Tuesday 23rd October 2012
	Today's major news came from Shetland, where a Siberian Rubythroat was discovered on Fair Isle and a photo of a bunting taken on Mainland this afternoon shows what is probably a Chestnut-eared Bunting (although the bird was identified as a Little Bunting in the field). Elsewhere on Shetland a Pied Wheatear was discovered at Quendale (Mainland). Away from Shetland Olive-backed Pipits were the theme of the day, with records in Essex, Cornwall, Suffolk, Orkney, Norfolk, Isles of Scilly, Northumberland (2) and Co Galway, in addition to further probable sightings in Northumberland and Gwynedd. New discoveries included an adult Daurian Shrike on Portland (Dorset), Rustic Bunting at Whitburn (Co Durham), Little Buntings in Cleveland, Isles of Scilly and Gwynedd, Dusky Warblers in Northumberland and Co Durham and Long-billed Dowitcher on North Uist (Western Isles). Lingering rarities comprised Red-flanked Bluetail in Norfolk, two Lesser Scaups in Somerset, Lesser Yellowlegs in Lancashire, Bonaparte's Gull in Devon, Siberian Stonechat in East Sussex, American Buff-bellied Pipit, Penduline Tit and Radde's Warbler on Isles of Scilly, Glossy Ibises in Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler in Fife, Red-breasted Goose in Kent, Long-billed Dowitcher in Gloucestershire and Radde's Warbler in Northumberland. In Ireland a Spotted Sandpiper (Co Kerry), Lesser Yellowlegs (Co Dublin) and Dusky Warbler (Co Galway) were recorded. The best of the rest included Bluethroat in East Yorkshire and  Pallas's Warblers in Lothian, Essex and Norfolk.
-  Stuart Piner, RBA