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 1st April 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Horned Lark in Surrey, American Herring Gull in County Clare, Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Black Duck in Highland, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford, Coues's Arctic Redpolls in both Norfolk (3) and Suffolk, and single Ferruginous Ducks in Powys and County Armagh; the latter a new discovery at Oxford Island.

Scarcities included White-spotted Bluethroat and Waxwing (both Northumberland), Little Bunting (London), Rough-legged Buzzard (Kent), Lesser Snow Goose (Moray), Lapland Bunting (Shetland Isles), two each of both Ring-billed Gull and Glossy Ibis, three Ring-necked Ducks, four Cattle Egrets and a total of seven Surf Scoters.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 31st March 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Horned Lark in Surrey, both Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, King Eider in County Cork, White-billed Diver in Aberdeenshire and Coues's Arctic Redpolls in Moray, Suffolk and Norfolk with in the latter at least four being identified at Felthorpe.

Scarcities included Night Heron (new in Suffolk), Little Bunting (London), American Wigeon (Leicestershire), Shorelark (Norfolk), Grey Phalarope (Northumberland), Common Rosefinch and Ring-necked Duck (both Devon), Snow Goose (Western Isles), three each of both Ring-billed Gull and Glossy Ibis, four Cattle Egrets and a total of six Surf Scoters.

Significant late news concerns a Snowy Owl present yesterday in Pembrokeshire at St David's Head but it could not be relocated today.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Friday 30th March 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the Hooded Merganser still on the Western Isles, American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Horned Lark in Surrey, Pied-billed Grebe on the Shetland Isles, American Herring Gull in County Clare, both Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in County Wexford, Ferruginous Duck still in Powys and three Cackling Geese reported together at Ballintemple, County Sligo.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (London), Ring-billed Gull (County Dublin), Grey Phalarope and two Waxwings (Northumberland), three each of both Lapland Bunting and Cattle Egret, four of Glossy Ibis and Ring-necked Duck, six Surf Scoters and a total of 18 Shorelarks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Thursday 29th March 2018  
  A drake Hooded Merganser was found on St Kilda, Western Isles, and a White-billed Diver was off the Farne Islands, Northumberland.

Lingering rarities included the American White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Pied-billed Grebe in Shetland, Horned Lark in Surrey, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk, Pacific Diver in Cornwall and three White-billed Divers off the Western Isles.

Scarcity highlights included a Little Bunting, a Grey Phalarope, a White Stork, a Ring-billed Gull, two Great Grey Shrikes,  two Glossy Ibises, three Lapland Buntings, three Ring-necked Ducks and five Surf Scoters.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Wednesday 28th March 2018  
  Rarities today comprised American White-winged Scoter still in Lothian at Musselburgh Lagoons, Horned Lark still in Surrey at Staines Reservoir, and the King Eider still at Dunmanus Bay, County Cork.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 27th March 2018  
  Lingering rarities comprised American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Horned Lark (Surrey), Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Suffolk) and Ferruginous Duck (Powys). The best of the rest included Little Bunting (London), Pectoral Sandpiper (Aberdeenshire), Lapland Buntings (Derbyshire and East Yorkshire), Grey Phalarope (Northumberland), American Wigeon (Highland) and three Glossy Ibises.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Monday 26th March 2018  
  Rarity highlights comprised the American White-winged Scoter (Lothian), Bonaparte's Gull (Dorset), Black Kite (London), White-billed Divers (Western Isles [2] and Orkney), Ferruginous Duck (Powys), Pied-billed Grebe (Shetland), Coues's Arctic Redpoll (Suffolk) and Horned Lark (Surrey).

The best of the rest included Serin (Essex), Little Bunting (London), five Shorelarks and ten Waxwings.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Sunday 25th March 2018  
  New discoveries today included two Coues's Arctic Redpolls at Fochaber, Moray and White-billed Divers off Barra, Western Isles and off Portsoy, Aberdeenshire (11).

Lingering rarities included the American White-winged Scoter off Musselburgh, Lothian, Pied-billed Grebe at Spiggie, Shetland, Pacific Divers off Pendower, Cornwall and Crookhaven, County Cork, Horned Lark at Staines, Surrey, Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Hazlewood Common, Suffolk and King Eider at Dunmanus Bay, County Cork.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 24th March 2018  
  In Lothian, a drake White-winged Scoter was found off the sea wall at Musselburgh Lagoons during the afternoon, the second for the site following a belatedly identified drake there on 26th December 2013.

Other new discoveries included a Snowy Owl reported at South Stack RSPB, Anglesey and a White-billed Diver in Northumberland at Newbiggin.

Lingering rarities included the Pied-billed Grebe in Argyll, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, White-billed Diver in Orkney, American Herring Gull in County Clare, Horned Lark in Surrey, Coues's Arctic Redpoll in Suffolk and Ferruginous Duck in Powys.

Scarcity highlights included a White-spotted Bluethroat, two Waxwings, three Great Grey Shrikes, three Little Buntings, 16 Lapland Buntings, 17 Parrot Crossbills, two Pomarine Skuas, two Kumlien's Gulls, three Ring-billed Gulls, five Ring-necked Ducks, seven Surf Scoters and five Glossy Ibises.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 23rd March 2018  
  Rarities today comprised the Black Duck still in Highland at Strontian for its twelfth year, a Coues's Arctic Redpoll still in Suffolk, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall and Ferrugionous Duck in Powys but im Lincolnshire the Snowy Owl could not be found.

Scarcities were headlined by single male White-spotted Bluethroats in each of Kent, London and Suffolk with a supporting cast of Little Bunting (London), Serin (Essex), American Wigeon (Somerset), two Ring-necked Ducks, three Cattle Egrets, four each of both Great Grey Shrike and Glossy Ibis, six Ring-billed Gulls - including four together in County Dublin - and in Norfolk a flock of 29 Parrot Crossbills.

Significant late news concerned a female Black-throated Thrush present on 17th March in Gloucestershire at Eastington and in recent days a Snowy Owl reported on Stronsay, Orkney Isles.
-  Chris Batty, RBA