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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Friday 20th June 2008  
  In Lancashire a Melodious Warbler was present for its 13th day at Jackhouse Reservoir, near Oswaldtwistle. The singing male had previously been misidentified as a both Icterine and Marsh Warbler.

Elsewhere lingering rarities included the White-rumped Sandpiper in Kent, Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire and Snowy Owl on Western Isles. In Scotland the Rose-coloured Starling remained in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire and in Forth the male Common Rosefinch was still at Tyndrum. A 1st-summer drake Surf Scoter lingered distantly off Dawlish Warren NNR, Devon.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 19th June 2008  
  The discovery of an adult White-rumped Sandpiper at Grove Ferry NNR, Kent this afternoon was the highlight of an otherwise quiet day, with other rarities reported including an immature Red-footed Falcon at Lakenheath Fen RSPB, Suffolk and two Cattle Egrets at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire.

Notable scarcities included a singing male Icterine Warbler in Lancashire, at Jackhouse Reservoir, Red-backed Shrike at Sea Palling, Norfolk, Common Rosefinch at Tyndrum, Forth, Rose-coloured Starling at Newburgh, Aberdeenshire and the vocal Corncrake remained in Berkshire. At least 84 Crossbills were seen in nine counties, so the influx continues.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 18th June 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of both the singing male River Warbler at Evie, Orkney Isles and the family party of three Black-winged Stilts at Neumann's Flash, Cheshire. A Black Kite was seen briefly at Lanhgam, Norfolk.

Notable scarcities included singles Rose-coloured Starlings in both Clyde and the Orkney Isles, Night Heron in Cambridgeshire, Red-backed Shrike in Norfolk and a singing male Corncrake in Berkshire.

Migrant Crossbills continued to be noted with 77 reported from seven counties.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 17th June 2008  
  An Alpine Swift over Oakham in Leicestershire and a Cattle Egret at Tadham Moor, Somerset were the only new rarities reported during a quiet June day. The River Warbler on Orkney continued to sing in Evie, but not after early morning. The (very) long-staying Glossy Ibis was still at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside and a Bee-eater flew over St Just, continuing an excellent few days for this species in Cornwall. On Western Isles a Snowy Owl was still on North Uist.

Scarcities came in the form of the Cambridgeshire Night Heron, a male Red-backed Shrike in Sea Palling, Norfolk and a vocal Corncrake in Berkshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 16th June 2008  
  Amongst the rarities today the highlights were the continued presence of the River Warbler in Evie on the Orkney Isles, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk at Lakenheath Fen and the family of party of three Black-winged Stilts at Neumann’s Flash, Cheshire. Brief encounters included a Black Stork over Brighton, East Sussex and single Bee-eaters in Cornwall at Land's End and Norfolk at Winterton.

Scarcities were represented by Red-breasted Flycatcher in Dorset, Night Heron in Cambridgeshire, Short-toed Lark on the Orkney Isles, Hoopoe in South Yorkshire, Red-backed Shrike in West Sussex and both Red-backed Shrike and Marsh Warbler together in Norfolk.

Once again, Crossbills were in evidence with 131 migrants reported from seven English counties.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 15th June 2008  
  In Suffolk a Lesser Yellowlegs spent the day at Minsmere RSPB, in Cornwall Bee-eaters were in Cot Valley and Polgigga, a Black Kite flew over Heversham Moss, Cumbria and in Cambridgeshire a Cattle Egret and Night Heron were both found in the Earith area.

The River Warbler continued to sing on Mainland Orkney and in Dorset the Hooded Merganser was relocated at Radipole Lake RSPB; the bird was last seen on Portland on 7th June. A Snowy Owl also reappeared at Grenitote on North Uist and in Cheshire the family of Black-winged Stilts were briefly joined by a Red-necked Phalarope at Neumann's Flash.

A Hoopoe was briefly at Otmoor RSPB, Oxfordshire, a Corncrake sang at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire, in Gloucestershire Slimbridge WWT held both the Ring-billed Gull and a White Stork as well as the two Cattle Egrets, the Red-backed Shrike was still at Shopham Bridge, West Sussex and four Surf Scoters were off Murcar, Aberdeenshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 14th June 2008  
  On Orkney the male River Warbler continued to sing its heart out at Evie, Mainland. Elsewhere a Bee-eater briefly lingered over Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, a singing Icterine Warbler was at Longwick, Buckinghamshire, the family of Black-winged Stilts remained a Neumann's Flash, Cheshire and in Ireland the adult Forster's Tern was once again at Tacumshin.

A male Spotted Crake was heard at Grove Ferry NNR early morning, the Red-backed Shrike was still near Shopham Bridge, West Sussex and in North Yorkshire a Golden Oriole was at Yearsley Moor in the morning. At least three Waxwings were on Lewis, Western Isles.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 13th June 2008  
  A sighting of either a Red-headed Bunting or Black-headed Bunting at Portland, Dorset early this morning was a good start to the day, but it wasn't seen after 6.30am. The male River Warbler remained on Orkney, at Evie, and the adult summer Forster's Tern was seen again at Tacumshin, County Wexford. A Bee-eater was heard to fly over Truro, Cornwall mid-morning, and a Great White Egret left the roost at Rye Harbour NR, East Sussex.

The north-east coast continued to produce some good seabirds, including a Cory's Shearwater in Northumberland, past St Mary's Island and Seaton Sluice, Long-tailed Skua and Pomarine Skua past Whitburn, County Durham and still very good numbers of Manx Shearwaters moving past.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 12th June 2008  
  The highlight of the day was an unseasonal Coues's Arctic Redpoll in the Shetland Isles on Unst, it's arrival perhaps related to the appearance of Waxwings on Fair Isle and in the Orkney Isles (4). Elsewhere, single Black Kites were seen briefly in Devon over Exminster Marshes and Suffolk over Redgrave Fen.

Lingering rarities comprised the River Warbler on the Orkney Isles, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, three Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire and Great White Egret in Kent. Despite much searching, the Citril Finch was reported as present on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles by only one observer.

Scarcities included a Rose-coloured Starling in Lancashire, Night Heron in Suffolk, Pectoral Sandpiper in Kent and on the Shetland Isles both Icterine Warbler and Red-backed Shrike.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 11th June 2008  
  Both the Megas continued their stay on the Northern Isles, with the Citril Finch on Fair Isle, Shetland and the River Warbler at Evie, Orkney. Other rarities included the Forster's Tern in County Wexford, the Black-winged Stilt family in Cheshire, Great White Egrets in South Yorkshire and County Dublin and three Cattle Egrets in Somerset.

The best of the rest included three Serins, including two together at Hengistbury Head, Dorset, and a further bird at Dungeness, Kent, Marsh Warbler at Sea Palling, Norfolk, Red-backed Shrike at Petworth, West Sussex and a Rose-coloured Starling at Inskip, Lancashire.
-  Will Soar, RBA