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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Friday 30th January 2009  
  Lingering rarities comprised the Penduline Tit in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, King Eider in Fife, Cackling Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire (2), Suffolk and Warwickshire and Cattle Egrets in County Cork (5), Cornwall (2), County Waterford (2) and the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcities included the Rose-coloured Starling still in Cornwall, Lesser Snow Goose in Argyll, four each of Rough-legged Buzzard and Green-winged Teal and six Great Grey Shrikes.

Scarce gulls were represented by 28 Iceland, 26 Glaucous, three Ring-billed, two Caspian and a single Kumlien's.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 29th January 2009  
  Suffolk continued to host both a Penduline Tit (at Lakenheath Fen RSPB) and Lesser Yellowlegs (at Walberswick). Elsewhere rarity highlights included eight Cattle Egrets in Cornwall, seven in Devon and a lone bird on Isles Scilly, King Eider in Fife, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire and Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire and Somerset.

Rough-legged Buzzards were logged in Kent, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, the Rose-coloured Starling remained in Cornwall and Green-winged Teals were still in East Yorkshire and Ayrshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 28th January 2009  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised single Penduline Tits in both Devon and Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, King Eiders in County Sligo (2) and Fife, Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire (2) and Somerset and the Hooded Merganser in Dorset.

Cattle Egret reports totaled eleven birds in five counties; four in Cornwall, three in Devon, two in County Cork and singles in the Isles of Scilly and Somerset.

Northern gulls were reported in reasonable numbers with 32 Glaucous Gulls - including 12 in Argyll - and 22 Iceland Gulls.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 27th January 2009  
  Highlights today include the continued presence of both Penduline Tits, in Suffolk and Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk and Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk.

Single Great White Egrets were in Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Somerset, whilst Cattle Egrets were in County Waterford (4), County Cork (4), Devon (4), Somerset and on the Isles of Scilly. The two Lesser Scaups remained on Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross and the long staying Hooded Merganser was still in Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 26th January 2009  
  A male Penduline Tit was found at Lakenheath Fen RSPB, Suffolk early afternoon, and is an addition to the superb list of rarities that this site has hosted. Other finds today include two drake Lesser Scaup, on Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross.

The other male Penduline Tit remained at Clennon Valley, Devon, with the other Lesser Scaup still at Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire. The Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Suffolk, as did Great White Egrets in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Somerset, and Cattle Egrets in Cornwall (6), Devon (5), County Cork (7), Somerset and on the Isles of Scilly.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 25th January 2009  
  Egrets once again formed the majority of the rarity news today, with a new Great White Egret in Essex and a new Cattle Egret on the Isle of Wight. Other Great White Egrets remained in Somerset, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire and Cambridgeshire, with Cattle Egrets in Devon (5), Cornwall (8) and on the Isles of Scilly.

The male Penduline Tit remained near Paignton, Devon, and the Black-bellied Dipper reappeared once again on the River Glaven at Letheringsett, Norfolk. Other lingering rarities included King Eider in Fife, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Ferruginous Duck in County Armagh and Lesser Scaups in Nottinghamshire and County Westmeath.

A late report concerned a probable Pied-billed Grebe yesterday at Stodmarsh, Kent. It was looked for this morning, but there was no sign in atrocious weather conditions.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 24th January 2009  
  Lingering rarities included the the Penduline Tit in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Forster's Tern in Co Galway and Long-billed Dowitcher in Co Louth. Up to 23 Cattle Egrets were logged along with five Great White Egrets. Wintering wildfowl consisted of King Eider in Fife, Hooded Merganser in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, Ferruginous Duck in Co Armagh, American Wigeon in Berkshire, Ross's Goose in Norfolk and Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire.

Elsewhere highlights included Night Heron in Kent, Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall and Snow Geese in Argyll, Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire. Three Green-winged Teals were reported, along with five Rough-legged Buzzards, six Great Grey Shrikes and three Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 23rd January 2009  
  The Lesser Yellowlegs made another brief appearance at Southwold, Suffolk, whilst other lingering rarities included Penduline Tit in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Leicestershire, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, King Eider in Fife, single Great White Egrets in Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire and Cattle Egrets in Devon (5), Somerset and Isles of Scilly.

Late news for yesterday concerned the Canvasback in Argyll, which was seen again, together with a Lesser Scaup, on Loch Skerrols, Islay.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 22nd January 2009  
  Headline lingering rarities consisted of the adult Ivory Gull on North Uist, Western Isles and Penduline Tit in Paignton, Devon. Elsewhere Great White Egrets remained in Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire, up to 18 Cattle Egrets were logged (with all but four in Co Cork) and the Ferruginous Duck was still in Leicestershire.

A total of 518 Waxwings were reported, with flocks of 100 in Nottingham and 70 in Stoke-on-Trent.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 21st January 2009  
  The arrival of an adult Ivory Gull on North Uist, Western Isles was well predicted, considering the winds over the past few days. The only other new rarity was a female Ferruginous Duck in Leicestershire, identified today, having been present at the same site yesterday.

Lingering rarities included the Penduline Tit in Devon, Forster's Tern in County Galway/County Clare, King Eider in Fife, single Great White Egrets in Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire, Somerset and Hampshire, and Cattle Egrets in County Cork (6), Devon (4) and Isles of Scilly.

There was no sign of the Ancient Murrelet, reported yesterday at Dawlish Warren, Devon.
-  Will Soar, RBA