Wednesday 3rd August 2016
	The best seawatching day of the year so far saw the first Fea's/Zino's Petrel passing Ram Head, County Waterford, Wilson's Petrel between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, a Grey Phalarope in Pembrokeshire, Long-tailed Skua passing County Clare, and at least 747 Cory's Shearwaters between County Clare and Cornwall, and 47 Great Shearwaters between County Kerry and Cornwall. Single White-rumped Sandpipers were discovered in both County Antrim and Norfolk, whilst lingering rarities confirmed as still present were the Western Purple Swamphen in Suffolk, Least Sandpiper in Devon, American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, both Dalmatian Pelican and Hudsonian Whimbrel in Cornwall, Little Bittern in Somerset, White-rumped Sandpiper in Lincolnshire, and single Bonaparte's Gulls in both Kent and Northumberland. Scarcities included Purple Heron (Norfolk), Spotted Crake (Cheshire), Cattle Egret (Merseyside), White Stork (London), two Surf Scoters, three Glossy Ibises, and four Pectoral Sandpipers (Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Essex and Lincolnshire).
-  Chris Batty, RBA