Saturday 6th September 2008
	With perfect conditions for a fall, the north-east produced some good birds, with scarce migrants stealing the show. However, just the one rarity was found in the area, a Red-throated Pipit at Tynemouth, Northumberland, but Bluethroat, Ortolan Bunting, Grey-headed Wagtail, three Red-breasted Flycatchers, ten Icterine Warblers and five Barred Warblers, along with good numbers of Wrynecks and the commoner migrants were the supporting cast. Elsewhere, rarities included a juvenile Hudsonian Whimbrel, present briefly on St Mary's, Scilly, an Aquatic Warbler at Weston sewage works, Somerset, with another still present at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, Pacific Golden Plover at Eastriggs, Dumfries and Galloway and a Baird's Sandpiper at Black Rock Strand, County Kerry. Lingering rarities included the Semipalmated Sandpiper at Dawlish Warren NNR, Devon, White-winged Black Terns in Staffordshire, Kent and Flintshire, Glossy Ibis in Yorkshire, White-billed Diver on Orkney, American Golden Plover in Argyll and Citrine Wagtail on Scilly. Seabirds were a very big part of today's news as well. At the coast, good numbers of Long-tailed Skuas, Sabine's Gulls and Balearic Shearwaters were seen, and at least 42 Grey Phalaropes were found, including many birds on inland waters.
-  Will Soar, RBA