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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Monday 22nd March 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the presence of seven Alpine Swifts: singles in Cornwall at Marazion, Devon at Exminster Marshes, Essex at Frinton-on-Sea, Norfolk at Winterton, London at Leyton Flats, County Louth at Drogheda and Somerset at Dunster Beach; although only the Cornish bird lingered. Although duplication is possible, perhaps 14 Alpine Swifts have been recorded across 12 counties over the last four days.

Lingering rarities comprised the Bufflehead still in Dorset, the Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, King Eider in Moray, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Little Bunting in Highland.

The best of the rest was a Purple Heron in Pembrokeshire, whilst other scarcities included 64 Waxwings across five counties, four Cattle Egrets, three each of Great White Egret and Great Grey Shrike, two each of Hoopoe, American Wigeon, Ring-billed Gull, Black Brant and Shorelark (Norfolk) and single Serin (East Sussex), Surf Scoter (Devon), Ring-necked Duck (Buckinghamshire), Snow Goose (Aberdeenshire), Iceland Gull (County Galway), Caspian Gull (Suffolk), Rough-legged Buzzard, Lapland Bunting and Glaucous Gull (all Norfolk).
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 21st March 2010  
  Five new Alpine Swifts were discovered today, with birds in Dorset, Cornwall (2), Sussex and Isle of Wight. A Black Kite was reported at Fineshade Wood, Northamptonshire, and seven Penduline Tits were seen at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk. The drake Black Duck was seen again on Tresco, Isles of Scilly.

Lingering rarities included the Bufflehead in Dorset, Glossy Ibises in County Wexford and Somerset (3), Little Bunting in Highland, two King Eiders in Moray, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Snowy Owl in Western Isles, single Lesser Scaups in Somerset, Glamorgan (2) and Clyde and Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll.
Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 20th March 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Pallid Swift at Cefn Sidan Sands, Carmarthenshire: only the third March record in the British Isles, and the earliest ever to arrive here by five days. Associated arrivals included an Alpine Swift lingering in Berkshire near Wargrave, at least one Red-rumped Swallow between Marazion and Gwithian, Cornwall, and a Little Bittern reported briefly at Easebourne, West Sussex.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present comprised the Pacific Diver in County Clare, the Bufflehead in Dorset, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Penduline Tit in Suffolk, King Eider in Moray, Little Bunting in Highland, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll, three Glossy Ibises in Somerset, single Lesser Scaups in each of Clyde, Glamorgan and Somerset, Ferruginous Ducks in both County Armagh and Somerset and the Hooded Merganser still in Cleveland.

Scarities included eight each of both Glaucous Gull and Waxwing, six Ring-billed Gulls, four Great White Egrets, three each of Cattle Egret and Green-winged Teal, two each of American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Great Grey Shrike and Iceland Gull and single Hoopoe (Dorset), Surf Scoter (Devon), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk) and Tundra Bean Goose (Aberdeenshire).
Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 19th March 2010  
  As the common Spring migrants continues to arrive in earnest, the first of the regular Spring rarities concerned two Alpine Swifts, in Kent near Broadstairs, and in Devon near Exeter.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities consisted of Bufflehead on The Fleet, Dorset, four Penduline Tits at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, Pacific Diver off Finavarra Point, County Clare, Forster's Tern on Claddagh Beach, County Galway, single Little Buntings in Dunnet, Highland and Polbathic, Cornwall, three Glossy Ibises at Shapwick Heath NNR, Somerset, single Ferruginous Ducks and Lesser Scaups at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset (with others of the latter in Glamorgan, Clyde and Cornwall) and two Richardson's Canada Geese on Islay, Argyll.

New scarcities included a Dotterel on Tiree, Argyll and single Hoopoes remained in Devon and Dorset.
Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 18th March 2010  
  The highlight of the day was a white morph Gyr discovered in Devon. First noted on Saunton Sands it was relocated at Horsey Island before it departed to the northwest. In Gloucestershire a Black Kite flew over Severn Beach.

Elsewhere, both the Pacific Diver and Pied-billed Grebe remained in County Clare, as did the Bufflehead in Dorset, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, King Eider in Moray, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, single Lesser Scaups in both Clyde and Cornwall and Little Buntings in both Cornwall and Highland.

Two Hoopoes were seen in Dorset with late news for Wednesday concerning further singles in Cornwall, Devon and Pembrokeshire. Other scarcities included 20 Waxwings across four counties, four Glaucous Gulls, three each of Ring-necked Duck, Great White Egret and Great Grey Shrike, two each of American Wigeon and Cattle Egret (Cornwall) and single Surf Scoter (Orkney Isles), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk) and Green-winged Teal (County Clare).
Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 16th March 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of four Penduline Tits together at Minsmere, Suffolk – making this fourth spring in a row that the species has been reported from this reserve. Another regular March occurrence is White-billed Diver off the coast of northwest Scotland, such as one today at Melvaig, Highland.

Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised the Pacific Diver still off County Clare, the Bufflehead in Dorset, Forster's Tern in County Galway, single Lesser Scaups in both Clyde and Cornwall, single Little Buntings in both Cornwall and Highland, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll and Hooded Merganser in Cleveland.

Scarcities included 35 Waxwings across seven counties, seven Iceland Gulls, six Ring-billed Gulls, five Ring-necked Ducks, four Great Grey Shrikes, three Rough-legged Buzzards and two each of Surf Scoter, American Wigeon, Cattle Egret (Cornwall), Lapland Bunting (Lincolnshire) and Glaucous Gull and single Great White Egret (Nottinghamshire), Little Auk (Cumbria) and Caspian Gull (Essex).
Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 14th March 2010  
  In Ireland, the adult Pacific Diver reappeared at Finavarra Point, County Clare. Nearby, the adult Forster's Tern remained at Claddagh Beach, County Galway. In Dorset, the Bufflehead was still on The Fleet, with other lingering rarities including Penduline Tit in London, single Little Buntings in Cornwall and Highland, Black Kite in Powys, Lesser Scaup in Clyde, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll and three Glossy Ibises in Somerset.

Scarcity highlights included four Great White Egrets, a Cattle Egret, Rough-legged Buzzard, seven Great Grey Shrikes, 46 Waxwings, seven Ring-necked Ducks, two American Wigeons, two Surf Scoters and 11 Ring-billed Gulls.
Will Soar, RBA
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