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 5th February 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Lesser Scaup at Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross. Elsewhere in Scotland, three White-billed Divers and a Lesser Scaup were recorded on the Shetland Isles and both the Spotted Sandpiper in Forth and the Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus remained in place.

In England the White-crowned Sparrow continued in Norfolk as did the Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Cornwall, Glossy Ibis in Lincolnshire, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Ross's Goose in Lancashire, Ferruginous Duck in Derbyshire and single Great White Egrets in both Cambridgeshire and Somerset. In Wales the Pacific Diver remained in Pembrokeshire as did the Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan. In Northern Ireland the Long-billed Dowitcher showed again in County Londonderry.

Cattle Egret reports today comprised nineteen in Cornwall, seven in Devon, four in Somerset, two in West Sussex and one in Lincolnshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 4th February 2008  
  In England, lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Great White Egret in Cambridgeshire, Ferruginous Duck in Derbyshire, Glossy Ibises in both Lancashire and Lincolnshire, Ross's Geese in both Lancashire and Norfolk and Falcated Ducks in both Devon and Kent.

In Wales the Pacific Diver remained in Pembrokeshire as did the Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan. In Scotland the Spotted Sandpiper was still in Forth as was the Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus. In Ireland an American Herring Gull was seen again in County Galway and a Ferruginous Duck relocated to County Armagh.

Cattle Egrets reports today comprised 23 in Cornwall, six in Devon, two in Somerset and singles in East Sussex, Lincolnshire and West Sussex.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 3rd February 2008  
  The highlight of today may have been the two Penduline Tits at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, but, unfortunately they were only found at dusk.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities provided much of the entertainment, with 29 Cattle Egrets, including one in Ceredigion, three Great White Egrets, including a mobile and elusive bird in Somerset, and two Long-billed Dowitchers on the south coast. The Ferruginous Duck continued to show distantly at Shipley Lake, Derbyshire, but the Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire again showed very well.

The White-crowned Sparrow was still at Cley, on its new seeded area west of the road, and just one Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was noted in Cornwall.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 2nd February 2008  
  New rarities today included a second year American Herring Gull in Cheshire, present briefly at Richmond Bank, along with the usual relocating egrets. A Great White Egret continues to be seen intermittently on the north Norfolk coast, and was seen to leave the Holkham roost but was not re-found. In total, 38 Cattle Egrets were present today, with another 'new' bird in County Cork.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities included the White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk, Pacific Diver in Pembrokeshire, the return of the King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Glossy Ibis in Lincolnshire, Ferruginous Duck in Derbyshire, two Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cornwall and two American Herring Gulls in County Galway.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 1st February 2008  
  A Long-billed Dowitcher was located today, at Rodden Hive, on the Fleet at Langton Herring, Dorset. A Cattle Egret was belatedly reported from Anglesey, at Malltraeth Marsh RSPB, with good numbers remaining elsewhere.

The Glossy Ibis in Lincolnshire was seen again briefly this morning, with the long staying bird confirmed as still present in Lancashire. Norfolk's White-crowned Sparrow remained in Cley, and other lingering rarities comprised a Pacific Diver in Pembrokeshire, a Ferruginous Duck in Derbyshire, Red-breasted Goose in Sussex and a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Cornwall.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 31st January 2008  
  A Glossy Ibis was present for its second day in Lincolnshire, near Huttoft Bank. Not far along the coast, a Cattle Egret remained at Rimac, also for its second day. At least 28 more Cattle Egrets were reported around the country today.

In Devon the drake Falcated Duck was still at Countess Wear sewage works and in Somerset the Franklin's Gull made another late afternoon appearance at Chew Valley Lake. In Cornwall the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was still in Cot Valley and in Norfolk the White-crowned Sparrow was still present, but kept a low profile in atrocious weather conditions.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 30th January 2008  
  Cattle Egrets were discovered in Lincolnshire (at Rimac) and North Yorkshire (at Hellifield Flash) today - another 31+ Cattle Egrets continued to linger, mainly in southwest England.

In Devon a male Falcated Duck was located at Countess Wear sewage works, not far from where possibly the same male was present last winter.

Lingering rarities included the Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Franklin's Gull in Somerset, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire and Ferruginous Duck in Derbyshire. The White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk and Pacific Diver in Pembrokeshire where, of course, still the star attractions.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 29th January 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of a Franklin's Gull at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset. Elsewhere in England the White-crowned Sparrow and two Ross's Geese remained in Norfolk, as did a Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly, both Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Lesser Scaup in Oxfordshire, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Derbyshire and single Great White Egrets in both Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.

In Wales the Pacific Diver remained in Pembrokeshire as did the Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan. In Scotland a White-billed Diver was seen again on the Shetland Isles and both Lesser Scaup and Great White Egret were seen on the Western Isles.

Cattle Egret reports today comprised thirteen in Cornwall (where yesterday at least twenty were present), ten in Devon and singles in East Sussex, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset and West Sussex.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 28th January 2008  
  Today’s headline birds were both long-staying major rarities; the White-crowned Sparrow still in Cley, Norfolk and the Pacific Diver still at Llys-y-Fran Reservoir, Pembrokeshire.

Other lingering rarities confirmed as present today included two Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cornwall, two Ross's Geese in Norfolk, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire and Ferruginous Duck in Derbyshire.

Cattle Egret reports comprised seven in Cornwall, five in Devon and singles in both County Wexford and West Sussex.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 27th January 2008  
  New rarities included an adult Bonaparte's Gull near Portreath, Cornwall and a Ferruginous Duck near Heanor, Derbyshire. High numbers of Cattle Egrets continued to linger - 45 were reported from various locations today.

The White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk and Pacific Diver in Pembrokeshire both remained in situ and a couple of Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers were still in Cornwall. Four Great White Egrets and three Ross's Geese were recorded, the latter all in Norfolk, where Grey Phalarope, Dark-breasted Barn Owl, Rough-legged Buzzard, Shorelark and several other goodies were also on offer.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA