Thursday 29th September 2011
	Today's highlight was the tracking of the adult Sandhill Crane between Newbiggin (Northumberland) and Kettleness (North Yorkshire) via sites along the Co Durham and Cleveland coast between 9.08am and 2pm. The bird had last been seen on 26th September when it flew south from Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire) at midday. New discoveries included an Arctic Warbler in Suffolk, Glossy Ibis in Carmarthenshire, Alpine Swift and Little Bunting on Shetland, Pallid Harrier on Isles of Scilly, Great Snipe on Shetland and Blue-winged Teal in Co Clare. American waders comprised Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper and Baird's Sandpiper (all in Co Kerry), two Long-billed Dowitchers, two Spotted Sandpipers, four White-rumped Sandpipers, seven Semipalmated Sandpipers and nine American Golden Plovers. The Northern Waterthrush (Isles of Scilly), Black-headed Bunting, American Buff-bellied Pipit, Little Bunting and Lesser Grey Shrike (Shetland), Ferruginous Duck (Northamptonshire), Black Scoter (Aberdeenshire), American Black Tern (Lincolnshire) and four Pallid Harriers and two Black Kites all lingered.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA