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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Wednesday 16th January 2008  
  Pembrokeshire provided the hot news today - the Pacific Diver returned to Llys-y-Fran Reservoir, having previously spent the majority of February and March 2007 at the site.

Lingering rarities included the White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, and several Cattle Egrets in southwest England.

In Co Cork a Glossy Ibis flew over Youghal and in Co Clare another Cattle Egret was reported, this time near Kilshanny.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 15th January 2008  
  Two Nearctic gulls were located today - an adult Bonaparte's Gull at Ogmore-by-Sea, Glamorgan and an adult Laughing Gull at Bideford, Devon.

The adult White-crowed Sparrow continued to attract a steady stream of birders to Cley, Norfolk and elsewhere at least twenty Cattle Egrets were dotted around the country. Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers remained at Beachy Head, East Sussex and Cot Valley, Cornwall, the Lesser Yellowlegs was still in Angus and a King Eider continued to linger off the Aberdeenshire coastline.

In Ireland the American Buff-bellied Pipit was still at Red Barn, Co Cork.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 14th January 2008  
  Once again the adult White-crowned Sparrow in Cley, Norfolk was the star attraction. East Anglia also produced Richard's Pipit, Lesser Yellowlegs, Great White Egret, several Black Brants, both Ross's and Lesser Snow Geese, Taiga and Tundra Bean Geese, Great Grey Shrike and a Waxwing.

Elsewhere Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers remained on show in Cot Valley, Cornwall and on Beachy Head, East Sussex, a Red-breasted Goose was again at West Wittering, West Sussex, the first-winter drake King Eider was still off Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire and at least twenty six Cattle Egrets were noted.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 13th January 2008  
  An adult Franklin's Gull spent a few minutes at Torr Reservoir, Somerset, but flew off towards Chew Valley Lake.

The adult White-crowned Sparrow remained in Cley, and, elsewhere in Norfolk, at least two Ross's Geese were seen, along with a Lesser Snow Goose, Richard's Pipit and Waxwing. Other lingering rarities included King Eider, Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper and Lesser Scaup in Scotland, and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cornwall and Sussex, Wilson's Snipe on Scilly and White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 12th January 2008  
  The continued presence of the adult White-crowned Sparrow at Cley enabled most of the weekend birders to connect today.

Other rarities included the White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire, Lesser Scaups in Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Western Isles, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, two Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers on the south coast and a new White-billed Diver on Shetland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 11th January 2008  
  The adult White-crowned Sparrow at Cley, Norfolk, was still present, and still attracting large crowds. Other birds in the county include both Snow Geese and Ross's Geese, Black Brant, Waxwing, several Lapland Buntings, Richard's Pipit and Great Grey Shrike.

Other rarities today included Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, King Eiders in Aberdeenshire and on Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, Spotted Sandpiper in Forth, Lesser Scaups on Western Isles and in Oxfordshire and around 21 Cattle Egrets.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 10th January 2008  
  The highlight of the day was once again the White-crowned Sparrow, which remained faithful to its favoured garden in Cley, Norfolk. Elsewhere rarities came in the form of a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in East Sussex, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Lesser Scaups in Somerset, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Western Isles, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and of course, Cattle Egrets galore.

Birders twitching the White-crowned Sparrow were spoilt for choice when picking a supporting cast - Ross's and Lesser Snow Geese, Waxwing, Black Brants, Richard's Pipit, Tundra Bean Goose, Great Grey Shrike and an approachable flock of Lapland Buntings were all available in Norfolk today.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 9th January 2008  
  The adult White-crowned Sparrow continued to grab the headlines - the bird again spent the day visiting a seeded driveway in Cley village, Norfolk.

A Lesser Scaup in Somerset at Cheddar Reservoir was a new discovery, but a Temminck's Stint at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire, was more than likely the bird that also spent last winter on the reserve. Cattle Egrets continued to linger in excellent numbers - at least twenty six were reported today.

In Oxfordshire the Lesser Scaup was still at Sutton Courtenay, the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler remained on Beachy Head and the White-tailed Eagle made another appearance in Hampshire.

A probable Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll was seen briefly in a Wick garden, Highland.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 8th January 2008  
  Once again, the White-crowned Sparrow at Cley, Norfolk proved to be the highlight of the day. The bird continued to show well at intervals along a seeded driveway in the village.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in East Sussex, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Forth, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Derry, Lesser Yellowlegs in both Angus and Suffolk, Lesser Scaups in both Warwickshire and the Western Isles and Great White Egrets in both Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. The Coues's Arctic Redpoll or Common Redpoll remained in the West Midlands.

Cattle Egret reports concerned four in Cornwall, two each in Devon and East Sussex and singles in Cheshire, Dumfries and Galloway and Hampshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 7th January 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the White-crowned Sparrow in Cley, Norfolk where is frequently visited a seeded area between mid morning and late afternoon.

Breaking news today concerned a Lesser Scaup In Oxfordshire at Sutton Courtenay, a Ferruginous Duck in Gwent at Llandegfedd Reservoir and a brief Great White Egret at Holkham, Norfolk.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Ross's Goose in Norfolk, Great White Egret in Cambridgeshire, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll, Ferruginous Duck in County Down, a Lesser Scaup and two White-billed Divers on the Shetland Isles and Spotted Sandpipers in both Forth and Glamorgan. The Coues's Arctic or Common Redpoll remained in the West Midlands and Cattle Egrets comprised eight in Cornwall, two in Somerset and singles in Cheshire, East Sussex and Gloucestershire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA