Tuesday 10th November 2009
	The long wait for Irish birders was finally over today, when the Ireland's first Red-flanked Bluetail was discovered on Dursey Island, Co Cork. With 68 accepted records in Britain (by the end of 2008), this species has been predicted to find its way onto the Irish list for some time. Co Cork also hosted both Red-throated Pipit and Bluethroat. Back across the Irish Sea, long-stayers such as the Brown Shrike in Surrey, Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent and Lesser Yellowlegs in Lothian were the headline birds. In Gloucestershire the Wilson's Phalarope remained at Slimbridge WWT, a Barred Warbler was discovered in Lincolnshire, the Rose-coloured Starling lingered in Oxfordshire, Yellow-browed Warblers were reported from Isles of Scilly, East Yorkshire, Western Isles and Cornwall (2), the Wryneck was still on Bardsey Island (Gwynedd) and in Perth & Kinross the Bluethroat was still on show at Errol.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA