Wednesday 24th September 2008
	After a fairly quiet morning, the afternoon produced some top quality eastern vagrants. Firstly, a first-winter Brown Flycatcher was found on Fair Isle, Shetland, and performed very well until this evening. Also on the island was a Red-flanked Bluetail, and around forty Yellow-browed Warblers. Keeping with the 'brown' theme, a superb adult Brown Shrike was found at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire. The first for Mainland Britain, it is hoped that it will become the first truly twitchable Brown Shrike for Britain. Other new birds found mid to late afternoon includes two Blyth's Reed Warblers on Mainland Shetland, together with two American Golden Plovers, an Olive-backed Pipit at Spurn, Yorkshire, a Rustic Bunting at Landguard Nature Reserve, Suffolk and a Lesser Grey Shrike, Siberian Stonechat and Radde's Warbler in Norfolk. Also in Norfolk was the first Melodious Warbler for the county for 51 years. Belated news for yesterday concerned a female Common Yellowthroat, which boarded the MV Aurora soon after leaving the United States, and was still present on the ship when it docked in Southampton, Hampshire yesterday evening. The Stilt Sandpiper remained in Cumbria, as did Eastern Olivaceous Warbler on Shetland, Red-footed Falcon and Glossy Ibis in Yorkshire and White-billed Diver on Orkney. Good numbers of scarce migrants were found down the east coast, with Red-breasted Flycatchers, Common Rosefinches and Wrynecks all being found, together with a large arrival of Yellow-browed Warblers.
-  Will Soar, RBA