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 2nd January 2013  
  Rarities recorded today comprised the American Coot still in County Galway, Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Red-breasted Geese in both Dumfries and Galloway and Hampshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Pembrokeshire, King Eider on the Shetland Isles, Lesser Scaup in County Clare (2) and Somerset, Glossy Ibis in County Cork and Dark-breasted Barn Owl in Cambridgeshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Devon), Temminck's Stint (Somerset), Surf Scoter (Fife), American Wigeon (Highland and West Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall (2), Devon and County Mayo), Ring-billed Gull (Dorset, Hampshire, County Kerry, Pembrokeshire, Somerset and County Wexford), and Great Grey Shrike (Denbighshire, Hampshire, Staffordshire, Surrey and Wiltshire (2)).

Waxwings were recorded across 43 counties between Highland, the Shetland Isles, Kent and Cornwall, and included maximum counts of 175 in West Yorkshire, 100 in both County Durham and Greater Manchester, 81 in Merseyside and 80 in South Yorkshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 1st January 2013  
  A Long-billed Dowitcher was found in Pembrokeshire today, on the Gann Estuary. The Glossy Ibis which was discovered on Stanpit Marsh, Dorset is highly likely to be the recent individual from Ringwood, Hampshire.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Desert Wheatear in Aberdeenshire, Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, Dark-breasted Barn Owl in Cambridgeshire, Blue-winged Teal in Dumfries and Galloway, Lesser Scaups in Somerset and County Clare, Red-breasted Geese in Suffolk, Hampshire and Dumfries and Galloway and Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire and County Cork.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 31st December 2012  
  A King Eider on Whalsay, Shetland was the final new rarity to be discovered in 2012.

Lingering rarities seen today included both the Desert Wheatear and Laughing Gull in Aberdeenshire, Subalpine Warbler in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim, Dark-breasted Barn Owl in Cambridgeshire, Lesser Scaups in County Kerry and Somerset, Red-breasted Goose in Suffolk and Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire and Hampshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
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