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 1st December 2017  
  A White-crowned Black Wheatear was seen in a garden in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire early this afternoon. This could potentially be a second for Britain, following the male present for four or five days in early June 1982 at Kessingland, Suffolk.

Other new discoveries today included a Lesser Yellowlegs at Kilnsea, Yorkshire, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Tacumshin, County Wexford, a Bonaparte's Gull at Lulworth Cove, Dorset and a Ferruginous Duck at Shapwick Heath, Somerset.

Lingering rarities included Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitchers in Kent (two) and County Wexford, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and King Eider in Highland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 30th November 2017  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly on Bryher. Rarities elsewhere comprised a Pacific Diver still in Cornwall, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and King Eider on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included 46 Parrot Crossbills (30 in Norfolk and 16 in Berkshire), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Cornwall), Rose-coloured Starling (Pembrokeshire) and Richard's Pipit (Suffolk).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 29th November 2017  
  Discoveries today included a White-billed Diver passing both Whitburn, County Durham and Seaton Sluice, Northumberland, with another noted off North Ronaldsay, Orkney Isles. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Coues's Arctic Redpoll still in Suffolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, two Long-billed Dowitchers together in Kent, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck in Leicestershire and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll.

Scarcities included Parrot Crossbills (40 in Norfolk and 16 on the Berkshire/Surrey border), Richard's Pipit (Suffolk), Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire and Highland), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Kent), Surf Scoter (County Clare), Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall) and American Wigeon (Lancashire and Leicestershire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 28th November 2017  
  A Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk was today's best new discovery, whilst the Horned Lark (Surrey), Pied-billed Grebe, King Eider and Arctic Redpoll (Shetland), two Long-billed Dowitchers (Kent), Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset), Lesser Scaup (Cornwall), Richardson's Cackling Goose (Argyll) and Bonaparte's Gull (Devon) were all logged.

The best of the rest included flocks of Parrot Crossbills in Norfolk (42) and on the Berkshire/Surrey border (16), Richard's Pipit (Suffolk), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), American Wigeon (Highland), Glossy Ibis (Cornwall), two Todd's Canada Geese (Argyll) and three Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 27th November 2017  
  Lingering rarities included Horned Lark (Surrey), Richardson's Cackling Goose (Argyll), Bonaparte's Gull (Ayrshire), Lesser Scaup (Cornwall), Stilt Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset) and King Eider (Shetland), whilst a second Long-billed Dowitcher joined the long-staying bird at Oare Marshes KWT (Kent).

The best of the rest included flocks of Parrot Crossbills in Norfolk (at least 32) and on the Berkshire/Surrey border (17), Richard's Pipit (Suffolk), American Wigeon (Worcestershire), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Ring-necked Ducks (Cornwall and Dumfries & Galloway) and Glossy Ibis (Cornwall).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 26th November 2017  
  A Pacific Diver was found in Gerrans Bay off Pendower today, and a drake Lesser Scaup arrived at Dozmary Pool, both Cornwall.

Lingering rarities included the Horned Lark in Surrey, Eastern Stonechat sp in Kent, Pied-billed Grebe in Shetland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Bonaparte's Gull in Ayrshire, King Eider in Ceredigion and Ferruginous Duck in Leicestershire.

Scarcity highlights included two Richard's Pipits, two Great Grey Shrikes, five Lapland Buntings, 12 Shorelarks, 12 Waxwings, 36 Parrot Crossbills, two Rough-legged Buzzards, a Red-necked Phalarope, an American Golden Plover, a Pomarine Skua, three Little Auks, three Ring-necked Ducks, three Surf Scoters, three American Wigeons, four Green-winged Teals, a Snow Goose, a Ring-billed Gull, seven Iceland Gulls and 12 Glaucous Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 25th November 2017  
  In Surrey, the Horned Lark remained at Staines Reservoir all day, although it proved rather mobile during the morning at least, visiting nearby King George VI Reservoir on occasion. Other lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Pacific Diver and Dusky Warbler in Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck in Leicestershire, Lesser Scaup in County Galway and King Eider in Highland.

Scarcity highlights included a Pallas's Warbler, a Great Grey Shrike, two Richard's Pipits, six Lapland Buntings, nine Waxwings, 12 Shorelarks, 16 Parrot Crossbills, a Green-winged Teal, an American Wigeon, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Surf Scoters, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Glossy Ibis, a Red-necked Phalarope, two Grey Phalaropes, two Leach's Petrels, seven Little Auks, a Sabine's Gull, a Ring-billed Gull, three Glaucous Gulls and ten Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 24th November 2017  
  New discoveries today included a Radde's Warbler at Pitsea, Essex and a Bonaparte's Gull at Weymouth, Dorset, and there was a report of two Cackling Geese at Welney, Norfolk.

Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, single Dusky Warblers in Cornwall and Scilly, Ferruginous Duck in Leicestershire and single King Eiders in Ceredigion and Highland.

Scarcity highlights included a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Red-necked Phalarope, a Ring-billed Gull, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Little Auk, two Pallas's Warblers, two Richard's Pipits, two Great Grey Shrikes, two Ring-necked Ducks, two American Wigeon, two Green-winged Teals, two Surf Scoters, three Iceland Gulls, three Snow Geese, four Glossy Ibises, nine Lapland Buntings, 13 Shorelarks and 20 Waxwings.

The Shorelark present at Staines Reservoir, Surrey on Sunday was present again today, and is thought to probably be an American Horned Lark.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 23rd November 2017  
  Rarities today comprised the Pied-billed Grebe and two Coues's Arctic Redpolls on the Shetland Isles, Dusky Warbler still in both Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and the Long-billed Dowitcher still in Kent. 

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Kent), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (North Yorkshire), American Wigeon (Devon), Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall) and three Surf Scoters (Cornwall (2) and Lothian).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 22nd November 2017  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Forster's Tern still in County Galway, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Ferruginous Duck in Leicestershire and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Kent), Barred Warbler (Hampshire), Red-necked Phalarope (Lincolnshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Essex), Surf Scoter (Lothian), American Wigeon (Devon), Ring-necked Duck (County Monaghan) and American Golden Plover (Cornwall and Western Isles).
-  Chris Batty, RBA