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
Tuesday 24th December 2019  
 

A Pacific Diver was found at Youghal in Co.Cork and a White-billed Diver appeared in South Nesting Bay in Shetland. In Cheshire, an Eastern Stonechat sp was discovered at Ashton's Flash. The Ferruginous Duck at Seeswood Pool in Warwickshire was confirmed.

Continuing rarities were represented by both Eastern Yellow Wagtails (Blue-headed in Norfolk and unassigned in Northumberland), Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Co.Mayo, Long-billed Dowitchers in Devon and Northumberland.

Other highlights included Great Grey Shrike (Bedfordshire), two Rough-legged Buzzards (Norfolk and South Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Green-winged Teal (Co.Wicklow), two Ring-necked Ducks, Glossy Ibis (Co.Cork), Snow Goose (Orkney) and two Ring-billed Gulls (Argyll and Co.Sligo)
David Campbell, RBA
Monday 23rd December 2019  
  A male Eastern Yellow Wagtail, of the nominate form tschutschensis, was discovered in a field near Sedgeford, Norfolk mid afternoon.

Lingering rarities included the Steller's Eider in Orkney, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, Eastern Stonechat sp in Suffolk and Blue-winged Teal and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon.

Scarcity highlights included four Yellow-browed Warblers, five Great Grey Shrikes, seven Lapland Buntings, four Rough-legged Buzzards, a Glossy Ibis, a Green-winged Teal, a Surf Scoter, eight Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, seven Taiga Bean Geese, 14 Tundra Bean Geese, two Pomarine Skuas, a Ring-billed Gulls, two Glaucous Gulls and eight Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 22nd December 2019  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Black-throated Thrush at Whipsnade, Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail at Prestwick Carr, Northumberland, Eastern Stonechat sp at Hollesley, Suffolk, White-winged Scoter at Fisherrow, Lothian, Black Scoter at Goswick, Northumberland and single Long-billed Dowitchers at Topsham, Devon and Cresswell, Northumberland.

Scarcity highlights included a Richard's Pipit, a Yellow-browed Warbler, four Shorelarks, four Great Grey Shrikes, eight Lapland Buntings, two Rough-legged Buzzards, two Glossy Ibises, a Green-winged Teal,  three Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, a Tundra Bean Goose, 12 Taiga Bean Geese, a Pomarine Skua, three Little Auks, three Ring-billed Gulls, three Glaucous Gulls and three Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 21st December 2019  
  Lingering rarities comprised the Steller's Eider (Orkney), Black-throated Thrush (Bedfordshire), Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Northumberland), White-winged Scoter (Lothian) and Eastern Stonechat (Suffolk), whilst a female King Eider appeared at Whiteabbey (Co Antrim).

The best of the rest included Snow Geese in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire, Surf Scoters in Ayrshire and Lothian, Great Grey Shrikes in Bedfordshire and Gloucestershire, Ring-necked Ducks in Lancashire and West Yorkshire, Ring-billed Gulls in Co Antrim and Northumberland, Yellow-browed Warblers in London and Somerset, at least three Rough-legged Buzzards, four Shorelarks, at least six Tundra Bean Geese, seven Taiga Bean Geese and 11 Lapland Buntings.
Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 20th December 2019  
  Lingering rarities today included the Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, White-winged Scoter in Lothian and single Long-billed Dowitchers in Devon and Northumberland.

Scarcity highlights included a Great Grey Shrike, two Yellow-browed Warblers, two Rough-legged Buzzards, a Glossy Ibis, two Green-winged Teals, two American Wigeon, a Grey Phalarope, a Ring-billed Gull, two Glaucous Gulls, two Iceland Gulls, three Tundra Bean Geese and 137 Taiga Bean Geese.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 19th December 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Black-throated Thrush still in Bedfordshire, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, and both Eastern Yellow Wagtail and Long-billed Dowitcher in Northumberland.

Scarcities included Surf Scoter (Lothian), Lesser Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), Ring-necked Duck (Lancashire), Yellow-browed Warbler (North Yorkshire) and two Rough-legged Buzzards (Norfolk and South Yorkshire).
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 18th December 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Steller's Eider still on the Orkney Isles, Lesser White-fronted Goose in Norfolk, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, Eastern Stonechat in Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll and White-billed Diver on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Snow Goose (Highland), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Yellow-browed Warbler (London), Glossy Ibis (Devon), Kumlien's Gull (County Kerry), Rough-legged Buzzards in Norfolk and Suffolk, and a total of nine Ring-necked Ducks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 17th December 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, Eastern Stonechat in Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon and two Richardson's Cackling Geese together on the Western Isles.

Scarcities included Purple Heron (Merseyside), Lesser Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), two Rough-legged Buzzards, four each of both Yellow-browed Warbler and Lapland Bunting, five Surf Scoters and a total of seven Ring-necked Ducks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 16th December 2019  
  A Black-thoated Thrush was seen in Hamilton, Clyde briefly.

Lingering rarities included the Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Stonechat sp in Suffolk, Dusky Warbler in Scilly, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles.

Scarcity highlights included a Yellow-browed Warbler, two Lapland Buntings, four Great Grey Shrikes, five Shorelarks, two Grey Phalaropes, two Rough-legged Buzzards, a Purple Heron, two Glossy Ibises, a Pomarine Skua, two Iceland Gulls, seven Glaucous Gulls, a Green-winged Teal, three Ring-necked Ducks, a Todd's Canada Goose, two Snow Geese, two Black Brants and ten Tundra Bean Geese.
Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 15th December 2019  
 

Analysis of sound recordings confirmed the Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland which remained at Prestwick Carr today. A White-billed Diver south past Hemsby in Norfolk

Still here were the Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Eastern Stonechat sp in Suffolk, Penduline Tit in London, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Highland and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon.

Other news included Purple Heron (Lancashire), three Rough-legged Buzzards, four Great Grey Shrikes, Glossy Ibis (Suffolk), two Ring-billed Gulls, Grey Phalarope (Aberdeenshire), Surf Scoter (Conwy), three Green-winged Teal, four Ring-necked Ducks, two Snow Geese (Highland and Aberdeenshire), Black Brant (Dorset), Little Auk (Co.Durham), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall) and five Shorelarks (Norfolk).
David Campbell, RBA