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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Tuesday 15th April 2008  
  An adult White-tailed Eagle was watched for a few minutes as it drifted over Seaforth LWT, Merseyside late afternoon. Other new rarities included a White-billed Diver off North Ronaldsay, Orkney, and a Black Kite yesterday over Ramsgate, Kent. Another Black Kite was seen over Hickling, Norfolk.

The male Little Crake remained at Exminster Marshes RSPB, Devon, showing down to just 10 feet. Also in Devon, the King Eider was seen again in the Bideford area, and the drake Lesser Scaup was still in Cornwall, at Dozmary Pool.

Twenty-eight Cattle Egrets were seen, with Great White Egrets on Shetland and in Suffolk. A Ross's Goose was found in Perth and Kinross, near the Vane Farm RSPB on Loch Leven.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 14th April 2008  
  The male Little Crake remained at Exminster Marshes RSPB, Devon, showing very well for much of the day. In nearby Cornwall, a drake Lesser Scaup was present for its second day at Dozmary Pool, Bodmin Moor, with the three Black-winged Stilts still at Windmill Farm Nature Reserve, Lizard.

Both Spotted Sandpipers were seen again today, in Glamorgan and Forth, and Cattle Egrets were in London, Ceredigion, Sussex (three), Devon (ten), Dorset and Cornwall (six). A Red-breasted Goose, of unknown origin, was seen late afternoon in Northumberland, in the Druridge Pools NR/ Cresswell Pond NWT area.

Summer migrants continued to arrive, although winter visitors such as Rough-legged Buzzard and Waxwing were still present also. The Pallas's Warbler was still singing in Northumberland, at Swallow Pond NR.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 13th April 2008  
  A female Penduline Tit was trapped and ringed in the Wiltshire section of the Cotswold Water Park this morning, but it failed to show later in the day. In Devon the stunning male Little Crake continued to attract the crowds to Exminster Marshes RSPB, and the King Eider, Falcated Duck and eleven Cattle Egrets also remained in the same county. Elsewhere Cattle Egrets remained in London, Essex, Norfolk and at least sixteen were still in Cornwall.

Other rarities included Spotted Sandpiper in Forth, three Black-winged Stilts in Cornwall and several Lesser Scaups, and scarcities came in the form of Hoopoes in Dorset and Gloucestershire, Pallas's Warblers in Northumberland and Dorset, Purple Heron in Cornwall and Night Heron on Fair Isle.

A Grey-bellied Brant was amongst Pale-bellied Brent Geese at Killough harbour, Co Down and a Dotterel was noted at Tacumshin, Co Wexford.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 12th April 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of several rarities, most notably the Little Crake in Devon - which showed well to all-comers at Exminster Marshes - with both King Eider and Falcated Duck still present in the same county. The Black Duck was seen again in Pembrokeshire as were the three Black-winged Stilts in Cornwall, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, American Herring Gull in County Galway, Richardson's Canada Goose in County Sligo, single Lesser Scaups in both Forth and Somerset and Great White Egrets in both the Shetland Isles and Suffolk.

Mobile Black Kites were noted in Angus, Norfolk and Suffolk, with perhaps two individuals in the latter counties.

Notable scarcities included a Pallas's Warbler in Northumberland, Purple Heron in Cornwall, Hoopoe in Gloucestershire, Wryneck in West Sussex and single Night Herons in both County Cork and the Shetland Isles.

Cattle Egret reports comprised five in both Devon and County Waterford with singles in each of Ceredigion, Cheshire, Dorset, Essex, London and Norfolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 11th April 2008  
  The male Little Crake continued to show well in Devon, today, at Exminster Marshes RSPB. New rarities included an adult White-tailed Eagle at Slimbridge WWT for a few minutes mid morning, but it then flew south and was not relocated. A Great White Egret was on Unst, Shetland, with another found in Hertfordshire at Wilstone Reservoir, which was later seen to fly over College Lake, Buckinghamshire.

The Killdeer was refound on Shetland, this time relocating to the Isle of Noss, with other rarities including Bonaparte's Gull on South Uist, Western Isles, Spotted Sandpipers in Forth and Glamorgan, three Black-winged Stilts in Cornwall and Cattle Egrets in Norfolk, Hampshire and Cornwall.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 10th April 2008  
  Two more Black Kites were found today, both brief fly-overs, in Kent, over Sandwich Bay, and in East Yorkshire, over Hornsea Mere. Two White-billed Divers were seen on the Western Isles, off Port Nis, Lewis, with another on Shetland off Wester Quarff.

King Eiders were seen in Ayrshire, Aberdeenshire, and the Devon bird reappeared off Northam Burrows Country Park. Also in Devon, the adult male Little Crake continued to show very well at Exminster Marshes RSPB. The Black Duck was still in Pembrokeshire at Marloes Mere, but there was no sign today of the Dark-eyed Junco in Kent.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 9th April 2008  
  The highlight of the day was a male Little Crake that showed throughout the day at Exminster Marshes, Devon. Elsewhere, in Norfolk a Red-rumped Swallow was tracked along the coast from Winterton to Blakeney Point and in Leicestershire news broke of a Great White Egret at Sheepy Parva.

Lingering rarities included the Dark-eyed Junco still in Kent, three Black-winged Stilts together in Cornwall, Black Kite and Great White Egret in Suffolk, American Herring Gull in County Galway, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Glossy Ibis and Ross's Goose in Lancashire, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll and Falcated Duck in Devon.

Notable scarcities recorded today were single Purple Herons in Cornwall, Somerset and Suffolk, single Serins in both Cornwall and Dorset, a Pallas's Warbler in Dorset, Night Heron on the Shetland Isles and a White-spotted Bluethroat in Lancashire.

Cattle Egret reports comprised fifteen in Cornwall, five in Devon and one in Dorset.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 8th April 2008  
  New rarities reported today included a Little Bittern at Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll on Fair Isle, Red-rumped Swallow at Kelling, Norfolk and several Black Kite sightings along the North Norfolk coast, with another in Suffolk.

In Kent the first-winter Dark-eyed Junco remained on show at Dungeness, Kent, where it was joined by a male White-spotted Bluethroat. Another male White-spotted Bluethroat at Aldcliffe Marsh, Lancashire, was a tremendous west coast discovery. The party of three Black-winged Stilts continued to show on The Lizard, Cornwall, and in Suffolk a couple of Penduline Tits reappeared near Oulton Broad.

Lingering rarities came in the form of Spotted Sandpipers in Forth and Glamorgan, Black Duck in Pembrokeshire, Ross's Goose in Lancashire, Lesser Scaups in Dumfries and Galloway and Somerset, King Eider in Ayrshire and Barrow's Goldeneye in Co Down.

 
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 7th April 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the early morning discovery of a Dark-eyed Junco at Dungeness, Kent. The second record for both the site and the county, it went on to show throughout day was gratefully received by many birders. Elsewhere, three Black-winged Stilts were found at Lizard, Cornwall, a Red-rumped Swallow toured the Suffolk coast between North Warren and Minsmere and a Franklin's Gull was located in the evening roost at Newnham, Gloucestershire.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Black Duck in Pembrokeshire, American Herring Gull in County Galway, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, King Eider in Ayrshire, Bonaparte's Gull on the Western Isles, Great White Egret in Norfolk, Ross's Goose in Lancashire and both Lesser Scaup and Great White Egret in Somerset.

Cattle Egret reports comprised six in Devon, four together in West Sussex, two in Cornwall and one in Dorset.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 6th April 2008  
  Lingering rarities included Black Duck in Pembrokeshire, American Herring Gull in County Galway, King Eider in Ayrshire, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Bonaparte's Gull on the Western Isles, Great White Egret in Somerset and both Spotted Sandpiper and Lesser Scaup in Forth.

Cattle Egret reports comprised six in Cornwall, five in Devon and singles in each of Cheshire, Dorset and Norfolk.

Scarce spring migrants were headlined by a Purple Heron in Somerset, Hoopoe in Berkshire and a Night Heron on the Shetland Isles. The singing Pallas's Warbler remained in Dorset.
-  Chris Batty, RBA