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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Saturday 6th May 2006  
  Red-rumped Swallows were the flavour of the day, with one reaching as far north as Shetland and another arriving on Cape Clear Island, Co.Cork. Other singles were found in Cleveland, Isle of Wight and Devon. Equally prominent were Black Kites, the lions share being found in Kent; two flew over Abbot's Cliff, whilst singles were logged over Bockhill Farm and Walland Marsh, Another drifted north over Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk.

A Greenish Warbler was reported at Gringley Carr, Nottinghamshire, singing and showing well for thirty minutes; if genuine, this is a truly remarkable inland record, especially so early in the year. A far more expected passerine for the time of year was a male Western Subalpine Warbler on St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly. In Scotland an adult drake King Eider graced the Ythan Estuary and a probable Iberian Chiffchaff was singing at Pressmennan Lake, near Dunbar, Lothian, for it's second day.

In Lancashire, the 3 Black-winged Stilts continued to entertain at Martin Mere WWT, along with a Pectoral Sandpiper. Also in the Northwest, the elusive Subalpine Warbler continued to frustrate would-be observers on Hilbre Island.

Yesterdays Rose-breasted Grosbeak was reported again at Holme early morning, but if still present, it did an excellent job of hiding for the rest of the day. The long-staying Franklin's Gull remained at Northam Burrows Country Park and in Ireland the drake Blue-winged Teal was still in Co.Down, and the adult Laughing Gull remained in Galway.

Pick of the bunch from the national scarcities was a Woodchat Shrike at Torver Low Common, Cumbria, but an Hoopoe at Beeley Moor, Derbyshire was also an excellent local record. Other highlights included Short-toed Lark on Fair Isle, Woodchat Shrike on North Ronaldsay, Grey Headed Wagtail at Black Rock Sands, Gwynedd and Tawny Pipit at Flamborough Head, whilst Norfolk contributed Grey-headed Wagtail at West Runton, Kentish Plover at Snettisham and Purple Heron at Titchwell.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 5th May 2006  
  Biggest and most surprising news of the day came in the form of a 1st-summer female Rose-breasted Grosbeak that had been trapped and ringed in the Holme/Thornham area of Norfolk after having previously been in care due to flying into a window the day before. This is the first record of this species outside of autumn/winter and represents the first record for Norfolk. Unfortunately, it was only seen by a select few observers. Other new rarities included up to four Black Kites, with two each in Norfolk and Suffolk, a total of three Great White Egrets with individuals at Butterstreet Cove (Dorset), Slimbridge WWT (Glos) and North Duffield Carrs (N.Yorks), White-billed Diver off Lewis, Blue-winged Teal in Co. Down, Laughing Gull in Dorset and Bee-eater in West Yorkshire. The three Black-winged Stilts that were at Far Ings NR yesterday appeared at Martin Mere WWT in Lancashire and stayed throughout the day. A possible Iberian Chiffchaff was found singing at Holland Haven Country Park (Essex).
-  Richard Moores, RBA
Thursday 4th May 2006  
  A busy day yielded no less than eight new rarities including a Brunnich’s Guillemot that was found dead on Yell. Most popular of the extant rares were a party of three Black-winged Stilts that appeared at Far Ings RSPB reserve during the afternoon. The birds were mobile around the reserve but continued to show until dusk. In Ireland a brace of White-winged Black Terns showed in Co. Westmeath. These birds were part of a notable influx of Black Terns into Britain and Ireland during the day. A Red-throated Pipit in Kent showed to only the early risers at Bockhill Farm while a drake King Eider again appeared off Blackdog, Aberdeenshire. A duo of new Laughing Gulls appeared in Cornwall and Co. Galway and a Great White Egret was reported over Storwood, S.Yorks to complete the new rares.

Best of the rest included a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Lothian that moved from Tyninghame Bay to Aberlady Bay, Pectoral Sandpiper at Martin Mere WWT, male Red-backed Shrike at Land’s End, singing Yellow-browed Warbler at Dungeness, and a decent passage of Pomarine Skuas past the south coast. An influx of Garganey was also notable.
-  Richard Moores, RBA
Wednesday 3rd May 2006  
  Portland, Dorset was certainly the place today with highlights including three Red-rumped Swallows, two Serins, a male Ashy-headed Wagtail and a Wryneck. Elsewhere a Black-winged Stilt arrived on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent and a Blue-winged Teal was found at Brodgar, Orkney, whilst a Bee-eater flew over Sheringham, Norfolk. The most notable discoveries amongst the national scarcities were a Serin at Landguard, Suffolk, a Wryneck at Horsey, Norfolk and a Kentish Plover at Dawlish Warren, Devon.
-  Richard Moores and Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 2nd May 2006  
  Bird of the day was a Gull-billed Tern in southeast Devon. First seen briefly on the Axe Estuary at Seaton it soon flew off west and was relocated on the Exe Estuary in the evening. Other highlights included an Alpine Swift over St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly and a singing Bonelli’s Warbler species briefly at Rutland Water, Leicestershire.

A Woodchat Shrike at Long Eaton, Derbyshire was an excellent local record, as was the Montagu’s Harrier that remained at Belfast Harbour Estate, Co Down. A good passage of Pomarine Skuas was more routine with maximum day counts of 25 off Bowness-on-Solway, Cumbria, 11 Selsey Bill, West Sussex and six at both Dungeness, Kent and Thurlestone Bay, Devon.

A female aythya duck at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, that was originally identified as a Redhead, eventually showed well and photographs proved the bird to be hybrid of unknown parentage; and certainly not a pure Redhead.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 1st May 2006  
  Whilst Mayday brought several new rarities it lacked the major find many were hoping for on this bank holiday. The picks of the bunch were a Long-billed Dowitcher inland at Nosterfield, North Yorkshire and an Alpine Swift at Arlington Reservoir, East Sussex, whilst a mobile Broad-billed Sandpiper on the Exe Estuary, Devon gave many would-be watchers the run-around. A Blue-winged Teal was present near Borriskane, Co Tipperary, a Gull-billed Tern flew past Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire whilst yet another White-billed Diver was discovered in northwest Scotland; off Handa, Highland.

It was a good day for inland birders with Bar-tailed Godwits and Arctic Terns at many sites whilst coastal locations logged several Pomarine Skuas.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 30th April 2006  
  A male Subalpine Warbler was trapped and ringed on Hilbre Island, Wirral, in the morning but proved to be elusive during the rest of the day. Nearby a Great Grey Shrike was at Leasowe. A 1st summer Laughing Gull was at Penzance, a new White-billed Diver was off south Mainland, Shetland and a Great White Egret was reported over Earith Gravel Pits, Cambs. One of two Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls, first reported yesterday, was still at Hermaness, Unst, Shetland.

Long-staying rarities included the Bonaparte's Gull at Belfast Lough County Antrim, the Franklin's Gull at Northam Burrows Country Park, Devon, the American Golden Plover at Cemlyn Lagoon, Anglesey, and the drake Lesser Scaup at Swithland Reservoir in Leicestershire. There was a Hoopoe at West Bexington, Dorset, a Montagu's Harrier near Belfast Lough RSPB, County Down, a popular Dotterel at Salthouse, Norfolk and patch watchers were rewarded with plenty of spring migrants including a number of Common Scoters and Arctic Terns on inland waters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 29th April 2006  
  The inevitable anticipation that a Spring Bank Holiday always brings could not be matched in reality today with no new rarities discovered throughout the British Isles. New Hoopoes were discovered at South Walney, Cumbria and in Dorset at both Hengistbury Head and Portland.

Most notable amongst the long staying rarities was the reappearance of both the Long-billed Dowitcher at Old Hall Marshes, Essex and the Laughing Gull at Devoran Quay, Cornwall. The Whiskered Tern showed again at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset but went missing during the morning; to the chagrin of many.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 28th April 2006  
  The high point of a relatively quiet day was the discovery of a Whiskered Tern at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, in the afternoon, which then showed distantly until dark. The only other new rarity discovered today was a Coues’s Arctic Redpoll near Thetford, Norfolk.

A Hoopoe at Portland, Dorset was the pick of today’s scarcities, whilst elsewhere Dotterel continued to arrive, including three at Gringley on the Hill, Nottinghamshire and one at Foulden, Norfolk. A Night Heron showed briefly at Dungeness, Kent. Birders in the English Midlands were treated a strong passage of Arctic Terns, with a maximum count of 220 at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire in the evening.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 27th April 2006  
  A Red-rumped Swallow flew over St.Margaret's at Cliffe in Kent, and what was probably the same bird was seen an hour later over Kingsdown but, unfortunately, it was not seen again. An Alpine Swift was a good find at Ogston Reservoir, Derbyshire and proved popular during the evening and first thing the next morning. A Black Stork was reported over Minsmere RSPB Reserve and Westleton Heath, both Suffolk, and a Caspian Tern was reported at Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottinghamshire.
-  Richard Moores, RBA