Saturday 27th May 2006
	A Wilson's Phalarope at Hillesden in Buckinghamshire, the first for the county, was a superb find which caused some excitement in another relatively quiet day. In East Yorkshire a Great Reed Warbler was found at Spurn Point but was frustratingly elusive, however a singing male Serin made the wait for the Great Reed more bearable. A female King Eider joined the male at Blackdog, Aberdeenshire. The splendid adult White-winged Black Tern in South Yorkshire commuted between Old Moor RSPB, Broomhill Flash and Wombwell Ings and often showed extremely well. In Pembrokeshire the female Subalpine Warbler stayed put on Ramsey Island RSPB and in Lancashire the pair of Black-winged Stilts continued to perform at Martin Mere WWT. In Cornwall, the Spotted Sandpiper and Red-rumped Swallow remained faithful to Newlyn and Maenporth respectively. Red-backed Shrikes have been thin on the ground this spring, so a female at Felixstowe Ferry was a welcome find. Nearby, in Norfolk a Hoopoe at Winterton North Dunes was the only news to shout about. In Dorset, 2 Woodchat Shrikes were on Portland; the first-summer by Coombefield Quarry entrance and another individual briefly at Verne Common. The stunning adult Purple Heron remained at College Reservoir, Cornwall and an adult Pectoral Sandpiper was on Cocklawburn Beach, Northumberland. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was located at Lough Beg, Co.Derry and in Kent, a first-summer gull considered by some to possibly be a Heuglin's Gull was at Dungeness for its second day.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA