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
Sunday 29th March 2015  
  The Sussex Alpine Swift remained in Crawley all day, and roosted again this evening. Other lingering rarities seen today included the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, American Coot in the Western Isles, two Penduline Tits in Devon, Laughing Gull in Wirral, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Dorset, Glamorgan and County Waterford, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Dublin and two White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcities included a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Richard's Pipit, a Little Bunting, a Lapland Bunting, a White-tailed Eagle, a Balearic Shearwater, a Glossy Ibis, two Surf Scoters, two American Wigeon, two Rough-legged Buzzards, two Cattle Egrets, four Ring-necked Ducks, six Great White Egrets, six Great Grey Shrikes, seven Green-winged Teals and 41 Waxwings. Gulls included a Kumlien's, a Caspian, four Ring-billed, nine Glaucous and 11 Iceland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 28th March 2015  
  The first widely twitchable Alpine Swift for the year was in Crawley, West Sussex today. It was found mid morning, and was present on and off in the area until it roosted on a building this evening.

Lingering rarities still present today included the Harlequin Ducks in Aberdeenshire and Highland, American Coot in the Western Isles, two Penduline Tits in Devon, King Eider in Fife, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Laughing Gull in Wirral and Bonaparte's Gulls in Glamorgan (two) and County Waterford.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 27th March 2015  
  Rarities today comprised both the Harlequin Ducks still in Aberdeenshire and Highland, American Coot on the Western Isles, Laughing Gull on the Wirral, Blue-winged Teal on the Orkney Isles, two Penduline Tits together in Devon, Bonaparte's Gulls in Dorset, Glamorgan (2) and County Waterford, Lesser Scaups in Ayrshire, Glamorgan and County Sligo, and six White-billed Divers together in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcities included American Wigeon (Nottinghamshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (Worcestershire), two each of Little Bunting, Lapland Bunting and Glossy Ibis, four of Surf Scoter and Rough-legged Buzzard, five Ring-necked Ducks, eight Shorelarks, 10 Great Grey Shrikes and 22 Waxwings. Notable gulls included 21 Iceland, nine Ring-billed, nine Glaucous, two Caspian and a Kumlien's.

Spring migration is still slow with just 10 White Wagtails, six Willow Warblers, six Swallows, five Garganey, two Tree Pipits and a single Osprey seen today.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 26th March 2015  
  Today's rarities included Harlequin Ducks (Aberdeenshire and Highland), Desert Wheatear (Isles of Scilly), two Penduline Tits (Devon), Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan), Bonaparte's Gulls (Glamorgan [2] and Argyll) and Black Scoter (Northumberland).

The best of the rest included Yellow-browed Warblers (West Midlands and Worcestershire) and two Cattle Egrets (Kent).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 25th March 2015  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of a Two-barred Crossbill in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Rarities elsewhere comprised Harlequin Duck and six White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire, American Coot on the Western Isles, Desert Wheatear and Black Duck on the Isles of Scilly, Laughing Gull on the Wirral, Bonaparte's Gulls in Glamorgan (2) and County Waterford, two Penduline Tits in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Dublin, and Lesser Scaup in Ayrshire and Glamorgan.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (Cornwall), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Glossy Ibis (Nottinghamshire), two each of Yellow-browed Warbler, American Wigeon, Rough-legged Buzzard and Cattle Egret, three Ring-necked Ducks, four Tundra Bean Geese, five Green-winged Teals, six Surf Scoters, seven Shorelarks, 14 Great Grey Shrikes, and 28 Waxwings. Notable gulls included 19 Iceland, eight Ring-billed, four Glaucous and two Caspian.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 24th March 2015  
  Today's rarities included Harlequin Duck (Aberdeenshire), Desert Wheatear (Isles of Scilly), two Penduline Tits (Devon), Bonaparte's Gulls (Glamorgan [2] and Argyll), Lesser Scaup (Ayrshire), Ross's Goose (Forth), White-billed Diver (Orkney) and American Herring Gull (Cornwall).

The best of the rest included a report of a Hoopoe in Co Cork, three Cattle Egrets in Kent, American Wigeons in Devon and West Yorkshire and Little Bunting in Cornwall.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 23rd March 2015  
  Lingering rarities comprised Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, Desert Wheatear on Isles of Scilly, Bonaparte's Gulls in Glamorgan and Co Waterford, Laughing Gull in Wirral, Penduline Tits in Devon, American Herring Gull in Cornwall, Ross's Goose in Forth and Lesser Scaup in Ayrshire. Two Black Kites were logged in Kent.

The best of the rest included sightings of White-tailed Eagle in Suffolk and Norfolk, two Richard's Pipits in Norfolk, American Wigeon in Nottinghamshire and two Cattle Egrets in Kent.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 22nd March 2015  
  In Norfolk, a pale morph Booted Eagle was reported from Cockley Cley Warren briefly early afternoon, but there were no further sightings of the bird by this evening. The White-tailed Eagle remained in the county in the Horsey /Hickling area from mid afternoon.

A Black Kite was reported from Heronden, Kent, whilst lingering rarities included the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, Desert Wheatear in the Isles of Scilly, American Herring Gull in Cornwall, two Penduline Tits in Devon, Laughing Gull in Wirral, single Bonaparte's Gulls in County Waterford, Glamorgan and Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Dublin, King Eider in Fife, Ross's Goose in Forth and Black-bellied Dipper in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 21st March 2015  
  A male Desert Wheatear was discovered on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly this evening. This is the fourth record for the archipelago, and the second spring record, following one on the same island in March 1976. In East Anglia, a female Ferruginous Duck was present at Lakenheath Fen RSPB early morning whilst further north there are now six White-billed Divers off Portsoy, Aberdeenshire.

Lingering rarities included the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, American Herring Gull in Cornwall, Laughing Gull in Wirral, Bonaparte's Gull in County Waterford, Two-barred Crossbill in Gloucestershire, two Penduline Tits in Devon, Black Duck in the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaups in County Sligo and Ayrshire, Ross's Goose in Forth and Black-bellied Dipper in Yorkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 20th March 2015  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Harlequin Duck in Aberdeenshire, American Coot in the Western Isles, American Herring Gull in Cornwall, Laughing Gull in Wirral, Bonaparte's Gull in County Waterford, Black Scoter in County Kerry, two Penduline Tits in Devon, White-billed Diver in Orkney, King Eider in Fife, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Ross's Goose in Fife.

Scarcity highlights involved a Richard's Pipit, a Yellow-browed Warbler, a White-tailed Eagle, two Serins, two American Wigeons, two Surf Scoters, three Ring-necked Ducks, three Little Buntings and seven Waxwings.
-  Will Soar, RBA