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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Wednesday 20th May 2015  
  Rarities today comprised the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler still on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, two Hooded Mergansers still together in County Donegal, Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshie, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, both Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, the territorial Little Bittern again in Suffolk, Bee-eater in County Mayo, and a Black Kite in Kent. A showy Red-footed Falcon was discovered in Dorset at Wareham, as was a Rustic Bunting on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles.

Scarcities included Melodious Warbler (Isles of Scilly), Ortolan Bunting (Pembrokeshire), Short-toed Lark (Shetland Isles), Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Night Heron (Cornwall), Pectoral Sandpiper (Norfolk), Ring-necked Duck (County Dublin), Grey-headed Wagtail (Suffolk), two Purple Herons, three Temminck's Stints, four migrant Red-necked Phalaropes, and 20 migrant Dotterel.

Skua passage continued, today totaling 61 Long-tailed and 251 Pomarine, with cumulative totals at North Uist, Western Isles confirming 2015 to be a record year for these species passing Balranald.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 19th May 2015  
  A pair of Hooded Mergansers were discovered on Tory Island, County Donegal this morning. If accepted, they would be the fourth and fifth individuals for the Republic of Ireland, following one off Ballylongford, Kerry in 1881 and two in Cork Harbour in 1878. Another was in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1957.

Back in Britain, a Rustic Bunting was found on Fair Isle, Shetland, the first to arrive following the species' recent upgrade to BBRC rarity.

Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler and Tawny Pipit in Shetland, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Harlequin Duck and King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly and Bee-eater in County Mayo.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 18th May 2015  
  The first Great Reed Warbler for the West Midlands was at Sandwell Valley today, for its second day. Records are widely spread across England, with just the Isle of Wight, London, Oxfordshire, Herefordshire and Cumbria lacking this species.

Other lingering rarities included the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler and Tawny Pipit in Shetland, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Little Bittern and Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly and Bee-eater in County Mayo.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 17th May 2015  
  New arrivals today included a Red-footed Falcon at Grove Ferry, Kent, a Tawny Pipit on Fair Isle, Shetland and single Black Kites at Titchfield Haven, Hampshire and St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent (the latter later seen at Pegwell Bay, Sarre, Minnis Bay and then Pegwell Bay again throughout the morning).

Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, Harlequin Duck and King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Little Bittern and Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly, Sardinian Warbler and Squacco Heron in Cornwall, another Squacco Heron in Devon, Bee-eater in County Mayo and Lesser Scaup in Yorkshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Purple Heron, two each of Serin, Bluethroat, Short-toed Lark, Night Heron, Ring-necked Duck and migrant Honey Buzzard, along with seven Golden Orioles.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 16th May 2015  
  New rare herons discovered today included a singing male Little Bittern at Lakenheath Fen RSPB, Suffolk, a second male Little Bittern on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly (where the other remained, along with the Squacco Heron), and further Squacco Herons on The Lizard, Cornwall and at Beesands Ley, Devon (with another remaining nearby at Prawle Point). Red-rumped Swallows were found at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset and Spurn, Yorkshire, whilst other new rarities included single Bee-eaters at Breydon Water, Norfolk and Kingsdown, Kent, single Black Kites at Borden and Ash, both Kent, and Trimley, Suffolk, an Alpine Swift at Loddiswell, Devon and a Bonaparte's Gull at Dungeness RSPB, Kent.

Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Bee-eater in County Mayo and Lesser Scaup in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 15th May 2015  
  The second male Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler of the year was trapped on Fair Isle, Shetland mid morning. Other new discoveries today included a Red-throated Pipit at Westleton, Suffolk, a Red-footed Falcon over Brent Reservoir, London, a Red-rumped Swallow at Filey, Yorkshire, single Black Kites at Polgigga, Cornwall and Hambledon, Hampshire and Bee-eaters at Beachy Head, Sussex and two at Faxfleet, Yorkshire, presumable one of which was later heard nearby at Alkborough, Lincolnshire.

Lingering rarities included the Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Little Bittern and Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly, Squacco Heron and Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and Lesser Scaup in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 14th May 2015  
  The Isles of Scilly provided the highlights today with Squacco Heron, Little Bittern and Woodchat Shrike all on St Mary's, along with Short-toed Lark, Wryneck, Common Crane, two Night Herons and six Golden Orioles, all around the islands.

Elsewhere, rarities today comprided the Harlequin Duck still in Aberdeenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Lesser Scaup in West Yorkshire, a Red-rumped Swallow new in Surrey at Holmethorpe, a subalpine warbler species on the Western Isles, and brief Red-throated Pipit (County Durham), Bee-eater (County Mayo), and Alpine Swift and Bee-eater (Dorset).

Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Cornwall), Purple Heron (Dorset), Hoopoe (Borders), Pectoral Sandpiper (Northumberland), two White-winged Black Terns (together in Kent), two Grey-headed Wagtails, five Golden Orioles, seven Temminck's Stints and 27 migrant Dotterel.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 13th May 2015  
  New discoveries included a Balearic Woodchat Shrike in North Yorkshire, Squacco Heron in Devon, Bee-eater in Norfolk and Black Kite in Suffolk, whilst the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire and Lesser Yellowlegs in Northumberland all lingered.

The best of the rest included Wryneck (Western Isles), Surf Scoter (Shetland), Pectoral Sandpiper (Anglesey), Red-necked Phalarope (Western Isles), two Woodchat Shrikes, two Grey-headed Wagtails, three Purple Herons, six Golden Orioles, eight Temminck's Stints, 30 Dotterel and 1,249 Long-tailed Skuas. An Icterine Warbler was reported in Somerset.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 12th May 2015  
  New discoveries included Red-rumped Swallow in Norfolk, Alpine Swift in Co Mayo, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan and a report of a Subalpine Warbler species in Ceredigion, whilst Black-winged Stilt (Kent), Lesser Yellowlegs (Northumberland), Red-throated Pipit (Cleveland), Harlequin Duck, White-billed Diver and King Eider (Aberdeenshire), Bonaparte's Gull (Hampshire), Squacco Heron (Devon) and Lesser Scaup (West Yorkshire) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Roseate Tern (Hertfordshire), Purple Heron (Dorset), Honey Buzzard (Kent), at least two Wrynecks, three Woodchat Shrikes and three Night Herons, up to four Hoopoes, four Temminck's Stints, 17 Golden Orioles, 35 Dotterel and 1,419+ Long-tailed Skuas (including 1,307 past Aird an Runair, North Uist).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 11th May 2015  
  The first Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler for Mainland Britain, and the first widely twitchable individual anywhere, was discovered on Blakeney Point, Norfolk mid morning. This singing and calling male joined a female subalpine warbler species found earlier in the morning. The first accepted Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler was shot on St Kilda in 1894, with two more recent records in Shetland in 2009. Both these birds stayed for at least a week, but only one was identified to (at the time) race whilst the bird was still present, late on in its stay.

Nearby, the male Citril Finch remained at Burnham Overy Dunes until 6.20am, but not since.

Further north, the fifth Slate-coloured Junco for Shetland was found at Toab, Mainland. All five records in the archipelago have occurred in the first 11 days of May. Other new discoveries included a Lesser Yellowlegs at Low Newton, Northumberland, a Black-winged Stilt at Grove Ferry, Kent and a Red-rumped Swallow over Spurn, Yorkshire.

Lingering rarities included the Harlequin Duck and King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Squacco Heron in Devon, Red-throated Pipit in Cleveland, Red-rumped Swallow in Cambridgeshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire and Lesser Scaup in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA