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 15th May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a first summer male Baltimore Oriole on Tory Island in County Donegal. Other new discoveries today included a Gull-billed Tern at a couple of sites in Cambridgeshire, a Spotted Sandpiper at Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire, single Bee-eaters over Dungeness and St Margaret's at Cliffe, both Kent and Red-rumped Swallows at Daventry Reservoir, Northamptonshire and Druridge Pools, Northumberland, where two were present.

Lingering rarities included the Collared Pratincole in Shetland, Spotted Sandpiper in Cumbria, Little Bittern in Scilly, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll and Bonaparte's Gull in London.

Scarcity highlights included a Kentish Plover, a Purple Heron, a Night Heron, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Kumlien's Gull, two Honey Buzzards, three Long-tailed Skuas, five Temminck's Stints, seven Shorelarks and 26 Dotterel.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 14th May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the arrival of a Collared Pratincole on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles. Discoveries elsewhere included an Eastern Subalpine Warbler in Devon at Dawlish Warren, a Subalpine Warbler sp in Conwy at Great Ormes Head, a Bonelli's Warbler sp in Devon on Lundy, a Broad-billed Sandpiper briefly in Lincolnshire at Frampton Marsh, a Bonaparte's Gull in London at Creekmouth, and a report of Black-throated Thrush in Wrexham. Bee-eaters were noted in Anglesey, Cornwall (2), Kent, Norfolk (2) and Pembrokeshire.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Red-winged Blackbird on the Orkney Isles, Pallid Harrier in Lancashire, Spotted Sandpiper in Cumbria, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Highland, Thrush Nightingale on the Shetland Isles, Little Bittern on the Isles of Scilly, Red-rumped Swallow on the Orkney Isles, Red-footed Falcons in Cambridgeshire and South Yorkshire, and territorial Savi's Warblers in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (London), Short-toed Lark (Northumberland), Woodchat Shrike (Devon), Kentish Plover (Cornwall), Night Heron (Shropshire), Ortolan Bunting and Wryneck (Shetland Isles), two Grey-headed Wagtails, three each of both Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis, six Bluethroats, seven Shorelarks, nine Temminck's Stints, 12 Cattle Egrets and a total of 46 migrant Dotterel.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 13th May 2017  
  The Highlight of the day was a flyby Black-browed Albatross off Bempton Cliffs RSPB (East Yorkshire).

Elsewhere new discoveries included Thrush Nightingale and Red-rumped Swallow (Shetland), Black Kite (Co Cork), Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria), Bee-eaters (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), Red-footed Falcon (Hampshire), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Highland), Red-rumped Swallow (Northumberland), Red-footed Falcon (Norfolk) and two Black-winged Stilts (Norfolk/Suffolk border).

Lingering rarities comprised Red-winged Blackbird on Orkney, Black-winged Stilts and Red-footed Falcons in Cambridgeshire and Pembrokeshire, Red-rumped Swallows in Cornwall, Lincolnshire and Orkney, Pallid Harrier in Lancashire, Citrine Wagtail in Northumberland and Savi's Warbler in Norfolk.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 12th May 2017  
  New discoveries today included a Black Stork at Kyle of Tongue, Highland, an Eastern Subalpine Warbler on the Isle of May, Fife, a Citrine Wagtail at Lynemouth, Northumberland, single Red-footed Falcons at Holkham, Norfolk and Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, Red-rumped Swallow at Marazion, Cornwall and two Black-winged Stilts in both Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire.

Lingering rarities included the Red-ringed Blackbird in Orkney, Pallid Harrier in Lancashire, Red-footed Falcon in Pembrokeshire, Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Red-rumped Swallow in Orkney and two more Black-winged Stilts in Lincolnshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 11th May 2017  
  New discoveries included Tawny Pipit and Red-footed Falcon in Pembrokeshire, Red-rumped Swallow in Orkney, Red-throated Pipit in Cornwall, Black Kite in Kent and Black Stork in Co Antrim.

 Lingering rarities included Red-winged Blackbird (Orkney), Pallid Harrier (Lancashire), Red-footed Falcon (Cambridgeshire), Bonaparte's Gulls (Dorset and Hampshire), Little Bittern (Isles of Scilly), Savi's Warbler (Suffolk and Norfolk) and six Black-winged Stilts.

The best of the rest included White-tailed Eagle (Suffolk), White-winged Black Tern (Co Derry), Little Bunting (Shetland), Yellow-browed Warbler (Norfolk), Short-toed Lark (Northumberland), Hoopoe (North Yorkshire), two Serins, two Night Herons and two Purple Herons.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 10th May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was a Snowy Owl that briefly joined the Red-winged Blackbird on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles. Elsewhere, an Eastern Subalpine Warbler was new on the Shetland Isles at Scatness and in Norfolk a Tawny Pipit was found at Weybourne and a Great Reed Warbler at Thetford. Brief encounters included a Subalpine Warbler on the Wirral, Black Kite in London, Red-rumped Swallows in both Dorset and County Durham, and Red-footed Falcons in Norfolk and Suffolk (2).

Other rarities today comprised the Pallid Harrier still on territory in Lancashire, Little Bittern on the Isles pf Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in Cambridgeshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Savi's Warblers in both Norfolk and Suffolk, White-billed Divers in County Donegal (2), Shetland Isles and Western Isles, and Black-winged Stilts in Cambridgeshire, East Yorkshire (2), Hampshire, London (2) and Norfolk (2).

Scarcities included Short-toed Lark (Northumberland), Richard's Pipit (Lancashire), Red-spotted Bluethroat, Little Bunting and Grey-headed Wagtail (Shetland Isles), Pectoral Sandpiper (County Derry), Ring-necked Duck and Ring-billed Gull (both Highland), two each of Night Heron, Glossy Ibis and Shorelark, four Temminck's Stints, 15 migrant Dotterel and a total of 16 Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 9th May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was a brief Laughing Gull in London at Rainham Marshes, whilst a Red-rumped Swallow flew over Landguard, Suffolk, and Black-winged Stilts were new in Hampshire at Pennington Marshes and in Norfolk at Burnham Norton (2).

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Red-winged Blackbird on the Orkney Isles, territorial Pallid Harrier in Lancashire, Marsh Sandpiper in County Dublin, Little Bittern on the Isles of Scilly, both Great Reed Warbler and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Eastern Stonechat in East Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Essex and Hampshire, Red-footed Falcon in Cambridgeshire, Savi's Warbler and two Black-winged Stilts together in Norfolk, Black-winged Stilt in Gloucestershire and White-billed Divers in both County Donegal and the Orkney Isles (2).

Scarcities included Short-toed Lark (Northumberland), Serin (Kent), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), two Purple Herons, three each of both Wryneck and Glossy Ibis, four Night Herons, five Temminck's Stints, seven Cattle Egrets, 11 Shorelarks and 16 migrant Dotterel.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 8th May 2017  
  A male Spectacled Warbler, the ninth for Britain, was found at Portland Bill, Dorset late afternoon, where it showed well until late evening. Wales's second Slate-coloured Junco was seen on Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, where there was also a male Eastern Subalpine Warbler. A Bee-eater was near St Just, Cornwall, a Red-rumped Swallow was at Grove Ferry NNR, Kent and two White-billed Divers were found off North Ronaldsay, Orkney.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Red-winged Blackbird in Orkney, Eastern Stonechat in Yorkshire, Great Reed Warbler in Suffolk, Pallid Harrier in Lancashire, Little Bittern in Scilly, Broad-billed Sandpiper on the Isle of Man, Marsh Sandpiper in County Dublin, Black-winged Stilts in Gloucestershire, Somerset and Norfolk (two), King Eider in Highland and Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Serin, a Lapland Bunting, a Green-winged Teal, a Pomarine Skua, a Roseate Tern, a White-tailed Eagle, two Wrynecks, two Short-toed Larks, two Purple Herons, two Ring-billed Gulls, two Glossy Ibises, three Temminck's Stints and 14 Dotterel.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 7th May 2017  
  New discoveries today included a Great Reed Warbler at Landguard NR, Suffolk, a Western Subalpine Warbler on Tiree, Argyll, single Black-winged Stilts at Pilning, Gloucestershire and Harbridge, Somerset, a Black Kite over Sandwich Bay, Kent and an adult male Red-footed Falcon was trapped and ringed at the Calf of Man.

Lingering rarities still present included the Red-winged Blackbird in Orkney, Pallid Harrier in Lancashire, Marsh Sandpiper in County Dublin, Broad-billed Sandpiper on the Isle of Man, two Black-winged Stilts in Norfolk and one in Scilly, Great Reed Warbler in Leicestershire, Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Western Bonelli's Warbler in Scilly, Citrine Wagtail in Conwy, Eastern Stonechat in Yorkshire, Little Bittern in Scilly, single Red-footed Falcon in Anglesey and Cambridgeshire, single White-billed Divers in Orkney and Moray and single Bonaparte's Gulls in Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 6th May 2017  
  New discoveries today include Ireland's sixth Marsh Sandpiper (on Swords Estuary in County Dublin), Isle of Man's first Broad-billed Sandpiper (at Derbyhaven) and Leicestershire's third Great Reed Warbler (at Albert Village Lake). Other new rarities included an Eastern Stonechat at Flamborough, Yorkshire, a Citrine Wagtail at Morfa Madryn, Conwy, a Bonaparte's Gull at Portbury Wharf, Somerset, single Red-footed Falcons in Anglesey, Lothian and Hampshire, an Alpine Swift and a Black Kite in Kent and a Red-rumped Swallow in Dorset.

Lingering rarities included the Red-winged Blackbird in Orkney, Pallid Harrier in Lancashire, Little Bittern in Scilly, Black-winged Stilts in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk (five), single Savi's Warblers in Norfolk and Suffolk, Western Bonelli's Warbler and Gull-billed Tern in County Cork, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Dorset and Hampshire, Red-footed Falcon in Cambridgeshire, Black Duck in Highland and White-billed Divers in Moray and Orkney (two).
-  Will Soar, RBA