Friday 5th October 2012
	Staggering news today came in the form of an Eastern Kingbird found on the island of Inishmore, off the Galway Coast in western Ireland. This is the first record for the Western Palearctic of this North American Tyrant Flycatcher and the bird remained all afternoon along walls around Kimurvey - as many birders prepared for the long journey westwards. On the Isles of Scilly a Sykes's Warbler was found at Old Grimsby on Tresco this afternoon, and in west Cornwall a magic group of seven Red-rumped Swallows spent the afternoon around Marazion. A Fea's Petrel flew past Mizen Head in County Cork. New rarities on Shetland comprised a Great Reed Warbler on Mainland at Rerwick, a Citrine Wagtail on Fair Isle, a Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll on the Out Skerries and a Little Bunting on Whalsay. Nearby there was a Rustic Bunting on North Ronaldsay in the Orkneys. A Blyth's Reed Warbler was found on another island off the Galway coast - this time at Inishbofin, and Ireland held the lion's share of the new American Golden Plovers with birds in County Mayo, County Kerry and a belated report of one in County Wexford yesterday. Others were in the Orkneys and on the Western Isles. A Long-billed Dowitcher was found in Lincolnshire. The Myrtle Warbler remained on Dursey in County Cork, the Short-billed Dowitcher continued its sojourn at Lodmoor in Dorset, a Pallid Harrier was still in Yorkshire, the Western Bonelli's Warbler was still on St.Martins in the Scillies and American Buff-bellied Pipits remained in Counties Antrim and Kerry.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA