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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Saturday 30th November 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a smart drake Baikal Teal at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside, although it was only seen (and photographed) by the initial observer before it flew off. In County Durham, a juvenile Ivory Gull was seen to fly north along the beach at Seaburn, but again wasn't seen after the initial sighting.

Other new discoveries reported today included three Two-barred Crossbills in the Wyre Forest on the Shropshire /Worcestershire border near Buttonoak, another Two-barred Crossbill heard at Furzy Lawn Inclosure, Hampshire and single Glossy Ibises at Middlebere, Dorset and Northey Island, Essex.

Lingering rarities included the Caspian Stonechat on the Isles of Scilly, Forster's Tern in County Galway, single Two-barred Crossbills in Surrey, Kent and Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, American Golden Plover in Cornwall, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, King Eider in County Mayo, single Lesser Scaups in Leicestershire and Glamorgan and single Glossy Ibises in County Wexford and Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 29th November 2013  
  Rarities recorded today included the Caspian Stonechat on the Isles of Scilly, Penduline Tit in Dorset, Two-barred Crossbills in Kent, Surrey and Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Sligo and Glossy Ibises in County Wexford and Somerset.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Surf Scoter, two Green-winged Teals, three Yellow-browed Warblers, five Great Grey Shrikes and 13 Parrot Crossbills. Gull totals were five Glaucous, seven Iceland, one Kumlien's, three Ring-billed and six Caspian.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 28th November 2013  
  Rarities seen today included the Caspian Stonechat on the Isles of Scilly, Penduline Tit in Dorset, Two-barred Crossbill in Norfolk, Little Bunting in Kent, King Eider in County Mayo, American Golden Plover in Cornwall, single Lesser Scaups in County Kerry, County Galway and the Western Isles, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Sligo and Glossy Ibis in Somerset.

Scarcities comprised a Serin, a Purple Heron, a two Rose-coloured Starlings, three Yellow-browed Warblers and three Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 27th November 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Norfolk at Holkham Pines. Othwerise, a Penduline Tit was confirmed in Dorset at Longham Lakes, and in Leicestershire a Lesser Scaup - or perhaps a hybrid aythya - was located at Rutland Water.

Rarities elsewhere comprised both the American Robin and Lesser Scaup still on the Western Isles, Caspian Stonechat on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, and Glossy Ibis in County Wexford.

Scarcities included Purple Heron, Rose-coloured Starling and 12 Parrot Crossbills in Norfolk, along with Rough-legged Buzzard (Suffolk), American Wigeon (County Leitrim), Ring-billed Gull (Hampshire), three Yellow-browed Warblers, four each of both Surf Scoter and Great Grey Shrike, five Green-winged Teals and 15 Shorelarks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 26th November 2013  
  Rarities recorded today comprised the Caspian Stonechat still on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Grey Shrike in Northumberland, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (10), Surrey and Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, King Eider in County Mayo, Black Kite in Kent, and six Glossy Ibises scattered across four counties.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Norfolk), Serin (East Yorkshire), Richard's Pipit (Devon), Surf Scoter (Gywnedd), Rough-legged Buzzard (Suffolk), Cattle Egret (County Down), two each of Ring-necked Duck (both County Kerry) and Lesser Snow Goose (together in Argyll), four Yellow-browed Warblers, eight Great Grey Shrikes, 11 Shorelarks and 18 Parrot Crossbills (10 in Norfolk, and eight in Suffolk).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 25th November 2013  
  Lingering rarities included American Robin (Western Isles), Caspian Stonechat (Isles of Scilly), Pacific Diver and American Golden Plover (Cornwall), Two-barred Crossbills (Gloucestershire [12], Norfolk and Surrey), Bonaparte's Gull (Devon), Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan and Co Kerry), Lesser Grey Shrike (Northumberland), Ferruginous Duck (Hampshire), Black Kite (Kent), Isabelline Shrike (Co Wexford) and Glossy Ibises (Dorset [2], Hampshire [2], Cheshire and Co Wexford).

The best of the rest included 29 Parrot Crossbills, Serin (East Yorkshire) and Rose-coloured Starling (Norfolk).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 24th November 2013  
  New discoveries today included an Isabelline Shrike at Lady's Island Lake, County Wexford (the second for the county but just the fifth for Ireland), a white Gyr at Ballyferriter, County Kerry and a Lesser Scaup and a White-rumped Sandpiper on South Uist, Western Isles. Two Glossy Ibises (presumably the birds recently in Gloucestershire) arrived in Christchurch Harbour mid afternoon.

Late news from yesterday concerned another new Northern Harrier, this time a second-winter male, which was photographed at Men-An-Tol, Cornwall in the afternoon.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Western Orphean Warbler in Pembrokeshire, Caspian Stonechat in the Isles of Scilly, American Robin in the Western Isles, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Forster's Tern in County Wexford and Lesser Grey Shrike in Northumberland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 23rd November 2013  
  A Little Bunting in Shetland at Baltasound, Unst was a surprising find today, being the second latest ever for the county. A Dusky Warbler was also new in at Spurn, Yorkshire, whilst new Two-barred Crossbills were in Ashdown Forest, Sussex and Haldon Forest, Devon. A Glossy Ibis was seen at Callow Rock SWT, Somerset briefly.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Western Orphean Warbler in Pembrokeshire, Caspian Stonechat in the Isles of Scilly, Short-billed Dowitcher in Orkney, American Robin in the Western Isles, Lesser Grey Shrike in Northumberland, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (two) and Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs and Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Black Kite in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, King Eider in County Mayo and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 22nd November 2013  
  New discoveries today included a female King Eider off Blacksod, County Mayo, a Dusky Warbler at Quendale, Shetland, a Ferruginous Duck at Blashford Lakes HWT, Hampshire and a Glossy Ibis at Tacumshin, County Wexford.

Lingering rarities included the Caspian Stonechat in the Isles of Scilly, Western Orphean Warbler in Pembrokeshire, Short-billed Dowitcher in Orkney, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Lesser Grey Shrike in Northumberland, Two-barred Crossbill in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire and White-rumped Sandpiper in Lincolnshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 21st November 2013  
  The headline news today concerned the re-identification of the Siberian Stonechat on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly. Present on the island since Sunday, the tail pattern was seen well and photographed today, confirming it as Britain's fourth Caspian Stonechat of the form variegatus, or hemprichii.

Further north, and also present since at least Sunday, an American Robin was at South Loch Eynort, South Uist, Western Isles where it also showed very well. A Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Oxmoor LNR, Cheshire was also found last Sunday, but this one hasn't been seen since.

Lingering rarities included the Western Orphean Warbler at Marloes, Pembrokeshire, Pacific Diver in Gerrans Bay, Cornwall, Lesser Grey Shrike at Long Nanny, Northumberland, Lesser Yellowlegs at Lepe Country Park, Hampshire, Two-barred Crossbill in the Forest of Dean and two Glossy Ibises at Slimbridge WWT, both Gloucestershire.
-  Will Soar, RBA