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.

Choose a starting date
Wednesday 4th May 2016  
  In Kent a brief Lesser Kestrel was reported at Pegwell Bay, whilst elsewhere new discoveries included Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall and Dorset, Alpine Swift and Great Bustard in Kent, Red-rumped Swallow in Dorset and two Black-winged Stilts in Surrey.

Lingering rarities included Western Rufous Turtle Dove (Kent), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Shetland), Savi's Warbler (Suffolk), Snowy Owl (Isles of Scilly) and Black-winged Stilt (Lincolnshire) whilst sarcity highlights included Hoopoes (Suffolk, Isle of Man, Gloucestershire and East Yorkshire), Short-toed Lark (Shetland), Woodchat Shrikes (Pembrokeshire and Derbyshire), Wryneck (Norfolk), Serins (Norfolk and East Yorkshire), Purple Heron (Essex), Spotted Crake (Kent) and Golden Oriole (Cambridgeshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 3rd May 2016  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a showy Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the Shetland Isles on West Burra: only the second spring record in Britain or Ireland - following a female suppressed at Holme, Norfolk on 4th-5th May 2006 - and just the fifth record for Scotland. Elsewhere, a Black-winged Stilt was new in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh, a Black Kite showed briefly in Suffolk, and a White-rumped Sandpiper flew past Walney Island, Cumbria.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Kent, both Snowy Owl and Iberian Chiffchaff on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs in Argyll, Black-headed Wagtail in Norfolk, and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk.

Scarcities included Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Rough-legged Buzzard (Lincolnshire), Spotted Crake (Suffolk), three Hoopoes, seven Glossy Ibises, and 18 Dotterel (all together in Norfolk). Eight Long-tailed and 347 Pomarine Skuas passed North Uist, Western Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 2nd May 2016  
  New rarities discovered today comprised a flock of 10 Black-winged Stilts in West Sussex at Pulborough Brooks, a Lesser Yellowlegs in Argyll on Islay, and a Black-headed Wagtail at Titchwell, Norfolk.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Kent, Glaucous-winged Gull in County Cork, American Herring Gull in Cornwall, Iberian Chiffchaff in Shropshire, Savi's Warblers in both Norfolk and Suffolk, single White-billed Divers in both Aberdeenshire and the Orkney Isles, King Eider in Highland, and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.

Scarcities included Short-toed Lark (Shetland Isles), Wryneck (Lothian), Montagu's Harrier (East Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (County Down), Kumlien's Gull (County Mayo), two Rough-legged Buzzards, three Hoopoes, 11 Glossy Ibises, and a total of 24 migrant Dotterel.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 1st May 2016  
  The highlight of the day was continued presence of the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Kent. Elsewhere, a Lesser Scaup at Lochwinnoch, Clyde proved to be the roaming Portugese-ringed bird that bears a red nasal saddle, the Iberian Chiffchaff remained on the Isles of Scilly, Savi's Warblers were in both Norfolk and Suffolk, and White-billed Divers were noted in Aberdeenshire (9), Moray and the Western Isles.

Scarcities included Kentish Plover and Serin (both Dorset), Cory's Shearwater (West Sussex), Rough-legged Buzzard (Yorkshire), Montagu's Harrier (Essex), two each of both Hoopoe and Spotted Crake, three Wrynecks, four Glossy Ibises and 14 Dotterel.

In Cheshire the White-crowned Sparrow could not be found today at Woolston Eyes, and photographs taken yesterday show the bird was of the western taiga form gambelii Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow; the first British - and second Western Palearctic - record of this form; all others here being of the nominate eastern taiga form leucophrys.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 30th April 2016  
  The sixth White-crowned Sparrow for Britain was discovered in a mist net at Woolston Eyes NR, Cheshire mid morning. It was seen sporadically after release up to late morning, but wasn't seen again by this evening. The Western Rufous Turtle Dove reappeared in Kent today, still in the gardens off the A225 in Otford this evening.

Two Black-winged Stilts visited Steart WWT, Somerset early morning, and a Bee-eater was over Portland Bill, Dorset briefly before flying back out to sea. Other new rarities today included single Black Kites over Ibsley Water, Hampshire, Kirton Marsh, Lincolnshire and Mucking, Essex and a White-billed Diver off the Isle of Skye, Highland.

Lingering rarities included the Snowy Owl and Iberian Chiffchaff in the Isles of Scilly, the other Iberian Chiffchaff in Shropshire, Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, White-billed Divers in Orkney and Aberdeenshire (five) and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 29th April 2016  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Iberian Chiffchaff in Shropshire, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall and single White-billed Divers in Moray and the Western Isles.

Scarcity highlights included singles of Hoopoe, Serin, Wryneck, Great Grey Shrike, Purple Heron, Spotted Crake, American Golden Plover, Montagu's Harrier, Pomarine Skua and Balearic Shearwater, two Roseate Terns, five Glaucous Gulls, five Iceland Gulls, five Great White Egrets, seven Dotterel and 11 Glossy Ibises.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 28th April 2016  
  Rarity highlights included a flyover Black Stork in Surrey, Iberian Chiffchaff in Kent, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, White-billed Divers in Orkey (2), Moray, Aberdeenshire and Western Isles and Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall.

The best of the rest included Pallas's Warbler (Dorset), Cattle Egret (West Sussex), Montagu's Harrier (Isles of Scilly), two Spotted Crakes, two Richard's Pipits, two Purple Herons, three Hoopoes, three Wrynecks, five Glossy Ibises and six Dotterels.

Significant late news related to a Belted Kingfisher in Co Derry last Friday and the continued presence of the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Kent at Otford, where it was last reported on Sunday.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 27th April 2016  
  Lingering rarities included Glaucous-winged Gull (Co Cork), Black Duck (Highland), Iberian Chiffchaff (Kent), Long-billed Dowitchers (Hampshire and Northumberland) and Black Kite (Western Isles).

The best of the rest included Wryneck (Norfolk), Temminck's Stint (Norfolk), Pallas's Warbler (Dorset), two Spotted Crakes, three Hoopoes, three Purple Herons, four Dotterels and five Glossy Ibises.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 26th April 2016  
  Rarities today comprised the Snowy Owl still on the Isles of Scilly, territorial Iberian Chiffchaffs still in Kent, Scilly and Shropshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, single Long-billed Dowitchers in both Hampshire and Northumberland, and on the Western Isles a new Black Kite - on Lewis - and a lingering White-billed Diver.

Scarcities included Kentish Plover (Greater Manchester), Surf Scoter (North Yorkshire), Montagu's Harrier (Isles of Scilly), Dotterel (South Yorkshire), Lapland Bunting (Shetland Isles), two each of Purple Heron (together in Devon), Wryneck (together in Norfolk), Rough-legged Buzzard and Spotted Crake, and three of Hoopoe, Glossy Ibis and Great Grey Shrike.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 25th April 2016  
  Lingering rarities included Snowy Owl (Isles of Scilly), Iberian Chiffchaff (Kent, Isles of Scilly and Shropshire) and Long-billed Dowitcher (Northumberland), whilst a Sardinian Warbler was reported at Exminster Marshes RSPB (Devon) early afternoon, but it could not be found later.

The best of the rest included Kentish Plover (Greater Manchester), Spotted Crake (Suffolk), Wryneck (Norfolk), Dotterel (South Yorkshire), two Purple Herons (Devon), three Hoopoes and five Glossy Ibises.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA