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 16th December 2018  
  New discoveries today included the returning Pacific Diver at Crookhaven, County Cork and a Ferruginous Duck at Bedhampton, Hampshire.

Lingering rarities included the Desert Wheatear in Scilly, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford and White-billed Diver in Western Isles.

Scarcity totals were a Richard's Pipit, a Lapland Bunting, two Rose-coloured Starlings, six Great Grey Shrikes, 43 Shorelarks, approximately 269 Waxwings, a Temminck's Stint, two Grey Phalaropes, two Surf Scoters, four Ring-necked Ducks, four American Wigeon, a Black Brant, a Todd's Canada Goose, 12 Tundra Bean Geese, 24 Taiga Bean Geese, a Glossy Ibis, a White-tailed Eagle, a Glaucous Gull, a Kumlien's Gull and eight Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 15th December 2018  
  A Desert Wheatear was found at Periglis, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, whilst the Bufflehead lingered at Ballinacarriga Lough, County Cork and single Coues's Arctic Redpolls were seen at Thorne Moors, Yorkshire and Fontburn Reservoir, Northumberland.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Great Grey Shrike, 34 Shorelarks, 53 Waxwings, an American Wigeon, ten Ring-necked Ducks, a Todd's Canada Goose, ten Tundra Bean Geese, 31 Taiga Bean Geese, a White-tailed Eagle, three Rough-legged Buzzards, a Glossy Ibis, a Ring-billed Gull, four Iceland Gulls, six Glaucous Gulls and five Little Auks.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 14th December 2018  
  Rarity highlights included Penduline Tit (Dorset), Lesser Scaup (Anglesey and Somerset), Bufflehead (Co Cork), at least one Dusky Warbler (Dorset), Black Scoter (Northumberland) and at least one Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Norfolk).

The best of the rest comprised White-tailed Eagle (Hampshire), Richard's Pipit (Lothian), two American Wigeons, three Rose-coloured Starlings, five Ring-necked Ducks and ten Shorelarks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 13th December 2018  
  A second Dusky Warbler joined the long staying bird at Chickerell, Dorset today, whilst late news from yesterday concerned a Black-throated Thrush which was present at Bishopstone, Wiltshire.

Lingering rarities included the White-rumped Sandpiper in Sussex and Red-rumped Swallow in Cornwall.

Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, a Richard's Pipit, a Great Grey Shrike, two Rose-coloured Starlings, eight Shorelarks, approximately 104 Waxwings, a Grey Phalarope, a Black Brant, six Taiga Bean Geese, 38 Tundra Bean Geese, an American Wigeon, two Green-winged Teal, two Iceland Gulls, three Glaucous Gulls and three Rough-legged Buzzards.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 12th December 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a juvenile Ivory Gull in Aberdeenshire at Cairnbulg. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Bufflehead still in County Cork, Black Scoter still in County Kerry, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford, White-rumped Sandpiper in West Sussex, Red-rumped Swallow in Cornwall, and on Anglesey the Lesser Scaup remained but the American Royal Tern could not be found.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Derbyshire), Richard's Pipit (County Durham), Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), Ring-necked Duck (Northamptonshire), Ring-billed Gull (County Limerick), Great Grey Shrike (Cambridgeshire), Lapland Bunting (East Yorkshire), three American Wigeons, four Rough-legged Buzzards, 35 Shorelarks, 88 Cattle Egrets, and a total of 479 Waxwings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 11th December 2018  
  A Lesser Yellowlegs was discovered at Steart WWT, Somerset.

In Anglesey, the American Royal Tern remained in the Amlwch area all day, with other lingering rarities including Dusky Warbler in Dorset, Red-rumped Swallow in Cornwall, White-rumped Sandpiper in Sussex, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford, King Eider in Ceredigion and Lesser Scaup in Anglesey.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Richard's Pipit, a Rose-coloured Starling, two Lapland Buntings, three Great Grey Shrikes, 19 Shorelarks, approximately 228 Waxwings, three Rough-legged Buzzards, a Temminck's Stint, a Surf Scoter, two American Wigeon, five Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, nine Tundra Bean Geese, 11 Taiga Bean Geese, a Kumlien's Gull, an Iceland Gull, two Ring-billed Gulls and three Glaucous Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 10th December 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an American Royal Tern on Anglesey; initially at Traeth Dulas before relocating to Traeth Lligwy. It represents the seventh record of Royal Tern for Britain and the fourth individual to be found here bearing a metal ring indicating the USA as its natal country. Royal Tern is the fifteenth species of tern to be recorded on the island of Anglesey.

Rarities elsewhere comprised a Spotted Sandpiper in Wexford, County Wexford (where it was first seen yesterday), the Hume's Warbler still in Kent, Dusky Warblers in both Norfolk and Suffolk, single Red-rumped Swallows in Cornwall and Suffolk, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Northumberland, King Eider in Ceredigion and Lesser Scaup in Somerset.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (Dorset), Rose-coloured Starling (Derbyshire), Glossy Ibis (Devon), two each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Great Grey Shrike, Surf Scoter, American Wigeon and Ring-necked Duck, 15 Shorelarks, 86 Cattle Egrets, and a total of 124 Waxwings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 9th December 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of further Red-rumped Swallows with new birds in Cornwall at Torpoint and Norfolk at Gorleston whilst the individual at Cley, Norfolk remained for a fifth day.

Lingering rarities elsewhere comprised the Bufflehead still in County Cork, Hume's Warbler in Kent, Dusky Warblers in both Norfolk and Suffolk, Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Northumberland (2) and South Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Wexford, White-rumped Sandpiper in West Sussex, King Eider in Ceredigion and Lesser Scaup on Anglesey.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (Dorset), Rose-coloured Starling (Derbyshire), Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), two each of Ring-billed Gull, Great Grey Shrike, Lapland Bunting and Glossy Ibis, three Richard's Pipits, four American Wigeons, five Surf Scoters, six Rough-legged Buzzards, 15 Ring-necked Ducks, 29 Shorelarks, 141 Cattle Egrets, and a total of 187 Waxwings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 8th December 2018  
  A White-rumped Sandpiper was discovered at Pulborough Brooks RSPB, Sussex today, and a White-billed Diver was in Druridge Bay, Northumberland.

Lingering rarities included the Red-rumped Swallow and Dusky Warbler in Norfolk, another Dusky Warbler in Suffolk, Bufflehead in County Cork, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll, King Eider in Ceredigion and White-billed Diver in Western Isles.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Lapland Bunting, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Great Grey Shrike, 18 Shorelarks, approximately 115 Waxwings, a Little Auk, two Rough-legged Buzzards, two Glossy Ibises, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Black Brant, 12 Tundra Bean Geese, 17 Taiga Bean Geese, three American Wigeon, six Surf Scoters, 13 Ring-necked Ducks, four Pomarine Skuas, three Glaucous Gulls and four Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 7th December 2018  
  Lingering rarities present today included the Bufflehead at Ballinacarriga Lough, County Cork, Red-rumped Swallow at Cley and Dusky Warbler at Stiffkey, both Norfolk, and single Lesser Scaups at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset and Llyn Llygeirian, Anglesey.

Scarcity highlights included a Richard's Pipit, two Great Grey Shrikes, two Rose-coloured Starlings, approximately 80 Waxwings, two Glossy Ibises, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Black Brant, a Tundra Bean Goose, six Taiga Bean Geese, a Surf Scoter, an American Wigeon, a Balearic Shearwater, a Pomarine Skua and two Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA