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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Thursday 20th December 2007  
  A quiet day for new rarities still produced a fine selection of lingering goodies, along with the excellent numbers of Cattle Egrets.

Highlights included the Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon and King Eider in Shetland. Cattle Egrets were represented by a party of eight near Drift, Cornwall, at least two birds on Isles of Scilly and lone individuals at Britford Water Meadows, Wiltshire, and Botallack, Cornwall.

A probable juvenile American Herring Gull was observed in flight on Tresco, Isles of Scilly and in Suffolk the Pallas's Warbler reappeared near Gunton.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 19th December 2007  
  A Cattle Egret at Britford, Wiltshire was present for at least its third day, whilst on Isles of Scilly, several sightings of Cattle Egrets were reported from various locations on St Mary's.

Available rarities included White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Desert Wheatear in North Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus and Falcated Duck in Staffordshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 18th December 2007  
  Cattle Egrets continue to turn up left, right and centre - the majority of today's egret action was on Isles of Scilly, with three discovered on Tresco, two on St Martin's and one on St Mary's. Another was located in Essex at Great Bentley.

The most excitement, however, was caused by the report of a possible Great Blue Heron near Hartland in Devon, apparently present for the last ten or so days - unfortunately the bird could not be found this afternoon.

The Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, King Eiders in Aberdeenshire, Desert Wheatear in North Yorkshire and White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire were all still available.

The Thayer's or Kumlien's Gull was still at Dix Pit, Oxfordshire, the Pallas's Warbler continued to show in Gunton, Suffolk and in Staffordshire, the Falcated Duck lingered at Cop Mere.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 17th December 2007  
  The long staying Desert Wheatear continued to perform at Cromer Point, North Yorkshire and late news from Friday relating to a Desert Wheatear in an area of no general access in Crewe, was no doubt very frustrating for Cheshire birders.

Lingering rarities included six Cattle Egrets in southwest England, with another in Co Clare, the juvenile White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan and the Thayer's or Kumlien's Gull in Oxfordshire.

In Scotland the Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Montrose Basin, Angus, and a couple of King Eiders were again noted off Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire.

In Suffolk the Pallas's Warbler was still at Gunton.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 16th December 2007  
  Today's highlights were the relocation of a Dusky Warbler in Nottinghamshire this morning, originally seen in October, but unfortunately it did not show for long disappointing many visiting birders this afternoon. The other news in today was of a White-tailed Eagle for its second day on the Isle of May in Fife, though this is likely to be a bird from the Fife reintroduction scheme.

Other than these two discoveries, lingering rarities that were seen today were a Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Desert Wheatear in North Yorkshire, two King Eiders Aberdeenshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, the Finnish White-tailed Eagle and Great White Egret in Hampshire and Red-breasted Geese in both Cumbria and West Sussex.

Four counties held Cattle Egrets again today, with five birds in Dorset, at least 3 in Cornwal and singles in Devon and Gloscestershire.
-  Keith Langdon, RBA
Saturday 15th December 2007  
  Lingering rarities included Red-breasted Geese at Newton Marsh, Cumbria and West Wittering, West Sussex, Desert Wheatear at Burniston, North Yorkshire, White-tailed Eagle near Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, Lesser Scaup at Draycote, Warwickshire and Cattle Egrets at four sites in Cornwall, Devon and Gloucestershire. A drake Black Duck was seen again at Ventry, County Kerry, and the long-staying Laughing Gull reappeared on the Exe Estuary in Devon.

Iceland and Glaucous Gulls appeared at a number of Midlands waterbodies, the unseasonal Short-toed Lark and Pallas's Warbler remained in Northumberland and Suffolk respectively, and a late Richard's Pipit was a surprise in Aberdeenshire, but otherwise it was a quiet day and there was little to divert birders from their Christmas shopping.
-  Andy Symes, RBA
Friday 14th December 2007  
  The only new rarity found today was, not surprisingly, a Cattle Egret. This time one was found further north at Martin Mere in Lancashire, and may be only the second record for the county. Elsewhere there were still ten Cattle Egrets to be found in the west country. The Red-breasted Goose was seen again this morning with the Barnacle Geese at Anthorn in Cumbria, but could not be found later in the day. In Sussex, the Red-breasted Goose remained at Chichester and in Suffolk the Pallas's Warbler remained throughout the day just north of Lowestoft.

Other long-stayers included the Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, the Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, the Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon and the Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire. Also the Desert Wheatear continued it's sojourn in North Yorkshire and the Short-toed Lark was still to be found in Northumberland.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Thursday 13th December 2007  
  A late Pallas's Warbler was located in Suffolk, in Warrenhouse Wood, Gunton this afternoon. Cattle Egrets numbered twelve in the south west, and a Great White Egret lingered at Ladywalk Nature Reserve, Warwickshire all afternoon.

Longer staying rarities included the Desert Wheatear in Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, two King Eiders in Aberdeen, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Laughing Gull on Shetland, and Red-breasted Geese in Sussex and Cumbria, which was presumably relocating from Dumfries and Galloway.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 12th December 2007  
  Another quiet December day, with one interesting discovery being a Barred Warbler at the Ouse Washes in Cambridgeshire - unusual in both it's late date and inland location (the first in that county since 1979). In west Wales a Great White Egret was found over the high tide at Aber Ogwen.

Otherwise the interest was all in the form of long staying rarities: with the Desert Wheatear remaining near Burniston in North Yorkshire; the Finnish-ringed White-tailed Eagle seen again in Hampshire; the Lesser Scaup still at Draycote Water in Warwickshire; the Lesser Yellowlegs still at the Montrose Basin in Angus; two King Eiders still at Aberdeen and the Red-breasted Goose remaining at Chichester Harbour in West Sussex. There were still ten Cattle Egrets scattered around the west country and in Northumberland the Short-toed Lark remained on show near Seahouses. In Suffolk there was a high count of 450 Great Crested Grebes off Minsmere.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Tuesday 11th December 2007  
  Cattle Egrets once again featured highly today, with fifteen birds seen in the south west. The Yorkshire Desert Wheatear remained at Cromer Point, but there was no news on the long staying Norfolk bird.

The Lesser Scaup was seen in Warwickshire, the Red-breasted Goose was in Sussex and the Ferruginous Duck was showing well in County Down. The White-tailed Eagle made a brief appearance in Hampshire, as did the Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, and one of the Richardson's Canada Geese was photographed in County Sligo.
-  Will Soar, RBA