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.

Choose a starting date
Saturday 15th May 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a female Black-eared Wheatear on Great Saltee Island (Co Wexford) - the fifth Irish record.

Back across the Irish Sea, the Oriental Pratincole continued to perform in Lincolnshire, whilst other lingering rarities included Iberian Chiffchaffs in South Yorkshire, Gwent and Kent, Great Reed Warbler in Derbyshire, Broad-billed Sandpiper in Highland, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, American Golden Plover in Co Mayo, Forster's Tern in Co Wexford and Pacific Diver in Co Clare.

Elsewhere ten Temminck's Stints, four Woodchat Shrikes, two Purple Herons, two Great White Egrets, two Serins and a White-spotted Bluethroat were all logged.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 14th May 2010  
  Rarities today comprised the Oriental Pratincole still in Lincolnshire, an American Golden Plover new in County Mayo, Great Reed Warbler in Derbyshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Red-rumped Swallow in South Yorkshire, Broad-billed Sandpipers in both Highland and Lothian, King Eiders in both Aberdeenshire and the Shetland Isles and territorial Iberian Chiffchaffs in Gwent, Kent and South Yorkshire. A Black Kite was seen briefly in Norfolk and the Spotted Sandpiper was heard again in Lothian.

Scarcities included 48 migrant Dotterel in four trips, 10 Temminck's Stints, three Woodchat Shrikes, two each of American Wigeon and Glaucous Gull, White-spotted Bluethroat (Norfolk), Purple Heron (Kent) and Surf Scoter (Lothian).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 13th May 2010  
  The highlight of the day was a wader-double for Lothian with the discovery of a Broad-billed Sandpiper at Tyninghame Bay soon being followed by a Spotted Sandpiper at North Berwick. Elsewhere in Scotland, a White-billed Diver was found at Deerness, Orkney Isles.

Lingering rarities comprised the Oriental Pratincole still in Lincolnshire, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Great Reed Warbler in Derbyshire, Broad-billed Sandpiper in Highland, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Red-rumped Swallow in South Yorkshire and territorial Iberian Chiffchaffs in each of Gwent, Kent and South Yorkshire.

Scarcities included 25 Dotterel in four trips, 10 migrant Temminck's Stints, three Woodchat Shrikes, two Iceland Gulls and single White-spotted Bluethroat (Norfolk), Serin (Dorset), Red-necked Phalarope (Kent), Surf Scoter (Lothian), American Wigeon (Western Isles), Ring-necked Duck (County Mayo) and Great White Egret (Cambridgeshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 12th May 2010  
  Derbyshire's first Great Reed Warbler was discovered this evening, a singing male near Ilkeston. A Broad-billed Sandpiper showed very well in Broadford Bay, Isle of Skye, Highland this evening, whilst other new discoveries included Pallid Swift briefly in Merseyside, a flyover Black Kite in South Yorkshire and a flyover Red-rumped Swallow in Hampshire.

Lingering rarities included House Finch and Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Oriental Pratincole in Lincolnshire, Iberian Chiffchaffs in Kent, South Yorkshire and Gwent, Savi's Warbler in Lancashire, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, American Golden Plover on the Western Isles and Red-rumped Swallows in East Sussex (two) and South Yorkshire.

Scarcity highlights were a Red-necked Phalarope and Purple Heron in Kent, Woodchat Shrikes in Norfolk and Cornwall, Rose-coloured Starling in Pembrokeshire and White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 11th May 2010  
  Several rarities were discovered today - Eastern Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Red-rumped Swallow in Aberdeenshire and American Golden Plover on Western Isles. The most popular new rarity however, was an Iberian Chiffchaff at Potteric Carr YWT (South Yorkshire). Other reports of new birds included a Black Stork in Kent and Glossy Ibis in East Sussex.

Highlights amongst the lingering rarities included the House Finch and Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Oriental Pratincole in Lincolnshire, two Red-rumped Swallows in East Sussex, Forster's Tern and Glossy Ibis in Co Wexford and Iberian Chiffchaffs in Gwent and Kent.

Elsewhere scarcities included Woodchat Shrikes in Cornwall and on Isles of Scilly, Surf Scoter in Lothian, Temminck's Stints in South Yorkshire and Norfolk (3), Rose-coloured Starling in Pembrokeshire, Red-necked Phalarope in Kent, Hoopoe in Suffolk, Great White Egret in Cambridgeshire, American Wigeon on Western Isles and Golden Orioles in East Sussex and Suffolk (2). Thirty Dotterels were also recorded.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 10th May 2010  
  In Lincolnshire the Oriental Pratincole lingered at Frampton Marsh RSPB for its second day and in Cornwall the male House Finch remained at Land's End.

New rarities included a Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall and Iberian Chiffchaff in Gwent (another Iberian Chiffchaff remained in Kent) whilst three Red-rumped Swallows were counted at Arlington Reservoir (East Sussex). Lingering rarities comprised Savi's Warbler in Lancashire, Glossy Ibis in Wexford and Red-rumped Swallow in South Yorkshire.

The best of the rest included Woodchat Shrikes on Isles of Scilly, in Norfolk and Cornwall, Hoopoes in Suffolk and on Shetland, American Wigeon on Western Isles, Surf Scoter in Lothian, Short-toed Lark in Cork and White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 9th May 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an Oriental Pratincole at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire. Initially thought to be a Collared Pratincole the true identity was soon realised and the bird then showed well into the evening. This is only Britain's seventh record of this species - although probably actually only the fifth individual - following the bird present last spring between West Sussex and Kent on 28th May-3rd June.

Elsewhere, the House Finch remained in Cornwall at Land's End, as did the Pacific Diver in County Clare, the Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Iberian Chiffchaff in Kent and Red-rumped Swallows in East Sussex (2), East Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. An Ortolan Bunting showed briefly at South Walney, Cumbria.

Scarcities included 29 Dotterel in eight trips, three each of both Woodchat Shrike and Temminck's Stint, two each of both Bluethroat and Hoopoe and single Short-toed Lark (County Cork), Purple Heron (Cornwall), Rose-coloured Starling (Pembrokeshire), American Wigeon (Western Isles), Ring-necked Duck (County Donegal), Pectoral Sandpiper (Cleveland), Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire), Great White Egret (Norfolk), Green-winged Teal (Carmarthenshire) and Tundra Bean Goose (Lancashire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
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