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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Friday 22nd May 2020  
  New discoveries today included a Broad-billed Sandpiper at Middleton Lakes RSPB, Staffordshire, a Red-throated Pipit at West Runton, Norfolk, a Black Kite at Boughton Street, Kent and a Red-rumped Swallow at Spurn, Yorkshire.

Lingering rarities included the Squacco Heron in Dorset, Little Bittern in County Dublin, Collared Pratincole in Gloucestershire, Citrine Wagtail in Orkney, Iberian Chiffchaff in London and two Bee-eaters in Cornwall.

Scarcity highlights included a Short-toed Lark, a Bluethroat, a Golden Oriole, two Hoopoes, two Common Rosefinches, four Red-backed Shrikes, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Temminck's Stint, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Corncrake, two Honey Buzzards, a Glossy Ibis, two Purple Herons, an American Wigeon, two Balearic Shearwaters, four Pomarine Skuas and an Iceland Gull.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 21st May 2020  
  New discoveries today included a Collared Pratincole at New Passage, Gloucestershire, a Squacco Heron at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset, a Blyth's Reed Warbler at Hale, Cheshire, Red-footed Falcons at East Chevington and Holy Island, both Northumberland and two Bee-eaters over Sennen Cove, Cornwall.

Lingerting rarities included the Little Bittern in County Dublin, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Red-footed Falcons in Surrey and Yorkshire and Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk.

Scarcity highlights included an Icterine Warbler, two Golden Orioles, two Bluethroats, five Red-backed Shrikes, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Temminck's Stint, a Glossy Ibis, two Purple Herons, a Montagu's Harrier, two Honey Buzzards, a Corncrake, an American Wigeon, an Iceland Gull and a Glaucous Gull.
Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 20th May 2020  
  Rarities discovered today comprised a Great Reed Warbler in Cornwall at Caerthillian Cove, a brief Subalpine Warbler species in Suffolk at Landguard, Red-footed Falcon in Kent at Oare Marshes, and in East Yorkshire Bee-eaters flew over Flamborough Head, Kilnsea (2) and Sunk Island.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Little Bittern in County Dublin, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Red-footed Falcon in Somerset, and territorial Iberian Chiffchaffs in both London and Suffolk.

Scarcities included Red-spotted Bluethroat (Pembrokeshire), Short-toed Lark and Red-backed Shrike (Isles of Scilly), Serin (Cornwall), Purple Heron, Montagu's Harrier and Corncrake (Norfolk), Night Heron (Hampshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Pectoral Sandpiper (Merseyside), Temminck's Stint (Dorset), Glossy Ibis (Cambridgeshire), two Woodchat Shrikes (Cornwall and Norfolk), three Golden Orioles, and four migrant Dotterel.
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 19th May 2020  
 

Still present were the Iberian Chiffchaffs in London and Suffolk and the Little Bittern in Co.Dublin. A female Red-footed Falcon was found at Worth Marsh in Kent while continuing birds were in Surrey, Northamptonshire and South Yorkshire. A Black Kite flew over Earith in Cambridgeshire and Bee-eaters were heard near Polgigga in COrnwall and Peterculter in Aberdeenshire. In East Yorkshire, a Red-rumped Swallow flew south through Flamborough Head.

Scarcities included Common Rosefinch (Argyll), Hoopoe (Oxfordshire), two Golden Orioles, Pectoral Sandpiper (Merseyside), two Dotterel (Cleveland), two Temminck's Stints and Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland),
David Campbell, RBA
Monday 18th May 2020  
  The 16th Solitary Sandpiper for the Isles of Scilly was discovered at Porth Hellick Pool, where it remained all day.

Other new discoveries included a Terek Sandpiper at Alkborough, Lincolnshire, an Iberian Chiffchaff at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, a Bonaparte's Gull at Baleshare, Western Isles, a Red-footed Falcon at Thursley Common, Surrey, a Red-rumped Swallow at Horsey Island, Essex and an Alpine Swift at Llandudno, Conwy.

Lingering rarities included the Little Bittern in County Dublin, Iberian Chiffchaff in London and single Red-footed Falcons in Northamptonshire, Somerset and Yorkshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Golden Oriole, a Richard's Pipit, three Hoopoes, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Red-necked Phalarope, five Temminck's Stints, a Montagu's Harrier, two Honey Buzzards, six Pomarine Skuas, a Glaucous Gull and three Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 17th May 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the Tawny Pipit still in Cornwall at Kelynack, territorial Iberian Chiffchaff still in London at Ponders End, a Caspian Tern briefly in Suffolk, a Lesser Yellowlegs reported in Norfolk, two Bee-eaters together in Cornwall at St Buryan, Black Kites briefly in both Kent and Norfolk, and Red-footed Falcons in Kent, Northamptonshire, Somerset and South Yorkshire (2).

Scarcities included Golden Oriole (Northumberland), Montagu's Harrier (Norfolk), Wryneck and Glaucous Gull (Shetland Isles), two each of Hoopoe, Temminck's Stint and Lapland Bunting, and three each of Purple Heron, Iceland Gull and migrant Dotterel.
Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 16th May 2020  
 

Late news emerged of a Brown Booby on a trawler off the Isle of Wight on 9th May. The bird remained on the vessel as it travelled into French waters.

Red-footed Falcons were at Ringstead GPs in Northamptonshire, near Ilchester in Somerset and still at Thorne Moors in South Yorkshire. Black Kites were seen over Winchester in Hampshire, Hankley Common in Surrey and Oare Marshes in Kent. 13 Bee-eaters, presumably the flock recently in North Wales, were seen over Budleigh Salterton in Devon, while another flew over Long Nanny in Northumberland. A Red-rumped Swallow was at Kilnsea in East Yorkshire. The Iberian Chiffchaff remained  in London and the Tawny Pipit was still in Cornwall.

Other news included Purple Heron (Scilly), four Golden Orioles, Serin (Sussex), two Hoopoes, five Temminck's Stints, Red-necked Phalarope, three Dotterel and two migrant Honey Buzzards.
David Campbell, RBA
Friday 15th May 2020  
  A singing male Eastern White-crowned Sparrow was found in a garden on Fetlar, Shetland.

Other new discoveries included a Tawny Pipit near St Just, Cornwall, a Red-footed Falcon at Thorne Moors and a Red-rumped Swallow at Easington, both Yorkshire, a Black Kite at Saddle Bow, Norfolk and a White-billed Diver in Dunnet Bay, Highland. Thirteen Bee-eaters were in Exmouth, Devon, with two over Weybourne, Kelling and Cley, Norfolk, one at North Somercotes, Lincolnshire, one at Hatfield Moors, Yorkshire and one over Fairlight, Sussex.

Lingering rarities included the Little Bittern in Devon, single Iberian Chiffchaffs in London and Lincolnshire and the Red-footed Falcon on the Oxfordshire /Buckinghamshire border.

Scarcity highlights included a Golden Oriole, two Short-toed Larks, three Hoopoes, a Red-necked Phalarope, three Temminck's Stints, five Dotterel, two Long-tailed Skuas, two Pomarine Skuas, a Glaucous Gull and two Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 14th May 2020  
  Rarities on show today included a Little Bittern in Devon at Plymstock, a Red-footed Falcon on the Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire border at Ludgershall, the territorial Iberian Chiffchaff still in London at Ponders End, and single White-billed Divers on both the Shetland Isles and the Western Isles, whilst brief encounters included a Black Kite in Norfolk at Choseley, two Black-winged Stilts together in Kent at Oare Marshes, and Bee-eaters in both Norfolk (3) and Nottinghamshire.

Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Devon), Golden Oriole (Isles of Scilly), Red-necked Phalarope (Norfolk), Glossy Ibis (Hampshire), Green-winged Teal (Lincolnshire), Hoopoe (Gwynedd and the Shetland Isles), Glaucous Gull (Shetland), two Iceland Gulls, three Montagu's Harriers, four Temminck's Stints and five migrant Dotterel.
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 13th May 2020  
 

A female Brown Shrike at Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire was Britain's third spring record, following a singing male in the same county almost exactly a year ago. An Iberian Chiffchaff was in song for its 12th day at Ponders End Lake in Enfield, London. Meanwhile, the Little Bittern was still on the Isle of Man and the female King Eider remained in Highland. Black Kite sightings came from Capel Fleet and Faversham, both Kent.

Other highlights from the day's birding included Woodchat Shrike in Devon, two Golden Orioles, Purple Heron (Gloucestershire), Green-winged Teal (Lincolnshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (Merseyside), four Temminck's Stints and 13 Dotterel.
David Campbell, RBA