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 7th December 2010  
  In Suffolk, a Little Bunting was present at Great Glemham, near Saxmundham. Other rarities reported included the House Crow in County Cork, Ross's Goose in Norfolk, Glossy Ibis in Devon and Lesser Scaup in Orkney.

Scarcity highlights included Hoopoe in Dorset, Common Rosefinch in Gwynedd, Grey Phalarope in Lothian, Rough-legged Buzzard in Norfolk, three Cattle Egrets in Cornwall, two Great Grey Shrikes and two Surf Scoters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 6th December 2010  
  A Gyr on Coll, Argyll was the only new rarity discovered today, although a pipit sp photographed at Fresh Water West, Pembrokeshire may well turn out to be a Blyth's Pipit.

In Norfolk, the adult Ross's Goose remained in the Horsey area, whilst the Long-billed Dowitcher was still at Lodmoor RSPB, Dorset, the Glossy Ibis at Budleigh Salterton, Devon and Lesser Scaup at Holm, Orkney.

Scarcities included a Night Heron in Cambridgeshire, a Grey Phalarope in Lothian, a Common Rosefinch in Gwynedd, two Rough-legged Buzzards, two Pomarine Skuas and lots of Waxwings.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 5th December 2010  
  A surprisingly busy day, given the weather conditions and time of year. New rarities included a Northern Long-tailed Tit at Middleton Hall, County Durham and a drake King Eider at West Voe of Sumburgh, Shetland (where it joined the long staying female). In Norfolk, a presumed Arctic Redpoll flew over the windmill at Cley and a Ross's Goose was in the east of the county at Waxham.

Long staying rarities included the American Coot in County Mayo, House Crow in County Cork, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, single Lesser Scaups in Orkney and Glamorgan and single Ferruginous Ducks in County Down and Somerset. A possible Eastern Yellow Wagtail remained in Devon, at Colyford sewage works.

Once again, Waxwings stole the National channel show, with several thousand reported, including five as far south-west as Devon. None have been reported yet this winter from Cornwall, with only three in the Isles of Scilly. Other scarcity highlights included a Little Auk and a Hoopoe in Dorset, a Common Crane in London, a White Stork in Yorkshire, two Cattle Egrets in Merseyside, two Great Grey Shrikes, two Rough-legged Buzzards, three Surf Scoters and three Ring-billed Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 4th December 2010  
  In Kent, a Penduline Tit was once again in front of the Hanson Hide at Dungeness RSPB, the first sighting here since 27th October. A Glossy Ibis flew over near Axbridge, Somerset and a Northern Long-tailed Tit was seen at Sculthorpe Moor, Norfolk, having been present for several days.

Other lingering rarities included Blue-winged Teals in Dumfries and Galloway and County Dublin, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, House Crow in County Cork, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Cambridgeshire, Glossy Ibis in Devon, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset and Lesser Scaups in Orkney and Glamorgan.

Apart from Waxwings, the National channel was fairly quiet, with highlights being a Surf Scoter, a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Great Grey Shrike, at least three Rough-legged Buzzards and four Grey Phalaropes.

A Turtle Dove remained in a garden in Cornwall, as did the Chough in the Isle of Wight, whilst two Eider were seen in Berkshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 3rd December 2010  
  Lingering rarities included the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Glossy Ibis in Glamorgan and Lesser Scaup in Orkney.

In Ireland the American Coot remained in Co Mayo and the Forster's Tern was still in Co Galway.

The best of the rest included three Rough-legged Buzzards, two Common Cranes, a Surf Scoter and Dotterel, and of course, many Waxwings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 2nd December 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the confirmation of both a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and a Coues's Arctic Redpoll together in Wells Woods, Norfolk; the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler having been suspected on 29th November, and the Coues's Arctic Redpoll being first noted yesterday. Elsewhere, in Kent a Red-breasted Goose flew west past Dungeness with Dark-bellied Brent Geese, and on the Orkney Isles a Lesser Scaup was identified in Holm, having already been present on Ayre Loch for five days.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin, Glossy Ibis in Glamorgan and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

Scarcities included 19 Lapland Buntings, five Glaucous Gulls, four Iceland Gulls, three Rough-legged Buzzards, Surf Scoter (Devon), Hoopoe (Dorset) and a Shorelark (Ayrshire). Waxwings were recorded from 41 counties.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 1st December 2010  
  Long staying rarities confirmed as still present today included the Green Heron at Pentewan, Cornwall, the House Crow at Cobh, County Cork and the Long-billed Dowitcher at Lodmoor, Dorset. The adult Glossy Ibis was also still near Dunraven Bay, Glamorgan.

Scarcity highlights included a Common Rosefinch in Gwynedd, a Grey Phalarope in Lothian, a Surf Scoter in Devon, a Great Grey Shrike in Lancashire, a Cattle Egret in Gloucestershire, two Great White Egrets and five Rough-legged Buzzards.

A Stone Curlew on the Farne Islands, Northumberland was a remarkable record, as was a report of a Golden Oriole in Yorkshire. Two Ospreys, in Lincolnshire and Devon, were also very unseasonable. Several Pomarine Skuas were seen in inner London, with flocks of Tundra Bean Geese and Eider also seen over the city.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 30th November 2010  
  The highlight of the day was confirmation of the presence of a white morph Gyr in County Sligo at Drumcliff Bay. First suspected nearby on 28th November, it is perhaps the same individual that was present in that general area between 5th December 2009 and 17th January 2010.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Green Heron in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, Glossy Ibis in Glamorgan and a Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll.

Scarcities included seven each of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Shorelark, three each of Yellow-browed Warbler and Glaucous Gull, two each of Iceland Gull and Caspian Gull, and single Pallas's Warbler (Isles of Scilly), Common Rosefinch (Gwynedd), Surf Scoter (Devon), Ring-necked Duck (Buckinghamshire), Ring-billed Gull (West Yorkshire), Great White Egret (Northamptonshire) and Great Grey Shrike (Dorset). Waxwings were reported from 42 counties.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 29th November 2010  
  Two Glossy Ibises were discovered today, one in Glamorgan and one in Dorset.

Lingering rarities included Northern Harrier in Norfolk and Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset.

The best of the rest included Hoopoes in Dorset and Co Durham, Great White Egrets in Northamptonshire and Dorset, Yellow-browed Warbler in Cornwall, Richard's Pipit in Gloucestershire and Waxwings were still widespread.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 28th November 2010  
  Four of the five new rarities today were wildfowl, and included two Ferruginous Ducks, a female in Burgess Park, London and another at Cheddar Reservoir, Somerset, a Black Duck in Bangor, County Down and a Ross's Goose at Holkham, Norfolk. A Coues's Arctic Redpoll was seen in Cley, Norfolk twice before it flew west.

Lingering rarities included an American Coot in County Mayo, a Blue-winged Teal in Dumfries and Galloway, a Northern Harrier in Norfolk, a Long-billed Dowitcher in Dorset, a Lesser Yellowlegs in Leicestershire and a Forster's Tern in County Galway.

Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a  Surf Scoter, a Grey Phalarope, a Yellow-browed Warbler, two Common Rosefinches, two Great White Egrets, two Cattle Egrets,  three Ring-billed Gulls and six Great Grey Shrike.
-  Will Soar, RBA