Wednesday 5th October 2016
	The English east coast stole the show today where some of those watching the continuing Eastern Crowned Warbler in Yorkshire at Bempton Cliffs witnessed a Black-browed Albatross pass the coast between Filey Brigg and Flamborough Head, whilst in Northumberland a White's Thrush showed well for most of the day on Holy Island, Northumberland. Associated arrivals included single Red-flanked Bluetails in both East Yorkshire and Fife, Radde's Warblers in Norfolk and North Yorkshire, Blyth's Reed Warbler in Fife, Greenish Warbler and Siberian Stonechat in East Yorkshire. On the Shetland Isles a White's Thrush joined the Swainson's Thrush on Fetlar, both the Great Snipe and Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll remained on Unst, as did the Pechora Pipit on Fair Isle, with totals from around the archipelago of Rose-coloured Starling, Great Grey Shrike, two each of both Barred Warbler and Richard's Pipit, three Common Rosefinches, four Bluethroats, and six each of both Little Bunting and Red-breasted Flycatcher. On the Scilly Isles a new Red-eyed Vireo was located on St Martin's, both the Sora and the Blyth's Pipit remained, along with Melodious Warbler, American Golden Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Little Bunting, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike, two Cattle Egrets, and four Wrynecks. Otherwise, rarities comprised a brief Subalpine Warbler species in Dorset at Portland, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak still in County Cork, both Western Purple Swamphen and Long-billed Dowitcher in Lincolnshire, Dalmatian Pelican and Blyth's Reed Warbler in Devon, Hudsonian Whimbrel and Baird's Sandpiper in Cornwall, Booted Warbler still in Conwy, Baird's Sandpiper in Northumberland, Bonaparte's Gull in County Durham, and both Semipalmated Sandpiper and Azorean Yellow-legged Gull in County Kerry.
-  Chris Batty, RBA