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.


Sunday 28th January 2018

	The highlight of the day was the discovery of a juvenile Thayer's Gull in Hampshire in the afternoon gull rosost at Ibsley Water. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Horned Lark still in Surrey, Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk (3) and Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Richard's Pipit (Gloucestershire), Yellow-browed Warbler (Dorset), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), Lesser Snow Goose (Moray), two Surf Scoters, three American Wigeons, four Ring-billed Gulls, six Ring-necked Ducks, nine Glossy Ibises, and in England a total of 17 Parrot Crossbills between Berkshire and Surrey.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Saturday 27th January 2018

	Lingering rarities still present today included the Horned Lark in Surrey, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, single Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk and Suffolk, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, single Pacific Divers in County Cork and Cornwall, Black Scoter in County Kerry, King Eider in Shetland and Lesser Scaup and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset. Scarcity highlights included a Richard's Pipit, a Little Bunting, a Lapland Bunting, 11 Shorelarks, 20 Parrot Crossbills, 23 Waxwings, a Temminck's Stint, five Glossy Ibises, an American Wigeon, four Green-winged Teal, four Ring-necked Ducks, five Surf Scoters, a Lesser Snow Goose, a Black Brant, six Tundra Bean Geese, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Kumlien's Gull, three Ring-billed Gulls, 41 Glaucous Gulls and 54 Iceland Gulls.
- Will Soar, RBA


Friday 26th January 2018

	Lingering rarities comprised Horned Lark (Surrey), Stilt Sandpiper (Dorset), Pacific Diver (Cornwall), Penduline Tit (Gloucestershire), Bonaparte's Gull (Devon), Long-billed Dowitcher (Kent), Spotted Sandpiper (Nottinghamshire), Coues's Arctic Redpolls (North [4] and Suffolk), Ferruginous Duck (Somerset) and Lesser Scaup (Cornwall and Somerset). The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit (Gloucestershire), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Little Bunting (London), Snow Geese (Moray and Western Isles), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), at least five Parrot Crossbills (Derbyshire) and at least 16 Shorelarks.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Thursday 25th January 2018

	Lingering rarities comprised the Horned Lark (Surrey), Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Suffolk and Norfolk), King Eiders (Ceredigion, Co Kerry and Shetland), Stilt Sandpiper (Dorset), Penduline Tit (Gloucestershire), Spotted Sandpiper (Nottinghamshire) and Snowy Owl (Isles of Scilly). The best of the rest included Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Little Bunting (London), Richard's Pipit (Gloucestershire), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire) and at least 25 Parrot Crossbills.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Wednesday 24th January 2018

	Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Horned Lark still in Surrey, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire and Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire. Scarcities included Ring-necked Duck (Powys), Lapland Bunting (Lothian), two American Wigeons, three each of both Surf Scoter and Ring-billed Gull, five Glossy Ibises, 53 Cattle Egrets, and in England a total of 12 Parrot Crossbills between Derbyshire and Norfolk.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Tuesday 23rd January 2018

	Lingering rarities comprised Horned Lark (Surrey), Spotted Sandpiper (Nottinghamshire), Lesser Scaup (Somerset and Cornwall), Snowy Owl (Isles of Scilly), Pied-billed Grebe (Shetland), three Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk), Pacific Diver (Co Cork), Bonaparte's Gulls (Clyde and Devon), Stilt Sandpiper (Dorset), Penduline Tit (Gloucestershire) and Black Scoter (Northumberland). The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit (Gloucestershire), at least three Parrot Crossbills (Derbyshire), Little Bunting (London) and eight Glossy Ibises.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Monday 22nd January 2018

	The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Horned Lark in Surrey at Staines Reservoir where it had last been seen on 28th November 2017. Elsewhere a Spotted Sandpiper was identified in Nottinghamshire at Holme Pierrepont. Lingering rarities comprised the Stilt Sandpiper still in Dorset, single Pacific Divers in both County Cork and Cornwall, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, Coues's Arctic Redpolls in both Norfolk (2) and Suffolk, King Eider in Ceredigion, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and Lesser Scaup in Somerset. Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (Dorset), two each of both Richard's Pipit and Rough-legged Buzzard, two Ring-necked Ducks, three Glossy Ibises, four of Ring-billed Gull and American Wigeon, and in England a total of 43 Parrot Crossbills between Berkshire, Derbyshire and Norfolk.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Sunday 21st January 2018

	Rarities today comprised the Snowy Owl still on the Isles of Scilly but now on Tresco, Stilt Sandpiper still in Dorset, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, Bonaparte's Gull again in Devon, Ferruginous Duck back in County Durham and Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk (2), Orkney Isles and Suffolk. Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall), Ring-necked Duck (Devon), Glossy Ibis (Suffolk), two Rough-legged Buzzards, two American Wigeons, three Ring-billed Gulls and five Surf Scoters.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Saturday 20th January 2018

	A second Coues's Arctic Redpoll was found at Bodham, Norfolk, joining a lingering bird, and a White-billed Diver was reported from Uig Bay, Highland. Lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Forster's Tern in County Clare, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Desert Wheatear in Yorkshire, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, five more Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk and one in Suffolk, and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall. Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, two Richard's Pipits, three Great Grey Shrikes, 11 Shorelarks, 22 Parrot Crossbills, 25 Waxwings, three Little Auks, a Temminck's Stint, a Rough-legged Buzzard, three Glossy Ibises, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Lesser Snow Goose, two Green-winged Teal, four American Wigeon, four Ring-necked Ducks, seven Surf Scoters, a Kumlien's Gull, four Ring-billed Gulls, 43 Glaucous Gulls and 49 Iceland Gulls.
- Will Soar, RBA


Friday 19th January 2018

	Two White-billed Divers were discovered in Shetland today, one off Kirkabister and one in Mousa Sound, whilst news of three Coues's Arctic Redpolls present at Kelling, Norfolk for at least four days was released. Other lingering rarities included the Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Pied-billed Grebe and King Eider in Shetland, Hume's Warbler in Norfolk, Desert Wheatear in Yorkshire, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, King Eider in Ceredigion and Lesser Scaup in Somerset. Scarcity highlights included a Bluethroat, a Little Bunting, a Lapland Bunting, two Richard's Pipits, two Great Grey Shrikes, nine Shorelarks, 19 Waxwings, 29 Parrot Crossbills, a Rough-legged Buzzard, five Tundra Bean Geese, a Surf Scoter, two American Wigeon, two Green-winged Teal, five Glossy Ibises, a Lesser Snow Goose, a Kumlien's Gull, four Ring-billed Gulls, 30 Glaucous Gulls and 36 Iceland Gulls.
- Will Soar, RBA