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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Sunday 30th December 2012  
  Rarities today comprised both Laughing Gull and Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Red-breasted Geese in Hampshire and Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Ferruginous Duck in Nottinghamshire, Dark-breasted Barn Owl in Cambridgeshire, and Glossy Ibis in both Hampshire and Pembrokeshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Temminck's Stint (Somerset), Surf Scoter (County Waterford), American Wigeon (Aberdeenshire, Norfolk and West Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (County Westmeath, Pembrokeshire, Isles of Scilly (3), and Somerset), Ring-billed Gull (County Cork, County Down and Hampshire), Kumlien's Gull (County Cork), Cattle Egret (County Donegal and Somerset), Great Grey Shrike (Derbyshire and Hampshire), and Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk).

Waxwings were recorded across 38 counties between Highland, Aberdeenshire, Devon and Kent, and including maximum flocks of 110 in South Yorkshire, 100 in Greater Manchester, 84 in London, 80 in Nottinghamshire, and 76 in both Berkshire and Essex.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 29th December 2012  
  Rarities recorded today comprised the Rose-breasted Grosbeak still on the Isles of Scilly, American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Down, Desert Wheatear, Laughing Gull and King Eider all in Aberdeenshire, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, Red-breasted Geese in each of Dumfries and Galloway, Hampshire and Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Lesser Scaup in County Clare, and the Dark-breasted Barn Owl in Cambridgeshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Surf Scoter (County Waterford), Cattle Egret (County Donegal), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Great Grey Shrike (Wiltshire), American Wigeon (Aberdeenshire and County Tipperary), Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall, County Mayo and Somerset), and Ring-billed Gull (County Cork, Cornwall, County Dublin, County Galway, County Kerry and County Waterford).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 28th December 2012  
  On Isles of Scilly the Rose-breasted Grosbeak reappeared on St Mary's whilst in Aberdeenshire the Desert Wheatear at Rattray Head and the Laughing Gull at Rosehearty both remained in situ. Elsewhere lingering rarities included Black Duck in Highland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gull in Co Antrim and Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire, Hampshire and Co Cork. In Cambridgeshire a Dark-breasted Barn Owl was reported at Ouse Fen RSPB.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling in Devon, Ring-necked Ducks in Cornwall and Somerset and American Wigeon in Norfolk.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 27th December 2012  
  In Aberdeenshire the Desert Wheatear reappeared at Rattray Head and the Laughing Gull was still at Rosehearty. Elsewhere lingering rarities included Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire and Hampshire, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire and Ferruginous Duck in Nottinghamshire. In Co Galway an American Coot remained in Co Galway whilst in Co Down an American Buff-bellied Pipit reappeared in Co Down.

Nine Great White Egrets, three Ring-necked Ducks, three Surf Scoters, Cattle Egret (Somerset), Serin (Isles of Scilly), Green-winged Teal (Cornwall) and Leach's Petrel (West Sussex) were all recorded.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 26th December 2012  
  Headline news today was the astonishing arrival of a second American Buff-bellied Pipit at Queen Mother Reservoir, where the two were photographed side by side.

Lingering rarities included the Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim and Glossy Ibis in Hampshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Richard's Pipit, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Little Auk, three Great Grey Shrikes, a Ring-necked Duck, a Green-winged Teal, two American Wigeon, three Surf Scoters, a Ring-billed Gull, two Iceland Gulls and five Glaucous Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 25th December 2012  
  Both the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the American Buff-bellied Pipit remained in-situ today, on the Isles of Scilly and in Berkshire respectively. Other lingering rarities included the Laughing Gull in Aberdeenshire, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Green-winged Teals, an Iceland Gull, a Glaucous Gull and four Ring-billed Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 24th December 2012  
  The Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the Isles of Scilly reappeared on feeders in Hugh Town today, whilst the American Buff-bellied Pipit remained in-situ at Queen Mother Reservoir, Berkshire. Both the American Coot and Forster's Tern were seen in County Galway, and the Black Duck was again at Strontian, Highland. Other lingering rarities included single Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Somerset and single Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire and Hampshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Pomarine Skua, a Little Auk, a Ring-necked Duck, two Green-winged Teals, three Surf Scoters, three American Wigeon, two Ring-billed Gulls, two Glaucous Gulls, three Iceland Gulls and three Caspian Gulls.

Waxwings were seen in 37 counties, the largest flock beings 470 at Wombwell, South Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 23rd December 2012  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Black Duck in Highland, on Loch Sunart at Strontain. First noted at this site on 16th-17th June 2007, it showed here again in 2011; on 6th-26th June and 6th October.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Berkshire, Northern Harrier and an American Golden Plover in County Wexford, single Lesser Scaups in both Cornwall and Somerset, and Glossy Ibis in both Hampshire and Pembrokeshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Cattle Egret (County Donegal), Great Grey Shrike (Surrey), Lapland Bunting (two in East Yorkshire), American Wigeon (Norfolk and West Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (County Kerry and Pembrokeshire), Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall, County Mayo, Isles of Scilly (3) and Somerset), and Ring-billed Gull (County Cork, County Kerry and County Wexford).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 22nd December 2012  
  With no sightings of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the Isles of Scilly since yesterday morning, it was once again American Buff-bellied Pipit in Berkshire as the highlight of the day, where it remained at Queen Mother Reservoir. The Laughing Gull reappeared in Aberdeenshire briefly early morning, before flying inland, whilst other lingering rarities included the Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, single Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Somerset and Glossy Ibis in Hampshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Yellow-browed Warbler in Worcestershire, Rose-coloured Starling in Devon, Surf Scoters in Pembrokeshire and County Kerry, American Wigeon in Yorkshire, Little Auks in Aberdeenshire and Highland, Ring-billed Gulls in County Wicklow and County Kerry, Iceland Gulls in West Midlands and Aberdeenshire, Glaucous Gulls in Cleveland, Nottinghamshire, Essex and Kent and Caspian Gulls in Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Sussex (2), London and Essex (8).

Waxwings were seen in 33 counties, with the only triple figure flock at Birkenhead, Wirral.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 21st December 2012  
  Lingering rarites confirmed as still present today were the Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the Isles of Scilly, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Berkshire, Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, single Lesser Scaups in each of County Clare, Cornwall and Somerset, and Glossy Ibis in both Hampshire and Pembrokeshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Great Grey Shrike (Oxfordshire and Surrey), American Wigeon (West Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall (2), Lincolnshire and Isles of Scilly (3)), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry (2)), Cattle Egret (County Donegal), and Great White Egret (Hampshire, Kent (2), Northamptonshire and Suffolk).

Waxwings were recorded across 43 counties between Highland, County Durham, Kent and the Isles of Scilly, with maximum counts comprising 211 in Gloucestershire, 100 in both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, 93 in South Yorkshire and 90 in Essex.
-  Chris Batty, RBA