Friday 16th May 2014
	New rarities today were headlined by a Terek Sandpiper at Amble Marshes in Cornwall and a Broad-billed Sandpiper briefly at Alkborough Flats in north Lincolnshire. A Great Reed Warbler was heard singing in the morning at Walberswick in Suffolk and a Little Bunting was found at Boddam on Mainland Shetland. There was an Eastern Subalpine Warbler on Bardsey Island in Gwynedd and another Subalpine Warbler was found on Bryher in the Isles of Scilly. On Fair Isle (Shetland) the Hermit Thrush was seen again along with the Caspian Stonechat, a Subalpine Warbler and the island's first Glossy Ibis. A group of nine Bee-eaters were seen on St.Martins on the Isles of Scilly, with various other sightings of presumably the same birds around the islands during the day. A single Bee-eater also flew over Polgigga in Cornwall, an area which also hosted up to four Black Kites, 71 Red Kites, two Honey Buzzards, a Common Crane and a Great White Egret. In an amazing day for the species, other Black Kite records were as follows: Sennen, Kelynack and Pendeen (Cornwall); Tresco, St.Martin's and St.Agnes (Isles of Scilly); Skomer Island and Martins Haven (Pembrokeshire) and Winchester (Hampshire). The other species to feature prominently was Black-winged Stilt, with records as follows: two at Elmley in Kent; two near Spalding in Lincolnshire and two at Fen Drayton, and later at Ouse Fen, (Cambridgeshire) along with the ringed escaped bird. The Spotted Sandpiper was still on Unst in the Shetland Isles.
-  Pete Hayman, RBA