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 11th April 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Short-toed Treecreeper at Dungeness (Kent). Elsewhere rarity highlights included American Bittern (Suffolk), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Bonaparte's Gulls (Cambridgeshire and Dorset), Savi's Warblers (East Sussex and Suffolk), Horned Lark (Surrey), Black-winged Stilt (East Sussex), Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Suffolk) and two Alpine Swifts (Cornwall).

The best of the rest included Purple Heron (Cambridgeshire), Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland), two each of Woodchat Shrike, Hoopoe and Waxwing and three Glossy Ibises.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 10th April 2018  
  The highlight of the day was a group of three Alpine Swifts in Cornwall at Lizard. In County Mayo a Gyr was taken into care near Crossmolina but died.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the American Bittern and Coues's Arctic Redpoll both still in Suffolk, Horned Lark in Surrey, Savi's Warbler and two Black-winged Stilts in East Sussex, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset and Coues's Arctic Redpoll.

Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike and Wryneck (Isles of Scilly), Little Bunting (Western Isles), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Ring-necked Duck (Lothian), two each of both Hoopoe and Waxwing, three of Lapland Bunting and Glossy Ibis, and a total of six Surf Scoters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 9th April 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the American Bittern and Coues's Arctic Redpoll both still in Suffolk, American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Horned Lark in Surrey, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Savi's Warbler and two Black-winged Stilts in East Sussex, King Eider in both County Cork and the Shetland Isles, three Coues's Arctic Redpolls together in Norfolk, four White-billed Divers in Moray and a Lesser Scaup reported in Langstone Harbour, Hampshire.

Scarcities included Woodchat Shrike (Isles of Scilly), Little Bunting (Western Isles), Hoopoe (County Waterford), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Kumlien's Gull (Cornwall), two Waxwings and three each of Ring-necked Duck, Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret.

Significant late news concerned a Rustic Bunting in Highland at Diabaig on 7th April.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 8th April 2018  
  In Cornwall a second-winter Audouin's Gull flew through Mount's Bay (Cornwall) today.
 
The American Bittern remained at Carlton Marshes SWT (Suffolk) for its second day, whilst a Snowy Owl (Ceredigion), Iberian Chiffchaff (Cornwall), two Black-winged Stilts and Savi's Warbler (East Sussex) and two White-billed Divers (Moray) were also recorded. Lingering rarities comprised Alpine Swift (Cornwall), a gathering of 24 White-billed Divers (Aberdeenshire), lone White-billed Divers (Western Isles and Orkney), American Herring Gull (Co Clare), King Eider (Co Cork), Bonaparte's Gull (Dorset), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Long-billed Dowitcher (Kent), Black Scoter (Northumberland), Horned Lark (Surrey), and Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk [3] and Suffolk).

The best of the rest included up to eight Hoopoes, two Serins (Essex) and two Shorelarks (Lincolnshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 7th April 2018  
  An American Bittern was photographed at Carlton Marshes SWT, Suffolk this evening, the first record for the county. Yesterday, also in Suffolk, a Savi's Warbler was heard singing at Minsmere RSPB.

Lingering rarities still present included the American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Pied-billed Grebe in Shetland, Horned Lark in Surrey, two Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk and one in Suffolk, two Alpine Swifts in Cornwall, American Herring Gull in County Clare, 13 White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent and Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 6th April 2018  
  Rarity highlights comprised Black Scoter (Northumberland), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Snowy Owl (Pembrokeshire), Horned Lark (Surrey), Long-billed Dowitcher (Kent), Bonaparte's Gull (Dorset), Forster's Tern (Co Galway), Black Kite (London) and Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Suffolk [2] and Norfolk).

The best of the rest included Hoopoes (London and Kent), Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland) and Lapland Bunting (Norfolk).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 5th April 2018  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of two Alpine Swifts on The Lizard (Cornwall). Elsewhere a Cackling Goose arrived on Tiree (Argyll) with Barnacle Geese, and the Snowy Owl (Pembrokeshire), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Hooded Merganser (Western Isles), Horned Lark (Surrey), Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk [2+] and Suffolk), Long-billed Dowitcher (Kent), Forster's Tern (Co Galway), American Herring Gull (Co Clare) and King Eider (Co Cork) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Hoopoes (Carmarthenshire and Kent), Little Bunting (London), Dotterel and Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland), White-spotted Bluethroat (Lincolnshire) and Spotted Crake (Devon).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 4th April 2018  
  Lingering rarities comprised Horned Lark (Surrey), King Eider (Co Cork) and Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk [3+] and Suffolk).

The best of the rest included White-spotted Bluethroat (Northumberland), Serin (Norfolk), Lapland Bunting (Orkney), Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland) and Little Bunting (London).

Summer migrant reports included Little Tern (Cambridgeshire), Whitethroats (Glamorgan and Surrey), Swift (Merseyside) and Reed Warbler (Lincolnshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 3rd April 2018  
  Lingering rarities included American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Hooded Merganser (Western Isles), Snowy Owls (Pembrokeshire and Isles of Scilly), Penduline Tit (Suffolk), Horned Lark (Surrey), Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk [2+] and Suffolk), Ferruginous Duck (Powys) and at least one White-billed Diver (Aberdeenshire).

The best of the rest included White-spotted Bluethroats (East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Suffolk and Northumberland), Night Heron (Suffolk), Little Bunting (London), Hoopoe (Cornwall) and Serin (Co Wicklow).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 2nd April 2018  
  A singing male Penduline Tit was discovered at Lowestoft, Suffolk this afternoon, and the identity of the Lesser Scaup at Oxford Island, County Armagh was confirmed.

Other lingering rarities seen today included the American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Horned Lark in Surrey, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford, three Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk and one in Suffolk, and a White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Great Grey Shrike, two White-spotted Bluethroats, ten Shorelarks, a Grey Phalarope, a Glossy Ibis, a Tundra Bean Goose, a Lesser Snow Goose, a Surf Scoter, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Green-wnged Teals, a Ring-billed Gull and a Kumlien's Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA