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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Friday 27th June 2008  
  The highlights of the day were lingering rarities: Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, American Golden Plover on Anglesey, two Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire and the Hooded Merganser in Dorset. Brief encounters included a Gull-billed Tern in Conwy, Red-footed Falcon in Essex and Black Kite in Hampshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starlings in Highland, Lancashire and the Orkney Isles (2), Common Rosefinches in Forth and Highland, Red-backed Shrike in Norfolk and Hoopoe in Hampshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 26th June 2008  
  Birders at Spurn, East Yorkshire scored a remarkable double this afternoon. The Pacific Swift first seen on Sunday made another appearance, this time flying south then back north and then within a matter of minutes a Little Swift flew south over The Triangle. Large numbers of Swifts have been moving south in recent days, with at least 11,500 logged over Spurn yesterday.

A singing male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was discovered on Portland, Dorset and in Hampshire a Black Kite flew over Overton. In Anglesey the American Golden Plover remained on the Alaw Estuary and in Norfolk the Lesser Yellowlegs was still at Cley NWT.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 25th June 2008  
  New arrivals today include an adult American Golden Plover on Anglesey, on the Alaw Estuary, two Black Kites in Yorkshire, at Grimston and Knaresborough, and a Cattle Egret at Cley NWT, Norfolk. The adult Lesser Yellowlegs remained at the same site, but the Lesser Grey Shrike nearby appears to have departed.

A Bee-eater was seen once again in the Coventry area of Warwickshire, briefly over Radford, the first-summer drake Hooded Merganser remained in Weymouth, Dorset, and a probable Black-browed Albatross was seen on the Pembrokeshire coast.

Scarcities included Red-backed Shrike in Norfolk, Common Rosefinch in Forth, Rose-coloured Starling in Orkney and an inland Roseate Tern at Broom Gravel-pits, Bedfordshire, with several other individuals at the coast.
-  Will Soar, RBA
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