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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Friday 6th December 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Pied-billed Grebe on the Western Isles; at Balranald, North Uist.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Baikal Teal in Merseyside, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Blue-winged Teal in the Orknry Isles, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Black Kite in Kent, Glossy Ibis in Gloucestershire, with Two-barred Crossbills in Kent, Norfolk, Shropshire (2) and South Yorkshire (7).

Scarcities included Melodious Warbler (Dorset), Rose-coloured Starling (Norfolk), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire), Pectoral Sandpiper (County Armagh), Surf Scoter (two together in Gwynedd), Lesser Snow Goose (two together in Argyll), a total of four Yellow-browed Warblers, and nine Parrot Crossbills: two in Derbyshire, seven in Norfolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 5th December 2013  
  Highlight of the day was a flyby Ivory Gull logged off Tarbat Ness (Highland). Elsewhere a Blue-winged Teal was on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) and lingering rarities included American Golden Plover in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Lesser Scaup in Co Galway and Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (3) and Surrey. Glossy Ibises were in Norfolk and Kent.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 4th December 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a juvenile Ivory Gull on the Western Isles, at Baleshare, North Uist. Another northern visitor was a white morph Gyr in County Clare at Clahane, although in North Yorkshire the Brunnich's Guillemot could not be found at Filey.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Baikal Teal still in Merseyside, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, American Golden Plover on Cornwall, and Black Kite in Kent, with Two-barred Crossbills still in Kent, Shropshire (2) and South Yorkshire (5).

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Norfolk), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire), American Wigeon (County Leitrim), Rough-legged Buzzard (Cleveland), Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), Surf Scoter (2 together in Norfolk), three each of Lesser Snow Goose and Ring-billed Gull, four Great Grey Shrikes, and 13 each of both Parrot Crossbill and Shorelark.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 3rd December 2013  
  The highlight of the day was a Brunnich's Guillemot in North Yorkshire; photographed late in the afternoon at Filey. Previously, there is only one accepted record of a live Brunnich's Guillemot seen in England - on the Farne Islands, Northumberland on 13th July 1977. Furthermore, of the 42 accepted British records only 16 have been seen alive, and only five of these have ever been successfully twitched from afar: all on the Shetland Isles.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Baikal Teal still in Merseyside, American Robin and Lesser Scaup on the Western Isles, Caspian Stonechat on the Isles of Scilly, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, American Golden Plover in Cornwall, Glossy Ibis in both Essex and the Western Isles, and 15 Two-barred Crossbills; three in Gloucestershire, singles in Kent and Norfolk, three in Shropshire and seven in South Yorkshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Norfolk), Richard's Pipit (Cornwall), Surf Scoter (Dorset), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire), Ring-billed Gull (Hampshire), two American Wigeons, four each of both Yellow-browed Warbler and Great Grey Shrike, nine Shorelarks (together in Lincolnshire), and 22 Parrot Crossbills (including 21 together in Norfolk).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 2nd December 2013  
  Highlight of the day was the continued presence of the drake Baikal Teal at Crossens Outer Marsh (Merseyside). Elsewhere lingering rarities included Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (9), South Yorkshire (7), Shropshire/Worcestershire border (4), Surrey and Kent, American Golden Plover in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Glossy Ibises in Essex and Co Wexford and Bonaparte's Gull in Devon. In Lincolnshire a probable Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was at Gibraltar Point NNR for its sixth day.

The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starlings in Cornwall and Norfolk, Yellow-browed Warblers in Devon and Co Cork, Parrot Crossbills in Norfolk (23), Shropshire/Worcestershire border and Kent and Cattle Egret in Buckinghamshire, whilst a Wryneck was reported in Cornwall.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 1st December 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the drake Baikal Teal at Crossens Outer Marsh, Merseyside, where it showed well from midday until dusk.

The Wyre Forest Two-barred Crossbill flock grew to five, seen on the Shropshire side of the border. Others remained in Gloucestershire (nine), Yorkshire (two) and one each in Kent and Surrey. Other lingering rarities included the Caspian Stonechat in the Isles of Scilly, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Penduline Tit in Dorset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, American Golden Plover in Cornwall, Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan and County Kerry, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and Glossy Ibises in Essex and County Wexford.
-  Will Soar, RBA
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