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 5th July 2006  
  The heatwave continued throughout most of the country but a few new birds were found. A mobile female Red-necked Phalarope gave birders the run-around at Cley NWT, Norfolk in the morning, an Alpine Swift was reported flying southeast over Stretham, Cambridgeshire early evening and and a Great White Egret was in Portsmouth harbour; the latter is likely to be the same bird that was reported recently off Gosport Park.

In Ireland a Great White Egret was reported at Quoile Pondage Nature Reserve. Spoonbills continue to be widespread and Caspian Gulls are beginning to show up at some of their favourite haunts.

Belated news for yesterday came in the form of an eclipse drake Lesser Scaup at an undisclosed site.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 4th July 2006  
  The highlight of the day was a Snowy Owl on North Uist, Western Isles at Sollas, present at this site for the second day. Indeed it is likely this bird has been on North Uist for sometime with reported in January, April and May likely to relate to the same elusive individual.

Elsewhere the Gull-billed Tern remained by the Camel Estuary, Cornwall and the Common Rosefinch contiuned to sing at Newmachar, Aberdeenshire. In Ayrshire the long-staying King Eider at Troon began acquiring eclipse plumage.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 3rd July 2006  
  The only 'new' rarity discovered today was presumably an old friend, a colour-ringed Great White Egret at Mockbeggar, Hampshire is presumably the bird that has intermittently frequented the numerous waters in that vicinity over the last four years. A belated report of a Great White Egret seen recently in Portsmouth Harbour, Hampshire may well be the same bird.

An adult male Common Rosefinch remained on territory at Newmachar, Abderdeenshire having been present at this site for at least eleven days.

In Greater Manchester the adult male aythya at Pennington Flash that on Saturday had been identified as a Lesser Scaup was today confirmed to be just a Scaup.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 2nd July 2006  
  Sunday began with an adult Caspian Tern flying south past Whitburn, County Durham and then later past Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland. The remainder of the day was comparatively quiet but the adult Gull-billed Tern continued to show well on the Camel Estuary, Cornwall and the adult drake Lesser Scaup was still at Pennington Flash Country Park, Greater Manchester.

An adult Forster's Tern at Belfast Lough RSPB, County Down created the Irish headlines and in Scotland the Great Reed Warbler continued to sing in Angus and the dapper drake King Eider was still off the Ayrshire coast. A few Honey Buzzards where on the move in the southeast and Spoonbills were typically widespread.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 1st July 2006  
  The news of a Gull-billed Tern in Cornwall at Walmsley Sanctuary CBWPS injected a little excitement into yet another quiet midsummer day; the bird has apparently been in the Camel Estuary area since Wednesday. Unusually for July, two Lesser Scaups were located, one at Tittesworth Reservoir, Staffordshire and the other at Pennington Flash Country Park, Greater Manchester. The latter individual, an adult drake,  is likely to be the same bird that was present at this site during the summers of 2003 and 2004.

The adult Black-browed Albatross was successfully twitched for the second successive weekend and in Cumbria the Great White Egret remained at Bassenthwaite Lake.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 30th June 2006  
  An adult White-winged Black Tern at Worlaby Carrs, Lincolnshire was the star find during an otherwise quiet final day of the month. Lingering rarities were few and far between, but the Great White Egret in Cumbria, King Eider in Ayrshire and Great Reed Warbler in Angus were all still present. In Cornwall a probable Black Kite was logged flying southwest just south of Maenporth and at the opposite end of the country, a drake Green-winged Teal at Derwent Reservoir, Northumberland was an unusual June record.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 29th June 2006  
  The best birds of another exceptionally quiet day included the Great White Egret at Bassenthwaite Lake (Cumbria), Great Reed Warbler at Loch of Kinnordy RSPB reserve (Angus) and the pair of Black-winged Stilts still at Martin Mere WWT (Lancs). Adult Roseate Terns are on the move with birds appearing at Reculver (Kent), Abbotsbury Swannery (Dorset) and Musselburgh (Lothian) during the day.

The odd new Quail was found singing around the country in what is so far a poor year for this species. Red-veined Darter dragonflies continue to liven up many a patch-watchers day out.
-  Richard Moores, RBA
Wednesday 28th June 2006  
  In the main it was a quite summer day with the headline birds being the Scops Owl in Thrupp, Oxfordshire and the Great White Egret still at Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria. Two Wilson's Petrels were again located by a pelagic trip off St Mary's, Isle of Scilly in the evening.

The best of the rest included a Sabine's Gull briefly at Dawlish Warren, Devon and a Serin at Portland, Bill, Dorset.

Autumn passage of common waders is now well under way with Spotted Redshanks, Green Sandpipers and Ruff appearing at many sites.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 27th June 2006  
  The best finds today were a female Ferruginous Duck at Pett Level, East Sussex, Great White Egret at Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper briefly on Lossie Estuary, Moray.  The Scops Owl continued to sing into the early hours and the Great Reed Warbler remained at Loch of Kinnordy RSPB, Angus.

There were a few items of late news, including a Black Stork in Cumbria on 8th June and a Subalpine Warbler in Kent on 2nd June.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 26th June 2006  
  Another quiet day for most regions although an evening pelagic boat trip off Bishop Rock, Isles of Scilly revealed five Wilson's Petrels together with a further individual noted before the boat had passed St Agnes! This inshore bird later being watched from The Garrison, St Mary's. Further pelagics are planned for the coming weekend.

Elsewhere a Bee-eater on Unst was presumably one of the birds noted earlier in the month on Yell or Fair Isle.

Although the pair of Black-winged Stilts remain at Martin Mere, Lancashire their breeding attempt has been unsuccessful; sadly none of the four eggs have hatched.
-  Chris Batty, RBA