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 18th June 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Paddyfield Warbler on the Shetland Isles at Pool of Virkie, whilst the Rustic Bunting remained on nearby Foula. Other rarities today were the continuing Asian Desert Warbler in Northumberland, Lesser Grey Shrike still in Lothian, territorial Blyth's Reed Warbler in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Savi's Warblers singing in both Norfolk and Shetland, and Red-footed Falcons in North Yorkshire and Suffolk.

Scarcities included Red-backed Shrike (Shetland), Hoopoe (Shropshire), Red-necked Phalarope and American Wigeon (together in Northumberland), Ring-billed Gull (Shetland Isles), Glossy Ibis (Worcestershire), two each of both Red-breasted Flycatcher and Golden Oriole, six Marsh Warblers, and a total of 10 Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 17th June 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles in Lerwick, with a Rustic Bunting new-in on Foula. Elsewhere, a Lesser Grey Shrike was found in Lothian at Halfland, a Black Kite was seen briefly in Kent, and a Bee-eater flew over in East Yorkshire.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Asian Desert Warbler still in Northumberland, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Subalpine Warbler species on Shetland, Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Lesser Scaup on the Western Isles, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Blyth's Reed Warblers in both Lincolnshire and Shetland, and Red-footed Falcons in North Yorkshire and Suffolk (2).

Scarcities included Serin (Aberdeenshire), Hoopoe (Cumbria), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), Waxwing (Shetland), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Glossy Ibis (Worcestershire), five Marsh Warblers, and a total of nine Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 16th June 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Green Warbler on Fair Isle; the second record for the island, the second to be found in Britain this month, and the eighth British record all told of which half have occurred on the Shetland Isles in the last seven years.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Asian Desert Warber still in Northumberland on Holy Island where an Alpine Swift flew through, a Bonaparte's Gull new in Surrey at Walton-on-Thames, both Caspian Tern and Savi's Warbler still in Norfolk, Subalpine Warbler species on the Shetland Isles, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs North Yorkshire, Red-footed Falcons in North Yorkshire, Suffolk and West Sussex, and Blyth's Reed Warblers in each of Aberdeenshire, East Sussex, Lincolnshire and the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Serin (Aberdeenshire), Icterine Warbler (Fife), Hoopoe (Cumbria), Purple Heron (Isles of Scilly), Waxwing (Shetland), Glossy Ibis (Worcestershire), Dotterel (West Sussex), Red-necked Phalarope and American Wigeon (together in Northumberland), two Common Rosefinches, eight Marsh Warblers, and a total of 12 Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 15th June 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an Asian Desert Warbler in Northumberland on Holy Island; only the thirteenth British record and the first north of Yorkshire.

Elsewhere rarities comprised both the Caspian Tern and Savi's Warbler still in Norfolk, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Lesser Scaup on the Western Isles, Red-footed Falcons in both Cambridgeshire and West Sussex, Blyth's Reed Warblers singing in Aberdeenshire, Isle of Wight and Lincolnshire, and on the Shetland Isles a Subalpine Warbler species on Foula, lingering Savi's Warbler and two Greenish Warblers.

Scarcities included Barred Warbler (Shetland), Serin (Aberdeenshire), Golden Oriole (Dorset), Red-necked Phalarope and American Wigeon (together in Northumberland), two each of both Icterine Warbler and Common Rosefinch), and 10 each of Marsh Warbler and Rose-coloured Starling.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 14th June 2020  
  A Sooty Tern was found on the lagoon at Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey, before it flew out to sea.

Other new discoveries included a Fea's or Desertas Petrel from a boat off Cape Clear, County Cork, a Black Stork over Haverthwaite, Cumbria, a Thrush Nightingale and Blyth's Reed Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland (with another of the latter at Bridge of Don, Aberdeenshire) and two Bee-eaters over Portland, Dorset.

Lingering rarities included the Caspian Tern and Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Lincolnshire, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Citrine Wagtail in Shetland, Red-footed Falcons in Cambridgeshire, Sussex and Kent, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire and Black-winged Stilt in Sussex.

Scarcity highlights included a Golden Oriole, a Red-backed Shrike, a Grey-headed Wagtail, three Common Rosefinches, seven Marsh Warblers, 12 Rose-coloured Starlings, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Long-tailed Skua, a Ring-billed Gull, a Glossy Ibis, an American Wigeon, a Glaucous Gull and four Honey Buzzards.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 13th June 2020  
 

Three Greenish Warblers were found in the Spurn area, East Yorkshire, while another was up the coast at Flamborough Head. A Rustic Bunting was in the Nanjizal Valley in Cornwall. In Norfolk, a Savi's Warbler sang at Thorpe Marshes near Norwich. A Black-winged Stilt flew over Hollesley in Suffolk. There was late news of a Little Swift near Aylesham in Kent on Tuesday and a Broad-billed Sandpiper at Musselburgh in Lothian last Thursday.

Still with us were the Caspian Tern in Norfolk, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Savi's Warbler in Shetland, Lesser Scaup in Western Isles, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire and Black-winged Stilt in Sussex. Red-footed Falcons were in Kent (two, both new), Cambridgeshire and Sussex. Four Blyth's Reed Warblers included new birds at Quendale in Shetland, Filey in North Yorkshire and Kilnsea in East Yorkshire, with the Lincolnshire bird still showing well. Bee-eaters were encountered in Essex, Kent, Cornwall and Suffolk.

The best of the rest included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Borders), two Common Rosefinches, Serin (Kent), Woodchat Shrike (Co.Cork), 16 Rose-coloured Starlings, Golden Oriole (North Yorkshire), eight Marsh Warblers, two Red-backed Shrikes, Glossy Ibis (Worcestershire) and American Wigeon (Northumberland).
-  David Campbell, RBA
Friday 12th June 2020  
  New discoveries today included a Caspian Tern at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, a Blyth's Reed Warbler at Spurn and a Greenish Warbler at Flamborough, both Yorkshire, and a Red-footed Falcon at Acres Down, Hampshire.

Lingering rarities included the Blyth's Reed Warbler in Lincolnshire, Greenish Warbler in Yorkshire and single Red-footed Falcons in Cambridgeshire and Sussex.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Common Rosefinch, a Woodchat Shrike, five Red-backed Shrikes, six Marsh Warblers, eight Rose-coloured Starlings, two Red-necked Phalaropes, a Honey Buzzard, a Pomarine Skua, ten Roseate Terns and a Glossy Ibis.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 11th June 2020  
  Rarities today comprised a Greenish Warbler still in East Yorkshire, Blyth's Reed Warblers in Lincolnshire, the Shetland Isles and Western Isles, Red-footed Falcons in Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Kent and West Sussex, both Savi's Warbler and White-billed Diver still on Shetland, a brief Kentish Plover in Hampshire at Weston Shore, the territorial Iberian Chiffchaff still in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Black-winged Stilt in East Sussex, and Lesser Scaup on the Western Isles.

Scarcities included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Shetland Isles), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Glossy Ibis (Worcestershire), two migrant Red-necked Phalaropes, three Red-backed Shrikes, four Marsh Warblers, and 10 Rose-coloured Starlings bringing the total of this species in summer 2020 to 107 birds.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 10th June 2020  
  The Shetland Isles enjoyed an excellent day for rarities with River Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Citrine Wagtail and White-billed Diver all logged on the archipelago.

Rarities elsewhere comprised Blyth's Reed Warblers singing in both Lincolnshire and Norfolk, a Greenish Warbler new in East Yorkshire at Spurn, Citrine Wagtail still on the Orkney Isles, both Savi's Warbler and Iberian Chiffchaff singing in Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gull still in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Black-winged Stilt in East Sussex, and Red-footed Falcons in Cambridgeshire, East Sussex and West Sussex.

Scarcities included Ortolan Bunting (County Donegal), Golden Oriole (Cambridgeshire), Common Rosefinch (Orkney Isles), Purple Heron (Lancashire), a migrant Red-necked Phalarope (Leicestershire), two Glossy Ibises, five each of both Marsh Warbler and Red-backed Shrike, and 13 Rose-coloured Starlings bringing the total of this species in summer 2020 to 103 birds.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 9th June 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a River Warbler on the Shetland Isles on Fair Isle, with a pair of Black-winged Stilts new in Surrey at Badshot Lea, and Red-footed Falcons found in Cambridgeshire at Fen Drayton, Kent at Dungeness, and in East Sussex at both Mile Oak and Shoreham.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were singing Blyth's Reed Warblers in each of Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, Caspian Tern in Norfolk, Citrine Wagtail on the Shetland Isles, both Savi's Warbler and Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Black-winged Stilt in East Sussex, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, and Red-rumped Swallow on the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Orkney Isles), Icterine Warbler and Common Rosefinch (Shetland Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Green-winged Teal (Leicestershire), Glossy Ibis (Worcestershire), three Golden Orioles, five each of both Marsh Warbler and Red-backed Shrike, whilst 13 Rose-coloured Starlings brought the total so far this summer to 93.
-  Chris Batty, RBA