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.

Choose a starting date
Monday 19th May 2025  
  Discoveries today included a Black-headed Bunting briefly in Kent at Foreness Point and a Kentish Plover briefly in Cambridgeshire at Grafham Water, whilst on Anglesey the identification of an Iberian Wagtail found yesterday at Llanfachraeth was confirmed.

Continuing rarities included the Hudsonian Godwit still in Hampshire, Western Oriental Turtle Dove still in Shetland, White-winged Scoter in Fife, American Black Tern in Northumberland, and territorial Great Reed Warblers in both Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire

A total of nine Red-footed Falcons today comprised singles in Cambridgeshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, and East Sussex, two in Essex, and three in Cornwall.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 18th May 2025  
  Discoveries today included a Tawny Pipit in Cornwall at Gwithian and an Alpine Swift on South Uist, Western Isles, whilst in Northumberland the American Black Tern returned to Long Nanny.

Continuing rarities confirmed as still present were the Hudsonian Godwit in Hampshire, Least Tern in County Louth, Western Oriental Turtle Dove and Red-throated Pipit in Shetland, White-winged Scoter in Fife, Pacific Diver in County Donegal, and territorial Great Reed Warblers in both Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire.

A total of nine Red-footed Falcons today comprised singles in Kent, Somerset, Suffolk, East Sussex, and County Wicklow, and two each in both Cornwall and Essex.

Significant late news concerned a Black Stork yesterday at Shipton, North Yorkshire, and on Friday an adult male Northern Harrier at Kilrush, County Clare.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 17th May 2025  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Least Tern in County Louth at Baltray. New rarities elsewhere were a Subalpine Warbler in Shetland at Lundy, Red-footed Falcons in Norfolk at Salthouse, and in Kent at Stodmarsh, Iberian Chiffchaff at Flamborough, East Yorkshire, Alpine Swift in Derbyshire at Hadfield, and Black Kites in Lincolnshire and Perthshire.

Continuing rarities included the Hudsonian Godwit in Hampshire, White-winged Scoter in Fife, Western Oriental Turtle Dove and Red-throated Pipit in Shetland, Pacific Diver in County Donegal, territorial Great Reed Warblers in both Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Orkney.

A total of 10 Red-footed Falcons were present around the country today.
-  Ben Clark, RBA
Friday 16th May 2025  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Hudsonian Godwit in Hampshire at Titchfield Haven. New rarities elsewhere were a White-winged Scoter in Fife at Ruddons Point, Black Stork in Anglesey at North Stack, Alpine Swift in Dumfries and Galloway at Stranraer, and Black Kites in both Cornwall and Kent.

Continuing rarities included the Western Oriental Turtle Dove in Shetland, territorial Great Reed Warblers in both Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Orkney.

A total of 11 Red-footed Falcons today comprised singles in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Kent, Somerset, and East Sussex, and two each in Cornwall, Essex, and South Yorkshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 15th May 2025  
  The highlight of the day was an Eastern Bonelli's Warbler at Northbay on Barra, Western Isles. Elsewhere, on Scilly a Solitary Sandpiper was found on St.Mary's. A Red-footed Falcon was in Suffolk at Oulton, with an additional bird appearing at Abberton Resr in Essex. A Western Subalpine Warbler was discovered at Calf of Man, Isle of Man, a Lesser Yellowlegs made a brief showing near Finstown, Orkney, a Black Kite was found in Cornwall at Blackwater, and a Rustic Bunting on St.Kilda, Western Isles.

Continuing rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Shetland, Great Reed Warblers in both Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire, Double-crested Cormorant in County Sligo, Red-throated Pipit on Shetland, and at least 11 Red-footed Falcons across the country.
-  Ben Clark, RBA
Wednesday 14th May 2025  
  The highlight of the day was a Black Stork in West Sussex at Pulborough Brooks in the morning before it departed east and flew over Beachy Head, East Sussex. Elsewhere, in Shetland on Fair Isle Red-throated Pipit and Red-rumped Swallow were located with another Red-rumped Swallow at Portland Bill, Dorset.

Continuing rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Shetland, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Whiskered Tern and Kentish Plover in Kent, territorial Great Reed Warblers in both Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire, and a total of 11 Red-footed Falcons comprising singles in Somerset and East Sussex, two in Essex, three in Suffolk, and four in Cornwall.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 13th May 2025  
  New discoveries today included a Collared Pratincole at Medmerry RSPB, Sussex, a Squacco Heron at Clogheen Marsh, County Cork, a Whiskered Tern at Dungeness, Kent, a Red-rumped Swallow at Calf of Man, Isle of Man, single Black Kites at Preston, Devon and Holyhead, Anglesey and a Red-footed Falcon at Great Finborough, Suffolk.

Lingering rarities included the Western Oriental Turtle Dove in Shetland, Iberian Chiffchaff in Aberdeenshire, Great Reed Warblers in Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire, Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall (four), Sussex, Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk (three), Norfolk and Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 12th May 2025  
  The fourth Savannah Sparrow for Britain (and third for Shetland) was found at Skaw, Unst today, where it remained into the evening. Nearby, a Western Oriental Turtle Dove was at Hillwell, Mainland, which was also present at Norwick, Unst last Friday.

Further south, an Iberian Chiffchaff was discovered at St Cyrus, Aberdeenshire, a Tawny Pipit was at North Predannack Downs, Cornwall, a Black Kite flew over Bardsey Island, Gwynedd and a Red-footed Falcon was at Haddiscoe, Norfolk.

Lingering rarities included the Great Reed Warblers in Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Western Isles, Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall (four), Sussex, Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk (three) and Norfolk and Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 11th May 2025  
  In Suffolk, the Booted Eagle was seen heading south over Carlton Marshes this morning.

New discoveries included a Great Reed Warbler at Hornsea Mere, Yorkshire, an Eastern Subalpine Warbler on Out Skerries, Shetland, a Subalpine Warbler species at Mirfield, West Yorkshire, a Collared Pratincole at Farlington, Hampshire, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Loch Sandary, Western Isles, a Kentish Plover at Pegwell Bay, Kent, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Bann Estuary, County Derry, a Black Kite over Aberdaron, Gwynedd and Red-footed Falcons at Nanquidno, Cornwall (two), King's Sedgemoor, Somerset, Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex, Stodmarsh, Kent, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire and on Skomer, Pembrokeshire.

Lingering rarities included the Double-crested Cormorant in County Leitrim, Great Reed Warbler in Cambridgeshire, Red-footed Falcons in Cornwall (four), Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk (five), Norfolk, Cambridgeshire (two), Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire and Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 10th May 2025  
  Another flyover sighting of the Booted Eagle in Norfolk at Horsey was the highlight today, other new sightings consisted of Red-footed Falcons at Worth Marsh in Kent and East Yorkshire at Skirlaugh, a Black Stork in Gwynedd at Rhoshirwaun, a Kentish Plover in East Yorkshire at Kilnsea, and a Subalpine Warbler on Foula, Shetland.

Around 18 Red-footed Falcons were reported as still present at various sites from Cornwall to Norfolk. Other lingering rarities included a Savi's Warbler in Cornwall, Blue-winged Teal in East Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, and Great Reed Warbler in Cambridgeshire.
-  Ben Clark, RBA