Wednesday 9th August 2006
	Rare gulls again made the headlines today when an adult Franklin's Gull was discovered late in the evening at Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire - the first county record. Disappointingly it was soon lost in the large gull roost but hopefully it will reappear there tomorrow. On Tiree, Argyll a brief adult Ross's Gull was most unseasonal. Elsewhere an adult White-winged Black Tern flew over Neumann's Flash, Cheshire late in the evening and a Melodious Warbler was trapped at Portland Bill, Dorset in the morning - the fourth individual of this species at this bird observatory in little over a fortnight. The Cattle Egret remained for its second day at Burnham Norton, Norfolk and appears not to be ringed. The escaped Cattle Egrets (emanating from Pensthorpe Waterfowl Park, Norfolk) present nearby last year were both ringed on the tibia, although the rings were difficult to discern at times. However, whilst the benefit of the doubt may be given to the Cattle Egret, photographs of the White Pelican at Bough Beech Reservoir, Kent appear to show that several of the primary feathers have been clipped indicating a captive origin for this bird.
-  Chris Batty, RBA