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.

Choose a starting date
Saturday 28th February 2015  
  Today's rarities comprised the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, Pacific Diver and King Eider in Cornwall, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Laughing Gull in Wirral, Bonaparte's Gull and two Penduline Tits in Devon (with another of the former in Glamorgan, along with a Lesser Scaup), Blue-winged Teal in Orkney, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Dublin, Ferruginous Duck in Gloucestershire and Black-bellied Dipper in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 27th February 2015  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Harlequin Ducks in both Aberdeenshire and Highland, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Laughing Gull on the Wirral, three Penduline Tits together in Devon, King Eider in Fife, Lesser Scaup in Ayrshire and Ferruginous Duck in Gloucestershire.

Scarcities included American Wigeon (Ayrshire), Glossy Ibis (Nottinghamshire), Dotterel (Cornwall), two each of both Serin and Ring-necked Duck, three Little Buntings, five Shorelarks (all Suffolk), six Rough-legged Buzzards, eight Surf Scoters, 12 Great Grey Shrikes and 20 Waxwings. Notable gulls included 29 Iceland, eight Glaucous, three Caspian, two Kumlien's and one Ring-billed.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 26th February 2015  
  Lingering rarities included Harlequin Duck (Aberdeenshire), Ferruginous Duck (Gloucestershire), Black Scoter (Northumberland), Penduline Tits (Devon), Laughing Gulls (Wirral and Co Cork), Lesser Yellowlegs (Co Dublin) and King Eider (Cornwall).

The best of the rest included Dotterel and Little Bunting (Cornwall), two Cattle Egrets, two American Wigeons, three Glossy Ibises, five Rough-legged Buzzards and eight Waxwings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 25th February 2015  
  Rarities today comprised the Harlequin Duck still in Highland, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Laughing Gull on Wirral, two Penduline Tits together in Devon, both Blue-winged Teal and White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles, King Eider in Fife, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Dublin, Lesser Scaup in County Cavan and Glamorgan, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll, and Black-bellied Dipper in East Yorkshire and on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (Glamorgan), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Lapland Bunting (Somerset), two Cattle Egrets (Kent), three American Wigeons, four Shorelarks, five Surf Scoters, six Rough-legged Buzzards, eight Great Grey Shrikes and nine Waxwings. Gull tallies included 37 Iceland, 14 Glaucous, seven Caspian and three Ring-billed.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 24th February 2015  
  Today's rarities comprised Black Scoters in Co Kerry and Northumberland, Black-bellied Dipper on Shetland, Lesser Scaup in Co Cavan, Powys and Glamorgan, Blue-winged Teal in Orkney, American Coot on Western Isles, two Penduline Tits in Devon, Laughing Gull in Wirral, King Eider in Cornwall, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Ross's Goose in Northumberland and Ferruginous Duck in Gloucestershire.

The best of the rest included Little Buntings in Cornwall and Glamorgan, Yellow-browed Warbler in Devon, Glossy Ibis in Nottinghamshire and Richard's Pipits in Norfolk (2) and Kent.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 23rd February 2015  
  Lingering rarities comprised Harlequin Duck (Aberdeenshire), Laughing Gull (Wirral), Ferruginous Duck (Gloucestershire), Bonaparte's Gull and two Penduline Tits (Devon) and King Eider (Cornwall).

The best of the rest included Little Bunting (Cornwall), Glossy Ibis (Nottinghamshire), two Waxwings and two American Wigeons.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 22nd February 2015  
  Highlight of the day was the reappearance of the female Harlequin Duck in Brora (Highland); the bird was first reported on 17th February. In Aberdeenshire the drake Harlequin Duck remained on the River Don. Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised King Eider (Fife), Lesser Scaup (Ayrshire), White-billed Diver and Blue-winged Teal (Orkney), Ferruginous Duck (Gloucestershire), Laughing Gulls (Co Cork and Wirral), Bonaparte's Gull (Devon), Black-bellied Dipper (East Yorkshire) and Lesser Yellowlegs (Co Dublin).

The best of the rest included Glossy Ibis (Nottinghamshire), American Wigeon (West Yorkshire), two Little Buntings, two Cattle Egrets and three Richard's Pipits.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 21st February 2015  
 

It was very much 'as you were' again today with the Harlequin Duck still in Aberdeen, the Black Scoter still in Northumberland and the American Coot still in County Kerry. Cornwall continued to host a Pacific Diver, a King Eider and a Little Bunting and Lesser Yellowlegs were still to be found in Sussex and County Dublin.

The Laughing Gull continued to be showy at New Brighton as did the Little Bunting near Cardiff in Glamorgan, where the Lesser Scaup was still to be found. Other lingering wildfowl included the Blue-winged Teal in Orkney and the Ferruginous Duck at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire.

The Black-bellied Dipper was seen again in East Yorkshire.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Friday 20th February 2015  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, American Coot in the Western Isles, Pacific Diver and King Eider in Cornwall, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Blue-winged Teal and White-billed Diver in Orkney, single Laughing Gulls in Wirral and County Cork, single Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan and Powys and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll.

A Wood Sandpiper photographed in Kent is one of a very few winter records of the species.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 19th February 2015  
  A grey morph Gyr was reported in County Kerry at Lough Gill where the American Coot and drake Lesser Scaup both remained in residence. A new Lesser Scaup was found at Lough Parasee in County Cavan. In Cornwall Pacific Divers were reported at both Mount's Bay and Gerrans Bay.

Long staying rarities included the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeen, Laughing Gulls on The Wirral and in County Cork, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Blue-winged Teal in Orkney, Black Duck on Scilly and Ferruginous Duck at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. Two Little Buntings remained in residence - in Glamorgan and Cornwall.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA