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 20th February 2012  
  In Highland the Greater Yellowlegs was relocated in Dornoch, 3.5 miles south of Loch Fleet, where it was last seen on 13th January. A Penduline Tit was discovered at Dungeness RSPB (Kent).

Lingering rarities included the Common Yellowthroat in Gwent, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Cornwall and Gloucestershire, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk and Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset. Glossy Ibises lingered in Lancashire and Dorset.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 19th February 2012  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a pair of Two-barred Crossbills in Norfolk at Lynford Arboretum: the first in that county since December 2002. Elsewhere, a Coues's Arctic Redpoll was identified in Cambridgeshire at Woodwalton Fen, as was an American Golden Plover in Cornwall at Crowdy Reservoir, and Lesser Scaups in both County Cavan at Belturbet and Cornwall at Newquay.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Common Yellowthroat in Gwent, Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Paddyfield Warbler in West Sussex, Pallid Harrier in County Galway, Red-breasted Geese in both Devon, Dumfries and Galloway and Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, two Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, Northern Long-tailed Tit in North Yorkshire, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll, Ross's Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire, Glossy Ibises in Ceredigion, Dorset, Lancashire and Somerset.

Scarce gulls included 332 Iceland, 41 Glaucous, 24 Kumlien's, five Ring-billed and two Caspian, whilst 49 Tundra Bean Geese were counted and 114 Smew were logged.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 18th February 2012  
  In Gwent the Common Yellowthroat remained in Rhiwderyn. Elsewhere lingering rare passerines included Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco (Hampshire) and two Coues's Arctic Redpolls (Norfolk).

Red-breasted Geese remained in Dumfries & Galloway, Devon, Suffolk and Essex, Lesser Scaup lingered in Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, a White-billed Diver was still off Fetlar (Shetland) and the adult Bonaparte's Gull reappeared in Glamorgan.

Rare waders comprised Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset and Long-billed Dowitchers in Wexford (2) and Carmarthenshire. Glossy Ibises were logged in Ceredigion, Lancashire, Co Wicklow, Somerset, Dorset and Pembrokeshire (3).

The best of the rest included Parrot Crossbill in West Sussex, American Wigeons in Devon and West Yorkshire and Ring-necked Ducks in Cleveland, Cornwall, Ayrshire, Co Mayo, Dorset (2) and Co Waterford (2).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Friday 17th February 2012  
  The Common Yellowthroat remained in-situ in Gwent, becoming the first easily twitchable bird since 1997.

New rarities seen today included a first-winter Bonaparte's Gull in Cardiff, Glamorgan (at the same site also hosting an adult), an American Golden Plover near Davidstow, Cornwall and a Glossy Ibis over Brundall, Norfolk.

Long staying rarities once again comprised the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Northern Waterthrush on the Isles of Scilly, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Paddyfield Warbler in Sussex, Lesser White-fronted Goose and three Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk, single Glossy Ibises in Kent, Somerset and Ceredigion, single Red-breasted Geese in Suffolk and Devon, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll, Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire and single Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan, County Kerry and Cornwall.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Thursday 16th February 2012  
  News of the tenth Common Yellowthroat for Britain was released today, with a first-winter male present in Rhiwderyn, Gwent for the last few days. Being the first potentially twitchable bird for the mainland, and the first live bird since one on Foula, Shetland in 2004, it is likely that, if it sticks, it will be very popular at the weekend.

Long staying rarities still present today included the Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Paddyfield Warbler in Sussex, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Northern Long-tailed Tit in Yorkshire, single Glossy Ibises in Kent, Dorset, Devon and Lancashire, single Red-breasted Geese in Suffolk and Essex, Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll and single Lesser Scaups in Gloucestershire and Cornwall.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 15th February 2012  
  Lingering rarities comprised Spanish Sparrow in Hampshire, Lesser White-fronted Goose in Norfolk, Red-breasted Geese in Suffolk, Essex and Dumfries & Galloway, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Dorset, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Paddyfield Warbler in West Sussex, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire.

Glossy Ibises were logged in Devon, Dorset, Ceredigion and Lancashire, a Todd's Canada Goose remained in Dumfries and Galloway and a female American Wigeon reappeared in Herefordshire.

In Ireland the long-staying House Crow was still in Co Cork and a Bonaparte's Gull lingered in Co Antrim.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 14th February 2012  
  Lingering rare passerines included Paddyfield Warbler in West Sussex, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset, Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Northern Long-tailed Tit in West Yorkshire, two Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk and the long-staying Northern Waterthrush remained on Isles of Scilly.

Notable wildfowl records comprised Bufflehead in Cornwall, Lesser White-fronted Goose in Norfolk, Red-breasted Geese in Dumfries & Galloway, Suffolk and Devon, Blue-winged Teals in Dumfries & Galloway and Isles of Scilly, Taverner's Canada Goose in Dumfries & Galloway and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Glamorgan.

Spotted Sandpipers lingered in Dorset and Devon and Glossy Ibises were logged on the Kent/East Sussex border, Dorset, Lancashire, Devon (2), Pembrokeshire (4) and Highland (5+).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 13th February 2012  
  Lingering rare passerines included Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Paddyfield Warbler in West Sussex and two Northern Long-tailed Tits in West Yorkshire. Rare wildfowl comprised Lesser White-fronted Goose in Norfolk, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Red-breasted Geese in Essex, Devon, Suffolk and Dumfries & Galloway, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire and Cornwall, Ferruginous Ducks in Somerset and Berkshire, Taverner's Canada Geese in Dumfries & Galloway and Argyll and Richardson's Canada Geese (2) in Argyll. Waders were represented by Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Dorset whilst Glossy Ibises were logged in Pembrokeshire (3), Devon, Ceredigion, Lancashire and East Sussex.

In Ireland Snowy Owls were in Co Mayo and Co Derry and the long-staying Black Duck remained in Co Mayo.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 12th February 2012  
  In The Scillies, a new Dusky Warbler was found today. This one was on Tresco, with the other over-wintering bird still to be found at Harry's Walls on St.Mary's.  In Highland there was a report of an American Buff-bellied Pipit at Dornoch in recent days, although it was not reported today. Of 18 Glossy Ibises in South Wales and the South West, most were lingering birds, but one at Wareham in Dorset was new. There were Red-breasted Geese in Essex, Suffolk and Dumfries and Galloway.

Other lingering rarities included Paddyfield Warbler in West Sussex, Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Pallid Harrier in County Galway, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Lesser Scaups in Cornwall, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and County Kerry, Blue-winged Teal on The Scillies, Snowy Owl in County Derry, two Long-billed Dowitchers in County Wexford, Spotted Sandpipers in Devon and Dorset, and Lesser White-fronted Goose and two different Coue's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk (at Titchwell and at Kelling).

There were still large numbers of Iceland Gulls, mostly in the north and west and still plenty of Smew in southern and eastern England.

 
-  Pete Hayman, RBA
Saturday 11th February 2012  
  A Penduline Tit was at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire briefly, and new Glossy Ibises were seen in Sussex and Somerset.

Lingering rarity highlights included Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Snowy Owl in County Derry and Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Dorset.
-  Chris Batty, RBA