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 12th December 2011  
  Lingering rarities included the Western Sandpiper and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, two Long-billed Dowitchers and Spotted Sandpiper in Somerset, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler and Blue-winged Teal in Somerset, Desert Wheatears in Shetland, Northumberland and East Yorkshire, Red-breasted Geese in Devon and Essex, Lesser Scaup in Somerset and Northumberland, Penduline Tit in Kent and King Eider in Moray.

The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit in Lincolnshire, Yellow-browed Warblers in Devon and Merseyside, American Wigeon in Devon, Temminck's Stint in Gloucestershire and Ring-necked Duck in Cleveland. At least seven Great White Egrets, seven Great Grey Shrikes, six Rough-legged Buzzards, four Black Brants and four Ring-billed Gulls were also logged.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 11th December 2011  
  A Pied-billed Grebe was a new arrival off Little Island, County Cork today, whilst a juvenile Pallid Harrier at Muckrush, County Galway has been present for over five weeks. A female Desert Wheatear in Lerwick, Shetland has been around for five days, and the identity of the two white geese at Berney Marshes, Norfolk was confirmed as Ross's Goose, nearly two weeks after they were first seen.

Other long staying rarities seen today included the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, House Crow in County Cork, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Least Sandpiper in County Kerry, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Wilson's Snipe and Dusky Warbler in the Isles of Scilly, American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, single Desert Wheatears in Northumberland and Yorkshire, King Eider in Moray, Red-breasted Goose in Essex, Blue-winged Teal in Dorset and Lesser Scaup in Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 10th December 2011  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were both Western Sandpiper and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, two Long-billed Dowitchers and Lesser Scaup in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Scaup in Northumberland, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Least Sandpiper in County Kerry, American Herring Gull in County Cork, Red-breasted Goose in Essex, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Desert Wheatears in East Yorkshire, Northumberland and Shropshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Devon and Blue-winged Teal in County Dublin.

Scarcities included Richard's Pipits in both Dorset and Lincolnshire, Yellow-browed Warbler, Surf Scoter and American Wigeon in Devon, American Wigeon in West Yorkshire, Ring-necked Ducks in Cleveland, Cornwall, County Mayo (2) and Somerset, and Temminck's Stint in Gloucestershire.

A total of 275 Tundra Bean Geese were logged across eighteen counties between the Shetland Isles, Western Isles, Shropshire and Kent; including 158 together in Aberdeenshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 9th December 2011  
  A Lesser Scaup on Wimbleball Lake, Somerset early afternoon was a new arrival, but a Coues's Arctic Redpoll confirmed at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk has been present for over a week.

Long staying rarities present today included the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Blue-winged Teal and two Dusky Warblers in the Isles of Scilly, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, single Desert Wheatears in Shropshire, Yorkshire and Northumberland and single Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Somerset.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 8th December 2011  
  Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers in Somerset, Bufflehead in Cornwall, American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford, Desert Wheatears in both Northumberland and Shropshire, Penduline Tit in Kent, Spotted Sandpiper in Devon, and single Blue-winged Teals in both Dorset and the Isles of Scilly.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (County Waterford), Yellow-browed Warbler (Norfolk and Isles of Scilly), Pectoral Sandpiper (London), Rough-legged Buzzard (North Yorkshire), American Wigeon (Dumfries and Galloway), Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall) and Ring-billed Gull (County Down and the Western Isles). A totla of 32 Tundra Bean Geese were located across five counties, including 23 together in Cumbria.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 7th December 2011  
  Long staying rarities seen today included the Western Sandpiper at Cley, Norfolk, Greater Yellowlegs at East Chevington, Northumberland, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, Least Sandpiper at Black Rock Strand, County Kerry, Bufflehead at Helston, Cornwall, American Buff-bellied Pipit at Clonea Strand, County Waterford, American Herring Gull at Baltimore, County Cork, single Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers at Dungeness, Kent and Weymouth, Dorset, Dusky Warbler at Lower Moors, Isles of Scilly, Blue-winged Teal at Longham Lakes, Dorset, Lesser Scaup at Whitley Bay, Northumberland, Spotted Sandpiper at Plymouth, Devon, Glossy Ibis at Fingringhoe Wick, Essex and single Desert Wheatears in Shropshire, Yorkshire and Northumberland.

Scarcity highlights included a Red-necked Phalarope and a Grey Phalarope together in Ayrshire (with others of the latter in Lancashire and Cleveland), Pectoral Sandpiper and Kumlien's Gull in London, single Yellow-browed Warblers in Devon, Conwy and Norfolk and single Great Grey Shrikes in Fife, Norfolk and Northumberland.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Tuesday 6th December 2011  
  Lingering rare waders comprised Western Sandpiper (Norfolk), Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers (Somerset) and Greater Yellowlegs (Northumberland). The Bufflehead (Cornwall), Glossy Ibises (Dorset and Essex), Desert Wheatears (Northumberland, East Yorkshire and Shropshire), Dusky Warbler (Isles of Scilly), Lesser Scaup (Northumberland), Ross's Goose (Norfolk) and Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers (Dorset and Kent).

The best of the rest included Richard's Pipit in Dorset, Yellow-browed Warblers in Devon and Norfolk, Cattle Egret in Gloucestershire, American Wigeon in West Yorkshire and Ring-necked Duck in Dorset.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 5th December 2011  
  Lingering rare waders comprised the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Sharp-tailed and Spotted Sandpipers in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland and Semipalmated Sandpiper in Cleveland. Elsewhere the Blue-winged Teal and Ferruginous Duck in Dorset, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers in Kent and Dorset, Desert Wheatears in Shropshire, Northumberland and East Yorkshire, Dusky Warbler on Isles of Scilly and Bufflehead in Cornwall all remained.

In Ireland the Least Sandpiper (Co Kerry) and American Buff-bellied Pipit (Co Waterford) both remained on show.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 4th December 2011  
  Two more late autumn rarities were discovered today, one being a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Dungeness, Kent, and the other a Desert Wheatear at Newbiggin, Northumberland.

Other rarity highlights seen today were the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland, Siberian Stonechat in Cleveland, Bufflehead in Cornwall and American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford.

Other lingering rarities included the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, single Desert Wheatears in Shropshire and Yorkshire, single Blue-winged Teals in Dorset and County Dublin, two Long-billed Dowitchers in Somerset, single Spotted Sandpipers in Essex and Somerset, Dusky Warbler in the Isles of Scilly and single Red-breasted Geese in Essex and Devon.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 3rd December 2011  
  The highlight of the day the was the discovery of a Siberian Stonechat in Cleveland at Seaton Carew; only the second to occur in the British Isles since it was split from Stonechat as a distinct species. In Dorset both Blue-winged Teal and Ferruginous Duck were new arrivals at Longham Lakes.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Western Sandpiper in Norfolk, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper together in Somerset, Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Scaup in Northumberland, Bufflehead in Cornwall, American Buff-bellied Pipit in County Waterford, Least Sandpiper in County Kerry, Pallid Harrier and American Herring Gull in County Cork, Desert Wheatears in both East Yorkshire and Shropshire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Penduline Tit in Kent, Red-breasted Geese in Devon and Essex, Spotted Sandpipers in Devon, Essex and County Meath, Glossy Ibis in Dorset and Essex, and Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire.

Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starlings in both Dorset and Nottinghamshire, Bluethroat in County Waterford, Yellow-browed Warbler in Conwy, Surf Scoter in Cornwall and Snow Goose in County Donegal. A total of 77 Tundra Bean Geese were logged across 14 counties between the Shetland Isles, County Donegal, Shropshire and Kent.
-  Chris Batty, RBA