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.

Choose a starting date
Tuesday 28th December 2021  
  Rarities today comprised the Belted Kingfisher still in Lancashire, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Northern Harrier in County Offaly, Pacific Diver in Glamorgan, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Hume's Warbler in Kent, Rustic Bunting in County Down, Penduline Tit in Somerset, Richardson's Cackling Goose in County Sligo, Dusky Warblers in London and North Yorkshire, Lesser Scaup in County Cork and Devon (2), and Ferruginous Ducks in Hampshire, Staffordshire and Surrey.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), American Wigeon (Derbyshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), two each of both Yellow-browed Warbler and Snow Goose, three Waxwings, four Grey Phalaropes, five Ring-billed Gulls, 11 each of Shorelark and Ring-necked Duck, and a total of 23 Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 27th December 2021  
 

New rarities from the day where a Rustic Bunting in County Down at Bangor and a Dusky Warbler in North Yorkshire at Wheldrake Ings YWT.

Lingering rarities still present included the Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire, Pacific Diver still in Glamorgan, Ferruginous Duck still in Surrey, 3 Lesser Scaup 2 in Devon plus another on the Western Isles, 3 Penduline Tits in Somerset, Hume’s Warbler in Suffolk and the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian.

Scarcity highlights included an Green-winged Teal, an American Wigeon, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, 25 Glossy Ibises 12 Tundra Bean Geese, 2 Surf Scoter, 7 Glaucous Gulls, 13 Iceland Gulls, Little Bunting, Yellow-browed Warbler, Richard’s Pipit, 4 Taiga Bean Geese and 2 Ring-billed Gulls.
-  Toby Carter, RBA
Sunday 26th December 2021  
 

New rarities from the day where a Hume's Warbler in Suffolk at Aldeburgh and the Ferruginous Duck reappeared in Staffordshire at Belvide Reservoir.

Lingering rarities still present included the Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire, Northern Harrier in County Offaly, Pacific Diver still in Glamorgan, American Coot in County Wexford still, Dusky Warbler present in Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck still in Surrey, Lesser Scaup still on Scilly, 3 Penduline Tits in Somerset and the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian.

Scarcity highlights included a 4 Green-winged Teal, an American Wigeon, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, 32 Glossy Ibises, 12 Shorelarks, 10 Tundra Bean Geese, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Hoopoe, 3 Surf Scoter, 3 Glaucous Gulls, 9 Iceland Gulls, a Pomarine Skua, Little Bunting and 3 Ring-billed Gulls.
-  Toby Carter, RBA
Saturday 25th December 2021  
  An adult Brown Booby flew south past Flamborough Head, Yorkshire mid morning.

Lingering rarities included the Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire, Pacific Diver in Glamorgan, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Ferruginous Duck in Surrey, Lesser Scaup in Western Isles, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Bonaparte's Gull in County Antrim and Dusky Warblers in London and Kent.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Waxwing, a Shorelark, an American Wigeon, two Surf Scoters, four Ring-necked Ducks, five Green-winged Teal, two Taiga Bean Geese, nine Tundra Bean Geese, 21 Glossy Ibises, a Pomarine Skua, a Ring-billed Gull, two Glaucous Gulls and six Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 24th December 2021  
  New discoveries today included a Dusky Warbler at Aylestone Meadows, Leicestershire, the first record for the county, and a Bonaparte's Gull at Ballycarry, County Antrim.

Lingering rarities still present included the Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Pacific Diver in Glamorgan, Hume's Warbler in Kent, Dusky Warbler in London, Penduline Tit in Somerset, Lesser Scaup in Scilly and Ferruginous Duck in Surrey.

Scarcity highlights included a Yellow-browed Warbler, two Little Buntings, two Lapland Buntings, five Shorelarks, an American Wigeon, a Green-winged Teal, four Surf Scoters, 11 Ring-necked Ducks, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Black Brant, 16 Tundra Bean Geese, 49 Glossy Ibises, a Pomarine Skua, a Kumlien's Gull, two Glaucous Gulls, three Ring-billed Gulls and six Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 23rd December 2021  
 

The new rarity for the day was a Richardsons Cackling Goose in County Clare at Caherlean.

Lingering rarities still present included the Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire, Pacific Diver still in Glamorgan, four Lesser Scaup with two in Devon, one in County Cork and another on the Isle of Lewis, Ferruginous Duck still in Surrey, Penduline Tit in Somerset at Weston-super-Mare, Spotted Sandpiper on Scilly, Dusky Warblers still present in Kent and London, Hume’s Warbler still in Kent.

Scarcity highlights included a Green-winged Teal, an American Wigeon, 4 Ring-necked Ducks, 39 Glossy Ibises, 5 Shorelark, 5 Taiga Bean Geese, 10 Tundra Bean Geese, 2 Surf Scoter, 2 Glaucous Gulls, 12 Iceland Gulls, 3 Little Buntings, a Yellow-browed Warbler and Ring-billed Gull
-  Toby Carter, RBA
Wednesday 22nd December 2021  
 

New rarities from the day included a Hume's Warbler in Kent at Cliffe and now 3 Penduline Tits in Somerset at Weston-super-Mare.

Lingering rarities still present included the Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire, Snowy Owl still in Aberdeenshire, Pacific Diver still in Glamorgan, Dusky Warblers still present in Kent and London, Ferruginous Duck still in Surrey, 2 Lesser Scaups still in Devon.

Scarcity highlights included a Green-winged Teal, an American Wigeon, 6 Ring-necked Ducks, 43 Glossy Ibises, 6 Shorelarks, a Lapland Bunting, 2 Glaucous Gulls, 7 Iceland Gulls, 4 Surf Scoters, 2 Little Buntings, a Pomarine Skua and 5 Taiga Bean Geese.
-  Toby Carter, RBA
Tuesday 21st December 2021  
  Discoveries today included a Baikal Teal in Staffordshire at Aqualate Mere, and a Penduline Tit in Somerset at Weston-super-Mare.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire, Pacific Diver in Glamorgan, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Spotted Sandpiper on the Isles of Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs on the Orkney Isles, Dusky Warbler in London, White-billed Diver on the Shetland Isles, and Lesser Scaups in both County Cork and Devon (2).

Scarities included Little Bunting (London), Ring-billed Gull and Richard's Pipit (Cornwall), American Wigeon (Derbyshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cambridgeshire), Waxwing (Lincolnshire), Lapland Bunting (Suffolk), Black Brant (Kent), three each of both Surf Scoter and Green-winged Teal, six Shorelarks, 10 Ring-necked Ducks, and a total of 58 Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 20th December 2021  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire by the River Darwen at Roach Bridge where it had earlier been seen on 6th December.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the Snowy Owl still in Aberdeenshire, Pacific Divers in both County Cork and Glamorgan, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Cackling Goose on the Western Isles, Dusky Warblers in both Kent and London, Lesser Scaups in Devon and the Western Isles, and Ferruginous Ducks in both Hampshire and Staffordshire.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Rose-coloured Starling (Lothian), Great Shearwater (Norfolk), American Wigeon (Derbyshire), Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Shorelark (East Sussex), Green-winged Teal (Western Isles), Snow Goose (County Sligo), three Surf Scoters, five Lapland Buntings, 15 Ring-necked Ducks, and a total of 30 Glossy Ibises.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 19th December 2021  
  A Lesser Yellowlegs was discovered on Sanday, Orkney today.

Lingering rarities still present included the Pacific Diver in Glamorgan, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Lesser Scaups in Western Isles (two) and Scilly, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Wexford and Dusky Warblers in Kent, London and Cornwall.

Scarcity highlights included a Great Grey Shrike, a Little Bunting, three Lapland Buntings, two Rose-coloured Starlings, six Shorelarks, 26 Glossy Ibises, two Surf Scoters, ten Ring-necked Ducks, a Todd's Canada Goose, a Black Brant, two Tundra Bean Geese, five Taiga Bean Geese, four Snow Geese, a Pomarine Skua, three Ring-billed Gulls, five Glaucous Gulls and nine Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA