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 19th November 2009  
  Two adult Pacific Divers were identified today. One was on the Carnsew Basin on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall, whilst another was on the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire. Unfortunately, both birds' identities were only confirmed after they had departed, although the Gloucestershire bird was also present yesterday (identified as a Black-throated Diver, which would have been the first record for the county since 1979).

In County Galway the adult American Herring Gull returned to Nimmo's Pier, whilst a Great White Egret was found at Wormleighton Reservoir, Warwickshire late afternoon. Lingering rarities included the Brown Shrike for its 40th day, Red-rumped Swallow in Borders, three Penduline Tits, two Glossy Ibises, a Cattle Egret and a Great White Egret at Dungeness, Kent, King Eider and Great White Egret in Moray, (the latter being joined by a Rose-coloured Starling), Wilson's Phalarope and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian and Spotted Sandpiper in Essex.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 18th November 2009  
  A Red-rumped Swallow at Eyemouth, Borders was the only new rarity discovered today. A Great White Egret in Moray was reported for the first time, despite being present for six days, and a third Penduline Tit was seen at Dungeness RSPB, after first being seen on Monday.

Lingering rarities included the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Spotted Sandpiper in Essex, Wilson's Phalarope in Lothian, King Eider in Moray, two Glossy Ibises in Kent, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in County Waterford and Lothian and a Great White Egret in Kent.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 17th November 2009  
  New rarities discovered today were a Lesser Yellowlegs in County Waterford at The Cunnigar and a Great White Egret at Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire.

The Glaucous-winged Gull or similar hybrid remained in County Sligo as did the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Red-throated Pipit in County Cork, Spotted Sandpiper in Essex, Wilson's Phalarope and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, King Eider in Moray, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Glossy Ibises in Kent (2) and Somerset (3) and Great White Egrets in Aberdeenshire, Devon and Kent.

Scarcities included nine Shorelarks, four Black Brants, three each of Green-winged Teal, Lapland Bunting and Little Auk, two each of Yellow-browed Warbler, Ring-billed Gull, Caspian Gull and Waxwing and single Serin (London), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Lesser Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire) and Great Grey Shrike (Powys).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 16th November 2009  
  Breaking news today concerned a King Eider in Moray at Burghead, a Long-billed Dowitcher in County Londonderry at Lough Beg and a White-billed Diver in Bluemull Sound, Shetland Isles.

Lingering rarities comprised the Brown Shrike still in Surrey, two Penduline Tits together in Kent, the Spotted Sandpiper in Essex, Wilson's Phalarope in Lothian, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Ferruginous Ducks in both Essex and Somerset, Cattle Egret in Dorset and Great White Egrets in Devon, Kent and Lancashire (2).

Scarcities were represented by 61 Little Auks, 13 Shorelarks, seven Lapland Buntings, two Green-winged Teals and a single Serin (London), Bluethroat (County Cork), American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway), Sabine's Gull (Devon), Ring-billed Gull (County Dublin), Grey Phalarope (Cornwall), Black Brant (Dorset), Snow Goose and Great Grey Shrike (both Norfolk).

Significant late news received for Sunday was of the continued presence of the juvenile Glaucous-winged Gull - or similar hybrid - in Drumcliff Bay, County Sligo - a potential first for Ireland.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 15th November 2009  
  New rarities discovered today comprised a Spotted Sandpiper in Essex at Abberton Reservoir, two Penduline Tits in Kent at Dungeness, a Cattle Egret in Dorset at Winkton and a Ferruginous Duck in County Armagh at Craigavon.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Red-throated Pipit in County Cork, Wilson's Phalarope and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, American Golden Plover in County Down, Glossy Ibises in Kent (2), Somerset (3), and County Wexford, three Cattle Egrets together in Somerset and Great White Egrets in Devon, Kent, Lancashire (3), Norfolk and Suffolk.

Scarcities included 25 Shorelarks, 18 Lapland Buntings, seven Caspian Gulls, four each of Great Grey Shrike, Little Auk and Black Brant, three each of both American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal, two Bluethroats, Richard's Pipits, Ring-billed Gulls, Balearic Shearwaters and Grey Phalaropes and a single Serin (London), Rose-coloured Starling (Oxfordshire), Surf Scoter (Fife), Snow Goose (Highland), Sabine's Gull (Isle of Scilly) and Yellow-browed Warbler (Kent).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 14th November 2009  
  Another Wilson's Phalarope was discovered late morning, this time in Lothian. It remained at Musselburgh Lagoons all day, and proved popular with county listers, being the first record for 22 years. A Lesser Scaup was present at Loughea, County Galway.

Lingering rarities included the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Red-throated Pipit in County Cork, Richardson's Canada Goose in County Sligo, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian and American Golden Plover in County Down.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 13th November 2009  
  A Red-rumped Swallow was found on Holy Island, Northumberland early afternoon, and lingered until late afternoon at least. A Long-billed Dowitcher was seen in Port Carlisle harbour, Cumbria this afternoon, and a Lesser Yellowlegs was seen at Bubwith Ings and Thorganby Ings, both Yorkshire. A Great White Egret flew past Chalkwell, Essex, with other birds remaining in Lancashire (3), Merseyside and Devon.

The Brown Shrike continued its stay in Surrey, the three Glossy Ibises were still in Somerset and another was still at Tacumshin, County Wexford. Scarcities included five Snow Geese, an American Wigeon, three Green-winged Teals, a Pomarine Skua, five Shorelarks, two Richard's Pipits (both at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire), two Bluethroats, a Great Grey Shrike and a Rose-coloured Starling.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 12th November 2009  
  With no new rarities discovered today, the headlines were left with the Fan-tailed Warbler at Pegwell Bay, Kent, Brown Shrike at Staines Moor, Surrey and the Wilson's Phalarope at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire.

Other long staying rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Glossy Ibises in Kent (2) and Somerset (3), single Cattle Egrets in Kent, Cornwall and Gloucestershire and Great White Egrets in Devon, Kent, Norfolk and Lancashire (2).

In Perth and Kinross, the Bluethroat remained at Errol, although it is now proving very elusive. Another Bluethroat is still in County Cork, with other scarcity totals including six Snow Geese, two American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, 21 Shorelarks, Yellow-browed Warbler, three Great Grey Shrikes and a Rose-coloured Starling.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 11th November 2009  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of two Penduline Tits in Gloucestershire at Slimbridge. In County Kerry a Bonaparte's Gull was found at Tralee and in County Galway the Forster's Tern returned to winter at Nimmo's Pier.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Brown Shrike in Surrey, both Fan-tailed Warbler and Glossy Ibis in Kent, Baird's Sandpiper in Lothian, Wilson's Phalarope in Gloucestershire, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin, both American Golden Plover and White-rumped Sandpiper in Norfolk, Cattle Egret in Cornwall and Great White Egrets in Aberdeenshire, Devon, Kent, Lancashire, County Mayo, Norfolk (2) and Suffolk.

Totals of scarcities included 25 Shorelarks, eight Lapland Buntings, four each of Little Auk and Caspian Gull, three each of Green-winged Teal and Great Grey Shrike, two Surf Scoters, Snow Geese, Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeons and Glaucuous Gulls and single Rose-coloured Starling (Oxfordshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Ring-billed Gull (Derbyshire) and Black Brant (Kent).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 10th November 2009  
  The long wait for Irish birders was finally over today, when the Ireland's first Red-flanked Bluetail was discovered on Dursey Island, Co Cork. With 68 accepted records in Britain (by the end of 2008), this species has been predicted to find its way onto the Irish list for some time.

Co Cork also hosted both Red-throated Pipit and Bluethroat. Back across the Irish Sea, long-stayers such as the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian were the headline birds. In Gloucestershire the Wilson's Phalarope remained at Slimbridge WWT, a Barred Warbler was discovered in Lincolnshire, the Rose-coloured Starling lingered in Oxfordshire, Yellow-browed Warblers were reported from Isles of Scilly, East Yorkshire, Western Isles and Cornwall (2), the Wryneck was still on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd) and in Perth & Kinross the Bluethroat was still on show at Errol.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA