Wednesday 5th July 2006
	The heatwave continued throughout most of the country but a few new birds were found. A mobile female Red-necked Phalarope gave birders the run-around at Cley NWT, Norfolk in the morning, an Alpine Swift was reported flying southeast over Stretham, Cambridgeshire early evening and and a Great White Egret was in Portsmouth harbour; the latter is likely to be the same bird that was reported recently off Gosport Park. In Ireland a Great White Egret was reported at Quoile Pondage Nature Reserve. Spoonbills continue to be widespread and Caspian Gulls are beginning to show up at some of their favourite haunts. Belated news for yesterday came in the form of an eclipse drake Lesser Scaup at an undisclosed site.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA