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 11th November 2008  
  The east coast continued to support several eastern rarities with the Steppe Grey Shrike still in Lincolnshire, Red-flanked Bluetail in Northumberland, Pied Wheatear in North Yorkshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in both Northumberland the Shetland Isles and Desert Wheatears in Kent, Lincolnshire and Northumberland.

Other lingering rarities included the Two-barred Crossbill in North Yorkshire, King Eider in Devon, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, Great White Egret in Greater Manchester, Lesser Scaups in both Cornwall and Gloucestershire and Hooded Mergansers in both Dorset and Fife.

Scarce migrant passerines included four each of Serin and Yellow-browed Warbler, two Pallas's Warblers and single Great Grey Shrike and Lapland Bunting. Waxwings totalled 1,073 birds in nineteen counties; 892 of which were in Scotland.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 10th November 2008  
  The east coast between Suffolk and Shetland Isles continued to hold the limelight with the Steppe Grey Shrike still showing well in Lincolnshire, Red-flanked Bluetail in Northumberland, Pied Wheatear in North Yorkshire, Rustic Bunting on the Shetland Isles and single Desert Wheatears in each of Lincolnshire, Northumberland and Suffolk. Late news from the weekend concerned a Red-flanked Bluetail at Hollesley, Suffolk.

Elsewhere, a Squacco Heron flew over Rainham Marshes, London, a Lesser Scaup was identified in Gloucestershire at Lydney, the Two-barred Crossbill remained in North Yorkshire as did the King Eider in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Hooded Merganser in Fife, Cattle Egret in Oxon and Great White Egret in Greater Manchester.

Scarce migrant landbirds comprised seven Yellow-browed Warblers, two Pallas's Warblers and single Serin and Great Grey Shrike. Waxwings continue to be reported in large numbers with 1,021 seen today in 19 counties including 210 in both Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Inverness, Highland, 100 in Dunbar, Lothian and 105 on the Orkney Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 9th November 2008  
  Another very busy day, for November, with some excellent birds lingering. The first-winter Steppe Grey Shrike in Lincolnshire continued to give superb views at Grainthorpe, becoming one of the few mega's this year to stay for the whole weekend. Nearby, the Desert Wheatear was present all day at Saltfleet, with others in Kent, Northumberland and Suffolk. A three wheatear day was completed with the Pied Wheatear in North Yorkshire, and late Northern Wheatears in Suffolk and Hampshire.

The Two-barred Crossbill again visited the feeders at Garfitts Farm, North Yorkshire, and the Red-flanked Bluetail was relocated on Holy Island, Northumberland. A Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was in Aberdeenshire and two were in Northumberland.

The long staying Green Heron was still present at Hythe, Kent, with other lingering rarities consisting of Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Louth, Great White Egrets in Leicestershire and Greater Manchester, Cattle Egrets in Oxfordshire, Somerset and Cambridgeshire, Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Clyde, King Eider in Devon and a Rustic Bunting on Shetland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 8th November 2008  
  Bird of the day was undoubtedly the first-winter Steppe Grey Shrike at Grainthorpe Haven, Lincolnshire. The bird showed superbly throughout the day, at times flying to within a few feet of the gathered admirers. Nearby, a Desert Wheatear was found at Saltfleet, and yet another Red-flanked Bluetail, possibly the twelfth of the autumn, was trapped and ringed at Saltfleetby, also Lincolnshire.

Also in the North-east, the adult drake Canvasback was re-found, again at Nosterfield, North Yorkshire. A Pied Wheatear was near Filey, at Reighton Sands Holiday Camp all day, and the male Two-barred Crossbill continued to visit the feeder near Stokesby, although it could go missing for several hours between visits.

New Olive-backed Pipits appeared on Fair Isle, Shetland and North Ronaldsay, Orkney, where a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was also found. Another was in Wells Wood, Norfolk, and the St Mary's Island, Northumberland bird remained, both for their second day.

Lingering rarities included the long staying Green Heron in Kent, King Eider in Devon, Radde's Warbler in East Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Buckinghamshire, Desert Wheatear in Kent and Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, with a new bird at Helston, Cornwall.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 7th November 2008  
  A first-winter Steppe Grey Shrike was today's star find, at Grainthorpe Haven in Lincolnshire. If the bird is still present tomorrow it will represent the first twitchable Mainland pallidirostris for twelve years.

News was released of a male Two-barred Crossbill that has been visiting a garden feeder on the North Yorkshire Moors for the last two weeks - like the shrike, if present tomorrow this bird will no doubt be extremely popular.

Other new rarities today included yet another Red-flanked Bluetail, this time on Holy Island, Northumberland, an Olive-backed Pipit on Shetland, two Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers (Orkney and Northumberland), Radde's Warblers in Norfolk and North and East Yorkshire, Desert Wheatear in Kent, Cattle Egrets in Shropshire and Hampshire and a Red-breasted Goose in the latter county.

Lingering rarities consisted of the Desert Wheatear in Suffolk, Green Heron in Kent, King Eider in Devon, Cattle Egret in Merseyside, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire and Ferruginous Duck in Essex.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 6th November 2008  
  Once again, Red-flanked Bluetails headlined the day with new birds discovered in Lincolnshire at Chapel Six Marshes and Norfolk at Blakeney Point. With an additional late report from Norfolk (at Brancaster on 4th November) there has now been nine Red-flanked Bluetails in Britain this autumn, since the first on the 24th September.

Lingering rarities included the Green Heron in Kent, Desert Wheatear in Suffolk, single Dusky Warblers in both East Yorkshire and Norfolk, Hooded Mergansers in Dorset and Fife, Siberian Stonechat in East Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, Great White Egret in Greater Manchester, King Eider in Devon and three Small Canada Geese in Argyll.

Scarce migrant passerines comprised 11 Yellow-browed Warblers, eight Pallas's Warblers and single Bluethroat, Serin, Great Grey Shrike and Lapland Bunting. 764 Waxwings were recorded across 21 counties.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 5th November 2008  
  Olive-backed Pipits were discovered at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire and on Mainland Shetland and Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers arrived on Lewis, Western Isles and Whalsay, Shetland. In Argyll a Parrot Crossbill was reported on Islay.

Lingering rarities included the Green Heron in Kent, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler on Unst, Shetland, King Eider in Devon, Dusky Warbler in East Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Desert Wheatear in Suffolk and in Co Galway the Forster's Tern returned to Nimmo's Pier.

Nine Pallas's Warblers, a Surf Scoter in Cornwall and excellent numbers of Waxwings were also notable.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 4th November 2008  
  Once again, Asian passerines dominated the headlines with Red-flanked Bluetail and Dusky Warbler together in Norfolk at Weybourne, Radde's Warbler in Cleveland at South Gare, Desert Wheatear in Suffolk at Easton Bavents, Siberian Stonechat in East Yorkshire at Easington and single Dusky Warblers in Suffolk at Bawdsey and in East Yorkshire at both Flamborough Head and Spurn. Related scarce migrants comprised eleven Yellow-browed Warblers, six Pallas's Warblers and singles of Bluethroat, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Richard's Pipit.

Elsewhere, a Grey-cheeked Thrush was a new discovery on Bryher, Isles of Scilly, as were an American Golden Plover and a Black-bellied Dipper in Lincolnshire and a brief Great White Egret in Norfolk.

Lingering rarities comprised the Green Heron in Kent, Hooded Merganser in Fife, Lesser Scaup in Clyde, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Ferruginous Duck in Buckinghamshire and Great White Egret in Greater Manchester.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 3rd November 2008  
  The East Coast continued to produce the goods, with a Rustic Bunting and Radde's Warbler in Cleveland and Dusky Warblers in Norfolk and East Yorkshire all being discovered today. The Red-flanked Bluetail remained at Muckleburgh Hill, Norfolk and other lingering rarities included Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler on Unst, Shetland, Siberian Stonechat in East Yorkshire and Olive-backed Pipit at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire.

Notable wildfowl came in the form of a Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, the King Eider in Devon and Lesser Scaup in Clyde. The Kent Green Heron continued to show well and the Glossy Ibis was still in Lancashire.

Nine Pallas's Warblers, at least seventeen Yellow-browed Warblers and a couple of Richard's Pipits were all seen along with approximately 1,400 Waxwings, the majority of which were in Scotland, including a flock of 400 on Isle of Skye, Highland.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 2nd November 2008  
  Once again, Asian passerines stole the show with at least two Red-flanked Bluetails, one at Weybourne, Norfolk and perhaps two at Ramsgate, Kent, an Olive-backed Pipit in Lincolnshire at Gibraltar Point, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers on Unst, Shetland and in Kent at Sandwich Bay, Dusky Warblers in East Yorkshire at Spurn and Kent at North Foreland, and single Siberian Stonechats at Easington, East Yorkshire and St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent. Scarce migrants totalled 13 Pallas's Warblers, 22 Yellow-browed Warblers, five Great Grey Shrikes, four Lapland Buntings, two each of Serin, Barred Warbler and Richard's Pipit and a single Common Rosefinch.

Otherwise, in Scotland American Buff-bellied Pipit, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll and White-rumped Sandpiper were all on the Western Isles, two White-billed Divers were around the Shetland Isles, the Hooded Merganser remained in Fife as did a Cackling Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway. In Ireland the Black Duck was still in County Kerry and a Lesser Scaup was found in County Galway.

In England the Green Heron remained in Kent, Glossy Ibis and Ross's Goose returned to Lancashire, King Eider remained in Devon as did both American Golden Plover and Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire and two Cattle Egrets in Somerset. Ferruginous Ducks were in both Buckinghamshire and Essex and single Great White Egrets were seen in Hampshire, Greater Manchester and Northamptonshire.

Waxwings continue to be recorded in some numbers, with 517 reported from eighteen counties today.
-  Chris Batty, RBA