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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Wednesday 24th May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a singing Blyth's Reed Warbler in Kent at Joss Bay. New rarities elsewhere comprised a Red-footed Falcon in Norfolk at Stoke Ferry, a Lesser Scaup in Aberdeenshire at Loch of Skene, a Red-rumped Swallow on Tiree, Argyll, a Black Kite briefly in Hampshire and an Alpine Swift reported in Gloucestershire. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, territorial Little Bittern in Somerset and King Eider in Highland.

Scarcities included White-winged Black Tern (Surrey), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Isle of Man), Marsh Warbler (Suffolk), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Great Grey Shrike and Cattle Egret (Devon), and two each of Night Heron, Golden Oriole, Glossy Ibis and Shorelark.

Significant late news concerned a Lesser Kestrel on Noss, Shetland Isles on 1st May and a Slate-coloured Junco in Gwynedd at Dlogellau on 12th May.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 23rd May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an Iberian Chiffchaff in Worcestershire on the Malvern Hills. Elsewhere, a Rustic Bunting was new on Noss, Shetland Isles, and off the Isle of Man a Subalpine Warbler was on the Calf of Man. Brief encounters included a Black Kite in Highland, Red-rumped Swallows in East Yorkshire, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire and the Shetland Isles, and Bee-eaters in East Yorkshire, Kent and Lincolnshire.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the territorial Little Bittern in Somerset, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk, King Eider in Highland, and Savi's Warblers in both Norfolk and Suffolk.

Scarcities included three White-winged Black Terns together in Surrey, Marsh Warbler (Suffolk), Golden Oriole (Perthshire), Ring-billed Gull (Ceredigion), Shorelark (Wirral), Great Grey Shrike (Devon), Grey-headed Wagtail (Shetland Isles), two each of Short-toed Lark, Woodchat Shrike, Temminck's Stint and migrant Red-necked Phalarope, three Glossy Ibises, four Night Herons and a total of 16 Cattle Egrets included a bird on a nest in Cheshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 22nd May 2017  
  A Red-throated Pipit and two male Red-footed Falcons flew over Blakeney Point, Norfolk today, with two Black Kites elsewhere in the county, over Cranwich Camp, Mundford. A singing Iberian Chiffchaff was found at Emmbrook, Berkshire, a Red-footed Falcon flew over Messingham, Lincolnshire, a Red-rumped Swallow flew over Hastings Country Park, East Sussex and a Bee-eater flew over Long Nab, North Yorkshire.

Lingering rarities still present today included the Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, single Little Bitterns in Somerset and Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in South Yorkshire and single Savi's Warblers in Suffolk and Norfolk.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Serin, a Short-toed Lark, a Shorelark, a Common Rosefinch, a Marsh Warbler, a Melodious Warbler, two Icterine Warblers, two Purple Herons, two Night Herons and three Bluethroats.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 21st May 2017  
  New discoveries today included a singing male Rustic Bunting at Baltasound, Unst, Shetland, single Bee-eaters at Portland, Dorset and Connor Downs, Cornwall, a Black Kite at Hurlstone Point, Somerset and Red-footed Falcons at Tetney Lock, Lincolnshire and Thorne Moors, Yorkshire (now two adult males). A male Little Bittern has once again returned to Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset.

Lingering rarities included the Iberian Chiffchaff and Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Little Bittern in Scilly, single Bonaparte's Gulls in London and County Kerry, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and White-billed Diver in Orkney.

Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, a Marsh Warbler, a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Common Rosefinch, a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Hoopoe, a Serin, three Bluethroats, a Woodchat Shrike, a Great Grey Shrike, two Red-backed Shrikes, three Golden Orioles, two Shorelarks, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Pectoral Sandpiper, three Buff-breasted Sandpipers, three Temminck's Stints, three Dotterel, a Purple Heron, four Honey Buzzards and a Night Heron.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 20th May 2017  
  New discoveries all concerned flyover sightings; a Red-rumped Swallow in East Yorkshire, Bee-eater in Dorset and Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk.

The Pied-billed Grebe (Argyll), Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria), Bonaparte's Gull (London), Caspian Tern and Iberian Chiffchaff (Norfolk), Savi's Warblers (Norfolk and Suffolk), Red-footed Falcon (Suffolk) and Little Bittern (Isles of Scilly) all lingered.

Scarcity highlights included Night Heron (Shropshire), Purple Herons (Glamorgan and Cornwall), Pectoral Sandpiper (Cornwall), Bluethroats (Shetland and Orkney), Hoopoe (North Yorkshire) and Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Cheshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 19th May 2017  
  Three Red-rumped Swallows were discovered today, in Co Durham, Lancashire and Suffolk. Elsewhere the Spotted Sandpiper (Cumbria), Caspian Tern, Savi's Warbler and Iberian Chiffchaff (Norfolk), Little Bittern (Isles of Scilly), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Shetland), Red-footed Falcon and Savi's Warbler (Suffolk) and White-billed Diver (Western Isles) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Cheshire), Night Heron (Shropshire), Hoopoes (North Yorkshire and Co Waterford), Purple Herons (Cornwall and Glamorgan) and Woodchat Shrike and Serin (Devon).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 18th May 2017  
  In Yorkshire, the Black-browed Albatross was seen again at Bempton Cliffs RSPB very briefly.

New discoveries included an Iberian Chiffchaff at Prussia Cove, Cornwall, an Arctic Redpoll at Quendale, Shetland, two Red-rumped Swallows at Portland Bill, Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher at Ringmoylan, County Limerick, Black-winged Stilt at Cley, Norfolk, single Black Kites at Westonbirt, Gloucestershire and Rainham, London, a White-billed Diver off Westray, Orkney and a report of a singing Hume's Warbler at Westleton, Suffolk.

Lingering rarities included the Caspian Tern and Iberian Chiffchaff in Norfolk, Collared Pratincole and Semipalmated Sandpiper in Shetland, single Spotted Sandpipers in Cumbria and Staffordshire, Little Bittern in Scilly, Red-footed Falcon in Suffolk and Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 17th May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was a Caspian Tern that joined the Savi's Warbler at Hickling Broad, Norfolk. Meanwhile in Suffolk the Savi's Warbler at Minsmere was joined by a Black-winged Stilt, with a Red-footed Falcon at nearby North Warren and Black Kite overflying both Stoke-by-Nayland and Kirton.

Other rarities comprised a Red-throated Pipit new in with the Collared Pratincole on Fair Isle, Shetland Isles whilst the Semipalmated Sandpiper remained on Unst, the Iberian Chiffchaff still in Norfolk, Little Bittern on the Isles of Scilly, Spotted Sandpipers in both Cumbria and Staffordshire, Bonaparte's Gull in London and at least two Bee-eaters briefly in Glamorgan.

Scarcities included Short-toed Lark and Golden Oriole (Dorset), Woodchat Shrike (Isles of Scilly), Serin (East Yorkshire), Hoopoe (County Antrim), Purple Heron and Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Glossy Ibis (Norfolk), Red-breasted Flycatcher and Grey-headed Wagtail (Shetland Isles), two Night Herons, three Shorelarks, five Cattle Egrets, nine Temminck's Stints and a total of 16 migrant Dotterel.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 16th May 2017  
  The adult Black-browed Albatross reappeared at Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorkshire today. It flew north-west along the cliff past the Bartlett Nab Viewpoint, but wasn't seen at any other sites further along the coast.

New discoveries today included a singing Iberian Chiffchaff at Walsey Hills, Norfolk, a Thrush Nightingale on Fair Isle, Shetland, a Red-rumped Swallow on Unst, Shetland, a Tawny Pipit at Burniston, North Yorkshire, a Snowy Owl on Papa Westray, Orkney, a Red-footed Falcon at Coldwaltham, West Sussex, a Black Kite at Lenham Heath, Kent and a White-billed Diver off Lossiemouth, Moray. The Semipalmated Sandpiper seen at Balnakeil, Highland at the weekend was relocated on the beach at Haroldswick, Unst, Shetland.

Lingering rarities included the Collared Pratincole in Shetland, single Spotted Sandpipers in Staffordshire and Cumbria, Little Bittern in Scilly, Savi's Warbler in Norfolk, Red-footed Falcon in South Yorkshire, Black Duck in Highland and single Bonaparte's Gulls in London and Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 15th May 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a first summer male Baltimore Oriole on Tory Island in County Donegal. Other new discoveries today included a Gull-billed Tern at a couple of sites in Cambridgeshire, a Spotted Sandpiper at Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire, single Bee-eaters over Dungeness and St Margaret's at Cliffe, both Kent and Red-rumped Swallows at Daventry Reservoir, Northamptonshire and Druridge Pools, Northumberland, where two were present.

Lingering rarities included the Collared Pratincole in Shetland, Spotted Sandpiper in Cumbria, Little Bittern in Scilly, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll and Bonaparte's Gull in London.

Scarcity highlights included a Kentish Plover, a Purple Heron, a Night Heron, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Kumlien's Gull, two Honey Buzzards, three Long-tailed Skuas, five Temminck's Stints, seven Shorelarks and 26 Dotterel.
-  Will Soar, RBA