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.


Friday 25th December 2009

	The highlight of the day was a Killdeer present at Greystones, County Wicklow briefly before flying off north. Elsewhere in Ireland, an American Herring Gull was discovered at Portrush, County Antrim. Other rarities comprised the Snowy Owl still on the Western Isles, Red-breasted Goose and Cattle Egret still in Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, single Ferruginous Ducks in East Sussex, Somerset and West Yorkshire, Glossy Ibis in Worcestershire and single Great White Egrets in both Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. Scarcities were represented by a Little Bunting (Highland), Richard's Pipit (Cornwall), Yellow-browed Warbler (Somerset), Greater Snow Goose (Norfolk), Ring-necked Duck (West Yorkshire), Green-winged Teal (Greater Manchester) and two Lapland Buntings (together in East Yorkshire) whilst scarce gull totals included three each of both Ring-billed and Iceland and two Caspian.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Thursday 24th December 2009

	The highlight of the day was the sighting, albeit brief, of a Greater Yellowlegs at Kinneil Lagoon, Forth. With the last easily twitchable Greater Yellowlegs on the British mainland being in Cumbria in 1994, the current bird will prove most popular if relocated. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the Black Duck still on the Isles of Scilly, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Siberian Stonechat in Nottinghamshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Essex, Glossy Ibis in Worcestershire, Ferruginous Ducks in both Norfolk and West Yorkshire, Great White Egret in Warwickshire and single Cattle Egrets in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. Scarcities included 13 Lapland Buntings across three counties, 10 Waxwings in Merseyside, five Caspian Gulls, three each of both Ring-billed Gull and Iceland Gull, two each of Richard's Pipit and Ring-necked Duck, and single Little Bunting (Highland), Rough-legged Buzzard (Cambridgeshire), Great Grey Shrike (Hampshire) and Shorelark (Suffolk).
- Chris Batty, RBA


Wednesday 23rd December 2009

	Lingering rarities included Siberian Stonechat in Nottinghamshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Spotted Sandpiper in Essex, Ferruginous Ducks in Norfolk, West Yorkshire and Co Down and Glossy Ibis in Worcestershire. A Red-breasted Goose flew over Barnby (Nottinghamshire) then Beckingham (Lincolnshire) with Pink-footed Geese and Great White Egrets were recorded in Leicestershire, Somerset and Warwickshire. The Little Bunting remained in Highland, Richard's Pipits lingered in Glamorgan and Cheshire, Green-winged Teals accompanied Teal in Essex and Greater Manchester and a Ring-necked Duck was still in Ceredigion.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Tuesday 22nd December 2009

	Headline rarities came in the form of King Eider (Shetland), Spotted Sandpiper (Essex), Siberian Stonechat (Nottinghamshire), Red-breasted Goose (Devon) and Ferruginous Ducks (Norfolk and West Yorkshire). Great White Egrets were reported in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Somerset and a Glossy Ibis lingered in Worcestershire. Scarcities included Richard's Pipit in Cheshire, Common Crane in Somerset, Little Bunting in Highland and Surf Scoter in Orkney.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Monday 21st December 2009

	Lingering rarities comprised Siberian Stonechat in Nottinghamshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Baird's Sandpiper in Lothian and Ferruginous Duck in West Yorkshire. Great White Egrets were logged in Leicestershire, Aberdeenshire and Dorset, Richardson's Canada Geese joined Barnacle Geese on Islay and Tiree (Argyll) and the best of the rest included Rough-legged Buzzard in Cambridgeshire, Surf Scoter in Devon, Little Bunting in Highland, Richard's Pipits in Glamorgan and Cheshire, Taiga Bean Goose in Merseyside and Ring-necked Duck in Buckinghamshire.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Sunday 20th December 2009

	Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Siberian Stonechat in Nottinghamshire, Baird's Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Spotted Sandpiper in Essex, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, Ferruginous Ducks in both Somerset and West Yorkshire, three Glossy Ibises together in Somerset, Cattle Egrets in County Cork (6) and Somerset (3) and single Great White Egrets in Essex, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire, whilst in Cornwall the Pacific Diver was probably seen again in Carbis Bay. Scarcities included five Ring-billed Gulls, four Balearic Shearwaters (together in Cornwall), three each of Richard's Pipit and Great Grey Shrike, two each of Green-winged Teal and Lapland Bunting and single Little Bunting (Highland), Serin (London), Surf Scoter (Devon), Ring-necked Duck (Buckinghamshire) and Black Brant (County Wexford).
- Chris Batty, RBA


Saturday 19th December 2009

	The stunning white morph Gyr remained on The Gower, Glamorgan, where is showed on and off throughout the afternoon. Reports of Gyrs also came from Co Durham and Northumberland. The Siberian Stonechat in Nottinghamshire was a popular attraction - the bird showed intermittently throughout the day. Elsewhere lingering rarities included Pacific Diver (Cornwall), Lesser Yellowlegs and Baird's Sandpiper (Lothian), Glossy Ibis (Worcestershire), Ferruginous Ducks (Somerset and West Yorkshire) and Spotted Sandpipers (Essex and Devon). Three Cattle Egrets were in Co Cork, Great White Egrets were logged in Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Co Monaghan, a Richard's Pipit was discovered in Cornwall and the adult Rough-legged Buzzard lingered in Cambridgeshire.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Friday 18th December 2009

	In Glamorgan, the juvenile female white morph Gyr remained in the Port Eynon /Scurlage area for much of the day. Mobile for the morning, it was found sitting in a field, and later on a fencepost, in the afternoon, where it showed well, before flying towards cliffs, possibly to roost. In Nottinghamshire, the male Siberian Stonechat remained at Bevercotes Pit Wood. Lingering rare waders included the Lesser Yellowlegs and Baird's Sandpiper in Lothian, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria and Spotted Sandpiper in Devon. The Red-breasted Goose was still in Devon, as was the Glossy Ibis in Worcestershire, Cattle Egrets in County Cork and Somerset (3), Ferruginous Duck in Dorset and Great White Egrets in Warwickshire, Somerset, Northamptonshire (2) and Essex. Scarcities included a Hoopoe on the Isle of Wight, Rough-legged Buzzard in Cambridgeshire and White Stork in County Durham.
- Will Soar, RBA


Thursday 17th December 2009

	A male Siberian Stonechat at Bevercotes, Nottinghamshire, this afternoon is an excellent record. Inland birds are rare enough, but one inland in mid December is unprecedented. A white morph Gyr is also noteworthy, although it didn't linger as it flew over farmland near Port Eynon, Glamorgan. Long staying rarities included the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Baird's Sandpiper in Lothian, three Penduline Tits in Kent, three Glossy Ibises in Somerset with another in Worcestershire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, King Eider in Moray, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, single Spotted Sandpipers in Devon, Hampshire, Essex and Forth and Red-breasted Goose in Devon.
- Will Soar, RBA


Wednesday 16th December 2009

	Rarities headlines included the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Black Duck on Isles of Scilly, Baird's Sandpiper in Lothian, Penduline Tits in Kent, Ferruginous Duck in West Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Forth and Glossy Ibis in Kent. Two Cattle Egrets remained in Hampshire and Great White Egrets were logged in Merseyside, Warwickshire and Suffolk. Ireland hosted both a Lesser Scaup and Forster's Tern in Co Galway and a Cattle Egret in Co Cork.
- Stuart Piner, RBA