Saturday 20th June 2009
	Once again a quiet June day was shattered by the news of the re-appearance of the African Royal Tern. This time it was fishing off the beach at Llandudno in Conwy. Found at 2.30pm, it was present on and off to early evening allowing a number of birders to connect with it, but it was not, however, seen later in the evening. A summer plumaged Spotted Sandpiper was an excellent find at North Cave Wetlands in East Yorkshire. Other new rarities included brief Great White Egrets near Cley in Norfolk and at Bangor in Gwynedd, and probable Black Kites over Kelling in Norfolk and Watford in Hertfordshire. The Little Bittern remained in Somerset and there were three Cattle Egrets near Youghal in County Waterford. The Woodchat Shrike remained on The Gower in Glamorgan. Two Marsh Warblers were at Herrington Country Park in County Durham, with singles on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd) and Amwell (Hertfordshire). Red-backed Shrikes were on the Isle of May (Fife) and near Brockholes Quarry (Lancashire), there was a Red-necked Phalarope at Titchfield Haven in Hampshire and a Serin was seen again at Portland in Dorset.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA