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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Monday 8th June 2015  
  Rarity highlights included the Swainson's Thrush in Pembrokeshire, Squacco Heron in Cornwall, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Black Stork in Cornwall and on Isles of Scilly, Great Reed Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, King Eider and Greenish Warbler on Shetland, Red-rumped Swallow on Orkney, Little Bittern and Collared Pratincole in Suffolk and Bee-eaters on Isles of Scilly (12), Cornwall (3+) and Suffolk (2).

The best of the rest included Corncrake (Cheshire), Ring-necked Duck (Orkney), Red-necked Phalarope (Ayrshire), Cattle Egret (Suffolk), two Icterine Warblers, three Golden Orioles, three Marsh Warblers and at least three Common Rosefinches.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 7th June 2015  
  New discoveries today comprised a Collared Pratincole at Lakenheath Fen RSPB, Suffolk, a Black-headed Bunting on Skomer, Pembrokeshire, a Black Stork over Marazion and Constantine, Cornwall, an Alpine Swift over Spurn, Yorkshire, a Red-footed Falcon over the River Nene mouth, Lincolnshire, a Red-rumped Swallow at Landguard NR, Suffolk, a Black Kite over Ford End, Essex and a King Eider on Unst, Shetland. Bee-eaters included seven on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly and singles over Saltford (Somerset), Hauxley (Northumberland), Ballyrobin (County Antrim) and Marazion (Cornwall).

Lingering rarities included the Swainson's Thrush in Pembrokeshire, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Squacco Heron in Cornwall, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Bee-eater in Yorkshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and Black-winged Stilt in Sussex.

Scarcity highlights comprised a Marsh Warbler, an Icterine Warbler, a Pectoral Sandpiper, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Red-necked Phalaropes, two Ring-necked Ducks, two American Wigeon and four Common Rosefinches.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 6th June 2015  
  Another good day for Bee-eaters, with birds at Cliftonville, Kent, St Buryan (two) and Bodmin Moor, both Cornwall, Flamborough Head area, Yorkshire (five) and four on several islands in the Isles of Scilly. Other discoveries today included a Squacco Heron at Marazion, Cornwall and a Greenish Warbler on the Out Skerries, Shetland.

Lingering rarities included the Swainson's Thrush in Pembrokeshire, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Great Reed Warbler in Shetland, Black-winged Stilt in Sussex and a Bee-eater in the Spurn area of Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 5th June 2015  
  New discoveries today included a Black Stork over Newton Abbot, Devon, an Olive-backed Pipit on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Forster's Tern at Fiddaun Island, County Galway, single Greenish Warblers at Swinister and Swining, both Shetland, single Red-footed Falcons at Kilmurrin County Waterford, Hemsby, Norfolk and Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, a Black Kite at Wykeham Forest, Yorkshire and a White-billed Diver at Esha Ness, Shetland. Bee-eaters were recorded in Norfolk at Winterton (two), Isles of Scilly on St Agnes (two), Lincolnshire at Wragby (six) and Rimac, Cornwall at Maenporth (two) and Yorkshire at Kilnsea.

Lingering rarities included the Swainson's Thrush in Pembrokeshire, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Black-winged Stilt in Sussex, Greenish Warbler on Fair Isle and King Eider in Aberdeenshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 4th June 2015  
  New discoveries included Red-footed Falcon in Kent and Norfolk, a Subalpine Warbler on Western Isles (which was probably a Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler), Bee-eaters in Cornwall (4), Isles of Scilly (2), Gloucestershire (2) and Surrey (2) and Greenish Warbler on Isles of Scilly. The Swainson's Thrush (Pembrokeshire), Veery (Orkney), Black-winged Stilt (West Sussex), White-rumped Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Red-footed Falcon (East Sussex), Little Bittern (Suffolk), Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire) and Greenish Warbler and Great Reed Warbler (Shetland) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Golden Oriole (Moray), Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Bluethroat (Orkney), Montagu's Harrier (Kent), Temminck's Stint (South Yorkshire), Corncrake (Anglesey), White-winged Black Tern (Dorset), Serin (Kent), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Ring-necked Duck (Orkney), two Red-necked Phalaropes, two Red-backed Shrikes, four Icterine Warblers and four Honey Buzzards.

A probable Short-toed Eagle flew over Lyndhurst (Hampshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 3rd June 2015  
  The most exicting birding today was on the northern isles, where on the Orkney Isles the Veery remained (North Ronaldsay), along with a Greenish Warbler (Sanday), Red-spotted Bluethroat and Red-backed Shrike, whilst on the Shetland Isles Great Reed Warbler (Unst), two Greenish Warblers (Fair Isle), Red-spotted Bluethroat, Marsh Warbler, Common Rosefinch, four Icterine Warblers and five Red-backed Shrikes.

Elsewhere, the Black-winged Pratincole was relocated in Aberdeenshire at Loch of Skene, the Swainson's Thrush remained in Pembrokeshire, as did the Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire), Squacco Heron (Isles of Scilly), Little Bittern (Suffolk), Red-footed Falcon (East Sussex), Black-winged Stilt (West Sussex), and White-rumped Sandpiper (Lincolnshire). Bee-eaters flew over Devon, Dorset and Norfolk (2).

The best of the rest comprised White-winged Black Tern (Dorset), Night Heron (Isles of Scilly), Golden Oriole (Moray), and eight migrant Red-necked Phalaropes.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 2nd June 2015  
  A Swainson's Thrush on Skokholm Island (Pembrokeshire) today completed a hat-trick of catharus thrushes in Britain and Ireland this spring, following the Grey-cheeked Thrush in Co Mayo and the Veery on North Ronaldsay (the latter was still present today).

Elsewhere new discoveries included Greenish Warblers on Unst and Out Skerries (Shetland), whilst the Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire), Black-winged Stilt (West Sussex), Red-footed Falcon (East Sussex) and Squacco Heron (Isles of Scilly) all lingered

The best of the rest included a summer-plumage Grey Phalarope (Warwickshire), a report of a Great Grey Shrike (Kent), Corncrake (Cheshire), Green-winged Teal (Derbyshire), Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Balearic Shearwater (Cornwall), White-winged Black Tern (Dorset), Dotterel and Lapland Bunting (Orkney), Sabine's Gull (Argyll), two American Wigeons, two Long-tailed Skuas, two Golden Orioles, four Bluethroats, two Red-backed Shrikes, three Common Rosefinches, seven Red-necked Phalaropes, 10 Icterine Warblers and at least 11 Red-backed Shrikes.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 1st June 2015  
  New discoveries included Black Kite in Norfolk and Bee-eater in Kent, whilst the Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire), Black-winged Pratincole (Northumberland), Red-footed Falcon (East Sussex), King Eider (Aberdeenshire) and Little Bittern (Suffolk) were all reported again today.

The best of the rest included Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Corncrake (Cheshire), Sabine's Gull (Cornwall), Green-winged Teal (Derbyshire), Lapland Bunting (Orkney), Red-backed Shrike, Marsh Warbler, Golden Oriole and two Ring-necked Ducks (Shetland), Red-necked Phalarope (East Yorkshire), two Long-tailed Skuas, two Common Rosefinches, two Bluethroats, at least two American Wigeons and five Temminck's Stints.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 31st May 2015  
  Lingering mega-rarities comprised the Veery on Orkney, Black-winged Pratincole in Northumberland and Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, whilst the Black-winged Stilt in West Sussex, White-rumped Sandpiper in Lincolnshire, Little Bittern in Suffolk, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Red-footed Falcon in East Sussex and Squacco Heron on Isles of Scilly also lingered.

The best of the rest included American Wigeons (pairs in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), Corncrake (Cheshire), Icterine Warbler (Norfolk), Shorelark (Gwynedd), Pectoral Sandpiper (Warwickshire), Green-winged Teal (Derbyshire), Golden Oriole (East Yorkshire), Kentish Plover (Fife), Lapland Bunting (Orkney), Cattle Egret (Kent), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), two Bluethroats, four Temminck's Stints and nine Red-necked Phalaropes.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 30th May 2015  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Veery on North Ronaldsay (Orkney). The only previous spring record of this species concerned a bird on Lundy (Devon) on 14th May 1997.

In addition to the Veery new discoveries included Caspian Tern in Lincolnshire, Bee-eaters in Devon (3) and Dorset and Red-footed Falcons in Northamptonshire and East Sussex, whilst Black-winged Pratincole and Gull-billed Tern (Northumberland), Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire), White-rumped Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Rustic Bunting (Orkney), Black-winged Stilt (West Sussex), Little Bittern (Suffolk), Squacco Heron (Isles of Scilly), King Eider (Aberdeenshire) and Bee-eater (Cornwall) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Red-backed Shrike (Suffolk), Bluethroats (Kent and Co Wicklow), Kentish Plover (Fife), Pectoral Sandpipers (Nottinghamshire and Co Derry), Spotted Crake (Kent), Corncrake (Cheshire), Red-necked Phalaropes (Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Norfolk [2], West Sussex, Kent, Orkney and Suffolk), Temminck's Stints (Leicestershire, Suffolk and London), Golden Orioles (East Yorkshire, Shetland and Anglesey), Shorelark (Gwynedd), Ring-necked Ducks (Shetland) and Common Rosefinch (Devon).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA