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 17th June 2017  
  New discoveries included a Red-rumped Swallow on The Lizard (Cornwall), a flyover Bee-eater in Kent and a flyover Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk. In West Sussex the Elegant Tern remained in situ, whilst Red-footed Falcon (Surrey), Little Bittern (Somerset), Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria), Iberian Chiffchaff (Cheshire) and Black-winged Stilts (Norfolk [4] and Cambridgeshire [6]) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Marsh Warblers (Suffolk and Cleveland), Icterine Warbler (Highland), White-tailed Eagle (Norfolk), Serin (Co Cork) and American Night Heron (Shropshire).
Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 16th June 2017  
  New rarities discovered today were a Spotted Sandpiper at Scaling Dam Reservoir on the Cleveland/North Yorkshire border and a Bonaparte's Gull at Barmouth, County Derry. Significant late news concerned a Slate-coloured Junco at Stalham, Norfolk, briefly last Saturday.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Elegant Tern in West Sussex, Spotted Sandpiper in Cumbria, four Black-winged Stilts in Cambridgeshire, Red-footed Falcon in Surrey, Little Bittern in Somerset, Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Black Duck in Highland, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and Ferruginous Duck in County Durham.

Scarcity highlights included an Icterine Warbler, a Marsh Warbler, two Woodchat Shrikes, two Red-backed Shrikes, a Honey Buzzard, an American Night Heron, three Glaucous Gulls and three Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 15th June 2017  
  The highlight of the day was a Black-headed Bunting on the Shetland Isles on Foula; the second to be found there in less than a week. Elsewhere, a singing Greenish Warbler was found in Argyll on Colonsay, and in Kent a Bee-eater flew over Foreness Point. 

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Elegant Tern in West Sussex, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Cumbria, Little Bittern (Somerset), Iberian Chiffchaff (Cheshire), single Red-footed Falcons in both Somerset and Surrey, and family parties of Black-winged Stilts in both Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

Scarcities included Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Serin (both Dorset), Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis (together in Somerset), Rose-coloured Starling (County Durham), territroial Icterine Warbler (Highland), Surf Scoter (Orkney Isles), Ring-necked Duck (Argyll), Night Heron (Shropshire) and a total of nine Cattle Egrets.
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 14th June 2017  
  New rarities discovered today comprised a Rustic Bunting on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, a Blyth's Reed Warbler singing in Cumbria at Siddick Ponds, and a Wilson's Petrel in the Western Approaches.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Elegant Tern in West Sussex, territorial Iberian Chiffchaff in Cheshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Cumbria, Red-footed Falcon in Surrey, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Ferruginous Duck in County Durham, and family parties of Black-winged Stilts in both Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling in County Durham, Purple Heron in South Yorkshire, Icterine Warblers in both Highland the Shetland Isles, Marsh Warblers in Cleveland and the Shetland Isles (2), and Cattle Egrets in Lancashire and Merseyside (2).
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 13th June 2017  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Elegant Tern in West Sussex, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Squacco Heron in Kent, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall, Somerset, Suffolk and Surrey, and family parties of Black-winged Stilts in both Cambridgeshire and Norfok.

Scarcities included Marsh Warbler (Cleveland), Red-necked Phalarope (Gloucestershire), Purple Heron (Cornwall), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), Night Heron (Shropshire), two each of both Rose-coloured Starling and Icterine Warbler, and six Cattle Egrets.

The Baird's Sandpiper reported yesterday in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh remained overnight and proved to be a Dunlin.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 12th June 2017  
  The highlight of the day was a Baird's Sandpiper identified at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire in the evening. Elsewhere the first Wilson's Petrel of the summer was seen off the Isles of Scilly, a Red-footed Falcon was new in Ceredigion at Llyn Berwyn, and a pair of Black-winged Stilts with two young are in Cambridgeshire at Ouse Washes.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Elegant Tern in West Sussex, Squacco Heron in Kent, Iberian Chiffchaff in Cheshire, territorial Savi's Warbler and family party of seven Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Ferruginous Duck in County Durham, and single Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall, Suffolk and Surrey.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Cleveland), Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Ring-necked Duck (Argyll), two Cattle Egrets (together in Devon), and three each of both Marsh Warbler and migrant Red-necked Phalarope.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 11th June 2017  
  The Elegant Tern remained at Church Norton, West Sussex on and off all day, occasionally heading out to sea to feed but returning to the tern island a few hours later.

New discoveries today included a Squacco Heron at Dungeness, Kent, a female Subalpine Warbler species at Virkie, Shetland and several groups of Bee-eaters were in Devon, with eight at Galmpton, three over Chudleigh and two at Holsworthy.

Other lingering rarities included the Iberian Chiffchaff in Cheshire, single Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall, Somerset, Surrey and Suffolk, Little Bittern in Somerset, seven Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Cumbria, Black Duck in Highland, Ferruginous Duck in County Durham and King Eider in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Common Rosefinch, a Great Shearwater, a Ring-billed Gull, two Icterine Warblers, two Marsh Warblers, two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Hoopoes, two Glaucous Gulls, two Iceland Gulls, two Pomarine Skuas, four Honey Buzzards and seven Red-necked Phalaropes.
Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 10th June 2017  
  Having briefly reappeared at Hayling Island (Hampshire) yesterday evening, the Elegant Tern was relocated at Church Norton (West Sussex) late morning, and remained in the area until the late evening.

Elsewhere new discoveries included a Red-footed Falcon in Surrey and three flyover Bee-eaters in Suffolk, whilst Red-footed Falcons (Suffolk and Somerset), Black-winged Stilt family (Norfolk), Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria) and Iberian Chiffchaff (Cheshire) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Red-necked Phalarope (Warwickshire/Staffordshire border), White-winged Black Tern (Norfolk), Icterine Warbler (Highland), Hoopoe (Gloucestershire), Rose-coloured Starling (Glamorgan), two Night Herons (Shropshire and Norfolk) and two Marsh Warblers (Cleveland and Orkney).
Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 9th June 2017  
  In Hampshire the Elegant Tern reappeared off Hayling Island this evening, but only for a short time early evening.

Elsewhere a Bee-eater was briefly at Lydd (Kent), King Eider (Aberdeenshire), Iberian Chiffchaff (Cheshire), Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria), Black Duck (Highland), Black-winged Stilt family and Savi's Warbler (Norfolk), Little Bittern and Red-footed Falcon (Somerset) and Red-footed Falcon (Suffolk).

The best of the rest included Purple Heron (South Yorkshire), Ortolan Bunting (Orkney), Red-necked Phalarope and Night Heron (Norfolk), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Woodchat Shrike and Icterine Warbler (Highland), Hoopoe (Gloucestershire), Rose-coloured Starling (Glamorgan) and Marsh Warbler (Cleveland).
Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 8th June 2017  
  The Elegant Tern could not be relocated today in Hampshire but rarities noted as present were the Spotted Sandpiper still in Cumbria, a Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk and in Norfolk the Black-winged Stilts that arrived at Potter Heigham Marshes on 5th May now have four chicks.

Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern and Night Heron (both Norfolk), Ortolan Bunting and Common Rosefinch (together on the Orkney Isles), Woodchat Shrike (Highland), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Hoopoe (Gloucestershire), two migrant Red-necked Phalaropes, three Red-backed Shrikes, four Cattle Egrets and a total of eight Marsh Warblers.

Significant late news from Devon concerned a Black-headed Bunting on 4th June near Wembury and a Bee-eater on 6th June at Man Sands.
Chris Batty, RBA