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 8th March 2021  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Double-crested Cormorant in County Kerry, Northern Mockingbird in Devon, Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Black Scoter in Highland and King Eider in Shetland.

Scarcity highlights included two Little Buntings, two Yellow-browed Warblers, four Waxwings, three Glossy Ibises, two American Wigeon, two Green-winged Teal, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Snow Goose, a Black Brant, four Tundra Bean Geese, three Ring-billed Gulls, eight Glaucous Gulls and 20 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 7th March 2021  
  Rarities today comprised a Ferruginous Duck new in Wiltshire at Wardour, the Pied-billed Grebe still in Lancashire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Kentish Plover and three Penduline Tits in Somerset, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside, Bonaparte's Gull in County Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs in both Devon and County Waterford, and two Long-billed Dowitchers together in County Wexford.

Scarcities included Night Heron (Cornwall), Hoopoe (Isles of Scilly), Little Bunting (Surrey), Kumlien's Gull (Cambridgeshire), two each of American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, and Black Brant, three of Ring-billed Gull and Great Grey Shrike, five of Surf Scoter and Glossy Ibis, six Lapland Buntings, and a total of 11 Ring-necked Ducks.

Other incoming spring migrants included Garganey (Cambridgeshire), two Swallows, five Little Ringed Plovers, eight Wheatears, 14 White Wagtails, and a total of 99 Sand Martins.
Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 6th March 2021  
 

Two Long-billed Dowitchers and an adult Bonaparte's Gull turned up at Tacumshin in Co.Wexford. The Pied-billed Grebes in Lancashire and Argyll were still present, while positive news was also received about the Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Kentish Plover in Somerset, Bufflehead in Co.Cork, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside, and the two female King Eiders in Co.Donegal, as well as the the Co.Kerry drake.

The first Hoopoe of the spring was on Scilly. Other scarcities included the two Little Buntings (Surrey), three Great Grey Shrikes, four Ring-billed Gulls, Kumlien's Gull (Co.Kerry), five Glossy Ibises, two Surf Scoters (Co.Meath), 18 Ring-necked Ducks, three Green-winged Teal, Black Brant (East Yorkshire) and three Todd's Canada Geese.
David Campbell, RBA
Friday 5th March 2021  
  The third Pied-billed Grebe for Lancashire was present for its second day at Dolphinholme.

Lingering rarities seen today included the Belted Kingfisher in County Cork, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Dusky Warbler in Gloucestershire, Black Scoter in Highland and King Eider in Shetland.

Scarcity highlights included a Great Grey Shrike, two Little Buntings, nine Lapland Buntings, four Glossy Ibises, five Surf Scoters, five Ring-necked Ducks, two Tundra Bean Geese, two Black Brants, a Pomarine Skua, a Kumlien's Gull, two Ring-billed Gulls, six Glaucous Gulls and 18 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 4th March 2021  
 

A drake Black Scoter was identified on the sea off Embo in Highland.

Long-stayers reported today were the Northern Mockingbird in Devon, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Long-billed Dowitcher in North Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Dusky Warbler in Gloucestershire, and King Eider and White-billed Diver in Shetland

Further highlights included four Surf Scoters (with the Black Scoter in Highland), four Green-winged Teal (including three drakes together on Barra, Western Isles), 15 Ring-necked Ducks (including a new flock of five in Cornwall), two Black Brants (Dorset), four Ring-billed Gulls, two Little Buntings (Surrey, still with the Rustic), 12 Waxwings, Shorelark (Lothian), Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland), Little Auk (Shetland) and five Glossy Ibises.
David Campbell, RBA
Wednesday 3rd March 2021  
  Rarities today comprised the Northern Mockingbird still in Devon at Exmouth, Black Duck still in County Mayo on The Mullet, Rustic Bunting in Surrey at Thursley Common, King Eider on the Shetland Isles on Yell, and a Dusky Warbler reported in Lancashire at Leighton Moss.

Scarcities included Lapland Bunting (East Yorkshire), two each of both Little Bunting and Green-winged Teal, three Surf Scoters (together in Highland), five Waxwings, six Ring-billed Gulls (all adults), and a total of seven Ring-necked Ducks.

Incoming spring migrants included House Martin on Anglesey, two Swallows, five Wheatears, nine Little Ringed Plovers, nine White Wagtails, and 20 Sand Martins.
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 2nd March 2021  
  A Bonaparte's Gull and a White-billed Diver were both found in Bantry Bay, County Cork, with a King Eider in Hascosay Sound, Shetland and a Richardson's Cackling Goose at Mersehead RSPB, Dumfries and Galloway.

Lingering rarities included the Northern Mockingbird in Devon, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, King Eider in Vaila Sound, Shetland, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire and Long-billed Dowitcher in Yorkshire.

Scarcity highlights included a Rose-coloured Starling, three Little Buntings, eight Waxwings, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Grey Phalarope, a Glossy Ibis, three Ring-necked Ducks, six Surf Scoters, three Tundra Bean Geese, a Ring-billed Gull, five Glaucous Gulls and 16 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
Monday 1st March 2021  
 

Still present were the Northern Mockingbird in Devon, two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles, Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in North Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon, Rustic Bunting in Surrey and the two Dusky Warblers together in Merseyside.

Among the other highlights nationally today were Richard's Pipit (Glamorgan), two Little Buntings (Surrey), Great Grey Shrike (Hampshire), Shorelark (Lothian), Ring-billed Gull (Co.Fermanagh), Surf Scoter (Lothian), nine Ring-necked Ducks, Snow Goose (Western Isles), two Black Brants, Grey Phalarope (Hampshire) and Glossy Ibis (Dorset).
David Campbell, RBA
Sunday 28th February 2021  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Bonaparte's Gull in Gloucestershire at Slimbridge. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Northern Mockingbird still in Devon, Rustic Bunting still in Surrey, White-billed Diver on the Orkney Isles, and two Dusky Warblers still together in Merseyside.

Scarcities included Ring-billed Gull (County Fermanagh), Shorelark (Lothian), Lapland Bunting (Kent), Green-winged Teal (County Tipperary), Little Auk (Moray), Black Brant (Dorset), Kumlien's Gull (Cambridgeshire), Grey Phalarope and Great Grey Shrike (both Hampshire), two Little Buntings, three Glossy Ibises, four each of both Surf Scoter and Waxwing, and a total of seven Ring-necked Ducks.

Incoming spring migrants included Garganey (Cambridgeshire), eight Wheatears, and 14 Sand Martins.
Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 27th February 2021  
  A White-billed Diver was found off Burravoe, Yell, Shetland, with another lingering nearby in South Nesting Bay, Mainland. Other long staying rarities seen today included the Northern Mockingbird in Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher in Yorkshire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside, Hooded Merganser in Suffolk and two Richardson's Cackling Geese in Western Isles.

Scarcity highlights included a Shorelark, a Yellow-browed Warbler, two Little Buntings, three Great Grey Shrikes, four Waxwings, nine Lapland Buntings, a Grey Phalarope, three Glossy Ibises, a Green-winged Teal, five Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, five Tundra Bean Geese, three Ring-billed Gulls, 11 Glaucous Gulls and 18 Iceland Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA