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 8th January 2019  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a first-winter Lesser White-fronted Goose in Cumbria with Pink-footed Geese at Burgh-by-Sands.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Pacific Diver in County Cork, Eastern Yellow Wagtail on the Isles of Scilly, Dusky Warblers in both Lincolnshire and Warwickshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford, Richardson's Cackling Goose on the Western Isles and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcities included Serin and Temminck's Stint (both Cornwall), White-tailed Eagle (Hampshire), two each of Rose-coloured Starling, Great Grey Shrike, Ring-billed Gull and Surf Scoter, three Rough-legged Buzzards, four American Wigeons, nine Glossy Ibises, 11 Yellow-browed Warblers, 18 Ring-necked Ducks, and a total of 19 Shorelarks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 7th January 2019  
  Rarities today comprised single Dusky Warblers still in both Lincolnshire and Warwickshire, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and Coues's Arctic Redpoll new in Norfolk at Barton Broad.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Conwy), Common Rosefinch (Shetland), Great Grey Shrike (Cambridgeshire), White-tailed Eagle (Hampshire), Ring-billed Gull (Clyde), Surf Scoter (County Meath), Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), two each of both Richard's Pipit and Lapland Bunting, five American Wigeons, six Yellow-browed Warblers, seven Rough-legged Buzzards, eight Glossy Ibises, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, and a total of 30 Shorelarks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 6th January 2019  
 

An adult female Lesser Scaup was identified at Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire.

Ongoing rarities included three Dusky Warblers (Dorset, Lincolnshire and Warwickshire), Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, King Eider in Ceredigion, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and four Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Borders, Lothian, Norfolk and East Yorkshire).

Scarcities included six Rough-legged Buzzards, 37 Shorelarks, nine Yellow-browed Warblers, five Lapland Buntings, five Great Grey Shrikes, a Rose-coloured Starling, 205 Waxwings, a Common Rosefinch, a Richard's Pipit, a Temminck's Stint, a Ring-billed Gull, seven Iceland Gulls, six Glaucous Gulls, a Lesser Snow Goose, 26 Taiga Bean Geese, eight Tundra Bean Geese, six American Wigeon, a Green-winged Teal, 15 Ring-necked Ducks, three Surf Scoters, White-tailed Eagle (Hampshire) and a White Stork.
David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 5th January 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Forster's Tern still in County Galway, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Pied-billed Grebe on the Shetland Isles, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset, Dusky Warblers in Dorset, Lincolnshire and Warwickshire, Coues's Arctic Redpolls in East Yorkshire, Lothian and Norfolk, White-billed Diver on the Western Isles and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Suffolk), Common Rosefinch (Isles of Scilly), Richard's Pipit (County Durham), Lapland Bunting (Cleveland), Great Grey Shrike (Glamorgan), White-tailed Eagle (Hampshire), Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), three Surf Scoters, four Yellow-browed Warblers, five each of American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Ring-billed Gull and Rough-legged Buzzard, eight Glossy Ibises and a total of 44 Shorelarks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 4th January 2019  
 

An additional Coues's Arctic Redpoll was found alongside the bird at Hopes Reservoir, Lothian. The only other fresh rarity news was of two White-billed Divers off Scrabster, Highland, in recent days.

The Eastern Yellow Wagtail reappeared on St.Mary's, Scilly, while other rarities still in place included Penduline Tit in Dorset, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in East Yorkshire, Dusky Warblers in Lincolnshire and Warwickshire, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Western Isles, Spotted Sandpiper in Co.Wexford, two Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, White-billed Divers in Shetland and Western Isles.

The best of the rest were 12 Shorelarks, a Richard's Pipit, four Yellow-browed Warblers, 341 Waxwings, a Rose-coloured Starling, two Great Grey Shrikes, a Common Rosefinch, a Temminck's Stint, six Rough-legged Buzzards, 13 Glossy Ibises, a Ring-billed Gull, six Glaucous Gulls, 10 Iceland Gulls, two Taiga Bean Geese, 11 Tundra Bean Geese, two Black Brant, four American Wigeon, a Green-winged Teal, nine Ring-necked Ducks and two Surf Scoters.
David Campbell, RBA
Thursday 3rd January 2019  
 

A new Dusky Warbler was discovered alongside the wintering bird at Kingsbury Water Park (Warwickshire). Single Coues's Arctic Redpolls were found at Hopes Reservoir (Lothian) and Alerthorpe Common (East Yorkshire).

Continuing rarities included Pacific Diver (Co.Cork), Lesser Scaup (Somerset), Desert Wheatear (Scilly), Dusky Warbler (Lincolnshire), two Lesser Yellowlegs (Cornwall and Dorset), Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire) and Spotted Sandpiper (Co.Wexford).

Scarcities were represented by two Rough-legged Buzzards, a Richard's Pipit, a Common Rosefinch, three Rose-coloured Starlings, four Great Grey Shrikes, seven Yellow-browed Warblers, two Lapland Buntings, 416 Waxwings, 34 Shorelarks, a Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), 11 Glossy Ibises, 13 Taiga Bean Geese, 10 Tundra Bean Geese, three Black Brant, three American Wigeon, seven Ring-necked Ducks and six Surf Scoters, seven Iceland Gulls and six Glaucous Gulls.
David Campbell, RBA
Wednesday 2nd January 2019  
  Lingering rarities comprised Pied-billed Grebe six White-billed Divers (one in Shetland, five in Orkney), Forster's Tern (Co Galway), Lesser Yellowlegs (Cornwall and Dorset), Dusky Warblers (Dorset, Lincolnshire and Warwickshire), Ferruginous Duck (Hampshire), Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire) and Lesser Scaup (Somerset).

The best of the rest included Common Rosefinch (Isles of Scilly), Black-bellied Dipper (Norfolk), White-tailed Eagle (Hampshire), Lapland Bunting (Cleveland), Todd's Canada Goose (Argyll), two Rose-coloured Starlings, Richard's Pipits and American Wigeons, three Yellow-browed Warblers, four Green-winged Teals, five Rough-legged Buzzards and Great Grey Shrikes, eight Surf Scoters, nine Ring-necked Ducks, 10 Glossy Ibises and approximately 42 Shorelarks.
Stuart Piner, RBA
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