinnordy, Angus showed only briefly whilst on Shetland a female Red-footed Falcon was located at Fladdabister.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 12th June 2006  
  Shetland hogged the rarities today with the outstanding highlight being a Paddyfield Warbler at Skaw on Whalsay. Elsewhere in the archipelago a Red-footed Falcon paused briefly at Collafirth and on Fair Isle Short-toed Lark, an Icterine Warbler and two Common Rosefinches were all logged.

Meanwhile, the Lesser Yellowlegs lingered at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire and the Red-footed Falcon remained at Marston Vale, Bedfordshire video clip 1 video clip 2 (video from Stewartby Lake Country Park). A Red-breasted Flycatcher and a Serin at Portland Bill, Dorset, and a fine Red-backed Shrike at Elmley, Kent were the best of the rest from around England.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 11th June 2006  
  A Marsh Sandpiper at Coldharbour Lagoon, Kent was today's star bird, but flew west soon after it was found. Other new rarities included a Great Reed Warbler at Loch of Kinnordy, Angus, which was possibly the same bird that was at Forfar Loch in mid May. The first Wilson's Petrels of the Scilly pelagic season were seen, with three in the evening about 6 miles south of St.Mary's. A Gull-billed Tern flew past Goring in West Sussex before heading inland over Worthing, whilst at the other end of the country, a Red-rumped Swallow was reported at Mey Village east of Thurso in Highland. Spurn Point, in East Yorkshire, had a memorable day with a Bee-eater present for a short while in the morning, a male Red-footed Falcon through in the evening, a probable Pallid Swift through with over 4,500 Common Swifts during the day, and 2 Spoonbills over in the early afternoon. Nearby the mobile Great White Egret reappeared at Hornsea Mere.

In Bedfordshire the splendid first-summer male Red-footed Falcon continued to perform at Marston Vale Millennium County Park but was often distant whilst hawking with Hobbies in the glorious summer sky. In Lincolnshire the Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Gibraltar Point. On Anglesey the controversial tern, now thought by many to be a hybrid or an aberrant Sandwich Tern, remained at Cemlyn Lagoon, but was a little less obliging. A Pectoral Sandpiper was found in Cleveland, an unseasonal Black Redstart was at Blakeney Point in Norfolk and one or two Black Terns were still around.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Saturday 10th June 2006  
  Best of the new discoveries today was a first-summer male Red-footed Falcon at Marston Vale Millennium Country Park, Bedfordshire, which performed well in the evening. A female Red-footed Falcon was on Mainland Shetland and a Caspian Tern in Hampshire was seen off Sandy Point at 1pm then past Barton-on-Sea at 6.45pm. In Cheshire a Great White Egret was at Woolston Eyes and not too far away in southeast Liverpool, a swift sp with a white rump and throat could have been 'the one that got away'. Another Great White Egret flew over Atwick, East Yorkshire and in Derbyshire, a Bee-eater was reported over Codnor Park. Norfolk hosted a singing male Red-backed Shrike at Friary Hills, and the Lesser Yellowlegs returned to Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire. Last but by no means least, an Icterine Warbler was found at Filey in the evening
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 9th June 2006  
  Find of the day was an elusive male Rustic Bunting in an Overstrand garden, Norfolk. A pratincole species seen flying over the road between Cambridge and St.Neots, Cambridgeshire, would have caused a stir if it had been pinned down and specifically identified. The Lincolnshire Lesser Yellowlegs moved from Freiston Shore RSPB to Gibraltar Point NNR during the morning and in Cumbria a Great White Egret graced Walney Island. A White Pelican on the sea off Whitehead, Co.Antrim was an intriguing record.

Quality scarcities included an Icterine Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney and a female Red-backed Shrike at Fife Ness, Fife. Late news from Wednesday related to an adult Baird's Sandpiper at Aston-on-Trent Gravel Pits, Derbyshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA