Saturday 1st November 2008
	The highlight of the day was the continued presence of rarities along the east coast all the way from Kent to the Shetland Isles. Headline birds concerned single Red-flanked Bluetails at Ramsgate, Kent and in Norfolk at Weybourne, Hume's Yellow-browed Warblers were found in Cleveland on the Shetland Isles, a Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk and Subalpine Warbler in East Yorkshire. Siberian Stonechats were seen in Kent and East Yorkshire (2) with scarce passerines being represented by 19 Yellow-browed, eleven Pallas's and one Barred Warbler, four Great Grey Shrikes, two each of Red-breasted Flycatcher, Common Rosefinch and Lapland Bunting and single Little Bunting, Serin and Bluethroat. Elsewhere, an American Buff-bellied Pipit was found on the Western Isles, as were a Marbled Duck in Northamptonshire and a brief White-billed Diver in County Durham.  The Green Heron lingered in Kent as did the Snowy Owl on the Isles of Scilly, Blyth's Reed Warbler in County Cork, Glossy Ibis in West Yorkshire, American Golden Plover in Norfolk, Cackling Canada Goose in Dumfries and Galloway, King Eiders in Devon and the Shetland Isles, Lesser Scaups in Clyde and Nottinghamshire, Hooded Merganser in Fife, Ferruginous Duck in Buckinghamshire and single Great White Egrets in Essex and Greater Manchester. Fourteen Cattle Egrets were recorded; comprising six in Somerset, three in Lancashire, two in Cambridgeshire and singles in Cornwall, Dorset and Pembrokeshire. Waxwings continue to arrive with 599 logged from 16 counties including 220 in Highland, 93 in Lothian, 84 in Moray and 42 in Norfolk.
-  Chris Batty, RBA