Friday 22nd September 2006
	Slimbridge WWT (Glos) was the place to be today as the counties first Semipalmated Sandpiper was found on The Dumbles at high tide in the morning. The bird showed well from the Holden Tower but then moved to the Severn Estuary as the tide receded where it became more distant. During its time on The Dumbles it was joined by a brace of Buff-breasted Sandpipers, which, along with the three juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers already present combined to complete an astonishing day for the county. On Lewis (W.Isles) a 1st-winter Isabelline Shrike was found at Brue, while other new rarities consisted of a Western Bonelli's Warbler on St. Agnes, Black Kite on the Isle of Wight, and both Black-winged Stilt and Semipalmated Sandpiper in Co. Wexford. The Black-winged Stilt was at Tacumshin and continues an astonishing run of form at the site since the start of September. The roll of honour is truly mouth-watering for a single site and is comprised of Citrine Wagtail, American Golden Plover, Baird's Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, two Pectoral Sandpipers, up to eight Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Tawny Pipit, and Melodious Warbler. Other notable sightings today include a Little Bunting on Fair Isle, Kentish Plover in Gloucestershire, a couple of new Melodious Warblers, three Hoopoes, Ortolan Buntings in Cornwall and Dorset, Rose-coloured Starling in Norfolk, and a plethora of Pectoral Sandpipers and Wrynecks.  Top drawer remaining rarities included both Pechora Pipit and Olive-backed Pipit on Fair Isle, Arctic Warbler on Mainland Shetland, both Least Sandpiper and Wilson's Phalarope in Cornwall, both Black-headed Bunting and Booted Warbler on Fetlar, and Lesser Yellowlegs in Aberdeenshire. A 1st-winter Black-eared Wheatear was also reported from Zennor (Cornwall). On the local front, Little Stint numbers continue to build across the country and Black Terns continue to be widespread
-  Richard Moores, RBA