Wednesday 26th August 2009
	Rarities today comprised the Wilson's Phalarope still in Merseyside, Lesser Yellowlegs on the Isles of Scilly, Greenish Warbler on the Shetland Isles, a brief Red-footed Falcon and a Great White Egret in Kent, both the Ferruginous Duck and Great White Egret still in Somerset, a Cattle Egret in Hampshire and a Great White Egret in East Yorkshire. Scarcities included four Spotted Crakes, two each of Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck and Pectoral Sandpiper as well as a Red-necked Phalarope in Hampshire, Ring-necked Duck in Staffordshire and and Icterine Warbler on the Shetland Isles. Seabirds were headlined by Wilson's Petrels off both County Clare and County Galway (2), three Cory's Shearwaters, a Long-tailed Skua, six Leach's Petrels, 89 Balearic Shearwaters spread over six counties and 16 Sabine's Gulls across seven counties; including three inland in Worcestershire.
-  Chris Batty, RBA