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 28th May 2017  
  Seven Red-footed Falcons were found today, with four at Spurn, Yorkshire, one at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, one at Salthouse, Norfolk and one at Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset. An Alpine Swift and a Red-rumped Swallow also went through Spurn, with the Alpine Swift also being seen at Gibraltar Point, along with a Black Stork. Other new discoveries included a Greenish Warbler on Great Saltee Island, County Wexford, a Savi's Warbler at Potter Heigham Marshes, Norfolk and a Black Kite over Brading, Isle of Wight.

Lingering rarities still present included the Spotted Sandpiper in Cumbria, Little Bittern in Somerset and two Savi's Warblers in Suffolk.

Scarcity highlights included a Woodchat Shrike, a Red-backed Shrike, a Marsh Warbler, a Short-toed Lark, a Shorelark, two Golden Orioles, three Common Rosefinches, an American Golden Plover, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Red-necked Phalarope, three Temminck's Stints, a Ring-billed Gull, a Long-tailed Skua, a Pomarine Skua, two Night Herons and seven Honey Buzzards.
Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 27th May 2017  
  New discoveries included Blyth's Reed Warbler (Suffolk), Red-rumped Swallows (Devon, Isles of Scilly and Suffolk), Red-footed Falcons (Dorset, East Yorkshire [2] and North Yorkshire), Bee-eaters (Oxfordshire [3], Norfolk and Kent), Black Kite (Kent) and Great Reed Warbler (Norfolk).

Lingering rarities included Pied-billed Grebe (Argyll), Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria), Savi's Warblers (Norfolk and Suffolk [2]), Rustic Bunting (Shetland) and Red-footed Falcon (Suffolk), whilst scarcity highlights comprised American Golden Plover (Pembrokeshire), Common Rosefinch (Aberdeenshire), Grey-headed Wagtail (Norfolk), Golden Oriole (Norfolk), Marsh Warbler (Suffolk), two Red-backed Shrikes, two Night Herons, three Red-breasted Flycatcher and  four Bluethroats.
Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 26th May 2017  
  Highlight of the day was a report of a Black-browed Albatross flying east past Orcombe Point (Devon) early in the evening.

Elsewhere new discoveries included a flyover Pallid Swift at Spurn (East Yorkshire), Black Kites in Camelford (Cornwall) and Yateley Common (Hampshire), two Red-footed Falcons at King's Fleet (Suffolk), Rustic Bunting on Fair Isle (Shetland), six Bee-eaters at Willop Basin (Kent) and another Bee-eater reported at Islip (Northamptonshire).

Lingering rarities comprised Pied-billed Grebe (Argyll), Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria), Red-footed Falcon (Isles of Scilly), Red-throated Pipit (Shetland) and Little Bittern (Somerset).

The most notable scarcities came in the form of a Melodious Warbler (Cornwall), White-winged Black Tern (Leicestershire), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Bluethroat and Short-toed Lark (Shetland), Kentish Plover (West Sussex) and Marsh Warbler (Suffolk).
Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 25th May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was a Crag Martin in Powys at Lake Vyrnwy albeit only briefly. Other brief encounters today included Black Kite in both Aberdeeenshire and Cornwall (2), Red-footed Falcon in County Cork, Alpine Swift reported in Derbyshire, two Red-rumped Swallows in East Yorkshire and a flock of eight Bee-eaters in County Durham.

Rarities elsewhere comprised a Red-footed Falcon was new on the Isles of Scilly on St Mary's, a Black-winged Stilt in Norfolk at Hockwold Washes, Red-throated Pipit still on the Shetland Isles, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and territorial Savi's Warblers in both Norfolk and Suffolk.

Scarcities included Surf Scoter (Orkney Isles), Purple Heron (Norfolk), Night Heron (Shropshire), Marsh Warbler and Serin (Suffolk), Red-backed Shrike (Aberdeenshire), Great Grey Shrike (Devon), Hoopoe (Cheshire), Shorelark (Wirral), Ring-billed Gull (Ceredigion), two each of Rose-coloured Starling (together in Argyll), Golden Oriole (together in Norfolk), Pectoral Sandpiper (together in County Londonderry), and a total of seven Cattle Egrets.
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 24th May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a singing Blyth's Reed Warbler in Kent at Joss Bay. New rarities elsewhere comprised a Red-footed Falcon in Norfolk at Stoke Ferry, a Lesser Scaup in Aberdeenshire at Loch of Skene, a Red-rumped Swallow on Tiree, Argyll, a Black Kite briefly in Hampshire and an Alpine Swift reported in Gloucestershire. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, territorial Little Bittern in Somerset and King Eider in Highland.

Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Surrey), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Isle of Man), Marsh Warbler (Suffolk), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Great Grey Shrike and Cattle Egret (Devon), and two each of Night Heron, Golden Oriole, Glossy Ibis and Shorelark.

Significant late news concerned a Lesser Kestrel on Noss, Shetland Isles on 1st May and a Slate-coloured Junco in Gwynedd at Dlogellau on 12th May.
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 23rd May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an Iberian Chiffchaff in Worcestershire on the Malvern Hills. Elsewhere, a Rustic Bunting was new on Noss, Shetland Isles, and off the Isle of Man a Subalpine Warbler was on the Calf of Man. Brief encounters included a Black Kite in Highland, Red-rumped Swallows in East Yorkshire, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire and the Shetland Isles, and Bee-eaters in East Yorkshire, Kent and Lincolnshire.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the territorial Little Bittern in Somerset, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, King Eider in Highland, and Savi's Warblers in both Norfolk and Suffolk.

Scarcities included three White-winged Black Terns together in Surrey, Marsh Warbler (Suffolk), Golden Oriole (Perthshire), Ring-billed Gull (Ceredigion), Shorelark (Wirral), Great Grey Shrike (Devon), Grey-headed Wagtail (Shetland Isles), two each of Short-toed Lark, Woodchat Shrike, Temminck's Stint and migrant Red-necked Phalarope, three Glossy Ibises, four Night Herons and a total of 16 Cattle Egrets included a bird on a nest in Cheshire.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 22nd May 2017  
  A Red-throated Pipit and two male Red-footed Falcons flew over Blakeney Point, Norfolk today, with two Black Kites elsewhere in the county, over Cranwich Camp, Mundford. A singing Iberian Chiffchaff was found at Emmbrook, Berkshire, a Red-footed Falcon flew over Messingham, Lincolnshire, a Red-rumped Swallow flew over Hastings Country Park, East Sussex and a Bee-eater flew over Long Nab, North Yorkshire.

Lingering rarities still present today included the Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, single Little Bitterns in Somerset and Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in South Yorkshire and single Savi's Warblers in Suffolk and Norfolk.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Serin, a Short-toed Lark, a Shorelark, a Common Rosefinch, a Marsh Warbler, a Melodious Warbler, two Icterine Warblers, two Purple Herons, two Night Herons and three Bluethroats.
Will Soar, RBA
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