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 13th November 2007  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an adult Red-breasted Goose with the wintering Barnacle Geese at Caerlaverock, Dumfries and Galloway. Elsewhere a Long-billed Dowitcher was new at Seal Sands, Cleveland and a Great White Egret flew in off the sea at Waxham, Norfolk before being tracked northwest along the coast to Morston.

Lingering rarities comprised of the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, a Wilson's Snipe on the Isles of Scilly, four Penduline Tits in Suffolk, White-billed Diver in West Sussex, Glossy Ibis in Somerset, Cattle Egret in County Wicklow, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus and single Lesser Scaups in both Berkshire and the Shetland Isles.

On the Western Isles the juvenile grey morph Gyr remained east of Stornoway, Isle of Lewis but the possibility that is actually an escaped hybrid - perhaps with a parentage including Saker - may prove difficult to eliminate.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 12th November 2007  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a party of three Penduline Tits at Dingle Marshes, Suffolk. Otherwise, a brief Long-billed Dowitcher was seen at Bewl Water, East Sussex, a Lesser Scaup was confirmed and a White-billed Diver discovered on Fetlar, Shetland Isles and the Black Scoter returned to Llanfairfechan, Conwy for the tenth succesive winter.

In West Sussex the White-billed Diver reappeared whilst other lingering rarities comprised the Gyr on the Western Isles, Glossy Ibis in Somerset, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Lesser Scaup in Berkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Cattle Egrets in County Wicklow and Dorset (2) and single Great White Egrets in County Londonderry, Hampshire and Lancashire.

Displaced Little Auks continued to be seen with reports from 22 counties including site maximums of 2,580 in Aberdeenshire, 860 Orkney Islands, 222 North Yorkshire, 201 County Durham, 136 Norfolk, 109 Moray, 99 Northumberland, 72 East Yorkshire, 59 Lothian and 53 in Cleveland.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 11th November 2007  
  Today was all about Little Auks - lots of Little Auks! Thousands swarmed past the east coast throughout the day, with a peak count of 28,803 past the Farne Islands, Northumberland. Lower numbers were seen off western and southern coastlines, with a scattering of birds making landfall at inland locations. Seawatchers also scored a White-billed Diver off Boulmer, Northumberland, then off Cullernose Point before finally being seen flying north past St Abb's Head, Borders. Other seawatching highlights included the odd Leach's Petrel, Long-tailed Skua, Grey Phalaropes and several Pomarine Skuas.

On Western Isles a grey morph juvenile Gyr was discovered near Stornoway, Lewis, and staying in Scotland, an adult Bonaparte's Gull was off Fishtown of Usan, presumably a bird returning to spend the winter on the Angus coastline.

Elsewhere rarities included a Ross's Goose with Pink-footed Geese on Plex Moss, Lancashire, Glossy Ibises in Somerset and Merseyside, Lesser Scaups in Co Donegal, Berkshire and Somerset, American Buff-bellied Pipit and Long-billed Dowitcher at Ballycotton, Co Cork, Lesser Yellowlegs in Angus, Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon. In Oxfordshire, the adult Franklin's Gull roosted at Farmoor Reservoir for a second consecutive evening.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 10th November 2007  
  An adult Franklins Gull roosted on Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire this evening. A juvenile Ivory Gull was seen briefly on the Howmore Estuary, South Uist mid afternoon. A very late Arctic Warbler was on Unst, and a Kentish Plover was briefly on South Uist. A Lesser Yellowlegs was found late afternoon at Montrose Basin, Angus, and two White-billed Divers were seen: one flying past Flamborough, and a presumed returning adult off Kirkabister, mainland Shetland, with a drake King Eider nearby.

As yesterday, large numbers of seabirds continued to be seen around the east coast, although not in the record numbers of Friday. Again, the best count of Little Auks came from the Farne Islands, Northumberland, with over 7,000 birds flying past there. Inland, several Pomarine Skuas were found on reservoirs, such as Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire.

Lingering rarities included Glossy Ibis in Somerset, Lesser Scaup in Berkshire, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, three Cattle Egrets in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Pine Bunting on Fair Isle, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Great White Egrets in Norfolk and Lancashire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 9th November 2007  
  Nearly all the messages today involved seabirds, with the high winds and strong tidal surge bringing record breaking numbers of Little Auks within sight of nearly all the seawatching sites along the east coast, with a maximum count of over 18,700 seen off the Farne Islands, Northumberland. Elsewhere, 5,381 flew past Whitburn Obs, County Durham, 3,400 were off St.Mary's Island, Northumberland, 2,800 past Flamborough Head, Yorkshire and 1,100 flew past Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire. Several birds were reported from inland Norfolk, including birds on roads and in pub car parks as far from the coast as Norwich. Large numbers of Pomarine Skuas were also seen, with Leach's Petrels, European Storm Petrels and Grey Phalaropes also being blown on shore.

An adult White-billed Diver was found off Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire, by birders searching for Wednesdays Brunnich's Guillemot.

Lingering rarities included Glossy Ibis in Somerset, White-rumped Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Great White Egret in Lancashire and Lesser Scaup in Berkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 8th November 2007  
  Negative news was the theme of the day in Scotland - both the Brünnich's Guillemot at Girdle Ness and Mourning Dove on North Uist failed to show today in (very) windy and wet conditions.

In Dorset one of the wandering Cattle Egrets made an appearance at Middlebere, whilst elsewhere long stayers included Lesser Yellowlegs at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, Lesser Scaup at Woolhampton Gravel Pits, Berkshire, American Buff-bellied Pipit near Land's End, Cornwall and White-rumped Sandpiper at Kenfig Pool NNR and Spotted Sandpiper at Lisvane Reservoir, Glamorgan.

In East Norfolk both an adult white morph Lesser Snow Goose and Ross's Goose remained with Pink-footed Geese.

Seawatchers continued to score decent totals of Pomarine Skuas and Little Auks, whilst the odd Leach's Petrel, Long-tailed Skua and Sabine's Gull were also noted.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 7th November 2007  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Brünnich's Guillemot off Girdle Ness, Aberdeenshire, which remained on show off the foghorn throughout the afternoon.

Both Mourning Doves were still present, on Western Isles and in Co Galway, and an intriguing report related to a possible Mourning Dove at Druimindarroch, Highland.

In Dorset a Cattle Egret flew over Hengistbury Head and long-stayers included the White-rumped Sandpiper in Glamorgan, Pine Bunting on Fair Isle, Lesser Scaup in Berkshire, Forster's Tern in Co Louth, Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall and Glossy Ibis in Merseyside.

A decent number of Little Auks and Pomarine Skuas continued to delight east coast seawatchers.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 6th November 2007  
  Seawatchers delivered the star bird of the day, a White-billed Diver passing Sheringham, Norfolk during the morning. Over 200 Pomarine Skuas were seen from ten counties including maximums of 103 from Norfolk, 43 from East Yorkshire and 23 from Lincolnshire. Over 50 Little Auks included maximums of 17 from East Yorkshire, ten in Cleveland and nine in Norfolk.

The Mourning Dove and Richardson's Canada Goose both remained on Western Isles as did the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, Penduline Tit and Lesser Yellowlegs together in Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Black Kite in Lincolnshire, Glossy Ibis in Merseyside, Ross's Goose in Norfolk, Lesser Scaups in both Berkshire and Somerset and Great White Egrets in both Essex and Lancashire. In Glamorgan the Cattle Egret, Spotted Sandpiper and White-rumped Sandpiper were all seen and in County Cork American Buff-bellied Pipit, Long-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs and American Golden Plover were recorded.

In what is a good winter for Great Grey Shrikes singles were recorded today in Berkshire, East Sussex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire and Surrey.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 5th November 2007  
  Both the Irish and Scottish Mourning Doves were still at their respective sites throughout the day. New rarities included a Cattle Egret at Kenfig Pool NNR, Glamorgan, where the White-rumped Sandpiper was still on show, and a Great White Egret flew over Spurn Point, East Yorkshire. A Lesser Yellowlegs at Rosscarbery, Co Cork may well have been a returning bird.

In Cornwall the American Buff-bellied Pipit was still near Land's End, but proved to be extremely elusive. Equally elusive was the Penduline Tit at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, but the Lesser Yellowlegs was more obliging.

In Co Louth a Forster's Tern was still at Cruisetown Strand, the probable Desert Lesser Whitethroat was still at Porthcurno, Cornwall and Berkshire's first Lesser Scaup remained at Woolhampton Gravel Pits.

Pomarine Skuas and Little Auks were still available to those who seawatched off the east coast.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 4th November 2007  
  The star Sunday find was Ireland's second Cliff Swallow at Ballymacrown, Co Cork. Elsewhere in Ireland the Mourning Dove remained in Co Galway and the Red-rumped Swallow continued its stay in Co Donegal.

On the Western Isles the Mourning Dove continued to show well on North Uist, whilst a Richardson's Canada Goose and Great White Egret were both available nearby. Elsewhere in Britain new discoveries included a Penduline Tit at Minsmere RSPB (where the Lesser Yellowlegs was also still on show), Great White Egrets at Grove Ferry, Kent and Whitlingham Country Park, Norfolk and yesterday's Cattle Egrets in Dorset reappeared at Radipole Lake RSPB and Bestwall RSPB.

Popular rarities included the American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, White-rumped and Spotted Sandpipers in Glamorgan, Glossy Ibises in Somerset and Merseyside and Lesser Scaups in Wiltshire and Berkshire.

An excellent Pomarine Skua and Little Auk passage was enjoyed by many on the east coast, and other odds and sods where three Richard's Pipits in Salthouse, Norfolk, Little Bunting in Kilnsea, East Yorkshire and a Red-breasted Flycatcher on Lewis, Western Isles.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA