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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Friday 22nd December 2006  
  In Argyll the first-winter Ross's Gull continued to show extremely well at the mouth of Loch Caolisport, feeding on the beach by the fish farm. In Forth the adult drake Barrow's Goldeneye was still in the Callander area, but remained frustratingly mobile.

Other long-staying rarities included the Black Scoter in Conwy, Bonaparte's Gull in Angus, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck in Kent, Lesser Scaup on North Uist, Western Isles and Long-billed Dowitcher on Anglesey. In Merseyside the Pallas's Warbler continued to attract plenty of attention near Hightown and drake Falcated Ducks remained in Kent and Devon.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 21st December 2006  
  A White-billed Diver located near Gairloch, Highland was the most notable discovery of the day. Given that White-billed Divers have been recorded in this area in the late winter or spring of 2002, 2004 and 2006, previous British White-billed Divers have shown significant site fidelity, and that the bird seen today was an adult, it seems quite plausible that this is a returning bird.

Elsewhere, popular attractions included the lingering first-winter Ross's Gull in Argyll, Barrow's Goldeneye in Forth, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gull in Angus, Pallas's Warbler in Merseyside and Falcated Ducks in both Devon and Kent. In Dorset the suspected Ferruginous Duck was relocated at Abbotsbury Swannery where the identity was confirmed.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 20th December 2006  
  A Pallas's Warbler near Hightown, Merseyside, was today's star find, the second to be found in the Northwest this week. Otherwise it was long staying rarities that created the headlines. The Ross's Gull and Bonaparte's Gull both remained in Scotland, in Argyll and Angus respectively and the Barrow's Goldeneye was still in Forth. On Shetland the Bufflehead was still on Unst and in Cornwall the Spotted Sandpiper continued its stay on the Hayle Estuary. The Kent and Devon Falcated Ducks both remained in-situ and on Anglesey the Long-billed Dowitcher was again on the Alaw Estuary.

Yellow-browed Warblers were at Poole Park, Dorset, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, Polgigga, Cornwall and Beer, Devon. In Wirral a Richard's Pipit was seen in flight at Heswall, an area which has held this species in previous winters.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 19th December 2006  
  Scotland continued to be play host to a fine selection of quality rarities today, including the stunning first-winter Ross's Gull at the mouth of Loch Caolisport, Argyll, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Donmouth, Aberdeenshire, Barrow's Goldeneye at Callander, Forth, and Bonaparte's Gull at Ferryden, Angus.

In the south of England two Falcated Ducks were on the go, the long-stayer in Devon and a drake associating with Mallards and Gadwall in Kent.

In Devon, Beer hosted a notable duo in the form of a Surf Scoter and Yellow-browed Warbler and over in Ireland a Long-billed Dowitcher joined the long-staying White-rumped Sandpiper at Ballycotton, County Cork.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 18th December 2006  
  Bonaparte's Gulls were the main news of the day, with an adult being found at Blennerville, Co Kerry and belated news of an adult found yesterday at Walmsley Sanctuary, Cornwall, but not seen today. Another Falcated Duck was found, this time a drake in Kent, at Higham Bight, Cliffe. On the Shetland Isles, a probable Gyr was seen at Baltasound on Unst in the morning. Other new birds included a female Surf Scoter found at Langstone Harbour in Hampshire and two Northern Long-tailed Tits seen briefly at Tenterden in Kent. The Pallas's Warbler continued to show well at Holyhead on Anglesey.

The Ross's Gull was still at Loch Caolisport in Argyll and in Angus the Bonaparte's Gull was again at Ferryden. Both the Barrow's Goldneye in Forth and the Falcated Duck in Devon continued to perform, as did the Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Aberdeenshire. Both Lesser Scaups were seen on North Uist, Western Isles today.

The Balearic Shearwater continued to linger off Cley, Norfolk. Good numbers of Great Northern Divers continued to be seen at inland sites, with 17 present over the last couple of days, and Great Grey Shrikes were in Suffolk and Clyde today.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Sunday 17th December 2006  
  New rarities today included a White-billed Diver that flew south past three different coastal locations in Northeast England and a Great White Egret in Warwickshire. The Lesser Scaup was seen again Co Dublin (for the first time in two weeks), and on Shetland the drake Bufflehead was relocated on Unst.

Lingering rarities included the Ross's Gull, Argyll and Barrow's Goldeneye, Forth. Indeed, most of the rarities seen on Saturday were located again today, although there was no sign of the Black-eared Kite in Norfolk, the Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent nor the possible Redhead in Co Westmeath. Of note, four new Ring-necked Ducks and a Green-winged Teal have been found in Ireland in the past few days.

Wintering warblers seem to be benefiting from the mild conditions so far this winter, with a Pallas's Warbler found on Anglesey today adding to the tallies of seven Siberian Chiffchaffs, six Yellow-browed Warblers, single Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler and Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler all seen in the last ten days. A Whinchat, Swallow and Turtle Dove are also among the summer migrants choosing to remaining in the British Isles.
-  Simon Mitchell, RBA
Saturday 16th December 2006  
  A possible first-winter drake Redhead was reported from County Westmeath in Ireland with two Ring-necked Ducks, whilst a Ferruginous Duck was found in County Armagh. In Britain easily the best new rarity was a first-winter Laughing Gull found in Conwy. Considering last year's influx it is perhaps surprising that this was yet another new bird rather than a returning individual.

In Ayrshire there was disappointment for many when the Ivory Gull was not relocated, but virtually all of the other long-staying rarities were still present today including most notably the Ross's Gull in Argyll, Black-eared Kite in Norfolk and Black Scoter in Conwy.

Several Caspian, Glaucous and Iceland Gulls were seen at scattered locations nationwide.
-  Simon Mitchell, RBA
Friday 15th December 2006  
  As would normally be expected in  for a weekday in late December there were no new true rarities, although a Snow Goose was found in Aberdeenshire and the White-rumped Sandpiper was seen again in Norfolk.

The majority of rarities from previous days were seen again including the Barrow's Goldeneye in Forth, the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Aberdeenshire, the Ivory Gull in Ayrshire and the Ross's Gull in Argyll. Other rarities which also continued included the Bonaparte's Gull on Scilly and the Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall. However there were no sightings of the Black-eared Kite in Norfolk nor of the incredibly long-staying Little Auk at Snettisham.
-  Simon Mitchell, RBA
Thursday 14th December 2006  
  Two new rarities were found during an otherwise quiet day. A 1st-winter Ross's Gull was at Lochgilphead, Argyll and a Black Duck was found on The Mullet, Co.Mayo. The Ivory Gull continued to be seen in Ayrshire, as did the Barrow's Goldeneye in Forth. Three very good rarities in a fairly small area means that a weekend trip to Scotland may prove tempting for many. Also in Scotland the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was still in Aberdeenshire.

Further south it was an exceptionally quiet day, although the Long-billed Dowitcher, Kent, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and Black-eared Kite in Norfolk were all seen again, as was the Bonaparte's Gull on the Isles of Scilly
-  Simon Mitchell, RBA
Wednesday 13th December 2006  
  The undoubted highlight of an otherwise quiet day was an excellent 1st-winter Ivory Gull found at Greenan Ayrshire. The bird performed well throughout the afternoon, and looks set to draw a fair crowd over coming days if it remains in the area. Also in Scotland the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was confirmed at Donmouth.

The two Barrow's Goldeneyes were both seen again in Forth and County Down, as was the Falcated Duck in Devon, and the Black-eared Kite in Norfolk. Elsewhere several long-staying rarities were either not reported or appeared to have gone missing, but this may have been due, in part at least, to seemingly few birders in the field.
-  Simon Mitchell, RBA