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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Wednesday 1st July 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the Greater Sand Plover still in Lothian, Laughing Gull in Staffordshire, Pacific Golden Plover in County Clare, Gull-billed Tern in County Cork, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Cumbria, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, and Black-winged Stilt in Kent.

Scarcities included Serin (Dorset), Marsh Warbler and Red-backed Shrike (Shetland Isles), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), three Long-tailed Skuas, and a total of 10 Rose-coloured Starlings

Signifcant late news for yesterday concerned the reappearance of the juvenile Lammergeier in Derbyshire where it was seen in flight over Hassop, Edale and probably the Goyt Valley during the afternoon and evening.
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 30th June 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of the second Booted Warbler of the spring on the Shetland Isles, singing on Fair Isle. Meanwhile in County Clare the first Pacific Golden Plover of the autumn was at Doonbeg where it had first been found yesterday.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Greater Sand Plover still in Lothian, Laughing Gull in Staffordshire, Lesser Grey Shrike on the Shetland Isles, Gull-billed Terns in both County Cork and Kent, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Cumbria, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, King Eider in Moray, Black-winged Stilt in Kent, and Red-footed Falcons in both East Yorkshire and Northumberland.

Scarcities included Serin (Dorset), Red-necked Phalarope (Cheshire), Cory's Shearwater (Devon), Red-backed Shrike (Shetland Isles), two Long-tailed Skuas, and eight Rose-coloured Starlings brough the total of those recorded here since 28th May to 204 individuals.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 29th June 2020  
 

Ongoing rarities included the Greater Sand Plover in Lothian, Lesser Grey Shrike in Shetland, Laughing Gull in Staffordshire, Gull-billed Terns in Kent and Co.Cork, Black-winged Stilt in Kent, Alpine Swift in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Red-footed Falcon in Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll and Blyth's Reed Warbler in Cumbria. Another Lesser Yellowlegs appeared on the Nottinghamshire/South Yorkshire border at Misson.

Scarcities today included Temminck's Stint (Sussex), 14 Rose-coloured Starlings, Red-necked Phalarope (Cheshire), Glossy Ibis (Worcestershire), and Common Rosefinch, Marsh Warbler and Red-backed Shrike (all Shetland).

The east coast witnessed a significant Swift movement, headlined with 46,026 moving south through Gibraltar Point in Lincolnshire.
David Campbell, RBA
Sunday 28th June 2020  
  New discoveries today included a Laughing Gull at Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire, Alpine Swifts at Winterton, Norfolk and Pitcox, Lothian, a Red-rumped Swallow on Foula, Shetland, a Bee-eater over Portland, Dorset, a Red-footed Falcon near Rosenannon, Cornwall and a Wilson's Petrel off Bridges of Ross, County Clare.

Lingering rarities included the Greater Sand Plover in Lothian, Gull-billed Tern and Black-winged Stilt in Kent (with another of the former still in County Cork), Lesser Grey Shrike in Shetland, Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll, Lesser Yellowlegs and Red-footed Falcon in Yorkshire, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Cumbria, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk and King Eider in Moray.

Scarcity highlights included a Common Rosefinch, a Red-backed Shrike, nine Rose-coloured Starlings, three Honey Buzzards, a Spotted Crake, two Red-necked Phalaropes, a Pomarine Skua, a Surf Scoter, an American Wigeon, three Glaucous Gulls, six Roseate Terns and six Balearic Shearwaters.
Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 27th June 2020  
 

A Greater Sand Plover was discovered at Tyninghame Bay in Lothian this evening. The day's other finds included a Lesser Grey Shrike near Bigton on Mainland Shetland, a Red-footed Falcon at Sunk Island in East Yorkshire and a Blyth's Reed Warbler near Egremont in Cumbria.

Lingering rarities included Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Gull-billed Terns in Kent and Co.Cork, Black-winged Stilt in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Western Isles and Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire.

The supporting cast involved Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), six Rose-coloured Starlings, Marsh Warbler (London), Red-backed Shrike (Shetland), Glossy Ibis (Worcestershire) and an early strong movement of Balearic Shearwaters in Devon (including 425 past Start Point in nine hours). 
David Campbell, RBA
Friday 26th June 2020  
  New discoveries today included a Bonaparte's Gull on Benbecula, Western Isles and a Greenish Warbler at Sumburgh, Shetland.

Significant late news concerned a moribund Short-tailed Shearwater in County Waterford, which was picked up on the beach at Tramore Bay on Monday and then later died in care. This is the first record for the Western Palearctic.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Gull-billed Tern and Black-winged Stilt in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk and King Eider in Moray.

Scarcity highlights included a Serin, a Red-backed Shrike, five Rose-coloured Starlings, a Red-necked Phalarope, an American Golden Plover, three Honey Buzzards, a Pomarine Skua, two Long-tailed Skuas and two Roseate Terns.

A juvenile Lammergeier was seen flying north over Balsall Common, West Midlands and over Foston, Derbyshire late afternoon. This individual was last seen in Belgium on 18th and 19th June, and appears to be the same bird as seen on Alderney, Channel Islands in May. The last British record of Lammergier (in 2016) was assumed by BOURC to be a bird from the reintroduced population in the Alps. It is highly likely this bird will be treated the same and will, therefore, be placed in Category E.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 25th June 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the Cayenne Tern still in County Wexford albeit elusive, a Greenish Warbler new in Fife on the Isle of May, Gull-billed Tern and Black-winged Stilt still together in Kent, territorial Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, King Eider in Moray, and single Red-footed Falcons seen briefly in both Hertfordshire and Norfolk.

Scarcities included American Golden Plover (Orkney Isles), Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Serin (Dorset), Night Heron (Herefordshire), Red-necked Phalarope and American Wigeon (together in Northumberland), and six Rose-coloured Starlings bringing the total of the current influx to 182.
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 24th June 2020  
  The highlights of the day were the discovery of a White-throated Sparrow in Ceredigion at Cwrtnewydd, whilst in Kent a Western Bonelli's Warbler was in song at Reculver albeit briefly.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Cayenne Tern still in County Wexford, Gull-billed Terns in both County Cork and Kent, King Eider in Moray, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, territorial Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, and Black-winged Stilt in Kent.

Scarcities included Barred Warbler and Marsh Warbler (Shetland Isles), Golden Oriole (Bedfordshire), Red-backed Shrike (Gloucestershire), Serin (Dorset), and Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), whilst eight Rose-coloured Starlings bringing the total for the summer to 177.
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 23rd June 2020  
  New rarities today comprised a Gull-billed Tern in Kent at Dungeness with a Red-footed Falcon at nearby Walland Marsh, Greenish Warblers arrived on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly and in Pembrokeshire on Skokholm, a Subalpine Warbler species was seen in Kent at Hope Point, and two Wilson's Petrels were at sea off County Cork.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Cayenne Tern in County Wexford, Gull-billed Tern in County Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Black-winged Stilt in Kent, territorial Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, and the King Eider returned to Moray.

Scarcities included Serin (Dorset), Bluethroat and Red-backed Shrike (both on the Shetland Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Ring-necked Duck (County Londonderry), two each of both Marsh Warbler and Common Rosefinch, and 12 Rose-coloured Starlings bringing the total across Britain and Ireland since 28th May to 176.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 22nd June 2020  
 

Fair Isle hosted a Calandra Lark this morning. A Bonaparte's Gull was found in Argyll and a Red-footed Falcon flew over Upwell in Norfolk.

Still present were the Cayenne Tern in Co.Wexford, Gull-billed Tern in Co.Cork, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Great Reed Warbler in Shetland, Savi's Warbler in Shetland, Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire and Red-footed Falcon in Somerset

Other highlights included Spotted Crake (Gloucestershire), Common Rosefinch (East Yorkshire), nine Rose-coloured Starlings, Purple Heron (Somerset), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), two Golden Orioles and Red-backed Shrike (Shetland). 
Chris Batty, RBA