Tuesday 1st January 2008
	Just like the end of 2007, the first day of 2008 was full of Cattle Egrets. New birds were discovered at Leigh upon Mendip and Chapel Cleeve, both in Somerset, and five arrived in Bideford, Devon. Impressive numbers remained in Cornwall, including a flock of 18 near Drift. Much further north, the lone bird remained in Dumfries and Galloway. Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers were still in Cot Valley, Cornwall and at Beachy Head, East Sussex, the Desert Wheatear was still in North Yorkshire and Spotted Sandpipers were present in Forth and Glamorgan. Other lingering rarities included Lesser Yellowlegs in Suffolk, Red-breasted Goose in West Sussex/Hampshire, Wilson's Snipe on Isles of Scilly, Lesser Scaups in Warwickshire and Western Isles, Glossy Ibis in Lancashire and Long-billed Dowitcher in Devon. Great White Egrets were at Peacehaven, East Sussex, Blashford Lakes HWT, Hampshire, Newtown, Powys, Ouse Washes RSPB, Cambridgeshire and North Warren RSPB, Suffolk.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA