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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Sunday 21st May 2017  
  New discoveries today included a singing male Rustic Bunting at Baltasound, Unst, Shetland, single Bee-eaters at Portland, Dorset and Connor Downs, Cornwall, a Black Kite at Hurlstone Point, Somerset and Red-footed Falcons at Tetney Lock, Lincolnshire and Thorne Moors, Yorkshire (now two adult males). A male Little Bittern has once again returned to Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset.

Lingering rarities included the Iberian Chiffchaff and Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Little Bittern in Scilly, single Bonaparte's Gulls in London and County Kerry, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and White-billed Diver in Orkney.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Marsh Warbler, a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Common Rosefinch, a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Hoopoe, a Serin, three Bluethroats, a Woodchat Shrike, a Great Grey Shrike, two Red-backed Shrikes, three Golden Orioles, two Shorelarks, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Pectoral Sandpiper, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers, three Temminck's Stints, three Dotterel, a Purple Heron, four Honey Buzzards and a Night Heron.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 20th May 2017  
  New discoveries all concerned flyover sightings; a Red-rumped Swallow in East Yorkshire, Bee-eater in Dorset and Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk.

The Pied-billed Grebe (Argyll), Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria), Bonaparte's Gull (London), Caspian Tern and Iberian Chiffchaff (Norfolk), Savi's Warblers (Norfolk and Suffolk), Red-footed Falcon (Suffolk) and Little Bittern (Isles of Scilly) all lingered.

Scarcity highlights included Night Heron (Shropshire), Purple Herons (Glamorgan and Cornwall), Pectoral Sandpiper (Cornwall), Bluethroats (Shetland and Orkney), Hoopoe (North Yorkshire) and Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Cheshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 19th May 2017  
  Three Red-rumped Swallows were discovered today, in Co Durham, Lancashire and Suffolk. Elsewhere the Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria), Caspian Tern, Savi's Warbler and Iberian Chiffchaff (Norfolk), Little Bittern (Isles of Scilly), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Shetland), Red-footed Falcon and Savi's Warbler (Suffolk) and White-billed Diver (Western Isles) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Cheshire), Night Heron (Shropshire), Hoopoes (North Yorkshire and Co Waterford), Purple Herons (Cornwall and Glamorgan) and Woodchat Shrike and Serin (Devon).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
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