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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Thursday 8th April 2010  
  A male Black-winged Stilt arrived  at Rainham Marshes RSPB (London) today, where it showed well until dusk. This appears to be the same individual that visited Yarmouth on Isle of Wight on 6th April, approximately 93 miles south-west of Rainham Marshes.

In Cleveland a drake Blue-winged Teal was discovered in the Saltholme Pools RSPB area - presumably the same Blue-winged Teal that has intermittently graced this area for the last few years.

Lingering rarities included Black Duck (Conwy), Lesser Scaup and Bonaparte's Gull (Glamorgan), Alpine Swift (Kent), Little Bunting (Highland), Lesser Scaup and two Glossy Ibises (Somerset).

Two Hoopoes and a Woodchat Shrike were logged in Cornwall and a Purple Heron was seen in flight at Weir Wood Reservoir (East Sussex).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 7th April 2010  
  A drake Black Duck on the Conwy Estuary (Conwy) was today's star find - the bird showed intermittently into the evening.

Elsewhere new birds included a Black Kite was at Ringaskiddy (Co Cork), an Alpine Swift flew over Holland Haven Country Park (Essex), a drake Bufflehead was reported in Poole Park (Dorset) and a Marsh Sandpiper was reported at Tices Meadow (Surrey).

An Alpine Swift in Folkestone (Kent), Little Bunting in Highland, Two-barred Crossbill in Bedfordshire and Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside all lingered, as did a Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall), Hoopoe (Lothian/Borders) and Cattle Egret in Dorset. An immature White-tailed Eagle toured East Yorkshire and just south of the Humber into Lincolnshire and a Serin flew over Kingsgate (Kent).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 6th April 2010  
  The first Black-winged Stilt of the year arrived on Isle of Wight today, where it showed well in Yarmouth. On Western Isles two White-billed Divers were discovered off northern Lewis.

Lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Alpine Swift in Kent, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Little Bunting in Highland, Pallid Swift in Suffolk and King Eider in Moray.

The best of the rest came in the form of Hoopoes on the Lothian/Borders border, Cornwall and Dorset, American Wigeons in Lancashire and Dumfries & Galloway, Woodchat Shrike in Cornwall and Serin in Dorset.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 5th April 2010  
  Three new rarities were reported today: a Black Kite flew over Ipplepen, near Newton Abbot, in Devon and there were Alpine Swifts at two new locations: at Folkestone in Kent; and briefly at Rainham Marshes in London. Another Alpine Swift remained at Chafford Hundred in Essex, and in Suffolk the Pallid Swift spent another day in the Kessingland sewage works area. The Iberian Chiffchaff was again singing at Stiffkey in Norfolk. A Rose-coloured Starling was found in Weymouth this afternoon.

Other lingering rarities included Lesser Scaups still at Cardiff Bay and Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir in Glamorgan, and the Bonaparte's Gull at Cardiff, also in Glamorgan. The Little Bunting remained in Highland and the King Eider could still be found in Moray. In south east Scotland the Bluethroat was again at Skateraw, with the Hoopoe still nearby at Dunglass, whilst in Cornwall the Woodchat Shrike was still on The Lizard. Of winter birds there were still up to 16 Shorelarks at Holkham and Waxwings could still be found in Yorkshire and Suffolk.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Sunday 4th April 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Pallid Swift in Suffolk at Kessingland, whilst other rarities comprised the three Penduline Tits still together in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Alpine Swift in Essex, King Eider in Moray, Little Bunting in Highland and a Ferruginous Duck newly discovered at Holmethorpe, Surrey. Elsewhere, brief encounters included a Black Kite in Somerset, the Iberian Chiffchaff in Norfolk and Two-barred Crossbill in Bedfordshire: the latter two are proving to be most elusive.

Scarce spring migrants consisted of four Hoopoes and single Kentish Plover (Kent), Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall) and Bluethroat (Lothian). Lingering winter visitors included 24 Waxwings, 12 Shorelarks, five Iceland Gulls, three each of Great White Egret and Green-winged Teal, two each of Great Grey Shrike, Glaucous Gull and Black Brant and single American Wigeon (Dumries and Galloway), Tundra Bean Goose (Cumbria) and Caspian Gull (Suffolk).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 3rd April 2010  
  A couple of top class passerines were discovered today - a Black-throated Thrush at Hartlepool Headland (Cleveland) and a singing Iberian Chiffchaff in Stiffkey (Norfolk).

Lingering rarities included Pied-billed Grebe in Co Clare, four Penduline Tits in Kent, Pallid Swift in Suffolk, Little Bunting in Highland and Black Duck on Isles of Scilly. An Alpine Swift reappeared at Fleet Pond (Hampshire) whilst another made a brief appearance at Warren Gorge, Essex.

In Cornwall a Woodchat Shrike lingered on The Lizard, Hoopoes remained in Co Cork and Dorset (whilst another was seen briefly in Kent) and a female Kentish Plover was on Isle of Sheppey for its second day.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 2nd April 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Lesser Kestrel in Suffolk at Westleton Heath, although it only showed briefly and could not be relocated later in the day. Nearby the Pallid Swift remained at Kessingland, as did two of the Penduline Tits in Kent, the Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Little Bunting in Highland, single Lesser Scaups in both Glamorgan and Somerset, and the Hooded Merganser in Cleveland. A Black-bellied Dipper was discovered on the Shetland Isles on Bressay and in Lancashire a Glossy Ibis flew over Caton.

Spring scarcities comprised Woodchat Shrike and Montagu's Harrier in Cornwall, Kentish Plover in Kent, Serin in Dorset, Bluethroat in Northumberland and single Hoopoes in both County Cork and Pembrokeshire. Whilst vestiges of winter included 12 Waxwings, six Iceland Gulls, five Ring-necked Ducks, four Ring-billed Gulls, two each of American Wigeon, Great White Egret and Glaucous Gull and single Surf Scoter (Devon), Cattle Egret (Dorset), Green-winged Teal (Leicestershire) and Shorelark (Norfolk).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 1st April 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent at Pegwell Bay. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the Pallid Swift still in Suffolk, the Two-barred Crossbill still in Bedfordshire, single Alpine Swifts over each of Cornwall, Dorset, Kent, London and Norfolk, three Penduline Tits together in Kent, Little Bunting in Highland, Lesser Scaups in both Glamorgan and Somerset, and in Suffolk the Canvasback (or perhaps a hybrid Canvasback x Pochard) remains.

Scarcities included 28 Waxwings, four Ring-billed Gulls (all in Ireland), three Iceland Gulls, two each of American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck and Great Grey Shrike and single Hoopoe and Cattle Egret (both Dorset), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (East Yorkshire), Green-winged Teal (Leicestershire) and migrant Dotterel (Cornwall).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 31st March 2010  
  In Suffolk, the Lesser Kestrel remained on Westleton Heath, giving distant views throughout the day. The Great Grey Shrike was also still on site, and the Pallid Swift was present for much of the day at Kessingland. An Alpine Swift was seen here briefly this afternoon, with one still in Lowestoft until midday. Elsewhere, Alpine Swifts were seen in Kent, Hampshire and Norfolk.

The Two-barred Crossbill was present this morning at least at The Lodge RSPB, Bedfordshire, with other lingering rarities including Pied-billed Grebe in County Limerick, two Penduline Tits in Kent, Little Bunting in Highland and Lesser Scaup in Somerset.

Scarcities seen today include a Bluethroat, Common Crane and White-tailed Eagle in Northumberland, a Hoopoe in Dorset, a Purple Heron on the Isles of Scilly, an American Wigeon in Dumfries and Galloway, a Surf Scoter in Devon, two Ring-necked Ducks, four Great Grey Shrikes, a Great White Egret in Gloucestershire, a Lapland Bunting in Lincolnshire and six Waxwings in Suffolk.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 30th March 2010  
  The adult male Lesser Kestrel lingered at Westleton Heath (Suffolk), although it only showed distantly and intermittently throughout the day. Of the 16 Lesser Kestrels that have previously been found in Britain only two have occurred earlier in the spring than the Westleton bird, both on the Isles of Scilly (on 24th February 1926 and 3rd March 1891).

Suffolk also continued to host a Pallid Swift (at Kessingland), at least three Alpine Swifts (including two still in Lowestoft), two Penduline Tits (at Minsmere RSPB) and a Great Grey Shrike joined the Lesser Kestrel on Westleton Heath.

Elsewhere rarities came in the form of the Two-barred Crossbill in Bedfordshire, Little Bunting in Highland, three Penduline Tits in Kent, Pied-billed Grebe in Co Clare, Alpine Swifts in Kent and Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Pallid Swift in Kent and Black Kite in Norfolk.

The best of the rest included Purple Heron on Isles of Scilly, Great White Egrets in Gloucestershire, Hampshire and Lincolnshire/East Yorkshire, American Wigeons in Dumfries & Galloway and Lancashire and Cattle Egret in Cornwall.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA