Tuesday 26th August 2008
	An exciting day to be in Ireland and definitely a Red Letter day for County Cork. News broke of not one but two Yellow Warblers, the 1st and 2nd ever for the Cork, and only the 3rd and 4th for Ireland. Both birds were still present this evening. One is at Mizen Head; The other, on Cape Clear Island, possibly present since Sunday when it may have been seen briefly in flight. Hopefully these represent the first of a what will prove to be a bumper showing of american passerines this year. Also in Cork today a Fea's Petrel flew past Galley Head and a juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper was at Lissagriffin Lake. In England, the juvenile Black Stork was rediscovered, the result of a report to the RSPB being forwarded to Rare Bird Alert. It had roosted overnight near Stillingfleet, North Yorkshire on Saturday, and based on that news was relocated today by diligent local birders. It remained on show much of the day and was the first truly twitchable Black Stork in Yorkshire since 1976. Elsewhere a Wilson's Petrel was a rare sighting from land as it flew past Gwennap Head, Cornwall. Lingering rarities consisted of single Marsh Sandpipers in Norfolk and Essex, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Pacific Golden Plover on Orkney and Snowy Owls on the Western Isles and on The Mullet, County Mayo. The latter is presumably a returning bird.
-  Will Soar, RBA