Thursday 8th September 2011
	A Least Sandpiper at Farlington Marshes HWT (Hampshire) was today's headline discovery, but unfortunately the bird was in an area with no general access. Elsewhere new American waders included Baird's Sandpipers on Isles of Scilly and in Co Cork, a distant dowitcher species in Co Derry and Semipalmated Sandpiper in Co Kerry. A total of 14 Buff-breasted Sandpipers and 23 Pectoral Sandpipers were logged and a Spotted Sandpiper (Devon), Baird's Sandpiper (Cornwall), American Golden Plover (Co Durham) and Semipalmated Sandpiper (Co Cork) all lingered. A juvenile Pallid Harrier flew over Aston Upthorpe Downs (Oxfordshire) but didn't linger (on Shetland two Pallid Harriers remained on show), a Citrine Wagtail was discovered in Co Kerry and in London a Red-rumped Swallow flew over Crayford Marshes. In addition to the aforementioned waders lingering rarities included Citrine Wagtails in Norfolk and on Fair Isle, Ferruginous Duck in Somerset, Arctic Warbler on Shetland, Bee-eater on Isles of Scilly (where a pelagic produced five Wilson's Petrels this evening) and Bonaparte's Gull in Co Durham. The best of the rest included White-winged Black Tern in Oxfordshire, Spotted Crake in Cheshire, Rose-coloured Starling in Dumfries & Galloway, Hoopoe in Carmarthenshire, Melodious Warblers in Dorset and Gwynedd, Woodchat Shrike on Isles of Scilly and Cattle Egrets in Norfolk (2) and Kent.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA