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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Tuesday 23rd February 2021  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Bufflehead in Warwickshire, Hooded Merganser in Suffolk and Lesser Yellowlegs in County Waterford.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, a Great Grey Shrike, a Shorelark, a Yellow-browed Warbler, two Little Buntings, four Waxwings, 25 Lapland Buntings, seven Glossy Ibises, an American Wigeon, five Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, two Tundra Bean Geese, two Ring-billed Gulls, six Glaucous Gulls and 17 Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 22nd February 2021  
  Rarities comprised the Northern Mockingbird still in Devon at Exmouth, Bufflehead in Warwickshire at Coton, Rustic Bunting in Surrey at Thursley Commmon, and a Dusky Warbler in Merseyside at Ainsdale.

Scarcities included Dotterel (Cornwall), American Wigeon (Northumberland), Green-winged Teal (Western Isles), Black Brant (East Yorkshire), two each of both Ring-billed Gull and Rose-coloured Starling, three Little Buntings, four Lapland Buntings, six Glossy Ibises, and a total of eight Ring-necked Ducks.

Incoming spring migrants included Wheatear (Berkshire), Garganey (Cheshire), and White Wagtail (Isles of Scilly).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 21st February 2021  
 

The Northern Mockingbird continued its stay in Devon, while positive updates were also received on the White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Bufflehead in Co.Cork and Warwickshire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, King Eider in Co.Kerry, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan.

Scarcities included American Golden Plover (Western Isles), two Little Buntings (Surrey), two Rose-coloured Starlings, three Ring-billed Gulls, Shorelark (East Yorkshire), Great Grey Shrike (Hampshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Green-winged Teal (Co.Tipperary), 12 Ring-necked Ducks, six Black Brants, two Todd's Canada Geese, Grey Phalarope (Orkney) and five Glossy Ibises.

The first White Wagtail of the year was seen in Sussex.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Saturday 20th February 2021  
  Rarities today comprised the Sociable Lapwing still in Cornwall at Bude, Bufflehead still in Warwickshire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Waterford, two King Eiders together in County Donegal, and single White-billed Divers on both the Orkney Isles and Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Snow Goose (Western Isles), two each of both American Wigeon and Black Brant, three of Little Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling, and Great Grey Shrike, four Waxwings, five Ring-necked Ducks, eight Glossy Ibises, and a total of 17 Lapland Buntings.

Incoming spring migrants reported were Wheatear (Buckinghamshire), Sand Martin (Glamorgan), and Osprey (East Sussex and London).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 19th February 2021  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Bufflehead in Warwickshire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey and Dusky Warbler in Merseyside.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, two Little Buntings, four Waxwings, four Glossy Ibises, a Little Auk, an American Wigeon, four Ring-necked Ducks, three Black Brants, four Tundra Bean Geese, five Glaucous Gulls and 29 Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 18th February 2021  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Ross's Gull in County Down at Killough; a first-winter bird.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Northern Mockingbird in Devon, Bufflehead in Warwickshire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, and Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland. A Pacific Diver at Pennance Point, Falmouth was the first sighting of this species in Cornwall since 10th December 2020.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), two Little Buntings (together in Surrey), two Surf Scoters, three Black Brants, four each of both Ring-billed Gull and Ring-necked Duck, five Glossy Ibises, and a total of six Lapland Buntings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 17th February 2021  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Bufflehead in Warwickshire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside and Ferruginous Duck in Cambridgeshire. Late news concerned the Belted Kingfisher in County Cork which was still present on Saturday and a new Dusky Warbler at Chelford, Cheshire on 10th February.

Scarcity highlights included a Shorelark, two Little Buntings, two Rose-coloured Starlings, four Lapland Buntings, ten Waxwings, five Glossy Ibises, two American Wigeon, thee Ring-necked Ducks, two Taiga Bean Geese, ten Tundra Bean Geese, five Black Brants, a Kumlien's Gull, three Ring-billed Gulls, five Glaucous Gulls and 24 Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 16th February 2021  
 

The Bufflehead reappeared in Warwickshire. Meanwhile, the Northern Mockingbird in Devon, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside and Ferruginous Duck in Cambridgeshire all continued their stays.

Other highlights today included Rose-coloured Starling (Dorset), two Little Buntings (Surrey), two Ring-billed Gulls, Black Brant (Essex), Snow Goose (Orkney), two Green-winged Teal, eight Ring-necked Ducks, 10 Glossy Ibises, two Taiga Bean Geese (Lancashire) and Grey Phalarope (Angus).
-  David Campbell, RBA
Monday 15th February 2021  
  In Norfolk, a Coues's Arctic Redpoll was discovered in Wells Woods, whilst a second Dusky Warbler joined the long staying bird at Ainsdale, Merseyside.

Lingering rarities included the Northern Mockingbird in Devon, Rustic Bunting in Surrey and Lammergeier in Norfolk.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, two Little Buntings, 12 Lapland Buntings, a Little Auk, a Grey Phalarope, three Glossy Ibises, an American Wigeon, two Surf Scoters, five Ring-necked Ducks, a Todd's Canada Goose, two Black Brants, four Tundra Bean Geese, a Pomarine Skua, a Kumlien's Gull, a Ring-billed Gull, eight Glaucous Gulls and 18 Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 14th February 2021  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan at Cardiff Bay.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Rustic Bunting still in Surrey at Thursley Common, and the Spotted Sandpiper still in Ayrshire at Croy Shore.

Scarcities included Surf Scoter (Lothian), Great Grey Shrike (Devon), Grey Phalarope (North Yorkshire), Black Brant (Suffolk), two Rose-coloured Starlings, two Little Buntings (together in Surrey), four Lapland Buntings, five Ring-necked Ducks, and a total of seven Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA