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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Tuesday 1st January 2019  
 

The first new rarities of the year came in the form of a Dusky Warbler at Huttoft Bank (Lincolnshire) and two White-billed Divers (Western Isles and Dumfries and Galloway).

Rarities carried into the New Year included two Pacific Divers (Cornwall and Co.Cork), Pied-billed Grebe (Shetland), Richardson's Cackling Goose (Western Isles), two Ferruginous Ducks (Powys and Hampshire), Lesser Scaup (Somerset), King Eider (Ceredigion), Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire), Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset), Snowy Owl (Orkney), two Dusky Warblers (Dorset and Warwickshire) and Penduline Tit (Dorset).

Scarcities comprised 140 Taiga Bean Geese, 10 Tundra Bean Geese, two Black Brants, six American Wigeon, two Green-winged Teal, seven Ring-necked Ducks, five Surf Scoters, 11 Glossy Ibises, White-tailed Eagle (Cleveland/North Yorkshire), five Rough-legged Buzzards, four Ring-billed Gulls, nine Iceland Gulls, 10 Glaucous Gulls, a Little Auk, 15 Shorelarks, three Richard's Pipits, 255 Waxwings, a Black-bellied Dipper, 10 Yellow-browed Warblers, seven Great Grey Shrikes, a Rose-coloured Starling and two Lapland Buntings.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Monday 31st December 2018  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Dusky Warblers in Warwickshire and Dorset, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Lesser Scaup in Anglesey, King Eider in Ceredigion and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, four Great Grey Shrikes, four Lapland Buntings, 28 Shorelarks, around 163 Waxwings, a Black-bellied Dipper, a Temminck's Stint, a White-tailed Eagle, three Rough-legged Buzzards, a Green-winged Teal, two American Wigeon, five Ring-necked Ducks, two Black Brants, seven Tundra Bean Geese, 18 Taiga Bean Geese, a Kumlien's Gull, seven Glaucous Gulls and 16 Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 30th December 2018  
  New discoveries included a Pacific Diver off Portscatho, Cornwall, a White-billed Diver off Druridge Bay, Northumberland and a Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Whiteadder Reservoir, Borders.

Lingering rarities included single Dusky Warblers in Warwickshire and Dorset, Desert Wheatear in Scily, Pacific Diver in County Cork, King Eider in Ceredigion, single Lesser Scaup in Anglesey and Somerset and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Great Grey Shrike, four Lapland Buntings, 12 Shorelarks, around 143 Waxwings, a Black-bellied Dipper, a Pomarine Skua, three Rough-legged Buzzards, four Black Brants, 12 Taiga Bean Geese, 25 Tundra Bean Geese, a Green-winged Teal, two American Wigeon, two Surf Scoters, six Ring-necked Ducks, a Kumlien's Gull, four Glaucous Gulls and six Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 29th December 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the Pacific Diver still in County Cork, Dusky Warblers in both Dorset and Warwickshire, two Coues's Arctic Redpolls together in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire and single Lesser Scaups in both Anglesey and Somerset.

Scarcities included Common Rosefinch (Isles of Scilly), American Wigeon (Worcestershire), Surf Scoter (County Donegal), Great Grey Shrike (Staffordshire), Black-bellied Dipper (Norfolk), Hoopoe and Glossy Ibis (County Wexford), two each of both Ring-billed Gull and Lapland Bunting, four Rough-legged Buzzards, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, 15 Shorelarks, 118 Cattle Egrets and a total of 211 Waxwings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 28th December 2018  
  Rarity highlights comprised Dusky Warblers (Dorset and Warwickshire), Bonaparte's Gull (Co Wexford), King Eider (Ceredigion), Black Scoter (Co Kerry), Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire), Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Norfolk), Desert Wheatear (Isles of Scilly) and Lesser Scaup (Somerset).

The best of the rest included Common Rosefinch (Isles of Scilly), Black-bellied Dipper (Norfolk), Green-winged Teal (Shetland), Lapland Bunting (Cleveland), Great Grey Shrike (Staffordshire), Little Auk (Lincolnshire), Ring-billed Gull (Co Wicklow), Todd's Canada Goose (Cumbria), possible Grey-bellied Brant (Norfolk), two American Wigeons and Black Brants, up to four Rough-legged Buzzards (including one on Isles of Scilly), five Surf Scoters, seven Ring-necked Ducks, up to 14 Taiga Bean Geese, 18 Tundra Bean Geese and 25 Shorelarks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 27th December 2018  
 

Continuing rarities included Desert Wheatear (Scilly), Penduline Tit (Dorset), Dusky Warbler (Warwickshire), two Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk), Lesser Scaup (Anglesey) and Ferruginous Duck (Hampshire).

Scarcites comprised a Richard's Pipit, three Great Grey Shrikes, a Rose-coloured Starling, five Lapland Buntings, 36 Shorelarks, 331 Waxwings, three Rough-legged Buzzards, a White Stork, five Iceland Gulls, three Glaucous Gulls, two Glossy Ibis, four Black Brants, 20 Taiga Bean Geese, 13 Tundra Bean Geese, three Surf Scoters, an American Wigeon, 12 Ring-necked Ducks (including a flock of nine in Co.Cork) and 69 Cattle Egrets.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Wednesday 26th December 2018  
  The American Royal Tern relocated to Scilly today, being found in Hugh Town harbour mid afternoon before doing a short tour of The Roads and finally heading off south-west late afternoon.

A Coues's Arctic Redpoll was found at Baltasound, Unst, Shetland. Lingering rarities included the Desert Wheatear in Scilly, single Dusky Warblers in Warwickshire and Dorset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and single Ferruginous Ducks in Hampshire and Powys.

Scarcity highlights included two Great Grey Shrikes, 31 Shorelarks, approximately 284 Waxwings, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Todd's Canada Goose, 12 Tundra Bean Geese, a Green-winged Teal, four Ring-necked Ducks, five Surf Scoters, three Ring-billed Gulls, two Glaucous Gulls, six Iceland Gulls and a Glossy Ibis.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 25th December 2018  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Desert Wheatear in Scilly, Dusky Warbler in Warwickshire and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Lapland Bunting, two Great Grey Shrikes, nine Shorelarks, approximately 172 Waxwings, six Taiga Bean Geese, eight Tundra Bean Geese, a Ring-necked Duck, a Surf Scoter, a Ring-billed Gull, a Glaucous Gull and two Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 24th December 2018  
  The identity of the Dusky Warbler in Warwickshire was confirmed, present for its second day at Kingsbury Water Park. A Lesser Yellowlegs was found at Ballyallia, County Clare and a Ferruginous Duck was at Hedgecourt Lake, Surrey.

Lingering rarities included the Lesser Yellowlegs in Somerset, King Eider in Gwynedd, Lesser Scaup in Anglesey and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcity highlights included two Great Grey Shrikes, 18 Shorelarks, approximately 343 Waxwings, a White Stork, two Glossy Ibises, four Rough-legged Buzzards, a Green-winged Teal, three American Wigeon, three Ring-necked Ducks, three Surf Scoters, a Snow Goose, a Black Brant, six Taiga Bean Geese, 16 Tundra Bean Geese, a Ring-billed Gull, two Glaucous Gulls and four Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 23rd December 2018  
 

A first-winter Laughing Gull was discovered on Lough Foyle (Co.Donegal). There was late news of a cluster of seven White-billed Divers off Papa Westray (Orkney) yesterday.

Lingering rarities included Pied-billed Grebe (Shetland), Penduline Tit (Dorset) and Ferruginous Duck (Hampshire).

Scarcities comprised 11 Shorelarks, a Great Grey Shrike, a Richard's Pipit, 203 Waxwings, a Rose-coloured Starling, two Ring-billed Gulls, five Iceland Gulls, a Glaucous Gull, two American Wigeon, five Ring-necked Ducks, a Green-winged Teal, four Surf Scoters, six Taiga Bean Geese, 14 Tundra Bean Geese, one Bean Goose sp, a Glossy Ibis and 55 Cattle Egrets.
-  David Campbell, RBA