Thursday 24th May 2012
	The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Long-billed Dowitcher at Saltholme, Cleveland. Elsewhere, new rarities comprised Black-winged Stilts in Cambridgeshire at Paxton Pits, Devon at Lower Yelland, and Dorset at both Abbotsbury and Weymouth, Rustic Bunting on the Shetland Isles at Sumburgh Head, Red-rumped Swallow on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, and Glossy Ibises in East Sussex at Rodmell, and County Wexford at Tacumshin (2). Brief encounters included a Black Kite in Devon, Red-footed Falcon in County Cork, and Bee-eaters in Kent (3) and Lincolnshire. Lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the territorial Baillon's Crake on Anglesey, Forster's Tern in County Wexford, Snowy Owl on the Western Isles, Bonaparte's Gull in London, Great Reed Warblers in both Dorset and Somerset, and two Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire. Scarcities included nine Golden Orioles, four White Storks (together in Somerset), four Temminck's Stints, three Marsh Warblers, two each of both Common Rosefinch and Red-necked Phalarope, and single Short-toed Lark (Isles of Scilly), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Fife), Icterine Warbler (Dorset), Woodchat Shrike (Isles of Scilly), Red-backed Shrike (Orkney Isles) and Rough-legged Buzzard (Kent).
-  Chris Batty, RBA