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 12th June 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the Bonaparte's Gull still in Kent, long-staying Black Duck in Highland and in Cornwall a Black Kite overflew Marazion.

Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike and Montagu's Harrier (Cleveland), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Cornwall), Purple Heron (Cambridgeshire), American Wigeon and Glossy Ibis (Northumberland), two each of both Golden Oriole and Cattle Egret, and a total of seven Rose-coloured Starlings.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 11th June 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the Eastern Subalpine Warbler and Black Kite both still together on the Shetland Isles, the Black Duck still in Highland, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and a fly-over Black Kite reported in Hampshire.

Scarcities included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Cornwall), Golden Oriole (Shetland Isles), Ring-necked Duck (Argyll), Glossy Ibis (Northumberland), two Cattle Egrets (together in Cambridgeshire), four Marsh Warblers (together on the Shetland Isles) and a total of seven Rose-coloured Starlings.

Late news concerned a Night Heron yesterday in Glamorgan at Cardiff, a Black-headed Bunting on 6th June at Moylgrove, Pembrokeshire, and on 5th June a Woodchat Shrike in Northumberland at Prestwick Carr.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 10th June 2018  
  The highlight of the day was a Marsh Sandpiper discovered in Hampshire at Pennington Marshes in the early morning and then present throughout the day. On Anglesey a King Eider was found on the Alaw Estuary.

Lingering rarities comprised the Pied-billed Grebe still in Argyll, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Black Kite on the Shetland Isles and a territorial Iberian Chiffchaff was still in North Yorkshire

Scarcities included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Isle of Man), Serin (Lincolnshire), Hoopoe (Derbyshire), Red-backed Shrike (Norfolk), Montagu's Harrier (East Yorkshire), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Cattle Egret (Cambridgeshire), two each of both Golden Oriole and Glossy Ibis, three Marsh Warblers and a total of 11 Rose-coloured Starlings.
Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 9th June 2018  
  A Black Kite flew over Minsmere, Suffolk, and a female Bufflehead was at Branston GPs, Staffordshire.

Lingering rarities included the Iberian Chiffchaffs in Wirral and Yorkshire, Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Snowy Owl in Western Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and Black Kite in Shetland.

Scarcity highlights included a Golden Oriole, a Hoopoe, a Grey-headed Wagtail, two Common Rosefinches, two Red-backed Shrikes, five Rose-coloured Starlings, a Montagu's Harrier, a Honey Buzzard, a Glossy Ibis, an American Wigeon, a Sabine's Gull, an Iceland Gull, two Glaucous Gulls and a Cattle Egret.
Will Soar, RBA
Friday 8th June 2018  
  A Subalpine warbler species at Portland was the pick of today's new discoveries, whilst the Black Kite that had been present on Orkney was relocated on Fair Isle, Shetland. Elsewhere Savi's Warbler (Norfolk), Iberian Chiffchaff (North Yorkshire), Bonaparte's Gull (Kent), Black Duck (Highland) and King Eider (Aberdeenshire) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Cattle Egret (Oxfordshire), Glossy Ibis (Northumberland), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Common Rosefinch (Lincolnshire), two Marsh Warblers, three Red-backed Shrikes and nine Rose-coloured Starlings.
Stuart Piner, RBA
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