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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Saturday 8th May 2010  
  News of a male House Finch at Land's End, Cornwall was released early morning, resulting in a mass movement into the south-west. If accepted, this would represent the first record for the Western Palearctic, following several rejected records of presumed escaped individuals.

A Black Kite and a Whiskered Tern were both at Dungeness, Kent, whilst two Red-rumped Swallows were found nearby at Arlington Reservoir, Sussex. The adult Forster's Tern reappeared at Tacumshin, County Wexford, and a King Eider was off Mainland Shetland.

Lingering rarities included Iberian Chiffchaff in Kent, Ortolan Bunting in Dorset, Pacific Diver in County Clare, Savi's Warbler in Lancashire and several Red-rumped Swallows in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 7th May 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Broad-billed Sandpiper in County Wexford at Tacumshin.

Lingering rarities comprised the Iberian Chiffchaff still in Kent, the elusive Savi's Warbler in Lancashire and Red-rumped Swallows in East Yorkshire (2) and South Yorkshire.

Scarcities included 13 migrant Dotterel in four trips, three Temminck's Stints (together in Norfolk), two each of Hoopoe and Glaucous Gull, Woodchat Shrike and White-spotted Bluethroat (both Norfolk), Short-toed Lark (County Cork), Golden Oriole (London), Red-backed Shrike (Gloucestershire), Wryneck (Kent), Green-winged Teal (Carmarthenshire), Ring-necked Duck (Argyll), Iceland Gull (Cornwall), Caspian Gull (Essex) and Tundra Bean Goose (Lancashire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 6th May 2010  
  An elusive male Savi's Warbler was discovered near Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancashire) this morning, but the bird was silent and remained out of view throughout the afternoon. Elsewhere a Bee-eater was heard over Portland (Dorset), a Snowy Owl reappeared on North Uist (Western Isles) and a couple of Red-rumped Swallows were reported near Hull (East Yorkshire).

Lingering rarities comprised Glossy Ibis in Co Wexford, Blue-winged Teal in North Yorkshire, Red-rumped Swallow in South Yorkshire and Iberian Chiffchaff in Kent.

The best of the rest included the Woodchat Shrike and White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk, Hoopoes in West Midlands, Shetland and West Sussex, Ring-necked Duck on Orkney and Great White Egret in Cambridgeshire. Twelve Dotterels and three Temminck's Stints were also recorded.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 5th May 2010  
  A Lesser Yellowlegs was found at Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire this evening, whilst in Dorset there was an Ortolan at Portland, and a Bee-eater was reported flying over Durlston. Nearby, in Hampshire, another new Red-rumped Swallow was seen briefly at Portchester in the morning.

The only other Red-rumped Swallow seen tody was the long staying bird at Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire. Other remaining rarities included the Iberian Chiffchaff in Kent, the Blue-winged Teal in North Yorkshire and the King Eider in Moray.

Scarcities included at least one Purple Heron still at Dungeness in Kent, a Pectoral Sandpiper at Loch of Strathbeg in Aberdeenshire, a Wryneck at Landguard in Suffolk, a Short-toed Lark at Ballycotton in County Cork, a long staying Woodchat at Winterton in Norfolk and Hoopoes at Clayhanger in West Midlands and Thetford in Norfolk. Forty four Dotterels were reported, mostly in Scotland.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Tuesday 4th May 2010  
  A few more classic Spring rarities today included single Black Kites in East Sussex, Somerset and Devon, a Bee-eater in Cornwall and two more Red-rumped Swallows in East Sussex. Other Red-rumped Swallows were still present in South Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.

Other lingering rarities included Iberian Chiffchaff in Kent, Blue-winged Teal in North Yorkshire and White-billed Diver in Moray.

Scarcities were headlined by White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk, two Purple Herons in Kent, Hoopoes in West Midlands, Gwent, Cleveland and Scilly, Wryneck in Pembrokeshire, Red-backed Shrike in Gloucestershire, Woodchat Shrike in Norfolk, Kentish Plover in Glamorgan and Short-toed Larks in Scilly and County Cork.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 3rd May 2010  
  Red-rumped Swallow was the main feature bird today, with new discoveries in Essex, North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire, and lingering birds in Suffolk (2+) and Cambridgeshire. A Tawny Pipit was seen at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset this evening, whilst a Bee-eater was briefly at Porthcurno, Cornwall. A Lesser Scaup was in County Cavan.

Lingering rarities included a Subalpine Warbler in County Cork, Iberian Chiffchaff in Kent, Black Stork in Devon, Blue-winged Teal in Yorkshire and White-billed Diver in Moray.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 2nd May 2010  
  The undoubted highlight today was an obliging male White-throated Sparrow, present for its second day in a garden in Boscastle, Cornwall. Also headlining was an arrival of Red-rumped Swallows, including birds at Wilstone Reservoir, Hertfordshire, Ferry Meadows Country Park, Cambridgeshire, Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, Brading Marshes RSPB, Isle of Wight and, lastly, a group of four birds at Loompit Lake, Suffolk, this evening.

Other new rarities today included a Blue-winged Teal in Yorkshire, single Subalpine Warblers in County Cork and Shetland, an Alpine Swift in Lancashire, White-billed Divers in Shetland and Moray (2) and an American Golden Plover in London. The Pacific Diver reappeared off Finvarra Point, County Clare, whilst the wide ranging Black Stork was seen again in Devon.

Lingering rarities included Iberian Chiffchaff in Kent, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll in County Cork, Snowy Owl on Shetland and King Eider in Aberdeenshire. A good scattering of scarce spring migrants included good numbers of Dotterels and Temminck's Stints.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 1st May 2010  
  New arrivals discovered today were headlined by a Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll on Dursey Island, County Cork briefly, followed by two White-billed Divers and a Snowy Owl on Shetland and a Red-rumped Swallow at Ferry Meadows Country Park, Cambridgeshire.

In Kent, the singing male Iberian Chiffchaff remained at Chatham, whilst, elsewhere, lingering rarities included Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside and Black-headed Wagtail in Cornwall.

Scarcities were headlined by White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk, two Woodchat Shrikes, four Hoopoes, 27 Dotterels, Short-toed Lark in County Cork, Wryneck in Carmarthenshire, three Purple Herons in Kent and a Cory's Shearwater in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 30th April 2010  
  Both male Iberian Chiffchaffs continued to sing today, with one at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk and one at Walderslade, Kent, both for their second day. There was a small movement of Red-rumped Swallows on the east coast this morning, with single birds noted at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, Spurn and Barmston, both Yorkshire. Two birds were seen flying south over Flamborough Head, also Yorkshire. Nearby, a Tawny Pipit was seen at Grimston.

A male Savi's Warbler was found early morning at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, where it showed on and off again this evening. A Pallid Swift was seen briefly in Hampshire, and a Bee-eater was on Iona, Argyll.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 29th April 2010  
  Singing Iberian Chiffchaffs arrived at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) and Walderslade (Kent) today, whilst the former site also hosted a brief Bee-eater. For the second consecutive day the Sennen area (Cornwall) produced an interesting wagtail, this time a male Black-headed Wagtail and in East Yorkshire a Red-rumped Swallow flew over Flamborough Head.

A Long-billed Dowitcher again visited Marshside RSPB (Merseyside) and the Ferruginous Duck lingered at Chew Valley Lake (Somerset). In addition to the aforementioned rarities, Norfolk also produced the lingering White-spotted Bluethroat at Welney WWT, a Woodchat Shrike at Winterton and a report of a Marsh Warbler by Breydon Water. Across the Irish Sea a Woodchat Shrike remained on Mizen Head (Co Cork), whilst a Short-toed Lark also made landfall in the county.

On Isles of Scilly both a Hoopoe (on Tresco) and a Short-toed Lark (on Gugh) were on show, in Leicestershire a Pectoral Sandpiper was logged at Rutland Water and in Kent two Purple Herons were at Dungeness RSPB. The best of the rest included a Hoopoe reported in Staffordshire, Great White Egret in Aberdeenshire, Serin in Kent and Grey-headed Wagtail in Northumberland.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA