Thursday 4th May 2006
	A busy day yielded no less than eight new rarities including a Brunnich’s Guillemot that was found dead on Yell. Most popular of the extant rares were a party of three Black-winged Stilts that appeared at Far Ings RSPB reserve during the afternoon. The birds were mobile around the reserve but continued to show until dusk. In Ireland a brace of White-winged Black Terns showed in Co. Westmeath. These birds were part of a notable influx of Black Terns into Britain and Ireland during the day. A Red-throated Pipit in Kent showed to only the early risers at Bockhill Farm while a drake King Eider again appeared off Blackdog, Aberdeenshire. A duo of new Laughing Gulls appeared in Cornwall and Co. Galway and a Great White Egret was reported over Storwood, S.Yorks to complete the new rares. Best of the rest included a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Lothian that moved from Tyninghame Bay to Aberlady Bay, Pectoral Sandpiper at Martin Mere WWT, male Red-backed Shrike at Land’s End, singing Yellow-browed Warbler at Dungeness, and a decent passage of Pomarine Skuas past the south coast. An influx of Garganey was also notable.
-  Richard Moores, RBA