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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Thursday 5th January 2012  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Coues's Arctic Redpoll and Ross's Goose in Norfolk, Pallid Harrier in County Galway, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler, Blue-winged Teal and two Long-billed Dowitchers in Dorset, Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim, Spotted Sandpiper in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Lesser Scaup in Northumberland, Glossy Ibis on the Isles of Scilly, and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (County Waterford), Richard's Pipit (Dorset), Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), Temminck's Stint (Cambridgeshire), Surf Scoter (Devon), Ring-necked Duck (Cleveland), American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway and Western Isles), and Snow Goose (Cumbria and Perth and Kinross).

Continuing strong winds brought large numbers of Northern and American gulls, with 117 Iceland, 44 Glaucous, eight Kumlien's and seven Ring-billed Gulls logged around the British Isles, with the majority being noted in Scotland and Ireland.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 4th January 2012  
  Lingering rarities comprised Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Greater Yellowlegs in Highland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Northumberland and Gloucestershire, Glossy Ibises in Lancashire, Isles of Scilly and Devon, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, Spotted Sandpipers in Somerset and Devon, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler, Blue-winged Teal and two Long-billed Dowitchers in Dorset, Desert Wheatear in East Yorkshire and Bonaparte's Gull in Co Antrim.

The best of the rest included a Yellow-browed Warblers in Somerset and Cornwall, Richard's Pipit in Dorset, Bluethroat in Co Waterford and Temminck's Stint in Cambridgeshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 3rd January 2012  
  Lingering rarities included Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Greater Yellowlegs in Highland, Desert Wheatear and Lesser Scaup in Northumberland, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and two Long-billed Dowitchers in Dorset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Blue-winged Teal on Isles of Scilly, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gull in Co Antrim and Glossy Ibises in Devon, Isles of Scilly, Lancashire and Essex.

The best of the rest comprised Richard's Pipit in Dorset, Bluethroat in Co Waterford and Yellow-browed Warblers in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 2nd January 2012  
  In Dorset two Long-billed Dowitchers were discovered at Lodmoor RSPB this afternoon.

Lingering rarities included the Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Blue-winged Teals in Dorset and Isles of Scilly, Ross's Goose in Cumbria, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Glossy Ibises in Devon, Isles of Scilly, Essex and Lancashire, Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset, Somerset and Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Red-breasted Geese in Essex and Devon, Greater Yellowlegs in Highland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Northumberland and Desert Wheatears in East Yorkshire and Northumberland.

In Ireland a Forster's Tern (Co Galway), Long-billed Dowitcher (Co Wexford), Lesser Scaup (Co Kerry), Bonaparte's Gull (Co Antrim) and Bluethroat (Co Waterford) were all logged.

The best of the rest included Hoopoe (Suffolk), Richard's Pipits (Dorset and Co Down) and Pectoral Sandpiper (Ayrshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 1st January 2012  
  Rarities recorded around England today were the Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and Blue-winged Teal in Dorset, Red-breasted Goose and Glossy Ibis in Devon, Red-breasted Goose and Glossy Ibis in Essex, Spotted Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Spotted Sandpiper in Devon, Blue-winged Teal, Dusky Warbler and Glossy Ibis on the Isles of Scilly, Desert Wheatear and Lesser Scaup in Northumberland, Desert Wheatear in East Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, two Glossy Ibises together in Kent and a Glossy Ibis in Lancashire.

Elsewhere, in Scotland the Greater Yellowlegs remained in Highland, in Wales the Long-billed Dowitcher showed in Carmarthenshire, as did the Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, and in Ireland a Long-billed Dowitcher was found in County Wexford, the Bonaparte's Gull remained in County Antrim, and the Blue-winged Teal was seen again in County Dublin.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 31st December 2011  
  The highlight of the day was breaking news of Dark-eyed Junco present yesterday at Hawkhill Inclosure in the New Forest, Hampshire, having first been noted there on 24th December. Also found yesterday was a Gyr on Hoy, Orkney Isles, with rarities discovered today comprising a Lesser Yellowlegs at Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, and a Lesser Scaup at Lough Gill, County Kerry.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Greater Yellowlegs in Highland, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Desert Wheatears in both East Yorkshire and Northumberland, Red-breasted Goose in Essex, Spotted Sandpiper and Blue-winged Teal in Dorset, King Eider in County Kerry, Spotted Sandpiper and Glossy Ibis in Devon, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin, House Crow in County Cork, Lesser Scaups in both Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, and Glossy Ibises in Kent (2), Lancashire and the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (County Waterford), Hoopoe (Suffolk), Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), Pectoral Sandpiper (Ayrshire), Surf Scoter (Cornwall), American Wigeon (West Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Cleveland, Cornwall, Dorset and Norfolk), Snow Goose (County Donegal) and Cattle Egret (Hampshire). A total of 95 Tundra Bean Geese was recorded across ten counties between the Shetland Isles, Western Isles and Suffolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 30th December 2011  
  New discoveries today included a juvenile American Herring Gull at Cuskinny Bay, County Cork, and a drake Ferruginous Duck at Blashford Lakes HWT, Hampshire.

Long staying rarities included the Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Coues's Arctic Redpoll and Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Greater Yellowlegs in Highland, Desert Wheatear in Yorkshire, single Glossy Ibises in Lancashire, Devon, Kent and the Isles of Scilly, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll, Blue-winged Teal in Dorset, King Eider in Moray, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire and single Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 29th December 2011  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Greater Yellowlegs in Highland, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Desert Wheatears in both East Yorkshire and Northumberland, Red-breasted Goose, Spotted Sandpiper and Glossy Ibis in Devon, Red-breasted Goose in Essex, Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim, King Eider in Moray, Blue-winged Teal in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Ross's Goose in Cumbria, Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Northumberland, and Glossy Ibises in Kent (2), Lancashire and the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (County Waterford), Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), Pectoral Sandpiper (Ayrshire), Surf Scoter (Cornwall and Devon), American Wigeon (Devon and Dumfries and Galloway), Ring-necked Duck (Cleveland, Dorset (2) and Norfolk) and Snow Goose (Argyll, County Donegal, Forth and Perth and Kinross).

A total of 101 Tundra Bean Geese were recorded across thirteen counties between Angus, County Donegal and Suffolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 28th December 2011  
  Lingering rarity highlights today included the Western Sandpiper and Lesser White-fronted Goose in Norfolk, Greater Yellowlegs in Highland and Bufflehead in Cornwall.

Other rarities seen today included single Desert Wheatears in Northumberland and Yorkshire, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Dusky Warbler in the Isles of Scilly, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Penduline Tit in Kent, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim, single Blue-winged Teals in Dorset, Isles of Scilly and County Dublin, single Lesser Scaups in Gloucestershire, Glamorgan and Northumberland and single Glossy Ibises in Devon, Isles of Scilly and Lancashire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 27th December 2011  
  In Norfolk, an adult Lesser White-fronted Goose is present in the Yare Valley at Buckenham Marshes RSPB for the second year running. The Western Sandpiper remained at Cley NWT, as did the Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Titchwell RSPB and Ferruginous Duck at Cockshoot Broad. Elsewhere, a Glossy Ibis was found in the Isles of Scilly, after first being seen flying south-west near St Just, Cornwall.

Other lingering rarities included the Bufflehead in Cornwall, Greater Yellowlegs in Highland, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Dusky Warbler in the Isles of Scilly, single Desert Wheatears in Yorkshire and Northumberland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, single Red-breasted Geese in Devon and Essex, single Blue-winged Teals in Dorset and the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaup in Northumberland and Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim.
-  Will Soar, RBA