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 17th February 2019  
 

A Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Sculthorpe Moor NR was the only new rarity of the day.

Long-stayers were represented by Pacific Diver in Co.Cork, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Greater Manchester, Red-rumped Swallow in Glamorgan, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Co.Wexford and Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset.

Scarcities included a Hoopoe, a Pallas's Warbler, a Rose-coloured Starling, six Yellow-browed Warblers, three Great Grey Shrikes, seven Rough-legged Buzzards, a Temminck's Stint, a Little Auk, 27 Shorelarks, 11 Ring-billed Gulls, a Kumlien's Gull, 13 Iceland Gulls, 20 Glaucous Gulls, 18 Glossy Ibises, Lesser Snow Goose, four Black Brant, a Taiga Bean Goose, two Tundra Bean Geese, an American Wigeon, five Green-winged Teal, five Ring-necked Ducks and two Surf Scoters.
David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 16th February 2019  
  A Red-rumped Swallow was at Cwm Ivy, Glamorgan this afternoon, whilst lingering rarities seen today included the Blyth's Reed Warbler in Greater Manchester, Pied-billed Grebe in Shetland, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire and single Spotted Sandpipers in County Wexford and County Waterford.

Scarcity highlights included a Pallas's Warbler, a Little Bunting, a Rose-coloured Starling, two Lapland Buntings, five Yellow-browed Warblers, six Great Grey Shrikes, 47 Shorelarks, a Temminck's Stint, four Rough-legged Buzzards, four Kumlien's Gulls, eight Ring-billed Gulls, eight Glossy Ibises, a Snow Goose, a Black Brant, an American Wigeon, three Green-winged Teals, eight Ring-necked Ducks, four Tundra Bean Geese and 38 Taiga Bean Geese.
Will Soar, RBA
Friday 15th February 2019  
  Highlight of the day was the discovery of a Great Spotted Cuckoo at Ballycroneen (Co Cork). A Gyr was found on Unst, Shetland. The Blyth's Reed Warbler (Greater Manchester), Penduline Tit and Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset), Spotted Sandpiper (Co Waterford), Richardson's Cackling Goose (Argyll) and Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling (Conwy), Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), Ring-necked Duck (Dorset), Taiga Bean Goose (Lancashire), Kumlien's Gull (Suffolk), two Pallas's Warblers, Black Brants, Tundra Bean Geese, American Wigeons and Green-winged Teals, at least two Rough-legged Buzzards, four Yellow-browed Warblers, six Great Grey Shrikes, 14 Glossy Ibises and 34 Shorelarks.

Swallows arrived in Isles of Scilly, Cornwall and Gwynedd, whilst a House Martin was logged in Cornwall.
Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 14th February 2019  
 

New on the scene was a Black Duck near Rhayader, Powys, for its second day.

Continuing rarities included Blyth's Reed Warbler in Greater Manchester, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Western Isles.

Scarcities were represented by a Temminck's Stint, two Pallas's Warblers, seven Yellow-browed Warblers, a Great Grey Shrike, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Richard's Pipit, a Ring-billed Gull, two Kumlien's Gulls, 13 Iceland Gulls, 14 Glaucous Gulls, three Rough-legged Buzzards, 19 Glossy Ibises, 53 Taiga Bean Geese, a Tundra Bean Goose, a Todd's Canada Goose, five Ring-necked Ducks, an American Wigeon, three Green-winged Teal and three Surf Scoters.
David Campbell, RBA
Wednesday 13th February 2019  
  Rarities comprised the Pacific Diver still in County Cork, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Greater Manchester and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Cornwall), Little Bunting (Norfolk), Richard's Pipit (Somerset), American Wigeon (Worcestershire), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), Great Grey Shrike (North Yorkshire), Snow Goose (County Wexford), two Rough-legged Buzzards, four Ring-necked Ducks, six Yellow-browed Warblers, 13 Glossy Ibises and a total of 26 Shorelarks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 12th February 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Spotted Sandpiper still in County Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, King Eider in Gwynedd and Richardson's Cackling Goose on the Western Isles.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Cornwall), Rose-coloured Starling (Conwy), American Wigeon (Worcestershire), Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), Lapland Bunting (Cleveland), Snow Goose (County Wexford), two each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Ring-billed Gull and Great Grey Shrike, three of both Yellow-browed Warbler and Glossy Ibis, eight Ring-necked Ducks and a total of 26 Shorelarks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 11th February 2019  
  The main event of the day was the release of the Ivory Gull at Stevenston Point, Ayrshire soon after which it flew off north. This adult bird had been taken into care on 23rd January after having been picked up in a garden in Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the long-staying Snowy Owl still on Eday, the elusive Blyth's Reed Warbler still in Greater Manchester, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Conwy), Richard's Pipit (Somerset), Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), Rough-legged Buzzard (Cambridgeshire), American Wigeon (Worcestershire), Surf Scoter (Lothian) and Snow Goose (County Wexford), two each of Pallas's Warbler and Ring-billed Gull, four Great Grey Shrikes, nine each of both Ring-necked Duck and Yellow-browed Warbler, 15 Glossy Ibises and a total of 22 Shorelarks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 10th February 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Pied-billed Grebe still on the Shetland Isles, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford, King Eider in Ceredigion, White-billed Diver on the Western Isles, Lesser Yellowlegs in both Cornwall and Dorset.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Conwy), Richard's Pipit (Somerset), Hoopoe (County Tyrone), Temminck's Stint (Cornwall), Lapland Bunting (Cleveland), two each of Pallas's Warbler, American Wigeon and Snow Goose, three Rough-legged Buzzards, four each of both Glossy Ibis and Ring-billed Gull, five of Ring-necked Duck, Yellow-browed Warbler and Great Grey Shrike, and six each of Surf Scoter and Shorelark.
Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 9th February 2019  
  The highlight of the day was the Black-browed Albatross that showed again at Lizard Point, Cornwall; first passing west early in the morning before returning east late in the afternoon.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Black Scoter still in County Kerry, Ferruginous Duck in Essex, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and Spotted Sandpipers in both County Waterford and County Wexford.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Conwy), Lapland Bunting (Cleveland), two each of Pallas's Warbler, Rough-legged Buzzard, American Wigeon and Surf Scoter, three each of Yellow-browed Warbler, Great Grey Shrike and Glossy Ibis, four Ring-necked Ducks, five Ring-billed Gulls and a total of 37 Shorelarks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 8th February 2019  
  Highlight of the day was an adult Black-browed Albatross, which flew past Lizard Point (Cornwall) late afternoon.

Elsewhere a Bonaparte's Gull was discovered in Co Galway and Blyth's Reed Warbler (Greater Manchester), Long-billed Dowitcher (Lincolnshire), Ferruginous Duck (Essex), Lesser Yellowlegs (Dorset) and Spotted Sandpiper (Co Waterford) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Hoopoe (Co Tyrone), Glossy Ibis (Co Wexford), Ring-necked Duck (Highland), Kumlien's Gull (Suffolk), Todd's Canada Goose (Argyll), Black Brant (Norfolk), Yellow-browed Warbler (Co Waterford), two Pallas's Warblers (Co Durham and Cornwall), two Great Grey Shrikes, three Green-winged Teals and 25 Shorelarks.
Stuart Piner, RBA