Sunday 29th November 2009
	A second-winter Franklin's Gull flew south across the River Thames viewed from Canvey Island (Essex) this morning, but sadly the bird was not relocated. On Shetland a late Blyth's Reed Warbler was at Quendale, Mainland and a Spotted Sandpiper was identified near Killearn (Forth), having been found yesterday. Lingering rarities included Brown Shrike (Surrey), Pacific Diver (Cornwall), Penduline Tit and two Glossy Ibises (Kent), Lesser Yellowlegs (Lothian) and Spotted Sandpipers remained in Devon, Hampshire and Essex. An incredible wreck of Leach's Petrels occurred along the English south coast, with a minimum of 1,446 birds recorded at 34 sites, mainly in Hampshire, Dorset and to a lesser extent, Devon and Cornwall. Peak counts included a minimum of 600 passing through Chesil Cove and at least 582 flying past Portland Bill, whilst smaller numbers were scattered along the coast and several individuals found their way to inland. In Ireland the American Herring Gull was still in Galway and an American Golden Plover lingered in Co Down.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA