Daily News Summaries
This page gives you access to all of RBA's daily news summaries (since April 13, 2006), 10 days at a time. The most recent are shown, or you can select a specific date to show (along with the previous 10 days). Prior to April 13, 2006 you can find weekly reviews, located in articles.
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Sunday 15th February 2009  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of the first spring rarity: a Great Spotted Cuckoo at Ringaskiddy, County Cork. Although this species is noted for being an early vagrant, and there have been two previous February records of this species (and eleven have arrived in March), this is still the earliest ever in the British Isles by a full week.

Notable relocations today included the Snowy Owl in Cornwall at Amalveor Downs, White-billed Diver on the Shetland Isles in Bluemull Sound, Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk near Wroxham, Great White Egret in Cambridgeshire at Ely and a Dark-breasted Barn Owl at Donna Nook, Lincolnshire.

Lingering rarities comprised the Penduline Tit in Devon, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Taverner's Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, King Eiders in County Sligo (2) and Kent, Ferruginous Ducks in both County Armagh and Essex and Cattle Egrets in County Cork (4), Devon (6), Norfolk, Isles of Scilly and Somerset.

Scarcities included eight Great Grey Shrikes, seven Green-winged Teals, six Lapland Buntings, five Ring-billed Gulls, two Snow Geese, two Ring-necked Ducks, a Surf Scoter and a Rough-legged Buzzard.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 14th February 2009  
  A Lesser Scaup in County Cavan at Lough Sheelin was the only new rarity discovered today but the Penduline Tit in Norfolk at Strumpshaw Fen, King Eider in Kent near Dungeness and Ferruginous Duck at Old Hall Marshes, Essex all made welcome reappearances.

Lingering rarities included the Penduline Tit still in Devon, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, King Eider in Fife, Black-bellied Dipper and Dark-breasted Barn Owl both in Norfolk, Great White Egret in Derbyshire, single Lesser Scaups in both County Down and Nottinghamshire, Hooded Merganser in Dorset and Cattle Egrets in Devon (10), the Isles of Scilly and County Waterford (2).

Winter scarcities were represented by a total of eight Great Grey Shrikes, five each of Black Brant and Green-winged Teal, four Rough-legged Buzzards, three each of Surf Scoter and Snow Goose and a single Ring-necked Duck whilst gulls included 58 Iceland (including 12 together in County Galway), 40 Glaucous (including 15 together in County Mayo), ten each of both Caspian and Ring-billed and six Kumlien's.

Waxwing reports totaled 764 birds in 23 counties including maximums of 130 in Nottinghamshire, 93 in County Dublin and 80 in Suffolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 10th February 2009  
  An apparently unringed juvenile White-tailed Eagle was watched on the Cumbria /Dumfries and Galloway border for much of the day. However, the leg rings of the re-introduced Scottish birds can be extremely difficult to see. An adult Bonaparte's Gull was seen on the beach at Ballybrannigan, County Cork.

In Norfolk, both the Penduline Tit and Black-bellied Dipper made an appearance, the tit showing very well for 15 minutes early morning. The adult white morph Ross's Goose was also seen, at Langham. A drake Baikal Teal or hybrid was again present at Stanwick GPs, Northamptonshire. A Cattle Egret was still present on the Isles of Scilly.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 9th February 2009  
  The Long-billed Dowitcher reappeared on South Uist, Western Isles, today, where it was seen on The Range at West Gerenish. The drake Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk also reappeared again, at Wroxham Broad. The nearby Penduline Tit at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB wasn't seen, although the male remained at Clennon Valley, Devon.

Also in Norfolk, the Black-bellied Dipper made another brief visit to the ford at Letheringsett. Two Cattle Egrets were seen in Devon, whilst the Hooded Merganser remained at Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 8th February 2009  
  Lingering rarities consisted of single Penduline Tits in Norfolk and Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, King Eider in Fife, Forster's Tern in County Galway and two Lesser Scaups in Perth and Kinross.

Great White Egrets were in Derbyshire, Somerset, Suffolk and Berkshire, whilst Cattle Egrets were in Cornwall, Devon and County Cork.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 7th February 2009  
  An adult Bonaparte's Gull was seen briefly at Ferryden, Angus, but could not be found later. Also in Scotland, a Great White Egret was in the Motherwell area of Clyde, being last seen at Baron's Haugh RSPB. The drake King Eider was again present at North Berwick, Lothian, and at least one Lesser Scaup was still on Loch Leven, Perth and Kinross.

Four Penduline Tits were seen, at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB, Norfolk, Clennon Valley, Devon and two at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London. The Forster's Tern remained at Nimmo's Pier, County Galway, along with large numbers of nearctic gulls. County Sligo held the two King Eiders, and County Louth the Long-billed Dowitcher, whilst several Cattle Egrets were seen around the country. The Lesser Yellowlegs was at Walberswick, Suffolk.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 6th February 2009  
  An Olive-backed Pipit made an unseasonal appearance in Kent in a stubble field near Deal briefly. The Snowy Owl reappeared on Amalveor Downs, Cornwall.

Lingering rarities included Penduline Tits in London (2) and Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk and Lesser Scaup in Perth and Kinross. A new Great White Egret was at Hilton, Derbyshire, with others still in Warwickshire and Suffolk. Cattle Egrets were in County Cork (2) and on the Isles of Scilly.
-  Will Soar, RBA
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