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.

Choose a starting date
Friday 2nd July 2010  
  In Devon the House Finch remained at East Prawle and a Gull-billed Tern commuted between Bowling Green Marsh RSPB and Exminster Marshes RSPB. A King Eider flew past Flamborough Head (East Yorkshire), a Ferruginous Duck lingered at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk), the male Little Bittern was still at Walton Heath (Somerset) and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper was discovered at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk).

Four Surf Scoters were logged off Blackdog (Aberdeenshire), a Great White Egret was observed at Shapwick Heath (Somerset) and two Purple Herons were still at Dungeness RSPB (Kent).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 1st July 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a male Black-headed Bunting in Highland near Kinlochbervie, briefly at Oldshoremore.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the House Finch still in Devon, single Gull-billed Terns in both Devon and Dorset, a Bonaparte's Gull again in Lincolnshire and a Bee-eater moving south over Spurn Point, East Yorkshire.

Scarcities included a Purple Heron in Kent, Temminck's Stint in Cleveland, Pectoral Sandpiper on the Orkney Isles, Great White Egret in Somerset, three Surf Scoters together in Aberdeenshire and three Cory's Shearwaters passing two Cornish headlands.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 30th June 2010  
  The most featured rarities today were Gull-billed Terns, the most watched of which was at Abbotsbury, Dorset all day. Other birds were at Slapton, Devon (2) and Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire. Single Black Kites were seen at Great Cornard, Suffolk and Strumpshaw Fen RSPB, Norfolk.

In Devon, the male House Finch continued to show at Prawle Point, and the Little Bittern was still at Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset.

A Pectoral Sandpiper was on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, and a Golden Oriole was at Ham, London.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 29th June 2010  
  In Devon the House Finch lingered at East Prawle throughout the day (confirmed from photographs as the same individual present in Cornwall in May). The two Gull-billed Terns found at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB yesterday evening were still present on the Exe Estuary early this morning before departing to the north at 7.10am. In neighbouring Dorset a Gull-billed Tern flew past West Bexington at 11.30am and a further possible sighting came from Abbotsbury at 4.45pm.

In Somerset the Little Bittern remained at Walton Heath and scarcities included White-spotted Bluethroat (Norfolk), Marsh Warbler (Essex), Great White Egrets (Somerset and Co Cork), Temminck's Stint (Cleveland) and Purple Herons (Kent).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 28th June 2010  
  The highlight of the day was a Brünnich's Guillemot briefly off Hoy, Orkney Isles. The represents just the fourth summer record of this species in Britain, following singles on the Farne Islands, Northumberland in July 1977, Sumburgh Head, Shetland Isles in June-July 1989 and St Kilda, Western Isles during May-June 1992.

Elsewhere, two Gull-billed Terns showed well during the evening at Bowling Green Marsh, Devon and in Lincolnshire a Bonaparte's Gull was discovered at Chowder Ness. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the House Finch in Devon at East Prawle, the territorial male Little Bittern in Somerset and the metal-ringed Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), Purple Heron (Essex), Red-necked Phalarope (Orkney Isles), Great White Egret (Somerset), Green-winged Teal (Fife), Glaucous Gull (County Clare) and Caspian Gull (London).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 27th June 2010  
  A male yellow variant House Finch was discovered at Prawle Point (Devon) today. The bird is thought to be the same individual that frequented the Land's End (Cornwall) in May.

Elsewhere, in Ireland a Bee-eater was discovered in Co Antrim and a Red-rumped Swallow arrived in Co Kerry. Lingering rarities came in the form of Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire and Little Bittern in Somerset.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 26th June 2010  
  In Somerset, the summering male Little Bittern was seen again a few times today, mostly in flight over Loxton Marsh, Ham Wall RSPB. The Tawny Pipit remained for its fourth day on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, whilst lingering wildfowl rarities included Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk.

Scarcity highlights were Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall, White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk, Common Rosefinch in Perth & Kinross, Purple Heron in Kent, two Roseate Terns in Merseyside and a Great White Egret in Somerset.

Late news from Lundy, where the Little Shearwater was heard again overnight on Thursday.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 25th June 2010  
  On Shetland a 1st-summer drake King Eider was discovered off Burra Bridge, off the west side of Mainland between Trondra and West Burra. On Orkney the Tawny Pipit lingered on North Ronaldsay for its second day, the Great Reed Warbler remained in Derbyshire and in Co Dublin the Terek Sandpiper was seen again on Rogerstown Estuary. In Suffolk a female Ferruginous Duck was still at Minsmere RSPB and in Staffordshire an approachable Marbled Duck at Belvide Reservoir was presumably the bird that recently visited Westport Lake.

The best of the rest included Common Rosefinch (Perth & Kinross), Rose-coloured Startling (Cornwall) and Purple Herons (Kent).

Late news related to yet another White-throated Sparrow, this time in Lincolnshire (on 19th June).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 24th June 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the territorial male Little Bittern in Somerset at Walton Heath. Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Terek Sandpiper in County Dublin, Forster's Tern and Glossy Ibis together in County Wexford, Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire, Great Reed Warblers singing in both Anglesey and Derbyshire and a Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), White-spotted Bluethroat (Norfolk), Purple Heron (Kent), Common Rosefinch (Perth and Kinross), Marsh Warbler (Isle of Wight), Temminck's Stint (Aberdeenshire) and both Serin and Golden Oriole on the Isles of Scilly.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 23rd June 2010  
  An adult female Ferruginous Duck at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk was only the sixth individual to be found in June, whilst a drake Lesser Scaup at Loch Leven, Perth & Kinross was the ninth. A Tawny Pipit on North Ronaldsay, Orkney rounded off today's new rarity discoveries.

The adult Terek Sandpiper was located again on the Rogerstown Estuary, County Dublin this evening, with the Glossy Ibis still at Tacumshin, County Wexford.

The Iberian Chiffchaff continued to sing in Yorkshire, as did the Great Reed Warbler in Derbyshire, whilst Red-footed Falcons remained in Kent and Sussex and Blue-winged Teal in Cambridgeshire.

The adult Night Heron remained on Benbecula, Western Isles, with other headline scarcities including Red-backed Shrike in Kent, White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk, Marsh Warbler on the Isle of Wight, Roseate Tern in Suffolk and Montagu's Harrier in Yorkshire. Spoonbills were in Norfolk (2), Suffolk (7), Scilly, Lincolnshire (2), Kent and Argyll (2).
-  Will Soar, RBA