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.

Choose a starting date
Wednesday 17th March 2010  
  A Hoopoe was discovered on Portland (Dorset) this morning.

Lingering rarities included four Penduline Tits at Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk), Bufflehead on The Fleet (Dorset), Little Bunting at Dunnet (Highland), Ferruginous Duck at Chew Valley Lake (Somerset) and Lesser Scaups at Chew Valley Lake (Somerset), Dozmary Pool (Cornwall) and Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir (Glamorgan).

In Ireland the Pacific Diver lingered in Co Clare.

Elsewhere the best of the rest included American Wigeons in Lancashire and Dumfries & Galloway, Ring-necked Ducks in Waterford, West Yorkshire, and Buckinghamshire, Green-winged Teals in Dumfries & Galloway and Co Clare and Surf Scoter in Fife. Seven Great White Egrets, two Cattle Egrets and around 43 Waxwings were also logged.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 16th March 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of four Penduline Tits together at Minsmere, Suffolk – making this fourth spring in a row that the species has been reported from this reserve. Another regular March occurrence is White-billed Diver off the coast of northwest Scotland, such as one today at Melvaig, Highland.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Pacific Diver still off County Clare, the Bufflehead in Dorset, Forster's Tern in County Galway, single Lesser Scaups in both Clyde and Cornwall, single Little Buntings in both Cornwall and Highland, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll and Hooded Merganser in Cleveland.

Scarcities included 35 Waxwings across seven counties, seven Iceland Gulls, six Ring-billed Gulls, five Ring-necked Ducks, four Great Grey Shrikes, three Rough-legged Buzzards and two each of Surf Scoter, American Wigeon, Cattle Egret (Cornwall), Lapland Bunting (Lincolnshire) and Glaucous Gull and single Great White Egret (Nottinghamshire), Little Auk (Cumbria) and Caspian Gull (Essex).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 15th March 2010  
  Lingering rarities included Little Buntings in Highland and Cornwall, Penduline Tit in London, Pacific Diver in Co Clare and Forster's Tern in Co Galway. The Snowy Owl remained on Lewis (Western Isles) whilst another has been present in Co Galway for about four weeks.

Rare wildfowl came in the form of Bufflehead in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Hooded Merganser in Cleveland and American Wigeons in Dumfries & Galloway and Lancashire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 14th March 2010  
  In Ireland, the adult Pacific Diver reappeared at Finavarra Point, County Clare. Nearby, the adult Forster's Tern remained at Claddagh Beach, County Galway. In Dorset, the Bufflehead was still on The Fleet, with other lingering rarities including Penduline Tit in London, single Little Buntings in Cornwall and Highland, Black Kite in Powys, Lesser Scaup in Clyde, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll and three Glossy Ibises in Somerset.

Scarcity highlights included four Great White Egrets, a Cattle Egret, Rough-legged Buzzard, seven Great Grey Shrikes, 46 Waxwings, seven Ring-necked Ducks, two American Wigeons, two Surf Scoters and 11 Ring-billed Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 13th March 2010  
  In Dorset the adult drake Bufflehead remained on show on The Fleet throughout the day. Elsewhere wintering wildfowl included Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan (2), Cornwall and Clyde, Hooded Merganser in Cleveland and American Wigeons in Lancashire and Dumfries & Galloway.

In Co Clare the Pacific Diver reappeared and in Co Galway the Forster's Tern lingered at Nimmo's Pier.

A Penduline Tit at Rainham Marshes RSPB (London), Black-bellied Dipper on Shetland and a Laughing Gull claimed at Porthcawl (Glamorgan) were all new reports whilst lingering rarities not already mentioned included Little Bunting (Highland), Black Kite (Powys) and Snowy Owl (Western Isles).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 12th March 2010  
  Long staying rarities seen today included the Bufflehead in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lancashire, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Black Kite in Powys, three Glossy Ibises in Somerset, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Little Bunting in Highland and single Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Clyde.

Scarcity highlights included five Great Grey Shrikes, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Shorelark, 46 Waxwings, a Ring-billed Gull, five Glaucous Gulls, an Iceland Gull, two Caspian Gulls, six Snow Geese, two Great White Egrets, two Ring-necked Ducks and an American Wigeon.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 11th March 2010  
  The lingering Bufflehead in Dorset continued to make the headlines, whilst other rarities seen today comprised both Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Bonaparte's Gull and Little Bunting in Highland, Lesser Scaup and Little Bunting in Cornwall, Hooded Merganser in Cleveland and on the Western Isles the Snowy Owl reappeared on Lewis.

Scarcities included 47 Waxwings across six counties, six Great Grey Shrikes, five Glaucous Gulls, three each of Surf Scoter (together in Conwy) and Lesser Snow Goose (together in Highland), two each of American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck and Tundra Bean Goose (together in Lancashire) and single Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Great White Egret (Gwent), Iceland Gull (Argyll) and Caspian Gull (Cheshire).

Late news from Wednesday concerned the continued presence of the Black Kite in Powys, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lancashire and the party of three Glossy Ibises in Somerset.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 10th March 2010  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Bufflehead in Dorset, Pied-billed Grebe in County Clare and Hooded Merganser in Cleveland, with in Glamorgan a Bonaparte's Gull and two Lesser Scaups, and in Highland a Bonaparte's Gull and a Little Bunting.

Scarcities included 18 Waxwings across three counties, six Glaucous Gulls, four each of Ring-necked Duck and Iceland Gull, three each of Ring-billed Gull, Great Grey Shrike and Caspian Gull, two each of American Wigeon, Great White Egret, Green-winged Teal (County Clare) and Shorelark (Norfolk) and singles of Surf Scoter (Conwy), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk) and Black Brant (County Cork). 

Significant late news from Cornwall concerned the reappearance of the juvenile Pallid Harrier yesterday near Zennor. First noted in the area on 4th December 2009, the bird had recorded irregularly until 25th January but had not been since.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 9th March 2010  
  An adult Bonaparte's Gull was discovered in Highland, at the River Thurso mouth late morning, with another still lingering in Glamorgan. In Dorset, the adult drake Bufflehead was still on The Fleet near Langton Herring, whilst in County Limerick the Pied-billed Grebe remained on Lough Gur. Wintering rarities seen today included the Little Bunting in Highland and single Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan and Clyde.

Scarcities logged today included a Cattle Egret, a Great White Egret, nine Spoonbills, six Black Brants, five Snow Geese, four Surf Scoters, two American Wigeons, four Ring-necked Ducks, three Ring-billed Gulls, six Caspian Gulls, six Glaucous Gulls, an Iceland Gull, two Rough-legged Buzzards, 29 Waxwings, two Shorelarks and two Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 8th March 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Bufflehead on The Fleet, Dorset. Elsewhere in Britain the Bonaparte's Gull and a Lesser Scaup showed again in Glamorgan, as did the Long-billed Dowitcher in Lancashire, a King Eider in Moray, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Little Bunting in Highland. In Ireland both the Pacific Diver and Pied-billed Grebe remained in County Clare, as did the Black Duck in County Mayo, Ferruginous Duck in Co Armagh and two Richardson's Canada Geese were noted together in County Sligo.

Scarcities recorded around the British Isles today included 29 Waxwings across four counties, 11 Shorelarks (Norfolk), five Great Grey Shrikes, four each of Surf Scoter, Ring-necked Duck, Ring-billed Gull and Glaucous Gull, three each of Black Brant and Tundra Bean Goose (Lancashire) and single American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Cattle Egret (Somerset), Great White Egret (Lancashire) and Caspian Gull (Kent).
-  Chris Batty, RBA