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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Sunday 25th February 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Gyr in Highland at Tongue.

Rarities elsewhere comprised both the Ross's Gull and Stilt Sandpiper still in Dorset, Pied-billed Grebe in the Shetland Isles, Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and County Donegal, and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Little Bunting (London), Richard's Pipit (South Yorkshire), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), two each of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Yellow-browed Warbler, three American Wigeons, five Ring-billed Gulls, six Ring-necked Ducks, seven Surf Scoters, 10 Shorelarks and in England four Parrot Crossbills (Derbyshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 24th February 2018  
  The adult Ross's Gull continued its stay in the Weymouth area (Dorset), whilst the Stilt Sandpiper also lingered in Dorset and the Thayer's Gull remained in neighbouring Hampshire. The Horned Lark (Surrey), Spotted Sandpiper (Nottinghamshire), Long-billed Dowitchers (Kent and Co Wexford), Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Norfolk), Lesser Scaup (Cornwall), Bonaparte's Gull (Devon), Semipalmated Plover (Co Mayo), Black Scoter (Co Kerry) and King Eider (Ceredigion) were all still present.

The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), Richard's Pipit (South Yorkshire), Little Bunting (London), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall) and 12 Parrot Crossbills (Derbyshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 23rd February 2018  
  Lingering rarities comprised Ross's Gull and Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Bonaparte's Gulls in Clyde and Co Donegal (with another reported on the Ceredigion/ Pembrokeshire border), Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire and Horned Lark in Surrey.

The best of the rest included Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), Richard's Pipit (South Yorkshire), Little Bunting (London), five Waxwings and at least six Parrot Crossbills.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 22nd February 2018  
  Rarities today comprised both the Ross's Gull and Stilt Sandpiper still in Dorset, Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire and Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Little Bunting (London), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), American Wigeon (Devon), Waxwing (Cheshire), two each of both Surf Scoter and Glossy Ibis, three Ring-necked Ducks, four Ring-billed Gulls, five Lapland Buntings, 10 Shorelarks, and in England at least four Parrot Crossbills still in Derbyshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 21st February 2018  
  The highlight of the day was an adult Ross's Gull in Dorset around Weymouth. Initially discovered at Ferrybridge in the early morning it soon departed but was relocated late in the afternoon at Lodmoor.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Gyr still in County Mayo, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Black Scoter in County Kerry, White-billed Diver and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Clyde, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk and King Eider on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Little Bunting (London), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall), three each of American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck and Ring-billed Gull, four Surf Scoters and a total of 19 Shorelarks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 20th February 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Gyr in County Mayo on The Mullet at Annagh Marsh and Termoncarragh Lough whilst nearby the King Eider remained in Blacksod Bay.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Horned Lark still in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, and in Cornwall both White-billed Diver and Lesser Scaup.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Richard's Pipit (South Yorkshire), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Lesser Snow Goose (Moray), Glossy Ibis (Suffolk), four each of both Ring-necked Duck and Surf Scoter, six of Ring-billed Gull and Parrot Crossbill (the latter all in Derbyshire) and 19 Shorelarks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 19th February 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the Semipalmated Plover still in County Mayo at Achill Island with a King Eider new on The Mullet, both Pacific Diver and White-billed Diver still together in Cornwall, Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire and in Clyde the Bonaparte's Gull showed again at Gourock.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Little Bunting (London), two American Wigeons, three each of both Ring-billed Gull and Glossy Ibis, four Ring-necked Ducks, five Surf Scoters and nine Shorelarks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 18th February 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Taiga Merlin in Highland at Holborn Head and similarly the Black Scoter was relocated in Northumberland and the Long-billed Dowitcher showed again in Kent.

Lingering rarities comprised the Pine Bunting still in Kent, Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, White-billed Divers in Cornwall, Orkney Isles and Shetland Isles, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll and Coues's Arctic Redpolls in both Norfolk (5) and Suffolk.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall), Lesser Snow Goose (Moray), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), two each of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Surf Scoter, three Ring-necked Ducks, four American Wigeons, six Ring-billed Gulls, eight Glossy Ibises and in Norfolk a flock of 16 Parrot Crossbills.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 17th February 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Pine Bunting in Kent at Herne Bay during the morning.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Forster's Tern in County Galway, Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly, Pacific Diver and White-billed Diver together in Cornwall, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Pied-billed Grebe and King Eider on the Shetland Isles, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Donegal, and Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk (5), Suffolk and the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Bluethroat (East Sussex), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Cambridgeshire), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), two each of both Yellow-browed Warbler and Snow Goose, three American Wigeons, six Ring-necked Ducks, seven Ring-billed Gulls, eight Surf Scoters, 10 Lapland Buntings, 11 Glossy Ibises, and in England a total of 11 Parrot Crossbills.

Potentially of greatest significance was what probably a female Siberian Rubythroat seen in South Yorkshire at South Bramwith where it had first been noticed on Tuesday.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 16th February 2018  
  The highlight of the day was location of the Semipalmated Plover in County Mayo at Achill Island on Keel Beach where it was first discovered on 2nd-14th October 2016 and present again on 13th September-15th October 2017 and perhaps never left.

Rarities elsewhere comprised a White-billed Diver new in Cornwall at Mousehole where it joined the Pacific Diver, Pied-billed Grebe and King Eider on the Shetland Isles, Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Donegal, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, and Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk (2), Shetland Isles and Suffolk.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (East Sussex), Little Bunting (London), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Cambridgeshire), Surf Scoter (Fife), two each of both American Wigeon and Ring-billed Gull, six Ring-necked Ducks, nine Glossy Ibises, 10 Shorelarks and in England a flock of 15 Parrot Crossbills in Norfolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA