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 4th January 2014  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a juvenile Thayer's Gull in Glamorgan at Burry Holms, with a probable first-winter American Herring Gull recorded at the same site. Elsewhere, in County Galway a Ross's Gull was discovered at Salthill, the Bonaparte's Gull remained in Devon, the Kumlien's Gull showed again in South Yorkshire, an Ivory Gull was seen briefly in Cleveland at Hartlepool, and in Buckinghamshire a Sabine's Gull was reported. Otherwise, totals included five Ring-billed, 16 Caspian, 17 Iceland and 19 Glaucous Gulls.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Marsh Sandpiper on the Western Isles, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, White-billed Diver in Devon, and Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (2), Shropshire (3) and South Yorkshire (12).

Scarcities included Serin and Yellow-browed Warbler (Isle of Scilly), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), American Wigeon (County Donegal), Ring-necked Duck (County Down), two each of both Richard's Pipit and Lapland Bunting, three Cattle Egrets, four Green-winged Teals, five each of Surf Scoter, Great Grey Shrike and Black Brant, 19 Glossy Ibises, 20 Great White Egrets and 23 Parrot Crossbills.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 3rd January 2014  
  Lingering rarities today included the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Dungeness, Kent, White-billed Diver at Brixham and Bonaparte's Gull at Dawlish, both Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs at Lepe, Hampshire, King Eider at Gullane, Lothian, Lesser Scaup at Dozmary Pool, Cornwall and Red-breasted Goose at Southerness, Dumfries and Galloway. Seven Two-barred Crossbills were at Broomhead Reservoir, Yorkshire, and one was still at Postensplain, Shropshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Leach's Petrel, a Little Auk, a Surf Scoter, two Kumlien's Gulls, two Ring-necked Ducks, a Rough-legged Buzzard, six Grey Phalaropes, 24 Parrot Crossbills and six Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 2nd January 2014  
  A Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was discovered in Kent, in the trapping area at Dungeness Bird Observatory, whilst a Penduline Tit was in the same county at Stodmarsh NNR. Further north a white Gyr was seen at Stromness, Orkney.

Lingering rarities were headlined by the White-billed Diver at Brixham, Devon, Marsh Sandpiper and Pied-billed Grebe on North Uist, Western Isles, Lesser Yellowlegs at Lepe, Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull at Dawlish, Devon, two female King Eiders near Gullane, Lothian and single Lesser Scaups at Dozmary Pool, Cornwall and Loch Watten, Highland. Two-barred Crossbills were in Shropshire, Gloucestershire (two) and Yorkshire (seven).

The Cornish Hooded Merganser was confirmed as an escape, and late news from yesterday concerned a male American Kestrel near Bridge of Allan, Forth.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 1st January 2014  
  Lingering rarities included Pied-billed Grebe and Marsh Sandpiper on Western Isles, King Eider in Lothian, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Highland, White-billed Diver in Devon, Two-barred Crossbills in South Yorkshire (7) and Shropshire (3) and Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire.

The best of the rest included 22 Parrot Crossbills, 13 Glossy Ibises, two Yellow-browed Warblers (Isles of Scilly and Kent), two American Wigeons (Northumberland and Orkney), two Cattle Egrets (Buckinghamhshire and Co Waterford) and Rose-coloured Starling (Isles of Scilly).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 31st December 2013  
  Lingering rarities included Brunnich's Guillemot in Dorset, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cheshire, White-billed Diver and Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, King Eider in Lothian, Marsh Sandpiper and Pied-billed Grebe in Western Isles, Arctic Redpoll in Worcestershire and seven Two-barred Crossbills in South Yorkshire.

A total of 16 Parrot Crossbills, ten Glossy Ibises, three Yellow-browed Warblers and Richard's Pipit (Norfolk) were also recorded.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 30th December 2013  
  The highlight of the day was a Marsh Sandpiper on North Uist, Western Isles, where it has been present since 13th December: the first December record for Britain, with the latest record prior to this being on 12th October 1982, in Somerset. Meanwhile, in Worcestershire a Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll was reported as present for a second day at Lineholt.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Brunnich's Guillemot in Dorset, Pied-billed Grebe on the Western Isles, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cheshire, White-billed Diver in Devon, seven Two-barred Crossbills together in South Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, and six Glossy Ibises scattered across five counties.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Isles of Scilly), American Wigeon (Orkney Isles), Cattle Egret (County Waterford), two Surf Scoters, three each of both Snow Goose and Green-winged Teal, and 16 Parrot Crossbills. Notable gulls included 16 Iceland, nine Glaucous, eight Caspian, four Ring-billed and two Kumlien's.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 29th December 2013  
  Rarities today comprised the Brunnich's Guillemot still in Dorset, Ivory Gull on the Western Isles, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cheshire, Bonaparte's Gull and White-billed Diver in Devon, two King Eiders in Lothian, single Lesser Scaups in both Cornwall and Glamorgan, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, and Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (18), Shropshire (4) and South Yorkshire (8). Glossy Ibises were logged in County Cork, Cornwall (3), Dorset, Greater Manchester, Kent (2), Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Orkney Isles (2), Somerset, Suffolk and the Western Isles (2).

Scarcities included 24 Parrot Crossbills, 13 Cattle Egrets, 10 each of both Glaucous Gull and Caspian Gull, nine Iceland Gulls, eight each of Great Grey Shrike and Iceland Gull, six Surf Scoters, four Ring-necked Ducks, three each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Ring-billed Gull, Green-winged Teal and Grey Phalarope, two Shorelarks and single Richard's Pipit and Yellow-browed Warbler.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 28th December 2013  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Brunnich's Guillemot in Portland Harbour, Dorset where it once again showed very well. The superb White-billed Diver also remained further west at Brixham, Devon. Another Brunnich's Guillemot was found dead on the beach at Tangwick, Shetland.

The first December Baird's Sandpiper was located at Blennerville, County Kerry.

Other lingering rarities seen today included the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cheshire, Short-billed Dowitcher on Orkney, Pied-billed Grebe on the Western Isles, King Eider and White-billed Diver on Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Two-barred Crossbills in Shropshire (three) and Yorkshire (five), Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Sligo.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 27th December 2013  
  In Dorset, the Brunnich's Guillemot remained in Portland Harbour, where it often showed exceptionally well. Other lingering rarities seen today included the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cheshire, White-billed Diver in Devon, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Devon and Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire and six Two-barred Crossbills in both Yorkshire and Gloucestershire.

Scarcity highlights included four Grey Phalaropes, two Rough-legged Buzzards, two Great Grey Shrikes, 19 Parrot Crossbills, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Richard's Pipit and a Yellow-browed Warbler.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 26th December 2013  
  Highlight of Boxing Day was a Brunnich's Guillemot in Portland Harbour (Dorset), which showed well throughout the day.

Elsewhere rarities included the White-billed Diver and Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cheshire, Ivory Gull in Western Isles, King Eider in Lothian, Two-barred Crossbills in South Yorkshire (7), Gloucestershire (6) and Shropshire (3) and Glossy Ibises in Dorset, Nottinghamshire, Co Cork, Orkney and Suffolk.

The best of the rest included Hoopoe in Conwy, Richard's Pipit in Norfolk, 14 Parrot Crossbills in Nottinghamshire, Rose-coloured Starling and two Yellow-browed Warblers in Scilly and Cattle Egrets in Buckinghamshire and Co Waterford.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA