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 1st May 2010  
  New arrivals discovered today were headlined by a Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll on Dursey Island, County Cork briefly, followed by two White-billed Divers and a Snowy Owl on Shetland and a Red-rumped Swallow at Ferry Meadows Country Park, Cambridgeshire.

In Kent, the singing male Iberian Chiffchaff remained at Chatham, whilst, elsewhere, lingering rarities included Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside and Black-headed Wagtail in Cornwall.

Scarcities were headlined by White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk, two Woodchat Shrikes, four Hoopoes, 27 Dotterels, Short-toed Lark in County Cork, Wryneck in Carmarthenshire, three Purple Herons in Kent and a Cory's Shearwater in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 30th April 2010  
  Both male Iberian Chiffchaffs continued to sing today, with one at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk and one at Walderslade, Kent, both for their second day. There was a small movement of Red-rumped Swallows on the east coast this morning, with single birds noted at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, Spurn and Barmston, both Yorkshire. Two birds were seen flying south over Flamborough Head, also Yorkshire. Nearby, a Tawny Pipit was seen at Grimston.

A male Savi's Warbler was found early morning at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, where it showed on and off again this evening. A Pallid Swift was seen briefly in Hampshire, and a Bee-eater was on Iona, Argyll.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 29th April 2010  
  Singing Iberian Chiffchaffs arrived at Titchwell RSPB (Norfolk) and Walderslade (Kent) today, whilst the former site also hosted a brief Bee-eater. For the second consecutive day the Sennen area (Cornwall) produced an interesting wagtail, this time a male Black-headed Wagtail and in East Yorkshire a Red-rumped Swallow flew over Flamborough Head.

A Long-billed Dowitcher again visited Marshside RSPB (Merseyside) and the Ferruginous Duck lingered at Chew Valley Lake (Somerset). In addition to the aforementioned rarities, Norfolk also produced the lingering White-spotted Bluethroat at Welney WWT, a Woodchat Shrike at Winterton and a report of a Marsh Warbler by Breydon Water. Across the Irish Sea a Woodchat Shrike remained on Mizen Head (Co Cork), whilst a Short-toed Lark also made landfall in the county.

On Isles of Scilly both a Hoopoe (on Tresco) and a Short-toed Lark (on Gugh) were on show, in Leicestershire a Pectoral Sandpiper was logged at Rutland Water and in Kent two Purple Herons were at Dungeness RSPB. The best of the rest included a Hoopoe reported in Staffordshire, Great White Egret in Aberdeenshire, Serin in Kent and Grey-headed Wagtail in Northumberland.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 28th April 2010  
  Rarities today comprised a Black Stork in Cornwall at Landulph, a Long-billed Dowitcher in Dumfries and Galloway at Caerlaverock, a Red-rumped Swallow in Kent at Samphire Hoe, a Tawny Pipit in Norfolk at Waxham, and in Cleveland a Black-headed Wagtail (or similar hybrid) at Saltholme - but all but the last bird were nothing more than brief encounters.

Scarce migrants included Short-toed Lark (Isle of Scilly), White-spotted Bluethroat and Kentish Plover (Norfolk), Rose-coloured Starling (Pembrokeshire), Serin (Suffolk), Purple Heron (Kent), Ring-necked Duck (Orkney Isles), Spotted Crake (Staffordshire), Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Temminck's Stint (Lincolnshire), six Dotterels, three each of both Woodchat Shrike and Hoopoe and two each of Wryneck, Montagu's Harrier and Green-winged Teal.

In Cornwall a black-and-white wagtail thought probably to be the first Moroccan Wagtail Motacilla alba subpersonata, for the British Isles was present during the morning near Sennen, Cornwall but it soon flew off and was not reported again.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 27th April 2010  
  Spring rarities seen today included a male Red-footed Falcon lingering over Oakham, Leicestershire this afternoon, a Black Stork near Porlock, Somerset (with another in Dorset near Lopwell for its second day), a Bee-eater on the Isles of Scilly and an Alpine Swift at Trimley Marshes SWT, Suffolk, where there was also a grey morph Gyr.

The White-billed Diver remained in Moray, as did the White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk. Other scarcities seen included a Pectoral Sandpiper (Suffolk), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Short-toed Lark (Scilly), three Purple Herons (Devon, Kent and Somerset), Woodchat Shrike (Scilly), Wryneck (Shetland), Golden Oriole (Scilly) and good numbers of Dotterels.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 26th April 2010  
  New rarities came in the form of a Subalpine Warbler at Land's End (Cornwall) and a Red-rumped Swallow at Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincolnshire). Elsewhere a White-billed Diver lingered in Moray, two Bee-eaters remained on Mull (Argyll) and in North Yorkshire the Black-winged Stilt visited Clifton Backies near York before returning to Nosterfield NR.

Scarcities included White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk, nine Dotterels in Lincolnshire (whilst singles remained in Lancashire and Co Donegal), Kentish Plover in Devon, Woodchat Shrikes in Cornwall, Co Cork and on Isles of Scilly, Richard's Pipit in Kent, Serin in Dorset, Hoopoe in Pembrokeshire and Great White Egret in Aberdeenshire.

Late news from yesterday related to a Gull-billed Tern on Tiree (Argyll).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 25th April 2010  
  The highlight of the day was a Calandra Lark watched migrating south over Skegness, Lincolnshire. Other brief encounters included a Gyr on the Western Isles on Lewis, a Black-winged Stilt in North Yorkshire at Nosterfield, a Bee-eater in Norfolk between Cromer and Sheringham, and single Red-rumped Swallows in County Cork at Old Head of Kinsale and on the Wirral at Leasowe.

Otherwise, rarities comprised two Bee-eaters together on Mull, Argyll, two White-billed Divers together on Lewis, Western Isles, the Subalpine Warbler still in Dorset at Hengistbury Head and the long-staying Hooded Merganser still in Cleveland.

Scarcities included four each of Woodchat Shrike, Ring-necked Duck and Green-winged Teal, three Great White Egrets, two each of Purple Heron, Surf Scoter and Glaucous Gull and single Kentish Plover (Devon), White-spotted Bluethroat (Norfolk), Golden Oriole (Kent), Spotted Crake (Gloucestershire), Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire), American Wigeon (Cleveland), Ring-billed Gull (County Down), Shorelark (Somerset), Iceland Gull (Argyll) and Black Brant (Lincolnshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 24th April 2010  
  Spring rarities seen today included a brief Roller at Tacumshin, County Wexford, a male Subalpine Warbler at Christchurch, Dorset this evening, a Bee-eater at Land's End, Cornwall until mid morning when it flew out to sea and a Red-rumped Swallow on Cape Clear, County Cork. Two White-billed Divers were off Lewis, Western Isles, with another on Shetland and one in Moray.

Scarcities included White-spotted Bluethroat in Norfolk, Woodchat Shrikes in County Cork and County Wexford, Dotterels in Lancashire, Cheshire and County Galway, Shorelark in Somerset, Hoopoes in Pembrokeshire, Hampshire and Norfolk, Kentish Plover in Devon, Golden Oriole in County Cork, Serin in Dorset, Wrynecks in County Cork and on Scilly and Purple Heron in Cornwall.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 23rd April 2010  
  New discoveries included a singing male White-spotted Bluethroat at Welney WWT (Norfolk), Kentish Plover at Dawlish Warren NNR (Devon) and flyover Red-rumped Swallow in Devon, Bee-eater in Cornwall and Tawny Pipit in Co Cork. The Whiskered Tern (Cornwall) and Red-rumped Swallow (Kent) both remained on show, as did the Southern European wagtail (either an Ashy-headed, Iberian or hybrid) in Lancashire.

Elsewhere scarcities came in the form of a Hoopoe in Pembrokeshire, Dotterels in Cheshire, Lancashire, Co Galway and the Conwy/Gwynedd border, Great White Egret in Aberdeenshire, Woodchat Shrike in Co Cork, American Wigeon in Cleveland, Serin in Dorset, Wryneck in Norfolk and Great Grey Shrike in Lincolnshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 22nd April 2010  
  The highlight of the day was a showy Red-rumped Swallow at Minster, Kent. Rarities elsewhere included the Whiskered Tern still in Cornwall and the Bonaparte's Gull still in East Sussex. In Lancashire a male Ashy-headed or Spanish Wagtail (or perhaps a hybrid between the two) showed well at Brockholes Wetland in the evening.

Scarcities comprised three each of Hoopoe and Green-winged Teal, two each of Ring-billed and Iceland Gull and single Woodchat Shrike (Somerset), American Wigeon (Cleveland), Snow Goose and Great White Egret (both Aberdeenshire), Ring-necked Duck (Orkney Isles), Spotted Crake (Cambridgeshire), Great Grey Shrike (Lincolnshire), Glaucous Gull (Western Isles) and Tundra Bean Goose (Lothian). Single migrant Honey Buzzard, Corncrake and Dotterel were logged in Devon, Conwy and Lancashire respectively.
-  Chris Batty, RBA