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
Thursday 26th January 2012  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Spanish Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Coues's Arctic Redpoll and Ross's Goose in the Netherlands, Bufflehead and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Ross's Gull in County Down, Red-breasted Geese in both Devon and Essex, Spotted Sandpipers in Devon, Dorset and Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, and Glossy Ibises in Cheshire, Cornwall, Essex and Pembrokeshire (2).

The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit in Dorset, Temminck's Stint in Oxfordshire and single Yellow-browed Warblers in both Devon and Somerset, whilst scarce gulls remained in good numbers, with 173 Iceland, 20 Glaucous, six Caspian, five Kumlien's and four Ring-billed all logged today.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 25th January 2012  
  Lingering rare passerines included the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Desert Wheatear in East Yorkshire and two Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk. The Western Sandpiper (Norfolk) and Spotted Sandpipers (Somerset, Dorset and Devon) were still on show, and the Lesser White-fronted Goose (Norfolk), Red-breasted Geese (Essex, Devon and Dumfries & Galloway), Ferruginous Ducks (Hampshire and London), Blue-winged Teal (Isles of Scilly) and Lesser Scaup and Bufflehead (Cornwall) also lingered.

In Co Down the Ross's Gull was still at Ardglass harbour. Glossy Ibises remained in Lancashire, Cheshire, Kent (2) and Essex and the best of the rest included Dotterel (Kent), Cattle Egret (Hampshire) and Temminck's Stint (Oxfordshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 24th January 2012  
  A Glossy Ibis seen in flight over Stanpit Marsh, Dorset was the only new rarity reported today.

Long staying rarities included the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Ross's Gull in County Down, two Northern Long-tailed Tits in Yorkshire, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset, White-billed Diver in Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Blue-winged Teal on the Isles of Scilly, Ferruginous Duck in London and Glossy Ibises in Kent (2), Cornwall, Devon, Pembrokeshire (5) and Lancashire.

Scarce gulls were once again well represented, with totals including 300 Iceland Gulls, 35 Glaucous Gulls, eight Kumlien's Gulls and five Ring-billed Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 23rd January 2012  
  In Hampshire the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco both lingered. Elsewhere rare passerines included Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, two Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk, Desert Wheatear in East Yorkshire and Northern Long-tailed Tit in West Yorkshire.

Lingering wildfowl included Bufflehead in Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck in London, Lesser White-fronted Goose in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Northumberland, Gloucestershire and Co Kerry, Red-breasted Goose in Essex (the Red-breasted Goose previously  in Cumbria was  relocated in Dumfries & Galloway) and Ross's Goose in Cumbria. Rare waders comprised Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Spotted Sandpipers in Dorset and Devon and Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire. The best of the rest included Ross's Gull in Co Down, Gyr on Orkney and Glossy Ibises in Cornwall and Devon.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 22nd January 2012  
  New discoveries today included a first-winter Red-breasted Goose in Cumbria, at Drumburgh and Cardurnock, an adult Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, in Cardiff Bay, and Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire (two over Dowrog Common) and County Wicklow (at Broad Lough).

Long staying rarities still present today included the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose, three Coues's Arctic Redpolls and a Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk (with another of the latter in London), Ross's Gull in County Down, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Desert Wheatear and two Northern Long-tailed Tits in Yorkshire, Blue-winged Teal on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, single Red-breasted Geese in Essex and Devon and Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 21st January 2012  
  Rare and scarce gulls continue to dominate the headlines, with the Ross's Gull still present in County Down, Bonaparte's Gulls in both County Antrim and Couunty Cork, eight each of both Ring-billed and Caspian, 19 Kumlien's, 46 Glaucous and 302 Iceland Gulls noted around Britain and Ireland today.

Other lingering rarities comprised both the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose, three Coues's Arctic Redpolls and Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, Desert Wheatear in East Yorkshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Northern Long-tailed Tit in West Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire, and Glossy Ibises in Cornwall, Devon, Essex, Gwent (2), Kent (2), Lancashire and Pembrokeshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 20th January 2012  
  Despite there being a good number of Glossy Ibises around the country, a group of five on the island of Eigg, Highland is an unusual record, especially in January. Slightly further north, on the Western Isles, a Bonaparte's Gull was on Loch Branahuie, Lewis late morning.

Other rarities noted included the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose, two Coues's Arctic Redpolls and Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk, Ross's Gull in County Down, Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Blue-winged Teal on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Desert Wheatear in Yorkshire, Red-breasted Goose in Devon. Glossy Ibises were recorded in Cornwall, Devon (2), Pembrokeshire (3), Gwent (2) Lancashire and County Mayo.

Scarce gulls once again featured prominently, with the totals being nine Kumlien's, 37 Glaucous and 254 Iceland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 19th January 2012  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Ross's Gull at Ardglass, County Down, with totals of scarce gulls throughout Britain and Ireland today including 243 Iceland, 30 Glaucous, nine Kumlien's and four Ring-billed.

Other rarities noted today were both the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco still in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose, three Coues's Arctic Redpolls and Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Desert Wheatear in North Yorkshire, Northern Long-tailed Tit in West Yorkshire, Blue-winged Teal on the Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitchers in Dumfries and Galloway and County Wexford (2), Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire, and Glossy Ibises in Cornwall, Essex, Gwent (2) and Pembrokeshire (3).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 18th January 2012  
  Today's headline discovery was an adult Ross's Gull at Ardglass harbour (Co Down).

In Hampshire the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco both remained on show, whilst the Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose and three Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk), Blue-winged Teal (Isles of Scilly), Bonaparte's Gull (London), Desert Wheatear (East Yorkshire), two Long-billed Dowitchers (Co Wexford), two Northern Long-tailed Tits (West Yorkshire), Lesser Scaup (Gloucestershire) and Spotted Sandpiper (Dorset) all lingered.

Glossy Ibises were logged in Essex, Devon (2), Gwent, Cornwall and Pembrokeshire (3).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 17th January 2012  
  Lingering rarities included the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper and Lesser White-fronted Goose in Norfolk, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Blue-winged Teal on Isles of Scilly, Spotted Sandpiper in Somerset, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Essex, Desert Wheatear in East Yorkshire and Bonaparte's Gull in Co Antrim.

Glossy Ibises arrived in Devon (2) and Cork (2), whilst another joined the bird at Fingringhoe Wick EWT (Essex). Elsewhere Glossy Ibises lingered in Glamorgan, Lancashire, Cornwall, Devon (2) and Kent (2). Lesser Scaups were in Co Kerry and Gloucestershire, at least two Coues's Arctic Redpolls were identified in Norfolk and a Northern Long-tailed Tit remained in West Yorkshire.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA