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 April 2015  
  Today's highlights included the lingering mega-rare American non-passerines - Great Blue Heron on Isles of Scilly, Hudsonian Godwit in Somerset and Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, as well as Pacific Diver and American Herring Gull in Cornwall, a report of a Red-footed Falcon in Oxfordshire, Lesser Scaup in Ayrshire, Laughing Gull in Co Cork, Harlequin Duck in Highland and Red-rumped Swallow in East Yorkshire.

The best of the rest included Purple Heron and Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall), Spotted Crake (Lancashire), Grey-headed Wagtail (North Yorkshire), Cattle Egret (East Sussex), Hoopoe (Co Mayo), two Pectoral Sandpipers, two American Wigeons and eight Dotterel.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 29th April 2015  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the female Hudsonian Godwit at Meare Heath, Somerset; relocated late morning the bird showed into the evening when it departed to the west with Black-tailed Godwits.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Great Blue Heron still on the Isles of Scilly, Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, single Harlequin Ducks in both Aberdeenshire and Highland, a Spotted Sandpiper new in Powys at Neuadd Reservoirs, four Black-winged Stilts together in Kent, King Eider still in Aberdeenshire, and a brief Red-rumped Swallow at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire.

Scarities included Purple Heron (County Wicklow), Pectoral Sandpiper (London), Grey-headed Wagtail (North Yorkshire), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Glossy Ibis (Nottinghamshire), two each of Night Heron, Hoopoe, Rough-legged Buzzard and Shorelark, and 16 migrant Dotterel.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 28th April 2015  
  The only new rarity for today was a report of a male Red-footed Falcon over Rainham Marshes RSPB, London.

Lingering rarities once again included the Great Blue Heron in the Isles of Scilly, both Harlequin Ducks in Aberdeenshire and Highland, Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, White-rumped Sandpiper and White-billed Diver in Orkney, Blue-winged Teal in Lincolnshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and single Lesser Scaups in Ayrshire and Glamorgan.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 27th April 2015  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Great Blue Heron in the Isles of Scilly, both Harlequin Ducks in Aberdeenshire and Highland, Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, King Eider and five White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire (with another of the latter nearby in Moray), Blue-winged Teal in Lincolnshire, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Black Kite in Shetland and Red-rumped Swallow in the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcity highlights included a Woodchat Shrike, a Little Bunting, a Wryneck, a Spotted Crake, a Lapland Bunting, three Hoopoes, four Night Herons and 15 Dotterels.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 26th April 2015  
  New discoveries today included a Snowy Owl at Blacksod, County Mayo, a Black Kite at Sumburgh, Shetland, two Black-winged Stilts at Trimley, Suffolk and a Red-rumped Swallow at Cliffe, Kent.

Lingering rarities included the Great Blue Heron in the Isles of Scilly, both Harlequin Ducks in Aberdeenshire and Highland, Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, Blue-winged Teal in Lincolnshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, White-rumped Sandpiper and White-billed Diver in Orkney, Laughing Gull in County Cork and Red-rumped Swallow in the Isles of Scilly.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 25th April 2015  
  The first Hudsonian Godwit since 1988 was discovered at Meare Heath, Somerset yesterday evening, and remained on view until 4.15pm today when it flew west. The only other twitchable Hudsonian Godwit, first found in 1981, visited both Yorkshire and Devon where it remained for several weeks, and was present again in Yorkshire two years later for eleven days.

Further north, a Pied-billed Grebe was found at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire. This is likely to be yesterday's Gloucestershire bird, of which there was no sign all day. Other new discoveries included a White-rumped Sandpiper on Papa Westray, Orkney, two separate Black Kites in Norfolk and single Red-rumped Swallows in Kent and the Isles of Scilly.

Lingering rarities included the Great Blue Heron in the Isles of Scilly, Harlequin Duck in Highland and both King Eider and White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 24th April 2015  
  The first Pied-billed Grebe for Gloucestershire was discovered today, on the Severn Estuary at Berkeley, where it remained all day. Other new discoveries included a flyover Red-throated Pipit at Hengistbury Head, Dorset and a flyover Black Kite at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk.

Lingering rarities included the Great Blue Heron in the Isles of Scilly, Harlequin Duck in Highland, King Eider and White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire, Blue-winged Teal in Lincolnshire and single Lesser Scaups in Ayrshire and Glamorgan.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 23rd April 2015  
  Rarities today comprised the Great Blue Heron still on the Isles of Scilly, Harlequin Duck in Highland, Blue-winged Teal in Lincolnshire, and King Eider in Aberdeenshire, with a brief Red-rumped Swallow new in Devon, and a Black Kite lingering in North Yorkshire, in Littondale.

Scarcities included five each of Wryneck, Shorelark and migrant Dotterel, three Hoopoes, Serin (Suffolk), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Little Bunting and White-tailed Eagle (both Norfolk), and on the Isles of Scilly: Short-toed Lark, Golden Oriole and three Night Herons all noted.

Significant late news concerned confirmation of a Spanish Wagtail yesterday at Filey, North Yorkshire, the first British record of this form.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 22nd April 2015  
  New discoveries today included an Alpine Swift over Meols, Wirral, a Subalpine Warbler at Land's End, Cornwall, a Red-rumped Swallow at Birling Gap, East Sussex and a Black Kite in the Spurn area, Yorkshire.

Lingering rarities included the Great Blue Heron on the Isles of Scilly, Harlequin Duck in Highland, Red-rumped Swallow in Dorset, King Eider and at least eight White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire and Blue-winged Teal in Lincolnshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 21st April 2015  
  New discoveries today included a Red-rumped Swallow at Wilmington, Sussex, a Bee-eater on Tresco then Bryher, Isles of Scilly and a Wilson's Petrel from a boat off County Galway.

Lingering rarities included the Great Blue Heron and Black Duck on the Isles of Scilly (the former visiting Bryher, Tresco and St Mary's), Harlequin Duck in Highland, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, two Black-winged Stilts in Essex, White-billed Diver in Lothian, Blue-winged Teal in Lincolnshire and Lesser Scaup in Ayrshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA