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 13th March 2021  
 

The Northern Mockingbird continued its stay in Devon, while the Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire and Laughing Gull in Dorset continued to headline. Updates were also received on the Spotted Sandpiper in Ayrshire, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Long-billed Dowitcher in North Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon and Bonaparte's Gull in Co.Wexford - all of which were still on show. Dusky Warblers remained in Merseyside and Norfolk.

Further highlights from the day's birding included Long-tailed Skua (South Yorkshire), Shorelark (Lothian), Great Grey Shrike (Gloucestershire), two American Wigeon, two Black Brants (East Yorkshire), three Little Buntings, four Waxwings (Highland), five Ring-billed Gulls and Glossy Ibises, six Leach's Petrels and 10 Ring-necked Ducks.
-  David Campbell, RBA
Friday 12th March 2021  
  A Bonaparte's Gull was in Wexford town, County Wexford late afternoon.

Lingering rarities included the Northern Mockingbird in Devon, Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, Laughing Gull in Dorset, Rustic Bunting in Surrey and three Penduline Tits in Somerset.

Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, two Lapland Buntings, three Little Buntings, five Waxwings, a Leach's Petrel, a Pomarine Skua, four Long-tailed Skuas, a Green-winged Teal, two American Wigeon, seven Ring-necked Ducks, a Taiga Bean Goose, a Black Brant, five Glossy Ibises, four Ring-billed Gulls, 12 Glaucous Gulls and 22 Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 11th March 2021  
 

In Dorset, a second-winter Laughing Gull found at Abbotsbury Swannery in the morning was relocated at roost in Weymouth Bay towards dusk. The Rustic Bunting was still at Thursley Common (Surrey).

Remarkably, two unseasonable adult Long-tailed Skuas were seen today: one among other gale-driven birds off Severn Beach (Gloucestershire) and another over fields on the outskirts of Sheffield (South Yorkshire). Other scarcities included three Little Buntings (the two in Surrey and a new bird in Sussex), two Leach's Petrels, four Waxwings (Highland), Green-winged Teal (Western Isles), 14 Ring-necked Ducks, two American Wigeon, Taiga Bean Goose (Suffolk) and Black Brant (Co.Dublin).
-  David Campbell, RBA
Wednesday 10th March 2021  
  Rarities today comprised the Pied-billed Grebe still in Lancashire, Rustic Bunting still in Surrey, and Spotted Sandpiper still in Ayrshire. In County Cork a Snowy Owl was found dead near Cork.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Borders), American Wigeon (County Antrim), Great Grey Shrike (East Yorkshire), two each of Little Bunting (together in Surrey), Ring-billed Gull, Black Brant, and Green-winged Teal, and a total of four Ring-necked Ducks.

Stormy weather has paused spring migration but incoming migrants included Willow Warbler (Worcestershire), three Little Ringed Plovers, and 26 Sand Martins.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 9th March 2021  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the first-winter Ross's Gull in County Down at Killough; where it had earlier been present on 18th February.

Rarities elsewhere comprised a brief White-billed Diver discovered in North Yorkshire at Filey, both the Northern Mockingbird and Lesser Yellowlegs remained in Devon, the Pied-billed Grebe still in Lancashire, three Penduline Tits together in Somerset, Rustic Bunting in Surrey, Dusky Warbler in Merseyside, and Long-billed Dowitcher in North Yorkshire.

Scarcities included Ring-billed Gull (County Limerick), American Wigeon (County Antrim), Great Grey Shrike (East Yorkshire), Lapland Bunting (Northumberland), Green-winged Teal and Black-bellied Dipper (Shetland Isles), two each of Little Bunting, Shorelark, Yellow-browed Warbler, and Kumlien's Gull, four Waxwings, six Glossy Ibises, and a total of nine Ring-necked Ducks.

Incoming spring migrants included Hoopoe (County Cork), Osprey (Northumberland), House Martin (Buckinghamshire), two Swallows, six Wheatears, nine White Wagtails, 10 Little Ringed Plovers, and a total of 29 Sand Martins.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
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