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 28th February 2008  
  The adult drake King Eider returned to Uisaed Point, Argyll today. A new Cattle Egret was found in Glamorgan, with the elusive Great White Egret on the north Norfolk coast being seen briefly at Thornham. Elsewhere, at least 22 other Cattle Egrets remained, along with another two Great White Egrets.

The King Eider was still in Devon at Northam Burrows Country park, and the White-crowned Sparrow continued its long stay at Cley, Norfolk, with a Ross's Goose nearby at Holkham Freshmarsh.

Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers were seen in Cornwall and Cleveland, Lesser Scaups were seen in Wiltshire, Warwickshire and on Western Isles and the Glossy Ibis remained in Lincolnshire. In Ireland, the adult Forster's Tern was seen at Killyleigh and Galway.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 27th February 2008  
  Both of the highlights of the day came from the Western Isles, where a White-billed Diver was located off the Isle of Lewis near Port Nis and an American Herring Gull was reported on Benbecula.

Lingering rarities included the White-crowned Sparrow still in Norfolk, Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly, American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Cork, King Eider in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in County Armagh, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in both Cleveland and Cornwall, Glossy Ibises in both Lancashire and Lincolnshire, Lesser Scaups in both Dumfries and Galloway and Warwickshire and single Great White Egrets in both Somerset and Wiltshire. In County Galway both of the American Herring Gulls and the Forster's Tern showed again.

Cattle Egret reports comprised 24 in Cornwall, four in Somerset, three in Hampshire, two in West Sussex and singles in both Cheshire and Dorset.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 26th February 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of two Penduline Tits together at Minsmere, Suffolk. In Dumfries and Galloway a Lesser Scaup was identified at Castle Loch, Lochmaben.

Lingering rarities included the White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk, Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly, Hume’s Yellow-browed Warbler in Cleveland, Forster's Tern in County Down, Glossy Ibis in Lincolnshire, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, Great White Egret in Wiltshire and both King Eider and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon.

Cattle Egret reports comprised six in Cornwall, two each in both Dorset and West Sussex and singles in Cheshire, County Cork and Devon.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 25th February 2008  
  A Hoopoe at Polgigga, Cornwall was perhaps today's most notable discovery. News of a Rose-coloured Starling on Isle of Wight related to a bird that has apparently been present since October.

Quality rarities included the White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk, Forster's Tern in Co Down, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cornwall and Cleveland, King Eider in Devon and Glossy Ibis in Lincolnshire. The Pallas's Warbler remained in Dorset for its second day.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 24th February 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Forster's Tern at Killyleagh, County Down. Meanwhile, in County Galway the long-staying Forster's Tern showed again alongside two American Herring Gulls.

In England the White-crowned Sparrow and two Ross's Geese lingered in Norfolk as did the Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaup in Warwickshire, King Eider and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, single Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in both Cleveland and Cornwall, single Glossy Ibises in both Lancashire and Lincolnshire and single Great White Egrets in Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Wiltshire. A Pallas's Warbler was a notable discovery in inland Dorset.

In Scotland a King Eider was located in Aberdeenshire and the Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Angus. In Wales the Spotted Sandpiper continued to linger in Glamorgan and a Great White Egret was seen again in Powys.

Cattle Egret reports today comprised fifteen in Cornwall, nine in Devon, four in County Cork, two in Dorset and singles in both East Sussex and Wirral.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 23rd February 2008  
  The highlight of the day was, once again, the relocation of the pale juvenile Thayer's Gull (or perhaps a hybrid between Thayer's Gull and either Iceland Gull or Kumlien's Gull), this time in North Yorkshire at the Wheldrake Ings evening gull roost.

Lingering rarities still present today comprised the White-crowned Sparrow and two Ross's Geese in Norfolk, Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly, King Eider and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, American Herring Gull in County Galway, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Bonaparte's Gull in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, single Glossy Ibises in both Lancashire and Lincolnshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cleveland and Cornwall (2), Lesser Scaups in County Down, Western Isles and Wiltshire and Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire, Somerset, Suffolk and Wiltshire.

Cattle Egrets reports totalled thirty birds with 22 in Cornwall, two each in Dorset and West Sussex and singles in Cheshire, Devon, Lancashire and Cambridgeshire; the latter bird relocating to Northamptonshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 22nd February 2008  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still being present today comprised the White-crowned Sparrow and a Ross's Goose in Norfolk, Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly, American Herring Gull in County Galway, King Eider in Devon, Great White Egret in Cambridgeshire, single Glossy Ibises in both Lancashire and Lincolnshire and Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cleveland and Cornwall (2).

The most notable fresh discoveries today involved single Great White Egrets at Portesham and Burleston in Dorset and Fingringhoe Wick in Essex.

Cattle Egret reports today concerned seventeen in Cornwall, four in Dorset and two in Devon.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 21st February 2008  
  Devon's first King Eider was a popular attraction near North Burrows Country Park throughout the day. Supporting cast in Devon consisted of the Long-billed Dowitcher at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB, Yellow-browed Warbler in Plymouth and Great Grey Shrike on Dartmoor. Neighbouring Cornwall hosted Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler, the probable Eastern Yellow Wagtail, a rather unseasonal Garden Warbler and a report of five Small Canada Geese flying over the Hayle Estuary was rather intriguing.

Elsewhere the White-crowned Sparrow was still on show in Norfolk, the Barrow's Goldeneye remained in Co Down and the Glossy Ibis was still in Lincolnshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 20th February 2008  
  The highlight of today was the continued presence of the first-winter drake King Eider in Devon, which showed well all day. Other scarce wildfowl included two Lesser Scaups, one at Draycote Water, Warwickshire, with another drake reappearing at Stourhead NT, Wiltshire.

Other lingering rarities included the White-crowned Sparrow in Norfolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, three Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Cornwall and Cleveland, Glossy Ibis in Lincolnshire and still good numbers of the scarcer egrets. The Black-bellied Dipper remained in East Yorkshire, and an apparent Dark-breasted Barn Owl was seen again in Wiltshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 19th February 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the confirmation of the presence of a 1st-winter drake King Eider at Appledore in Devon - the first for the county. A Spotted Crake at Shoreham, West Sussex, was an unexpected February discovery, especially on a rocky beach.

Lingering rarities included the White-crowned Sparrow, three Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers, two Spotted Sandpipers, Wilson's Snipe and Barrow's Goldeneye.

The Yellow Wagtail, thought to be of an eastern form was still near Saltash, Cornwall - the same site continued to host a Richard's Pipit.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA