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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Saturday 24th March 2018  
  In Lothian, a drake White-winged Scoter was found off the sea wall at Musselburgh Lagoons during the afternoon, the second for the site following a belatedly identified drake there on 26th December 2013.

Other new discoveries included a Snowy Owl reported at South Stack RSPB, Anglesey and a White-billed Diver in Northumberland at Newbiggin.

Lingering rarities included the Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, White-billed Diver in Orkney, American Herring Gull in County Clare, Horned Lark in Surrey, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk and Ferruginous Duck in Powys.

Scarcity highlights included a White-spotted Bluethroat, two Waxwings, three Great Grey Shrikes, three Little Buntings, 16 Lapland Buntings, 17 Parrot Crossbills, two Pomarine Skuas, two Kumlien's Gulls, three Ring-billed Gulls, five Ring-necked Ducks, seven Surf Scoters and five Glossy Ibises.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 23rd March 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the Black Duck still in Highland at Strontian for its twelfth year, a Coues's Arctic Redpoll still in Suffolk, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Ferrugionous Duck in Powys but im Lincolnshire the Snowy Owl could not be found.

Scarcities were headlined by single male White-spotted Bluethroats in each of Kent, London and Suffolk with a supporting cast of Little Bunting (London), Serin (Essex), American Wigeon (Somerset), two Ring-necked Ducks, three Cattle Egrets, four each of both Great Grey Shrike and Glossy Ibis, six Ring-billed Gulls - including four together in County Dublin - and in Norfolk a flock of 29 Parrot Crossbills.

Significant late news concerned a female Black-throated Thrush present on 17th March in Gloucestershire at Eastington and in recent days a Snowy Owl reported on Stronsay, Orkney Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 22nd March 2018  
  The species of the day was Snowy Owl - as well as the lingering bird in Lincolnshire, new individuals were discovered at Twmbarlwn Twmp on the Glamorgan/ Gwent border and on Papa Westray, Orkney.

Elsewhere rarity highlights comprised American Herring Gull (Co Clare), Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Suffolk), Horned Lark (Surrey), Bonaparte's Gull (Devon) and White-billed Diver (Orkney).

The best of the rest included White-spotted Bluethroats (Kent and Suffolk), Rose-coloured Starling (Pembrokeshire), Little Bunting (London), Serin (Lincolnshire), nine Shorelarks and 20 Waxwings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 21st March 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the relocation of the Snowy Owl which had visited Norfolk earlier in the month - it was near Friskney (Lincolnshire) this afternoon. Elsewhere at Coues's Arctic Redpoll was at Cockley Cley (Norfolk), whilst another Coues's Arctic Redpoll lingered in Suffolk and Horned Lark (Surrey) and American Herring Gull (Co Clare) also remained on show.

The best of the rest included Yellow-browed Warbler (South Yorkshire), two each of Glossy Ibis, Little Bunting and American Wigeon, three White-spotted Bluethroats, 10 Shorelarks and 21 Waxwings.

On Orkney a Snowy Owl had recently been on the island of Eday.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 20th March 2018  
  Once again County Clare produced the highlights of the day where the American Herring Gull continued at Kilkee and a Gyr flew over the lingering King Eider at Flaggy Shore.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Snowy Owl still on the Isles of Scilly, Horned Lark in Surrey, King Eider in County Cork and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcities were headlined by four Bluethroats - presumably all White-spotted Bluethroats - comprising three in Suffolk and one in Kent - and supported by Yellow-browed Warbler (South Yorkshire), Lapland Bunting (Kent), Glossy Ibis (Suffolk), two each of Little Bunting, American Wigeon and Snow Goose, three of Ring-necked Duck, Great Grey Shrike and Grey Phalarope, four of Ring-billed Gull and Cattle Egret, five Waxwings and six Surf Scoters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 19th March 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an American Herring Gull in County Clare at Kilkee whilst nearby the King Eider remained at Flaggy Shore. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Horned Lark still in Surrey, Black Kite on the Orkney Isles and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcities included five Bluethroats - four together in Kent at Dungeness and one in Suffolk at Landguard - Common Rosefinch (Devon), Hoopoe (Cornwall), Yellow-browed Warbler (South Yorkshire), Ring-necked Duck (Somerset), American Wigeon (Ayrshire), Ring-billed Gull (County Wicklow), three each of Little Bunting, Glossy Ibis and Grey Phalarope, six Surf Scoters, at least 13 Cattle Egrets and a total of 15 Waxwings.

Spring migrant reports included Willow Warbler (Norfolk), two Ospreys, three Garganey and three Ring Ouzels.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 18th March 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of three Bluethroats with two together at Dungeness in Kent and one in Suffolk at Trimley Marshes. In Cornwall the first two Hoopoes of the spring were located at Sparnon and Tywardreath whilst other spring migrants today included two each of Garganey and Swallow and a total of 11 White Wagtails.

Rarities today comprised the Snowy Owl still on the Isles of Scilly, Horned Lark still in Surrey and King Eider still in County Cork.

Scarcities elsewhere comprised Rough-legged Buzzard (Cambridgeshire), Glossy Ibis (Suffolk), Lapland Bunting (Northumberland), two each of Little Bunting, American Wigeon, Great Grey Shrike and Grey Phalarope, three Surf Scoters (together in Cornwall), four Ring-billed Gulls, five Ring-necked Ducks, and a total of 13 Waxwings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 17th March 2018  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Snowy Owl on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Pied-billed Grebe at Loch of Spiggie, Shetland, Pacific Diver at Crookhaven, County Cork and Black Kite at Tankerness, Orkney. A moribund Alpine Swift was found near Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Yellow-browed Warbler, two Little Buntings, two Lapland Buntings, two Waxwings, two Great Grey Shrikes, a Pomarine Skua, two Tundra Bean Geese, three Green-winged Teals, three American Wigeon, five Ring-necked Ducks, four Glossy Ibises, two Ring-billed Gulls, three Kumlien's Gulls, 20 Glaucous Gulls and 46 Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 16th March 2018  
  Lingering rarities included Horned Lark (Surrey), Ferruginous Duck (Powys), Black Kite (Orkney), Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Norfolk), Pacific Diver (Cornwall) and King Eider (Co Clare), but the Bufflehead in Nottinghamshire is now believed to be a ringed escaped bird.

The best of the rest included Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), Little Bunting (London), two Waxwings (Northumberland) and three Glossy Ibises.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 15th March 2018  
  A female Bufflehead was discovered at Attenborough NR (Nottinghamshire) this evening. A ringed escape Bufflehead was present at East Leake, 6 miles to the south west of Attenborough, on 2nd-3rd December 2017.

The juvenile Black Kite lingered on Mainland Orkney. The bird is believed to be an 'Eastern Black Kite', an intergrade between the nominate form migrans and eastern taxa lineatus.

Elsewhere the Ferruginous Duck (Powys), Horned Lark (Surrey), Yellow-browed Warblers (Devon and South Yorkshire), Little Bunting (London), two Waxwings (Northumberland), eight Shorelarks (Lincolnshire), American Wigeon (Highland), Tundra Bean Goose (Devon), two Glossy Ibises (Co Wicklow), four Green-winged Teals and seven Cattle Egrets all lingered.

Summer migrants included Manx Shearwater (Dorset), Osprey (West Yorkshire), two Swallows, five Little Ringed Plovers, five Garganey and 10 White Wagtails.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA