Saturday 22nd September 2012
	On the Shetland Isles Booted Warbler and Blyth's Reed Warbler joined the Arctic Warbler on Fair Isles, whilst a Great Reed Warbler arrived on Unst, and a supporting cast across the archipelago comprised Marsh Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Rose-coloured Starling, Wryneck, two each of both Bluethroat and Red-backed Shrike, five Common Rosefinches, 12 Lapland Buntings, 16 Barred Warblers and 68 Yellow-browed Warblers. Meanwhile, on the Isles of Scilly a Rose-coloured Starling, Wryneck and four Lapland Buntings were seen. Nearctic waders remained in evidence with the Short-billed Dowitcher still in Dorset, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Cornwall, two Semipalmated Sandpipers (Ceredigion and County Cork), two Baird's Sandpipers (Norfolk and South Yorkshire), four White-rumped Sandpipers, nine Buff-breasted Sandpipers, 10 American Golden Plovers and 20 Pectoral Sandpipers. Rarities elsewhere comprised the Baillon's Crake still in London, American Buff-bellied Pipit on the Western Isles, Ferruginous Duck in Lincolnshire, and a Glossy Ibis between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. However, it was bews of scarce drift migrants that dominated the airwaves today, with - away from Shetland and Scilly - one each of Little Bunting, Melodious Warbler, Icterine Warbler and Bluethroat, two Ortolan Buntings, three Red-backed Shrikes, five Wrynecks, seven Common Rosefinches, nine Red-breasted Flycatchers, 11 Barred Warblers, 77 Yellow-browed Warblers and 107 Lapland Buntings.
-  Chris Batty, RBA