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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Saturday 6th February 2021  
 

News of Britain's third Northern Mockingbird in Exmouth, Devon, for its third day shook things up considerably. The previous records are from 1982 and 1988.

The Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Lesser Scaup and King Eider in Co.Kerry, two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles and Lesser Yellowlegs in Co.Waterford were all still present.

Among the scarcities were two Great Grey Shrikes, two Little Buntings (Surrey), three Ring-billed Gulls, Kumlien's Gull (Co.Cork), Little Auk (Fife) and seven Ring-necked Ducks.
David Campbell, RBA
Friday 5th February 2021  
  A White-billed Diver flew past Pendeen Watch, Cornwall, whilst lingering rarities included the Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire and Rustic Bunting in Surrey.

Scarcity highlights included a Great Grey Shrike, a Rose-coloured Starling, two Little Buntings, two Yellow-browed Warblers, three Lapland Buntings, three Waxwings, a Glossy Ibis, a Surf Scoter, two Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, two Tundra Bean Geese, two Pomarine Skuas, a Ring-billed Gull, a Kumlien's Gull, eight Glaucous Gulls and 25 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 4th February 2021  
  Rarities today comprised the Rustic Bunting still in Surrey at Thursley Common, and a Dusky Warbler still in Merseyside at Ainsdale.

Scarcities included Ring-billed Gull (County Antrim), Surf Scoter (Highland), Glossy Ibis (Kent), Great Grey Shrike, and two Little Buntings (all together in Surrey), three Yellow-browed Warblers, seven Lapland Buntings, and a total of eight Ring-necked Ducks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 3rd February 2021  
 

The day's most significant news was of a White-throated Sparrow in a garden near Barcombe, East Sussex.

The Sociable Lapwing in Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck in Cambridgeshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co.Waterford, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside all remained.

Other highlights included Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), three Rose-coloured Starlings, three Yellow-browed Warblers, Great Grey Shrike (Surrey), three Ring-necked Ducks and two Glossy Ibises.
David Campbell, RBA
Tuesday 2nd February 2021  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside and Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Great Grey Shrike, two Little Buntings, two Yellow-browed Warblers, five Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, three Tundra Bean Geese, five Pomarine Skuas, a Ring-billed Gull, nine Glaucous Gulls and 13 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Monday 1st February 2021  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, Ferruginous Duck in Cambridgeshire, and White-billed Diver in Highland.

Scarcities included Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Surf Scoter (Highland), Yellow-browed Warbler (Hampshire), Snow Goose (Western Isles), Glossy Ibis (Kent), two each of Little Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling, Black Brant, Green-winged Teal, and Lapland Bunting, three Waxwings, and a total of four Ring-necked Ducks.
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 31st January 2021  
  Rarities today comprised the Rustic Bunting still in Surrey, the Eastern Yellow Wagtail and Hooded Merganser both still in Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, Kentish Plover in Somerset, Ferruginous Duck in Cambridgeshire, and White-billed Diver in Highland. Scarcities included Richard's Pipit and Rough-legged Buzzard (Kent), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Great Grey Shrike (Surrey), Grey Phalarope (Cornwall), Kumlien's Gull (Cambridgeshire), two each of Little Bunting, Ring-billed Gull, Surf Scoter, and Black Brant, three of Yellow-browed Warbler and Glossy Ibis, seven Ring-necked Ducks, and a total of 13 Waxwings. In Lancashire a Lesser White-fronted Goose located with Pink-footed Geese at Pilling proved to be the same individual as earlier present in September 2020 at Staveley, North Yorkshire where it had associated with feral geese.
Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 30th January 2021  
 

The Bufflehead in Co.Cork and White-billed Diver in Highland remained in place. There was late news of a first-winter American Herring Gull in Highland on Thursday.

Other news included 10 Waxwings, three Yellow-browed Warblers, Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), Ring-billed Gull (Clyde), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Green-winged Teal (Devon) and four Ring-necked Ducks.
David Campbell, RBA
Friday 29th January 2021  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Sociable Lapwing in Cornwall, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside and Ferruginous Duck in Cambridgeshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Yellow-browed Warbler, ten Waxwings, 13 Lapland Buntings, a Glossy Ibis, three Pomarine Skuas, two Surf Scoters, seven Ring-necked Ducks, a Todd's Canada Goose, two Black Brants, three Tundra Bean Geese, 18 Glaucous Gulls and 22 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 28th January 2021  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire at Culzean Bay where it had previously been logged on 16th-19th October 2020.

Rarities lingering elsewhere comprised the Bufflehead still in Warwickshire at Coton, Rustic Bunting in Surrey at Thursley Common, King Eider in County Kerry at Castlegregory, and a White-billed Diver still on the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included American Wigeon (Northumberland), Ring-billed Gull (County Wicklow), Green-winged Teal (Devon), Rose-coloured Starling and Glossy Ibis (Dorset), Great Grey Shrike and Yellow-browed Warbler (Surrey), two each of Little Bunting, Ring-necked Duck, Lapland Bunting, and Kumlien's Gull, and a total of 10 Waxwings.
Chris Batty, RBA