Sunday 23rd April 2006
	In Somerset a cracking male Black-headed Wagtail turned up on Minehead Golf Course and showed well near the coast path throughout the day. There has been a large influx of Yellow Wagtails during the last week or so, with many Blue-headed Wagtails and green-backed variants involved. Let’s hope we will see an upturn in fortunes for flavissima over the next few years. A controversial sandpiper in at Marston sewage works (Lincs) provided a tough identification for one wary birder. Although the bird exhibited spots down the flanks and on the belly, many of the other features pointed squarely at Common Sandpiper. In Cornwall a Red-rumped Swallow was reported from Petherick Marsh near Bude and an adult Laughing Gull turned up at Porthcurnick Beach. In Berkshire, an Alpine Swift flew over Greenham Common but was not seen again. Selected remaining rarities included the Long-billed Dowitcher that reappeared at Old Hall Marshes RSPB (Essex), American Golden Plover at Cemlyn (Anglesey), Hooded Merganser on Unst, four White-billed Divers on Lewis and Lesser Scaup at Swithland Reservoir (Leics). On the scarcity front six Dotterel appeared on the Western Isles, both Tawny Pipit and Short-toed Lark popped up on St. Mary’s (Scilly), the Common Rosefinch remained on Portland, Woodchat Shrike stayed on at Porthgwarra. A brace of new drake Green-winged Teals appeared on Mainland Shetland and Pomarine Skuas picked up slightly off favoured headlands.
-  Richard Moores, RBA