Saturday 24th May 2008
	A female Collared Flycatcher on North Ronaldsay, Orkney was today's best new discovery. This is the second island record, following the  female on 31st May 1999. A male Rustic Bunting on South Ronaldsay was also a quality find and the lingering Black Stork on Mainland completed a fine trio of Orkney rarities. A Rustic Bunting on Fair Isle, Shetland and Red-throated Pipit on Pabbay, Western Isles were both unavailable to the masses, and those new rarities that did grace the mainland proved to be difficult to connect with - Broad-billed Sandpiper at Spurn, Bee-eaters in Cornwall, Black Kites in Hampshire and a Red-footed Falcon in Kent were all tricky. A possible Booted Eagle briefly over the New Forest, Hampshire also evaded further detection. Several Red-footed Falcons were still at large, including popular individuals in Derbyshire, Hampshire and Norfolk. A singing male Ortolan Bunting in Drigg, Cumbria was a tremendous find and a Marsh Warbler at Filey, North Yorkshire, Tawny Pipit on Mainland Shetland, Pectoral Sandpiper at Leighton Moss RSPB, Lancashire, Common Rosefinch and Red-spotted Bluethroat in Kilnsea, East Yorkshire, Icterine Warbler at Hartlepool, Cleveland, Short-toed Larks in Cornwall, St Kilda and Isles of Scilly and Red-backed Shrikes in North Yorkshire, London, Devon and on North Uist were all noteworthy.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA