Daily News Summaries
This page gives you access to all of RBA's daily news summaries (since April 13, 2006), 10 days at a time. The most recent are shown, or you can select a specific date to show (along with the previous 10 days). Prior to April 13, 2006 you can find weekly reviews, located in articles.
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Thursday 22nd May 2008  
  Red-footed Falcons continued to the most reported rarity today, with birds in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire and Bedfordshire. New rarities included a Savi's Warbler trapped and ringed on Fair Isle, Shetland, a White-winged Black Tern at Hickling Broad NWT, Norfolk, and a Subalpine Warbler on St.Kilda, Western Isles.

A Black Kite was watched for half an hour in Lancashire in the afternoon, and an American Golden Plover was present in County Wicklow. Scarce migrants included an Ortolan Bunting at Land's End, Cornwall, with two Golden Orioles nearby, a Bluethroat still on Inner Farne, Northumberland, Wryneck on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Short-toed Lark in Yorkshire and Scilly, Red-backed Shrike in Yorkshire and a Tawny Pipit at Waxham, Norfolk.
Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 21st May 2008  
  Another Great Reed Warbler was located today, in the reeds by the East Bank, Cley NWT, Norfolk. The bird is probably a female, as it is not singing, and is therefore proving tricky to relocate. The singing male remained at Amwell, Hertfordshire. Bee-eaters were in Suffolk and Devon, and Red-footed Falcons were at six sites, involving at least eight birds.

A Red-rumped Swallow was seen briefly in Essex, and lingering rarities included Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, King Eider in Shetland and the two Black-winged Stilts still at Neumann's Flash, Cheshire.

Other notable records included an Ortolan Bunting on St Kilda, Western Isles, Bluethroats on Hilbre Island, Wirral, Inner Farne, Northumberland and St Kilda, Western Isles, Red-backed Shrike in Aberdeenshire and a Common Rosefinch on Orkney.
Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 20th May 2008  
  Belated news from Saturday concerned a White-crowned Sparrow in Fife, which was photographed in a garden but not seen since. Today's new rarities included a first-summer Bonaparte's Gull in Devon this evening, off Exminster Marshes RSPB, and then at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB, an adult White-tailed Eagle was near Braintree, Essex, a Great Reed Warbler was at Amwell Gravel-pits, Hertfordshire and new Red-footed Falcons were in Cornwall (two) and Essex, with six other birds still lingering.

Subalpine Warblers were at Wester Quarff, Shetland and Gorran Haven, Cornwall, with a Bee-eater in Somerset, Little Bittern still in Devon, King Eiders in Ayrshire and on Shetland and the male Snowy Owl remained on North Uist. A Broad-billed Sandpiper was present yesterday in Lincolnshire, at Alkborough Flats.
Will Soar, RBA
Monday 19th May 2008  
  The highlight of the day was a Rustic Bunting on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd with the other new discoveries consisting of brief encounters with a Red-rumped Swallow in Kent and a Black Kite in Surrey

In England lingering rarities comprised the Little Bittern in Dorset, Red-rumped Swallow on the Isles of Scilly, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, two Cattle Egrets in Gloucestershire and both Whiskered Tern and two Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire. Red-footed Falcons were seen in Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Northamptonshire with two together in South Yorkshire.

Elsewhere, in Scotland a Snowy Owl showed again on the Western Isles whilst single King Eiders stayed in Ayrshire and the Shetland Isles. In Wales the Black Duck remained in Pembrokeshire as did the Great White Egret in Powys and the Falcated Duck on Anglesey. In Ireland the Great White Egret was seen again in County Cork.

Scarcities were represented by Red-breasted Flycatcher and Red-spotted Bluethroat together off the Isle of Man, Short-toed Lark off Devon, Woodchat Shrike in Cornwall, Wryneck in Norfolk and Temminck's Stints in Cambridgeshire (2), Kent (3) and Lincolnshire.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 18th May 2008  
  Portland Bill, Dorset scored again, with a male Thrush Nightingale singing near the observatory today, although it was elusive and only seen briefly a few times. The Eastern Olivaceous Warbler was even more elusive, however, being seen just twice this evening. The Little Bittern nearby at Lodmoor RSPB was seen a few times in flight, and just once perched in the reeds for a few minutes.

Southern rarities included four more new Red-footed Falcons, in London, Hampshire, Cambridgeshire and on the Kent/Surrey border. A Red-rumped Swallow spent the morning at Leasowe Lighthouse, Wirral, and a Bee-eater was on the Isle of Skye, Highland this evening, with another on Portland Bill, Dorset. A Black Stork was seen a couple of times in the Arlington Reservoir area, East Sussex mid morning.

Lingering rarities included the male Snowy Owl on North Uist, Western Isles, King Eider in Ayrshire with another on Fair Isle, American Golden Plover in Devon, Great Reed Warbler in Suffolk, Whiskered Tern in Cheshire, Glossy Ibises in Hampshire and Merseyside and eight or nine Red-footed Falcons.
Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 17th May 2008  
  A four mile radius around Weymouth produced the goods today. Firstly, an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler was trapped and ringed at Portland Bill, but remained very elusive for the rest of the day. Nearby, at Lodmoor RSPB, Red-rumped Swallow, Little Bittern and Purple Heron were all seen, while a Great White Egret and a Cattle Egret were in and around Radipole Lake RSPB, and a Glossy Ibis spent five minutes on The Fleet at Ferrybridge.

Suffolk produced another Great Reed Warbler, this time at Minsmere RSPB, but this bird was just as elusive as last weeks Lakenheath Fen individual. A Bee-eater was seen in Norfolk, at Holkham Pines, and new Red-footed Falcons were in Somerset and Cambridgeshire, with lingering birds also in Somerset and Cambridgeshire, South Yorkshire (two), Suffolk (two), Essex and Bedfordshire. Other southern species included another Glossy Ibis in Hampshire, with at least one Black Kite in the county and another Great White Egret, in Staffordshire,

The male Snowy Owl was seen once again on North Uist, Western Isles, and a White-billed Diver was in the Sound of Harris.
Will Soar, RBA
Friday 16th May 2008  
  Red-footed Falcons were seen in Somerset, Bedfordshire, South Yorkshire, Essex and Suffolk, which were all lingering birds. A new Glossy Ibis was found in Somerset, at Shapwick Heath NNR, although it remained mobile throughout the afternoon.

Deceased rarities included a Little Bittern found recently near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, and the long staying adult Ross's Gull was also found dead today.

The Whiskered Tern continued its stay at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB, Cheshire, as did the Bee-eater on Scilly, American Golden Plover in Devon, Subalpine Warbler on Fair Isle, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and the pair of Black-winged Stints in Cheshire. A small influx of Temminck's Stints occurred with 26 birds seen, including flocks of four and five in London and Kent respectively.
Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 13th May 2008  
  New discoveries today included, on the Isles of Scilly Red-rumped Swallow on St Agnes and four Cattle Egrets on St Mary's, in County Londonderry a Blue-winged Teal at Lough Beg, in Gwynedd a Subalpine Warbler on Bardsey Island, on the Western Isles a Bee-eater on Barra and in London what was presumed to be a Spanish Wagtail. Elsewhere, reports of briefly encountered rarities consisted of a Marsh Sandpiper in Essex, White-rumped Sandpiper in Gloucestershire, Black Kite in Cornwall and Bee-eaters in both Hertfordshire and Kent.

Lingering rarities comprised the Ross's Gull in Lancashire, Whiskered Tern in Gloucestershire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, two Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire, Bee-eater on the Isles of Scilly and Great White Egret in County Cork.

Red-footed Falcons continued to be discovered with ten seen today; two each in both South Yorkshire and Suffolk and singles in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset and West Yorkshire

Notable scarcities included a Red-necked Phalarope in Essex, Woodchat Shrike in Pembrokeshire, Night Heron in Suffolk and a Serin and two Golden Orioles in East Yorkshire. Twelve Temminck's Stints were recorded from seven counties.
Chris Batty, RBA
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