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 6th January 2008  
  A very busy day was shattered at lunchtime, with news from the north Norfolk coast of an adult White-crowned Sparrow. Present several days in a garden in Cley, the bird was tempted out into an area viewable by the public, and several hundred birders managed to see this mega rare species.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Cattle Egrets continued to perform, with around 41 seen, along with seven Great White Egrets. An adult Laughing Gull was seen in Devon briefly and lingering rarities included King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Spotted Sandpipers in Forth and Glamorgam, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, White-tailed Eagle in Wiltshire and a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Sussex.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 5th January 2008  
  New today were single Great White Egrets at the Cotswold Water Park, Wiltshire and in Norfolk at both Horsey Mere and Reedham.

Lingering rarities comprised the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in East Sussex, White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire, Red-breasted Goose between Hampshire and West Sussex, Bonaparte's Gull in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire, Spotted Sandpipers in both Forth and Glamorgan, Lesser Yellowlegs and Great White Egret both in Suffolk, two Black Ducks in County Donegal, Ross's Goose in Norfolk and further single Great White Egrets in both Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire. In addition, the Thayer's Gull or hybrid remained in Oxfordshire as did the Coues's Arctic Redpoll or Common Redpoll in the West Midlands.

Cattle Egret reports today totalled 39 birds with 24 in Cornwall, five in Dorset, two each in County Waterford and Somerset and singles in Ceredigion, Cheshire, Devon, Dumfries and Galloway, Gloucestershire and West Sussex.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 4th January 2008  
  Today's highlights comprised, in England the lingering Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and Red-breasted Goose in East Sussex, both Lesser Yellowlegs and Great White Egret in Suffolk, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Ross's Goose in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Great White Egret in Cambridgeshire and the Coues's Arctic Redpoll or Common Redpoll in the West Midlands.

In Scotland the Red-breasted Goose showed again in Dumfries and Galloway as did the Spotted Sandpiper in Forth, Lesser Scaup on the Western Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Aberdeenshire and Small Canada Goose in Argyll. In Wales the Spotted Sandpiper remained in Glamorgan.

Cattle Egrets confirmed as present today comprised seventeen in Cornwall, two in both Ceredigion and Devon and singles in Cheshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Sussex, Gloucestershire and West Sussex. In recent days at least fifteen have been seen in County Cork.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 3rd January 2008  
  New Cattle Egrets today included one in Cheshire, at Neston and one in Ceredigion, near Borth. A redpoll at Marsh Lane NR, West Midlands has been re-identified as an Arctic Redpoll. This bird is an unusual specimen, and has sparked much debate on online forums over its identity.

Lingering rarities included three Ross's Geese in Norfolk, White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire, two Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers on the south coast, and upwards of 25 Cattle Egrets. The female Ferruginous Duck reappeared at Theale GPs, Berkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 2nd January 2008  
  Another egret day, with at least four Great White and at least 51 Cattle Egrets reported. The White-tailed Eagle was reported again in Hampshire, and two Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers remained on the south coast.

Other lingering rarities included Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Lesser Yellowlegs again in Angus with another still in Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Red-breasted Geese in Dumfries and Galloway and Sussex, Spotted Sandpipers in Forth and Glamorgan, and a high count of three adult Ross's Geese in Norfolk.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 1st January 2008  
  Just like the end of 2007, the first day of 2008 was full of Cattle Egrets. New birds were discovered at Leigh upon Mendip and Chapel Cleeve, both in Somerset, and five arrived in Bideford, Devon. Impressive numbers remained in Cornwall, including a flock of 18 near Drift. Much further north, the lone bird remained in Dumfries and Galloway.

Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers were still in Cot Valley, Cornwall and at Beachy Head, East Sussex, the Desert Wheatear was still in North Yorkshire and Spotted Sandpipers were present in Forth and Glamorgan. Other lingering rarities included Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex/Hampshire, Wilson's Snipe on Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaups in Warwickshire and Western Isles, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon.

Great White Egrets were at Peacehaven, East Sussex, Blashford Lakes HWT, Hampshire, Newtown, Powys, Ouse Washes RSPB, Cambridgeshire and North Warren RSPB, Suffolk.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 31st December 2007  
  Cattle Egrets continued to dominate proceedings on New Years Eve - at least 51 were reported, the majority still in southwest England.

Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers remained at Beachy Head, East Sussex and Cot Valley, Cornwall and in North Yorkshire the long-staying Desert Wheatear was still at Cromer Point. Other lingering rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Lesser Scaups in Warwickshire and Western Isles, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon

A Great White Egret appeared at Thorpeness, Suffolk, the Short-toed Lark remained at Long Nanny, Northumberland and a Richard's Pipit was still at Terrington Marsh, Norfolk.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 30th December 2007  
  Yesterdays Yellow-browed Warbler at Beachy Head, Sussex was re-identified today as a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler, with the Cornwall bird remaining elusive. New Great White Egrets were found in Leicestershire and in Powys, and up to 48 Cattle Egrets were seen.

The Lesser Scaup remained in Warwickshire, Desert Wheatear in Yorkshire, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, 2 King Eiders in Aberdeenshire with the Bonaparte's Gull nearby and two Red-breasted Geese in Sussex and Dumfries and Galloway.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 29th December 2007  
  At least 35 Cattle Egrets remain across Great Britain today, with birds as far east as Cambridgeshire, and north to Dumfries and Galloway. The majority are in Cornwall, with a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in the same county still. Nearby, the Long-billed Dowitcher is still in Devon at Bowling Green Marsh, and the Red-breasted Goose remains at West Wittering, Sussex.

There is a first winter drake King Eider at Leven, Fife, and the Spotted Sandpiper was seen again in Forth at Kinneil Lagoon. Further south, the Desert Wheatear lingers in North Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk and Great White Egret in Cambridgeshire.

Best of the rest includes a Pallas's Warbler still in Suffolk, whilst in Ireland the Black Duck in County Donegal relocated to Blanket Nook.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 28th December 2007  
  In Cornwall the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler remained on show in Cot Valley throughout the day. Elsewhere in the county fourteen Cattle Egrets were available, a lower total than in recent days. Away from Cornwall Cattle Egrets continued to grace Cambridgeshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Devon, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Dorset and Co Cork.

In Oxfordshire the juvenile Arctic Canadian gull, either a Thayer's Gull or hybrid reappeared at Dix Pit, the White-tailed Eagle was seen again in Hampshire and a Wilson's Snipe remained on Isles of Scilly. Other lingering rarities included Lesser Scaups in Warwickshire and Western Isles, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk and Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan.

The best of the rest included the Pallas's Warbler in Suffolk, Hoopoe in Hampshire, Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire and Hampshire and Richard's Pipit in Norfolk.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA