Wednesday 25th February 2009
	A first winter drake King Eider was found at Flamborough Head late this a'noon but other new rarity reports were all in the form of Cattle Egrets: nine were at the Hayle Estuary in Cornwall and there was one at Fethard-on-Sea in County Wexford. This brought the day total of Cattle Egrets reported to eighteen. Two, possibly three, Great White Egrets were in Cambridgeshire, with another at Thurlby in Lincolnshire. Long staying rarities included the Snowy Owl in Cornwall, the Penduline Tit in Devon, the King Eider in Fife, Lesser Scaups in Nottinghamshire and Glamorgan, and Dark-breasted Barn Owl and Black-bellied Dipper in Norfolk. Two Rough-legged Buzzards were together at North Wootton in Norfolk, with another bird in Lincolnshire and there was the usual smattering of Waxwings and Glaucous and Iceland Gulls. In Hampshire there came a report of a Little Ringed Plover yesterday at Romsey - possibly an early sign of spring.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA