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 12th May 2013  
  New discoveries today included a smart male Black-headed Wagtail at Marloes Mere, Pembrokeshire, a Red-rumped Swallow at the same site with others at Spurn, Yorkshire and Beddington, London, a Savi's Warbler which sang all day at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, an Alpine Swift at Staines Reservoir, Surrey, an Ortolan Bunting on Fair Isle, Shetland and nine Bee-eaters flew over Colne Point, Essex.

Lingering rarities included the Collared Flycatcher on Whalsay, Shetland, Spotted Sandpiper in Wadebridge, Cornwall, Red-footed Falcon at Lakenheath, Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gulls at Topsham, Devon and Tacumshin, County Wexford, Lesser Scaup at Saltholme, Cleveland and White-billed Divers on Orkney and in Aberdeenshire (five).

Scarcity highlights involved a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Hoopoe, two Red-backed Shrikes and three Serins, whilst seawatching produced 268 Long-tailed Skuas, 496 Pomarine Skuas and three Leach's Petrels.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 11th May 2013  
  Rarities today comprised the Collared Flycatcher still in Shetland on Whalsay, Spotted Sandpiper still in Cornwall, Subalpine Warbler in Scilly, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Scaup in Highland, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, Red-rumped Swallows in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, and Bonaparte's Gulls in Devon and County Wexford.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 10th May 2013  
  Another male Collared Flycatcher was found today, this time on Whalsay, Shetland, but there was no sign of the Northumberland bird. A summer plumaged Spotted Sandpiper was in Wadebridge, Cornwall, a Red-throated Pipit flew south over Spurn, Yorkshire and a Lesser Scaup was on St John's Pool, Highland.

Lingering rarities included the Thrush Nightingale on Shetland, Subalpine Warbler on the Isles of Scilly, Bonaparte's Gulls in Devon and County Wexford, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, White-billed Diver in Moray, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Lesser Scaup in Yorkshire and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.

An impressive skua passage included 30 Long-tailed Skuas (27 off Criccieth, Gwynedd) and at least 378 Pomarine Skuas. A single Leach's Petrel was also seen, off Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 9th May 2013  
  New rarities today included a Red-rumped Swallow through Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire, single White-billed Divers at Burghead, Moray and Broch of Gurness, Orkney, a Black Kite also on Orkney at Kirkwall and a report of a Red-footed Falcon at Petersfield, Hampshire. A Squacco Heron was at Lanreath, Cornwall yesterday.

The Collared Flycatcher remained in Northumberland, as did the Thrush Nightingale on Shetland, Subalpine Warbler on the Isles of Scilly, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Lesser Scaup in Yorkshire and Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk.

Scarcity highlights included a Spotted Crake in West Midlands, a Hoopoe, a Short-toed Lark, a Wryneck, a Woodchat Shrike, a Kumlien's Gull, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Surf Scoters, three Temminck's Stints, 13 Dotterel and 47 Pomarine Skuas.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 8th May 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a male Collared Flycatcher at Low Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland. A county first, it showed from late afternoon until dusk. Elsewhere, arrivals included Thrush Nightingale, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Icterine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Subalpine Warbler and Short-toed Lark on the Isles of Scilly, Ortolan Bunting in Dorset at Longham Lakes, and a party of eight Bee-eaters briefly at Briningham, Norfolk.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised a Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, Western Subalpine Warbler in County Cork, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, King Eider on the Shetland Isles, Lesser Scaup in West Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.

Other scarcities recorded included Golden Oriole (County Wexford), Purple Heron (Suffolk), Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly), Hoopoe (Dorset, East Sussex and Western Isles), Montagu's Harrier (Cambridgeshire, Cleveland and Norfolk), three Pectoral Sandpipers, six Temminck's Stints and 25 migrant Dotterel across four counties.

Significant late news concerns a male Red-footed Falcon present yesterday at New Buckenham Common, Norfolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 7th May 2013  
  New rarities discovered today were a Black-winged Stilt in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh, a Lesser Yellowlegs in County Mayo on Inishkea Islands, and Subalpine Warblers in both County Cork at Inch Strand, and on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Red-footed Falcon and Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll and White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Devon and County Wexford, Blue-winged Teal in Clyde and Lesser Scaup in West Yorkshire.

Mediterranean scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly), Hoopoe (Devon and Dorset), Golden Oriole (three on the Isles of Scilly), Purple Heron (Suffolk) and Cattle Egret (Kent), whilst notable waders comprised five Temminck's Stints, six Pectoral Sandpipers, and 40 migrant Dotterel across eight counties between England and Wales.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 6th May 2013  
  New discoveries comprised Iberian Chiffchaff in Carmarthenshire, Black-winged Stilt in Essex, Red-rumped Swallows in Ceredigion and Co Wexford, Red-footed Falcons in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, Black Stork over the Devon/Dorset border and Black Kite in Highland. In Argyll a Brunnich's Guillemot was reported off Iona.

Elsewhere Blue-winged Teal in Clyde, Bonaparte's Gulls in Devon and Kent, Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, Lesser Scaups in Lancashire and West Yorkshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire, Orkney and Moray (7) and Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset were also reported today.

The best of the rest included Woodchat Shrikes in Scilly, Cornwall and Norfolk, Purple Herons in Suffolk, Kent and Glamorgan, Hoopoe in Somerset and both Serin and Cattle Egret in Kent. A total of six Pectoral Sandpipers and three Temminck's Stints were also logged.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 5th May 2013  
  A Tawny Pipit was seen at Paull Holme Strays, Yorkshire this morning, a Blue-winged Teal was at Kirkintilloch, Clyde and a Black Kite flew over Ballymun, County Dublin.

Lingering rarities included the Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll in Orkney, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent, Devon and County Wexford, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Louth, White-billed Divers in Orkney and Aberdeenshire, King Eiders in Shetland and Aberdeenshire, Lesser Scaup in Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 4th May 2013  
  A singing male Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll on North Ronaldsay, Orkney was the surprise of the day, being the first of nine island records to occur in Spring. A Black Kite was reported from Holme, Norfolk, whilst the drake Lesser Scaup on Lough Shark, County Armagh was confirmed, being present for a fourth day.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today included the Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, single Red-footed Falcons in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent, Devon and County Wexford, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Louth, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, five White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire (with another in Orkney), single Lesser Scaups in Lancashire and Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.

Spring scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, a Woodchat Shrike, two Purple Herons, ten Dotterel, eight Long-tailed Skuas and 82 Pomarine Skuas.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 3rd May 2013  
  New discoveries today included a male Red-footed Falcon at Lakenheath RSPB, Suffolk, and the presumed returning Forster's Tern at Tacumshin, County Wexford. An adult Bonaparte's Gull was present on the Exe Estuary, Devon for its second day.

Lingering rarities today included the Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset, Red-footed Falcon in Cambridgeshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in Kent and County Wexford, Lesser Yellowlegs' in Cornwall and County Louth, American Golden Plover in County Wicklow, eight White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire and another in Orkney, Lesser Scaup in Yorkshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA