Saturday 26th May 2007
	There was a good scattering of new rarities on another productive spring day today. The accolade for find of the day must go to the summer plumaged Spotted Sandpiper discovered at Skelton Lake, West Yorkshire. Other good finds were a Cattle Egret at at Pulborough Brooks RSPB, West Sussex, a pair of Lesser Scaup on Linton Pond, Northumberland and a White-billed Diver which flew past West Burra, Shetland. A Great White Egret was a surprise for sea-watchers at Hengistbury Head when it flew in off the sea, and a news of another bird present yesterday at Helston Loe Pool in Cornwall also emerged. A Woodchat Shrike at Portland, Dorset was only seen briefly but presumably arrived due to the same conditions which produced more than 70 Spotted Flycatchers there today The Squacco Heron was still on Scilly, the Laughing Gull seen again in Devon, and the Subalpine Warbler still in Gwynedd. Long-stayers still present included the Iberian Chiffchaff in Norfolk and belated news of the Scops Owl in Oxfordshire still yesterday. Exciting news of a Great Black-headed Gull which flew north at Cap Gris Nez in France combined with another report of a Masked Booby past Porthgwarra, Cornwall yesterday should provide plenty of incentive for south coast birders to get out tomorrow's rain and search. North-easterly winds also mean that the East coast may also be treated to a few drift migrants tomorrow.
-  Simon Mitchell, RBA