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| Friday 16th May 2025 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Hudsonian Godwit in Hampshire at Titchfield Haven. New rarities elsewhere were a White-winged Scoter in Fife at Ruddons Point, Black Stork in Anglesey at North Stack, Alpine Swift in Dumfries and Galloway at Stranraer, and Black Kites in both Cornwall and Kent.
Continuing rarities included the Western Oriental Turtle Dove in Shetland, territorial Great Reed Warblers in both Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Orkney. A total of 11 Red-footed Falcons today comprised singles in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Kent, Somerset, and East Sussex, and two each in Cornwall, Essex, and South Yorkshire. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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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 15th May 2025 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was an Eastern Bonelli's Warbler at Northbay on Barra, Western Isles. Elsewhere, on Scilly a Solitary Sandpiper was found on St.Mary's. A Red-footed Falcon was in Suffolk at Oulton, with an additional bird appearing at Abberton Resr in Essex. A Western Subalpine Warbler was discovered at Calf of Man, Isle of Man, a Lesser Yellowlegs made a brief showing near Finstown, Orkney, a Black Kite was found in Cornwall at Blackwater, and a Rustic Bunting on St.Kilda, Western Isles.
Continuing rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Shetland, Great Reed Warblers in both Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire, Double-crested Cormorant in County Sligo, Red-throated Pipit on Shetland, and at least 11 Red-footed Falcons across the country. |
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| - Ben Clark, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 14th May 2025 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Black Stork in West Sussex at Pulborough Brooks in the morning before it departed east and flew over Beachy Head, East Sussex. Elsewhere, in Shetland on Fair Isle Red-throated Pipit and Red-rumped Swallow were located with another Red-rumped Swallow at Portland Bill, Dorset.
Continuing rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Shetland, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Whiskered Tern and Kentish Plover in Kent, territorial Great Reed Warblers in both Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire, and a total of 11 Red-footed Falcons comprising singles in Somerset and East Sussex, two in Essex, three in Suffolk, and four in Cornwall. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 13th May 2025 | ||
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| New discoveries today included a Collared Pratincole at Medmerry RSPB, Sussex, a Squacco Heron at Clogheen Marsh, County Cork, a Whiskered Tern at Dungeness, Kent, a Red-rumped Swallow at Calf of Man, Isle of Man, single Black Kites at Preston, Devon and Holyhead, Anglesey and a Red-footed Falcon at Great Finborough, Suffolk.
Lingering rarities included the Western Oriental Turtle Dove in Shetland, Iberian Chiffchaff in Aberdeenshire, Great Reed Warblers in Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire, Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall (four), Sussex, Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk (three), Norfolk and Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 12th May 2025 | ||
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| The fourth Savannah Sparrow for Britain (and third for Shetland) was found at Skaw, Unst today, where it remained into the evening. Nearby, a Western Oriental Turtle Dove was at Hillwell, Mainland, which was also present at Norwick, Unst last Friday.
Further south, an Iberian Chiffchaff was discovered at St Cyrus, Aberdeenshire, a Tawny Pipit was at North Predannack Downs, Cornwall, a Black Kite flew over Bardsey Island, Gwynedd and a Red-footed Falcon was at Haddiscoe, Norfolk. Lingering rarities included the Great Reed Warblers in Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Western Isles, Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall (four), Sussex, Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk (three) and Norfolk and Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 11th May 2025 | ||
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| In Suffolk, the Booted Eagle was seen heading south over Carlton Marshes this morning.
New discoveries included a Great Reed Warbler at Hornsea Mere, Yorkshire, an Eastern Subalpine Warbler on Out Skerries, Shetland, a Subalpine Warbler species at Mirfield, West Yorkshire, a Collared Pratincole at Farlington, Hampshire, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Loch Sandary, Western Isles, a Kentish Plover at Pegwell Bay, Kent, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Bann Estuary, County Derry, a Black Kite over Aberdaron, Gwynedd and Red-footed Falcons at Nanquidno, Cornwall (two), King's Sedgemoor, Somerset, Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex, Stodmarsh, Kent, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire and on Skomer, Pembrokeshire. Lingering rarities included the Double-crested Cormorant in County Leitrim, Great Reed Warbler in Cambridgeshire, Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall (four), Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk (five), Norfolk, Cambridgeshire (two), Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire and Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 10th May 2025 | ||
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| Another flyover sighting of the Booted Eagle in Norfolk at Horsey was the highlight today, other new sightings consisted of Red-footed Falcons at Worth Marsh in Kent and East Yorkshire at Skirlaugh, a Black Stork in Gwynedd at Rhoshirwaun, a Kentish Plover in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea, and a Subalpine Warbler on Foula, Shetland.
Around 18 Red-footed Falcons were reported as still present at various sites from Cornwall to Norfolk. Other lingering rarities included a Savi's Warbler in Cornwall, Blue-winged Teal in East Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, and Great Reed Warbler in Cambridgeshire. |
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| - Ben Clark, RBA | ||
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| Friday 9th May 2025 | ||
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| The wandering Booted Eagle was seen again in Norfolk today, this time over Martham.
New Red-footed Falcons were found in Cambridgeshire (3), Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Dorset and Cornwall. In County Mayo there was a Lesser Yellowlegs at Roonagh Lough and in Scilly a Red-rumped Swallow made appearances on both St.Agnes and St.Mary's. A further 18 Red-footed Falcons were reported as still present at various sites from Cornwall to Norfolk, with a single in County Wexford. Other lingering rarities included Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire, Kentish Plover in Lothian, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire and Great Reed Warbler in Cambridgeshire, with a further brief sighting of the Western Bonelli's Warbler this morning in Kent. |
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| - Pete Hayman, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 8th May 2025 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was a Western Bonelli's Warbler in song in Kent at Sandwich Bay whilst a Black Kite was seen briefly at Oare Marshes. In Lothian a Kentish Plover was discovered at Tyninghame Bay, in Shetland a Western Subalpine Warbler on Fair Isle, and in Pembrokeshire a Subalpine Warbler species on Skomer.
Continuing rarities confirmed as still present included the Great Reed Warbler in Cambridgeshire, Savi's Warbler in Cornwall, and two Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire. A total of 21 Red-footed Falcons was located today - County Antrim, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire (3), Cornwall (5), Essex, Norfolk, Somerset, Suffolk (7), and West Sussex - bringing the total since 30th April to 58 birds. 1992 was a record-breaking spring for this species when a total of 128 was recorded between 21st April and 5th July; including a peak arrivals days of 14 on 14th May and 12 on 29th May and a peak day count of 24 on 29th May. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 7th May 2025 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the pale morph Booted Eagle in East Anglia where it flew over the Norfolk/Suffolk border at Carlton Marshes.
Rarities elsewhere comprised a Citrine Wagtail new in the Isles of Scilly on Bryher, Pacific Diver still in County Cork, the territorial Great Reed Warbler still in Cambridgeshire, two Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire, and a total of 16 Red-footed Falcons comprising singles in Bedfordshire, Cornwall, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, and County Wexford, two together in Cambridgeshire, three in Norfolk, and five together in Suffolk. Significant late news for yesterday concerned a Long-billed Dowitcher in Argyll at Loch Gruinart, Islay. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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