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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Saturday 9th July 2011  
  Bird of the day was a Pacific Swift that flew south over Spurn (East Yorkshire) at 1342, before being relocated briefly at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire) at 1430. There have been just five previous records of Pacific Swift in Britain, but this is the third for Spurn following records on 1st July 2005 and on 22nd and 26th June 2008.

Lingering rarities included the Black Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Western Bonelli's Warbler in Derbyshire, Lesser Grey Shrike in Pembrokeshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Red-rumped Swallow in Surrey and Marbled Duck in East Sussex.

The best of the rest included two Night Herons in Kent, White-tailed Eagle in Lincolnshire, Great White Egret in East Yorkshire, White-winged Black Tern and Temminck's Stint on Orkney.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 8th July 2011  
  Several new discoveries were made today, the rarest being a Pacific Golden Plover at Tacumshin, County Wexford, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, a Wilson's Petrel off Porthgwarra, Cornwall and a Red-rumped Swallow at Unstead, Surrey.

Other highlights included the reappearance of the Black Scoter off Murcar Links, Aberdeenshire, as well as the continued presence of the Western Bonelli's Warbler in Derbyshire, Lesser Grey Shrike in Pembrokeshire, Marbled Duck in Sussex, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, two Pacific Golden Plovers together in County Derry and Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 7th July 2011  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the territorial Western Bonelli's Warbler in Derbyshire, Lesser Grey Shrike in Pembrokeshire, two Pacific Golden Plovers together in County Londonderry and Marbled Duck in East Sussex, whilst a pelagic off the Isles of Scilly again logged a Wilson's Petrel.

Other notable seabirds today included Cory's Shearwaters (60 off Cornwall, 15 Isles of Scilly, 10 County Cork and one off Devon), Great Shearwater (County Cork), Long-tailed Skua (inland in Dorset) and Sabine's Gull (both County Cork and Isles of Scilly).

Elsewhere, scarcities included Night Heron (Kent), Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles), White-tailed Eagle (Lincolnshire), Great White Egret (Hampshire) and Surf Scoter (three together in Aberdeenshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 6th July 2011  
  New discoveries included a Black Kite over Cooling (Kent) and an Alpine Swift at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire).

Lingering rarities comprised the pair of Pacific Golden Plovers in Co Derry, Marbled Duck in East Sussex, Western Bonelli's Warbler in Derbyshire and Lesser Grey Shrike in Pembrokeshire.

A significant passage of Cory's Shearwaters off the coasts of Cornwall, Devon, Isles of Scilly and Co Cork included counts of 1,200 off Galley Head, 121 off Ballycotton, 101 off Seven Heads (Co Cork), 800 off Porthgwarra (Cornwall) and 137 off St Mary's (Isles of Scilly). A Sabine's Gull and Great Shearwater were also recorded past the Cork coastline, whilst a Great Shearwater was also logged past Porthgwarra (Cornwall).

The best of the rest included a Rose-coloured Starling in Highland, Night Heron in Kent, White Stork in Devon and White-tailed Eagle in Lincolnshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 5th July 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Pacific Golden Plover on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles; the third to be discovered in the British Isles this month, and the eighth record of the species on North Ronaldsay.

Elsewhere, two Pacific Golden Plovers remained together in County Londonderry, as did the Lesser Grey Shrike in Pembrokeshire, territorial Western Bonelli's Warbler in Derbyshire, Black-headed Bunting on the Shetland Isles, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk and Marbled Duck in East Sussex.

Scarcities included Grey Phalarope (Kent), Sabine's Gull (County Cork), White-tailed Eagle (Lincolnshire) and Great White Egret (both Kent and Northamptonshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 4th July 2011  
  A Lesser Grey Shrike in Pembrokeshire was today's headline discovery, representing the fourth county record, following singles in 1974, 1993 and 1998.

In Wiltshire a Red-footed Falcon lingered over Bentley Wood before departing eastwards whilst in East Sussex the Marbled Duck found yesterday at Arlington Reservoir returned briefly this evening, having been missing for most of the day. Lingering rarities included the singing Western Bonelli's Warbler in Derbyshire, American Golden Plover in Lancashire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and Black Scoter in Aberdeenshire. In Ireland the two Pacific Golden Plovers lingered in Co Derry and the long-staying House Crow remained in Co Cork.

The best of the rest included the White-tailed Eagle in Lincolnshire, four Surf Scoters off Aberdeenshire, Hoopoe in Warwickshire and Great White Egret in Kent.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 3rd July 2011  
  The highlight of the day was a territorial Western Bonelli's Warbler at Arnfield Reservoir, Derbyshire. First discovered yesterday, news was released late in the morning today, and the bird showed into the evening. Elsewhere, a Black-headed Bunting arrived on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, and, in Kent, a Savi's Warbler was found at Stodmarsh, whilst a Bee-eater made a brief appearance at Dungeness. Rare waders comprised two Pacific Golden Plovers together at Myroe Levels, County Londonderry, an American Golden Plover on the Wyre Estuary, Lancashire, and a Black-winged Stilt in Suffolk at Aldeburgh.

Lingering rarities confirmed a still present comprised Black Scoters in both Aberdeenshire and Moray, House Crow in County Cork, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, and Bee-eater on the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Argyll and Gwynedd), Common Rosefinch (Shetland Isles), Marsh Warbler (Cambridgeshire), Night Heron (two together in Kent) White-tailed Eagle (Lincolnshire) and Surf Scoter (two together in Aberdeenshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 2nd July 2011  
  An adult drake Black Scoter off Burghead (Moray) this afternoon was presumably the same individual that had lingered off Murcar Links (Aberdeenshire) from 27th June-1st July.

Lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and Bee-eater on Isles of Scilly, whilst in Suffolk, Minsmere RSPB hosted two Ferruginous Ducks.

The best of the rest included Serin (East Sussex), White-tailed Eagle (Lincolnshire), Common Rosefinches (Highland and Shetland) and Great White Egret (Kent).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 1st July 2011  
  In Aberdeenshire the drake Black Scoter was found again in the scoter flock off Murcar Golf Course. Three Bee-eaters flew north over the Calf of Man bird observatory and the single Bee-eater remained on The Scillies, today being found over St.Mary's. The Bonaparte's Gull continued to linger on the Exe Estuary in Devon.

In Cleveland a White-winged Black Tern was found this evening at Saltholme and, in the Northern Isles, a few late scarcities were found today, with a Marsh Warbler on North Ronaldsay and both Common Rosefinch and Wryneck on Fair Isle. In Kent the juvenile Night Heron at Stodmarsh was joined by a second juvenile this evening. The Great White Egret was still at Dungeness and there were 23 Spoonbills across 6 counties. A Stone Curlew was a surprise visitor to Lodmoor in Dorset.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Thursday 30th June 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Bee-eater on the Isles Scilly, and the lingering Bonaparte's Gull in Devon.

Scarcities included a Night Heron in Kent, Red-necked Phalarope and White-tailed Eagle in Lincolnshire, and single Great White Egrets in both Kent and Northamptonshire. 29 Spoonbills were recorded across nine counties, including eight together at Minsmere, Suffolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA