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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Thursday 7th January 2021  
 

The Bufflehead in Co.Down, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, White-billed Diver in Shetland and Dusky Warbler in Merseyside all continued their stays.

Scarcities included Richard's Pipit (Cornwall), two Little Buntings (Surrey), two Rose-coloured Starlings, four Yellow-browed Warblers, four Ring-billed Gulls, Kumlien's Gull (South Yorkshire), seven Glaucous Gulls, 20 Iceland Gulls, Surf Scoter (Co.Dublin), two Green-winged Teal, nine Ring-necked Ducks, two Black Brants, 12 Tundra Bean Geese and Glossy Ibis (Cambridgeshire).
David Campbell, RBA
Wednesday 6th January 2021  
 

News was received on the continued presence of the Pacific Golden Plover in Moray, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, Lesser Scaup in Co.Waterford, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria and North Yorkshire and Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon.

Other national highlights included two Great Grey Shrikes, three Rose-coloured Starlings, two Little Buntings (Surrey) two Yellow-browed Warblers, Little Auk (Highland), three Ring-billed Gulls, 18 Glaucous Gulls, 27 Iceland Gulls, three Surf Scoters, Green-winged Teal (Devon), nine Ring-necked Ducks, Black Brant (Devon), 21 Tundra Bean Geese and two Glossy Ibises.
David Campbell, RBA
Tuesday 5th January 2021  
  Rarities today comprised the Belted Kingfisher still in County Cork, Black Duck in Highland, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Kentish Plover in Somerset, King Eider in Moray, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, and two White-billed Divers still together on the Shetland Isles, whilst in Northumberland the Eastern Yellow Wagtail reappeared at Prestwick Carr where it had first been seen on 6th November.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Yellow-browed Warbler (Surrey), Lapland Bunting (Highland), Black Brant (Hampshire), three each of Little Bunting, Ring-billed Gull, and Surf Scoter, four Glossy Ibises, and a total of 12 Ring-necked Ducks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 4th January 2021  
  Rarities today comprised the Sociable Lapwing still in Cornwall, Eastern Black Redstart in Norfolk, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, a Dusky Warbler still in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, one White-billed Diver on the Shetland Isles, and two Richardson's Cackling Geese still together on the Western Isles.

Scarcities included Richard's Pipit (West Sussex), American Golden Plover (Western Isles), Surf Scoter (Orkney Isles), two each of Little Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling, Grey Phalarope, Green-winged Teal, and Lapland Bunting, three Shorelarks, five each of, Ring-billed Gull, Ring-necked Duck, Yellow-browed Warbler, and Glossy Ibis, and a total of 19 Waxwings.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 3rd January 2021  
 

Lingering rarities included the Sociable Lapwing in Cornwall, Buffleheads in Co.Cork and Co.Down, Eastern Black Redstart in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Co.Waterford, Eastern Yellow Wagtail and Hooded Merganser in Suffolk, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, King Eiders in Shetland and Moray, Dusky Warblers in Cheshire and Kent, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon. The Forster's Tern reappeared in Co.Galway.

Other highlights from today included Rough-legged Buzzard (Suffolk), Richard's Pipit (Sussex), Waxwing (Norfolk), two Little Buntings (Surrey), Shorelark (Northumberland), Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland), Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), five Yellow-browed Warblers, two Great Grey Shrikes, four Ring-billed Gulls, five Green-winged Teal, nine Ring-necked Ducks, Black Brant (East Yorkshire), four Taiga Bean Geese, 32 Tundra Bean Geese, Kumlien's Gull (Cambridgeshire), eight Glaucous Gulls, 35 Iceland Gulls, two Little Auks (Highland), Pomarine Skua (Devon) and 12 Glossy Ibises.
David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 2nd January 2021  
 

Another Bufflehead was found east of Kinsale in Co.Cork while the bird in Co.Down remained. Other lingering rarities included the Sociable Lapwing in Cornwall, Eastern Black Redstart in Norfolk, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Suffolk, two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Argyll, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Kentish Plover in Somerset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire and Dusky Warblers in Kent and Merseyside. The two King Eiders were still in Co.Donegal and the lone female remained in Shetland.

Among the day's other highlights were Rough-legged Buzzard (Suffolk), two Little Buntings (Surrey), Richard's Pipit (Sussex), two Rose-coloured Starlings, Shorelark (Northumberland), 12 Yellow-browed Warblers, 12 Waxwings, seven Ring-billed Gulls, seven Green-winged Teal, 13 Ring-necked Ducks, seven Taiga Bean Geese, 64 Tundra Bean Geese, Snow Goose (Western Isles), two Black Brants, two Grey Phalaropes, 12 Glaucous Gulls, two Kumlien's Gulls, 42 Iceland Gulls and seven Glossy Ibises.
David Campbell, RBA
Friday 1st January 2021  
  A King Eider was discovered at Ham Voe, Foula, Shetland today, whilst an Eastern Black Redstart was present for a second day at Snettisham RSPB, Norfolk.

Lingering rarities today included the Sociable Lapwing in Cornwall, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Suffolk, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Dusky Warblers in Cheshire, Kent (two) and Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire, Devon and County Waterford, Bufflehead in County Down, Hooded Merganser in Suffolk, Black Duck and Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Mayo (with two of the latter still in Western Isles) and King Eider in Moray.

Scarcity highlights included a Shorelark, a Great Grey Shrike, a Rose-coloured Starling, two Little Buntings, two Richard's Pipits, eight Yellow-browed Warblers, 17 Waxwings, 21 Lapland Buntings, a Little Auk, a Grey Phalarope, five Glossy Ibises, a Snow Goose, two Black Brants, six Taiga Bean Geese, 65 Tundra Bean Geese, three Surf Scoters, four Green-winged Teal, 18 Ring-necked Ducks, a Kumlien's Gull, four Ring-billed Gulls, 18 Glaucous Gulls and 40 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 31st December 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the Sociable Lapwing still in Cornwall, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Kentish Plover in Somerset, Dusky Warbler in Devon, Hooded Merganser in Suffolk, and two White-billed Divers together on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (Surrey), Richard's Pipit (West Sussex), Rose-coloured Starling (Anglesey), Green-winged Teal (County Kerry), Kumlien's Gull (Cambridgeshire), two Ring-billed Gulls, three each of American Wigeon, Shorelark, and Yellow-browed Warbler, six Waxwings, nine Lapland Buntings, and a total of 10 Ring-necked Ducks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 30th December 2020  
  New discoveries today included a Dusky Warbler at Lakeside in Doncaster, Yorkshire, a Lesser Scaup at Knockaderry Reservoir, County Waterford and four White-billed Divers in Shetland.

Lingering rarities included the Sociable Lapwing in Cornwall, Belted Kingfisher in County Cork, Hooded Merganser in Suffolk, Black Duck and Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Mayo, two King Eiders in County Donegal and one in Pembrokeshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire and County Waterford, Kentish Plover in Somerset, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Suffolk and Dusky Warbler in Cheshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Great Grey Shrike, two Little Buntings, six Waxwings, seven Yellow-browed Warblers, seven Lapland Buntings, two Rough-legged Buzzards, a Pomarine Skua, four Grey Phalaropes, three Glossy Ibises, three Surf Scoters, four Green-winged Teal, nine Ring-necked Ducks, a Todd's Canada Goose, three Black Brants, 59 Tundra Bean Geese, a Kumlien's Gull, two Ring-billed Gulls, 21 Glaucous Gulls and 37 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 29th December 2020  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Sociable Lapwing in Cornwall, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire, Hooded Merganser in Suffolk, Bufflehead in County Down, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Kentish Plover in Somerset, Rustic Bunting in Surrey and Dusky Warbler in Devon.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Lapland Bunting, two Richard's Pipits, two Little Buntings, six Yellow-browed Warblers, six Waxwings, an American Golden Plover, four Grey Phalaropes, a Little Auk, a Pomarine Skua, two Surf Scoters, two Green-winged Teal, 12 Ring-necked Ducks, two Black Brants, 44 Tundra Bean Geese, six Glossy Ibises, two Ring-billed Gulls, 19 Glaucous Gulls and 34 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA