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
Thursday 30th January 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Black-throated Thrush in Lincolnshire at Grimsby.

Rarities elsewhere comprised Eastern Yellow Wagtails still in both Norfolk and Northumberland, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Aberdeenshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Londonderry, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and Merseyside.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (East Sussex), Purple Heron (Lancshire), Great Grey Shrike (Gloucestershire), two Yellow-browed Warblers, three Rough-legged Buzzards, four Ring-billed Gulls, five each of Ring-necked Duck and Green-winged Teal, and six Shorelarks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 29th January 2020  
  Rarities today included the Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Norfolk and Northumberland, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Black Duck in Highland, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Bonaparte's Gull in Co.Wexford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Ferruginous Duck (or hybrid) in Norfolk. A White-billed Diver was off South Ronaldsay (Orkney).

Other news included two Ring-billed Gulls, Kumlien's Gull (Northumberland), Richard's Pipit (Somerset), Black Brant (East Yorkshire), five Great Grey Shrikes, six Shorelarks, Grey Phalarope (Wirral), four Rough-legged Buzzards, four Green-winged Teal, 10 Ring-necked Ducks and two Glossy Ibises.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Tuesday 28th January 2020  
  New rarities discovered today were a Penduline Tit in Dorset at Lodmoor, and in County Londonderry a Lesser Yellowlegs inland at Lough Beg.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in both Norfolk and Northumberland, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Black Scoter in Angus, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Marshside, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, and King Eider on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (East Sussex), Richard's Pipit (Kent), Glossy Ibis (Gwent), two each of both Ring-billed Gull and Green-winged Teal, four of Rough-legged Buzzard, Ring-necked Duck and Shorelark, and a total of five Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 27th January 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the Black-throated Thrush still in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Black Scoter in Angus, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and Merseyside.

Scarcities included Purple Heron (Lancashire), American Wigeon (Somerset), Yellow-browed Warbler (North Yorkshire), Shorelark (Suffolk), two Glossy Ibises, three each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Ring-billed Gull and Ring-necked Duck, five Green-winged Teals, and six Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 26th January 2020  
  The highlight of the day was a first-winter American Herring Gull in Dorset at West Bexington, where it had first been seen yesterday.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in both Norfolk and Northumberland, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, two Richardson's Cackling Geese together on the Western Isles, and Long-billed Dowitchers in County Meath (2), County Wexford and Merseyside.

Scarcities included Purple Heron (Lancashire), American Wigeon (Aberdeenshire), Shorelark (Suffolk), Snow Goose (Orkney Isles), two each of Ring-billed Gull, Surf Scoter, Lapland Bunting and Yellow-browed Warbler, three Glossy Ibis, four Rough-legged Buzzard, five Great Grey Shrike, six Green-winged Teal, and seven Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 25th January 2020  
 

The Steller's Eider was still in Papa Westray, where a White-billed Diver flew past. Other rarities today included the White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Black Scoters in Northumberland and Angus, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Norfolk and Northumberland, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Co.Wexford, Long-billed Dowitchers in Merseyside, Cumbria and Co.Wexford, and Ferruginous Ducks in Hampshire, Northamptonshire and Norfolk.

Today's supporting cast consisted of Purple Heron (Lancashire), four Rough-legged Buzzards, three Glossy Ibises, seven Great Grey Shrikes, four Ring-billed Gulls, Richard's Pipit (Kent), Shorelark (Suffolk), American Wigeon (Co.Donegal), Surf Scoter (Lothian), three Green-winged Teal and 14 Ring-necked Ducks.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Friday 24th January 2020  
  Highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Steller's Eider, a month and a day after it was last seen on Papa Westray (Orkney).

Elsewhere a Penduline Tit was discovered at Stodmarsh NNR (Kent), whilst Black-throated Thrush (Bedfordshire), West Siberian Stonechat (Cheshire), White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Eastern Yellow Wagtails (Norfolk and Northumberland), Lesser Yellowlegs (North Yorkshire), Long-billed Dowitchers (Cumbria and Merseyside), Ferruginous Duck (Hampshire), Blue-winged Teal (Devon), Lesser Scaup (Cornwall) and Bonaparte's Gull (Co Wexford) were all confirmed as present.

The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit (Somerset), three Glossy Ibises and Lapland Buntings, four Rough-legged Buzzards and Ring-necked Ducks and six Great Grey Shrikes.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 23rd January 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the Black-throated Thrush still in Bedfordshire, both American Buff-bellied Pipit and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Blue-headed Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Norfolk, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and Merseyside, and two Richardson's Cackling Geese together on the Western Isles.

Scarcities included Richard's Pipit (Somerset), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Lapland Bunting (Kent), two Glossy Ibises, three each of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Green-winged Teal, four Great Grey Shrikes, seven Ring-billed Gulls and a total of 12 Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 22nd January 2020  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Norfolk, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wicklow, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, King Eider in Shetland and two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles.

Scarcity highlights included a Richard's Pipit, two Lapland Buntings, three Great Grey Shrikes, five Shorelarks, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, two Rough-legged Buzzards, a Surf Scoter, two Green-winged Teal, four Ring-necked Ducks, a Todd's Canada Goose, two Black Brants, 17 Tundra Bean Geese, a Little Auk, two Ring-billed Gulls, nine Iceland Gulls and 13 Glaucous Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 21st January 2020  
  Rarities confirmed as still present today were the White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire, Blue-headed Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Norfolk, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire and Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford.

Scarcities included Purple Heron (Lancashire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Lapland Bunting (Kent), Glossy Ibis and Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), two each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Richard's Pipit and Green-winged Teal, three Ring-billed Gulls, five Shorelarks, six Great Grey Shrikes and a total of 10 Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA