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 18th May 2017  
  In Yorkshire, the Black-browed Albatross was seen again at Bempton Cliffs RSPB very briefly.

New discoveries included an Iberian Chiffchaff at Prussia Cove, Cornwall, an Arctic Redpoll at Quendale, Shetland, two Red-rumped Swallows at Portland Bill, Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher at Ringmoylan, County Limerick, Black-winged Stilt at Cley, Norfolk, single Black Kites at Westonbirt, Gloucestershire and Rainham, London, a White-billed Diver off Westray, Orkney and a report of a singing Hume's Warbler at Westleton, Suffolk.

Lingering rarities included the Caspian Tern and Iberian Chiffchaff in Norfolk, Collared Pratincole and Semipalmated Sandpiper in Shetland, single Spotted Sandpipers in Cumbria and Staffordshire, Little Bittern in Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk and Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 17th May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was a Caspian Tern that joined the Savi's Warbler at Hickling Broad, Norfolk. Meanwhile in Suffolk the Savi's Warbler at Minsmere was joined by a Black-winged Stilt, with a Red-footed Falcon at nearby North Warren and Black Kite overflying both Stoke-by-Nayland and Kirton.

Other rarities comprised a Red-throated Pipit new in with the Collared Pratincole on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles whilst the Semipalmated Sandpiper remained on Unst, the Iberian Chiffchaff still in Norfolk, Little Bittern on the Isles of Scilly, Spotted Sandpipers in both Cumbria and Staffordshire, Bonaparte's Gull in London and at least two Bee-eaters briefly in Glamorgan.

Scarcities included Short-toed Lark and Golden Oriole (Dorset), Woodchat Shrike (Isles of Scilly), Serin (East Yorkshire), Hoopoe (County Antrim), Purple Heron and Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Glossy Ibis (Norfolk), Red-breasted Flycatcher and Grey-headed Wagtail (Shetland Isles), two Night Herons, three Shorelarks, five Cattle Egrets, nine Temminck's Stints and a total of 16 migrant Dotterel.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 16th May 2017  
  The adult Black-browed Albatross reappeared at Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorkshire today. It flew north-west along the cliff past the Bartlett Nab Viewpoint, but wasn't seen at any other sites further along the coast.

New discoveries today included a singing Iberian Chiffchaff at Walsey Hills, Norfolk, a Thrush Nightingale on Fair Isle, Shetland, a Red-rumped Swallow on Unst, Shetland, a Tawny Pipit at Burniston, North Yorkshire, a Snowy Owl on Papa Westray, Orkney, a Red-footed Falcon at Coldwaltham, West Sussex, a Black Kite at Lenham Heath, Kent and a White-billed Diver off Lossiemouth, Moray. The Semipalmated Sandpiper seen at Balnakeil, Highland at the weekend was relocated on the beach at Haroldswick, Unst, Shetland.

Lingering rarities included the Collared Pratincole in Shetland, single Spotted Sandpipers in Staffordshire and Cumbria, Little Bittern in Scilly, Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Red-footed Falcon in South Yorkshire, Black Duck in Highland and single Bonaparte's Gulls in London and Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
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