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 7th December 2011  
  Long staying rarities seen today included the Western Sandpiper at Cley, Norfolk, Greater Yellowlegs at East Chevington, Northumberland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, Least Sandpiper at Black Rock Strand, County Kerry, Bufflehead at Helston, Cornwall, American Buff-bellied Pipit at Clonea Strand, County Waterford, American Herring Gull at Baltimore, County Cork, single Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers at Dungeness, Kent and Weymouth, Dorset, Dusky Warbler at Lower Moors, Isles of Scilly, Blue-winged Teal at Longham Lakes, Dorset, Lesser Scaup at Whitley Bay, Northumberland, Spotted Sandpiper at Plymouth, Devon, Glossy Ibis at Fingringhoe Wick, Essex and single Desert Wheatears in Shropshire, Yorkshire and Northumberland.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-necked Phalarope and a Grey Phalarope together in Ayrshire (with others of the latter in Lancashire and Cleveland), Pectoral Sandpiper and Kumlien's Gull in London, single Yellow-browed Warblers in Devon, Conwy and Norfolk and single Great Grey Shrikes in Fife, Norfolk and Northumberland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 6th December 2011  
  Lingering rare waders comprised Western Sandpiper (Norfolk), Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers (Somerset) and Greater Yellowlegs (Northumberland). The Bufflehead (Cornwall), Glossy Ibises (Dorset and Essex), Desert Wheatears (Northumberland, East Yorkshire and Shropshire), Dusky Warbler (Isles of Scilly), Lesser Scaup (Northumberland), Ross's Goose (Norfolk) and Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers (Dorset and Kent).

The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit in Dorset, Yellow-browed Warblers in Devon and Norfolk, Cattle Egret in Gloucestershire, American Wigeon in West Yorkshire and Ring-necked Duck in Dorset.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 5th December 2011  
  Lingering rare waders comprised the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Sharp-tailed and Spotted Sandpipers in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland and Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland. Elsewhere the Blue-winged Teal and Ferruginous Duck in Dorset, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Kent and Dorset, Desert Wheatears in Shropshire, Northumberland and East Yorkshire, Dusky Warbler on Isles of Scilly and Bufflehead in Cornwall all remained.

In Ireland the Least Sandpiper (Co Kerry) and American Buff-bellied Pipit (Co Waterford) both remained on show.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 4th December 2011  
  Two more late autumn rarities were discovered today, one being a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Dungeness, Kent, and the other a Desert Wheatear at Newbiggin, Northumberland.

Other rarity highlights seen today were the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Siberian Stonechat in Cleveland, Bufflehead in Cornwall and American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford.

Other lingering rarities included the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, single Desert Wheatears in Shropshire and Yorkshire, single Blue-winged Teals in Dorset and County Dublin, two Long-billed Dowitchers in Somerset, single Spotted Sandpipers in Essex and Somerset, Dusky Warbler in the Isles of Scilly and single Red-breasted Geese in Essex and Devon.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 3rd December 2011  
  The highlight of the day the was the discovery of a Siberian Stonechat in Cleveland at Seaton Carew; only the second to occur in the British Isles since it was split from Stonechat as a distinct species. In Dorset both Blue-winged Teal and Ferruginous Duck were new arrivals at Longham Lakes.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper together in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Scaup in Northumberland, Bufflehead in Cornwall, American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford, Least Sandpiper in County Kerry, Pallid Harrier and American Herring Gull in County Cork, Desert Wheatears in both East Yorkshire and Shropshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Penduline Tit in Kent, Red-breasted Geese in Devon and Essex, Spotted Sandpipers in Devon, Essex and County Meath, Glossy Ibis in Dorset and Essex, and Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starlings in both Dorset and Nottinghamshire, Bluethroat in County Waterford, Yellow-browed Warbler in Conwy, Surf Scoter in Cornwall and Snow Goose in County Donegal. A total of 77 Tundra Bean Geese were logged across 14 counties between the Shetland Isles, County Donegal, Shropshire and Kent.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 2nd December 2011  
  Waders again provided the headlines - the Western Sandpiper (Norfolk), Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Somerset) and Greater Yellowlegs (Northumberland) all lingered, along with two Long-billed Dowitchers in Somerset and Spotted Sandpipers in Devon, Somerset and Essex (the latter bird a new discovery).

The Desert Wheatears remained in East Yorkshire and Shropshire and the Glossy Ibises in Dorset and Essex, Dusky Warbler on Isles of Scilly, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll and Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire all lingered.

The best of the rest included Cattle Egrets in Suffolk and Gloucestershire, Rose-coloured Starling in Dorset and Ring-necked Duck in Cornwall.

In Ireland the American Herring Gull and House Crow (Co Cork) and Spotted Sandpiper (Co Meath) all lingered.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 1st December 2011  
  The highlight of the day was confirmation of the identity of the Western Sandpiper at Cley, Norfolk, where it was present for a fourth day.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Northern Waterthrush and two Dusky Warblers on the Isles of Scilly, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers together in Somerset, Least Sandpiper in County Kerry, American Herring Gull in County Cork, Red-breasted Goose in Essex, Desert Wheatears in both East Yorkshire and Shropshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in both Dorset and Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper in County Meath, Lesser Scaup in West Yorkshire, and Ferruginous Ducks in both County Armagh and Berkshire.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler in Gwynedd, Rose-coloured Starling in Dorset, American Wigeons in both Devon and West Yorkshire, and Yellow-browed Warblers in Conwy, Norfolk and the Isles of Scilly (2). Thirty Tundra Bean Geese were logged, all but one being in central Scotland.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 30th November 2011  
  At Cley NWT (Norfolk) the peep initially identified as a Semipalmated Sandpiper was still present, but it has been suggested that the bird could in fact be a Western Sandpiper.

Elsewhere lingering waders included Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers in Somerset and Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Somerset.

Lingering rarities also included Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Dorset and Shetland, Penduline Tit in Kent, Glossy Ibis in Dorset and Desert Wheatears in Shropshire and East Yorkshire.

In Ireland the Spotted Sandpiper in Co Meath and American Herring Gull in Co Cork both lingered.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 29th November 2011  
  Lingering rare waders included the Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Norfolk and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, two Long-billed Dowitchers and Spotted Sandpiper in Somerset.

The Desert Wheatears in East Yorkshire and Shropshire were both still on show, the Red-breasted Goose remained in Devon, the Bufflehead was still in Cornwall and the Ferruginous Duck was seen again in Berkshire.

In Ireland the Least Sandpiper in Co Kerry and American Herring Gull in Co Cork both lingered.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 28th November 2011  
  In Norfolk a Semipalmated Sandpiper was identified at Cley NWT, before it was later seen at Blakeney Point. At Holme NOA at Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was trapped and ringed.

Lingering rare waders included Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland and Spotted Sandpipers in Somerset and Devon. The Bufflehead was still in Cornwall and the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Desert Wheatears in East Yorkshire and Shropshire, Blue-winged Teal on Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaup in Northumberland and Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire all lingered.

In Ireland Spotted Sandpipers were in Co Waterford and Co Meath (with late news of another in Co Cork yesterday) and the American Herring Gull was still in Co Cork.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA