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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Sunday 16th March 2014  
  Long staying rarities seen today included the Great Spotted Cuckoo in Pembrokeshire, American Coot in Highland, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Cheshire, Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, King Eider in Lothian and Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Sligo. Two-barred Crossbills were in Shropshire (four), Gloucestershire (three), Yorkshire (three), Surrey (two), Lincolnshire and Kent.

Scarcity highlights included a Richard's Pipit, two Hoopoes and two Yellow-browed Warblers.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 15th March 2014  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Great Spotted Cuckoo in Pembrokeshire, American Coot and Black Duck in Highland, American Herring Gull in Argyll, Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, single King Eiders in County Cork and Shetland, Lesser Scaup in Staffordshire, Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries and Galloway (together with the colour-ringed individual) and Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (14), Yorkshire (five), Lincolnshire and Surrey.

Single Hoopoes were in Cornwall and Dumfries and Galloway, whilst commoner migrants included eight Garganey, a Cuckoo, an Osprey, a Ring Ouzel, a Garden Warbler and three Yellow Wagtails.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 14th March 2014  
  Lingering rarities included Great Spotted Cuckoo in Pembrokeshire, American Coot and Black Duck in Highland, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Kent, American Herring Gull in Argyll and Two-barred Crossbills in South Yorkshire (3+), Gloucestershire, Kent, Surrey and Lincolnshire.

The best of the rest included Hoopoe in Dumfries & Galloway and American Wigeons in Cambridgeshire and Highland.

Late news related to the identification of an American Herring Gull present in Co Donegal on Tuesday.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 13th March 2014  
  Rarities confirmed as still present today were the Great Spotted Cuckoo in Pembrokeshire, American Coot in Highland, Laughing Gull in County Cork, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Kent, both Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, King Eider in Fife, and single Two-barred Crossbills in Kent, Lincolnshire, Surrey and South Yorkshire.

Scarcities included two Hoopoes in Cornwall, a Wryneck in Pembrokeshire, Yellow-browed Warblers in both Somerset and Worcestershire, Surf Scoter in Cornwall, two Ring-necked Ducks, five Shorelarks and six Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 12th March 2014  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Great Spotted Cuckoo in Pembrokeshire, at Tenby. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the American Coot in Highland, American Herring Gull in Argyll, Laughing Gull in County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, two Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Kent, King Eiders in both Fife and Lothian (2), and Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire and Surrey.

Scarcities included Hoopoe (County Cork), Wryneck (PembroKeshire), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Yellow-browed Warbler (Somerset), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire), two Lesser Snow Geese (Argyll), and three each both Shorelark and Glossy Ibis.

Spring arrivals were represented by further Sand Martins, Wheatears, Sandwich Terns, Swallows, Garganey, White Wagtails and House Martin, with a Yellow Wagtail reported in Norfolk, Tree Pipit in Pembrokeshire, and Arctic Skua in Lothian.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 11th March 2014  
  A Great Spotted Cuckoo at Giltar Point, Pembrokeshire was the first major Spring rarity of the year.

Long staying winter rarities still present included the American Coot and Bonaparte's Gull in Highland, American Herring Gull, Bonaparte's Gull and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll, Pied-billed Grebe in the Western Isles, Gyr in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Kent and single Two-barred Crossbills in Lincolnshire, Surrey and Gloucestershire.

The second Little Ringed Plover of the year was in Carmarthenshire, single Ring Ouzels were in Denbighshire and Sussex and a new Garganey was in Gloucestershire, with Wheatears and Sand Martins now at a large number of sites across the country. Spring scarcities included two Hoopoes in the south-west and the Wryneck still in Pembrokeshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 10th March 2014  
  Scotland's roll call of rarities comprised Pied-billed Grebe and Marsh Sandpiper on Western Isles, Franklin's Gull, American Coot and Black Duck in Highland and American Herring Gull and Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll. Elsewhere Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers lingered in Kent and Warwickshire, the wintering Lesser Yellowlegs and Long-billed Dowitcher were both still in Hampshire, a Lesser Scaup remained in Staffordshire and Two-barred Crossbills were in Gloucestershire (6), Shropshire (2), Surrey and Lincolnshire. A Gyr was present in Lincolnshire for its second day (the same bird previously photographed in East Yorkshire on 24th November 2013).

The best of the rest included three Glossy Ibises (in Somerset, Co Kerry and Nottinghamshire), Yellow-browed Warblers in Devon and Dorset and Hoopoes in Cornwall, Devon, Kent and Co Cork.

Reports of summer migrants included Yellow Wagtail in Hampshire, House Martins on Isles of Scilly, Ring Ouzel in Devon as well as widespread reports of Wheatears and a handful of Sand Martins.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 9th March 2014  
  Long staying rarities still present today included the American Coot in Highland, Pied-billed Grebe and Marsh Sandpiper on the Western Isles, Red-flanked Bluetail on the Gloucestershire /Wiltshire border, Ross's Gull in County Cork, American Herring Gull and Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll (another of the latter in Glamorgan), Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Warwickshire and Kent (two), Penduline Tit in Kent, Little Bunting in Lincolnshire, King Eiders in Fife, Lothian, County Cork and County Mayo, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire, Kent, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire (six).

A very early Wryneck was seen at St Brides, Pembrokeshire, whilst common spring migrants were topped by an exceptionally early singing Grasshopper Warbler at Spurn, Yorkshire and a singing Turtle Dove at Aldreth, Cambridgeshire, along with a Ring Ouzel, 11 Wheatears, 13 Sand Martins, two Swallows, two Ospreys and five Garganey.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 8th March 2014  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the American Coot in Highland, American Herring Gull and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll, Red-flanked Bluetail on the Gloucestershire /Wiltshire border, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Warwickshire and Kent (two), Little Bunting in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, White-billed Diver on Orkney, King Eider in Lothian, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Two-barred Crossbills in Yorkshire and Gloucestershire (five).

The Chinese Pond Heron also remained in Hythe, Kent.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 7th March 2014  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were both the American Coot and Black Duck in Highland, Red-flanked Bluetail in Wiltshire, American Herring Gull and Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in both Kent and Warwickshire, and the Chinese Pond Heron in Kent.

Scarcities included Surf Scoter (Cornwall), American Wigeon (Highland), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), two each of Yellow-browed Warbler and Lapland Bunting, six Glossy Ibises, and seven Parrot Crossbills, with gull totals comprising 25 Glaucous, 22 Iceland, seven Kumlien's, seven Caspian and five Ring-billed.

Summer migrants included three Garganey (Buckinghamshire (2) and Suffolk), Osprey in Hampshire, Wheatear in Argyll, Sand Martin in both Gloucestershire and London, and two White Wagtails in Dorset.
-  Chris Batty, RBA