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 30th May 2013  
  Shetland hosted a Thrush Nightingale, two Blyth's Reed Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatcher, three Marsh Warblers and seven Red-backed Shrikes.

Away from Shetland new discoveries comprised a Black-headed Bunting in Northumberland, Black Kite in London and Savi's Warbler in Devon.

Elsewhere lingering rarities included Savi's Warblers in Suffolk (2), Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, Subalpine Warbler and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire and probable Black-headed Wagtail in Cheshire.

Scarcity totals away from Shetland included Pectoral Sandpiper (Cambridgeshire), Purple Heron (Cornwall), Marsh Warbler (Hampshire), Icterine Warbler (Fife), two Red-necked Phalaropes, three Common Rosefinches and twelve Red-backed Shrikes.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 29th May 2013  
  Shetland hosted a fine selection of rare and scarce birds today, including two Thrush Nightingales on Fair Isle, Rustic Bunting on Foula, Blyth's Reed Warblers on Fair Isle and Fetlar and Red-rumped Swallow on Mainland. The archipelago also held Red-spotted Bluethroat, two Short-toed Larks, three Common Rosefinches, three Icterine Warblers, five Marsh Warblers and at least 11 Red-backed Shrikes.

Elsewhere headline birds included White-throated Sparrow and Greenish Warbler in Lincolnshire, Subalpine Warbler and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire, Bee-eaters in Orkney and Kent, White-billed Diver on Western Isles, Savi's Warbler (2) and Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk and Snowy Owl in Co Donegal.

The best of the rest included Purple Heron in Cornwall, Bluethroat in Fife, Icterine Warbler in Norfolk, Marsh Warbler in Hampshire, two Common Rosefinches, three Pectoral Sandpipers, three Wrynecks and at least 12 Red-backed Shrikes were logged away from Shetland.

A white-rumped swift photographed in Suffolk this afternoon could possibly be a Pacific Swift.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 28th May 2013  
  A White-throated Sparrow was found in a garden in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Other new rarities found today included a Black-headed Wagtail at Filey and a Greenish Warbler at Scarborough, both Yorkshire, and a Rustic Bunting, Little Bunting and Subalpine Warbler on Shetland, on Foula, Unst and Mainland respectively.

Lingering rarities included the Savi's Warbler and Red-footed Falcon at Lakenheath RSPB, Suffolk, Blyth's Reed Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland, King Eider on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire and Glossy Ibis at Marloes Mere, Pembrokeshire.

Scarcity totals included two Red-breasted Flycatchers, two Woodchat Shrikes, 22 Red-backed Shrikes, a Bluethroat, a Wryneck, a Short-toed Lark, a Golden Oriole, three Common Rosefinches, four Icterine Warblers, four Marsh Warblers, four Grey-headed Wagtails, a Red-necked Phalarope and three Pectoral Sandpipers.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 27th May 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Blyth's Reed Warbler on the Shetland Isles, on Fair Isle alongside two Red-spotted Bluethroats and a Marsh Warbler.

Rarities elsewhere included the Harlequin Duck on the Western Isles, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, Lesser Scaup in Highland, Red-footed Falcon and Savi's Warbler together in Suffolk, and a Black Kite briefly in Northumberland.

Scarcities included seven Red-backed Shrikes, three each of both Pectoral Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint, two Ring-necked Ducks (together in Devon), and single Common Rosefinch (Lincolnshire), Hoopoe (Derbyshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Gloucestershire), Short-toed Lark (Shetland Isles) and Lapland Bunting (Western Isles).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 26th May 2013  
  New arrivals today included a Balearic Woodchat Shrike on Westray, Orkney, a summer plumaged Spotted Sandpiper at Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire, a Subalpine Warbler at Copeland Bird Observatory, County Down, a Bee-eater over Salthouse, Norfolk and a Glossy Ibis on Mull, Argyll. The Roller in Hampshire was present until 9.10am, when it flew off north. It was later relocated a few miles away on Thursley Common, Surrey, but it flew off again shortly after and wasn't relocated again.

Lingering rarities included the Harlequin Duck on the Western Isles, Savi's Warbler and Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent and King Eider in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Woodchat Shrike, a Red-breasted Flycatcher, an Icterine Warbler, a Night Heron, a White-winged Black Tern, two Short-toed Larks, two Bluethroats, two Marsh Warblers, two Red-necked Phalaropes, three Common Rosefinches and 13 Red-backed Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 25th May 2013  
  Some good quality rarities were found today, although the highlight, a Roller at Broxhead Common, Hampshire has, in fact, been present three days. A Terek Sandpiper was at Rye Harbour NR, Sussex from late afternoon onwards and a singing Savi's Warbler at Lakenheath RSPB, Suffolk showed quite well on occasions. Less twitchable rarities found today included a Black Stork over Cinder Hill, Sussex, an Eastern Subalpine Warbler on Fair Isle, Shetland, a Tawny Pipit on North Ronaldsay, Orkney and a Bee-eater at Grain, Kent.

Lingering rarities still present today included the Harlequin Duck on the Western Isles, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, single Red-rumped Swallows in London and Kent, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Bonaparte's Gull in Kent, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 24th May 2013  
  Surprise of the day was the reappearance of the drake Harlequin Duck at Balranald RSPB, Western Isles, after an absence of 28 days. Typical Spring rarities found today included an Alpine Swift at Spurn, Yorkshire, two Bee-eaters in Kent at Dungeness and Folkestone, and Red-rumped Swallows at Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex, Beddington sewage farm, London and Dungeness RSPB, Kent.

Lingering rarities included the Paddyfield Warbler on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Red-footed Falcon at Lakenheath RSPB, Suffolk, Forster's Tern at Tacumshin, County Wexford and Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes NR, Kent.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 23rd May 2013  
  A Bee-eater north over Dungeness RSPB, Kent was the only new rarity reported today.

Lingering rarities comprised the Red-footed Falcon at Lakenheath RSPB, Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes KWT, Kent, Snowy Owl at Sollas, North Uist, Western Isles and White-billed Diver off Inishbofin, County Galway.

Seawatching produced at least 1,728 Long-tailed Skuas, including a very impressive 834 inland over The Corran, Highland, late afternoon, with a further 250 just south-west of there mid evening. 150 Pomarine Skuas were also seen, along with a single Little Auk. Other scarcity highlights included a Woodchat Shrike, three Red-backed Shrikes, two Golden Orioles, a Hoopoe, three Red-necked Phalaropes, two Montagu's Harriers, a Purple Heron, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, three Temminck's Stints, three Ring-billed Gulls, two Glaucous Gulls, a Sabine's Gull, a Caspian Gull, a Surf Scoter, an American Wigeon, a Green-winged Teal and two Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 22nd May 2013  
  The highlight of the day was a brief Citrine Wagtail on North Usit, Western Isles, whilst a Bonaparte's Gull showed in Kent at Oare Marshes, and in Norfolk a Bee-eater flew over Winterton Dunes.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Paddyfield Warbler on the Orkney Isles, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, White-billed Diver in County Galway and Lesser Scaup in Highland.

Scarcities included seven Red-backed Shrikes, five Montagu's Harriers, four each of Temminck's Stint and Honey Buzzard, two each of Woodchat Shrike, Golden Oriole, Purple Heron, Cattle Egret and Ring-necked Duck, and single Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Argyll), Red-necked Phalarope (Gloucestershire), Serin (Kent), Marsh Warbler (Orkney Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (Cambridgeshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian) and American Wigeon (Shetland Isles). Skua passage continued in the northwest, with 1,358 Long-tailed Skuas logged - including 1,125 passing North Uist, Western Isles - and 98 Pomarine Skuas.

Significant late news concerned a male Indigo Bunting present on Monday in a garden at Llansadwrn, Anglesey, but only identified from a photograph today.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 21st May 2013  
  New rarities discovered today comprised two Whiskered Terns briefly in Surrey at Staines Reservoir, Ortolan Bunting in Northumberland at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, a fly-over Bee-eater in East Yorkshire, and brief Red-footed Falcons in both Norfolk and Suffolk. The identity of a White-billed Diver was confirmed in County Galway at Inishbofin.

Lingering rarities confirmed as present were the Paddyfield Warbler on the Orkney Isles, Thrush Nightingale in Cleveland, Great Reed Warbler in Northumberland, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, King Eiders both in Aberdeenshire and County Mayo, and Lesser Scaups in both Highland and West Yorkshire.

Scarce migrants included 26 Red-backed Shrikes, five migrant Red-necked Phalaropes, three Temminck's Stints, two each of Red-breasted Flycatcher, Bluethroat, Common Rosefinch and Pectoral Sandpiper, and single Barred Warbler (Northumberland), Woodchat Shrike (Argyll), Serin (Dorset), Lapland Bunting (Norfolk), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (County Mayo) and Cattle Egret (Kent). Skuas continued to pass the north and west, with 465 Long-tailed Skuas and 64 Pomarine Skuas logged today.
-  Chris Batty, RBA