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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Sunday 10th May 2009  
  A pratincole at Reculver, Kent, initially reported as a Collared Pratincole was later re-identified as the first Black-winged Pratincole to grace British shores for eight years. On Isles of Scilly a Little Bittern was discovered on St Mary's and in Dumfries & Galloway a Whiskered Tern lingered off Seafield.

Lingering rarities included the singing male Brown-headed Cowbird on Fair Isle, Red-rumped Swallow in Norfolk, Savi's Warbler in Essex, Pallid Swift in Merseyside and Wood Duck on Shetland. Great White Egrets were recorded in Powys and Cleveland and five Cattle Egrets comprised three in Cambridgeshire and singles in Lancashire and Leicestershire.

Notable scarcities came in the form of Great Grey Shrikes in Norfolk and Staffordshire, Woodchat Shrike on Isles of Scilly, Purple Heron in Somerset, Waxwing on Lewis, as well as 46 Dotterels, four Temminck's Stints, three Golden Orioles, three Pectoral Sandpipers and two Grey-headed Wagtails.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 9th May 2009  
  The male Brown-headed Cowbird remained for its second day on Fair Isle, Shetland, delighting the few that managed to charter onto the island this afternoon. Also on Shetland, two Black Ducks were on Loch of Hillwell this evening, and the Wood Duck was still on Loch of Brow.

Further south, a male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was present all day at Portland Bill, Dorset. New Red-rumped Swallows were in Northamptonshire and London, and the two were still in Norfolk, at Cley and then, later, Weybourne. A Red-footed Falcon was also in Norfolk, and a Black Kite was in Kent. The Blue-winged Teal reappeared in County Tipperary, and the Pallid Swift was still in Merseyside.

The Savi's Warbler continued to sing in Essex, and the North American peep was still in Devon.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 8th May 2009  
  Hot news today related to the discovery of a Brown-headed Cowbird on Fair Isle, Shetland. The only previous British record concerned a bird on Islay, Argyll on 24th April 1988 - this bird was only seen by the finder, so Brown-headed Cowbird is one of the most-wanted species on the British List.

Other new rarities included Alpine Swifts in Somerset, East Yorkshire and Co Wicklow, Snowy Owl on Orkney, two Red-rumped Swallows in Norfolk, Red-footed Falcon in Kent and White-billed Diver in Argyll. Lingering rarities comprised the Savi's Warbler in Essex, Pallid Swift in Merseyside, Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper in Devon, Black Kite in Essex and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

Cattle Egrets were logged in Cambridgeshire (3), Cornwall and Leicestershire, the Purple Heron was still in Suffolk, a Pectoral Sandpiper was discovered on Foula, Shetland and in Dorset the Woodchat Shrike remained on Portland.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 7th May 2009  
  In Norfolk, two Red-rumped Swallows lingered at Cromer for 2.5 hours, and a Red-footed Falcon flew west past Stiffkey late afternoon. A Great White Egret was at Herringfleet, Suffolk this evening, and a third Cattle Egret joined the two in Cambridgeshire. Others remained in Leicestershire and Cornwall.

The Pallid Swift was still present in Merseyside, as was the Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Savi's Warbler in Essex, Black Kite in London and the North American peep in Devon. A Bee-eater was seen in Suffolk yesterday.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 6th May 2009  
  On Shetland Foula produced an incredible duo in the form of a Solitary Sandpiper and Laughing Gull, both found within a magic 30 minute period.

The lingering Pallid Swift in Merseyside was today's most popular rarity,  showing well at Seaforth LWT and Crosby Marine Park throughout the day. A male Citrine Wagtail was a new discovery at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset, in Devon the Semipalmated or Western Sandpiper continued to range along the Exe Estuary and a Red-footed Falcon was observed at both Holme and Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk.

In Essex the Savi's Warbler in the Lee Valley Country Park could be heard but not seen early in the morning and in Cambridgeshire a couple of Cattle Egrets arrived at the Nene Washes, whilst the lone bird was still at Rutland Water, Leicestershire.

On Isles of Scilly the Little Bunting remained on Tresco, Dotterel sightings included three in West Sussex and two in Aberdeenshire, a Pectoral Sandpiper visited Hope Carr LNR, Greater Manchester and a Green-winged Teal lingered in Somerset.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 5th May 2009  
  Classic Spring rarities today included new Red-rumped Swallows in Dorset and on the Isles of Scilly, Black Kites in East Sussex and London, and a Red-footed Falcon in Norfolk. An adult Bonaparte's Gull was present on the Isles of Scilly for an hour this morning.

The North American peep, either a Semipalmated Sandpiper or Western Sandpiper remained on the Exe Estuary, Devon, whilst other lingering rarities included Pallid Swift in Merseyside and Savi's Warbler in Essex. Cattle Egrets were present in Leicestershire and Hampshire, with scarcities recorded today including Purple Heron, Red-backed Shrike, c19 Dotterels, Little Bunting, Green-winged Teal and a Long-tailed Skua.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 4th May 2009  
  Breaking news today concerned a stint believed to be either a Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Exe and Clyst Estuaries, Devon. First seen - and identified as a Little Stint - at Dawlish Warren on 8th-11th April, then at Bowling Green Marsh on 21st-24th before returning to Dawlish Warren on 29th April, the true identity was only suspected latterly.

Other rarities included the elusive Crested Lark still in Kent, the lingering Pallid Swift in Merseyside, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Savi's Warbler in Essex, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, White-billed Diver in Moray, Great White Egret in Powys and Cattle Egrets in County Cork (8) and Leicestershire.

Actively migrating rarities included a Red-rumped Swallow in Devon, Red-footed Falcon in Norfolk and Black Kites in both Essex and Kent.

Scarcities included three Green-winged Teals, two each of Purple Heron and Pectoral Sandpiper and single Little Bunting on the Isles of Scilly, Serin in Dorset, Kentish Plover in Hampshire, Wryneck in Devon, American Wigeon in County Antrim, Black Brant in County Down and Kumlien's Gull in Dumfries and Galloway.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 3rd May 2009  
  Highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Crested Lark in Kent, but the reappearance of the Pallid Swift in Merseyside was also popular. New discoveries included Red-rumped Swallows in Suffolk (2), Essex and Devon, Black Kites in Essex (3) and Suffolk, Short-toed Lark in Norfolk and Kentish Plover in Kent.

Lingering rarities included Savi's Warbler in Essex, Wood Duck on Shetland, Cattle Egret in Devon, Forster's Tern in Wexford and a White-billed Diver was observed at Loch Gairloch.

In Aberdeenshire Loch of Strathbeg RSPB is currently enjoying a purple patch - Pectoral Sandpiper, Great White Egret, Green-winged Teal, two Lesser Snow Geese and a Small Canada Goose were all on site today.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 2nd May 2009  
  Both the Crested Lark and Collared Flycatcher remained in Kent and Dorset respectively, but the Eastern Bonelli's Warbler had, unfortunately, departed from the latter. In Essex, the Savi's Warbler continued to sing in the Lee Valley Park, and the Forster's Tern was seen again briefly at Tacumshin, County Wexford.

In Lancashire, the Pallid Swift was seen again in the Crosby area early morning at least, and three Red-rumped Swallows were seen, with one in Northumberland and two together in Cleveland.

The adult White-billed Diver showed well off Burghead, Moray, the Lesser Scaup was in Glamorgan and the Ferruginous Duck was still at Wimbleball Lake, Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 1st May 2009  
  The run of Mega's over the last couple of days continued today, with an Eastern Bonelli's Warbler on Portland, Dorset, just a few hundred yards from where the male Collared Flyctatcher continued to sing. The Crested Lark was still in Kent, and started to show a little better, although it remained highly mobile, and a juvenile Pallid Harrier was seen in Norfolk, watched flying over the observer's garden in Aylmerton, and later over Sheringham.

A Savi's Warbler in Essex sang almost all day, for its second day, and may become the first widely twitchable bird for several years. New Red-rumped Swallows were found in Kent and Shetland, an Alpine Swift was in Lincolnshire, a White-billed Diver was in Moray and the Pallid Swift reappeared in Merseyside.
-  Will Soar, RBA