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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Saturday 8th February 2020  
  Lingering rarities seen today included the Steller's Eider in Orkney, Black-throated Thrushes in Lincolnshire and Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Norfolk and Northumberland, Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Ferruginous Ducks in Essex and Warwickshire, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Pacific Diver in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitchers in Cumbria and Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire, American Herring Gull in County Cork and Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford.

Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, two Yellow-browed Warblers, two Lapland Buntings, six Shorelarks, seven Great Grey Shrikes, a Grey Phalarope, a Glossy Ibis, five Rough-legged Buzzards, an American Wigeon, a Green-winged Teal, seven Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, 31 Tundra Bean Geese, a Kumlien's Gull, two Ring-billed Gulls, eight Glaucous Gulls and 17 Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 7th February 2020  
  In Argyll the adult Pied-billed Grebe was again at Loch Feorlin, having last been reported there on 18th July last year.

Elsewhere lingering rarities comprised Black-throated Thrushes in Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Co Wexford, American Buff-bellied Pipit and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitchers in Cumbria and Devon, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, two Penduline Tits in Dorset, Ferruginous Duck in Essex, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Black Scoter in Northumberland and Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Northumberland, Norfolk and Suffolk.

The best of the rest included Purple Heron (Lancashire), Richard's Pipit (Lincolnshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Yellow-browed Warbler (London), American Wigeon (Co Antrim), Grey Phalarope (East Yorkshire), American Golden Plover (Co Kerry), two Hoopoes, Green-winged Teals and Glossy Ibises, six Shorelarks, Ring-necked Ducks and Great Grey Shrikes and 12 Tundra Bean Geese.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 6th February 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a first-winter American Herring Gull in County Cork at Castletown Bearhaven, the third to be found between Britain and Ireland since 15th January, whilst in Essex a Ferruginous Duck was new at Abberton Reservoir.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, American Buff-bellied Pipit, Pacific Diver and Lesser Scaup all in Cornwall, Black-throated Thrushes in both Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Northumberland, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, two Penduline Tits together in Dorset, Black Duck in Highland, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, and Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford.

Scarcities included Purple Heron (Lancashire), American Golden Plover (County Kerry), Hoopoe (Hampshire), Yellow-browed Warbler (London), Ring-billed Gull (Cornwall), Grey Phalarope (East Yorkshire), Glossy Ibis (Devon), two each of both Surf Scoter and Lapland Bunting, three of Rough-legged Buzzard and Green-winged Teal, six Shorelarks, eight Great Grey Shrikes, and a total of nine Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 5th February 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the presence of two Penduline Tits together in Dorset at Lodmoor, whilst elsewhere the White-winged Scoter remained in Lothian, as did the Black-throated Thrush in Lincolnshire, Pacific Divers in both County Cork and Cornwall, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Norfolk and Northumberland, American Buff-bellied Pipit and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Black Scoter in Northumberland, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in Merseyside and County Wexford, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, and Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire.

Scarcities included Serin (Devon), Hoopoe (Hampshire), Grey Phalarope (East Yorkshire), three each of American Wigeon, Yellow-browed Warbler and Glossy Ibis, four Rough-legged Buzzard, four Green-winged Teal, five Shorelark, eight Great Grey Shrike, and a total of 11 Ring-necked Ducks.

Significant late news concerned a Snowy Owl present yesterday in County Clare near Ballyvaughan.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 4th February 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the reappearance of an Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Suffolk at Havergate Island where it had previously been present on 12th-14th November 2019.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Black-throated Thrush in Lincolnshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Norfolk, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford and Lesser Scaup in Dumfries and Galloway.

Scarcities included American Golden Plover (County Kerry), Shorelark (Suffolk), Hoopoe and Great Grey Shrike (Hampshire), two each of Rough-legged Buzzard, Ring-billed Gull, Surf Scoter, Green-winged Teal, Yellow-browed Warbler and Glossy Ibis, and a total of seven Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 3rd February 2020  
  Rarities today comprised the White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Black-throated Thrushes in both Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire, Blue-headed Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Norfolk, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Merseyside, and the Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford. A Lesser Scaup at Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway, was perhaps the same elusive individual wintering there since December 2016 and last suspected in November 2019.

Scarcities included Purple Heron (Lancashire), American Golden Plover (County Kerry), Hoopoe (Hampshire), Rough-legged Buzzard (Norfolk), Surf Scoter (Lothian), Glossy Ibis (Devon), Kumlien's Gull (Cornwall), two each of both Yellow-browed Warbler and Great Grey Shrike, five each of Ring-necked Duck and Green-winged Teal, and a total of six Shorelarks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 2nd February 2020  
  Incredible news today of a second-winter Black-tailed Gull present yesterday in Gloucestershire on the Severn Estuary at Broadoak although unfortunately it could not be found there today. If accepted this will be the first Western Palearctic record of this East Asian species.

Rarities elsewhere comprised the elusive Lesser White-fronted Goose seen again in Norfolk, White-winged Scoter still in Lothian, Black-throated Thrushes in both Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire, American Buff-bellied Pipit and Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in both Norfolk and Northumberland, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Penduline Tit in Dorset, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Yellowlegs in North Yorkshire, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Aberdeenshire, Long-billed Dowitchers in both Merseyside and County Wexford, and on the Shetland Isles both King Eider and White-billed Diver.

Scarcities included Hoopoe (Hampshire), Purple Heron (Lancashire), two each of Surf Scoter, American Wigeon, Lapland Bunting, Yellow-browed Warbler and Glossy Ibis, three of Rough-legged Buzzard and Great Grey Shrike, five of Ring-billed Gull and Green-winged Teal, six Shorelarks, and a total of nine Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Saturday 1st February 2020  
  A Penduline Tit was discovered at Radipole Lake RSPB, Dorset today.

Lingering rarities included the Black-throated Thrushes in Lincolnshire and Bedfordshire, Eastern Yellow Wagtails in Norfolk and Northumberland, Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, American Buff-bellied Pipit in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitchers in Merseyside and County Wexford, Lesser Yellowlegs in Yorkshire, White-winged Scoter in Lothian, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Cornwall, Ferruginous Duck in Hampshire, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Dumfries and Galloway and Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford.

Scarcity highlights included a Hoopoe, a Richard's Pipit, a Lapland Bunting, two Great Grey Shrikes, two Yellow-browed Warblers, five Shorelarks, a Grey Phalarope, a Purple Heron, a Glossy Ibis, three Rough-legged Buzzards, a Surf Scoter, three Green-winged Teal, 12 Ring-necked Ducks, a Black Brant, 27 Tundra Bean Geese, 76 Taiga Bean Geese, two Kumlien's Gulls, four Ring-billed Gulls, 22 Glaucous Gulls and 23 Iceland Gulls.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Friday 31st January 2020  
  Lingering rarities comprised Black-throated Thrush (Lincolnshire), Eastern Yellow Wagtails (Norfolk and Northumberland), White-winged Scoter (Lothian), West Siberian Stonechat (Cheshire), Bonaparte's Gull (Co Wexford), Blue-winged Teal (Devon), Richardson's Cackling Goose (Dumfries & Galloway) and Long-billed Dowitcher (Merseyside).

The best of the rest included Purple Heron (Lancashire), Grey Phalarope (East Yorkshire), Surf Scoter (Lothian), two Shorelarks and Ring-billed Gulls, four Great Grey Shrikes, Rough-legged Buzzards and Green-winged Teals and five Ring-necked Ducks.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA
Thursday 30th January 2020  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Black-throated Thrush in Lincolnshire at Grimsby.

Rarities elsewhere comprised Eastern Yellow Wagtails still in both Norfolk and Northumberland, West Siberian Stonechat in Cheshire, Richardson's Cackling Goose in Aberdeenshire, Blue-winged Teal in Devon, Bonaparte's Gull in County Wexford, Lesser Yellowlegs in County Londonderry, and Long-billed Dowitchers in both Devon and Merseyside.

Scarcities included Little Bunting (East Sussex), Purple Heron (Lancshire), Great Grey Shrike (Gloucestershire), two Yellow-browed Warblers, three Rough-legged Buzzards, four Ring-billed Gulls, five each of Ring-necked Duck and Green-winged Teal, and six Shorelarks.
-  Chris Batty, RBA