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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Tuesday 24th June 2008  
  A Lesser Yellowlegs at Cley NWT, Norfolk was today's best new discovery. The Lesser Grey and Red-backed Shrikes also remained in the same county and elsewhere a Black Kite flew over Chatteris, Cambridgeshire and a Bee-eater briefly visited Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire.

Lingering rarities included the Hooded Merganser in Dorset, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Snowy Owl on North Uist. A Rose-coloured Starling on Orkney, Surf Scoters off the Devon and Aberdeenshire coastlines, Common Rosefinch in Forth and a Waxwing on Lewis were all also notable.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 23rd June 2008  
  Bird of the day was surely the male Sardinian Warbler at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire. Unfortunately, the bird stayed just five minutes, allowing only the finders to enjoy it. Elsewhere, a Black Stork was seen to fly over Dancersend, Buckinghamshire late morning. This is perhaps the individual seen in the same county on 9th June.

Just one lingering rarity was recorded, the Lesser Grey Shrike at Hickling, Norfolk continued to show well, with the male Red-backed Shrike also still nearby, at Sea Palling.

Scarcities included the male Common Rosefinch at Tyndrum, Forth, still visiting the feeders at the Real Food Cafe intermittently. The long staying male Corncrake was heard to sing a few times this evening at Hurst, Berkshire, and the second-summer Night Heron was re-located at Earith, Cambridgeshire, a few hundred yards from where it was last seen on the 18th.

At least 73 Common Crossbills were seen, as the influx continues across England.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 22nd June 2008  
  A Pacific Swift flew south over Kilnsea, East Yorkshire mid afternoon, but unfortunately the bird did not linger in the area. Interestingly, in 2005 a Pacific Swift flew south over neighbouring Spurn on 1st July. In Powys, a white-rumped swift thought most likely to be a Pacific Swift flew up the Elan Valley.

A mobile Bee-eater was at Brandon Marsh NR, Warwickshire and in south Norfolk another Bee-eater flew north over Belton Common. In east Norfolk the female Lesser Grey Shrike remained in Hickling and nearby the male Red-backed Shrike was still in Sea Palling. A possible Hudsonian Whimbrel at Welwick, East Yorkshire was observed in the high tide roost, a Glossy Ibis on Pilling Marsh, Lancashire was presumably the long-staying, wandering second-summer bird but in Cheshire the Black-winged Stilts had departed - sadly the lone young was predated on Friday night. In Co Mayo an adult Laughing Gull was on The Mullet and seawatching at the Bridges of Ross, Co Clare produced a Cory's Shearwater and Red-necked Phalarope.

Other notable sightings today included a Hoopoe in Aberdeenshire, Common Rosefinch in Forth, Red-backed Shrike in West Sussex, White Storks in East Yorkshire and Hampshire, two drake Green-winged Teals in Cheshire and two Cattle Egrets and a Ring-billed Gull in Somerset.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 21st June 2008  
  In Norfolk a Lesser Grey Shrike was present in Hickling for its second day. A Black Kite lingered over Laskill, North Yorkshire early afternoon and in Co Armagh a Lesser Scaup was located at Oxford Island NNR.

In Lancashire the Melodious Warbler was trapped and ringed at Jackhouse Reservoir early morning but was not seen or heard again after release. In neighbouring Merseyside the long-staying Glossy Ibis was still present at Marshside RSPB. Notable scarcities spread around Britain included Green-winged Teal at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB, Cheshire, Red-backed Shrike in Sea Palling, Norfolk, Common Crane at Caerlaverock WWT, Dumfries & Galloway, Common Rosefinch at Tyndrum, Forth, Surf Scoter at Dawlish Warren NNR, Devon and a scattering of Spoonbills and Roseate Terns.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 20th June 2008  
  In Lancashire a Melodious Warbler was present for its 13th day at Jackhouse Reservoir, near Oswaldtwistle. The singing male had previously been misidentified as a both Icterine and Marsh Warbler.

Elsewhere lingering rarities included the White-rumped Sandpiper in Kent, Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire and Snowy Owl on Western Isles. In Scotland the Rose-coloured Starling remained in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire and in Forth the male Common Rosefinch was still at Tyndrum. A 1st-summer drake Surf Scoter lingered distantly off Dawlish Warren NNR, Devon.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 19th June 2008  
  The discovery of an adult White-rumped Sandpiper at Grove Ferry NNR, Kent this afternoon was the highlight of an otherwise quiet day, with other rarities reported including an immature Red-footed Falcon at Lakenheath Fen RSPB, Suffolk and two Cattle Egrets at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire.

Notable scarcities included a singing male Icterine Warbler in Lancashire, at Jackhouse Reservoir, Red-backed Shrike at Sea Palling, Norfolk, Common Rosefinch at Tyndrum, Forth, Rose-coloured Starling at Newburgh, Aberdeenshire and the vocal Corncrake remained in Berkshire. At least 84 Crossbills were seen in nine counties, so the influx continues.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 18th June 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of both the singing male River Warbler at Evie, Orkney Isles and the family party of three Black-winged Stilts at Neumann's Flash, Cheshire. A Black Kite was seen briefly at Lanhgam, Norfolk.

Notable scarcities included singles Rose-coloured Starlings in both Clyde and the Orkney Isles, Night Heron in Cambridgeshire, Red-backed Shrike in Norfolk and a singing male Corncrake in Berkshire.

Migrant Crossbills continued to be noted with 77 reported from seven counties.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 17th June 2008  
  An Alpine Swift over Oakham in Leicestershire and a Cattle Egret at Tadham Moor, Somerset were the only new rarities reported during a quiet June day. The River Warbler on Orkney continued to sing in Evie, but not after early morning. The (very) long-staying Glossy Ibis was still at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside and a Bee-eater flew over St Just, continuing an excellent few days for this species in Cornwall. On Western Isles a Snowy Owl was still on North Uist.

Scarcities came in the form of the Cambridgeshire Night Heron, a male Red-backed Shrike in Sea Palling, Norfolk and a vocal Corncrake in Berkshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 16th June 2008  
  Amongst the rarities today the highlights were the continued presence of the River Warbler in Evie on the Orkney Isles, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk at Lakenheath Fen and the family of party of three Black-winged Stilts at Neumann’s Flash, Cheshire. Brief encounters included a Black Stork over Brighton, East Sussex and single Bee-eaters in Cornwall at Land's End and Norfolk at Winterton.

Scarcities were represented by Red-breasted Flycatcher in Dorset, Night Heron in Cambridgeshire, Short-toed Lark on the Orkney Isles, Hoopoe in South Yorkshire, Red-backed Shrike in West Sussex and both Red-backed Shrike and Marsh Warbler together in Norfolk.

Once again, Crossbills were in evidence with 131 migrants reported from seven English counties.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 15th June 2008  
  In Suffolk a Lesser Yellowlegs spent the day at Minsmere RSPB, in Cornwall Bee-eaters were in Cot Valley and Polgigga, a Black Kite flew over Heversham Moss, Cumbria and in Cambridgeshire a Cattle Egret and Night Heron were both found in the Earith area.

The River Warbler continued to sing on Mainland Orkney and in Dorset the Hooded Merganser was relocated at Radipole Lake RSPB; the bird was last seen on Portland on 7th June. A Snowy Owl also reappeared at Grenitote on North Uist and in Cheshire the family of Black-winged Stilts were briefly joined by a Red-necked Phalarope at Neumann's Flash.

A Hoopoe was briefly at Otmoor RSPB, Oxfordshire, a Corncrake sang at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire, in Gloucestershire Slimbridge WWT held both the Ring-billed Gull and a White Stork as well as the two Cattle Egrets, the Red-backed Shrike was still at Shopham Bridge, West Sussex and four Surf Scoters were off Murcar, Aberdeenshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA