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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Monday 25th May 2015  
  A Grey-cheeked Thrush at Termoncarragh, County Mayo was a very unexpected discovery today. This is the first Spring record for the British Isles, and is only the second of the nine Irish records to occur outside County Cork.

Other new discoveries today included a Black Stork over Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Cley NWT, Norfolk, a Subalpine warbler sp on Unst, Shetland, a Red-rumped Swallow at Spurn, Yorkshire and single Black Kites over Chelmsford, Essex and Rye Harbour, Sussex.

Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Herefordshire, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Rustic Bunting in Orkney and King Eider in Aberdeenshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 24th May 2015  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Spotted Sandpiper in Herefordshire at Wellington. Rarities elsewhere comrpised the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler still on the Shetland Isles, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull on the Shetland Isles, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Squacco Heron on the Isles of Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset, Rustic Bunting on the Orkney Isles, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, and brief Bee-eaters in both Dorset and East Yorkshire.

Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Lancashire), Ortolan Bunting (Dorset), American Golden Plover (Devon), Kentish Plover and Hoopoe (both Northumberland), two each of Icterine Warbler, Bluethroat, Purple Heron, Night Heron and migrant Red-necked Phalarope, three of Golden Oriole and Ring-necked Duck, five migrant Dotterel and eight Temminck's Stints.

Skuas continued to pass, with day totals of 203 Long-tailed Skuas and 316 Pomarine Skuas.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 23rd May 2015  
  New rarities discovered today comprised a Gull-billed Tern in Devon along the Exe Estuary, a singing Blyth's Reed Warbler in East Sussex at Forest Row, a subalpine warbler sp - probably a Western Subalpine Warbler - in Dorset at Portland Bill, a Bee-eater on the Orkney Isles on North Ronaldsay, and a brief Alpine Swift in Cheshire.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, two Hooded Mergansers together in County Donegal, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Little Bittern in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset, Rustic Bunting on the Orkney Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire and King Eider in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcities included American Golden Plover (Devon), Common Rosefinch (Cornwall), Bluethroat (Shetland Isles), Golden Oriole (East Yorkshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Suffolk), two each of Purple Heron and Ring-billed Gull, three of Temminck's Stint and Ring-necked Duck, and nine migrant Dotterel.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 22nd May 2015  
  The first Irish Squacco Heron for almost seven years was in County Cork today, at Ballycotton. A Broad-billed Sandpiper spent the day at Walberswick, Suffolk, whilst other new discoveries included a Bee-eater at Ousdale, Highland and two Black-winged Stilts at Bowers Gifford, Essex. A Spotted Sandpiper was on Arran, Ayrshire yesterday.

Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, two Hooded Mergansers in County Donegal, Black Stork in Norfolk then Lincolnshire, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset and King Eider in Aberdeenshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 21st May 2015  
  A Black Stork was found in Norfolk today, being first seen over Scolt Head Island, then over Holme early evening before being lost in the Ringstead Downs /Old Hunstanton Park area. At the opposite end of the county a Bonaparte's Gull was on Breydon Water, with a Black Kite further north over Wells mid morning. Another Black Kite was seen near Brighton, East Sussex, and a White-billed Diver was in Balnakeil Bay, Highland.

Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, Harlequin Duck and King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, two Hooded Mergansers in County Donegal, Little Bittern in Suffolk and Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 20th May 2015  
  Rarities today comprised the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler still on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles, two Hooded Mergansers still together in County Donegal, Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshie, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, both Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, the territorial Little Bittern again in Suffolk, Bee-eater in County Mayo, and a Black Kite in Kent. A showy Red-footed Falcon was discovered in Dorset at Wareham, as was a Rustic Bunting on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles.

Scarcities included Melodious Warbler (Isles of Scilly), Ortolan Bunting (Pembrokeshire), Short-toed Lark (Shetland Isles), Rose-coloured Starling (Western Isles), Night Heron (Cornwall), Pectoral Sandpiper (Norfolk), Ring-necked Duck (County Dublin), Grey-headed Wagtail (Suffolk), two Purple Herons, three Temminck's Stints, four migrant Red-necked Phalaropes, and 20 migrant Dotterel.

Skua passage continued, today totaling 61 Long-tailed and 251 Pomarine, with cumulative totals at North Uist, Western Isles confirming 2015 to be a record year for these species passing Balranald.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 19th May 2015  
  A pair of Hooded Mergansers were discovered on Tory Island, County Donegal this morning. If accepted, they would be the fourth and fifth individuals for the Republic of Ireland, following one off Ballylongford, Kerry in 1881 and two in Cork Harbour in 1878. Another was in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1957.

Back in Britain, a Rustic Bunting was found on Fair Isle, Shetland, the first to arrive following the species' recent upgrade to BBRC rarity.

Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler and Tawny Pipit in Shetland, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Harlequin Duck and King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly and Bee-eater in County Mayo.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 18th May 2015  
  The first Great Reed Warbler for the West Midlands was at Sandwell Valley today, for its second day. Records are widely spread across England, with just the Isle of Wight, London, Oxfordshire, Herefordshire and Cumbria lacking this species.

Other lingering rarities included the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler and Tawny Pipit in Shetland, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Little Bittern and Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly and Bee-eater in County Mayo.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 17th May 2015  
  New arrivals today included a Red-footed Falcon at Grove Ferry, Kent, a Tawny Pipit on Fair Isle, Shetland and single Black Kites at Titchfield Haven, Hampshire and St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent (the latter later seen at Pegwell Bay, Sarre, Minnis Bay and then Pegwell Bay again throughout the morning).

Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, Harlequin Duck and King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Greater Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull in Hampshire, Little Bittern and Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly, Sardinian Warbler and Squacco Heron in Cornwall, another Squacco Heron in Devon, Bee-eater in County Mayo and Lesser Scaup in Yorkshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-backed Shrike, a Purple Heron, two each of Serin, Bluethroat, Short-toed Lark, Night Heron, Ring-necked Duck and migrant Honey Buzzard, along with seven Golden Orioles.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 16th May 2015  
  New rare herons discovered today included a singing male Little Bittern at Lakenheath Fen RSPB, Suffolk, a second male Little Bittern on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly (where the other remained, along with the Squacco Heron), and further Squacco Herons on The Lizard, Cornwall and at Beesands Ley, Devon (with another remaining nearby at Prawle Point). Red-rumped Swallows were found at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset and Spurn, Yorkshire, whilst other new rarities included single Bee-eaters at Breydon Water, Norfolk and Kingsdown, Kent, single Black Kites at Borden and Ash, both Kent, and Trimley, Suffolk, an Alpine Swift at Loddiswell, Devon and a Bonaparte's Gull at Dungeness RSPB, Kent.

Lingering rarities included the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler in Shetland, Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Bee-eater in County Mayo and Lesser Scaup in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA