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| Thursday 1st March 2012 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the discovery of a female King Eider at Annagh Head, County Mayo, whilst in Moray, the
male King Eider reappeared in Burghead Bay. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today were the Common Yellowthroat in Gwent, Hooded Merganser in Kent, Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Paddyfield Warbler in West Sussex, Penduline Tit in Kent, Red-breasted Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, Blue-winged Teal on the Isles of Scilly, Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Richardson's Canada Geese in Argyll (2) and County Sligo (3), and Glossy Ibises in Dorset (2), Lancashire and Suffolk. The best of the rest comprised 10 Great Grey Shrikes, seven Kumlien's Gulls, four each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Green-winged Teal and Great White Egret, three each of Surf Scoter, American Wigeon and Ring-billed Gull, and single Rose-coloured Starling (Ayrshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (Somerset), Ring-necked Duck (Cornwall) and Black Brant (County Wexford). Early returning migrants included a Swallow in East Sussex, two Sand Martins in Pembrokeshire and a White Wagtail in Kent. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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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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| Wednesday 29th February 2012 | ||
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| Lingering rarities came in the form of the Common Yellowthroat in
Gwent, Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Penduline Tit and Hooded
Merganser in Kent, Paddyfield Warbler in West Sussex, Spotted
Sandpiper in Dorset, Lesser Yellowlegs and Bufflehead in
Cornwall, Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire and Coues's Arctic Redpoll
in Norfolk. Glossy Ibises were logged in Norfolk, Suffolk, Dorset and
Lancashire.
A Black-browed Albatross was recorded at sea c184 miles southwest of Mizen Head (Co Cork). The best of the rest included Yellow-browed Warblers in Somerset and West Sussex and Rose-coloured Starling in Ayrshire. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 28th February 2012 | ||
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| Long staying rarities confirmed as still present today included the Common
Yellowthroat in Gwent, Hooded Merganser in Kent, Spanish Sparrow
and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Paddyfield Warbler in Sussex,
Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, Coues's Arctic Redpoll and three
Glossy Ibises in Norfolk (with further singles of the latter in Suffolk and
Lancashire), Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset and Lesser Scaup in
Gloucestershire.
Scarcity highlights included single Rose-coloured Starlings in Ayrshire and Anglesey, Yellow-browed Warbler in Sussex and single Surf Scoters in Cornwall and Gwynedd. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Monday 27th February 2012 | ||
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| On the Western Isles a Gyr was discovered on North Uist. In Cornwall a
Lesser Yellowlegs was at Kingsmill Lake, apparently for its 90th day.
Lingering rarities included the Hooded Merganser in Kent, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk, Common Yellowthroat in Gwent, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Suffolk and Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire. Five Glossy Ibises lingered in Norfolk and one remained in Suffolk and Lesser Scaup was still in Glamorgan and Gloucestershire. The best of the rest included Rose-coloured Starlings in Ayrshire and Anglesey, whilst in Ireland the Bonaparte's Gull remained in Co Antrim and the Forster's Tern was still in Co Galway. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Sunday 26th February 2012 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the reappaearance of the female Hooded Merganser in Kent at Whetsted, where it was first seen briefly on 10th February 2012. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Common Yellowthroat in Gwent, Northern Waterthrush on the Isles of Scilly, Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Paddyfield Warbler in West Sussex, Red-breasted Geese in Dumfries and Galloway, Hampshire and Suffolk, Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset, two Long-billed Dowitchers in County Wexford, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Glamorgan and Highland, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, two Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk, Ross's Geese in both Norfolk and Northumberland, and Glossy Ibises in Dorset, Lancashire, Norfolk (5), Pembrokeshire (3) and Suffolk. Scarcities included 30 Tundra Bean Geese and 38 Smew, whilst gull totals were 193 Iceland, 34 Glaucous, 11 Kumlien's, seven Ring-billed and three Caspian. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Saturday 25th February 2012 | ||
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| New discoveries today included single Bonaparte's Gulls in Highland
(at Dunnet Bay) and County Wexford (at Tacumshin), Red-breasted Goose in
Hampshire (at Keyhaven) and a Ross's Goose in Northumberland (at East
Chevington NWT).
Long staying rarity highlights included the Common Yellowthroat in Gwent, Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Wilson's Snipe in the Isles of Scilly, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Paddyfield Warbler in Sussex, Forster's Tern and Pallid Harrier in County Galway, Long-billed Dowitcher in Carmarthenshire and Richardson's Canada Goose in Argyll. Other rarity totals included two Red-breasted Geese, two Lesser Scaup, three Bonaparte's Gulls and nine Glossy Ibises. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Friday 24th February 2012 | ||
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| Apart from a new Glossy Ibis near Montgomery, Powys, sightings today
were similar to the last few days. Highlights included the Common
Yellowthroat in Gwent (which remained for its 8th twitchable day, raising
the hopes of the second batch of potential weekend visitors), Paddyfield
Warbler in Sussex, Bufflehead in Cornwall and Bonaparte's Gull
in County Antrim.
Other lingering rarities included single Red-breasted Geese in Suffolk, Essex and Dumfries and Galloway, single Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan and Gloucestershire and single Glossy Ibises in Suffolk, Dorset and Glamorgan, with three in Pembrokeshire. |
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| - Will Soar, RBA | ||
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| Thursday 23rd February 2012 | ||
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| The highlight of the day was the arrival of five Glossy Ibises in Norfolk at Berney Marshes. The flock later dispersed, and perhaps it was one of these birds that reached Minsmere, Suffolk later in the afternoon. A newly arrived Lesser Scaup
at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, was apparently the same male that had been present at Newquay, Cornwall for five days until yesterday;
a movement of 125 miles to the northeast. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Common Yellowthroat in Gwent, both Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Bufflehead in Cornwall, Paddyfield Warbler in West Sussex, Forster's Tern in County Galway, Blue-winged Teal on the Isles of Scilly, two Long-billed Dowitchers in County Wexford, Lesser Scaups in both Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, Glossy Ibises in both Dorset and Lancashire, Ross's Geese in both Norfolk and Dumfries and Galloway, and Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire. Scarcities included 50 Tundra Bean Geese and 81 Smew, with gull tallies including 38 Iceland, nine Glaucous, four Ring-billed, four Caspian and two Kumlien's. |
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| - Chris Batty, RBA | ||
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| Wednesday 22nd February 2012 | ||
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| Lingering rarities comprised Common Yellowthroat in Gwent,
Paddyfield Warbler in West Sussex, Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed
Junco in Hampshire and Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Norfolk. The
Ferruginous Duck in Berkshire, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and
Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset also lingered.
A White-tailed Eagle was seen in Norfolk and Yellow-browed Warblers lingered in Somerset and Devon. |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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| Tuesday 21st February 2012 | ||
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| Lingering rarities comprised the Common Yellowthroat in Gwent,
Spanish Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in Hampshire, Bufflehead
in Cornwall, Red-breasted Goose in Suffolk, Ferruginous Duck in
Berkshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Dorset, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in
Norfolk, Glossy Ibises in Ceredigion, Dorset and Lancashire and Lesser
Scaup in Glamorgan and Cornwall
The best of the rest included Yellow-browed Warbler in Somerset, American Wigeon in West Yorkshire and Ring-necked Ducks in Cornwall, Cleveland, Lancashire, Ayrshire and Dorset (2). |
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| - Stuart Piner, RBA | ||
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