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 31st December 2019  
 

The last rarities to be found in 2019 were a Lesser Scaup at Oxford Island in Co.Armagh and a Long-billed Dowitcher at South Slob in Co.Wexford.

Continuing rarities reported today comprised Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Northumberland and Norfolk (Blue-headed), Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Snowy Owl in Orkney, Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles (two) and Highland, Eastern Stonechat sp in Suffolk and Cheshire, Lesser Scaup in Co.Mayo, and Long-billed Dowitchers in Devon, Northumberland and Co.Wicklow.

Among the day's scarcities were Little Bunting (Suffolk), Purple Heron (Lancashire), Richard's Pipit (Kent), Ring-billed Gull (Co.Kerry), Kumlien's Gull (Warwickshire). four Rough-legged Buzzards, Snow Goose (Moray), three Green-winged Teal, five Ring-necked Ducks, five Surf Scoters, six Great Grey Shrikes, two Glossy Ibises, five Shorelarks (Norfolk) and eight Little Auks.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Monday 30th December 2019  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Northumberland and Norfolk, Eastern Stonechats in Cheshire and Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitchers in Devon and County Wicklow, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire and two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles.

Scarcity highlights included three Yellow-browed Warblers, four Great Grey Shrikes, five Shorelarks, ten Lapland Buntings, a Purple Heron, three Rough-legged Buzzards, two Pomarine Skuas, two Surf Scoters, three Ring-necked Ducks, five Green-winged Teal, a Black Brant, 11 Tundra Bean Geese, 78 Taiga Bean Geese, a Ring-billed Gull, ten Iceland Gulls and ten Glaucous Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 29th December 2019  
  Rarities lingering today included the Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Norfolk and Northumberland, Eastern Stonechats in Cheshire and Suffolk, Dusky Warbler in Scilly, Long-billed Dowitchers in Devon and Northumberland, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire, Black Duck in Highland and Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in County Carlow.

Scarcity highlights included a Lapland Bunting, three Yellow-browed Warblers, four Great Grey Shrikes, six Shorelarks, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, five Rough-legged Buzzards, a Pomarine Skua, four Iceland Gulls, eight Glaucous Gulls, an American Wigeon, two Surf Scoters, five Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, two Snow Geese, 41 Tundra Bean Geese and 75 Taiga Bean Geese.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 28th December 2019  
  Rarities today comprised the Black-throated Thrush still in Bedfordshire, American Buff-bellied Pipit and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in both Norfolk and Northumberland, Eastern Stonechats in Cheshire and Suffolk, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and Northumberland, and Azorean Yellow-legged Gull again in County Carlow.

Scarcities included Richard's Pipit (Kent), Lapland Bunting (Cornwall), Glossy Ibis (West Sussex), Kumlien's Gull (Leicestershire), American Wigeon and Lesser Snow Goose (Highland), two each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Ring-billed Gull, Surf Scoter, Yellow-browed Warbler, seven Shorelarks, and a total of 10 Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 27th December 2019  
  Lingering rarities comprised Black-throated Thrush (Bedfordshire), Eastern Stonechat species (Cheshire and Suffolk), Eastern Yellow Wagtails (Norfolk and Northumberland), Blue-winged Teal (Devon), Long-billed Dowitchers (Devon and Northumberland), Olive-backed Pipit (Isles of Scilly), White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Black Scoter (Northumberland) and Ferruginous Duck (Warwickshire).

Scarcity highlights included Great Grey Shrike (Bedfordshire), Black Brant (Lincolnshire), Yellow-browed Warblers (London and North Yorkshire), Rough-legged Buzzards (Norfolk and South Yorkshire), three Ring-billed Gulls (Co Kerry, Co Limerick and Co Wicklow), six Shorelarks (Norfolk) and nine Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 26th December 2019  
 

A white morph Gyr on North Uist in Western Isles was the first this year and a Kentish Plover made a brief appearance at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset.

Confirmed as still present were the Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, male Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail in Norfolk, unassigned Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Eastern Stonechat sp in Cheshire, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll, Olive-backed Pipit in Scilly, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire.

The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit (Kent), two Rough-legged Buzzards (South Yorkshire and Norfolk), Ring-billed Gull (Co.Kerry), Surf Scoter (Ayrshire), two Great Grey Shrikes, Rose-coloured Starling (Cambridgehire), American Wigeon (Highland), Ring-necked Duck (West Yorkshire), Todd's Canada Goose (Co.Sligo) and six Shorelarks (five in Norfolk and one in Highland).
-  David Campbell, RBA
Wednesday 25th December 2019  
 

An Olive-backed Pipit was found on St.Mary's in Scilly. A White-billed Diver flew past Hemsby in Norfolk.

Existing rarities making appearances today were the Lesser White-fronted Goose in Norfolk, the two Eastern Yellow Wagtails (Blue-headed male in Norfolk and unassigned in Northumberland), American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Eastern Stonechat sp in Cheshire, Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon

Among other highlights were Black Brant (Lincolnshire), Green-winged Teal (Co.Kerry), Ring-necked Duck (Lancashire), two Surf Scoters, two Rough-legged Buzzards (South Yorkshire and East Yorkshire), Ring-billed Gull (Co.Kerry), six Shorelarks and four Great Grey Shrikes.
-  David Campbell, RBA
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