Thursday 1st June 2006
	The most popular bird of the day was a fine summer-plumaged adult Spotted Sandpiper that was found at Minsmere RSPB reserve at dawn and stayed on show on the scrape throughout the day. Red-necked Phalaropes have been thin on the ground so far this spring particularly when you take into account the 'stalling' northerly winds that have predominated over the last week or so. As such a stunning female that popped up at Hickling Broad at least provided strong local interest. However, those arriving late in the afternoon were to be disappointed as what was probably the same individual appeared at Cley NWT reserve an hour or so later. What was almost certainly yesterdays Black Kite reappeared on Dartmoor, this time over Challacombe Down. In Co. Kerry a brace of Whiskered Terns were reported early on at Blennerville, although they could not be found by birders later but at least the 1st-summer Bonaparte's Gull provided some compensation. Dungeness retained its Red-rumped Swallow but lost its Bee-eater, while a male Red-backed Shrike at the same site was only enjoyed by the finders. An immature male Common Rosefinch at Portland continued the good run at this site although it provided less glamour than the breeding-plumaged male Red-breasted Flycatcher on Bardsey Island. A Purple Heron was reported flying in off the sea at Lizard Point (Cornwall) and the Night Heron remained at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford). The drake King Eider reappeared off Irvine harbour mouth in the evening.
-  Richard Moores, RBA