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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Monday 2nd July 2012  
  Two Wilson's Petrels were seen from the pelagic south east of St.Mary's in the Scillies this evening, along with a Great Shearwater and an adult Sabine's Gull. Another Great Shearwater flew past Start Point in Devon.

On the northern isles, the Western Bonelli's Warbler remained on North Ronaldsay and the Paddyfield Warbler was still on Fair Isle. The Alpine Swift continued to patrol the cliffs at Bempton in Yorkshire and a Glossy Ibis was still to be found at Minsmere. Belated news came of a female King Eider which drifted past Gibraltar Point in Lincolnshire yesterday evening.

A first summer Sabine's Gull at Startop's End Reservoir on the Bucks/Herts border for it's second day attracted many admirers. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was found on the Inishkea Islands off County Mayo and Red-necked Phalaropes were at Minsmere in Suffolk and Earsdon in Northumberland. A Surf Scoter was at Monifieth in Angus.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Sunday 1st July 2012  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Western Bonelli's Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles. In East Yorkshire an Alpine Swift moved through Spurn, whilst forty miles to the north another remained throughout the day at Buckton.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Black Scoter and King Eider, together with four Surf Scoters in Aberdeenshire, Paddyfield Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Squacco Heron in Norfolk, Blue-winged Teal in County Wexford, and Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire, Suffolk and County Wexford.

Scarcities included Serin (Suffolk), Golden Oriole (East Yorkshire), Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Purple Heron (Kent), Night Heron (Surrey), Surf Scoter (Angus) and Cory's Shearwater (County Cork).

Significant late news from Lincolnshire concerned a Western Black-eared Wheatear present on 12th June at Frampton Marsh, but only identified now from photographs.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 30th June 2012  
  Fair Isle in Shetland took the accolade as today's hot spot with a Paddyfield Warbler trapped, ringed and released in the observatory garden where it was joined by the long-staying River Warbler, two Marsh Warblers and a Reed Warbler for good measure. Hot on it's heels came Tacumshin in County Wexford, with an eclipse drake Blue-winged Teal, two immature Glossy Ibises, a Savi's Warbler and a Montagu's Harrier.

In Norfolk a Squacco Heron was found on the Ouse Washes at Welney and in Gwynedd, a Greenish Warbler was trapped and ringed on Bardsey Island. A new Alpine Swift flew over Blakeney Point and then Walsey Hills in Norfolk but did not linger, unlike the Alpine Swift in Yorkshire which spent it's second day along the cliffs near Bempton. The Black Scoter was again in the scoter flocks off the Aberdeenshire coast at Blackdog, and Glossy Ibises were still to be found at Marloes Mere in Pembrokes and Pagham Harbour in West Sussex.

An unseasonal adult Sabine's Gull flew past Copt Point at Folkestone in Kent, a Purple Heron was at Grove Ferry, also in Kent, and the long staying Serin was again seen at Landguard Point in Suffolk.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Friday 29th June 2012  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of single Gull-billed Terns at both Lodmoor, Dorset, and in County Waterford at Ballyneety. Elsewhere, an Alpine Swift was seen briefly in East Yorkshire, between Bempton Cliffs and Buckton.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Little Swift on the Wirral - although it has become increasingly elusive, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Savi's Warbler in County Wexford, and Glossy Ibises in both Pembrokeshire and County Wexford.

Scarce migrants included a new Purple Heron in Kent, Icterine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Caspian Gull in Lincolnshire and Pectoral Sandpipers in both Argyll and the Shetland Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 28th June 2012  
  A Great Reed Warbler was found at Boddam on Mainland Shetland and, in Ireland, an Alpine Swift was a new arrival at Tacumshin, County Wexford, where it joined a Glossy Ibis and a Savi's Warbler. Another long staying Savi's Warbler was still to be found at Blacktoft Sands in East Yorkshire.

The Little Swift remained at New Brighton on The Wirral today, albeit somewhat periodically during the heavy rain, and became the UK's longest staying Little Swift. The Iberian Chiffchaff was still to be found at Porlock in Somerset.

An adult White-winged Black Tern was seen this afternoon at Shapwick Heath in Somerset - probably the same bird that was at the Cotswold Water Park yesterday. In Sussex the three White Storks were seen over Angmering and Pulborough Brooks as they continue their wanderings. A Long-tailed Skua was off Toe Head in County Cork and a Pomarine Skua flew over Tyninghame in Lothian.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Wednesday 27th June 2012  
  On Shetland an Arctic Warbler was discovered on Whalsay this evening.

Lingering rarities comprised the Little Swift on the Wirral, Pacific Golden Plover in Norfolk, Black Scoter and King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Gull-billed Tern on the Carmarthenshire/ Glamorgan border, Black Kite on Shetland, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, Savi's Warbler in Co Wexford, Red-footed Falcon in Co Antrim and Iberian Chiffchaff in Somerset.

The best of the rest included White-winged Black Tern in Wiltshire, Marsh Warblers in Northumberland and on Orkney, six Surf Scoters in Aberdeenshire and Icterine Warbler on Shetland.

Late news related to reports of a Pallid Harrier over Horning (Norfolk) on 25th June and a Black Stork over Sheep's Head (Co Cork) yesterday.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 26th June 2012  
  Lingering rarities included the Little Swift on the Wirral, Pacific Golden Plover in Norfolk, Savi's Warbler in Co Wexford, River Warbler on Shetland (where a Black Kite was also discovered), Gull-billed Tern on the Carmarthenshire/ Glamorgan border, Iberian Chiffchaff in Somerset and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.

The seaduck flock off Blackdog (Aberdeenshire) continued to host Black Scoter, three Surf Scoters and a King Eider whilst in Co Antrim a Red-footed Falcon was discovered.

Scarcity sightings included Serin in Suffolk, Woodchat Shrike in North Yorkshire, American Wigeon in Aberdeenshire, Icterine Warbler on Shetland, Red-necked Phalarope in Gloucestershire and Spotted Crake in Cambridgeshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 25th June 2012  
  The Little Swift was only seen briefly at New Brighton (Wirral), whilst in Norfolk the Pacific Golden Plover flew off from Cley NWT this evening.

Elsewhere lingering rarities included Gull-billed Tern on the Carmarthenshire/Glamorgan border, Iberian Chiffchaff in Somerset and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, whilst a Savi's Warbler and Glossy Ibis were both discovered at Tacumshin (Co Wexford).

The best of the rest came in the form of White-winged Black Terns in Surrey and Kent, Rose-coloured Starlings in Lincolnshire and Anglesey, Icterine Warbler in Northumberland, Serin in Suffolk, Ring-billed Gull in Ayrshire and three flyover White Storks in West Sussex.

Late news from yesterday related to a Spotted Sandpiper in Hertfordshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 24th June 2012  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Gull-billed Tern along the border between Carmarthenshire and Glamorgan, at the Loughor Estuary. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the Little Swift still on the Wirral, Black Scoter, King Eider and four Surf Scoters all together in Aberdeenshire, River Warbler still on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Golden Plover in Norfolk, the territorial Iberian Chiffchaff in Somerset, and single Glossy Ibises in both Pembrokeshire and County Wexford.

Scarcities included the Short-toed Lark still in County Wexford, Icterine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Red-backed Shrikes in both East Yorkshire and Northumberland, Grey Phalarope in Highland, and three White Storks together in West Sussex.

A Rose-coloured Starling arrived at Mizen Head, County Cork (whilst another reappeared in Conwy), bringing the total for the summer influx to 29 birds.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 23rd June 2012  
  The Little Swift remained for much of the day at New Brighton, Wirral, occasionally venturing to the far side of the River Mersey and into Lancashire before returning. It wasn't seen after 7.20pm, however.

A Black Kite was reported from Stonehenge, Wiltshire, whilst late news concerned two Black-headed Buntings and a Red-headed Bunting, the former in Glamorgan and Carmarthenshire on Sunday and Monday respectively and the latter on North Uist, Western Isles on Tuesday. The two Black-headed Buntings were both unmistakable males, but the reported Red-headed Bunting was a female, so the identification is not quite so clear cut.

Lingering rarities today included the Pacific Golden Plover in Norfolk at Cley, Savi's Warbler in Devon at Exminster Marshes RSPB, Black Kite in Shetland on Unst and single Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire, Suffolk and Sussex.

Scarcity highlights included the Grey Phalarope again in Highland, Sabine's Gull in Cumbria, three White Storks in Sussex, American Wigeon and Surf Scoter in Aberdeenshire, Short-toed Lark in County Wexford, Icterine Warbler in Shetland, Golden Oriole in Kent, Long-tailed Skua in County Cork and Rose-coloured Starling in Lincolnshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA