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
Monday 30th November 2015  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Rufous Turtle Dove on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, two Lesser Scaups together in County Kerry, and single Ferruginous Ducks in both Hampshire and London.

Scarcities included Hoopoe (West Midlands), Barred Warbler and Surf Scoter (Lothian), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall), Snow Goose (Highland), two each of American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck and Lapland Bunting, three Shorelarks, and four Waxwings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 29th November 2015  
  Rarities today comprised the Western Rufous Turtle Dove still on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Northumberland, Ferruginous Duck in London, and the Forster's Tern again in County Clare.

Scarcities included Hoopoe (West Midlands), Barred Warbler and Surf Scoter (Lothian), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall), Snow Goose (Highland), Great Grey Shrike (Norfolk), Kumlien's Gull (Shetland Isles), three each of Ring-necked Duck, Shorelark and Lapland Bunting, six Ring-billed Gulls and 14 Waxwings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 28th November 2015  
  Lingering rarities comprised the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Shetland, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and Spotted Sandpiper in Co Cork.

The best of the rest included Hoopoe (West Midlands/Staffordshore border), Barred Warbler (Lothian), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Lapland Bunting (Norfolk), Cattle Egret (Norfolk), Glossy Ibis (East Sussex), three Great Grey Shrikes, four Lesser Snow Geese, four Ring-necked Ducks and 28 Waxwings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 27th November 2015  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the American Bittern in County Cork, whilst the Spotted Sandpiper remained nearby. On the Shetland Isles the Western Rufous Turtle Dove showed again, as did the Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, and both Black Scoter and Gull-billed Tern in County Kerry.

Scarcities included Barred Warbler (Lothian), Hoopoe (West Midlands), Rough-legged Buzzard (Hertfordshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Kumlien's Gull (County Cork), two Lapland Buntings, four each of both Yellow-browed Warbler and Ring-necked Duck, and 15 Waxwings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 26th November 2015  
  The American Bittern in Co Cork and the Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Shetland both remained on show, whilst the Pacific Diver reappeared in Cornwall and a Black Scoter and two Lesser Scaups were logged in Co Kerry. The Pallid Harrier (Norfolk), Long-billed Dowitcher (Northumberland), Spotted Sandpiper (Co Cork) and Lesser Scaup (Somerset) also lingered.

The best of the rest included Hoopoe (West Midlands/Staffordshire border), Barred Warbler (Lothian), two Yellow-browed Warblers, two Glossy Ibises, two Surf Scoters, five Ring-necked Ducks and ten Waxwings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 25th November 2015  
  A Western Rufous Turtle Dove was discovered in a garden at Scalloway, Shetland today. There are three previous records confirmed to have been of the form meena, with the Orkney individual of 2002 being the only one which has been easily twitchable.

In County Cork an American Bittern was found at the lake below Castlefreke House, Owenahincha. The last Irish record was in 1990, when one was killed by a dog in County Wexford, and you have to go back to 1875 for all three of the previous County Cork records, one of which was also found (and shot) on this date.

A Lesser Scaup was new at Loch Leven, Porth and Kinross, with lingering rarities including the Pallid Harrier at Snettisham, Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher at Cresswell, Northumberland, Spotted Sandpiper at Pilmore, County Cork, Bonaparte's Gull at Dawlish, Devon and Lesser Scaup at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 24th November 2015  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the two Penduline Tits at Longham Lakes, Dorset, Pallid Harrier at Snettisham, Norfolk, Spotted Sandpiper at Pilmore, County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher at Cresswell, Northumberland and Bonaparte's Gull on the Exe Estuary, Devon.

Scarcity highlights included a Rough-legged Buzzard, an American Wigeon, a Green-winged Teal, two Great Grey Shrikes, two Yellow-browed Warblers, two Rough-legged Buzzards, two Surf Scoters, four Ring-necked Ducks, six Shorelarks, seven Grey Phalaropes, 15 Waxwings and 18 Little Auks.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 23rd November 2015  
  New discoveries included Bonaparte's Gull in Northumberland and Lesser Scaup in Co Kerry, whilst the Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Co Cork, Penduline Tits in Dorset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Ferruginous Duck in London and Bonaparte's Gull in Devon all lingered.

The best of the rest included Rough-legged Buzzard (Essex), Rose-coloured Starling (Co Dublin), Little Bunting (Cornwall), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Surf Scoter (Somerset), two Glossy Ibises, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Yellow-browed Warblers, two Cattle Egrets at at least five Waxwings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 22nd November 2015  
  The highlight of the day was a Spotted Sandpiper discovered in County Cork at Pilmore. Elsewhere, new rarities comprised a Ferruginous Duck in London at Dagenham Chase, and two Penduline Tits together in Dorset; initially at Lytchett Bay before relocating to Longham Lakes.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Northern Harrier on the Orkney Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, and Lesser Scaup in Somerset and the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (County Dublin), American Wigeon (Argyll), Glossy Ibis (Devon), two each of both Yellow-browed Warbler and Ring-necked Duck, three of Surf Scoter and Shorelark, and five of Cattle Egret and Waxwing.

Seawatching along the east coast was again productive with Little Auks scattered between Aberdeenshire and Kent, Pomarine Skuas south from the Borders, and Leach's Petrel and Grey Phalarope both recorded from three counties.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 21st November 2015  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Greater Yellowlegs at Whippingham, Isle of Wight, Forster's Tern at Mutton Island, County Galway, Bonaparte's Gull at Dawlish, Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher at Cresswell, Northumberland and Ferruginous Duck at Blashford, Hampshire.

Scarcity highlights were a Hoopoe, a Serin, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Rough-legged Buzzard, an American Wigeon, a Todd's Canada Goose, two Snow Geese, two Waxwings, two Yellow-browed Warblers, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Green-winged Teals, four Surf Scoters and five Great Grey Shrikes.

Seawatching was the highlight of the day, with totals of 3,601 Little Auks counted, along with 245 Pomarine Skuas, 40 Leach's Petrels, 19 Grey Phalaropes, eight Balearic Shearwaters and singles of Cory's Shearwater and Long-tailed Skua.
-  Will Soar, RBA