Friday 23rd September 2011
	Today's headline birds were the adult Sandhill Crane in the Loch of Strathbeg RSPB area (Aberdeenshire) and the Northern Waterthrush on Isles of Scilly. On Shetland a Grey-cheeked Thrush was on Fetlar for its second day and the elusive Swainson's Thrush lingered at Boddam (Mainland). Elsewhere rarities included two Buff-bellied Pipits (Orkney), two Tawny Pipits (West Sussex and Isles of Scilly), five Pallid Harriers, King Eider (Moray), Ferruginous Duck (Somerset), Red-eyed Vireo (Western Isles), Black Kite (Cornwall), Black Scoter (Aberdeenshire), Blyth's Reed Warbler (Argyll), Blue-winged Teal (Cleveland), Bee-eater (Isles of Scilly) and American Black Tern (Lincolnshire) Nearctic wader records comprised 19 Pectoral Sandpipers, at least 18 Buff-breasted Sandpipers, ten Semipalmated Sandpipers, five White-rumped Sandpipers, five American Golden Plovers, three Spotted Sandpipers, two Long-billed Dowitchers, two Lesser Yellowlegs and single Baird's Sandpiper. The best of the rest included four Rose-coloured Starlings, two Short-toed Larks, Woodchat Shrike (Isles of Scilly) and Hoopoe (Lothian).
-  Stuart Piner, RBA