Thursday 15th September 2011
	American waders continued to flood into Britain and Ireland today - Spotted Sandpipers arrived in Cornwall (where one joined a Lesser Yellowlegs and Semipalmated Sandpiper at Drift Reservoir) and Gloucestershire, White-rumped Sandpipers were located in Argyll (2), Co Kerry, Western Isles and Co Galway, a Semipalmated Sandpiper was identified on Western Isles, an American Golden Plover was discovered in Co Kerry and a Baird's Sandpiper was in Co Donegal. In Suffolk a Fea's Petrel flew past Lowestoft this evening and three Wilson's Petrels were logged from an Isles of Scilly pelagic. In addition to the aforementioned waders new discoveries comprised a Tawny Pipit in East Sussex, at least three Black Kites in Cornwall and Citrine Wagtails in Shetland and Co Kerry. Lingering rarities included Solitary Sandpiper, Ortolan Bunting, Bee-eater and Baird's Sandpiper on Isles of Scilly, Pallid Harrier on Mainland Shetland, Baird's Sandpiper in Hampshire, Long-billed Dowitcher in Cornwall, Spotted Sandpiper in Devon and Blue-winged Teal in Cleveland. At least 38 Buff-breasted Sandpipers were recorded today, including a flock of 15 on Loop Head (Co Clare). In Ireland lingering rarities comprised American Golden Plover and White-rumped Sandpiper in Co Wexford and two Semipalmated Sandpipers in Co Kerry. Today's hot topic related to a tit species that had been visiting a garden feeder in High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire) for at least two weeks. The bird was initially thought to be an Azure Tit, but after the possibility of a hybrid Azure Tit x Blue Tit had been considered, it was later decided that the bird was an escaped Yellow-breasted Tit.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA