Monday 11th September 2006
	In what appeared relatively unfavourable conditions Shetland scored with two classic 'early' autumn rarities in the form of a Yellow-breasted Bunting on Whalsay and a brief Great Snipe on Unst. Indeed quality rather than quantity was the order of the day with a Fea's Petrel past Galley Head (Co. Cork) during the evening, juvenile Baird's Sandpipers at Hanningfield Reservoir (Essex) and Inch Strand (Co. Kerry), and Semipalmated Sandpiper at Ferriter's Cove (Co. Kerry) maintaining the tempo of the last couple of weeks. Other new birds grabbing the headlines today included an Ortolan Bunting at Spurn (E.Yorks), three new Pectoral and two new Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Spotted Crake in Scilly and Icterine Warbler in Glamorgan. There was no sign of yesterdays Wilson's Phalarope in Co. Derry.
-  Richard Moores, RBA