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.

Choose a starting date
Sunday 1st December 2019  
  An Eastern Stonechat species was found at Hollesley Marshes RSPB, Suffolk today.

Lingering rarities included the Hermit Thrush in Scilly, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, White-billed Diver in Orkney and Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wicklow.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Little Bunting, two Lapland Buntings, three Great Grey Shrikes, eight Shorelarks, four Rough-legged Buzzards, two Glossy Ibises, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Snow Goose, four Taiga Bean Geese, seven Tundra Bean Geese, a Green-winged Teal, three Surf Scoters, eleven Ring-necked Ducks, three Pomarine Skuas, four Little Auks, a Ring-billed Gull, three Glaucous Gulls and three Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 30th November 2019  
  New discoveries today included a Penduline Tit at Stodmarsh and Grove Ferry, Kent, and a dowitcher species at Kilcoole, County Wicklow.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Hermit Thrush in Scilly, Steller's Eider and nine White-billed Divers in Orkney, single Black Scoters in Northumberland and Angus, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon.

Scarcity highlights included two Pallas's Warblers, five Great Grey Shrikes, five Lapland Buntings, six Shorelarks, two Surf Scoters, two Green-winged Teals, 12 Ring-necked Ducks, 18 Tundra Bean Geese, two Rough-legged Buzzards, a Glossy Ibis, six Pomarine Skuas, six Little Auks, a Kumlien's Gull, a Ring-billed Gull, a Glaucous Gull and an Iceland Gull.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 29th November 2019  
  A White-billed Diver was discovered off Scapa Pier, Orkney, whilst another 12 flew past Papa Westray.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Hermit Thrush in Scilly, Steller's Eider in Orkney, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles and Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland.

Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, two Pallas's Warblers, a Red-backed Shrike, three Great Grey Shrikes, three Lapland Buntings, two Rough-legged Buzzards, two Glossy Ibises, two Snow Geese, four Tundra Bean Geese, two American Wigeon, two Green-winged Teal, two Surf Scoters, 11 Ring-necked Ducks, two Iceland Gulls, ten Glaucous Gulls, five Pomarine Skuas and four Little Auks.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 28th November 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Steller's Eider still in the Orkney Isles, Hermit Thrush on the Isles of Scilly, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Black Scoter in Angus, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both Cumbria and Devon.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (East Yorkshire), Bluethroat (Devon), Little Bunting (Dorset), Richard's Pipit (Somerset), Hoopoe (Aberdeenshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), American Wigeon and Snow Goose (Western Isles), two each of both Surf Scoter and Glossy Ibis, and a total of 10 Ring-necked Ducks.

Significant late news concerned a Dusky Thrush present on Saturday at North Ferriby, East Yorkshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 27th November 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Steller's Eider still on the Orkney Isles, the Hermit Thrush still on the Isles of Scilly, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in County Carlow, two Richardson's Cackling Geese together on the Western Isles, and in Hampshire the Ferruginous Duck returned to Blashford Lakes for another winter.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warbler (Suffolk), Hoopoe (Aberdeenshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Ring-billed Gull (Somerset), Snow Goose (Western Isles), two each of both Surf Scoter and Glossy Ibis, and a total of eight Ring-necked Ducks (including three together in County Kerry).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 26th November 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Hermit Thrush still on the Isles of Scilly, Isabelline Wheatear in Norfolk, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and Northumberland, Lesser Scaup reported again in Hampshire, and on the Shetland Isles the Desert Wheatear was seen before it was believed to have been killed by a Merlin.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warblers (Cambridgeshire, East Yorkshire and Suffolk), Rose-coloured Starling (Dumfries and Galloway), Surf Scoter (Isles of Scilly), Snow Goose (Western Isles), American Wigeon and Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), two Glossy Ibises and a total of seven Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 25th November 2019  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of the fourth Desert Wheatear of the autumn, at Sumburgh Head, Shetland Isles. Elsewhere, a Dusky Warbler was new at Shanklin, Isle of Wight, whilst lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Steller's Eider on the Orkney Isles, Hermit Thrush on the Isles of Scilly, Isabelline Wheatear in Norfolk, Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Hampshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Dumfies and Galloway.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warblers (Cambridgeshire, East Yorkshire and Suffolk), Snow Goose (Clyde), American Wigeon (Highland), Rough-legged Buzzard and Glossy Ibis (Norfolk), two Surf Scoters and a total of seven Ring-necked Ducks (including five in Devon).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 24th November 2019  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Laughing Gull in County Cork at Mizen Head. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Hermit Thrush still on the Isles of Scilly, Isabelline Wheatear still in Norfolk, Pacific Diver, Dusky Warbler and Lesser Scaup all in Cornwall, seven Two-barred Crossbills still together on the Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland and Richardson's Cackling Goose in Dumfries and Galloway.

Scarcities included Pallas's Warblers in Cambrideshire, East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Serin in Glamorgan, Barred Warbler in Cleveland, Rose-coloured Starling in Dumfries and Galloway, Rough-legged Buzzard in Norfolk and Ring-billed Gull in County Louth, two Glossy Ibises, four Surf Scoters and a total of six Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 23rd November 2019  
  Highlight of the day was the reappearance of a Pacific Diver off Penzance (Cornwall), whilst the Steller's Eider (Orkney), Black Scoter (Angus), White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Isabelline Wheatear (Norfolk), Lesser Scaup (Cornwall), Long-billed Dowitchers (Cumbria, Devon and Northumberland) and two Richardson's Cackling Geese (Western Isles).

The best of the rest included Rough-legged Buzzard in Norfolk, Pallas's Warblers in Cambridgeshire and East Yorkshire, Serin in East Sussex, three Glossy Ibises and four Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 22nd November 2019  
 

Today's new rarities were both geese, with - most significantly - an adult Lesser White-fronted Goose south of Langham in Norfolk briefly and a Richardson's Cackling Goose near Loaningfoot in Dumfries and Galloway.

Ongoing rarities included the Steller's Eider in Orkney, Pacific Diver in Co.Cork, Isabelline Wheatear in Norfolk, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Hampshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in Cumbria and Northumberland, Blue-winged Teal in Co.Wexford and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall.

Among the day's supporting cast were Pallas's Warbler (Cambridgeshire), Barred Warbler (Cleveland), two Great Grey Shrikes, Ring-billed Gull (Scilly), six Shorelarks, two Rough-legged Buzzards, two Glossy Ibises, two Surf Scoters, three Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Snow Goose (Highland), Todd's Canada Goose (Norfolk), 10 Tundra Bean Geese, four Iceland Gulls, two Glaucous Gulls and 13 Little Auks.
-  David Campbell, RBA