Saturday 17th March 2007
	Three new rarities were located today though all three were difficult to access. On Shetland a fine drake King Eider was seen for the first time since early Jan off Symbister, Whalsay and on the Outer Hebridies a probable 1st-winter American Herring Gull was on Lewis. In London a  Ferrugious Duck was reported from William Girling Reservoir but access here is restricted.  The Red-breasted Geese performed well again in Norfolk, as did the Long-billed Dowitcher in Essex. The Lesser Scaup was seen again in Somerset and Cornwall continued to host a superb cast of  American Herring Gull, Spotted Sandpiper, White-billed Diver and Gyr Falcon. Over 75 Iceland Gulls were reported from across the UK and Ireland (50 of these at Killybegs in Donegal) and there were also at least 15 Glaucous Gulls. These numbers look set to increase even more next week with strong Northerly and North-westerly winds expected. Hopefully one or two rarer arctic gulls may also be drifted south.
-  Simon Mitchell, RBA