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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Friday 4th December 2015  
  Rarities today comprised the American Bittern still in County Cork, Western Rufous Turtle Dove on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, and single Long-billed Dowitchers in both Hampshire and Northumberland.

Scarcities included Barred Warbler (Lothian), Hoopoe (West Midlands), Cattle Egret (Norfolk), Snow Goose (Cumbria), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), two each of Surf Scoter, Ring-necked Duck, Glossy Ibis, Yellow-browed Warbler and Great Grey Shrike, three Shorelarks, four Rough-legged Buzzards, and a total of 18 Waxwings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 3rd December 2015  
  In Co Cork the American Bittern reappeared at Castlefreke; it was last seen on 27th November.

Lingering rarities included Western Rufous Turtle Dove in Shetland, Greater Yellowlegs in Isle of Wight, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Ferruginous Ducks in London and Hampshire and Long-billed Diver in Northumberland.

The best of the rest included Hoopoe (West Midlands/Staffordshire), Barred Warbler (Lothian), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Glossy Ibis (East Sussex), two Green-winged Teals, three Shorelarks, three Ring-necked Ducks, four Rough-legged Buzzards and at least 38 Waxwings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 2nd December 2015  
  Lingering rarities included the Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Ferruginous Ducks in Hampshire and London, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Pacific Diver in Cornwall and Lesser Scaup in Co Kerry.

The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit in East Yorkshire, Hoopoe in West Midlands/Staffordshire, two Glossy Ibises, six Ring-necked Ducks and c35 Waxwings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 1st December 2015  
  Rarities today comprised the Western Rufous Turtle Dove still on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Spotted Sandpiper in County Cork and the Long-billed Dowitcher still in Northumberland.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Cornwall), Hoopoe (West Midlands), Lapland Bunting (Kent), Rough-legged Buzzard (Essex), Cattle Egret (Somerset), Ring-billed Gull (County Antrim), Barred Warbler and Surf Scoter (both Lothian), two Yellow-browed Warblers, three each of Ring-necked Duck, Shorelark and Great Grey Shrike, and 13 Waxwings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
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