Thursday 19th May 2011
	The highlight of the day was a Balearic Woodchat Shrike identified on St Martin's, Isles of Scilly; where it is present for a fifth day. Elsewhere, brief encounters included single Red-footed Falcons in East Sussex, Kent and Somerset, Alpine Swift in Essex, and both Black Kite and Bee-eater in Kent. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present today comprised the Trumpeter Finch in Devon, Broad-billed Sandpiper in Wirral, Eastern Subalpine Warbler on the Shetland Isles, Bonaparte's Gulls in both Cornwall and Devon, Lesser Scaup in Nottinghamshire, King Eider in Aberdeenshire, Savi's Warbler on Dorset, and both Red-rumped Swallow and Tawny Pipit in East Yorkshire. Scarcities included Short-toed Lark (Isles of Scilly), Purple Heron (County Antrim), Woodchat Shrikes (Kent and Pembrokeshire), Night Herons (Gloucestershire and Warwickshire), American Wigeon (Western Isles), Red-necked Phalarope (Norfolk) and White-tailed Eagle (East Yorkshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA