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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Saturday 27th February 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Pied-billed Grebe at Lough Gur, County Limerick. It showed constantly all day, although remained distant throughout. Also in Ireland, the Forster's Tern was seen in County Galway, and the Blue-winged Teal was seen in County Dublin.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities included Black Kite in Powys, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, single Little Buntings in Cornwall and Highland, and single Lesser Scaups in Cornwall, Glamorgan and Clyde.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 26th February 2010  
  Wintering rarities seen today included Black Kite in Powys, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, single Little Buntings in Cornwall and Highland, three Glossy Ibises in Somerset and single Lesser Scaups in Cornwall, Glamorgan and Clyde.

Belated news of a Little Bunting in Devon concerned one present on Lundy on Wednesday, for its third day. There was negative news on the Pied-billed Grebe in County Limerick.

Scarcities included a Great Grey Shrike (Lincolnshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Surf Scoter (Devon), three Ring-necked Ducks, two Green-winged Teals, American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway), Black Brant (Norfolk), six Ring-billed Gulls, four Iceland Gulls, two Glaucous Gulls, three Caspian Gulls, 35+ Waxwings, 18 Spoonbills, Great White Egret (Gwent) and Shorelark (Flintshire).
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 25th February 2010  
  The highlight of the day was breaking news of a Pied-billed Grebe present at Lough Gur, County Limerick since 20th February. Although there have been 47 previous records accumulated between Britain and Ireland - several of which have remained for long periods - this is first record since 2003 (when one visited Tacumshin, County Wexford on 22nd-30th November), prior to which the last well-watched individuals were in 1999.

Rarities seen elsewhere comprised the Lesser Scaup still in Clyde, Red-breasted Goose still in Devon and single Little Buntings in both Cornwall and Highland.

Scarcities included 22 Waxwings across seven counties, 13 Shorelarks, six Caspian Gulls, five Tundra Bean Geese, four Great Grey Shrikes, three each of Ring-billed Gull and Green-winged Teal, two each of Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Cattle Egret (Cornwall), Ring-necked Duck and Lapland Bunting and single Greater Snow Goose (Norfolk), Surf Scoter (Devon), American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway), Great White Egret (Warwickshire) and Iceland Gull (Cornwall).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 24th February 2010  
  The highlight of the day was a white morph Gyr seen briefly near Newquay, Cornwall.

Lingering rarities included the Black Duck and Lesser Scaup still together in Cornwall, the Red-breasted Goose in Devon, Black Kite in Powys, Glossy Ibis in County Wexford, Lesser Scaups in both Clyde and Glamorgan and single Little Buntings in both Cornwall and Highland.

Scarcities included 26 Waxwings across seven counties, 16 Shorelarks (together in Norfolk), 14 Tundra Bean Geese, six each of Snow Goose and Great White Egret, four each of Ring-necked Duck and Green-winged Teal, three Great Grey Shrikes, two each of Cattle Egret (together in Cornwall), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Black Brant, Ring-billed Gull, Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull and single Rose-coloured Starling (Cumbria), American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway) and Caspian Gull (Leicestershire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 23rd February 2010  
  In Ireland the Baikal Teal remained at Tacumshin (Co Wexford), where a Glossy Ibis, Long-billed Dowitcher and Green-winged Teal also lingered. In Co Donegal the American Eider was again off Fanad Head

Elsewhere rarities included Black Kite (Powys), Black Duck (Cornwall), Lesser Scaups (Clyde, Cornwall and Glamorgan), Red-breasted Goose (Devon) and Little Buntings (Highland and Cornwall).

On Isles of Scilly a Hoopoe arrived on St Mary's (following a belated report of a Hoopoe in Cornwall on Sunday), the American Wigeon lingered in Dumfries & Galloway and Ring-necked Ducks were logged in Carmarthenshire and Orkney. In Cumbria the Rose-coloured Starling was still in a Kendal garden.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 22nd February 2010  
  Lingering rarities included Little Buntings in Highland and Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, American Eider in Co Donegal and Glossy Ibises in Co Wexford and Somerset (3). A Lesser Scaup appeared at Hogganfield Loch, Clyde, whilst another remained in Cornwall.

The best of the rest came in the form of Rose-coloured Starling (Cumbria), American Wigeon (Dumfries & Galloway) and Greater Snow Goose (Norfolk).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 21st February 2010  
  In Co Wexford the Baikal Teal remained at Tacumshin (where the Long-billed Dowitcher, Glossy Ibis and Green-winged Teal all also remained on show). Elsewhere in Ireland the American Eider lingered in Co Donegal and a Forster's Tern was still in Co Galway.

Lingering rarities east of the Irish Sea included Black Kite (Powys), Dusky Warbler (London) and Little Buntings (Highland and Cornwall). Rare wintering wildfowl were represented by two King Eiders in Moray and Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Glamorgan.

Other reports included four Ring-necked Ducks, four Rough-legged Buzzards, at least three Great White Egrets and single American Wigeon and Greater Snow Goose.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 20th February 2010  
  Tacumshin (Co Wexford) was the place to be today - the drake Baikal Teal, Glossy Ibis and Green-winged Teal all remained on show and a Long-billed Dowitcher flew over.

Back across the Irish Sea a Laughing Gull was reported in East Sussex and lingering rare passerines included Dusky Warbler (London), Black-throated Thrush (North Yorkshire), and Little Buntings (Highland and Cornwall).

Wildfowl comprised Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Glamorgan, two King Eiders in Moray, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, American Wigeon in Dumfries & Galloway, Greater Snow Goose in Norfolk and three Ring-necked Ducks were logged.

Elsewhere the Black Kite remained in Powys, the Forster's Tern was still in Co Galway and three Glossy Ibises were seen again in Somerset.

The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling (Cumbria), Richard's Pipit (Essex), three Rough-legged Buzzards, two Cattle Egrets and four Great White Egrets.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 19th February 2010  
  In Ireland hot news concerned a drake Baikal Teal at Tacumshin (Co Wexford). Following a report of a brief Baikal Teal on 5th January, a hybrid duck resembling a Baikal Teal was photographed at Tacumshin on 13th February. The story was finally concluded today, when a stunning adult drake Baikal Teal was seen throughout the afternoon.

Elsewhere lingering rarities included Dusky Warbler (London), Glossy Ibis (Co Wexford), Little Buntings (Cornwall and Highland), Lesser Scaups (Glamorgan and Cornwall), Forster's Tern (Co Galway), Long-billed Dowitcher (Cornwall), Black-throated Thrush (North Yorkshire) and Penduline Tit (Kent).

Late news from yesterday concerned two King Eiders in Moray - a first-winter drake joined the long-staying second-winter drake at Burghead.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 18th February 2010  
  In Cornwall, a white morph Gyr flew south over Maer Lake CBWPS, Bude, and a Little Bunting was found near Polbathic in set-aside fields by the River Lynher.

Also in Cornwall both the Black Duck and Lesser Scaup remained at Colliford Lake, whilst nearby, in Devon, the Red-breasted Goose reappeared at Dawlish Warren NNR. Other lingering rarities included Black-throated Thrush in Yorkshire, Dusky Warbler in London, American Eider in County Donegal, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cheshire, Little Bunting in Highland and a Small Canada Goose on Islay, Argyll.
-  Will Soar, RBA