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 17th November 2008  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a brief American Black Tern on South Uist, Western Isles – only the second British record.

Lingering rarities comprised the Dark-eyed Junco in Somerset, Steppe Grey Shrike in Lincolnshire, Sardinian Warbler and King Eider in Devon, Two-barred Crossbill in North Yorkshire, Cattle Egret in Cumbria, Great White Egret in County Galway, Hooded Merganser in Dorset, single Lesser Scaups in both Cornwall and Gloucestershire and Ferruginous Ducks in Glamorgan and Leicestershire.

The Waxwing tally for the day reached a minimum of 1,153 birds in eighteen counties including 289 in Ayrshire, 160 in Cleveland, 137 in Clyde, 120 in Lothian, 114 in Highland and 107 in Dumfries and Galloway.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 16th November 2008  
  Find of the day was a male Dark-eyed Junco in an East Coker garden, Somerset - the bird showed on and off up until dusk.

Lingering rarities included the Steppe Grey Shrike in Lincolnshire, Two-barred Crossbill in North Yorkshire, American Golden Plover in Cambridgeshire (a new bird was also discovered in Essex), Sardinian Warbler in Devon, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire and in Yorkshire the Pied Wheatear was re-found a couple of miles along the coast from its previous location, at Bempton Cliffs RSPB.

Waxwings were still extremely abundant and an unconfirmed report of a Nutcracker in a Wimborne Minster garden, Dorset will set pulses racing if the record is confirmed tomorrow.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 15th November 2008  
  The Steppe Grey Shrike in Lincolnshire, Pied Wheatear and Two-barred Crossbill in North Yorkshire and Sardinian Warbler in Devon all remained on show today. New discoveries included a Desert Wheatear at Donmouth, Aberdeenshire, Cattle Egret at Back Saltholme Pool, Cleveland (joining the drake Blue-winged Teal that remained at the same site) and a Ferruginous Duck was discovered at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Glamorgan.

In Co Down the adult drake Barrow's Goldeneye returned to the Quoile Pondage for its fourth winter and nearby a Lesser Scaup also returned to Clea Lakes. Other wildfowl highlights included Lesser Scaups in Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire and the King Eider remained in Devon.

A Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was still on St Mary's Island, Northumberland, the Greater Manchester Great White Egret relocated to Elton Reservoir and in Hampshire the adult Red-breasted Goose was still at Keyhaven and Pennington Marshes.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 14th November 2008  
  New arrivals today included a drake Blue-winged Teal at Back Saltholme Pool, Cleveland, a drake Ferruginous Duck at Groby Pool, Leicestershire, American Golden Plovers in County Clare and Cambridgeshire and Great White Egrets in Norfolk, Essex and Kent.

In Lincolnshire, the Steppe Grey Shrike remained at Grainthorpe Haven all day, with the female Desert Wheatear nearby at Saltfleet. Further north, the male Two-barred Crossbill was again on the feeders at Garfitts Farm, North Yorkshire, with the first-winter female Pied Wheatear still at Filey. The Red-flanked Bluetail was still on Holy Island, and the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was still on St Mary's Island, both Northumberland, with other lingering rarities including Long-billed Dowitcher at Dundalk Docks, County Louth, Cattle Egret at Ulverston, Cumbria, Glossy Ibis at Marshside RSPB, Merseyside and single Lesser Scaups in Clyde and Gloucestershire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 13th November 2008  
  Very little change today, with the only 'new' rarity being a Cattle Egret, which flew north-west past Sunk Island, East Yorkshire mid morning. The North-east rarities all remained present, with both Steppe Grey Shrike and Desert Wheatear in Lincolnshire, Two-barred Crossbill and Pied Wheatear in North Yorkshire and Red-flanked Bluetail in Northumberland.

In the south, the Snowy Owl was still on the Isles of Scilly, on St Mary's, with both King Eider and Lesser Scaup still nearby, in Devon and Cornwall respectively. The American Golden Plover was again located in the ever-growing Golden Plover flock at East Harling, Norfolk, and another Cattle Egret was at Ulverston, Cumbria.

A very impressive count of seven Serins at Rainham Marshes RSPB must be one of the largest recorded in Britain in November. Other scarcities included Ring-necked Duck in Norfolk, Grey Phalaropes in Bedfordshire and Ayrshire, Rose-coloured Starling in Cornwall and still rapidly increasing numbers of Waxwings in the north.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 12th November 2008  
  New finds today included a female Sardinian Warbler in Devon, at Berry Head, Brixham, with a Barred Warbler at the same site. Nearby, a male Desert Wheatear was found at Instow, with others in Kent, Northumberland and Lincolnshire.

The East Coast continued to hold its eastern rarities. The Steppe Grey Shrike was still at Grainthorpe, Lincolnshire, the Pied Wheatear was at Filey, North Yorkshire and the Two-barred Crossbill remained in the same county, at Stokesley. The Red-flanked Bluetail showed well on Holy Island, the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was still on St Mary's Island, both Northumberland, and a King Eider was seen off Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland.

The first-winter male Snowy Owl reappeared on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly this evening, and other lingering rarities included Ferruginous Duck in Buckinghamshire, Black-bellied Dipper again in Norfolk and Lesser Scaups in Clyde and Cornwall.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 11th November 2008  
  The east coast continued to support several eastern rarities with the Steppe Grey Shrike still in Lincolnshire, Red-flanked Bluetail in Northumberland, Pied Wheatear in North Yorkshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in both Northumberland the Shetland Isles and Desert Wheatears in Kent, Lincolnshire and Northumberland.

Other lingering rarities included the Two-barred Crossbill in North Yorkshire, King Eider in Devon, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, Great White Egret in Greater Manchester, Lesser Scaups in both Cornwall and Gloucestershire and Hooded Mergansers in both Dorset and Fife.

Scarce migrant passerines included four each of Serin and Yellow-browed Warbler, two Pallas's Warblers and single Great Grey Shrike and Lapland Bunting. Waxwings totalled 1,073 birds in nineteen counties; 892 of which were in Scotland.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 10th November 2008  
  The east coast between Suffolk and Shetland Isles continued to hold the limelight with the Steppe Grey Shrike still showing well in Lincolnshire, Red-flanked Bluetail in Northumberland, Pied Wheatear in North Yorkshire, Rustic Bunting on the Shetland Isles and single Desert Wheatears in each of Lincolnshire, Northumberland and Suffolk. Late news from the weekend concerned a Red-flanked Bluetail at Hollesley, Suffolk.

Elsewhere, a Squacco Heron flew over Rainham Marshes, London, a Lesser Scaup was identified in Gloucestershire at Lydney, the Two-barred Crossbill remained in North Yorkshire as did the King Eider in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Hooded Merganser in Fife, Cattle Egret in Oxon and Great White Egret in Greater Manchester.

Scarce migrant landbirds comprised seven Yellow-browed Warblers, two Pallas's Warblers and single Serin and Great Grey Shrike. Waxwings continue to be reported in large numbers with 1,021 seen today in 19 counties including 210 in both Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Inverness, Highland, 100 in Dunbar, Lothian and 105 on the Orkney Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 9th November 2008  
  Another very busy day, for November, with some excellent birds lingering. The first-winter Steppe Grey Shrike in Lincolnshire continued to give superb views at Grainthorpe, becoming one of the few mega's this year to stay for the whole weekend. Nearby, the Desert Wheatear was present all day at Saltfleet, with others in Kent, Northumberland and Suffolk. A three wheatear day was completed with the Pied Wheatear in North Yorkshire, and late Northern Wheatears in Suffolk and Hampshire.

The Two-barred Crossbill again visited the feeders at Garfitts Farm, North Yorkshire, and the Red-flanked Bluetail was relocated on Holy Island, Northumberland. A Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was in Aberdeenshire and two were in Northumberland.

The long staying Green Heron was still present at Hythe, Kent, with other lingering rarities consisting of Glossy Ibis in Lancashire, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Louth, Great White Egrets in Leicestershire and Greater Manchester, Cattle Egrets in Oxfordshire, Somerset and Cambridgeshire, Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Clyde, King Eider in Devon and a Rustic Bunting on Shetland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 8th November 2008  
  Bird of the day was undoubtedly the first-winter Steppe Grey Shrike at Grainthorpe Haven, Lincolnshire. The bird showed superbly throughout the day, at times flying to within a few feet of the gathered admirers. Nearby, a Desert Wheatear was found at Saltfleet, and yet another Red-flanked Bluetail, possibly the twelfth of the autumn, was trapped and ringed at Saltfleetby, also Lincolnshire.

Also in the North-east, the adult drake Canvasback was re-found, again at Nosterfield, North Yorkshire. A Pied Wheatear was near Filey, at Reighton Sands Holiday Camp all day, and the male Two-barred Crossbill continued to visit the feeder near Stokesby, although it could go missing for several hours between visits.

New Olive-backed Pipits appeared on Fair Isle, Shetland and North Ronaldsay, Orkney, where a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler was also found. Another was in Wells Wood, Norfolk, and the St Mary's Island, Northumberland bird remained, both for their second day.

Lingering rarities included the long staying Green Heron in Kent, King Eider in Devon, Radde's Warbler in East Yorkshire, Ferruginous Duck in Buckinghamshire, Desert Wheatear in Kent and Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, with a new bird at Helston, Cornwall.
-  Will Soar, RBA