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
Sunday 6th February 2011  
  The highlight of the day was, once again, the relocation of the adult Slaty-backed Gull, in Essex at Hanningfield Reservoir. Present for just ten minutes in the late morning before the bird was lost, it could not be found again by dusk.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Pacific Diver still in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Northern Harrier, Ferruginous Duck and Ross's Goose in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Lesser Scaups in each of Cornwall, Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, and four Northern Long-tailed Tits in Kent.

Scarcities included 29 Lapland Buntings, 23 Shorelarks, 19 Tundra Bean Geese, nine Iceland Gulls, eight Great Grey Shrikes, seven Ring-billed Gulls, five Black Brants, four each of both Ring-necked Duck and Glaucous Gull, three each of Great White Egret and Caspian Gull, two each of American Wigeon and Cattle Egret, and single Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Green-winged Teal (County Galway) and Snow Goose (County Antrim).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 5th February 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the presence of both Forster's Tern and American Herring Gull in County Galway. Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Red-breasted Goose still in Hampshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, single Lesser Scaups in Cornwall, Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, two Coues's Arctic Redpolls together in County Durham, Ferruginous Duck and two Ross's Geese in Norfolk and six Northern Long-tailed Tits in Kent.

Scarcities included 24 Shorelarks, 15 Lapland Buntings, 12 Tundra Bean Geese, 10 Iceland Gulls, seven each of both Great White Egret and Glaucous Gull, six Ring-billed Gulls, five Caspian Gulls, three Ring-necked Ducks, two each of American Wigeon, Rough-legged Buzzard, Great Grey Shrike, Green-winged Teal and Black Brant (Norfolk), and single Little Auk (Isle of Man), Rose-coloured Starling and Cattle Egret (both Cornwall).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 4th February 2011  
  A fairly quiet day, with the rarity highlights including the Pacific Diver off Marazion, Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher at Poole, Dorset, Red-breasted Goose at Hook, Hampshire and Ross's Goose near Acle, Norfolk.

Scarcities included a Rose-coloured Starling, Tundra Bean Goose and Ring-necked Duck in Cornwall, a Pomarine Skua in Dorset, a Great White Egret in Hampshire, single American Wigeons in Norfolk and Highland, four Great Grey Shrikes, four Ring-billed Gulls and thirteen Shorelarks.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 3rd February 2011  
  In Essex, the adult Slaty-backed Gull was rediscovered at Pitsea Landfill Site late afternoon. Unfortunately, this site has strictly no access, with the gulls only being viewable when they visit nearby Wat Tyler County Park, and Vange Wick.

There was another sighting of Black Kite today, with a bird flying west over Hewas Water, Cornwall late afternoon. Lingering rarities included the Pied-billed Grebe in County Cork, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Northern Harrier and Ross's Goose in Norfolk and Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, an American Wigeon, a White-tailed Eagle, two Ring-necked Ducks, five Shorelarks, five Rough-legged Buzzards and eight Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 2nd February 2011  
  Another two Northern Long-tailed Tits were discovered in Kent today, at Rodmersham Green, near Sittingbourne. Five also remained at Dymchurch, with a total of nine seen in the county this year.

Lingering rarities included the Northern Harrier at Thornham, Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher at Poole, Dorset, Lesser Scaup at Holm, Orkney and Ross's Goose at Rockcliffe, Cumbria.

Scarcity highlights included a White-tailed Eagle, a Rose-coloured Starling, two American Wigeon, three Ring-necked Ducks, four Rough-legged Buzzards, four Great White Egrets and five Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 1st February 2011  
  In Devon a Black Kite flew over Slapton this afternoon, whilst in Cumbria a probable Black Kite was seen briefly near Ulverston. In Dorset the Long-billed Dowitcher remained in Poole Park and elsewhere lingering rarities included House Crow in Co Cork, Pacific Diver in Cornwall and Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire.

The best of the rest included three American Wigeons, two Ring-necked Ducks, White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire and Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall.

Late news related to yet another winter 2010/11 garden mega - this time a Rufous Turtle Dove (of the nominate form orientalis) in a Chipping Norton garden on 15th-18th December 2010. Of the eight British records of Rufous Turtle Dove, three have been accepted as orientalis (Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1889, Castle Rising, Norfolk in 1946 and Fair Isle, Shetland in 1974).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 31st January 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Killdeer on Islay (Argyll). This is the third Killdeer to be recorded in Argyll, following birds on Colonsay in January 1984 and Oronsay in October 2006. By the end of 2008 a total of 15 Killdeers had been discovered in the month of January, making it the best month for this species in Britain and Ireland.

A Long-billed Dowitcher visited Poole Park (Dorset), the Pacific Diver lingered in Cornwall and the Red-breasted Goose was still in Lancashire. Elsewhere lingering rarities included Northern Harrier in Norfolk, two Northern Long-tailed Tits in Kent, Forster's Tern in Co Galway and Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire.

The best of the rest included White-tailed Eagle Hampshire, American Wigeons in Ayrshire and Norfolk and Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 30th January 2011  
  Lingering rarities included Lesser White-fronted Goose, Ross's Goose and Northern Harrier in Norfolk, Red-breasted Geese in Hampshire and Lancashire, five Northern Long-tailed Tits in Kent, Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Co Durham and Lothian, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Lesser Scaups in Gloucestershire and Cornwall and Blue-winged Teal in Co Dublin.

The best of the rest included eight Great White Egrets (including six together in Somerset), six Ring-necked Ducks, four American Wigeons, White-tailed Eagle (Hampshire) and Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 29th January 2011  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Forster's Tern at Galway, County Galway, House Crow at Cobh, County Cork, Pacific Diver at Marazion, Cornwall, Northern Harrier at Thornham, Norfolk, Richardson's Canada Goose on Islay, Argyll, four Northern Long-tailed Tits at Dymchurch, Kent, Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Rainton, County Durham, single Red-breasted Geese in Lancashire and Hampshire and single Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Gloucestershire.

Scarcity highlights included a Golden Eagle in Ceredigion, a White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire, a Little Auk in Yorkshire, two Surf Scoters, three American Wigeon, three Great Grey Shrikes, four Great White Egrets, five Ring-necked Ducks and six Rough-legged Buzzards.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 28th January 2011  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as present today included the Pacific Diver at Marazion, Cornwall, American Coot at Termoncarragh Lake, County Mayo, Northern Harrier at Thornham, Norfolk, five Northern Long-tailed Tits at Dymchurch, Kent, Red-breasted Goose at Titchfield Haven, Hampshire, Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Rainton, County Durham and single Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Gloucestershire.

Scarcity highlights included two Rose-coloured Starlings, an American Wigeon, a White-tailed Eagle, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Surf Scoters, two Ring-billed Gulls, five Great Grey Shrikes and 12 Great White Egrets.
-  Will Soar, RBA