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 28th November 2006  
  Two new American waders were discovered today with a Long-billed Dowitcher on the Alaw Estuary, Anglesey and a Lesser Yellowlegs on South Uist, Western Isles. The juvenile Black-eared Kite was reported again briefly; this time in Norfolk at Snettisham.

Otherwise wildfowl led the way with the reappearance of the first-winter male Falcated Duck on Exe Estuary, Devon notable as was the continued presence of both Barrow's Goldeneyes in Forth and Co Down, Black Scoter in Conwy, Bufflehead on Shetland and Lesser Scaups in Dumfries and Galloway, Western Isles and Co Dublin.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 27th November 2006  
  Lesser Scaup was the flavour of the day with news breaking of females at Caerlaverock, Dumfries and Galloway and Knock Lake, Co Dublin and a male on North Uist, Western Isles (where there had been two the previous day).

The Laughing Gull in Hertfordshire was seen again at dawn at Amwell and on the Western Isles both the Snowy Owl and American Golden Plover showed again on Lewis. A Pallas's Warbler and Yellow-browed Warbler were together at Durlston, Dorset with a further Yellow-browed Warbler at Beer, Devon.

Long-stayers were headlined by the Barrow's Goldeneye in Forth, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and White-rumped Sandpiper in Norfolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 26th November 2006  
  An adult Laughing Gull roosted at Amwell Gravel Pits, Hertfordshire this evening, presumably the bird seen recently at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire. A couple of Pallas's Warblers (at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire and Durlston Castle, Dorset) were both excellent late November finds, especially considering the dearth of records during the main autumn period. Yellow-browed Warblers could be found at Marazion, Cornwall, Beer, Devon and Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.

The splendid drake Barrow's Goldeneye continued to attract attention in Forth, as did several other long stayers, such as Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis, Spotted Sandpiper and pair of Red-breasted Geese. The juvenile American Golden Plover was at Newbiggin for its second day and in County Wexford, a White-rumped Sandpiper was located at North Slob WWR. An adult Bonaparte's Gull made another brief appearance near Lunan Bay, Angus.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 25th November 2006  
  There was very little to shout about during a quiet late November Saturday, the only fresh discovery of note being a juvenile American Golden Plover at Newbiggin, Northumberland.

The Barrow's Goldeneye continued to frequent the River Eas Gobhain in Callander, Forth and the adult drake Black Scoter reappeared off Llanfairfechan, Conwy. Long-stayers included the juvenile Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall, pair of Red-breasted Geese in Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, White-rumped Sandpiper in Norfolk and Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent. The Little Bunting once again put in a brief early morning appearance at Benacre.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 24th November 2006  
  The only new rarities of the day were a Ferruginous Duck reported in Suffolk, and an American Wigeon reported in Hampshire. An additional Ferruginous Duck was reported yesterday in Northumberland. Hopefully these individuals will all be confirmed and available to the crowds over the weekend.

The drake Barrow's Goldeneye continued to draw observers to Forth, and most other long staying rarities were also seen again during the day. The pick of these were the Bufflehead on Shetland, the Dusky Warbler at Spurn, the Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and the Cattle Egret in Devon. There were however no confirmed sightings of the Black-eared Kite in Lincs, or the Falcated Duck in Devon and no news either way on the long-staying Red-breasted Geese in Lincs.
-  Simon Mitchell, RBA
Thursday 23rd November 2006  
  The highlight of a quiet day was the finding of a first-winter Bonaparte's Gull at Marazion, Cornwall. The only other new rarity was a Great White Egret near Bournemouth, Dorset.

Dapper drake Barrow's Goldeneyes continued to delight in Forth and County Down and the Falcated Duck remained on the Exe Estuary, Devon. Other long-staying rarities included the two Red-breasted Geese in Lincolnshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and Bufflehead on Unst, Shetland.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 22nd November 2006  
  The only new rarity of the day was a grey morph Gyr Falcon reported in off the sea at Hermaness, Unst. An exceptionally late Swift sp. over Wells, Norfolk unfortunately evaded specific identification.

Remaining rarities included the Black-eared Kite reported still in Lincolnshire, the Barrow's Goldeneye in Forth and the Falcated Duck in Devon. Other species still lingering for long stays included the exceptionally late Woodchat Shrike, the Spotted Sandpiper and Cattle Egret in Devon, the Red-breasted Geese in Lincolnshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent, Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and the Bufflehead on Shetland.
-  Simon Mitchell, RBA
Tuesday 21st November 2006  
  A very late Red-rumped Swallow in Staffordshire was the only new rarity of the day; the 2nd latest ever record for Britain. Other interesting news was of a Falcated Duck seen on the Exe Estuary on Saturday, and apparently present previously for several weeks. As with previous individuals thought of as good candidates as wild birds, the bird was present with Eurasian Wigeon, which could potentially act as a carrier species.

The top remaining rarities were the Barrow's Goldeneye in Forth, the Black-eared Kite in Lincolnshire and the re-appearing Bufflehead on Shetland, with Red-breasted Geese, Grey Phalaropes, Yellow-browed Warblers and a few American waders as a supporting cast.   
-  Simon Mitchell, RBA
Monday 20th November 2006  
  A Wilson's Phalarope discovered at St John's Point, Co Down was, like the continuing Woodchat Shrike in Devon and Purple Heron in Buckinghamshire, an exceptionally late record.

The adult male Barrow's Goldeneyes continued to show well at both Callander, Forth and Quoile Ponadge, Co Down, the Black-eared Kite remained near Holbeach St Marks, Lincolnshire as did the Dusky Warbler at Spurn Point, East Yorkshire and the Bonaparte's Gull in Lunan Bay, Angus.

Several American waders remained in place with Spotted Sandpipers in both Cornwall and Devon, American Golden Plovers in Cambridgeshire and Co Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs in Co Cork and White-rumped Sandpipers in Co Down, Co Wicklow and Norfolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 19th November 2006  
  The outstanding find of the day was an adult male Barrow's Goldeneye on the River Teith in Callander, Forth. Until 2005 Barrow's Goldeneye was one of the great 'blockers' with just one accepted record, in Ayrshire in November and December 1979. However, with a male in Aberdeenshire during May and June last year and another - or the same - in Co Down from November 2005 until April 2006 and again in November 2006, everyone has now had a chance to see this superb duck.

An adult Laughing Gull located in the large evening gull roost at Grafham Water was the first Cambridgeshire record whilst an adult Bonaparte's Gull at Lunan Bay, Angus is presumably a returning individual.

The Black-eared Kite showed again at Holbeach Marsh, Lincolnshire and other long-stayers including the Forster's Tern in Co Louth, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Red-breasted Geese in Dorset and Lincolnshire (2), Cattle Egret in Devon and both Siberian Stonechat and Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall. Continuing American waders were represented by American Golden Plover in Cambridgeshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Kent and four scattered White-rumped Sandpipers.
-  Chris Batty, RBA