Saturday 23rd March 2013
	Despite the atrocious cold conditions and easterly winds across much of the country, there were enough southerlies in the south west to bring in one or two new spring rarities. On Scilly there was a Red-rumped Swallow on St.Mary's and a Hoopoe on St.Agnes, as well as an exceptionally early Common Swift. In Dorset a White-spotted Bluethroat was trapped at Portland Bill. Both Black-bellied Dippers were still to be found at Thetford in Norfolk. On North Uist the Harlequin Duck was still at Balranald, in Somerset the Pied-billed Grebe continued it's stay at Ham Wall and in Aberdeenshire the Desert Wheatear continued to overwinter at Rattray Head. Lesser Scaups were still to be found in Lincolnshire, Herefordshire, Clyde and Cornwall. Other long staying rarities included the Forster's Tern in County Galway, Red-breasted Goose in Hampshire, Bonaparte's Gull in Glamorgan, Long-billed Dowitcher in Pembrokeshire, Lesser Yellowlegs in Devon and Northern Harrier in County Wexford. The easterlies brought a Grey Phalarope and three Little Auks to Lothian and a small smattering of, mostly adult, Little Gulls along the east coast, whilst in the south west a small arrival of summer migrants included a number of Ring Ouzels.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA