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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Tuesday 27th November 2007  
  Long-staying rarities provided the highlights today with the Pacific Diver at Marazion Cornwall, White-tailed Eagle at Cholderton Hampshire and Desert Wheatears at both Horsey Norfolk and Cromer Point North Yorkshire most notable amongst them.

Otherwise, Cattle Egrets remained in Dorset (5) and Cornwall (4), Great White Egrets in County Londonderry, Hampshire and Kent, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Lesser Scaup on the Shetland Isles and Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and County Londonderry. 

The Falcated Duck showed again at Cop Mere, Staffordshire but , disappointingly, it bears a yellow ring and is an escape.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 26th November 2007  
  The best finds today came in the form of a drake Falcated Duck located amongst a flock of Wigeon at Cop Mere, Staffordshire and a Desert Wheatear at Cromer Point, North Yorkshire (the Norfolk individual also continued to show well throughout the day).

In Hampshire the juvenile White-tailed Eagle remained near Cholderton and in Cornwall the adult Pacific Diver remained on show off Marazion. Other lingering rarities included the Buff-bellied Pipit in Co Cork, up to six Cattle Egrets in Dorset and three more in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gulls in Aberdeenshire and Angus, with a Lesser Yellowlegs also still present in the latter county.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 25th November 2007  
  A good day in Ireland today, with another Buff-bellied Pipit in County Cork at Youghal and a female Lesser Scaup in County Down, near Clea Lake. Yesterday, there was a Ferruginous Duck in County Down and a Great White Egret in County Louth.

An immature White-tailed Eagle was seen on the Hanpshire/Wiltshire border, 4 miles west of Andover. Yet more Cattle Egrets arrived, with another bird joining the group of five already in Dorset north of Weymouth, and another bird at Kilnsea briefly, which was a first for the Spurn area. Another adult Bonaparte's Gull was found in Aberdeenshire, off Peterhead. The King Eider was also still in Aberdeenshire, and another adult Bonaparte's Gull remained in Angus, near the Lesser Yellowlegs at Montrose Basin.

The Desert Wheatear remained in Norfolk all day, and proved to be confiding, as this species often is, showing down to just a few inches.

In Devon, the Long-billed Dowitcher reappeared at Bowling Green Marsh, two Penduline Tits were seen again at Dingle Marshes, Suffolk and Great White Egrets remained in their regular locations in Hampshire and Lancashire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 24th November 2007  
  A male Desert Wheatear was located late afternoon at Horsey, Norfolk and will hopefully still be present tomorrow. An adult drake Ferruginous Dusk was present at Abberton Reservoir, Essex, but unfortunately remained in a private area all day. A Glossy Ibis was reported from Bowling Green Marsh, Devon, with the Marshside bird remaining in Merseyside.

The Cattle Egret influx continued, with five birds found together in Devon, and several still in west Cornwall. The Barrow's Goldeneye returned to Quoile Pondage, County Down.

Lingering rarities included Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Bonaparte's Gull in Angus, King Eider in Aberdeen, Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire and Great White Egrets in Lancashire and Hampshire.

Good numbers of seabirds, especially Little Auks, continued to be seen from east and south coasts, with a few Pomarine Skuas around as well. Abberton Reservoir, Essex hosted a Grey Phalarope,  three Slavonian Grebes and a Red-necked Grebe.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 23rd November 2007  
  In Pembrokeshire, the Pechora Pipit showed well, but very briefly, only a few times today. It appears as though it may have changed its habits, and possibly moved into another area where it spends the majority of its time. A dilemma for the weekend birders!

A female King Eider was located just before midday, off Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire, to add to the on-going list of rarities this site has had this autumn. The Cattle Egrets that arrived in Cornwall in the last few days continued to be seen in horse and cattle fields, but no new birds were found. The Lesser Yellowlegs was seen again in Angus, at Montrose Basin, the Ferruginous Duck remained at Theale GPs, Berkshire and the Great White Egret was still at Blashford lakes, Hampshire.

Another fairly good sea-watching day, with good numbers of Little Auks being seen from many east coast locations, along with a few Pomarine Skuas, two Leach's Petrels and a Grey Phalarope. Two Pallas's Warblers were seen, in North Yorkshire and Borders, both showing well. A Serin lingered at Portland Bill for its second day, although it was only seen briefly.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 22nd November 2007  
  Once again the Pechora Pipit in Pembrokeshire stole the limelight by showing well all day. Other lingering rarities included a Wilson's Snipe and Cattle Egret on the Isles of Scilly, three Penduline Tits in Suffolk, five Cattle Egrets in Cornwall, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire, Richardson's Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Ross's Goose in Norfolk and Great White Egrets in both Hampshire and Lancashire.

An American Golden Plover was a new discovery at Killag, County Wexford as was a Pallas's Warbler at Filey, North Yorkshire.

Little Auks were again in evidence with singles in Highland and Norfolk, two in Lothian and a massive 1,172 passing Sumburgh Head, Shetland Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 21st November 2007  
  The superb Pechora Pipit remained at Goodwick Moor, Pembrokeshire, showing very well on and off throughout the day. Everything else was somewhat overshadowed by this Mainland Mega, but Cattle Egrets continued to turn up at various sites in Cornwall, including Falmouth, Drift and Carnon Downs. On Isles of Scilly, the Cattle Egret remained on St Mary's, where a Wilson's Snipe also reappeared.

In Suffolk three Penduline Tits remained at Dingle Marshes and in Dumfries and Galloway the Red-breasted Goose was again with Barnacle Geese at Caerlaverock WWT.

A Pallas's Warbler at Marsden, Co Durham proved that there are still birds to be found on the east coast.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 20th November 2007  
  The highlight of the day was the confirmation of a Pechora Pipit at Goodwick Moor, Pembrokeshire. Suspected late yesterday afternoon the identity was confirmed early this morning and the bird showed well throughout the day. Elsewhere in Wales a male Desert Wheatear was discovered at Towyn, Conwy.

A Cattle Egret at the Otter Estuary, Devon may be a returning individual, as might the Great White Egret at Dingle Marshes, Suffolk; the latter joining three Penduline Tits that remain at this site.

Other lingering rarities comprise single Glossy Ibises in both Devon and Lancashire, a Cattle Egret in Cornwall and a Great White Egret on the Western Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 19th November 2007  
  The wheatear species, either a Pied or Black-eared, remained at Northam Burrows Country Park, Devon, for at least its third day - this individual is certainly proving to be an identification nightmare!

In neighbouring Cornwall three Cattle Egrets were discovered in the Sennen area, whilst on Isles of Scilly the Cattle Egret remained on St Mary's. In Devon, the juvenile Glossy Ibis was still present at West Alvington.

In Suffolk four Penduline Tits continued to perform at Dingle Marshes, the Ferruginous Duck was still at Theale GPs, Berkshire and the long-staying Spotted Sandpiper remained on show at Lisvane Reservoir, Glamorgan.

An intriguing record concerned a possible Pechora Pipit seen in Pembrokeshire - many will be hoping that this one 'firms up' tomorrow.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 18th November 2007  
  A Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was found in Conwy, at Penrhyn Bay this morning, proving that this autumn isn't over yet! A Glossy Ibis appeared in Devon, at West Alvington, at the same site that one was present a few months back.

Two Cattle Egrets were found, both in the southwest, with one on Scilly, which roosted on St.Mary's, and one in Cornwall briefly on The Lizard. The juvenile American Golden Plover reappeared at Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire, and the Great White Egret on the Western Isles has relocated to Benbecula.

Late news concerning either a Pied or a Black-eared Wheatear on Friday in Devon was released, after an incorrectly labelled photograph was found on a website.

Other lingering rarities today included Penduline Tits in Suffolk, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire, and the Forsters Tern in County Louth.
-  Will Soar, RBA