Saturday 20th May 2006
	With strong west and north winds and showers over much of the country, today's birdnews was not dominated by new rarities but by yet more seabirds. Storm Petrels again featured heavily with large numbers being seen in the south-west. A classic passage of Pomarine and Long-tailed Skuas occurred past the Western Isles, with smaller numbers of Pomarines also seen elsewhere in Scotland. Best of the new rarities was a Black Kite near Wickhambreaux, Kent; the bird was found mid morning, but the news failed to seep out of the Kent grapevine until early afternoon. Fortunately, yet somewhat unusually, it lingered until at least early evening. Elsewhere a Gull-billed Tern was found at Ballymacoda, County Cork and a Red-rumped Swallow was reported at Blencarn, Cumbria. A Bee-eater was again at Winterton, Norfolk, but only briefly early morning. The Woodchat Shrike remained at Portland, Dorset and the Short-toed Lark was again on St.Mary's, Scilly, along with a Dotterel and the long-staying Iceland Gull. Last weekend's adult Purple Heron was relocated at Frampton. Neither of yesterday's popular rarities, the Gull-billed Tern in Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire nor the Broad-billed Sandpiper in Cambridgeshire were present today but the long staying Black-winged Stilts remained at Martin Mere WWT and the Aberdeenshire King Eider was relocated at Blackdog.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA