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.


Thursday 8th January 2015

	Lingering rarities comprised Harlequin Duck (Aberdeenshire), Eastern Black Redstart (Isles of Scilly), Penduline Tits (Devon), Lesser Yellowlegs (East Sussex) and Ferruginous Duck (Hampshire). The best of the rest included Night Heron (Co Cork), Glossy Ibis (Devon), Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), two Richard's Pipits and five Ring-necked Ducks.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Wednesday 7th January 2015

	The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire. Elsewhere, the Pacific Diver remained in Cornwall, as did three Penduline Tits in Devon, Dusky Warbler in West Sussex, Lesser Yellowlegs in East Sussex, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, and Lesser Scaups in both Ayrshire and Cornwall. Scarcities included Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Surf Scoter (Essex), American Wigeon (Devon), Black Brant (Kent), Shorelark (Lancashire), Lapland Bunting (Somerset), Waxwing (Lincolnshire), two each of Cattle Egret (Kent), Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon) and Green-winged Teal, three Ring-billed Gulls, four Ring-necked Ducks, five each of Great Grey Shrike and Glaucous Gull, eight Rough-legged Buzzards, nine Iceland Gulls, 10 Tundra Bean Geese and 13 Caspian Gulls.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Tuesday 6th January 2015

	Lingering rarities comprised the Harlequin Duck (Lothian), Blyth's Pipit (West Yorkshire), American Coot (Western Isles), Laughing Gull (Co Cork), Richardson's Cackling Goose (Argyll), Lesser Scaup (Ayrshire, Cornwall and Glamorgan), Dusky Warbler (West Sussex), Eastern Black Redstart (Isles of Scilly), Lesser Yellowlegs (East Sussex), three Penduline Tits (Devon), Pacific Diver (Cornwall) and Ferruginous Ducks (Hampshire and Gloucestershire). The best of the rest included two Yellow-browed Warblers, two Cattle Egrets, two Glossy Ibises, two American Wigeons, two Richard's Pipits and three Ring-necked Ducks.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Monday 5th January 2015

	In Aberdeenshire the Harlequin Duck lingered on the River Don north of Aberdeen, whilst in West Sussex a Dusky Warbler was discovered at Chichester Gravel Pits and in Highland a Gyr flew over Ardclach. A Snowy Owl has been present in Co Donegal for approximately six weeks. Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised Lesser Scaup (Cornwall and Glamorgan), Eastern Black Redstart (Isles of Scilly), King Eider (Fife), Blyth's Pipit (West Yorkshire), Lesser Yellowlegs (Co Clare and East Sussex), Pacific Diver (Cornwall) and Ferruginous Duck (Gloucestershire). The best of the rest included Night Heron (Norfolk), Ring-necked Duck (Northamptonshire), two Grey Phalaropes, two Glossy Ibises, two American Wigeons, two Waxwings, three Richard's Pipits, four Yellow-browed Warblers and four Rough-legged Buzzards.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Sunday 4th January 2015

	In Aberdeenshire a 1st-winter drake Harlequin Duck was present on the River Don for its second day. Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised Blyth's Pipit (West Yorkshire), Lesser Yellowlegs (East Sussex and Lothian), Spotted Sandpiper (Aberdeenshire), Pacific Diver (Cornwall), Ferruginous Duck (Gloucestershire), Eastern Black Redstart (Isles of Scilly), White-billed Diver (Orkney), American Coot (Co Kerry), Ivory Gull (Highland), Bonaparte's Gull (Devon) and Lesser Scaup (Ayrshire, Cornwall and Glamorgan). The best of the rest included Glossy Ibis (Devon), Night Heron and Lesser Snow Goose (Norfolk), American Wigeon (Cornwall), two Cattle Egrets, four Waxwings, five Yellow-browed Warblers, five Richard's Pipits and six Ring-necked Ducks.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Saturday 3rd January 2015

	The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Gyr in Clyde. Initially at Dumbarton, it was later relocated briefly at West Ferry. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Blyth's Pipit still in West Yorkshire, Ivory Gull in Highland, American Coot in County Kerry and the Western Isles, Eastern Black Redstart on the Isles of Scilly, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, King Eider in Fife, White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Clare, County Dublin and Lothian, Ferruginous Duck in Gloucestershire and Hampshire, and Lesser Scaup in Ayreshire, Cornwall and County Galway. Scarcities included Glossy Ibis (Devon), Lapland Bunting (Lincolnshire), two Cattle Egrets (Kent), three each of Richard's Pipit and Yellow-browed Warbler, four of American Wigeon and Ring-necked Duck, five Waxwings, six Rough-legged Buzzards, seven Great Grey Shrikes, eight Ring-billed Gulls and 12 Shorelarks.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Friday 2nd January 2015

	New discoveries included Lesser Yellowlegs in East Sussex and Lothian, White-billed Diver in Orkney and Long-billed Dowitcher in Co Wexford. In East Yorkshire the Little Bustard had left its Fraisthorpe field, but elsewhere lingering rarities comprised Blyth's Pipit (West Yorkshire), Ivory Gull (Highland), Ferruginous Ducks (Hampshire and Gloucestershire), Laughing Gull (Co Cork), American Coot and Lesser Scaup (Co Kerry), Forster's Tern (Co Galway), Lesser Yellowlegs (Co Dublin), Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup (Cornwall) and Penduline Tits (Devon). The best of the rest included Waxwing (Forth), two Cattle Egrets, two American Wigeons, two Glossy Ibises, three Surf Scoters, at least three Yellow-browed Warblers, five Richard's Pipits, nine Ring-necked Ducks and 11 Rough-legged Buzzards.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Thursday 1st January 2015

	The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Little Bustard at Fraisthorpe, East Yorkshire, where it showed all day. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Blyth's Pipit still in West Yorkshire, Ivory Gull in Highland, Spotted Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire, Laughing Gull in County Cork, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Eastern Black Redstart on the Isles of Scilly, Ferruginous Ducks in both Gloucestershire and Hampshire, and Lesser Scaups in Ayrshire, Cornwall, Glamorgan and Powys. Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Kent), Surf Scoter (Essex), Glossy Ibis (Cambridgeshire), two Cattle Egrets (Kent), three Ring-necked Ducks, four each of Richard's Pipit, Yellow-browed Warbler and Shorelark, six of both American Wigeon and Rough-legged Buzzard, and seven Great Grey Shrikes.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Wednesday 31st December 2014

	The highlight of the day was another Little Bustard, today at Fraisthorpe, East Yorkshire. Discovered early in the morning and confirmed late morning, the bird continued to show until dark. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Ivory Gull still in Highland, Blyth's Pipit in West Yorkshire, two Penduline Tits in Devon, Eastern Black Redstart on the Isles of Scilly, Bonaparte's Gull in Argyll, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Powys, Ferruginous Duck in Gloucestershire, and an Azorean Yellow-legged Gull reported on Valentia Island, County Kerry. Scarcities included Surf Scoter (Lothian), two each of Richard's Pipit, Ring-necked Duck and Cattle Egret, three American Wigeons, four Yellow-browed Warblers, seven Rough-legged Buzzards, eight Great Grey Shrikes, 12 Shorelarks and 27 Tundra Bean Geese, whilst gulls included 15 Iceland, 14 Glaucous, nine Caspian, five Ring-billed and three Kumlien's.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Tuesday 30th December 2014

	A Little Bustard was found in Sussex at East Guldeford Levels mid morning, but it flew south and wasn't relocated. The is the second bustard the finder has discovered in Britain, the previous being a Great Bustard at High Halstow, Kent in 1981. In County Cork a White-billed Diver flew over Ballycotton, where the Laughing Gull also remained. Other lingering rarities included the Blyth's Pipit in West Yorkshire, American Coot in the Western Isles, Ivory Gull in Highland, Penduline Tits in Bedfordshire and Devon (3), single Bonaparte's Gulls in Devon and Argyll, single Lesser Yellowlegs' in Sussex and County Dublin, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Ferruginous Duck in Gloucestershire and Eastern Black Redstart in the Isles of Scilly.
- Will Soar, RBA