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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Monday 21st June 2021  
  The highlight of the day was a male Red-winged Blackbird in County Mayo on The Mullet at Annagh Marsh. Presumably the same individual as that present 38 miles to the east southeast of its current location at Castleconnor, County Sligo on 11th June. This is the first record of Red-winged Blackbird for Ireland.

Other discoveries today included a Red-flanked Bluetail in Norfolk near Blakeney, Black-winged Stilt in Cornwall at Marazion, and Bee-eaters in both Cambridgeshire and Norfolk (9).

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Least Tern in County Dublin, Caspian Tern in Lincolnshire (albeit only briefly), Great Reed Warbler in Nottinghamshire, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Staffordshire, Lesser Scaup in Borders, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, and White-spotted Bluethroat in Gloucestershire.

Scarcities included American Golden Plover (Lancashire), Red-backed Shrike (Shetland Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), three Glossy Ibises, and a total of eight Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 20th June 2021  
 

Caspian Terns appeared in Lincolnshire and Essex, while Nottinghamshire's second Great Reed Warbler of the year was found at Misson.

Still present were the Least Tern in Co.Dublin, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Great Reed Warbler in Nottinghamshire, Lesser Scaup in Borders, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Staffordshire and White-billed Diver in Shetland.

Among the rest of the day's highlights were White-winged Black Tern (Suffolk), White-spotted Bluethroat (Gloucestershire), 14 Rose-coloured Starlings, Icterine Warbler (Borders), Marsh Warbler (Norfolk), American Golden Plover (Lancashire), Long-tailed Skua (Shetland) and three Glossy Ibises.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 19th June 2021  
  A Least Tern was identified in County Dublin this morning, where it visited a Little Tern colony at Portrane. It appears likely that it has been present around two weeks this year, and was also heard in 2020.

New arrivals today included Caspian Terns at Southfield Reservoir, Yorkshire (two), Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire and Beckton, London, a White-spotted Bluethroat at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire and a Wilson's Petrel at sea off the Isles of Scilly. The Black Duck reappeared at Cross Lough, County Mayo.

Lingering rarities included the Great Reed Warbler in Nottinghamshire, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Staffordshire, Snowy Owl in Shetland, Red-footed Falcon in Scilly and King Eider in Aberdeenshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 18th June 2021  
  A singing Blyth's Reed Warbler was found at Middleton Lakes RSPB, Staffordshire this morning, where it remained all day.

Lingering rarities included the River Warbler in Somerset, Great Reed Warbler in Northumberland, Snowy Owl in Shetland, Red-footed Falcon in Scilly, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and White-billed Diver in Orkney.

Scarcity highlights included a Golden Oriole, a Hoopoe, two Marsh Warblers, 11 Rose-coloured Starlings, four Roseate Terns, Honey Buzzard, a Red-necked Phalarope, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Glossy Ibises, two Glaucous Gulls and two Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 17th June 2021  
  Two Bee-eaters were seen near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk today, and a pratincole species flew over St Buryan, Cornwall.

Lingering rarities included the River Warbler in Somerset, Great Reed Warbler in Nottinghamshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Western Isles, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Wexford and Red-footed Falcon in Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included an Ortolan Bunting, an Icterine Warbler, three Marsh Warblers, 14 Rose-coloured Starlings, a Green-winged Teal, two Ring-necked Ducks, a Purple Heron, two Glossy Ibises, a Honey Buzzard, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Long-tailed Skua, two Pomarine Skuas, four Roseate Terns, two Iceland Gulls and a Glaucous Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 16th June 2021  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Collared Pratincole in Norfolk at Hickling Broad, with new rarities elsewhere comprising a Red-footed Falcon on the Isles of Scilly on St Mary's, a Black Kite in Aberdeenshire at Glen Fenzie, White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles at Brough of Birsay, and Bee-eaters briefly in Cumbria, East Yorkshire, and Norfolk (5).

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the River Warbler in Somerset, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Wexford, and territorial Great Reed Warblers in both Northumberland and Nottinghamshire.

Scarcities included Serin (Kent), Common Rosefinch (East Yorkshire), Purple Heron (Norfolk), Red-necked Phalarope and Ring-necked Duck (Northumberland), two Marsh Warblers, eight Glossy Ibises, and a total of 13 Rose-coloured Starlings.

Significant late news concerned a male Red-winged Blackbird present on 11th June at Castleconnor, County Sligo: the first record for Ireland.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 15th June 2021  
  Rarities today comprised the River Warbler still in Somerset, territorial Great Reed Warblers still in both Northumberland and Nottinghamshire, Bonaparte's Gull still on the Western Isles, a Lesser Yellowlegs new-in at Tacumshin, County Wexford, and single Bee-eaters on the Orkney Isles on Papa Westray, and on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Golden Oriole (West Sussex), Red-backed Shrike and Long-tailed Skua (Shetland), Red-necked Phalarope and Ring-necked Duck (Northumberland), two each of American Golden Plover, Marsh Warbler, and Common Rosefinch, seven Glossy Ibises, and a total of 16 Rose-coloured Starlings.

On the Isles of Scilly there was no sign of the Egyptian Vulture.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 14th June 2021  
 

Everything else was blown out of the water when potentially Britain's first acceptable Egyptian Vulture since the 1868, an adult, toured the Isles of Scilly. It was found on St.Mary's at Peninnis Head in the morning then visited Tresco, before returning to St.Mary's later in the day.

A male Red-footed Falcon was found at Bough Beech Reservoir in Kent and seven Bee-eaters appeared at East Prawle in Devon. Meanwhile, a Great Reed Warbler was reported in Hull, East Yorkshire, and a Blyth's Reed Warbler was new-in near Dunbar in Lothian.

The River Warbler in Somerset, Collared Pratincole in North Yorkshire, Great Reed Warblers in Northumberland and North Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Western Isles and Blyth's Reed Warbler in Highland all remained.

Additional national highlights included 15 Rose-coloured Starlings, two Night Herons, Red-backed Shrike (Norfolk), Icterine Warbler (Shetland), two Marsh Warblers, American Golden Plover (Northumberland), Temminck's Stint (Aberdeenshire), Ring-necked Duck (Northumberland) and four Glossy Ibises.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Sunday 13th June 2021  
  Rarities discovered today comprised a Little Swift in Cornwall at St Ives briefly, Collared Pratincole in North Yorkshire at Wheldrake Ings, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Highland in song at Brough, Bonaparte's Gull on the Western Isles on Barra, Red-rumped Swallow in Northumberland briefly at Budle Bay, and nine Bee-eaters in Suffolk briefly at Carlton Marshes.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the territorial River Warbler in Somerset, Red-footed Falcon in Kent, White-billed Diver on the Shetland Isles, and Great Reed Warblers in both Northumberland and Nottinghamshire.

Scarcities included Red-breasted Flycatcher (Dorset), Woodchat Shrike (Borders), Golden Oriole (Northamptonshire), Marsh Warbler (Norfolk), Red-backed Shrike (East Yorkshire), Long-tailed Skua (Shetland Isles), Red-necked Phalarope and Ring-necked Duck (Northumberland), two each of American Golden Plover, Common Rosefinch, and Purple Heron, three Glossy Ibises, and a total of 18 Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 12th June 2021  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Pacific Swift in Northumberland at East Chevington and High Hauxley where it remained from early morning until late afternoon.

Other discoveries included a Collared Pratincole in Suffolk at Minsmere and then Southwold before settling at Carlton Marshes, and Bee-eaters briefly in both Cambridgeshire and Suffolk (3).

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the River Warbler in Somerset, American Herring Gull in Cornwall, Black Kite in North Yorkshire, territorial Great Reed Warblers in both Northumberland and Nottinghamshire, White-billed Diver on the Shetland Isles, and the probable Spanish Wagtail in County Kerry.

Scarcities included American Golden Plover and Ring-necked Duck (Northumberland), Pectoral Sandpiper (Orkney Isles), Icterine Warbler and Red-backed Shrike (Shetland), Hoopoe (Cornwall), Long-tailed Skua (Highland), Glossy Ibis (Kent), two each of Woodchat Shrike, Marsh Warbler, Golden Oriole, Purple Heron, and migrant Red-necked Phalarope, and a total of 17 Rose-coloured Starlings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA