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 15th February 2015  
  The highlight of the day was an adult male Two-barred Crossbill in Gloucestershire, in the Forest of Dean at Yew Tree Brake; probably the same male present at that site on 15th September 2014.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Harlequin Duck still in Aberdeenshire, Pacific Diver and King Eider in Cornwall, American Coot and Lesser Scaup together in County Kerry, Black Scoter and Ross's Goose in Northumberland, Laughing Gull on the Wirral, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Devon and Glamorgan, Blue-winged Teal on the Orkney Isles, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, and Ferruginous Duck in Gloucestershire. In Norfolk a Dark-breasted Barn Owl was reported at Welney.

Scarcities included Lapland Bunting (Somerset), two each of Yellow-browed Warbler and Glossy Ibis, three each of Little Bunting, Richard's Pipit, Shorelark and Cattle Egret, four of American Wigeon and Surf Scoter, six Rough-legged Buzzards, 11 Waxwings and 16 Great Grey Shrikes. Notable gulls comprised 19 Iceland, 17 Glaucous, 11 Ring-billed, eight Caspian and a Kumlien's.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 14th February 2015  
  Rarities today comprised the Harlequin Duck still in Aberdeenshire, American Coot in County Kerry, Black Scoters in both County Kerry and Northumberland, Laughing Gull in Wirral, three Penduline Tits in Devon, Blue-winged Teal and White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, King Eider in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Dublin, Lesser Scaup in Ayrshire and Glamorgan, Ferruginous Duck in Gloucestershire, Ross's Goose in Northumberland and Black-bellied Dipper in East Yorkshire.

Scarcities included Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), two each of Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret, three of Little Bunting, Surf Scoter, Ring-necked Duck and Shorelark, seven American Wigeons, nine Rough-legged Buzzards and 15 Great Grey Shrikes. Other notable gulls were 17 Iceland, 16 Glaucous, 11 Caspian, six Ring-billed and a Kumlien's.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 13th February 2015  
  A Black-bellied Dipper was first reported today at Burton Agnes in East Yorkshire, although it had been present for four days. Otherwise it was business as usual with the only rarities reported being the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeen, the Laughing Gull on the Wirral, the Blue-winged Teal in Orkney, Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan and County Kerry, and the Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Sligo. There were also reports of possible/probable American Herring Gulls at Hayle in Cornwall and in Yorkshire yesterday.

A Glossy Ibis at Gonalston in Nottinghamshire proved popular and the Little Bunting remained well watched in Cardiff, with the two Serins remaining in Essex. There were six Rough-legged Buzzards, five Great Grey Shrikes, and three American Wigeons but only one Shorelark. The Richard's Pipit was still to be found on the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Thursday 12th February 2015  
  Lingering rarities comprised Laughing Gull (Wirral), Harlequin Duck (Aberdeenshire), Penduline Tits (Devon), Bonaparte's Gull (Glamorgan), Black Scoters (Northumberland and Co Kerry), Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan), White-billed Diver (Orkney) and Ferruginous Duck (Gloucestershire).

The best of the rest included Glossy Ibis (Nottinghamshire), two Richard's Pipits, two Cattle Egrets, three Little Buntings and three American Wigeons.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 11th February 2015  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Slaty-backed Gull at Killybegs, County Donegal: the first sighting since 17th-18th January.

Rarities elsewhere comprised two White-billed Divers together in Highland at Loch Ewe, the Harlequin Duck still in Aberdeenshire, Laughing Gull on the Wirral, three Penduline Tits and a Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, King Eider in Cornwall, Blue-winged Teal on the Orkney Isles, and Lesser Scaup in both Ayrshire and Glamorgan.

Scarcities included Surf Scoter (Essex), Richard's Pipit and Cattle Egret (Kent), two Serins (Essex), three each of Little Bunting and Ring-necked Duck, four Rough-legged Buzzards and five American Wigeons. Other notable gulls totalled 13 Caspian, 10 Glaucous, seven Iceland, three Ring-billed and a Kumlien's.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 10th February 2015  
  Lingering rarities comprised Black Scoter in Northumberland, Penduline Tit in Devon, King Eider in Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck in Gloucestershire, Laughing Gull in Wirral, Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Black Duck on Isles of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co Dublin, Lesser Scaup in Ayrshire and Ross's Goose in Northumberland.

The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit (Kent), two American Wigeons, two Glossy Ibises, two Serins, three Little Buntings and three Cattle Egrets.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 9th February 2015  
  Lingering rarities comprised Harlequin Duck (Aberdeenshire), Laughing Gull (Wirral), Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan), Black Scoters (Co Kerry and Northumberland), Richardson's Cackling Goose (Western Isles), Pacific Diver (Cornwall) and Lesser Yellowlegs (East Sussex).

The best of the rest included Glossy Ibis (Cambridgeshire), Rose-coloured Starling (Northumberland), Little Bunting (Glamorgan), two Serins (Essex), two Cattle Egrets (Kent) and four American Wigeons.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 8th February 2015  
  Lingering rarities comprised Harlequin Duck (Aberdeenshire), King Eider and Pacific Diver (Cornwall), Penduline Tits (Devon), Laughing Gull (Wirral), Black Scoters (Northumberland and Co Kerry), Lesser Yellowlegs (East Sussex), Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan), Ferruginous Ducks (Hampshire and Gloucestershire), Richardson's Cackling Goose (Western Isles) and American Coot (Co Kerry).

The best of the rest included Little Bunting (Glamorgan), Rose-coloured Starling (Northumberland), two Serins (Essex), two Richard's Pipits, two Glossy Ibises, three Cattle Egrets and four American Wigeons.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 7th February 2015  
  Rarities today comprised the Harlequin Duck still in Aberdeenshire, American Coot on the Western Isles, Pacific Diver and King Eider in Cornwall, Laughing Gull on the Wirral, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in East Sussex, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Ferruginous Duck in Gloucestershire, and Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Sligo.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (Glamorgan), Rose-coloured Starling (Northumberland), two each of Serin, Richard's Pipit and Cattle Egret, four of both American Wigeon and Ring-necked Duck, five Shorelarks, and eight each of Surf Scoter and Rough-legged Buzzards. Totals of notable gulls were 26 Glaucous, 20 Iceland, 17 Caspian, six Ring-billed and five Kumlien's.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 6th February 2015  
  No new rarities were found today. The Laughing Gull remained a popular attraction on the Wirral with the long staying bird also still at Ballycotton in County Cork. The other main attraction, the drake Harlequin Duck was still in Aberdeen. In Northumberland the Black Scoter was seen again off Cheswick Sands.

Other long staying rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs in Sussex, the three, somewhat elusive, Penduline Tits in Devon, the Black Duck on Scilly, Ferruginous Ducks in Hampshire and Gloucestershire and Lesser Scaups in Cornwall, Glamorgan and County Kerry.

Scarcities around the country included the Little Bunting still in Glamorgan, the two Serins in Essex, as well as five Shorelarks, eight Great Grey Shrikes, six Rough-legged Buzzards, five Ring-billed Gulls, 16 Glaucous Gulls, 13 Iceland Gulls and three Ring-necked Ducks including a new bird in Somerset.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA