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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Monday 21st March 2011  
  One, or possibly two, drake King Eiders were found today on Shetland: one was seen off Unst and one was at Linga, between Unst and Yell. On the Outer Hebrides, the white morph Gyr was seen again on Lewis this afternoon. There was belated news of a Coues's Arctic Redpoll found yesterday at Higher Thrushgill Plantation in Lancashire.

In County Kerry the Stejneger's Scoter was still off Rossbeigh, whilst in Carmarthenshire the drake Blue-winged Teal was again to be found at Llanelli. Lesser Scaups remained at Southport in Merseyside and at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. The latter site was also visited briefly by both Great White Egret and Cattle Egret. Other lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull on Anglesey, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Penduline Tit in Kent and Northern Harrier in County Wexford.

A White-spotted Bluethroat remained at Spurn in Yorkshire and there were Hoopoes in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Sunday 20th March 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Blue-winged Teal in Carmarthenshire at Llanelli. Elsewhere, a Lesser Scaup was identified in Merseyside at Marshside, and off the Isle of Man a White-billed Diver flew past the Calf of Man.

Lingering rarities comprised the Stejneger's Scoter still in County Kerry, the Rufous Turtle Dove still in Oxfordshire, House Crow in County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset and Bonaparte's Gulls in both Anglesey and Glamorgan.

Scarcities included single White-spotted Bluethroats in both East Yorkshire and Suffolk, and totals of 50 Lapland Buntings, 16 Great Grey Shrikes, 12 Shorelarks, 11 Iceland Gulls, nine Ring-billed Gulls, eight Taiga Bean Geese, five Rough-legged Buzzards, four Glaucous Gulls, three Great White Egrets, two Green-winged Teals, and single Rose-coloured Starling, Hoopoe and Tundra Bean Goose (Cornwall), Surf Scoter (Devon), American Wigeon (Oxfordshire), Snow Goose (County Antrim) and Cattle Egret (Gloucestershire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 19th March 2011  
  New rarities reported today consisted of a white morph Gyr on Lewis, Western Isles and a Red-breasted Goose at Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross.

Long staying rarities seen today included the Stejneger's Scoter and Black Duck in County Kerry, Rufous Turtle Dove in Oxfordshire, House Crow in County Cork, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Glamorgan and Anglesey, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, three Northern Long-tailed Tits and a Penduline Tit in Kent and Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire.

Scarcity highlights involved one each of Rose-coloured Starling, Hoopoe, White-tailed Eagle, Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon, Surf Scoter and Cattle Egret, two Green-winged Teals, four Great White Egrets, six Rough-legged Buzzards, seven Ring-billed Gulls and 19 Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 18th March 2011  
  The highlight of the day should have been the male Rustic Bunting at Kelling, Norfolk, but, unfortunately, it was at a private site with no access, and so was only seen, and photographed, by the finder.

Long staying rarities still present today included the Stejneger's Scoter and Black Duck in County Kerry, Rufous Turtle Dove in Oxfordshire, Penduline Tit in Kent, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset and Ferruginous Duck in Suffolk.

Scarcity highlights included a Spotted Crake in Merseyside, Ring-necked Duck, Rose-coloured Starling and Hoopoe in Cornwall, White-tailed Eagle in Hampshire, two Surf Scoters in Conwy, three Great White Egrets and four Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 17th March 2011  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Stejneger's Scoter in County Kerry. Other lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Rufous Turtle Dove in Oxfordshire, American Coot in County Mayo, House Crow in County Cork, Bonaparte's Gull on Anglesey, Penduline Tit in Kent, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset and Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire.

Scarcities included the White-tailed Eagle still in Hampshire, 13 Iceland Gulls, nine Great Grey Shrikes, three each of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Shorelark, two each of Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal and Glaucous Gull, and single Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall), Hoopoe (Dorset), Great White Egret (Staffordshire), Snow Goose (County Down), Lapland Bunting (Western Isles) and Tundra Bean Goose (Cornwall).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 16th March 2011  
  A fairly quiet day today, with long staying rarities seen including Stejneger's Scoter at Rossbeigh, County Kerry, House Crow at Cobh, County Cork, Rufous Turtle Dove at Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Cardiff Bay, Glamorgan, Lesser Scaup at Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire and Long-billed Dowitcher at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset.

Scarcity highlights included single Serin, Hoopoe, Rose-coloured Starling and White-tailed Eagle, two each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Surf Scoter, Great White Egret and Ring-billed Gull, three Great Grey Shrikes and 13 Shorelarks.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 15th March 2011  
  Lingering rarities included the Stejneger's Scoter in Co Kerry, Rufous Turtle Dove in Oxfordshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Penduline Tits in Suffolk and Bonaparte's Gulls in Glamorgan and Anglesey.

In addition to the Stejneger's Scoter, Ireland hosted an American Coot in Co Mayo, Forster's Tern in Co Galway and House Crow in Co Cork.

The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall and Hoopoes in Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 14th March 2011  
  In Suffolk at least three Penduline Tits arrived at Minsmere RSPB.

Lingering rarities included the drake Stejneger's Scoter in Co Kerry, Rufous Turtle Dove in Oxfordshire, Bonaparte's Gulls in Glamorgan and Anglesey and a King Eider reappeared in Moray.

Great White Egrets were recorded in Somerset (2), Lincolnshire (2) and Staffordshire, the American Wigeon remained in Oxfordshire and the White-tailed Eagle continued to show in Hampshire. A Hoopoe was again seen at Portland Bill (Dorset) and a Northern Long-tailed Tit was still at North Foreland (Kent).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 13th March 2011  
  In Glamorgan, an adult Bonaparte's Gull was seen in Cardiff Bay today, whilst four Northern Long-tailed Tits were found at Kingsgate, Kent.

In County Kerry, the Stejneger's Scoter remained on show at Rossbeigh, and the Rufous Turtle Dove continued to linger at Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. Other long staying rarities included Bonaparte's Gull in Anglesey, House Crow in County Cork, Black Duck in County Kerry, Ferruginous Ducks in County Armagh and Suffolk and Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire.

Spring scarcities included two Hoopoes and a White Stork, whilst winter long stayers included White-tailed Eagle, Rose-coloured Starling, two American Wigeon, two Surf Scoters, two Snow Geese, Ross's Goose, three Rough-legged Buzzards, 17 Shorelarks and 20 Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 12th March 2011  
  The adult drake Stejneger's Scoter continued its stay in the bay at Rossbeigh in County Kerry, much to the delight of all those that made the journey across to see it. Also in County Kerry, the Black Duck was seen again at Ventry Harbour. In Oxfordshire the long staying Rufous Turtle Dove showed well in the garden of Number 41 The Leys, Chipping Norton, early in the morning.

A White-billed Diver flew north past Whitburn in County Durham, whilst in Suffolk there was an Arctic Redpoll at Mayday Farm in Breckland. Further evidence of the arrival of spring came with three new Hoopoes being found along the south coast - at Portland in Dorset, on The Lizard in Cornwall and on St.Agnes in the Scillies.

Long staying rarities included the Bonaparte's Gull on Anglesey, Lesser Scaups at Slimbridge in Gloucester and at Cosmeston in Glamorgan, and Ferruginous Ducks in Suffolk and County Armagh. The White-tailed Eagle remained in Hampshire and an adult Ring-billed Gull was found at Stanpit Marsh in Dorset. Twelve Great Grey Shrikes were reported, along with five Rough-legged Buzzards, of which four were in Norfolk, 27 Shorelarks (Norfolk and Lincolnshire) and 102 Lapland Buntings.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA