Monday 26th May 2014
	The highlight of the day was a Slender-billed Gull in Norfolk, present at Titchwell briefly mid afternoon. Elsewhere in Norfolk a Black-headed Bunting was discovered in Cromer, and a Booted Eagle was reported or suspected over Norwich, then North Walsham, then Whitlingham, then Hickling Broad, then Northrepps, and finally Cromer. Discoveries elsewhere included a Blyth's Reed Warbler in Pembrokeshire on Skomer, a Black Stork over West and East Yorkshire then Lincolnshire, a Two-barred Crossbill in Surrey at Horley, Alpine Swift on the Orkney Isles at Birsay, Lesser Scaup in Cheshire at Frodsham, and brief Bee-eaters in both Kent and the Isles of Scilly. Lingering rarities comprised the Little Bittern in Greater Manchester, Broad-billed Sandpiper in North Yorkshire, Savi's Warbler in Gwent, Citrine Wagtail in Gwynedd, two Black-winged Stilts together in West Sussex, and both Caspian Stonechat and Subalpine Warbler on Fair Isle. Scarcities included five Red-backed Shrikes, two each of Golden Oriole, Common Rosefinch, Temminck's Stint and Grey-headed Wagtail, with single Woodchat Shrike (Isles of Scilly), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Fife), Serin (Dorset), Long-tailed Skua (South Yorkshire), Purple Heron (West Yorkshire), Hoopoe (Worcestershire), Bluethroat and Icterine Warbler (Shetland Isles), Marsh Warbler and Grey Phalarope (Orkney Isles). Significant late news concerned a Semipalmated Sandpiper on South Uist, Western Isles on 24th May.
-  Chris Batty, RBA