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.


Saturday 21st December 2013

	The higlight of the day was an American Buff-bellied Pipit at Burton Marsh, Cheshire; first suspected yesterday, the identification was confirmed this morning and the bird showed well throughout the afternoon. Elswehere, a Falcated Duck in Oxfordshire at Stanton Harcourt, is presumably the bird present at nearby Farmoor Reservoir on 9th-13th December 2012. Elsewhere, rarities comprised the Ivory Gull still in East Yorkshire at Patrington Haven, a King Eider in Lothian, five Two-barred Crossbills together in South Yorkshire, and Glossy Ibises in County Cavan, Cornwall, County Kerry, Lancashire, Orkney Isles, Suffolk, Western Isles (2) and the West Midlands. Scarcities included Rose-coloured Starling (Norfolk and the Isles of Scilly), Hoopoe (Conwy), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Ring-necked Duck (Devon), Cattle Egret (Devon, County Waterford (2) and County Wexford), and Parrot Crossbill (8 in Norfolk, and 14 in Nottinghamshire).
- Chris Batty, RBA


Friday 20th December 2013

	Rarities today were headlined by the Ivory Gull still in East Yorkshire, Red-breasted Goose on the Isle of Wight, King Eider and two White-billed Divers together on the Shetland Isles, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Two-barred Crossbill in Shropshire and South Yorkshire (7), and seven Glossy Ibises across six counties. Scarcities included Hoopoe (Conwy), Richard's Pipit (Norfolk), Rose-coloured Starling (Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly), Yellow-browed Warblers (4 in Cornwall), Lesser Snow Goose (2 together in Aberdeenshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk and Suffolk), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire and Devon), Ring-necked Duck (Devon), and Parrot Crossbill (Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire (14), and Suffolk (10)).
- Chris Batty, RBA


Thursday 19th December 2013

	Lingering rarities included the Ivory Gull in East Yorkshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Red-breasted Goose in Isle of Wight, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Northamptonshire, Pied-billed Grebe in Western Isles, at least eight Two-barred Crossbills in South Yorkshire and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan. At least 32 Parrot Crossbills, six Glossy Ibises, two Cattle Egrets, Hoopoe (Conwy), Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), Rose-coloured Starling (Isles of Scilly) and Richard's Pipit (Norfolk) were all reported today.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Wednesday 18th December 2013

	Rarities today comprised the Ivory Gull still in East Yorkshire, Red-breasted Goose on the Isle of Wight, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan, Two-barred Crossbills in Shropshire (2) and South Yorkshire (8), and Glossy Ibis (Cornwall, Kent, Orkney Isles and West Midlands). Scarcities included Hoopoe (Conwy), Cattle Egret (Buckinghamshire), Surf Scoter (Dorset), American Wigeon (Cheshire), Ring-necked Duck (County Donegal), and Ring-billed Gull (County Antrim), four Rose-coloured Starlings (Cornwall, Norfolk, Isles of Scilly and Warwickshire), and Parrot Crossbills in Kent, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire (14) and Suffolk (8). Significant late news concerned a Pied Wheatear present in Hampshire at Monk Sherborne between 7th-17th December, but not seen today: a first record of the species in that county.
- Chris Batty, RBA


Tuesday 17th December 2013

	The continued presence of the juvenile Ivory Gull at Patrington Haven, Yorkshire is the main headline today. Other lingering rarities included Two-barred Crossbills in Yorkshire (eight), Gloucestershire (seven) and Shropshire (three), two King Eiders in Lothian, single Lesser Scaups in Highland and County Kerry, Red-breasted Goose on the Isle of Wight and Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire. New Glossy Ibises were found in Orkney, Western Isles, Lancashire, County Donegal, West Midlands and Lincolnshire, whilst the Nottinghamshire individual returned to Lowdham.
- Will Soar, RBA


Monday 16th December 2013

	Highlight of the day was the continued presence of the Ivory Gull at Patrington Haven (East Yorkshire). Elsewhere lingering rarities included Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, King Eiders in Lothian, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Two-barred Crossbills in Shropshire and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan and Highland. Two Glossy Ibises were on Western Isles, Parrot Crossbills lingered in Nottinghamshire (16), Suffolk (10) and Norfolk (9), the Hoopoe was still in Conwy and a Cattle Egret was still in Buckinghamshire. Late news from yesterday related to an adult Thayer's Gull photographed at Killybegs (Co Donegal), but it could not be found there today.
- Stuart Piner, RBA


Sunday 15th December 2013

	Bird of the day is once again an Ivory Gull, this time at Patrington Haven, East Yorkshire, which was found late afternoon and was present until dusk. If accepted as different birds, the seven so far this year is the biggest yearly total ever, beating the six in 1980 and five in 1916. A second female King Eider arrived at Gullane, Lothian, and an apparently unringed Red-breasted Goose was found with the Barnacle Geese at Loaningfoot, Dumfries and Galloway. Glossy Ibises were at Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire and Loch na Revil, Western Isles (the latter killed by a Buzzard). Lingering rarities included the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Northamptonshire, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (four), Shropshire (three) and Yorkshire (eight), Blue-winged Teal on Orkney and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.
- Will Soar, RBA


Saturday 14th December 2013

	The highlight of the day was the discovery of a first-winter Forster's Tern in County Cork, which flew east past Garrettstown mid morning. After a ten year wait, a twitchable British bird would be most welcome. Of the lingering rarities, the top birds remained on Orkney, with the Short-billed Dowitcher on North Ronaldsay and Ivory Gull at Evie. Elsewhere, the Desert Wheatear remained in Gloucestershire, as did the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler in Northamptonshire, King Eider in Lothian, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (11), Shropshire (three), Yorkshire (eight), Norfolk and Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan.
- Will Soar, RBA


Friday 13th December 2013

	Rarities seen today included the Short-billed Dowitcher again on North Ronaldsay and the Ivory Gull at Evie, both Orkney, Desert Wheatear at Severn Beach, Gloucestershire, Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire, Black Kite at Samphire Hoe, Kent, King Eider at Eyebroughty, Lothian, Richardson's Cackling Goose at Raghly, County Sligo and Lesser Scaup at Loch an't-Saile, Western Isles. Two-barred Crossbills were once again well represented, with 20 seen in four counties. Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, two Rose-coloured Starlings, four Yellow-browed Warblers, four Great Grey Shrikes, two Grey Phalaropes and 15 Parrot Crossbills.
- Will Soar, RBA


Thursday 12th December 2013

	Highlight of the day was the discovery of another Ivory Gull, this time a juvenile on Mainland Orkney. Elsewhere rarities included Desert Wheatear in Gloucestershire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Pied-billed Grebe in Western Isles, Black Kite in Kent, Lesser Yellowlegs in Hampshire, Two-barred Crossbills in Gloucestershire (8), South Yorkshire (7+), Shropshire (2) and Norfolk and Lesser Scaup in Glamorgan. Glossy Ibises were logged in Gloucestershire, Co Kerry and Western Isles. The best of the rest included Hoopoe in Conwy, Parrot Crossbills in Nottinghamshire (14) and Suffolk (13), Cattle Egret in Buckinghamshire, Yellow-browed Warblers in Isles of Scilly (2), Dorset and Devon and Rose-coloured Starling in Norfolk.
- Stuart Piner, RBA