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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Monday 8th April 2019  
  The highlight of the day was reappearance of the American White-winged Scoter in Lothian at Fisherrow where it had last been seen on 9th November 2018. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Great Spotted Cuckoo still on the Isle of Wight, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, King Eider in Highland, White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire and Lesser Scaup in Somerset.

Scarcities included Common Rosefinch (Shetland Isles), Wryneck (Cornwall), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), two each of Hoopoe, Surf Scoter and Dotterel, three of Great Grey Shrike and Glossy Ibis, and a total of eight Ring-necked Ducks.

Incoming summer migrants included Spotted Flycatcher (Hertfordshire), Blue-headed Wagtail (London), Garden Warbler (Carmarthenshire), Little Tern (West Sussex), two Pied Flycatchers, three Black Terns, seven Arctic Terns, 15 Ospreys, 40 Garganey and a total of 41 Ring Ouzels.

An update on the Hooded Merganser present yesterday in County Wexford was that the bird was a ringed escape.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 7th April 2019  
  The highlight of the day was a Hooded Merganser found in County Wexford at The Cull. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Great Spotted Cuckoo still on the Isle of Wight, Bonaparte's Gull again in Devon, Pied-billed Grebes in both Argyll and the Shetland Isles, Black Duck Highland, Blue-winged Teal, King Eider all still in Highland, territorial Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and perhaps the same Black Kite in both Anglesey and Gwynedd.

Scarcities included White-Spotted Bluethroat (Suffolk), Serin and Wryneck (Cornwall), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Shorelark (Shetland Isles), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Snow Goose (County Wexford), two each of Hoopoe and Dotterel, three of Yellow-browed Warbler, Great Grey Shrike and Glossy Ibis, and a total of seven Ring-necked Ducks.

Incoming spring migrants included two Swifts, three each of both Nightingale and Pied Flycatcher, 16 Ospreys, 35 Garganey and a total of 55 Ring Ouzels.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 6th April 2019  
  A Black Kite was seen over Holyhead Mountain, Anglesey early afternoon.

Lingering rarities included the Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Blue-winged Teal, Black Duck and King Eider in Highland, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire.

Scarcity highlights included a White-spotted Bluethroat, two Hoopoes, three Shorelarks, five Great Grey Shrikes, two Dotterel, three Rough-legged Buzzards, a Kumlien's Gull and three Ring-billed Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 5th April 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Great Spotted Cuckoo still on the Isle of Wight, a Red-rumped Swallow new in Glamorgan at Kenfig Pool, Blue-winged Teal still in Highland, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Lesser Yellowlegs in both Cornwall and Dorset, and three White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (reported in Northumberland), Night Heron (Isles of Scilly), Great Grey Shrike (Northamptonshire), two each of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Yellow-browed Warbler, three of both Hoopoe and Glossy Ibis, four Shorelarks, and a total of six Ring-necked Ducks.

Incoming spring migrants included Nightingale (Surrey), Lesser Whitethroat (Staffordshire), Cuckoo (Essex), two each of Little Tern, Garden Warbler and Hobby, three Grasshopper Warblers, four Pied Flycatchers, 17 Ring Ouzels, 19 Garganey, 20 Arctic Terns and a total of 21 migrant Ospreys.

Significant late news concerned a Ross's Gull present on 31st March at Cairnbulg, Aberdeenshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 4th April 2019  
  New discoveries today included a Black Kite over Pegwell Bay, Kent, and a report of an orange-billed tern species off Mousehole, Cornwall.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Savi's Warbler in Suffolk, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford and Lesser Scaup in Somerset.

Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, a Pallas's Warbler, a Great Grey Shrike, 11 Shorelarks, a Black-bellied Dipper, three Rough-legged Buzzards, two Tundra Bean Geese, two Surf Scoters, two Green-winged Teals, our Ring-necked Ducks, three Iceland Gulls, three Glaucous Gulls, a Night Heron, three Glossy Ibises and a White Stork.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 3rd April 2019  
  New rarities today were Savi's Warbler and Kentish Plover together in Kent at Sandwich Bay. Elsewhere the Great Spotted Cuckoo remained on the Isle of Wight, as did the Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, and in Highland both Blue-winged Teal and King Eider.

Scarcities included Yellow-browed Warbler (Somerset), Great Grey Shrike (Northamptonshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), American Wigeon (Highland), two Ring-billed Gulls, four each of both Glossy Ibis and Shorelark, and five Ring-necked Ducks.

Incoming summer migrants included Cuckoo (Devon), Lesser Whitethroat (Merseyside), two each of Tree Pipit, Reed Warbler and Whitethroat, four Pied Flycatchers, five Hobbies, 13 Ring Ouzels, 18 Ospreys and a total of 30 Garganey.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 2nd April 2019  
  New rarities today were a Red-rumped Swallow in Devon at Dawlish Warren and a Savi's Warbler in Suffolk at Minsmere. Elsewhere, the Great Spotted Cuckoo remained on the Isle of Wight as did the Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, both Blue-winged Teal and King Eider in Highland, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, two Richardson's Cackling Geese were on the Western Isles with three White-billed Divers together in Moray at Cullen.

Scarcities included Richard's Pipit (Cornwall), Lapland Bunting (Orkney Isles), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Ring-billed Gull (County Antrim), two Great Grey Shrikes, five Glossy Ibises and a total of six Ring-necked Ducks.

Incoming summer migrants included Grasshopper Warbler (East Sussex), Whitethroat (Oxfordshire), Cuckoo (Powys), Hobby (Greater Manchester), two each of Pied Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat and Reed Warbler, three of Swift, Arctic Skua and Common Tern, five of Redstart and Sedge Warbler, 12 each of Osprey and Yellow Wagtail, 15 Ring Ouzels and a total of 31 Garganey.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 1st April 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Great Spotted Cuckoo still on the Isle of Wight, Two-barred Crossbill in Staffordshire, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, King Eider in Highland, Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Spotted Sandpipers in both County Waterford and County Wexford, and Lesser Yellowlegs in both Cornwall and Dorset.

Scarcities included Wryneck (Dorset), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), White-tailed Eagle (West Yorkshire), two Yellow-browed Warblers, three each of Great Grey Shrike and American Wigeon, five Glossy Ibises, seven Ring-necked Ducks and nine Shorelarks.

Incoming summer migrants included two Cuckoo, three Sedge Warblers, five each of Common Tern and Yellow Wagtail, seven Redstarts, 10 Ring Ouzels, 18 Osprey and a total of 47 Garganey.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 31st March 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Great Spotted Cuckoo still on the Isle of Wight, Two-barred Crossbill in Staffordshire, a Red-rumped Swallow briefly in Cornwall, Pied-billed Grebe still in Argyll, Black Duck in Highland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in both Dorset and Somerset, King Eiders in Ceredigion and Highland, and White-billed Divers in Aberdeenshire (2), Highland and the Orkney Isles (6).

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Cornwall), Yellow-browed Warbler (Gloucestershire), Lapland Bunting (Kent), Ring-billed Gull (County Antrim), Lesser Snow Goose (County Wexford), White-tailed Eagle (Norfolk), two each of both Night Heron and American Wigeon, three Rough-legged Buzzards, four Great Grey Shrikes, eight of Ring-necked Duck and Glossy Ibis, and a total of 21 Shorelarks.

Incoming summer migrants included Cuckoo (Essex), Reed Warbler (Dorset), Whitethroat (London), three each of both Common Tern and Yellow Wagtail, 13 Redstarts, 24 Ring Ouzels, 37 Ospreys, and a total of 49 Garganey.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 30th March 2019  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Great Spotted Cuckoo on the Isle of Wight, Blue-winged Teal and Black Duck in Highland, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Two-barred Crossbill (or hybrid) in Staffordshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Spotted Sandpiper in County Wexford and Bonaparte's Gull in County Donegal.

Scarcity highlights included a Pallas's Warbler, a Lapland Bunting, three Great Grey Shrikes, 16 Shorelarks, a Night Heron, three White Storks, a Rough-legged Buzzard, two Tundra Bean Geese, two Snow Geese, a Surf Scoter, two Green-winged Teals, four Ring-necked Ducks, four Glossy Ibises, two Kumlien's Gulls, seven Glaucous Gulls and 11 Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA