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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Thursday 5th December 2024  
  Astonishing news today of a Grey-headed Lapwing in Northumberland. Present at East Chevington for an hour in the monrning before flying off it is presumably the same individual as present in Northumberland on 1st-10th May 2023 before it relocated north and west through Fife and Moray until it reached North Uist, Western Isles on 26th-30th May.

Elsewhere continuing rarities confirmed as still present were the American Coot in Shetland, Hume's Warblers in both Kent and Norfolk, Dusky Warbler in Devon, Penduline Tit in Norfolk, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Lesser Scaup in Cambridgeshire, and Ferruginous Ducks in Hertfordshire and Warwickshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Wednesday 4th December 2024  
  Rarities today comprised American Coot, Bufflehead and King Eider all on Shetland, Double-crested Cormorant still in County Leitrim, Northern Harrier still in County Cork, Hume's Warbler still in Kent, Olive-backed Pipit still in Cornwall, Long-billed Dowitcher still in Devon, Lesser Scaups in Fife, Somerset, and Staffordshire, and Ferruginous Ducks in Hertfordshire (2), Lincolnshire, London, and Warwickshire (2).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 3rd December 2024  
  Discoveries today included an Olive-backed Pipit in Cornwall at Helston with a White-billed Diver reported passing Pendeen Watch, and in Devon a Dusky Warbler briefly at Dawlish Warren.

Continuing rarities confirmed as still present were both American Coot and Bufflehead on Shetland, Hume's Warbler in Kent, Pallid Harriers in Norfolk and Pembrokeshire, Dusky Warbler on the Isles of Scilly, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in Cornwall, Lesser Scaups in Cambridgeshire, Fife, Somerset, and Staffordshire, and Ferruginous Ducks in Hertfordshire (2), London, and Warwickshire (2).
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Monday 2nd December 2024  
  Discoveries today included a Yelkouan Shearwater reported in Cornwall passing Pendeen Watch, Red-breasted Goose in Cumbria at Rockcliffe Marsh, a Red-rumped Swallow briefly on Anglesey at Beaumaris, Lesser Scaup in County Wexford at Tacumshin, and in County Mayo now two Richardson's Cackling Geese together on The Mullet.

Continuing rarities confirmed as still present were both the American Coot and Bufflehead on Shetland, Northern Harrier and Pallid Harrier together in County Cork, Hume's Warbler in Kent, Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Dusky Warbler on the Isles of Scilly, Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in County Mayo, Lesser Scaups in Fife, Somerset, and Staffordshire, and Ferruginous Ducks in Hertfordshire (2), London, Norfolk, and Warwickshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Sunday 1st December 2024  
  A Hume's Warbler was at Dungeness Bird Observatory in Kent briefly, a Lesser Scaup was at Abberton Reservoir, Essex and a White-billed Diver flew past Ross Back Sands in Northumberland.

Lingering rarities included the Northern Harrier and Pallid Harrier in County Cork, another Pallid Harrier in Norfolk, Lesser Scaups in Cambridgshire, Staffordshire and Fife, Ferruginous Ducks in Hertfordshire, Warwickshire and Norfolk, two Richardson's Cackling Geese in County Donegal and Dusky Warbler in Scilly.
-  Will Soar, RBA
Saturday 30th November 2024  
  Today's new rarity was a Ferruginous Duck at West Hyde, Hertfordshire.

Lingering rarities comprised the Bufflehead still in Shetland, two Richardson's Cackling Geese in County Donegal, White-rumped Sandpipers in Lothian and Gloucestershire, Ferruginous Ducks in Warwickshire(2) and London, Dusky Warbler on Scilly, Pallid Harriers in Norfolk and Pembrokeshire, Northern Harrier in County Cork, Hume's Warbler in Norfolk, Kentish Plover in Somerset, Canvasback in Essex, and Lesser Scaups in Staffordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Fife.
-  Ben Clark, RBA
Friday 29th November 2024  
  Today's new rarities were a Red-rumped Swallow at Aber-Ogwen, Gwynedd, a White-rumped Sandpiper at Barns Ness, Lothian, a White-billed Diver off Eday, Orkney, and a Hume's Warbler at Titchwell, Norfolk.

Lingering rarities today comprised both the American Coot and Bufflehead still in Shetland, two Richardson's Cackling Geese in County Donegal, White-rumped Sandpiper in Gloucestershire, Ferruginous Duck in Warwickshire, Dusky Warbler on Scilly, Pallid Harriers in Norfolk and Pembrokeshire, and Lesser Scaups in Staffordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Fife.
-  Ben Clark, RBA
Thursday 28th November 2024  
  Today's new rarities were a Hume's Warbler at Weymouth, Dorset, and a Black Kite near Sevenscore, Kent.

Lingering rarities today comprised both the American Coot and Bufflehead still in Shetland, Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon, Pallid Harriers in Norfolk and County Cork, and Lesser Scaup in Staffordshire.
-  Ben Clark, RBA
Wednesday 27th November 2024  
  Rarities today comprised both the American Coot and Bufflehead still in Shetland, Northern Harrier and Pallid Harrier still together in County Cork, two Richardson's Cackling Geese together in County Donegal, and Lesser Scaups remained in both County Wexford and Staffordshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA
Tuesday 26th November 2024  
  The highlight of the day was the discovery of an American Coot in Shetland at Loch of Spiggie, Mainland; new for the year and the first in Britain since 2017.

Discoveries elsewhere included a Laughing Gull in Ayrshire at Maidens (another first for the year)m and reports of a Bonaparte's Gull on the Isle of Wight at Alverstone, and in Norfolk two Ferruginous Ducks together at Filby Broad.

Continuing rarities comprised the Canvasback still in Essex, Penduline Tit, Pallid Harrier, and Long-billed Dowitcher in Norfolk, two Richardson's Cackling Geese together in County Donegal, Lesser Scaups in County Clare and Staffordshire, and Ferruginous Ducks in London and Warwickshire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA