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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Sunday 30th May 2021  
 

New finds included Great Spotted Cuckoo in Cornwall and Great Reed Warbler in Nottinghamshire. A male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was found on Barra and another male subalpine, probably Western, was on Skomer. A flock of 10 Bee-eaters flew over Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire, while four flew over Normanby in Lincolnshire and singles were logged in Cornwall, Highland, Scilly and Shetland. There were at least two Black Kites in Cornwall.

The Double-crested Cormorant in Co.Kerry, Calandra Lark on Fair Isle, Collared Pratincole in Kent, Black Stork in Cornwall, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, two Black-winged Stilts in Suffolk and two White-billed Divers in Shetland all continued their stays.

Other highlights included White-winged Black Tern (Co.Kerry), Grey-headed Wagtail (East Yorkshire), three Common Rosefinches, Serin (Cumbria), Rough-legged Buzzard in Shetland, American Golden Plover (Devon), three Icterine Warblers, eight Red-backed Shrikes and Golden Orioles, two Woodchat Shrikes, four Purple Herons, Temminck's Stint (Aberdeenshire), three Ring-necked Ducks and two Glossy Ibises.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 29th May 2021  
 

Fair Isle's second Calandra Lark of the year was found today, while a Sardinian Warbler appeared at Sumburgh on Mainland Shetland. Following a nocmig report, the spring's first sight record of Great Spotted Cuckoo was at Brownstown Head in Co.Waterford today. A Blyth's Reed Warbler was found singing in urban Brighton.

The Double-crested Cormorant in Co.Kerry, American Herring Gull in Cornwall and Collared Pratincole in Kent were still present, as were the Iberian Chiffchaff and two Black-winged Stilts in Suffolk, Eastern Subalpine Warbler in East Yorkshire, Rustic Bunting on Fair Isle and the Red-rumped Swallow on Scilly. Six Bee-eaters were logged today.

Other highlights today included American Golden Plover (Devon), three Common Rosefinches, Bluethroat (East Yorkshire), five Purple Herons, seven Golden Orioles, two Woodchat Shrikes, four Red-backed Shrikes, six Icterine Warblers, Serin (Cornwall), Wryneck (Fair Isle), Sabine's Gull (Somerset), Pectoral Sandpiper (Cornwall), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Ring-necked Duck (Shetland) and four Glossy Ibises.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Friday 28th May 2021  
  A good day for discoveries with on the Shetland Isles Eastern Subalpine Warbler and Tawny Pipit joining three Rustic Buntings on Fair Isle, with two more Rustic Buntings new on Foula, the first Blyth's Reed Warbler of the spring found on North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles, in County Wexford a Subalpine Warbler species on Great Saltee Island and a Bonaparte's Gull at Churchtown, two Black-winged Stilts together in Suffolk at Trimley Marshes, a Red-rumped Swallow on the Isles of Scilly on St Martin's, a mobile Bee-eater in Norfolk, and Black Kites briefly in Dorset, Highland, and Somerset.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Eastern Subalpine Warbler in East Yorkshire, Collared Pratincole in Kent, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Savi's Warbler in Carmarthenshire, and both Bee-eater and White-billed Diver on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included American Golden Plover (Devon), Woodchat Shrike (Suffolk), Night Heron and Pectoral Sandpiper (Cornwall), Bluethroat and Wryneck (Shetland), Grey Phalarope (Hampshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Temminck's Stint (Leicestershire), two each of Purple Heron, Ring-necked Duck, and Glossy Ibis, three Common Rosefinches, seven Red-backed Shrikes, eight Icterine Warblers, and a total of nine Golden Orioles.

Significant late news concerned a Black Stork seen yesterday in Surrey at Thursley Common and then Frensham.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 27th May 2021  
 

A male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was found at Spurn in East Yorkshire, while two Rustic Buntings appeared on Fair Isle and an Alpine Swift cruised over St.Mary's, Scilly. In Kent, a Black Kite flew over Cliffe. Two Bee-eaters tracked along the north Norfolk coast and another flew over the Blackwater Estuary in Essex.

Still present were the Collared Pratincole in Kent, Franklin's Gull in West Yorkshire, Savi's Warbler in North Yorkshire, American Herring Gull in Cornwall, Greenish Warbler in Fife, and White-billed Diver and Bee-eater in Shetland.

Other highlights included White-spotted Bluethroat (Norfolk), Red-spotted Bluethroat (Western Isles), two Purple Herons, three Red-backed Shrikes and Golden Orioles, eight Icterine Warblers, Rough-legged Buzzard (Shetland), Temminck's Stint (Leicestershire), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Ring-necked Duck (Shetland) and two Glossy Ibises.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Wednesday 26th May 2021  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a male Black-headed Bunting at Brynamman, Carmarthenshire that showed well from late afternoon until late evening.

In Norfolk news was released of a male White-spotted Bluethroat singing at Strumpshaw Fen, in Kent the elusive Collared Pratincole showed again at Cliffe Pools, in Dorset the Bonaparte's Gull remained at Lodmoor, and on the Shetland Isles two Rustic Buntings were on Fair Isle, with both Bee-eater and White-billed Diver still on Unst.

Scarcities included Rough-legged Buzzard, Common Rosefinch, Long-tailed Skua, Ring-necked Duck, Shorelark, and Shorelark (Shetland Isles), Red-backed Shrike (East Yorkshire), Hoopoe (Warwickshire), Great Grey Shrike (Orkney Isles), Temminck's Stint (Norfolk), three Glossy Ibises, and four each of Red-spotted Bluethroat, Icterine Warbler, and Golden Oriole.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 25th May 2021  
  New today was a Red-rumped Swallow in Lincolnshire at Marston, with brief encounters including Black Kite in Essex at Wix and Kent at Swalecliffe, and Bee-eater in Hampshire at Hannington and Kent at Walmer Castle.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Collared Pratincole again in Kent at Cliffe Pools, the Double-crested Cormorant still in County Kerry, Bonaparte's Gull still in Dorset, and on the Shetland Isles two Rustic Buntings on Fair Isle and a Bee-eater still on Unst.

Scarcities included Sabine's Gull (Anglesey), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), Temminck's Stint (Norfolk), Great Grey Shrike (Orkney Isles), Grey-headed Wagtail (Greater Manchester), two each of Marsh Warbler, Common Rosefinch, and Red-backed Shrike, three Long-tailed Skuas, four of Golden Oriole, Ring-necked Duck, and Glossy Ibis, seven Icterine Warblers, and a total of 10 Bluethroats.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 24th May 2021  
  New discoveries today included a Thrush Nightingale at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, a Western Subalpine Warbler on St Mary's, Scilly, two Rustic Buntings on Fair Isle, Shetland, a Lesser Scaup at Manby, Lincolnshire and a Red-footed Falcon at Collards Lake, Kent.

Lingering rarities still present included the Double-crested Cormorant in County Kerry, Savi's Warbler and Franklin's Gull in Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll and Bee-eater, King Eider and White-billed Diver in Shetland.

Scarcity highlights included a Shorelark, a Marsh Warbler, a Grey-headed Wagtail, two Red-backed Shrikes, three Golden Orioles, seven Icterine Warblers, seven Bluethroats, a Purple Heron, a Corncrake, a Red-necked Phalarope, two Temminck's Stints, four Glossy Ibises, three Honey Buzzards, two Ring-necked Ducks, a Pomarine Skua, two Long-tailed Skuas, a Sabine's Gull, four Glaucous Gulls and six Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 23rd May 2021  
 

The day's new rarities were a Greenish Warbler on the Isle of May in Fife, Great Reed Warbler near Bishopstoke in Hampshire, Rustic Bunting at Geosetter in Shetland, Bonaparte's Gull at Burton Mere Wetlands in Cheshire and a Red-rumped Swallow at Newport Wetlands in Gwent.

Ongoing rarities included the Double-crested Cormorant in Co.Kerry, Iberian Chiffchaff in Suffolk, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Aberdeenshire, King Eider in Shetland, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset, Bee-eater in Shetland and Red-rumped Swallow in Devon

Among the best of the rest were Icterine Warbler (Fife), Marsh Warbler (Lincolnshire), Serin (Kent), Woodchat Shrike (Suffolk), Waxwing (Highland), Purple Heron (Co.Cork), Shorelark (Shetland), Red-necked Phalarope (Northumberland), two Sabine's Gulls and Wrynecks, three Long-tailed Skuas, and four each of Temminck's Stint, Golden Oriole and Glossy Ibises.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 22nd May 2021  
  The highlight of the day was the relocation of the White-throated Sparrow on the Shetland Isles on Unst, with also a Bee-eater there briefly, a Rustic Bunting new-in on Fair Isle, and a King Eider on the Mainland at Ireland.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Double-crested Cormorant still in County Kerry at Ballylongford, Rustic Bunting still in Fife on the Isle of May, Collared Pratincole again briefly in Norfolk, a flyover Alpine Swift in Cornwall, Red-rumped Swallow in Devon at Exminster Marshes and Greater Manchester at Audenshaw Reservoir, and territorial Savi's Warblers still in both Carmarthenshire and North Yorkshire.

Scarcities included Red-spotted Bluethroat (Lothian), Rose-coloured Starling (Norfolk), Purple Heron (County Cork), Grey-headed Wagtail (Northumberland), Kumlien's Gull (Leicestershire), two each of Icterine Warbler, Golden Oriole, Sabine's Gull, Long-tailed Skua, Temminck's Stint, Red-necked Phalarope, and Ring-necked Duck, three Red-backed Shrikes, and a total of eight Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 21st May 2021  
  New discoveries today included a Rustic Bunting on the Isle of May, Fife, a Bonaparte's Gull at Rosslare, County Wexford, an Alpine Swift at Spurn, Yorkshire and the Forster's Tern reappeared in County Galway at Inishroo.

Lingering rarities included the Double-crested Cormorant in County Kerry, Savi's Warbler and Franklin's Gull in Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset and Great Reed Warbler in Shetland.

Scarcity highlights were a Bluethroat, an Icterine Warbler, a Rose-coloured Starling, two Wrynecks, two Red-backed Shrikes, two Grey-headed Wagtails, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Temminck's Stint, a Honey Buzzard, a Glossy Ibis, two Ring-necked Ducks, a White-winged Black Tern, two Roseate Terns, a Long-tailed Skua, 18 Pomarine Skuas, two Sabine's Gulls, three Glaucous Gulls and four Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA