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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Thursday 9th March 2017  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Blue Rock Thrush in Gloucestershire, Eastern Black Redstart in Cleveland, Pine Bunting in Yorkshire, Pacific Diver in Northumberland, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Cornwall, Clyde and County Cork and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall.

Scarcity highlights included a Bluethroat, a Little Bunting, a Richard's Pipit, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Kumlien's Gull, two Glossy Ibises, two American Wigeon, three Yellow-browed Warblers, four Ring-necked Ducks, four Green-winged Teals, five Ring-billed Gulls, five Lapland Buntings and ten Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 8th March 2017  
  A Snowy Owl was at Tarmon Hill, The Mullet, County Mayo, today.

Lingering rarities included the Blue Rock Thrush in Gloucestershire, Pine Bunting in Yorkshire, Eastern Black Redstart in Cleveland, Northern Harrier in Orkney, Black Scoter and Pacific Diver in Northumberland, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Clyde and County Cork and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Bluethroat, a Little Bunting, two Yellow-browed Warblers, two Kumlien's Gulls, three Surf Scoters, three Ring-necked Ducks, four Green-winged Teals, four American Wigeons and four Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 7th March 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Pacific Diver in Devon at Brixham. Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Blue Rock Thrush still in Gloucestershire, Pine Bunting in North Yorkshire, Pacific Diver still in Northumberland, Northern Harrier on the Orkney Isles, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Desert Wheatear in Devon, Eastern Black Redstart in Cleveland, Hume's Warbler in Dorset, and Bonaparte's Gulls in Clyde, County Cork and Cornwall.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (West Sussex), Little Bunting (Bedfordshire), Richard's Pipit (Gloucestershire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Glossy Ibis (Somerset), two each of Ring-billed Gull and Ring-necked Duck, three of American Wigeon and Yellow-browed Warbler, seven Lapland Buntings, nine Great Grey Shrikes, 32 Cattle Egrets and a total of 46 Shorelarks.

Arriving spring migrants included 12 Sand Martins, five Wheatears, Little Ringed Plover in Surrey, White Wagtail in Lincolnshire, Swallow in Somerset, Willow Warbler reported in London and Osprey reported in Cheshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 6th March 2017  
  Rarities today comprised the Pine Bunting still in North Yorkshire, Northern Harrier on the Orkney Isles, Pacific Diver in Northumberland, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Desert Wheatear in Devon, Eastern Black Redstart in Cleveland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Bonaparte's Gull in Clyde, and both Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (Lincolnshire), Little Bunting (Bedfordshire), Rose-coloured Starling (West Sussex), two each of Yellow-browed Warbler, Ring-billed Gull, Shorelark and Lapland Bunting, three of both Surf Scoter and American Wigeon, five Ring-necked Ducks, 13 Great Grey Shrikes and a total of 20 Cattle Egrets.

Incoming migrants included 16 Sand Martins including one in Merseyside, four Wheatears including two in Norfolk, two Swallows including one in Aberdeenshire, two White Wagtails including one in Norfolk and a Little Ringed Plover in Norfolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 5th March 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a new Bonaparte's Gull in Cornwall at Helston, whilst nearby at Polgigga an American Herring Gull flew over.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Blue Rock Thrush in Gloucestershire, American Coot on the Western Isles, Pine Bunting in North Yorkshire, Killdeer on the Shetland Isles, Pacific Diver in Northumberland, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Desert Wheatear in Devon, Eastern Black Redstart in Cleveland, single Bonaparte's Gulls in both Clyde and County Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford, and two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Argyll.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (West Sussex), Little Bunting (Bedfordshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Cambridgeshire), three each of both Ring-billed Gull and Lapland Bunting, four of Ring-necked Duck and Yellow-browed Warbler, five of both Surf Scoter and American Wigeon, 11 Great Grey Shrikes, 35 Shorelarks and 63 Cattle Egrets.

Incoming migrants included a House Martin in Merseyside and a total of 22 Sand Martins included two in West Yorkshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 4th March 2017  
  Rarities today comprised the Blue Rock Thrush still in Gloucestershire, Pine Bunting still in North Yorkshire, Pacific Diver and Black Scoter in Northumberland, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Desert Wheatear in Devon, Eastern Black Redstart in Cleveland, Black Duck in Highland, Bonaparte's Gull in both Clyde and County Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Lesser Scaup on the Orkney Isles, and an Eastern Stonechat sp reported in Norfolk at Dersingham Bog.

Notable scarcities included Little Bunting (Bedfordshire), Bluethroat and Dotterel (both Lincolnshire), and Richard's Pipit in Dorset (2) and Gloucestershire.

Arriving spring migrants included two Garganey in Dorset, three Swallows including one in Pembrokeshire, seven White Wagtails including one in Merseyside, and 12 Sand Martins including one in Staffordshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 3rd March 2017  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the American Coot in the Western Isles, Gyr, Pacific Diver and Black Scoter in Northumberland, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Pine Bunting in Yorkshire, Desert Wheatear in Devon (now the longest staying Desert Wheatear ever in Britain, having been present for 116 days), Eastern Black Redstart in Cleveland, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Bonaparte's Gulls in Clyde and County Cork, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Pomarine Skua, a Lesser Snow Goose, two Rose-coloured Starlings, three Great Grey Shrikes, three Ring-necked Ducks, four American Wigeon, five Green-winged Teals, five Kumlien's Gulls and six Ring-billed Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 2nd March 2017  
  On Fair Isle a Glaucous-winged Gull was identified today; the first for Shetland and third for Britain.

In Northumberland a Gyr was logged at Bamburgh and Cresswell Pond, whilst Pallid Harrier (Norfolk), Bonaparte's Gull (Clyde), Ferruginous Duck (Co Durham), Eastern Black Redstart (Cleveland), Blue Rock Thrush (Gloucestershire), Pacific Diver (Northumberland), Pine Bunting (North Yorkshire), Desert Wheatear (Devon) and Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset) all lingered.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 1st March 2017  
  Several long-staying rarities made it into March, including Blue Rock Thrush (Gloucestershire), Hume's Warbler and Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset), Pine Buntings (Kent and North Yorkshire), Eastern Black Redstart (Cleveland), Lesser Scaup (Cornwall), Pacific Diver (Northumberland), American Coot (Western Isles), Richardson's Canada Goose (Argyll) and Northern Harrier (Orkney).

The best of the rest included White-billed Diver (Lothian), Little Bunting (Bedfordshire), Bluethroat (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (West Sussex) and two Richard's Pipits (Dorset).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 28th February 2017  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Pine Bunting in North Yorkshire, Killdeer on the Shetland Isles, both Pacific Diver and Black Scoter in Northumberland, Hudsonian Whimbrel and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Desert Wheatear in Devon, Eastern Black Redstart in Cleveland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and Ferruginous Duck in Buckinghamshire.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (Lincolnshire), Rose-coloured Starling (West Sussex), Little Bunting (Bedfordshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk) and Lapland Bunting (Somerset), two each of Richard's Pipit, Ring-necked Duck and Yellow-browed Warbler, three Ring-billed Gulls, four Glossy Ibises, five American Wigeons, nine Great Grey Shrikes, 10 Shorelarks and 28 Cattle Egrets.
-  Chris Batty, RBA