Thursday 1st October 2009
	Foula once again produced the goods, this time with a brief Veery, only the 8th British record. The island also hosted both American Buff-bellied and Pechora Pipits and two Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls. Elsewhere new rarities included a Coues's Arctic Redpoll on Barra (Western Isles), Lesser Scaup at Draycote Water (Warwickshire), White-rumped Sandpiper at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire), a third American Golden Plover arrived on Tiree (Argyll) and in Ireland an American Buff-bellied Pipit arrived on Clahane Beach (Co Clare). On Shetland the Taiga Flycatcher remained on Fetlar and a Pechora Pipit lingered on Fair Isle, the Aquatic Warbler continued to perform in Warwickshire, Long-billed Dowitchers were still on Isles of Scilly, Co Galway, Somerset and Cheshire (2) and other long-stayers included White-rumped Sandpiper in Essex, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, King Eider in Lincolnshire and American Golden Plover in Co Cork. Eight Great White Egrets, seven Cattle Egrets and eight Glossy Ibises were logged. In addition to the Long-billed Dowitcher on Tresco, Isles of Scilly hosted Little Bunting on St Mary's, Red-breasted Flycatcher on St Agnes and Pectoral Sandpiper on Tresco and on Shetland, in addition to the aforementioned rarities, a Barred Warbler was on Mainland and a Common Rosefinch was recorded on Unst.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA