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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Tuesday 24th April 2018  
  Mediterranean rarities today comprised a brief Alpine Swift in Lincolnshire at Gibraltar Point, Red-rumped Swallows in Lincolnshire (2) and East Yorkshire, Black-winged Stilt in both East Sussex and Kent, territorial Savi's Warblers in Hampshire, Lancashire and Suffolk, and mobile Black Kites recorded in East Sussex, Kent, London (2) and Norfolk.

Lingering rarities from elsewhere were the American Bittern still in Suffolk, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Laughing Gull on the Isles of Scilly, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, and King Eider and two White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcities included Hoopoe (Dorset), Ring-necked Duck (Lincolnshire), Snow Goose (Cheshire), Cattle Egret (Kent), Dotterel and Glossy Ibis (both Norfolk).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 23rd April 2018  
  New discoveries included Pallid Harrier (Norfolk), Alpine Swifts (Essex, Norfolk and West Yorkshire), Black-winged Stilts (Norfolk and West Sussex), Snowy Owl (Orkney), two Red-rumped Swallows (Lincolnshire) and Arctic Redpoll (Highland).

Lingering rarities comprised American Bittern (Suffolk), Laughing Gull (Isles of Scilly), Savi's Warblers (Lancashire and Suffolk), Red-rumped Swallow (East Yorkshire), Bonaparte's Gull (Dorset), and six White-billed Divers (Aberdeenshire).

The best of the rest included Yellow-browed Warbler (Suffolk), Wryneck (Kent), Snow Goose (Cheshire), Purple Heron (Cornwall), Golden Oriole (Isles of Scilly), Hoopoe (East Sussex) and eight Dotterels.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 22nd April 2018  
  New discoveries included Savi's Warbler (Lancashire), Alpine Swift (East Sussex) and Red-rumped Swallows (East Yorkshire [up to three] and Kent).

The Laughing Gull (Isles of Scilly), American Bittern (Suffolk), Bonaparte's Gulls (Cornwall and Dorset), Savi's Warblers (Hampshire and Suffolk), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), White-billed Divers (Moray [6] and Aberdeenshire [2]) and Long-billed Dowitcher (Northumberland) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Little Bunting (East Sussex), Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), Purple Heron (Cornwall), Night Heron (Hampshire), Shorelark (Suffolk), two Wrynecks, two Golden Orioles, four Hoopoes and four Dotterels.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 21st April 2018  
  New discoveries included Black Kite (East Sussex) and Red-rumped Swallow (Suffolk), whilst American Bittern (Suffolk), American White-winged Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Bonaparte's Gulls (Cornwall and Dorset), Savi's Warblers (Hampshire and Suffolk), Laughing Gull (Isles of Scilly), Ferruginous Duck (Powys), Long-billed Dowitcher (Northumberland) and two White-billed Divers (Moray) all lingered.

The best of the rest included American Golden Plover (Co Wexford), Dotterel (Orkney), Purple Heron (Cornwall), Wryneck (Kent), White Stork (Northamptonshire), two Woodchat Shrikes, four Hoopoes and four Serins.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 20th April 2018  
  New discoveries comprised a Squacco Heron (Co Wexford), Red-rumped Swallow (East Yorkshire), Snowy Owl (Co Galway) and Black Kite (Dorset), whilst a Savi's Warbler was in Hampshire for its second day and a White-billed Diver was reported on Isles of Scilly.

Lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull (Dorset), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Laughing Gull (Isles of Scilly), American Bittern and Savi's Warbler (Suffolk), Ferruginous Duck (Powys) and White-billed Diver (Moray).

The best of the rest included Woodchat Shrikes (Isles of Scilly and Pembrokeshire), Night Heron (Isles of Scilly), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Serin and Hoopoe (Kent), Wryneck (Hampshire) and Purple Heron (Cornwall).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 19th April 2018  
  New discoveries today included a male Pallid Harrier over the M62 near Goole, Yorkshire, an Iberian Chiffchaff on Barra, Western Isles, single Bonaparte's Gulls at Hayle, Cornwall and Durlston, Dorset and a Black Kite over Bardwell, Suffolk.

Lingering rarities included the American Bittern and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Blue-winged Teal in Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Western Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, White-billed Divers off Aberdeenshire (18) and Moray and Ferruginous Duck in Powys.

Scarcity highlights included a Golden Oriole, a Wryneck, a Serin, a Lapland Bunting, two Woodchat Shrikes, two Yellow-browed Warblers, eight Hoopoes, a Pomarine Skua, a White Stork, a Purple Heron, three Night Herons, four Glossy Ibises, two American Wigeon, two Green-winged Teals, six Ring-necked Ducks and six Surf Scoters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 18th April 2018  
  A Belted Kingfisher in St Mary's, Isles of Scilly today is the first record for the archipelago, and the first in Britain since the 2005 individual.

Other new discoveries included a Little Bittern in Pembrokeshire, Western Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Red-rumped Swallow in Suffolk, Blue-winged Teal in Western Isles, Lesser Scaup in Highland and Black Kite in Kent.

Lingering rarities included the American Bittern and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Laughing Gull in Isles of Scilly, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall and Pacific Diver in County Cork.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 17th April 2018  
  Exciting new rarities today comprised a brief Great Spotted Cuckoo in Kent between Ringwould and Kingsdown, a Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland at Grindon Lough and a Laughing Gull on St Martin's, Isles of Scilly.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the American Bittern in Suffolk, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Iberian Chiffchaff in Oxfordshire, Penduline Tit in Hertfordshire, Black-headed Wagtail in Lancashire, both Pacific Diver and King Eider in County Cork and Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset.

Scarcities included Hoopoe (Dorset), Ring-billed Gull (Hampshire), Dotterel (Norfolk), two each of Woodchat Shrike, American Wigeon and Glossy Ibis, three of both Cattle Egret and Lapland Bunting, four Ring-necked Ducks and a total of seven Surf Scoters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 16th April 2018  
  New rarities today comprised an Iberian Chiffchaff in Oxfordshire at South Hinksey, a Penduline Tit in Hertfordshire at Tyttenhanger, Subalpine Warbler sp in Cornwall on The Lizard, a Savi's Warbler briefly in Norfolk at Strumpshaw Fen and a fly-over Black Kite in East Sussex at Crowborough.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were both the American Bittern and Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset and Black-headed Wagtail in Lancashire. Off the Moray coast the count of White-billed Divers increased to 33.

Scarcities included Surf Scoter (Lothian), two Ring-necked Ducks, three each of both Hoopoe and Glossy Ibis and four Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 15th April 2018  
  Rarities today comprised both the American Bittern and Savi's Warbler still in Suffolk, the American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, three Coues's Arctic Redpolls together in Norfolk, White-billed Divers in both Moray (four together) and the Western Isles, male Black-headed Wagtail still in Lancashire with a probable female Black-headed Wagtail new in Gloucestershire at Northwick Warth.

Scarcities included Serin (Dorset), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Ring-billed Gull (County Cork), two Glossy Ibises, three Ring-necked Ducks, five Hoopoes and a total of six Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA