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.


Sunday 15th December 2013

	Bird of the day is once again an Ivory Gull, this time at Patrington Haven, East Yorkshire, which was found late afternoon and was present until dusk. If accepted as different birds, the seven so far this year is the biggest yearly total ever, beating the six in 1980 and five in 1916. A second female King Eider arrived at Gullane, Lothian, and an apparently unringed Red-breasted Goose was found with the Barnacle Geese at Loaningfoot, Dumfries and Galloway. Glossy Ibises were at Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire and Loch na Revil, Western Isles (the latter killed by a Buzzard). Lingering rarities included the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Northamptonshire, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (four), Shropshire (three) and Yorkshire (eight), Blue-winged Teal on Orkney and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.
- Will Soar, RBA


Saturday 14th December 2013

	The highlight of the day was the discovery of a first-winter Forster's Tern in County Cork, which flew east past Garrettstown mid morning. After a ten year wait, a twitchable British bird would be most welcome. Of the lingering rarities, the top birds remained on Orkney, with the Short-billed Dowitcher on North Ronaldsay and Ivory Gull at Evie. Elsewhere, the Desert Wheatear remained in Gloucestershire, as did the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Northamptonshire, King Eider in Lothian, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (11), Shropshire (three), Yorkshire (eight), Norfolk and Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.
- Will Soar, RBA


Friday 13th December 2013

	Rarities seen today included the Short-billed Dowitcher again on North Ronaldsay and the Ivory Gull at Evie, both Orkney, Desert Wheatear at Severn Beach, Gloucestershire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire, Black Kite at Samphire Hoe, Kent, King Eider at Eyebroughty, Lothian, Richardson's Cackling Goose at Raghly, County Sligo and Lesser Scaup at Loch an't-Saile, Western Isles. Two-barred Crossbills were once again well represented, with 20 seen in four counties. Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, two Rose-coloured Starlings, four Yellow-browed Warblers, four Great Grey Shrikes, two Grey Phalaropes and 15 Parrot Crossbills.
- Will Soar, RBA


Thursday 12th December 2013

	Highlight of the day was the discovery of another Ivory Gull, this time a juvenile on Mainland Orkney. Elsewhere rarities included Desert Wheatear in Gloucestershire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Pied-billed Grebe in Western Isles, Black Kite in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (8), South Yorkshire (7+), Shropshire (2) and Norfolk and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan. Glossy Ibises were logged in Gloucestershire, Co Kerry and Western Isles. The best of the rest included Hoopoe in Conwy, Parrot Crossbills in Nottinghamshire (14) and Suffolk (13), Cattle Egret in Buckinghamshire, Yellow-browed Warblers in Isles of Scilly (2), Dorset and Devon and Rose-coloured Starling in Norfolk.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Wednesday 11th December 2013

	The highlight of the day was the discovery of a male Desert Wheatear in Gloucestershire at Severn Beach, whilst in Lothian a King Eider was located at Gullane. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the Baikal Teal still in Merseyside, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Northamptonshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershie (17), South Yorkshire (7) and Shropshire (2), and Glossy Ibises in County Kerry, Isles of Scillt and County Waterford. Scarcities included Hoopoe (Conwy), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire), Dotterel (Cornwall), Surf Scoter (Dorset), and Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon and Dorset), with 13 Parrot Crossbills and a Yellow-browed Warbler in Nottinghamshire, and in Norfolk, Parrot Crossbill, Rose-coloured Starling, Richard's Pipit, Yellow-browed Warbler and two Rough-legged Buzzards.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Tuesday 10th December 2013

	Rarities today comprised the Baikal Teal still in Merseyside, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Northamptonshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Glossy Ibis in both Kent and Pembrokeshire, with Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (17), South Yorkshire (5), Shropshire (2) and Surrey. Scarcities included a flock of 14 Parrot Crossbills in Nottinghamshire, Rose-coloured Starling (Norfolk), Hoopoe (Conwy), Rough-legged Buzzard (Essex), Surf Scoter (Fife), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire), Sabine's Gull (Pembrokeshire), two Yellow-browed Warblers, four each of both Ring-billed Gull and Green-winged Teal, and five Great Grey Shrikes.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Monday 9th December 2013

	Lingering rarities included the Baikal Teal in Merseyside, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Northamptonshire, Pied-billed Grebe on Western Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire and Two-barred Crossbills in South Yorkshire (9), Gloucestershire (6) and Kent. In West Sussex the probable Pacific Diver was again off Worthing. Scarcities included Hoopoe in Conwy, Cattle Egret in Buckinghamshire, Parrot Crossbills in Suffolk (2), Nottinghamshire (1+) and Kent, Yellow-browed Warblers in Devon and Scilly and Melodious Warbler in Dorset.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Sunday 8th December 2013

	A King Eider was off Nairn, Highland, whilst four newly reported Glossy Ibises were in Cornwall, one at Marazion, one at Helston and two on the Hayle Estuary (where there were four yesterday). The Baikal Teal remained in Merseyside, with other lingering rarities including Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Northamptonshire, Two-barred Crossbills in Kent, Surrey, Norfolk, Yorkshire (eight) and Shropshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Black Duck in County Mayo, Blue-winged Teal in Orkney, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and Glossy Ibis in the Isles of Scilly. Scarcity highlights included a Melodious Warbler, six Yellow-browed Warblers, a Hoopoe, a Rose-coloured Starling, four Great Grey Shrikes, four Rough-legged Buzzards and at least 35 Parrot Crossbills.
- Will Soar, RBA


Saturday 7th December 2013

	Highlight of the day was the discovery of three Ivory Gulls - two together at Seahouses (Northumberland) and one at Boddam (Aberdeenshire). Elsewhere a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Northamptonshire was present for its second day (having previously been misidentified as a Yellow-browed Warbler) and two Richardson's Cackling Geese were in Co Clare, whilst lingering rarities included Baikal Teal in Merseyside, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (7+), South Yorkshire (7), Shropshire/Worcestershire (4), Kent and Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Glossy Ibises in Scilly, Co Cork and Kent. The best of the rest included Cattle Egrets (Norfolk and Buckinghamshire), Parrot Crossbills (9 in Norfolk and 1 in Kent), Yellow-browed Warblers (Hampshire, Devon, Scilly and Dorset), two Serins (Scilly), Rose-coloured Starling (Norfolk), Melodious Warbler (Dorset) and Kumlien's Gull (East Yorkshire).
- Stuart Piner, RBA


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