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 4th June 2015  
  New discoveries included Red-footed Falcon in Kent and Norfolk, a Subalpine Warbler on Western Isles (which was probably a Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler), Bee-eaters in Cornwall (4), Isles of Scilly (2), Gloucestershire (2) and Surrey (2) and Greenish Warbler on Isles of Scilly. The Swainson's Thrush (Pembrokeshire), Veery (Orkney), Black-winged Stilt (West Sussex), White-rumped Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Red-footed Falcon (East Sussex), Little Bittern (Suffolk), Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire) and Greenish Warbler and Great Reed Warbler (Shetland) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Golden Oriole (Moray), Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Bluethroat (Orkney), Montagu's Harrier (Kent), Temminck's Stint (South Yorkshire), Corncrake (Anglesey), White-winged Black Tern (Dorset), Serin (Kent), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Ring-necked Duck (Orkney), two Red-necked Phalaropes, two Red-backed Shrikes, four Icterine Warblers and four Honey Buzzards.

A probable Short-toed Eagle flew over Lyndhurst (Hampshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 3rd June 2015  
  The most exicting birding today was on the northern isles, where on the Orkney Isles the Veery remained (North Ronaldsay), along with a Greenish Warbler (Sanday), Red-spotted Bluethroat and Red-backed Shrike, whilst on the Shetland Isles Great Reed Warbler (Unst), two Greenish Warblers (Fair Isle), Red-spotted Bluethroat, Marsh Warbler, Common Rosefinch, four Icterine Warblers and five Red-backed Shrikes.

Elsewhere, the Black-winged Pratincole was relocated in Aberdeenshire at Loch of Skene, the Swainson's Thrush remained in Pembrokeshire, as did the Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire), Squacco Heron (Isles of Scilly), Little Bittern (Suffolk), Red-footed Falcon (East Sussex), Black-winged Stilt (West Sussex), and White-rumped Sandpiper (Lincolnshire). Bee-eaters flew over Devon, Dorset and Norfolk (2).

The best of the rest comprised White-winged Black Tern (Dorset), Night Heron (Isles of Scilly), Golden Oriole (Moray), and eight migrant Red-necked Phalaropes.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 2nd June 2015  
  A Swainson's Thrush on Skokholm Island (Pembrokeshire) today completed a hat-trick of catharus thrushes in Britain and Ireland this spring, following the Grey-cheeked Thrush in Co Mayo and the Veery on North Ronaldsay (the latter was still present today).

Elsewhere new discoveries included Greenish Warblers on Unst and Out Skerries (Shetland), whilst the Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire), Black-winged Stilt (West Sussex), Red-footed Falcon (East Sussex) and Squacco Heron (Isles of Scilly) all lingered

The best of the rest included a summer-plumage Grey Phalarope (Warwickshire), a report of a Great Grey Shrike (Kent), Corncrake (Cheshire), Green-winged Teal (Derbyshire), Marsh Warbler (Shetland), Balearic Shearwater (Cornwall), White-winged Black Tern (Dorset), Dotterel and Lapland Bunting (Orkney), Sabine's Gull (Argyll), two American Wigeons, two Long-tailed Skuas, two Golden Orioles, four Bluethroats, two Red-backed Shrikes, three Common Rosefinches, seven Red-necked Phalaropes, 10 Icterine Warblers and at least 11 Red-backed Shrikes.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 1st June 2015  
  New discoveries included Black Kite in Norfolk and Bee-eater in Kent, whilst the Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire), Black-winged Pratincole (Northumberland), Red-footed Falcon (East Sussex), King Eider (Aberdeenshire) and Little Bittern (Suffolk) were all reported again today.

The best of the rest included Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Corncrake (Cheshire), Sabine's Gull (Cornwall), Green-winged Teal (Derbyshire), Lapland Bunting (Orkney), Red-backed Shrike, Marsh Warbler, Golden Oriole and two Ring-necked Ducks (Shetland), Red-necked Phalarope (East Yorkshire), two Long-tailed Skuas, two Common Rosefinches, two Bluethroats, at least two American Wigeons and five Temminck's Stints.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 31st May 2015  
  Lingering mega-rarities comprised the Veery on Orkney, Black-winged Pratincole in Northumberland and Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, whilst the Black-winged Stilt in West Sussex, White-rumped Sandpiper in Lincolnshire, Little Bittern in Suffolk, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Red-footed Falcon in East Sussex and Squacco Heron on Isles of Scilly also lingered.

The best of the rest included American Wigeons (pairs in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), Corncrake (Cheshire), Icterine Warbler (Norfolk), Shorelark (Gwynedd), Pectoral Sandpiper (Warwickshire), Green-winged Teal (Derbyshire), Golden Oriole (East Yorkshire), Kentish Plover (Fife), Lapland Bunting (Orkney), Cattle Egret (Kent), Surf Scoter (Aberdeenshire), two Bluethroats, four Temminck's Stints and nine Red-necked Phalaropes.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 30th May 2015  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Veery on North Ronaldsay (Orkney). The only previous spring record of this species concerned a bird on Lundy (Devon) on 14th May 1997.

In addition to the Veery new discoveries included Caspian Tern in Lincolnshire, Bee-eaters in Devon (3) and Dorset and Red-footed Falcons in Northamptonshire and East Sussex, whilst Black-winged Pratincole and Gull-billed Tern (Northumberland), Greater Yellowlegs (Hampshire), White-rumped Sandpiper (Lincolnshire), Rustic Bunting (Orkney), Black-winged Stilt (West Sussex), Little Bittern (Suffolk), Squacco Heron (Isles of Scilly), King Eider (Aberdeenshire) and Bee-eater (Cornwall) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Red-backed Shrike (Suffolk), Bluethroats (Kent and Co Wicklow), Kentish Plover (Fife), Pectoral Sandpipers (Nottinghamshire and Co Derry), Spotted Crake (Kent), Corncrake (Cheshire), Red-necked Phalaropes (Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Norfolk [2], West Sussex, Kent, Orkney and Suffolk), Temminck's Stints (Leicestershire, Suffolk and London), Golden Orioles (East Yorkshire, Shetland and Anglesey), Shorelark (Gwynedd), Ring-necked Ducks (Shetland) and Common Rosefinch (Devon).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 29th May 2015  
  In Northumberland, a Black-winged Pratincole was discovered at Bothal Pond mid afternoon, where it remained until late evening. A Gull-billed Tern was present at the same site for a few minutes this evening, before it flew towards the coast.

Other new discoveries today included a Broad-billed Sandpiper in Findhorn Bay, Moray, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire, a Red-rumped Swallow at Covenham Reservoir, Lincolnshire, Bee-eaters at Swanage, Dorset, St Buryan, Cornwall and Berwick, Sussex (two) and the two roaming Black-winged Stilts moved to Potteric Carr YWT, Yorkshire (with another singleton at Sidlesham Ferry, Sussex).

Lingering rarities included the Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly, Rustic Bunting in Shetland, Rustic Bunting and Bee-eater in Orkney and White-rumped Sandpiper in County Derry.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 28th May 2015  
  Newly discovered today were a White-rumped Sandpiper on Lough Beg, County Derry, a Red-rumped Swallow at Quoile Pondage, County Down and a Black Kite over Hayle, Cornwall. On Unst, Shetland, the lingering Subalpine Warbler was confirmed as a Western Subalpine Warbler.

Other lingering rarities seen today included the Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly, Rustic Bunting in Shetland and two Black-winged Stilts in Lincolnshire.

Scarcity highlights included singles of Red-backed Shrike, White-winged Black Tern, Night Heron, Pectoral Sandpiper and American Wigeon, three each of Purple Heron and Ring-necked Duck, four Red-necked Phalaropes, 28 Pomarine Skuas and 339 Long-tailed Skuas.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 27th May 2015  
  New discoveries today included a Rustic Bunting at Baltasound, Shetland, single Bee-eaters over Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk and in the St. Just area, Cornwall, and the two roaming Black-winged Stilts spent the day at Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire.

Lingering rarities included the Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Squacco Heron in the Isles of Scilly and King Eider in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcity highlights included singles of Melodious Warbler, Golden Oriole, Common Rosefinch, Spotted Crake, Red-necked Phalarope and Sabine's Gull, two each of Purple Heron and Dotterel, three Honey Buzzards and four Temminck's Stints. Skua passage is continuing slowly, with another 19 Long-tailed past Aird an Runair, Western Isles, and the lingering Pomarine remained off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 26th May 2015  
  The highlight of the day was a singing male Western Bonelli's Warbler at Hickling Broad, Norfolk, albeit only briefly mid morning. Elsewhere, a Bonaparte's Gull was new in Cornwall at Kingsmill Lake, a pair of Black-winged Stilts reappeared in Essex at Bower's Marsh, the Black Stork in Wales flew over Glamorgan then Gwent, and single Bee-eaters flew over two locations in Dorset.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Greater Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Sardinian Warbler in Cornwall, Little Bittern in Suffolk, Squacco Heron on the Isles of Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in Dorset, White-rumped Sandpiper in Norfolk, Rustic Bunting and Bee-eater on the Orkney Isles, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, and a Black Kite again in Essex.

Scarce migrants included White-winged Black Tern (Cambridgeshire), Ortolan Bunting (County Dublin), Night Heron and Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), two each of Purple Heron, Temminck's Stint and Dotterel, and three migrant Red-necked Phalaropes.
-  Chris Batty, RBA