Tuesday 29th May 2007
	After a disappointingly damp Bank Holiday weekend, today saw the injection of a little excitement into proceedings. The highlight was the discovery of a male Little Crake on Unst, Shetland, but far more popular amongst the masses was a Squacco Heron at Erith Marshes, London. Earlier in the day a Purple Heron had been seen at the same site - quite a pair for Capital City! Other new rarities came in the form of Great White Egret at Bough Beech Reservoir, Kent, White-winged Black Tern at Loch of Kinnordy RSPB, Angus and three Cattle Egrets at Lewes Brooks RSPB, East Sussex. Birders on the east coast enjoyed some long-awaited drift migrants, with East Anglia producing the majority of scarcities. The Norfolk coastline hosted an Icterine Warbler, Bluethroat, Common Rosefinch and five Red-backed Shrikes whilst in neighbouring Suffolk an Icterine Warbler was trapped and ringed at Landguard NR, the second to be caught there this month. Further north a Hoopoe was at Gibraltar Point NNR, Lincolnshire, three Red-backed Shrikes were in East Yorkshire and another was on St.Mary's, Isles of Scilly. In West Sussex a Red-necked Phalarope was at Pagham Harbour this evening and a Kentish Plover on Anglesey was an excellent North West record. The Rose-coloured Starling remained on South Uist. Lingering rarities included the Iberian Chiffchaff in Norwich, Lesser Grey Shrike on Fair Isle, pair of Lesser Scaup in Northumberland, Subalpine Warbler on Bardsey Island and Squacco Heron on Isles of Scilly.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA