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
Saturday 20th February 2010  
  Tacumshin (Co Wexford) was the place to be today - the drake Baikal Teal, Glossy Ibis and Green-winged Teal all remained on show and a Long-billed Dowitcher flew over.

Back across the Irish Sea a Laughing Gull was reported in East Sussex and lingering rare passerines included Dusky Warbler (London), Black-throated Thrush (North Yorkshire), and Little Buntings (Highland and Cornwall).

Wildfowl comprised Lesser Scaups in Cornwall and Glamorgan, two King Eiders in Moray, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, American Wigeon in Dumfries & Galloway, Greater Snow Goose in Norfolk and three Ring-necked Ducks were logged.

Elsewhere the Black Kite remained in Powys, the Forster's Tern was still in Co Galway and three Glossy Ibises were seen again in Somerset.

The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling (Cumbria), Richard's Pipit (Essex), three Rough-legged Buzzards, two Cattle Egrets and four Great White Egrets.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 19th February 2010  
  In Ireland hot news concerned a drake Baikal Teal at Tacumshin (Co Wexford). Following a report of a brief Baikal Teal on 5th January, a hybrid duck resembling a Baikal Teal was photographed at Tacumshin on 13th February. The story was finally concluded today, when a stunning adult drake Baikal Teal was seen throughout the afternoon.

Elsewhere lingering rarities included Dusky Warbler (London), Glossy Ibis (Co Wexford), Little Buntings (Cornwall and Highland), Lesser Scaups (Glamorgan and Cornwall), Forster's Tern (Co Galway), Long-billed Dowitcher (Cornwall), Black-throated Thrush (North Yorkshire) and Penduline Tit (Kent).

Late news from yesterday concerned two King Eiders in Moray - a first-winter drake joined the long-staying second-winter drake at Burghead.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 18th February 2010  
  In Cornwall, a white morph Gyr flew south over Maer Lake CBWPS, Bude, and a Little Bunting was found near Polbathic in set-aside fields by the River Lynher.

Also in Cornwall both the Black Duck and Lesser Scaup remained at Colliford Lake, whilst nearby, in Devon, the Red-breasted Goose reappeared at Dawlish Warren NNR. Other lingering rarities included Black-throated Thrush in Yorkshire, Dusky Warbler in London, American Eider in County Donegal, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cheshire, Little Bunting in Highland and a Small Canada Goose on Islay, Argyll.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 17th February 2010  
  The highlight of the day was discovery of a Snowy Owl on Lewis, Western Isles. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Forster's Tern still in County Galway, the Black Kite in Powys, Dusky Warbler in London, Little Bunting in Highland and, in Cornwall both the Black Duck and Long-billed Dowitcher.

Scarcities included 72 Waxwings recorded across seven counties, 17 Shorelarks (Norfolk), five Green-winged Teals, four each of Snow Goose and Black Brant, three each of Great White Egret and Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), two each of Ring-necked Duck and Cattle Egret (Cornwall) and single Rose-coloured Starling (Cumbria) and American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway). Gulls included three Caspian, two each of Ring-billed and Iceland and a single Glaucous whilst flocks of displaced Bean Geese totaled 35 Tundra and 28 Taiga.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 16th February 2010  
  The highlight of the day was reappearance of the long-staying Black Duck at Colliford Lake, Cornwall. Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Black-throated Thrush in North Yorkshire, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Black Kite in Powys, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin, Dusky Warbler in London, Little Bunting in Highland, three Glossy Ibises together in Somerset and single Long-billed Dowitchers in both Cheshire and Cornwall.

Scarcities recorded included 14 Shorelarks, six Black Brants, five Cattle Egrets, four each of Ring-necked Duck, Snow Goose and Green-winged Teal, two each of Surf Scoter (Conwy), Serin (London), Rough-legged Buzzard, Great Grey Shrike and Great White Egret and single Rose-coloured Starling (Cumbria) and American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway). Gulls included seven Ring-billed, four Iceland, three Glaucous and two Caspian, and flocks of displaced Bean Geese totaled 38 Tundra and 28 Taiga.

Significant late news from Saturday concerned a Gyr on Tresco, Isles of Scilly and on the Shetland Isles at least two probable Middendorff's Bean Geese seen briefly at Sandwick, Mainland with Taiga Bean Geese.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 15th February 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the confirmation of the first Dusky Warbler for London, for its second day at Lockwood Reservoir. Also in London, a Penduline Tit spent 20 minutes at Rainham Marshes RSPB before flying north.

Long staying rarities included American Eider in County Donegal, Black-throated Thrush in Yorkshire, Little Bunting in Highland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cheshire, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Richardson's Canada Goose in County Sligo.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 14th February 2010  
  Rarities recorded today comprised Long-billed Dowitchers in Cheshire and Cornwall, Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan (2) and Cornwall, Black-throated Thrush in North Yorkshire, American Eider in Co Donegal, Little Bunting in Highland, Black Kite in Powys, Glossy Ibis in Co Wexford, and Forster's Tern in Co Galway.

The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starling in Cumbria, Ring-necked Ducks in Cleveland, West Yorkshire, Norfolk, Orkney, Co Clare and Gloucestershire, three Cattle Egrets in Cornwall and Great White Egrets in Glamorgan and Northamptonshire (2).

Late news from yesterday related to a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB (Norfolk).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 13th February 2010  
  A Lesser Scaup at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir, Glamorgan was a new discovery today, with the adult drake also remaining in the county at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park (and another still in Cornwall). In County Sligo, two Richardson's Canada Geese were seen at Ballintemple.

Lingering rarities seen today included the female Black-throated Thrush at Newholm, Yorkshire, female Penduline Tit at Grove Ferry NNR, Kent, Long-billed Dowitcher at Maer Lake, Cornwall, Black Kite at Gigrin Farm, Powys, American Eider in County Donegal, Glossy Ibis in County Wexford, Forster's Tern in County Galway and Little Bunting in Highland.

The small Waxwing influx continues, with at least 87 logged. Other quality scarcities included three Rough-legged Buzzards, six Great Grey Shrikes, a Rose-coloured Starling, five Cattle Egrets and four Great White Egrets.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 12th February 2010  
  A Long-billed Dowitcher was discovered at Maer Lake NR (Cornwall) where it showed well this morning. Elsewhere lingering rarities included Little Bunting (Highland), King Eider (Moray), Penduline Tit (Kent), Lesser Scaup (Glamorgan) and Black Kite (Powys).

The best of the rest came in the form of 56 Waxwings, 19 Shorelarks, seven Common Cranes, five Snow Geese, five Great Grey Shrikes, five Cattle Egrets, four Black Brants, four Ring-necked Ducks, two Green-winged Teals, two Great White Egrets and a Rose-coloured Starling.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 11th February 2010  
  A Gyr was reported near Salter's Gate, County Durham this afternoon. In Kent the Penduline Tit remained at Grove Ferry NNR, and the Black Duck reappeared on Tresco, Isles of Scilly.

Other long staying rarities seen today included Little Bunting in Highland, Black Kite in Powys, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Richardson's Canada Goose on Islay, Argyll. Two Lesser Scaups were seen yesterday on Lewis, Western Isles.
-  Will Soar, RBA