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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Saturday 31st May 2008  
  The highlight of the day was a Terek Sandpiper at Rye Harbour, East Sussex for several hours before it departed to the east. In adjacent Kent a Whiskered Tern showed in Stour Valley near Stodmarsh. Elsewhere, brief encounters included a Great Snipe in Northumberland on Holy Island, an American Golden Plover in County Mayo at Annagh Marsh, a Red-rumped Swallow in East Sussex over Beachy Head, a Subalpine Warbler in Kent at St Margaret's at Cliffe, a Bee-eater over Portland, Dorset and single Black Kites in Norfolk and Somerset.

The overnight disappearance of the River Warbler from East Sussex was a disappointment to many but elsewhere lingering rarities comprised the American Golden Plover on Anglesey, Black Duck in County Donegal, Great White Egret in Powys and the family of three Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire. Red-footed Falcon reports consisted of three in Berkshire, two each in Bedfordshire and Suffolk and singles in Derbyshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Kent and Lothian.

Scarce migrant passerines included 17 Red-backed Shrikes, 15 Marsh Warblers, 11 Common Rosefinches, eleven Icterine Warblers, three Golden Orioles, six Grey-headed Wagtails and single Tawny Pipit and Short-toed Lark.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 30th May 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a male River Warbler at Beachy Head, East Sussex. Found in the afternoon the bird continued to sing until late in the evening but proved very difficult to see well.

Discoveries elsewhere included a Great Reed Warbler off the Isle of Man on Calf of Man, American Golden Plover on Anglesey at Cemlyn, Red-throated Pipit in Cleveland at Saltholme Pools, Red-rumped Swallow in Cornwall on The Lizard, Greenish Warbler in Norfolk at East Hills and Bee-eater over Beachy Head, East Sussex. On the Shetland Isles two Thrush Nightingales, a Rustic Bunting, Red-throated Pipit and White-billed Diver were all found.

Lingering rarities comprised a Black Stork on the Shetland Isles, Marsh Sandpiper in Leicestershire, Great Reed Warbler and Western Subalpine Warbler both in Suffolk, Whiskered Tern and Great White Egret both in Powys, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Rustic Bunting on the Orkney Isles, Alpine Swift in East Sussex, three Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire, King Eider in Ayrshire, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Cattle Egrets in both Devon (2) and Dorset. Red-footed Falcons were recorded in Bedfordshire (2), Berkshire (2), Cornwall, Derbyshire, Dorset, Hampshire and. Lothian

Once again scarce migrants were much in evidence with 51 Red-backed Shrikes, 29 Common Rosefinches, 28 Icterine Warblers, 19 Marsh Warblers, 16 Grey-headed Wagtails, 10 Bluethroats, 4 Golden Orioles and single Rose-coloured Starling, Little Bunting, Tawny Pipit, Ortolan Bunting, Short-toed Lark, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Hoopoe and Lapland Bunting.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 29th May 2008  
  Another busy day with highlights including a Thrush Nightingale in East Yorkshire at Spurn, single Great Reed Warblers in East Yorkshire at Flamborough Head and Suffolk at Minsmere, Cattle Egrets at Titchfield Haven, Hampshire and South Huish, Devon (3) and Subalpine Warblers in Suffolk at Landguard, in the Shetland Isles on Unst and in Norfolk at both Blakeney Point and Warham Greens. Aerial encounters included a Caspian Tern over Oundle, Northamptonshire, a Black Kite over Forest Row and Ringmer, East Sussex and a Bee-eater over Fontwell, West Sussex.

Lingering rarities comprised the Marsh Sandpiper in Leicestershire, Black Stork on the Shetland Isles, Citrine Wagtail in Norfolk, Alpine Swift in East Sussex, Rustic Bunting on the Orkney Isles, Black Duck in County Donegal, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire (3) and Kent, Great White Egret in Powys and Falcated Duck on Anglesey. Red-footed Falcons were represented by singles in each of Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Hampshire, Lothian and Suffolk whilst three together were found in Dorset.

Once again, the British east coast, between Suffolk and the Shetland Isles, yielded large numbers of scarce migrants with day totals of 51 Red-backed Shrikes, 33 Icterine Warblers, 27 Marsh Warblers, 19 Common Rosefinches, ten Grey-headed Wagtails, eight Golden Orioles, four Red-spotted Bluethroats, two Ortolan Buntings and singles of Barred Warbler, Tawny Pipit, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Lapland Bunting.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 28th May 2008  
  Yesterday was good on the east coast, but today was even better. Excellent numbers of scarce migrants, including Red-backed Shrikes, Icterine Warblers, Red-spotted Bluethroats, Red-breasted Flycatchers, Marsh Warblers, Common Rosefinches and Grey-headed Wagtails made landfall at many coastal locations between Shetland and Suffolk. A Roller in Lincolnshire, Subalpine Warblers in North Yorkshire and Cleveland, three Ortolan Buntings, Serin, Bee-eater and Thrush Nightingale in East Yorkshire, Barred Warbler in Northumberland, Rustic Bunting in Orkney and Red-throated Pipit in Norfolk all arrived amongst the more numerous species.

Elsewhere Bee-eaters flew over Isles of Scilly and West Sussex, an Alpine Swift spent the latter part of the day on a building in Lewes, East Sussex, an Ortolan Bunting was on Isles of Scilly and a Red-footed Falcon was located on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. A Black-winged Stilt arrived at Dungeness RSPB, Kent, a Red-spotted Bluethroat made it across the country to Walney Island, Cumbria and presumably the recent Orkney Black Stork flew over Mainland Shetland. In Leicestershire the popular Marsh Sandpiper remained at Rutland Water, the American Golden Plover reappeared in Devon, the pair of Black-winged Stilts hatched three young in Cheshire and the female Citrine Wagtail briefly reappeared at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 27th May 2008  
  The amazing occurrence of both a Stilt Sandpiper and Marsh Sandpiper at Rutland Water, Leicestershire was today's headline event - the former lingered until 2.55pm when it flew high to the west and the latter was found early evening. Two county firsts, both on the same lagoon, at the same site, on the same day - remarkable.

Easterly winds coincided with rainfall on the east coast and produced an excellent fall of scarcities. Birders at Spurn enjoyed the highest numbers - at least seven Icterine Warblers, six Red-backed Shrikes, two Red-spotted Bluethroats, three Marsh Warblers, two Grey-headed Wagtails and a Red-breasted Flycatcher were all discovered on the peninsula. Common Rosefinches and further Red-backed Shrikes, Icterine Warblers and Red-breasted Flycatchers were scattered along the east coast between Aberdeenshire and Suffolk.

A female Citrine Wagtail at Titchwell RSPB, Red-throated Pipit on Blakeney Point, Red-spotted Bluethroat at West Runton and Icterine Warblers at Cley and Wells Woods were the star finds in Norfolk.

The remaining new rarities included a Whiskered Tern at Llangorse Lake, Powys, White-winged Black Tern at Lodmoor RSPB, White-billed Diver in Highland, Black-winged Stilts in Co Cork and Co Tipperary and on Bardsey Island, a Subalpine Warbler was re-trapped, having previously been ringed on the island on 13th May.

A Pectoral Sandpiper in Carmarthenshire, Purple Heron in Gloucestershire, Bee-eater in Highland and Black Duck in Co Donegal are also all worth a mention.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 26th May 2008  
  On the Shetlands, two new Subalpine Warblers were found on Mainland, one at Sumburgh, and another at Scatness. Also on Shetland a Tawny Pipit remained at Boddam on Mainland and two Icterine Warblers were on Fair Isle. Other eastern birds brought in by strong easterlies included an Icterine Warbler in Orkney and on the Yorkshire coast, three Icterine Warblers, a Red-breasted Flycatcher and a Golden Oriole, along with a new Red-footed Falcon at Howden and the lingering Broad-billed Sandpiper on the Humber Estuary at Spurn.

Other Red-footed Falcons could still be found near Livingston in Lothian, near Ingleby in Derbyshire and on the New Forest in Hampshire. The Black Stork was seen again in Orkney, the Glossy Ibis remained at Marshside Marsh in Merseyside and single Cattle Egrets were reported from Kent, Dorset and Devon. A Black Kite was seen at Udimore in East Sussex and a Tawny Pipit remained at Rye Harbour where there was also belated news of a Bee-eater yesterday.

A female Red-necked Phalarope was at Heacham in Norfolk and a number of Fulmars appeared inland to reward patch watchers.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Sunday 25th May 2008  
  A Trumpeter Finch on North Rona was the outstanding discovery of the day. Other new discoveries included a Red-footed Falcon at Almondell and Calder Wood Country Park, Lothian, King Eiders in Shetland and Co Wexford, a Bee-eater in Cornwall and Cattle Egret at South Huish, Devon.

In East Yorkshire the Broad-billed Sandpiper was still at Spurn, Red-footed Falcons remained in Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire and the Black Stork was still on Mainland Orkney.

Scarcity highlights included a Tawny Pipit at Rye Harbour NR, Short-toed Larks in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Red-breasted Flycatcher at Dungeness, Kent and three male Red-backed Shrikes together on Dartmoor, Devon.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 24th May 2008  
  A female Collared Flycatcher on North Ronaldsay, Orkney was today's best new discovery. This is the second island record, following the  female on 31st May 1999. A male Rustic Bunting on South Ronaldsay was also a quality find and the lingering Black Stork on Mainland completed a fine trio of Orkney rarities. A Rustic Bunting on Fair Isle, Shetland and Red-throated Pipit on Pabbay, Western Isles were both unavailable to the masses, and those new rarities that did grace the mainland proved to be difficult to connect with - Broad-billed Sandpiper at Spurn, Bee-eaters in Cornwall, Black Kites in Hampshire and a Red-footed Falcon in Kent were all tricky. A possible Booted Eagle briefly over the New Forest, Hampshire also evaded further detection.

Several Red-footed Falcons were still at large, including popular individuals in Derbyshire, Hampshire and Norfolk. A singing male Ortolan Bunting in Drigg, Cumbria was a tremendous find and a Marsh Warbler at Filey, North Yorkshire, Tawny Pipit on Mainland Shetland, Pectoral Sandpiper at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire, Common Rosefinch and Red-spotted Bluethroat in Kilnsea, East Yorkshire, Icterine Warbler at Hartlepool, Cleveland, Short-toed Larks in Cornwall, St Kilda and Isles of Scilly and Red-backed Shrikes in North Yorkshire, London, Devon and on North Uist were all noteworthy.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 23rd May 2008  
  New discoveries included an Alpine Swift at Newbiggin, Northumberland, Subalpine Warbler on North Uist, Western Isles, Red-footed Falcons in the New Forest, Hampshire and at Upton Marshes, Norfolk, Black Duck in Cornwall and a Cattle Egret at Miskin, Glamorgan.

A Black Stork again flew over Mainland Orkney and lingering rarities came in the form of a King Eider in Ayrshire, the pair of Black-winged Stilts in Cheshire, Great White Egret in Powys, Red-rumped Swallow on Isles of Scilly, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside and Red-footed Falcons in Suffolk, Derbyshire and Bedfordshire

Red-backed Shrikes made landfall in Devon (2), Fife and Lothian, a Hoopoe was seen briefly at Spurn, a Common Rosefinch was at Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire, the Bluethroat remained on Farne Islands and Short-toed Larks were on Isles of Scilly and Bardsey Island, Gwynedd.

Fair Isle hosted two each of Icterine Warbler and Common Rosefinch along with three Bluethroats and the lingering Surf Scoter and St Kilda held a Snowy Owl and Bluethroat.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 22nd May 2008  
  Red-footed Falcons continued to the most reported rarity today, with birds in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire and Bedfordshire. New rarities included a Savi's Warbler trapped and ringed on Fair Isle, Shetland, a White-winged Black Tern at Hickling Broad NWT, Norfolk, and a Subalpine Warbler on St.Kilda, Western Isles.

A Black Kite was watched for half an hour in Lancashire in the afternoon, and an American Golden Plover was present in County Wicklow. Scarce migrants included an Ortolan Bunting at Land's End, Cornwall, with two Golden Orioles nearby, a Bluethroat still on Inner Farne, Northumberland, Wryneck on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Short-toed Lark in Yorkshire and Scilly, Red-backed Shrike in Yorkshire and a Tawny Pipit at Waxham, Norfolk.
-  Will Soar, RBA