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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Tuesday 4th July 2017  
  New discoveries today included a Greenish Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland and single Bee-eaters at Dungeness and Kingsdown, both Kent.

Lingering rarities included the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, King Eider in Ceredigion, Caspian Tern in Carmarthenshire, five Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, Little Bittern in Somerset and two Black-winged Stilts in Cambridgeshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Woodchat Shrike, a Serin, a Marsh Warbler, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Sabine's Gull, a Surf Scoter, a Glaucous Gull, two White-winged Black Terns and two Purple Herons.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 3rd July 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a singing Blyth's Reed Warbler in Highland at Aviemore where it showed into the evening.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the American White-winged Scoter and King Eider both still together in Aberdeenshire, the Caspian Tern returned to Carmarthenshire, a territorial Little Bittern remained in Somerset, six Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, two Wilson's Petrels off the Isles of Scilly, six Black-winged Stilts together in Norfolk, and Savi's Warblers still singing in both Norfolk and Suffolk.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Highland), Common Rosefinch (Dorset), Marsh Warbler (County Wexford), Red-backed Shrike (Cleveland), Sabine's Gull (North Yorkshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Northumberland), Woodchat Shrike and Long-tailed Skua (both Cornwall), two each of White-winged Black Tern and Purple Heron, and six of both Great Shearwater and Cattle Egret.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 2nd July 2017  
  The two major rarities discovered today were both on the Aberdeenshire coast where a Pacific Swift was present at Cruden Bay during the late morning before departing south, and a - presumably returning - American White-winged Scoter was located amongst the large scoter flock at Murcar. New rarities elsewhere were all brief encounters with a Caspian Tern seen in Somerset at Chew Valley Lake and a Red-footed Falcon at Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Forster's Tern in County Wexford, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcon in Kent, five Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, and Black-winged Stilts in both Kent and Norfolk (6).

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall), Marsh Warbler (County Wexford), Pectoral Sandpiper (Northumberland), Sabine's and Gull and Temminck's Stint (together in North Yorkshire), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), American Night Heron (Shropshire), two each of both White-winged Black Tern and Purple Heron, three Red-backed Shrikes and five Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 1st July 2017  
  A Caspian Tern visited a couple of sites along the River Nene in Northamptonshire today, whilst in Co Wexford a Forster's Tern was discovered at Tacumshin.

Lingering rarities included the Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, Little Bittern in Somerset, family of Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, Red-footed Falcon in Kent and Ferruginous Duck in Co Durham. A Bee-eater flew over Stainton (South Yorkshire) and a Wilson's Petrel was logged at sea 20 miles off the Pembrokeshire coastline.

The best of the rest included Purple Herons in Suffolk and Co Wicklow, Roseate Tern in Surrey, American Night Heron in Shropshire, White-tailed Eagle in Norfolk, White-winged Black Terns in East Yorkshire, Co Cork and Northumberland, Sabine's Gull in North Yorkshire, Common Rosefinches in Kent and Dorset, Woodchat Shrike in Cornwall, Marsh Warbler in Co Wexford, Red-backed Shrike in Cleveland and Surf Scoter in Angus.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 30th June 2017  
  Lingering highlights included the seven Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, Little Bittern in Somerset, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcon in Kent, families of Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire and Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll.

The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Purple Herons (Suffolk and Co Wicklow), American Night Heron (Shropshire), Sabine's Gull (North Yorkshire), White-winged Black Tern (East Yorkshire), Common Rosefinch (Dorset) and Marsh Warbler (Co Wexford).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 29th June 2017  
  The adult Black-browed Albatross was tracked north along the east coast today, being seen first at Whitburn, County Durham at 5.30am. By 11.50am, it had travelled just 47 miles, seen going north through the Farne Islands, Northumberland. It was in Borders at 2.50pm, off Eyemouth then St Abbs at 3pm, and then in Lothian at 5.40pm, off Dunbar then west past Seacliff (just over a mile from Bass Rock) at 6pm.

A Lesser Yellowlegs was newly discovered at Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire.

Lingering rarities included the Caspian Tern in Carmarthenshire, five Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, five Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk, King Eider in Ceredigion and Red-footed Falcon in Kent.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 28th June 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Black-browed Albatross, East Yorkshire, where it was present amongst the Gannets for several hours in the early afternoon before being lost to view. It had previously been noted at Bempton Cliffs on 13th May, 16th and 18th 2017, after having returned to Germany on 5th April. It was last noted in Germany on 24th June with 2017 being the fourth summer it was spent in the North Sea.

A Pacific Golden Plover was discovered on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles, and a Red-footed Falcon was reported briefly in Kent at Sandwich Bay. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Caspian Tern in Carmarthenshire, Iberian Chiffchaff in Cheshire, King Eider in Ceredigion, Little Bittern in Somerset, Red-footed Falcon in Kent and four Bee-eaters together in Nottinghamshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), Sabine's Gull (inland in North Yorkshire), two each of both Marsh Warbler and Commmon Rosefinch, and four Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 27th June 2017  
  Lingering rarities included the six Bee-eaters at East Leake, Nottinghamshire, Pied-billed Grebe at Loch Feorlin, Argyll, Caspian Tern at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, King Eider at Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Savi's Warbler at Minsmere, Suffolk, six Black-winged Stilts at Potter Heigham, Norfolk and Little Bittern at Ham Wall, Somerset.

Scarcity highlights included a Common Rosefinch, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Sabine's Gull, a Purple Heron, a Honey Buzzard, a Glossy Ibis, an American Night Heron and two Marsh Warblers.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 26th June 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the continuing Bee-eaters in Nottinghamshire at East Leake where up to seven birds were noted throughout the day. Elsewhere, the Caspan Tern seen yesterday in Glamorgan was relocated 19 miles to the northwest at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, and a female King Eider in Ceredigion at Aberaeron was the same individual present four days earlier - and 89 miles to the west - in Ireland at Carnsore Point, County Wexford.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, two Savi's Warblers together in Suffolk, and Black-winged Stilt families in both Kent and Norfolk.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Sabine's Gull (inland in North Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Argyll), Night Heron (Shropshire), Red-backed Shrike (Glamorgan and Norfolk), four Cattle Egrets, Marsh Warbler and Common Rosefinch (together on the Shetland Isles).

Significant late news concerned a Paddyfield Warbler present on 25th June on Mousa, Shetland Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 25th June 2017  
  The highlight of a busy day for new rarities was a Squacco Heron in County Kerry at Ross Castle. Elsewhere, a Caspian Tern showed welll in Glamorgan at Sker, a Little Bittern was found in South Yorkshire at Old Moor, a Red-footed Falcon was new in Kent at Stodmarsh, and in Nottinghamshire a party of three Bee-eaters was discovered at East Leake in the evening.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the territorial Little Bittern in Somerset, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcon in Cornwall, and Black-winged Stilts in both Cambridgeshire (2) and Norfolk (6).

Scarcities included six Cattle Egrets, Common Rosefinch (Dorset), Red-backed Shrike (Norfolk), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), Night Heron (Shropshire), Cory's Shearwater and Great Shearwater (both passing Cornwall).
-  Chris Batty, RBA