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 26th June 2013  
  The White-throated Needletail on the Isle of Harris, Western Isles, widely dubbed "bird of the century" by many of the birders who connected, remained over Loch Direcleit from mid morning until early afternoon, where it showed exceptionally well, often flying within inches of the gathered crowd. It flew south at 12.30pm, around five minutes before the first boat passengers arrived on site, but was relocated just over two hours later, over moorland a little further south. The day took an unexpected and, for many, upsetting turn when, at around 5.45pm, the swift collided with the only wind turbine in the south of the island, and was picked up dead a few minutes later.

A Black-winged Pratincole on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent was the only new rarity discovered today. It was first located at 11.40am, although it was distant and mobile, last being seen at 4pm when it flew off west.

Lingering rarities seen today included the breeding Little Bitterns at Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset, Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes KWT, Kent, King Eider on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire and Glossy Ibis at Marloes Mere, Pembrokeshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 25th June 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the appearance of one of the ultimate megas for the British birder: a White-throated Needletail at Tarbert,  Isle of Harris, Western Isles. First noted late in the afternoon, it remained there into the evening, and is now known to have first been seen there yesterday. This is the first to be seen in Britain and Ireland since June 1991, and will be recorded as the ninth record ever, although it seems likely that it is actually only the fourth individual to reach here, with eight sightings between 25th May 1984 and 14th June 1991 likely to have been a returning bird. It is, of course, hoped it will remain until tomorrow, and become the first twitchable record since one on Hoy, Orkney Isles on 28th May-8th June 1988.

New rarities elsewhere comprised a Black Stork in Gloucestershire - over-flying both Woorgreens Lake and Staple-edge Woods - and a Gull-billed Tern present this evening at Bowling Green Marsh, Devon. Meanwhile, in Kent the Bonaparte's Gull remained, as did the Western Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Melodious Warbler (Nottinghamshire), White-winged Black Tern (Western Isles), Purple Heron and Pectoral Sandpiper (East Yorkshire), Marsh Warbler (2 together on the Shetland Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Suffolk), Golden Oriole (Orkney Isles), Grey-headed Wagtail (Fife), and Common Rosefinch (Anglesey, Northumberland and Perth and Kinross).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 24th June 2013  
  Today's highlights included the lingering Western Subalpine Warbler on Shetland, Melodious Warbler in Nottinghamshire, Serin in Dorset, Temminck's Stint and Grey-headed Wagtail in Fife, Common Rosefinches in Perth & Kinross and Anglesey, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Purple Herons in Norfolk and East Yorkshire, Pectoral Sandpiper in Orkney and Ring-necked Ducks in North Yorkshire and Lothian. The possible Margelanic Lesser Whitethroat remained in Devon.

Yesterday a Black-headed Bunting was at Gatehouse of Fleet (Dumfries & Galloway).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 23rd June 2013  
  A surprise Arctic Warbler at Skaw, Whalsay, Shetland is only the fourth June record ever, following three others on Shetland in 1995, 1996 and 2005. A male Red-footed Falcon flew over The Pillinge, Bedfordshire mid morning, whilst a Bee-eater flew over the M6 near Lymm, Cheshire mid afternoon. Late news from yesterday concerned a male Black-headed Bunting photographed in a garden at Mainsriddle, Dumfries and Galloway.

Lingering rarities included just the Wilson's Phalarope on the Isle of Wight and the Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes, Kent, whilst the possible Margelanic Lesser Whitethroat remained on territory in Devon.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 22nd June 2013  
  No new rarities were discovered today, but lingering rarities included the Wilson's Phalarope at Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes, Kent and Glossy Ibis at Marloes Mere, Pembrokeshire.

Scarcity highlights included Melodious Warbler in Nottinghamshire, Rose-coloured Starling in Norfolk, Red-backed Shrike on Orkney, Common Rosefinches in Anglesey, Perth and Kinross and Orkney (two), Ring-necked Ducks in Yorkshire, Lothian and County Armagh, Sabine's Gull in Glamorgan and Pectoral Sandpiper on Orkney.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 21st June 2013  
  A Black Kite over Bernisdale, Isle of Skye was the only new rarity reported today.

Lingering rarities included the Wilson's Phalarope on the Isle of Wight, Western Subalpine Warbler on Fair Isle and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler in Nottinghamshire, Rose-coloured Starlings in Norfolk and Orkney, White-spotted Bluethroat in Lancashire, Red-backed Shrike in Lincolnshire and Common Rosefinches in Anglesey and Perth and Kinross.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 20th June 2013  
  A heard only Bee-eater which flew over Nosterfield NR, North Yorkshire was the only rarity discovered today.

Lingering rarities included the Wilson's Phalarope at Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, Snowy Owl on Arranmore Island, County Donegal, Western Subalpine Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland, Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes NR, Kent and Glossy Ibis at Marloes Mere, Pembrokeshire.

Scarcity highlights included the Rose-coloured Starling at Wells, Norfolk, White-spotted Bluethroat at Martin Mere WWT, Lancashire, Hoopoe at Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon, Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Cemlyn, Anglesey, Pectoral Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB, Cheshire, Red-necked Phalarope at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire, Common Rosefinch at Tressait, Perth and Kinross, single Marsh Warblers in Wiltshire, Lincolnshire, Orkney and Shetland, two Golden Orioles on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Ring-necked Duck at Tingwall, Shetland and two Surf Scoters off Blackdog, Aberdeenshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 19th June 2013  
  Rarities today comprised the Roller still in Norfolk, Wilson's Phalarope on the Isle of Wight, Western Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, and a Black Kite flew over Cambridgeshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Norfolk), Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall), Common Rosefinch and Red-backed Shrike (County Wexford), White-spotted Bluethroat (Lancashire), Marsh Warbler (two together in Shetland), Hoopoe (Dorset), Golden Oriole (Orkney Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (Cheshire) and Surf Scoter (three in Aberdeenshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 18th June 2013  
  New discoveries comprised Gull-billed Tern in Lincolnshire, Wilson's Phalarope on Isle of Wight, Greenish Warbler in Pembrokeshire, American Golden Plover in Cambridgeshire and Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll.

The Greenish Warbler in Lancashire, Roller in Norfolk, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire and Western Subalpine Warbler on Fair Isle all lingered.

Scarcities included Common Rosefinch in Perth & Kinross and Red-necked Phalarope in Cambridgeshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 17th June 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Roller in Norfolk at Holt. Rarities elsewhere comprised the territorial Greenish Warbler still in Lancashire, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire. On the Shetland Isles a new Western Subalpine Warbler arrived on Fair Isle, whilst in Kent a Red-rumped Swallow flew over Swalecliffe.

Scarcities included Marsh Warbler (Highland), Red-backed Shrike (East Yorkshire), Golden Oriole (Orkney Isles), Wryneck (London), Ring-billed Gull (County Wexford), Green-winged Teal (Pembrokeshire), Common Rosefinch and two Ring-necked Ducks (all Shetland Isles).
-  Chris Batty, RBA