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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Wednesday 5th January 2011  
  In Lancashire, a first-winter Red-breasted Goose was present with a flock of Pink-footed Geese near Hambleton this afternoon. At least two Coues's Arctic Redpolls are on Hatfield Moors NNR, Yorkshire, and a third bird was confirmed at Rainton Meadows DWT, County Durham.

Lingering rarities included American Coot in County Mayo, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Northern Harrier and Lesser White-fronted Goose in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire, Glossy Ibis in Berkshire and single Ferruginous Ducks in County Armagh and County Wexford.

Scarcities included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Snow Goose, a Grey Phalarope, a Little Auk, a Surf Scoter, a Ring-necked Duck, a Northern Eider, two Great Grey Shrikes, three American Wigeon, three Rough-legged Buzzards, four Green-winged Teal and four Ring-billed Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 4th January 2011  
  Lingering rarities included Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Northern Harrier in Norfolk, Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Northumberland and Co Durham and Glossy Ibis in Berkshire. Lesser Scaups remained in Orkney, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan.

Scarce wildfowl comprised American Wigeons in Norfolk (2) and Leicestershire, Ring-necked Ducks in Highland and Cleveland, Surf Scoter in Devon, Green-winged Teals in Western Isles, Lothian and Leicestershire and Black Brants in Norfolk, West Sussex and Essex.
Great White Egrets lingered in Northamptonshire and Berkshire and Waxwings continued to be reported in excellent numbers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 3rd January 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Northumberland at Widdrington. Elsewhere in Britain lingering rarities comprised the Pacific Diver still in Cornwall, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Northern Harrier and Ross's Goose all in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire, Glossy Ibis in Berkshire, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll, Ross's Goose in Cumbria and two Coues's Arctic Redpolls together in County Durham.

Rarities in Ireland consisted of an American Coot in County Mayo, Northern Harrier and Ferruginous Duck together in County Wexford, House Crow in County Cork and Ferruginous Duck in County Armagh.

Across the British Isles scarcities included 33 Shorelarks, 21 each of Lapland Bunting and Tundra Bean Goose, 17 Great Grey Shrikes, 10 Iceland Gulls, seven Surf Scoters, six each of both Ring-billed Gull and Great White Egret, five Rough-legged Buzzards, Glaucous Gulls, Green-winged Teals and Black Brants, three each of American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Balearic Shearwater and Grey Phalarope, two Caspian Gulls and a Snow Goose.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 2nd January 2011  
  Despite being the busiest day on record in terms of numbers of messages, with well over 700 sent, there were no new rarities reported today. Lingering Megas included the Pacific Diver in Mount's Bay, Cornwall, American Coot at Termoncarragh Lake, County Mayo, Lesser White-fronted Goose at Cantley Marshes RSPB, Norfolk, Pied-billed Grebe at Rossleague, County Cork and House Crow in the same county at Cobh. The Northern Harrier also remained in the Thornham area in Norfolk.

Other rarities seen today included two Coues's Arctic Redpolls in County Durham, Glossy Ibis in Berkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire, Ross's Goose in Cumbria, Ferruginous Duck in County Armargh and three King Eiders, one in Moray and two in Shetland.

Scarcity highlights were a Rose-coloured Starling, three Grey Phalaropes, three Surf Scoters,  three Ring-necked Ducks, four Green-winged Teals, five Rough-legged Buzzards, five Ring-billed Gulls, six Great White Egrets and nine Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 1st January 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Lesser Scaup in County Kerry at Lough Gill. Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Pacific Diver still in Cornwall, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Northern Harrier in Norfolk, Pied-billed Grebe and White-billed Diver in County Cork, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Red-breasted Goose in East Sussex, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, King Eider in Moray, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in County Durham, Ferruginous Duck in County Armagh, Glossy Ibis in Berkshire, Ross's Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, and single Lesser Scaups in both Glamorgan and Gloucestershire.

Scarcities included 61 Shorelarks, 37 Lapland Buntings, 28 Tundra Bean Geese, 12 Great Grey Shrikes, nine Ring-billed Gulls, eight Glaucous Gulls, seven Iceland Gulls, six Great White Egrets, five Green-winged Teals, four each of both Black Brant and Caspian Gull, three Rough-legged Buzzards, two each of Surf Scoter, Ring-necked Duck, Cattle Egret and Little Auk, and single White-tailed Eagle (Hampshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Isle of Scilly), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Snow Goose (County Down) and Balearic Shearwater (Pembrokeshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 31st December 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the identification of a Lesser Scaup at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire. Rarities elsewhere in Britain comprised the Pacific Diver still in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in East Sussex, Northern Harrier in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, King Eider in Moray, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Glossy Ibis in Berkshire. In Ireland the Forster's Tern remained in County Galway, as did the Ferruginous Duck in County Armagh and both the White-billed Diver and House Crow in County Cork.

Scarcities included 82 Lapland Buntings, 22 Tundra Bean Geese, 17 Shorelarks, 10 Iceland Gulls, nine Great Grey Shrikes, seven Glaucous Gulls, six Caspian Gulls, three each of Surf Scoter, Rough-legged Buzzard, Ring-billed Gull, Great White Egret and Green-winged Teal, two each of Balearic Shearwater and Cattle Egret (together in Hampshire) and single American Wigeon (County Cork), Ring-necked Duck (County Londonderry) and Grey Phalarope (Cornwall).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 30th December 2010  
  A drake Lesser Scaup was found at Lough Gur in County Limerick and elsewhere a Dark-breasted Barn Owl was reported at North Cave Wetlands in Yorkshire and the Pied-billed Grebe was seen again at Great Island in County Cork.

Lingering rarities included: American Coot seen again in County Mayo, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Northen Harriers in Norfolk and County Wexford and Glossy Ibis in Berkshire.

Waxwings remained very evident, being reported from at least 38 counties.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 29th December 2010  
  In Cornwall, the adult Pacific Diver remained in Mount's Bay, today seen off Marazion. The Lesser White-fronted Goose was seen at Cantley, Norfolk, but thick fog hampered viewing. Also in Norfolk, the Northern Harrier was seen at Brancaster during the afternoon.

Other lingering rarities included the two King Eiders at West Voe of Sumburgh, Shetland, Forster's Tern at Nimmo's Pier, County Galway, Long-billed Dowitcher at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset, Glossy Ibis at Hungerford, Berkshire and two Coue's Arctic Redpolls at Rainton, County Durham.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 28th December 2010  
  Ireland saw the only new rarities of the day, with a White-billed Diver found at Great Island in County Cork, along with a Pied-billed Grebe, the latter probably being the same bird as earlier in the month on Little Island. In County Westmeath a pair of Lesser Scaup were found on Lough Ennell along with a drake Ring-necked Duck.

Lingering rarities included the Pacific Diver in Mount's Bay in Cornwall, the Glossy Ibis in Berkshire, the Richardson's Canada Goose in County Sligo and, in Norfolk: a mobile Ross's Goose seen at various sites in the north of the county, the Lesser White-fronted Goose at Cantley Marshes and the Northern Harrier in the Brancaster area. In Dorset the over-wintering Long-billed Dowitcher was again at Lodmoor RSPB reserve.

Amongst scarcities were totals of  25 Shorelarks,  6 Great White Egrets and  7 or 8 Iceland Gulls, but just 2 Glaucous Gulls. A large number of White-fronted and Barnacle Geese continued to be seen in southern counties.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Monday 27th December 2010  
  Lingering rarities included Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Ross's Goose and Northern Harrier in Norfolk, Red-breasted Goose in East Sussex, Glossy Ibis in Berkshire and King Eider in Moray.

Two Dark-breasted Barn Owls sightings were reported from West Yorkshire, at Fairburn Ings RSPB and Skelton Lake. Great White Egrets were in Berkshire and Somerset, Surf Scoters lingered in Devon and Fife, Green-winged Teals were logged in Lothian and Forth, a Common Crane was identified in Oxfordshire and a Ring-necked Duck lingered in Lancashire.

Late news concerned a Dark-eyed Junco in a Waltham Abbey garden (Essex) on 19th December. Unfortunately the bird has not been seen since, despite daily searches.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA