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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Sunday 18th February 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of the Taiga Merlin in Highland at Holborn Head and similarly the Black Scoter was relocated in Northumberland and the Long-billed Dowitcher showed again in Kent.

Lingering rarities comprised the Pine Bunting still in Kent, Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, White-billed Divers in Cornwall, Orkney Isles and Shetland Isles, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Argyll and Coues's Arctic Redpolls in both Norfolk (5) and Suffolk.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall), Lesser Snow Goose (Moray), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), two each of both Rough-legged Buzzard and Surf Scoter, three Ring-necked Ducks, four American Wigeons, six Ring-billed Gulls, eight Glossy Ibises and in Norfolk a flock of 16 Parrot Crossbills.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 17th February 2018  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Pine Bunting in Kent at Herne Bay during the morning.

Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Forster's Tern in County Galway, Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly, Pacific Diver and White-billed Diver together in Cornwall, Pacific Diver in County Cork, Pied-billed Grebe and King Eider on the Shetland Isles, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Donegal, and Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk (5), Suffolk and the Shetland Isles.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Bluethroat (East Sussex), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Cambridgeshire), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), two each of both Yellow-browed Warbler and Snow Goose, three American Wigeons, six Ring-necked Ducks, seven Ring-billed Gulls, eight Surf Scoters, 10 Lapland Buntings, 11 Glossy Ibises, and in England a total of 11 Parrot Crossbills.

Potentially of greatest significance was what probably a female Siberian Rubythroat seen in South Yorkshire at South Bramwith where it had first been noticed on Tuesday.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 16th February 2018  
  The highlight of the day was location of the Semipalmated Plover in County Mayo at Achill Island on Keel Beach where it was first discovered on 2nd-14th October 2016 and present again on 13th September-15th October 2017 and perhaps never left.

Rarities elsewhere comprised a White-billed Diver new in Cornwall at Mousehole where it joined the Pacific Diver, Pied-billed Grebe and King Eider on the Shetland Isles, Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Donegal, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, and Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk (2), Shetland Isles and Suffolk.

Scarcities included Bluethroat (East Sussex), Little Bunting (London), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Cambridgeshire), Surf Scoter (Fife), two each of both American Wigeon and Ring-billed Gull, six Ring-necked Ducks, nine Glossy Ibises, 10 Shorelarks and in England a flock of 15 Parrot Crossbills in Norfolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 15th February 2018  
  A first-winter American Herring Gull in Co Kerry was today's best new discovery, whilst Pied-billed Grebe (Shetland), Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Suffolk), Spotted Sandpiper (Nottinghamshire), Thayer's Gull (Hampshire), Penduline Tit (Gloucestershire), Stilt Sandpiper (Dorset), Lesser Scaup (Cornwall) and Bonaparte's Gull (Clyde) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Little Bunting (London), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Bluethroat (East Sussex), Yellow-browed Warbler (Cornwall), Waxwing (Cheshire) and at least 19 Parrot Crossbills.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Wednesday 14th February 2018  
  Lingering rarities comprised Bonaparte's Gull (Clyde), Black Scoter (Co Kerry), Lesser Scaup (Cornwall), Penduline Tit (Gloucestersire), Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Norfolk) and Horned Lark (Surrey).

The best of the rest included Bluethroat (East Sussex), at least 11 Waxwings and 19 Parrot Crossbills.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Tuesday 13th February 2018  
  A white morph Gyr was photographed by the road near Bunowen Pier, County Galway in the early hours of this morning.

Lingering rarities included the Horned Lark in Surrey, single Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk and Suffolk, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Pied-billed Grebe in Shetland, single Bonaparte's Gulls in Devon, Clyde and County Donegal and Ferruginous Duck in Somerset.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Rose-coloured Starling, at least two Parrot Crossbills, seven Waxwings, 20 Shorelarks, a Surf Scoter, an American Wigeon, four Ring-necked Ducks, a Tundra Bean Goose, two Kumlien's Gulls, four Ring-billed Gulls, a Glossy Ibis and three Little Auks.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Monday 12th February 2018  
  In Co Donegal a Bonaparte's Gull was discovered at Killybegs, whilst Horned Lark (Surrey), Thayer's Gull (Hampshire), Stilt Sandpiper (Dorset), Spotted Sandpiper (Nottinghamshire), Penduline Tit (Gloucestershire), Ferruginous Duck (Somerset), Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Shetland), Bonaparte's Gulls (Clyde and Devon), Lesser Scaup (Cornwall), Black Scoter (Co Kerry) and Richardson's Cackling Goose (Argyll) all lingered.

The best of the rest included Bluethroat (East Sussex), Rose-coloured Starling (East Yorkshire), Temminck's Stint (West Sussex), Yellow-browed Warbler (Devon), Waxwing (Cheshire), four American Wigeons, 10 Glossy Ibises, 24 Shorelarks and at least 25 Parrot Crossbills.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 11th February 2018  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Pied-billed Grebe in Shetland, Snowy Owl in Scilly, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, two Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk and one in Suffolk, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, King Eider in Ceredigion and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall.

Scarcity highlights included a Bluethroat, a Little Bunting, a Yellow-browed Warbler, 10 Waxwings, 30 Parrot Crossbills, 35 Shorelarks, a Temminck's Stint, a Rough-legged Buzzard, four Ring-necked Ducks, four American Wigeon, six Surf Scoters, six Green-winged Teals, seven Glossy Ibises, five Kumlien's Gulls and eight Ring-billed Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 10th February 2018  
  Lingering rarities still present today included the Snowy Owl on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Horned Lark at Staines Reservoir, Surrey, Stilt Sandpiper at Christchurch, Dorset, Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Hazlewood Common, Suffolk, Penduline Tit at Longford, Gloucestershire, Spotted Sandpiper at Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire, Long-billed Dowitcher at Oare, Kent and Ferruginous Duck at Washington WWT, County Durham.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Serin, a Bluethroat, a Rose-coloured Starling, a Lapland Bunting, six Waxwings, 14 Parrot Crossbills, 23 Shorelarks, an American Wigeon, three Ring-necked Ducks, five Surf Scoters, a Rough-legged Buzzard, two Kumlien's Gulls, four Ring-billed Gulls and six Glossy Ibises.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 9th February 2018  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Horned Lark in Surrey, Thayer's Gull in Hampshire, Stilt Sandpiper in Dorset, Spotted Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire, Black Scoter in County Kerry, Penduline Tit in Gloucestershire, four Coue's Arctic Redpolls in Norfolk and one in Suffolk, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire and White-billed Diver in Shetland.

Scarcities included a Bluethroat, a Little Bunting, a Temminck's Stint, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Ring-billed Gull, two Kumlien's Gulls, two Lapland Buntings, two Surf Scoters, two Ring-necked Ducks, three American Wigeon, five Glossy Ibises, 13 Shorelarks and 15 Waxwings.
-  Will Soar, RBA