Wednesday 30th December 2009
	Lingering rarities comprised the Black Duck still on the Isles of Scilly, Red-breasted Goose in Devon, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cumbria, single Ferruginous Ducks in both Staffordshire and West Yorkshire, Glossy Ibises in Somerset (3) and Worcestershire, single Cattle Egrets in both Devon and Somerset and Great White Egrets in Leicestershire and Warwickshire. Scarcities included 20 Lapland Buntings together in Lincolnshire, eight Iceland Gulls, seven each of Ring-necked Duck and Tundra Bean Goose, six Caspian Gulls, five Glaucous Gulls, two Black Brants and single Little Bunting (Highland), Greater Snow Goose (Norfolk), Ring-billed Gull (Essex) and Great Grey Shrike (Hampshire) whilst in Cornwall Richard's Pipit, Shorelark and Yellow-browed Warbler were all seen. Significant late news concerned a Nutcracker reported briefly in a garden at Hadley, Worcestershire on 28th December but not seen since. However, despite reports of this species on an almost annual basis, the last acceptable Nutcracker in Britain was in 1998.
-  Chris Batty, RBA