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 27th December 2010  
  Lingering rarities included Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Ross's Goose and Northern Harrier in Norfolk, Red-breasted Goose in East Sussex, Glossy Ibis in Berkshire and King Eider in Moray.

Two Dark-breasted Barn Owls sightings were reported from West Yorkshire, at Fairburn Ings RSPB and Skelton Lake. Great White Egrets were in Berkshire and Somerset, Surf Scoters lingered in Devon and Fife, Green-winged Teals were logged in Lothian and Forth, a Common Crane was identified in Oxfordshire and a Ring-necked Duck lingered in Lancashire.

Late news concerned a Dark-eyed Junco in a Waltham Abbey garden (Essex) on 19th December. Unfortunately the bird has not been seen since, despite daily searches.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 26th December 2010  
  In East Sussex a Red-breasted Goose was discovered at Pett Level with a flock of c300 Eurasian White-fronted Geese.

Lingering rarities included Lesser White-fronted Goose in Norfolk, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Glossy Ibis in Berkshire and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Co Durham.

Scarcity highlights included Rough-legged Buzzards in Kent and Norfolk, Ring-necked Duck in Lancashire, Great White Egrets in Berkshire and Warwickshire and Rose-coloured Starling on Isles of Scilly.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Saturday 25th December 2010  
  Highlight of the day was the news of an American Robin in Tralee (Co Kerry), where it had been present for about a week.

Lingering rarities came in the form of Pacific Diver (Cornwall), Glossy Ibis (Berkshire) and Northern Harrier (Norfolk).

The best of the rest included Ring-necked Duck in Lancashire, Green-winged Teal in Pembrokeshire and Rose-coloured Starling on Isles of Scilly.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 24th December 2010  
  Lingering rarities included the Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Northern Harrier in Norfolk, Glossy Ibis in Berkshire, House Crow in Co Cork and King Eider in Moray.

On Isles of Scilly a Rose-coloured Starling lingered in St Mary's, a Surf Scoter remained in Devon, a Great White Egret was still in Berkshire and a Ring-necked Duck remained in Lancashire. Rough-legged Buzzards were logged in Surrey, Kent and Norfolk and Waxwings were still widespread.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 23rd December 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Pacific Diver in Cornwall off Marazion. Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised both Lesser White-fronted Goose and Northern Harrier in Norfolk, Glossy Ibis in Berkshire, Little Bunting in Suffolk and Ross's Goose in Dumfries and Galloway.

Scarcities included 13 Lapland Buntings, nine Caspian Gulls, four Glaucous Gulls, three each of both Iceland Gull and Tundra Bean Goose, two each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Ring-billed Gull and Great White Egret and single Rose-coloured Starling (Isles of Scilly), Ring-necked Duck (Lancashire), Green-winged Teal (Leciestershire), Little Auk (East Yorkshire) and Pomarine Skua (Essex).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 22nd December 2010  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Lesser White-fronted Goose, Ross's Goose and Northern Harrier all in Norfolk, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin, Glossy Ibis in Berkshire and Ross's Goose in Dumfries and Galloway.

Scarcities included 17 Lapland Buntings, five Caspain Gulls, four each of both Shorelark and Glaucous Gull, three each of Surf Scoter (together on the Western Isles) and Great White Egret, two Black Brants and single Rough-legged Buzzard (North Yorkshire), Green-winged Teal (Forth), Ring-necked Duck and Iceland Gull (both Lancashire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 21st December 2010  
  In Cornwall, the diver lingering offshore at Marazion for the last three days was confirmed as a Pacific Diver. Although no age has been given, it must be assumed that this is the returning adult from 2009.

In Norfolk, the adult Lesser White-fronted Goose remained with the Taiga Bean Geese at Cantley Marshes RSPB, whilst the Northern Harrier was still at Thornham Point. Two Coues's Arctic Redpolls were seen at Rainton Meadows DWT, County Durham, amongst a varied flock of around 40 Mealy Redpolls. In Berkshire, the Glossy Ibis reappeared near Hungerford, and the Blue-winged Teal remained at North Bull Island, County Dublin.

Scarcity highlghts included a Ring-necked Duck, a Green-winged Teal, four Rough-legged Buzzards and five Great White Egrets, including four together in Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 20th December 2010  
  In County Durham, an adult Bonaparte's Gull was present with the gull flock at Castle Eden Dene late afternoon. The only other rarity reported today was the Northern Harrier at Thornham, Norfolk.

Scarcity highlights included Great Grey Shrike in Nottinghamshire, Ring-necked Duck in Yorkshire, Green-winged Teal in Lothian, Shorelark in Orkney, eight Tundra Bean Geese in Suffolk, two Ring-billed Gulls, two Caspian Gulls, four Glaucous Gulls and eight Iceland Gulls.

A significant movement of White-fronted Geese occurred in the south-east, particularly Kent (280+), Essex (107) and London (100), with smaller numbers further inland in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Sunday 19th December 2010  
  The highlight of the day was the continued presence of the American Robin in County Sligo, although it did prove elusive. Elsewhere, lingering rarities comprised both the Lesser White-fronted Goose and Northern Harrier in Norfolk, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, Little Bunting in Suffolk and Ferruginous Duck in County Armagh.

Scarcities included 24 Shorelarks, 19 each of Lapland Bunting and Tundra Bean Goose, six Rough-legged Buzzards, five each of both Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull, four Great Grey Shrikes, three Caspian Gulls, two each of Green-winged Teal and Black Brant, and single Ring-necked Duck (North Yorkshire), Great White Egret (Nottinghamshire), Little Auk (Pembrokeshire), Pomarine Skua (Aberdeenshire), Ring-billed Gull and Balearic Shearwater (both Cornwall),
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 18th December 2010  
  The highlight of the day was a report of an American Robin discovered at dusk near Inishcrone, County Sligo. Although there are ten previous records of this species in Ireland - including one in County Sligo in 1892 - the last was in 1983.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised both Lesser White-fronted Goose and Northern Harrier in Norfolk, Northern Harrier in County Wexford, Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin and Little Bunting in Suffolk.

Scarcities included 18 Lapland Buntings, 12 Tundra Bean Geese, eight each of both Glaucous Gull and Caspian Gull, four each of Green-winged Teal and Shorelark, three each of Great Grey Shrike and Iceland Gull, two Rough-legged Buzzards (in Lincolnshire and Suffolk), and single American Wigeon (County Cork), Ring-necked Duck (North Yorkshire), Great White Egret (Kent) and Little Auk (Cornwall).
-  Chris Batty, RBA