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 13th January 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Blue-headed Wagtails in Norfolk and Northumberland, Eastern Stonechat in Cheshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in Devon and Merseyside, and Ferruginous Ducks in Hampshire and Norfolk.

Scarcities included Purple Heron (Lancashire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Glossy Ibis (West Sussex), Snow Goose (Orkney Isles) and Kumlien's Gull (Leicestershire), two each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Yellow-browed Warbler and Green-winged Teal, three Great Grey Shrikes, five Ring-necked Ducks and six Lapland Buntings (all together in Kent).
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 12th January 2020  
 

Continuining rarities comprised Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Norfolk (Blue-headed) and Northumberland, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black Scoter in Northumberland, King Eider in Highland, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Hampshire, American Buff-bellied Pipit and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Eastern Stonechat sp in Cheshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire and Long-billed Dowitchers in Merseyside and Co.Wicklow. A Ferruginous Duck was found at Blashford Lakes in Hampshire while the Norfolk bird remained. 

Other news included two Richard's Pipits, Purple Heron (Lancashire), six Great Grey Shrikes, four Rough-legged Buzzards, two Glossy Ibises, Green-winged Teal (Suffolk), two American Wigeon, Black Brant (Essex), Surf Scoter (Lothian), 14 Ring-necked Ducks, Ring-billed Gull (Co.Antrim), five Shorelarks and Black-bellied Dipper (Fife).
David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 11th January 2020  
 

An adult Bonaparte's Gull was found at Clahane Strand in Co.Clare.

The Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Norfolk (Blue-headed) and Northumberland, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Stonechat sp in Cheshire, Semipalmated Sandpiper in Hampshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitchers in Devon and Merseyside, and Lesser Scaup in both Cornwall and Co.Mayo all continued their stays.

Other news included Purple Heron (Lancashire), Richard's Pipit (Somerset), seven Great Grey Shrikes, two Ring-billed Gulls, Kumlien's Gull (Leicestershire), three Rough-legged Buzzards, Black Brant (East Yorkshire), American Wigeon (Aberdeenshire), three Green-winged Teal, 11 Ring-necked Ducks, Little Auk (Western Isles) and seven Shorelarks.
David Campbell, RBA
Friday 10th January 2020  
  New discoveries comprised a Long-billed Dowitcher at Marshside RSPB (Merseyside) and Two-barred Crossbill at Rumster (Highland), whilst the Semipalmated Sandpiper returned to Pennington Marshes (Hampshire). Lingering rarities included Black-throated Thrush (Bedfordshire), Eastern stonechat species (Cheshire), American Buff-bellied Pipit (Cornwall), Eastern Yellow Wagtails (Northumberland and Norfolk), White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Long-billed Dowitchers (Co Wicklow and Cumbria), Blue-winged Teal (Devon), Lesser Yellowlegs (North Yorkshire), Black Scoter (Northumberland) and Ferruginous Duck (Norfolk).

The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling (Cambridgeshire), Richard's Pipit (Somerset), Wryneck (Dorset), Purple Heron (Lancashire), Yellow-browed Warblers (London, North Yorkshire, Shropshire and Somerset), Rough-legged Buzzards Norfolk, South Yorkshire and Suffolk), and six Shorelarks (Norfolk [5] and Suffolk).
Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 9th January 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, both Lesser White-fronted Goose and Blue-headed Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Norfolk, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, Eastern Stonechat in Cheshire, both Blue-winged Teal and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wicklow, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, and single King Eiders in both Highland and the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Purple Heron (Lancashire), Richard's Pipit (Somerset), two each of Ring-billed Gull, Yellow-browed Warbler, Glossy Ibis and Shorelark, three Rough-legged Buzzards, four Green-winged Teals, six Great Grey Shrikes and a total of 14 Ring-necked Ducks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 8th January 2020  
 

Continuing rarities were represented by the Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Brown Shrike (Co.Cork), White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Norfolk (Blue-headed) and Northumberland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Eastern Stonechat sp in Cheshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall,

Scarcities included Richard's Pipit (Somerset), Northern Treecreeper (Sussex), seven Great Grey Shrikes, five Rough-legged Buzzards, Purple Heron (Lancashire), three Glossy Ibises, two Ring-billed Gulls (Co.Sligo and Co.Cork), two Snow Geese, Black Brant, five Green-winged Teal, 11 Ring-necked Ducks and six Shorelarks.
David Campbell, RBA
Tuesday 7th January 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Brown Shrike in County Cork at Mallow; only the second record of this species in Ireland.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Eastern Yellow Wagtails in both Norfolk and Northumberland, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Stonechat in Cheshire, and Blue-winged Teal in Devon, whilst in Norfolk a Ferruginous Duck returned to Ranworth Broad.

Scarcities included American Wigeon and Lesser Snow Goose (Highland), Purple Heron (Lancashire), Richard's Pipit (Somerset), Ring-billed Gull (County Kerry), Great Grey Shrike (Bedfordshire), two each of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Green-winged Teal, four of Yellow-browed Warbler and Glossy Ibis, six of Ring-necked Duck and Shorelark, and a total of 51 Lapland Buntings.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 6th January 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the Black-throated Thrush still in Bedfordshire, both Blue-headed Eastern Yellow Wagtail and Desert Wheatear in Norfolk, Eastern Yellow Wagtail and Black Scoter in Northumberland, Eastern Stonechat in Cheshire and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon. A Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire at Nosterfield was presumably the same individual present at nearby Catterick on 17th-18th November 2019.

Scarcities included Purple Heron (Lancashire), Richard's Pipit (Kent), American Wigeon (Highland), Surf Scoter (Lothian) and Snow Goose (Orkney Isles), two Yellow-browed Warblers, three each of Glossy Ibis, Green-winged Teal and Great Grey Shrike, four each of both Ring-billed Gull and Rough-legged Buzzard, seven Shorelarks, nine Ring-necked Ducks and 35 Lapland Buntings.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 5th January 2020  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Norfolk and Northumberland, Eastern Stonechats in Suffolk and Cheshire, Desert Wheatear in Norfolk, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Black Scoters in Angus and Northumberland, Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and County Mayo and Long-billed Dowitchers in County Wicklow and County Wexford.

Scarcity highlights included a Lapland Bunting, two Richard's Pipits, five Yellow-browed Warblers, seven Shorelarks, eight Great Grey Shrikes, a Purple Heron, two Glossy Ibises, a Little Auk, four Rough-legged Buzzards, a Surf Scoter, three Green-winged Teal, ten Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, 52 Taiga Bean Geese, 56 Tundra Bean Geese, a Kumlien's Gull, four Ring-billed Gulls, four Glaucous Gulls and six Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 4th January 2020  
  A White-billed Diver flew past Lamba Ness, Unst, Shetland today.

Lingering rarities included the Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Northumberland, Norfolk and County Wexford, Eastern Stonechats in Cheshire and Suffolk, Desert Wheatear in Norfolk, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, Gyr in Western Isles, Long-billed Dowitchers in Devon, County Wexford and County Wicklow, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire and two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles.

Scarcity highlights included a Pallas's Warbler, two Richard's Pipits, four Yellow-browed Warblers, six Shorelarks, ten Great Grey Shrikes, 11 Lapland Buntings, a Purple Heron, two Glossy Ibises, four Rough-legged Buzzards, a Grey Phalarope, a Surf Scoter, an American Wigeon, four Green-winged Teals, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, 98 Tundra Bean Geese, 125 Taiga Bean Geese, three Little Auks, a Kumlien's Gull, six Ring-billed Gulls, 12 Glaucous Gulls and 14 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA