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.

Choose a starting date
Sunday 8th April 2018  
  In Cornwall a second-winter Audouin's Gull flew through Mount's Bay (Cornwall) today.
 
The American Bittern remained at Carlton Marshes SWT (Suffolk) for its second day, whilst a Snowy Owl (Ceredigion), Iberian Chiffchaff (Cornwall), two Black-winged Stilts and Savi's Warbler (East Sussex) and two White-billed Divers (Moray) were also recorded. Lingering rarities comprised Alpine Swift (Cornwall), a gathering of 24 White-billed Divers (Aberdeenshire), lone White-billed Divers (Western Isles and Orkney), American Herring Gull (Co Clare), King Eider (Co Cork), Bonaparte's Gull (Dorset), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Long-billed Dowitcher (Kent), Black Scoter (Northumberland), Horned Lark (Surrey), and Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk [3] and Suffolk).

The best of the rest included up to eight Hoopoes, two Serins (Essex) and two Shorelarks (Lincolnshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 7th April 2018  
  An American Bittern was photographed at Carlton Marshes SWT, Suffolk this evening, the first record for the county. Yesterday, also in Suffolk, a Savi's Warbler was heard singing at Minsmere RSPB.

Lingering rarities still present included the American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Pied-billed Grebe in Shetland, Horned Lark in Surrey, two Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk and one in Suffolk, two Alpine Swifts in Cornwall, American Herring Gull in County Clare, 13 White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent and Bonaparte's Gull in Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 6th April 2018  
  Rarity highlights comprised Black Scoter (Northumberland), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Snowy Owl (Pembrokeshire), Horned Lark (Surrey), Long-billed Dowitcher (Kent), Bonaparte's Gull (Dorset), Forster's Tern (Co Galway), Black Kite (London) and Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Suffolk [2] and Norfolk).

The best of the rest included Hoopoes (London and Kent), Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland) and Lapland Bunting (Norfolk).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 5th April 2018  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of two Alpine Swifts on The Lizard (Cornwall). Elsewhere a Cackling Goose arrived on Tiree (Argyll) with Barnacle Geese, and the Snowy Owl (Pembrokeshire), American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Hooded Merganser (Western Isles), Horned Lark (Surrey), Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk [2+] and Suffolk), Long-billed Dowitcher (Kent), Forster's Tern (Co Galway), American Herring Gull (Co Clare) and King Eider (Co Cork) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Hoopoes (Carmarthenshire and Kent), Little Bunting (London), Dotterel and Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland), White-spotted Bluethroat (Lincolnshire) and Spotted Crake (Devon).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 4th April 2018  
  Lingering rarities comprised Horned Lark (Surrey), King Eider (Co Cork) and Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk [3+] and Suffolk).

The best of the rest included White-spotted Bluethroat (Northumberland), Serin (Norfolk), Lapland Bunting (Orkney), Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland) and Little Bunting (London).

Summer migrant reports included Little Tern (Cambridgeshire), Whitethroats (Glamorgan and Surrey), Swift (Merseyside) and Reed Warbler (Lincolnshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 3rd April 2018  
  Lingering rarities included American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Hooded Merganser (Western Isles), Snowy Owls (Pembrokeshire and Isles of Scilly), Penduline Tit (Suffolk), Horned Lark (Surrey), Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk [2+] and Suffolk), Ferruginous Duck (Powys) and at least one White-billed Diver (Aberdeenshire).

The best of the rest included White-spotted Bluethroats (East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Suffolk and Northumberland), Night Heron (Suffolk), Little Bunting (London), Hoopoe (Cornwall) and Serin (Co Wicklow).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 2nd April 2018  
  A singing male Penduline Tit was discovered at Lowestoft, Suffolk this afternoon, and the identity of the Lesser Scaup at Oxford Island, County Armagh was confirmed.

Other lingering rarities seen today included the American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Horned Lark in Surrey, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford, three Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk and one in Suffolk, and a White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Great Grey Shrike, two White-spotted Bluethroats, ten Shorelarks, a Grey Phalarope, a Glossy Ibis, a Tundra Bean Goose, a Lesser Snow Goose, a Surf Scoter, two Ring-necked Ducks, two Green-wnged Teals, a Ring-billed Gull and a Kumlien's Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 1st April 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Horned Lark in Surrey, American Herring Gull in County Clare, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Black Duck in Highland, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford, Coues's Arctic Redpolls in both Norfolk (3) and Suffolk, and single Ferruginous Ducks in Powys and County Armagh; the latter a new discovery at Oxford Island.

Scarcities included White-spotted Bluethroat and Waxwing (both Northumberland), Little Bunting (London), Rough-legged Buzzard (Kent), Lesser Snow Goose (Moray), Lapland Bunting (Shetland Isles), two each of both Ring-billed Gull and Glossy Ibis, three Ring-necked Ducks, four Cattle Egrets and a total of seven Surf Scoters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 31st March 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Horned Lark in Surrey, both Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, King Eider in County Cork, White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire and Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Moray, Suffolk and Norfolk with in the latter at least four being identified at Felthorpe.

Scarcities included Night Heron (new in Suffolk), Little Bunting (London), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Shorelark (Norfolk), Grey Phalarope (Northumberland), Common Rosefinch and Ring-necked Duck (both Devon), Snow Goose (Western Isles), three each of both Ring-billed Gull and Glossy Ibis, four Cattle Egrets and a total of six Surf Scoters.

Significant late news concerns a Snowy Owl present yesterday in Pembrokeshire at St David's Head but it could not be relocated today.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 30th March 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the Hooded Merganser still on the Western Isles, American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Horned Lark in Surrey, Pied-billed Grebe on the Shetland Isles, American Herring Gull in County Clare, both Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford, Ferruginous Duck still in Powys and three Cackling Geese reported together at Ballintemple, County Sligo.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Ring-billed Gull (County Dublin), Grey Phalarope and two Waxwings (Northumberland), three each of both Lapland Bunting and Cattle Egret, four of Glossy Ibis and Ring-necked Duck, six Surf Scoters and a total of 18 Shorelarks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA