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 22nd June 2012  
  The second Little Swift for the North-west region was discovered this afternoon, and continued to show superbly to the assembled birders above and below the promenade at New Brighton, Wirral until dusk, when it was seen to go to roost. This is the first confirmed British record since 2008, when one was seen at Spurn and, later, Old Moor RSPB, Yorkshire.

Other quality rarities seen today included an adult Pacific Golden Plover at Cley NWT, Norfolk and a Bee-eater over Chivelstone, Devon. The identification of the Savi's Warbler in the latter county, at Topsham, was confirmed, and photographs of a Squacco Heron seen yesterday in a tree in Seaford, Sussex were published online.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today included the Iberian Chiffchaff at Porlock, Somerset and the Glossy Ibis at Marloes Mere, Pembrokeshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 21st June 2012  
  Rarities reported today comprised single territorial Iberian Chiffchaffs still present in both Cornwall and Somerset, and the Black Kite on the Shetland Isles, where it has relocated to Unst.

Rose-coloured Starlings were in Lincolnshire (again at Frampton Marsh) and Norfolk (three reported together at Scratby), bringing the summer total of this species across Britain and Ireland to 25. Other scarcities today included the Night Heron still in Hampshire, and three White Storks together in West Sussex.

Significant late news concerned a subadult Black-browed Albatross seen on 17th June from a fishing boat 30 miles southwest of Portland Bill, Dorset. Earlier this year, immature Black-browed Albatrosses were noted on 29th February 184 miles southwest of Mizen Head, County Cork, and twice off the Channel Islands; on 24th May 20 miles west of Guernsey, and on 17th June 20 miles north of Alderney.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 20th June 2012  
  A Bee-eater at Prawle Point, Devon was the only new rarity discovered today.

Lingering rarities included the Savi's Warbler in East Yorkshire, Iberian Chiffchaff in Cornwall and single Glossy Ibises in Cornwall, Pembrokeshire and Hampshire.

Scarcity highlights involved a Rose-coloured Starling, White-winged Black Tern, Woodchat Shrike, Marsh Warbler and three White Storks.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 19th June 2012  
  Rarity sightings included Iberian Chiffchaffs in Cornwall and Somerset, Bee-eater in Norfolk, Glossy Ibis in Co Fermanagh and Black Kites in Highland and Shetland.

The Night Heron in Hampshire, White-winged Black Tern in West Yorkshire, Great White Egret in West Sussex and Rose-coloured Starling in Conwy all lingered, whilst a Marsh Warbler on Isles of Scilly, Icterine Warbler on Orkney, Woodchat Shrike in Suffolk and a Red-backed Shrike in Norfolk were all new discoveries.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 18th June 2012  
  Today's headline discovery was a Spotted Sandpiper at Scaling Dam Reservoir (Cleveland). Flyover records included a Black Kite on Shetland and Bee-eaters in East Sussex (5) and Suffolk.

The Iberian Chiffchaffs in Cornwall and Somerset, Black-winged Stilt in Norfolk, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire all lingered, whilst Red-backed Shrikes in East Yorkshire, Cleveland and Orkney, Night Heron in Hampshire, Rose-coloured Starling in Conwy, White-winged Black Tern in West Yorkshire and American Wigeon in Aberdeenshire were also logged.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 17th June 2012  
  The highlight of the day was reappearance of the Black Scoter in Aberdeenshire at Blackdog, where it was watched alongside two Surf Scoters and a King Eider. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the Forster's Tern still in County Wexford, Little Bittern in Hertfordshire, Iberian Chiffchaff in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cleveland, Black-winged Stilt in Norfolk, Red-footed Falcon in County Antrim, Glossy Ibises in County Fermanagh, Pembrokeshire and Suffolk, a brief Black Kite in Lincolnshire, and five Bee-eaters migrating over East Sussex.

Scarce migrants included a Common Rosefinch in Fife, Marsh Warblers in Northumberland and the Orkney Isles, Red-backed Shrikes in both Northumberland and Suffolk, American Wigeon in Aberdeenshire, Night Heron in Hampshire, Great White Egret in Cheshire, Temminck's Stint in West Yorkshire, and four White Storks together in Somerset before departing for Dorset.

Single Rose-colored Starlings were in present in gardens in both Conwy and Cornwall, making a total of twenty individuals of this species located across the British Isles - from Kent to Cornwall, through Pembrokeshire, County Clare, Highland, East Yorkshire and Suffolk - since the 7th May 2012.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 16th June 2012  
  With no new rarities reported today, the highlight was the reappearance of the female Little Bittern in Hertfordshire, returning to its favoured island in the River Colne by Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth.

Other lingering rarities seen today included the Iberian Chiffchaff in Somerset, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Black-winged Stilt in Norfolk and single Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire, Hampshire and County Fermanagh.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 15th June 2012  
  Rarities reported today comprised the territorial Iberian Chiffchaff still at Porlock in Somerset, Black-winged Stilt at Welney in Norfolk, and single Glossy Ibises in County Fermanagh, Hampshire and Pembrokeshire.

Scarcities included a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Nosterfield in North Yorkshire, Marsh Warbler on the Shetland Isles, single Great White Egrets in both Cheshire and West Sussex, and four White Storks together in Somerset, at Curry Moor.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 14th June 2012  
  In Aberdeenshire, a first-summer drake Black Scoter was discovered off Murcar Golf Course, Blackdog this evening. This is the second for the county, the second in consecutive years following the long staying adult drake at the same location from June to October 2011. The Black Scoter joined the long staying King Eider and Surf Scoter, both still present in the same area.

Elsewhere, four Bee-eaters were at Climping, West Sussex briefly early morning, whilst a Red-footed Falcon was discovered in County Antrim, near Slemish Mountain.

The Roller was confirmed as still present in Yorkshire at Aldbrough, as was the Savi's Warbler at nearby Blacktoft Sands, with other lingering rarities including the Black-winged Stilt in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cleveland and single Glossy Ibises in Hampshire and Pembrokeshire.

Scarcity highlights included a White-winged Black Tern in Norfolk, single Woodchat Shrikes in Conwy and Norfolk, Purple Heron in Kent, Night Heron in Hampshire, Dotterel in Argyll, Pectoral Sandpiper in Shetland, Marsh Warbler in Northumberland, Golden Oriole in Yorkshire, Surf Scoter in Orkney and four White Storks in Somerset. Late news from yesterday concerned a summer plumaged adult female Grey Phalarope in Highland, which roosted on St John's Pool in the evening.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 13th June 2012  
  The female Little Bittern first seen on 10th June was relocated near Stocker's Lake (Hertfordshire), where it showed well for several hours today.

Elsewhere lingering rarities included the Roller in East Yorkshire, River Warbler on Shetland, Iberian Chiffchaffs in Cornwall and Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cleveland and American Eider in Co Donegal. A Black-winged Stilt in Norfolk and Wilson's Petrel off Isles of Scilly were also logged.

Glossy Ibises were noted in Pembrokeshire, West Sussex, Hampshire, Co Fermanagh and Suffolk (2), a Night Heron lingered in Hampshire, Woodchat Shrikes were in Norfolk and Highland and a Purple Heron was still in Kent.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA