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 30th January 2012  
  Lingering rarities comprised the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset and Bufflehead in Cornwall. Glossy Ibises lingered in Isle of Wight, Cheshire and Lancashire.

In Ireland an American Herring Gull was discovered in Co Dublin and the Ross's Gull remained in Co Down.

The best of the rest included Pectoral Sandpiper in Ayrshire and Parrot Crossbill in West Sussex.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 29th January 2012  
  A female Parrot Crossbill was identified in East Sussex at Black Down, where it was present for a fourth day. This is the first record of this species in England since a male was near Fordingbridge, Hampshire on 5th-15th March 2000.

Rarities recorded today comprised both Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco still in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Coues's Arctic Redpoll and Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Ross's Gull in County Down, Red-breasted Geese in both Devon and Essex, Desert Wheatear in East Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Dorset, Lesser Scaups in Cornwall, Gloucestershire and County Kerry, Richardson's Canada Goose in County Sligo, Ross's Goose in Cumbria, two Northern Long-tailed Tits together in West Yorkshire, and Glossy Ibises in Cheshire, Cornwall, Gwent (2), Isle of Wight, Kent (2) and Lancashire.

Scarcities included Richard's Pipit (Dorset), Pectoral Sandpiper (Ayrshire), Temminck's Stint (Cambridgeshire) and a total of 62 Tundra Bean Geese. Gulls included 189 Iceland, 29 Glaucous, 12 Kumlien's, seven Caspian and six Ring-billed.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 28th January 2012  
  Lingering rarities included the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Western Sandpiper and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Red-breasted Geese in Essex and Devon, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Desert Wheatear  in East Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Gloucestershire, two Northern Long-tailed Tits in West Yorkshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Devon, Blue-winged Teal on Isles of Scilly and Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire. Nineteen Glossy Ibises were also recorded (nine of which were in Ireland).

In addition to the aforementioned Glossy Ibises Ireland also produced Bonaparte's Gull in Co Antrim and Ferruginous Duck in Co Armagh.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 27th January 2012  
  Long staying rarities still present today included the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Western Sandpiper, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Ross's Gull in County Down, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Desert Wheatear and two Northern Long-tailed Tits in Yorkshire, single Red-breasted Geese in Essex and Devon and Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim.

Scarcity highlights included Temminck's Stint, White Stork, two Yellow-browed Warblers, five Great Grey Shrikes and seven Rough-legged Buzzards.
-  Will Soar, RBA
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