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 28th May 2008  
  Yesterday was good on the east coast, but today was even better. Excellent numbers of scarce migrants, including Red-backed Shrikes, Icterine Warblers, Red-spotted Bluethroats, Red-breasted Flycatchers, Marsh Warblers, Common Rosefinches and Grey-headed Wagtails made landfall at many coastal locations between Shetland and Suffolk. A Roller in Lincolnshire, Subalpine Warblers in North Yorkshire and Cleveland, three Ortolan Buntings, Serin, Bee-eater and Thrush Nightingale in East Yorkshire, Barred Warbler in Northumberland, Rustic Bunting in Orkney and Red-throated Pipit in Norfolk all arrived amongst the more numerous species.

Elsewhere Bee-eaters flew over Isles of Scilly and West Sussex, an Alpine Swift spent the latter part of the day on a building in Lewes, East Sussex, an Ortolan Bunting was on Isles of Scilly and a Red-footed Falcon was located on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. A Black-winged Stilt arrived at Dungeness RSPB, Kent, a Red-spotted Bluethroat made it across the country to Walney Island, Cumbria and presumably the recent Orkney Black Stork flew over Mainland Shetland. In Leicestershire the popular Marsh Sandpiper remained at Rutland Water, the American Golden Plover reappeared in Devon, the pair of Black-winged Stilts hatched three young in Cheshire and the female Citrine Wagtail briefly reappeared at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 27th May 2008  
  The amazing occurrence of both a Stilt Sandpiper and Marsh Sandpiper at Rutland Water, Leicestershire was today's headline event - the former lingered until 2.55pm when it flew high to the west and the latter was found early evening. Two county firsts, both on the same lagoon, at the same site, on the same day - remarkable.

Easterly winds coincided with rainfall on the east coast and produced an excellent fall of scarcities. Birders at Spurn enjoyed the highest numbers - at least seven Icterine Warblers, six Red-backed Shrikes, two Red-spotted Bluethroats, three Marsh Warblers, two Grey-headed Wagtails and a Red-breasted Flycatcher were all discovered on the peninsula. Common Rosefinches and further Red-backed Shrikes, Icterine Warblers and Red-breasted Flycatchers were scattered along the east coast between Aberdeenshire and Suffolk.

A female Citrine Wagtail at Titchwell RSPB, Red-throated Pipit on Blakeney Point, Red-spotted Bluethroat at West Runton and Icterine Warblers at Cley and Wells Woods were the star finds in Norfolk.

The remaining new rarities included a Whiskered Tern at Llangorse Lake, Powys, White-winged Black Tern at Lodmoor RSPB, White-billed Diver in Highland, Black-winged Stilts in Co Cork and Co Tipperary and on Bardsey Island, a Subalpine Warbler was re-trapped, having previously been ringed on the island on 13th May.

A Pectoral Sandpiper in Carmarthenshire, Purple Heron in Gloucestershire, Bee-eater in Highland and Black Duck in Co Donegal are also all worth a mention.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 26th May 2008  
  On the Shetlands, two new Subalpine Warblers were found on Mainland, one at Sumburgh, and another at Scatness. Also on Shetland a Tawny Pipit remained at Boddam on Mainland and two Icterine Warblers were on Fair Isle. Other eastern birds brought in by strong easterlies included an Icterine Warbler in Orkney and on the Yorkshire coast, three Icterine Warblers, a Red-breasted Flycatcher and a Golden Oriole, along with a new Red-footed Falcon at Howden and the lingering Broad-billed Sandpiper on the Humber Estuary at Spurn.

Other Red-footed Falcons could still be found near Livingston in Lothian, near Ingleby in Derbyshire and on the New Forest in Hampshire. The Black Stork was seen again in Orkney, the Glossy Ibis remained at Marshside Marsh in Merseyside and single Cattle Egrets were reported from Kent, Dorset and Devon. A Black Kite was seen at Udimore in East Sussex and a Tawny Pipit remained at Rye Harbour where there was also belated news of a Bee-eater yesterday.

A female Red-necked Phalarope was at Heacham in Norfolk and a number of Fulmars appeared inland to reward patch watchers.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Sunday 25th May 2008  
  A Trumpeter Finch on North Rona was the outstanding discovery of the day. Other new discoveries included a Red-footed Falcon at Almondell and Calder Wood Country Park, Lothian, King Eiders in Shetland and Co Wexford, a Bee-eater in Cornwall and Cattle Egret at South Huish, Devon.

In East Yorkshire the Broad-billed Sandpiper was still at Spurn, Red-footed Falcons remained in Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire and the Black Stork was still on Mainland Orkney.

Scarcity highlights included a Tawny Pipit at Rye Harbour NR, Short-toed Larks in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Red-breasted Flycatcher at Dungeness, Kent and three male Red-backed Shrikes together on Dartmoor, Devon.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 24th May 2008  
  A female Collared Flycatcher on North Ronaldsay, Orkney was today's best new discovery. This is the second island record, following the  female on 31st May 1999. A male Rustic Bunting on South Ronaldsay was also a quality find and the lingering Black Stork on Mainland completed a fine trio of Orkney rarities. A Rustic Bunting on Fair Isle, Shetland and Red-throated Pipit on Pabbay, Western Isles were both unavailable to the masses, and those new rarities that did grace the mainland proved to be difficult to connect with - Broad-billed Sandpiper at Spurn, Bee-eaters in Cornwall, Black Kites in Hampshire and a Red-footed Falcon in Kent were all tricky. A possible Booted Eagle briefly over the New Forest, Hampshire also evaded further detection.

Several Red-footed Falcons were still at large, including popular individuals in Derbyshire, Hampshire and Norfolk. A singing male Ortolan Bunting in Drigg, Cumbria was a tremendous find and a Marsh Warbler at Filey, North Yorkshire, Tawny Pipit on Mainland Shetland, Pectoral Sandpiper at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire, Common Rosefinch and Red-spotted Bluethroat in Kilnsea, East Yorkshire, Icterine Warbler at Hartlepool, Cleveland, Short-toed Larks in Cornwall, St Kilda and Isles of Scilly and Red-backed Shrikes in North Yorkshire, London, Devon and on North Uist were all noteworthy.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 23rd May 2008  
  New discoveries included an Alpine Swift at Newbiggin, Northumberland, Subalpine Warbler on North Uist, Western Isles, Red-footed Falcons in the New Forest, Hampshire and at Upton Marshes, Norfolk, Black Duck in Cornwall and a Cattle Egret at Miskin, Glamorgan.

A Black Stork again flew over Mainland Orkney and lingering rarities came in the form of a King Eider in Ayrshire, the pair of Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire, Great White Egret in Powys, Red-rumped Swallow on Isles of Scilly, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Red-footed Falcons in Suffolk, Derbyshire and Bedfordshire

Red-backed Shrikes made landfall in Devon (2), Fife and Lothian, a Hoopoe was seen briefly at Spurn, a Common Rosefinch was at Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire, the Bluethroat remained on Farne Islands and Short-toed Larks were on Isles of Scilly and Bardsey Island, Gwynedd.

Fair Isle hosted two each of Icterine Warbler and Common Rosefinch along with three Bluethroats and the lingering Surf Scoter and St Kilda held a Snowy Owl and Bluethroat.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
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