Thursday 27th May 2010
	A stunning White-tailed Plover at Seaforth LWT (Merseyside) was today's hot news. This is the second time this species has occurred in Lancashire and North Merseyside, following the famous 2007 White-tailed Plover that spent eight days at Leighton Moss RSPB in June, having initially been discovered at Caerlaverock WWT (Dumfries and Galloway) earlier in the same month. Elsewhere new rarities included Savi's Warbler at Old Moor RSPB (South Yorkshire), Red-rumped Swallow at Dawlish Warren NNR (Devon), Red-throated Pipit and no less than 12 Bee-eaters on Isles of Scilly, Black Stork near Barnard Castle (Co Durham) and Black Kite on The Lizard (Cornwall). Four Red-footed Falcons were discovered at Tacumshin (Co Wexford), whilst other Red-footed Falcons records came in the form of two at Wilstone Reservoir (Hertfordshire) and singles at St Just (Cornwall) and in Co Kildare. A Blue-winged Teal at Paxton Pits NR (Cambridgeshire) was thought to be the same bird that visited Groby Pool (Leicestershire) yesterday - Paxton Pits NR is approximately 50 miles south-east of Groby Pool. Lingering rarities comprised Broad-billed Sandpiper in Aberdeenshire, Subalpine Warbler on Shetland, Great Reed Warbler in Derbyshire and Iberian Chiffchaffs in South Yorkshire and Kent. The best of the rest included 12 Temminck's Stints, at least four Red-backed Shrikes, two Purple Herons, two Pectoral Sandpipers, two Icterine Warblers, Hoopoe (Cornwall), Red-necked Phalarope (Leicestershire) and Great White Egret (Carmarthenshire).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA