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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Thursday 7th June 2018  
  Rarity highlights comprised Bee-eater, Red-rumped Swallow and Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Black-winged Stilt in Cambridgeshire, Forster's Tern in Co Wexford, Black Kite in Orkney and Iberian Chiffchaff in Wirral.

The best of the rest included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Norfolk), Serin (Kent), two Golden Orioles, three Red-backed Shrikes, four Marsh Warblers and six Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 6th June 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the sixth Blyth's Reed Warbler of the spring; on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd: the same location as hosted the first of the spring on 25th May.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Baird's Sandpiper again in Cornwall, King Eider still in Aberdeenshire, the territorial Iberian Chiffchaff still on the Wirral, single Red-footed Falcons in Dorset at Morden Bog and Norfolk briefly over Norwich, and Bee-eaters heard or seen in Cleveland, Essex (3) and Kent (6).

Scarcities included Short-toed Lark and Marsh Warbler (Norfolk), Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), Glossy Ibis (Northumberland), Cattle Egret (Cheshire), three Red-backed Shrikes, and a total of nine Rose-coloured Starlings.

An indeterminate male Black-headed or Grey-headed Wagtail in Devon at Dawlish was not heard to give the diagnostic modulated call of Black-headed and - remarkably - its distinctive appearance proved it to be the same individual present on St Kilda, Western Isles on 1st June; an unexpected movement south southeast of 540 miles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 5th June 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Snowy Owl on the Shetland Isles near Bigton. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the Paddyfield Warbler still in Norfolk, the Iberian Chiffchaff in North Yorkshire, and at sea off County Cork four Wilson's Petrels were logged.

Scarcities included Short-toed Lark and Red-backed Shrike (Norfolk), Common Rosefinch (Gloucestershire), Cory's Shearwater (East Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Dumfries and Galloway), Glossy Ibis (Northumberland), two each of Golden Oriole, Marsh Warbler and Cattle Egret and a total of five Rose-coloured Starlings.

Significant late news concerned a report of a singing Scops Owl recently in Moray at Portsoy.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 4th June 2018  
  New discoveries today included an albatross species off Toe Head, County Cork, a Paddyfield Warbler on Blakeney Point, Norfolk (where there was no sign of the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler), a Red-footed Falcon at Durlston, Dorset, a Black-winged Stilt at Oare and five Bee-eaters at Dungeness, both Kent, a Black Kite near Balbriggan, County Dublin and a White-billed Diver off Lewis, Western Isles.

Lingering rarities included just the Iberian Chiffchaff in Cornwall and Bee-eater in the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included a Golden Oriole, a White-spotted Bluethroat, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Marsh Warblers, seven Rose-coloured Starlings, a Honey Buzzard, a Glossy Ibis, a Pomarine Skua, an American Wigeon, a Ring-necked Duck, a Ring-billed Gull, a Glaucous Gull and two Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 3rd June 2018  
  A singing River Warbler was discovered at Skirza, Highland this morning. This is the first mainland record since the Norfolk bird in 2010, and the first in Britain as a whole since 2013. Other new discoveries included a singing Savi's Warbler at Barnes, London, a Bee-eater on St Martin's, Scilly, a Black-winged Stilt at Sidlesham, Sussex and a Wilson's Petrel off Black Head, Cornwall.

Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Norfolk, Iberian Chiffchaff in Yorkshire and Forster's Tern in County Wexford.

Scarcity highlights included a White-spotted Bluethroat, a Melodious Warbler, a Marsh Warbler, a Common Rosefinch, three Short-toed Larks, four Golden Orioles, seven Red-backed Shrikes, 14 Rose-coloured Starlings, a Spotted Crake, a Green-winged Teal, a Montagu's Harrier, five Honey Buzzards, a Glossy Ibis, three White Storks, a Long-tailed Skua, a Cory's Shearwater, two Balearic Shearwaters, two Glaucous Gulls and four Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 2nd June 2018  
  The second Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler for Norfolk was discovered today, at the same site which hosted the first in 2015, Blakeney Point. This singing male was still present mid evening, although it remained very elusive for much of the day.

Other new discoveries today included a Black-headed Bunting at Bridlington, Yorkshire, an Eastern Subalpine Warbler at Nanjizal, Cornwall, Greenish Warblers in Aberdeenshire (Girdle Ness), County Wexford (Saltee Islands) and Gwynedd (Bardsey Island), a Red-rumped Swallow at Pegwell Bay, Kent, single Bee-eaters at Drift Reservoir, Cornwall and Medmerry, Sussex and a Black Kite over St Ives, Cambridgeshire.

Lingering rarities included the Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Iberian Chiffchaff in Cornwall, White-billed Diver in County Donegal and King Eider in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcity highlights were a Red-spotted Bluethroat, a Short-toed Lark, two Icterine Warblers, two Marsh Warblers, two Common Rosefinches, three Golden Orioles, nine Rose-coloured Starlings, 12 Red-backed Shrikes, a Spotted Crake, two Red-necked Phalaropes, a Honey Buzzard, a White Stork, a Glossy Ibis, an Iceland Gull, five Glaucous Gulls and a Long-tailed Skua.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 1st June 2018  
  New rarities today included an Eastern Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles on Fair Isle, a Subalpine Warbler in Lancashire at Middleton, a Black-headed Wagtail on the Western Isles on St Kilda, a Red-footed Falcon at sea off the Isles of Scilly, a fly-over Black Kite in Cambridgeshire and now two Savi's Warblers together at Minsmere, Suffolk.

Rarities from Fenno-Scandia comprised a brief Rustic Bunting in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea, a Great Reed Warbler on the Shetland Isles on Unst, Thrush Nightingale in Fife on the Isle of May and single Greenish Warblers in both Aberdeenshire and Gwynedd, whilst a supporting cast of associated migrants included 13 Red-backed Shrikes, 12 Marsh Warblers, six Icterine Warblers, two each of Red-spotted Bluethroat and Common Rosefinch, Golden Oriole (East Yorkshire), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Shetland Isles) and Temminck's Stint (Suffolk).

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Baird's Sandpiper in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll and the Black-winged Stilt in Lincolnshire. Whilst other scarcities were represented by Short-toed Lark (Fife), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Red-necked Phalarope (Leicestershire), American Wigeon and Glossy Ibis (both Northumberland) and a total of eight Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 31st May 2018  
  New disoveries today included an Eastern Subalpine Warbler at South Gare, Cleveland, single Greenish Warblers at Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire and Scatness, Shetland, an Alpine Swift over Annet, Scilly, five Bee-eaters over Quorn, Leicestershire and one at Goleen, County Cork, and a Bonaparte's Gull on Tiree, Argyll.

Lingering rarities included the Iberian Chiffchaff and Savi's Warbler in Yorkshire, Thrush Nightingale in Shetland, Red-footed Falcons in Somerset and County Wexford, Baird's Sandpiper in Cornwall, Black-winged Stilt in Lincolnshire, Black Duck in Highland and White-billed Diver in County Donegal.

Scarcity totals included an Ortolan Bunting, a Short-toed Lark, a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Common Rosefinch, two Golden Orioles, five Rose-coloured Starlings, five Icterine Warblers, six Marsh Warblers, 13 Red-backed Shrikes, a Spotted Crake, a Kentish Plover, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Dotterel, two Temminck's Stints, a Purple Heron, an American Wigeon, a Surf Scoter, a Ring-billed Gull, three Glaucous Gulls and four Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 30th May 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the sighting of a Black-browed Albatross at the Skellig Islands (Co Kerry) early in the morning before returning in the afternoon. Elsewhere new discoveries included Snowy Owl (Pembrokeshire), Wilson's Petrel (Cornwall), Savi's Warbler (East Yorkshire), Greenish Warbler (Gwynedd), Bee-eater (Highland), Eastern Subalpine Warbler (Isle of Man), Black Kite (Isle of Wight), Great Reed Warbler (Kent), Pallid Harrier (Kent), Thrush Nightingales (3 on Shetland) and Black-winged Stilts (2 in Suffolk).

Lingering rarities comprised Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler (Highland), Pied-billed Grebe (Argyll), King Eider (Aberdeenshire), Forster's Tern (Co Wexford), Red-footed Falcons (Co Wexford and Somerset), Iberian Chiffchaffs (Cornwall and North Yorkshire), Bonaparte's Gull (Devon), Great Reed Warbler (Kent), Black-winged Stilt (Lincolnshire), Bee-eater (Orkney) and Savi's Warbler (Suffolk).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 29th May 2018  
  In Highland, the male Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler remained at Duncansby Head for its second day. New discoveries today included an Eastern Subalpine Warbler on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd and a White-billed Diver off North Ronaldsay, Orkney.

Other lingering rarities included two Iberian Chiffchaffs and a Baird's Sandpiper in Cornwall, another Iberian Chiffchaff in Yorkshire, Red-footed Falcon in Somerset, Bee-eater in Orkney and Black-winged Stilt in Lincolnshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Short-toed Lark, two Golden Orioles, six Red-backed Shrikes, seven Rose-coloured Starlings, 10 Marsh Warblers, a Kentish Plover, an American Golden Plover, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Dotterel, three Temminck's Stints, a Purple Heron, a Honey Buzzard, two Iceland Gulls, two Glaucous Gulls and a Glossy Ibis.
-  Will Soar, RBA